Dec
29
2016
0

Rocket Raccoon #1 Review

Written by: Matthew Rosenberg

Art by: Jorge Coelho

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Have you ever seen Home Alone 2: Lost In New York? You have? Good. Now picture that movie but replace Kevin with a short, violently, angry raccoon possessing an utter hatred of anything related to Earth and unstable weaponry. This is the basis of Matthew Rosenberg’s new run about Rocket Raccoon as he attempts to escape Earth and get back to civilized society. The new storyline is very intriguing, but there are a couple of lulls that keep the issue from being phenomenal. At least it’s still solid.

Following a big battle on earth and the unfortunate destruction of their ship, the Guardians of the Galaxy have gone their separate ways. Unfortunately, Rocket is stranded on Earth, the place he hates most in all the galaxy. Even worse is the fact that he is constantly surrounded by police officers that want to arrest him and pedestrians who fear him. Even the Avengers aren’t around to make contact with. It’s just Rocket alone in New York and dealing with “flarknards.”

However, the little bounty hunter actually meets some interesting characters during his brief adventures, one of which is another superhero. These interactions don’t technically work out for the best, but at least they do lead to some interesting conversations and even more intense story beats. There is even a bar scene that serves as a nice avenue for backstory and introduces a new/old character.  

Rocket Raccoon #1 is a very…unique issue. It starts out extremely well with some good chuckle-worthy lines but almost dips into boring once the other superhero shows up. The setup is a solid idea, but it’s too hard to care about him. Thankfully, that section is short lived and leads into the story ramping back up. The pacing isn’t great at times, but Rosenberg’s writing helps make up for any issues.

Rocket is one of the more entertaining characters in the Marvel universe, and this iteration combines smart-aleck comments with a serious attitude problem. The issue even starts out with the phrase “this planet sucks.” Rocket continues the sentiment by making rude comments to surrounding pedestrians as he wanders around looking for food and exotic dancers. Strangely though, his gruffness actually works well with the darker art style and what appears to be a very grim story.

And speaking of the art, Jorge Coelho does a great job. At first, this grittier art style wasn’t appealing to the eye, but it grew with time. More importantly, the art also showcased the attention to detail. Coelho threw so many random touches into the panels that just make Rocket more entertaining. His expressions alone add emotion to moments that would otherwise be fairly straightforward. Hell, even the least appealing part of the story is made better as Coelho portrays Rocket just sitting in a recliner with his face buried in a bucket of food. It’s a little touch for sure, but you have to see it to truly understand the brilliance.

As a premiere, Rocket Raccoon #1 is a fairly solid issue. The story is engaging, the art is phenomenal, and the more gruff version of a beloved character is entertaining. Sure, there is a dip in the middle, but the ending more than makes up for the few boring panels. It will be very interesting to see where Rosenberg takes the story after that intense final panel.