Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy grossed nearly $430 million worldwide, shooting James Gunn’s postmodern space comedy to the front of this year’s highest- earning films. All the same, moviegoers could be excused if they had no idea who the Guardians of the Galaxy actually were before seeing the movie.
Unless, that is, they went to New World Comics’ two Superhero School lessons covering the team and had a chance to meet Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Peter Quill, Gamora and Drax the Destroyer in person — once in 2013 and then again during the week leading up to the film’s release.
“The kids freaking loved them before they knew there was a movie or anything else,” storeowner Brian “Buck” Berlin said. “We had kids running around, screaming, ‘I am Groot.’ I made the costumes comic book-accurate; I made sure to get everything so that the kids could go pick up a comic and understand it.”