Writer/Artist: Skottie Young
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
We now live in a post-Rocket Raccoon world. Not only have we made it to the second issue of his ongoing series, but he is surely a household name after the record setting feature film. This review is not to compare the two to each other, but to talk about the fantastically funny story Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu bring to us in this brand new world of a talking not-raccoon with a gun.
When we last saw Rocket he had found himself in a sticky situation. That is exactly where you want someone like Rocket, because only good things can come from that and Young brings it somewhere special with his writing and art. Elsewhere in the Marvel Universe, Rocket has been a serious character with some jokes, but Young has turned that around here. Each page really feels like it could stand on its own, almost like a comic strip with the punch before every turn. While this is great for the most part, there are times when it can be a bit much, but that quickly passes and you forget about it. The shining part of this issue is the prison break played out in a wonderful double-page spread. It offers a million little things to look at while you watch an awesome and daring escape from a super-max prison. The only thing that seems to fall flat for me are the setting captions. Sometimes they’re used for great comedic effect, but I feel like they’re used one too many times and start becoming intrusive as the issue goes on. It just feels like one too many jump cuts.
There’s a nice subtle thing to notice about Beaulieu’s colors that you only really catch if you’re looking for. However, that’s probably the best possible situation for any type of art. It does what it needs to do without being intrusive. There’s this saying that goes “when you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.” That’s exactly what’s been done here. The color palette blends from red to green, and back to red and then purple after that. It’s executed without being jarring.
Just a quick sidebar on Jeff Eckleberry’s letters. There is also a subtle thing about them if you take a good look at them. The word balloons themselves imitate Young’s own inking style. It’s a small detail, but one that really makes you smile.
Rocket Raccoon #2 is a strong entry in this colorful series.
