Rocket Raccoon #1 Review

Rocket Raccoon #1 

Writer: Matthew Rosenberg
Artist: Jorge Coelho
Colorist: Antonio Fabela
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Publisher: Marvel

A review by David Hildebrand 

Rocket Raccoon is one of my favorite comic book characters. Taking a look back, I liked the 1985 Vol. 1 comic books.  Rocket Raccoon Vol.2 was OK at times, but I felt like something was missing, and then Rocket Raccoon and Groot was a complete miss for me. I don’t want a comedic buddy team up, I want Rocket kicking ass and taking names! I have long awaited for someone to pick this little guy up, give him a big hug and let him know that everything is going to be just fine. And it appears that Matthew Rosenberg (4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, Kingpin) is finally the guy Rocket Raccoon deserves. Rocket Raccoon #1 is a home run from the start!

The events of Civil War II has left the Guardians of the Galaxy without a ship and their status as a team is uncertain for the moment. Rocket Raccoon is out on the mean streets of New York alone. You would think Rocket would fit perfect in this city with his trash talking and quick wits, but he is quickly introduced into how this world works and in his own words: “This planet sucks.”

As Rocket wanders through the city, he encounters a homeless veteran that is hungry and wants a few bucks for food. After turning down the food that Rocket has found for himself in a trashcan, Rocket takes it upon himself to walk into a restaurant and liberate some food for the veteran. As you can imagine, this doesn’t go well for Rocket and now he has an NYPD riot squad hunting him down. Luckily for Rocket, he avoids getting arrested as Johnny Storm (Human Torch) swoops in and picks him up under “official Avengers business”. Johnny offers Rocket a place to stay and even says that Rocket would be an asset to Earth. But Rocket isn’t hearing any of that and shortly after Johnny nods off to sleep, he is out in the city looking for something to drink. Rocket ends up crossing paths with an old friend that tells Rocket he has connections to get him off of Earth.

Rocket Raccoon #1 is amazing! It is very much a fish out of water story but Rosenberg hits it on every mark. He touches on some very genuine issues the country has, including homelessness, the way people treat one another they don’t understand, and even the militarization of the police force. There is more going on here than just your typical comic book story. It has much needed depth that is missing in many comic books that are written today.

Coelho and Fabela’s art does an outstanding job of telling the story visually.  Rocket has a certain grit to him so it is fitting that he is drawn with grit. Coelho does a great job in illustrating his facial expressions from cool and calm to feisty and battle ready, especially in the details of Rocket’s eyes. New York is beautifully created on these pages as well, capturing the sometimes intimidating feel of the Big Apple.

The Verdict
BUY IT! BUY FIVE COPIES! Five copies? Yes! I bought three! Damn you, cool variants covers! With only one issue in, and it being the last week of the year, Rocket Raccoon #1 has skyrocketed to the top of my “must reads of the year”. Yes, I am a huge Rocket Raccoon fan, so I might sound a bit bias, but you have to give this comic book a read! Rosenberg has done an exceptional job with 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, Kingpin, and We Can Never Go Home. So when I found out he was doing Rocket Raccoon, my interest soared to hype levels. I am so pleased to say that the hype is real! Check this book out! And Marvel, give Matthew Rosenberg more work!