Pretty much everyone seems to be on board with Marvel's major superheroes getting their own stand-alone films and then reuniting for The Avengers films.  The real question as to audiences' acceptance for comicbook fare will be tested when the space-based Guardians of the Galaxy opens in theaters on August 1st of 2014.  It may be easy to warm up to Star-Lord, aka Peter Quill, since he's a human hybrid played by the charming Chris Pratt.  The test comes with characters such as Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Groot (a giant tree) and Rocket Raccoon (an anthropomorphic raccoon).  Marvel knows that, which is why they're releasing four free digital comic issues that each center on one of the lesser-known characters.  Familiarize yourself with the heroes in question using our handy-dandy character guide and then hit the jump to find out more about Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite comics.

Thanks to EW for bringing these comics to our attention.  Starting with Drax the Destroyer (available now), Marvel's four free issues centering on the Guardians of the Galaxy are available through the Marvel Comics app.  Written by Brian Michael Bendis, the first story in the series gives a good introduction to Drax and shows that he's quite the badass as he defends himself against some substantial threats.  (There's also a nice teaser appearance at the end by another Guardian.)

The presentation on your smartphone or tablet keeps the iconic panel feel of classic comics with a high-tech method of swiping to advance the story.  As Bendis says:

“An Infinite comic book is exploring the new world of digital publication but still maintaining the essential elements that makes a comic book a comic book.  Most digital comic books are essentially scanned pages that the reader has limited ability to manipulate, but an Infinite comic makes the reader part of the sequential storytelling.”

Bendis further commented on the upcoming issues:

“Each one is sort of a prologue to the very first issue that lets the readers know who these characters are and what their individual goals are outside of the team. What makes Gamora tick? What secret is rocket raccoon hiding? What cost comes from being one of the galaxies most famous warriors like Drax the Destroyer?”

Finally, Bendis commented on the heroes themselves and how well they'll fit into Marvel's slate of feature films:

“They are very unique individuals but there’s something very classical about them as a group, like Robin Hood and his Merry Men, like Firefly, like Han Solo and Chewbacca. The Guardians are characters that have risen above their terrible upbringing and have chosen to do something worthwhile in this lifetime. That makes them heroes. The fact that they are so unique, the fact that most of them are one-of-a-kind, makes them all the more heroic.”