Not to be confused with Imperial Gardens, the pretty good Chinese restaurant down the block from me, Marvel has announced Imperial Guardians, a brand new ongoing series that returns writer Dan Abnett to cosmic Marvel.
Spinning out of the events of Imperial, the new title evolves the Guardians of the Galaxy into a new force for universal… Well, something. I’m being vague here because they’re working for Maximus, the insane Inhuman who was behind all the chaos in Imperial. Which means maybe Abnett and artist Marcelo Ferreira have them up to something bad, something good, maybe a little bit of both.
“The Marvel Cosmic landscape after Imperial has got a very different feel, and it’s rewarding to play around with the aftermath of an event where ‘the good guys won.’ Or did they? No victory comes without back-room compromise, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the new Guardians remit,” Abnett said via press release. “I chose the roster to reflect that – the clashing, mismatched spirit of Star-Lord’s original team mixed with a professional hard focus. An iconic hero in Captain Marvel, an anti-hero in the troubled Darkhawk, brains and brawn in the mercurial Amadeus Cho (yes, that’s a Hulk in Hulkbuster armor!), and the downright psychopathic Cosmic Ghost Rider as enigmatic ramrod and drill sergeant. Only Gamora, the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy, has a chance of keeping them in line as team leader.”
“IMPERIAL GUARDIANS is both a team AND a cosmic book, which for me is a double challenge, but also double the fun!” Ferreira said. “Cosmic books carry these stories full of great energetic scenes, which I love, because they allow me to flex this other artistic muscle. Plus, Dan Abnett has put together this cool lineup, giving me the chance to draw characters such as Cosmic Ghost Rider, Darkhawk and Gamora! I truly hope that all the fun I’m having translates into the pages and to the readers!”
Added Abnett, “It’s a dirty job (it’s a whole string of dirty jobs, one after another), and these are the somebodies I picked to do it. Will there be glorious victories? No. But will they learn to bond as a team? Also no. But will they keep it together long enough to guard the Galaxy and save trillions of lives? Again… let’s just hope so, okay?”
As Abnett mentions, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, what with a Kree Grand Admiral attacking Hala, Darkhawk having some weird mental issues, and of course, Maximus has another game of his own.
Imperial Guardians #1 hits stores on March 11, 2026. Check out two covers by Sean Izaakse and Netho Diaz below.
IMPERIAL GUARDIANS #1
Written by DAN ABNETT
Art by MARCELO FERREIRA
Cover by SEAN IZAAKSE
Variant Cover by NETHO DIAZ
On Sale 3/11
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