Fans who want to brush up on Rocket and Groot before the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie have a second Marvel-Verse collection out this year appropriately titled Marvel-Verse: Rocket and Groot. This collection features a classic tale, but also newer ones that give you the fun adventure and rule-breaking vibes this duo is best at. Plus, if you’re unfamiliar with their comics and love the movies, it’s a good way to dip your toe into the series.
Marvel-Verse is a smaller-sized, 120 pages-or-so series of trade paperbacks that give readers a sense of the characters in the comics that are now on the big screen. I’m a sort of expert on this series of trade paperbacks — go read my reviews of Amazing Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Jane Foster Thor, America, Moon Knight, Moon Girl, Morbius, Thor, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange, Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel, Deadpool & Wolverine, Iron Man, Venom, Thanos, Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther — to see what I mean. Per usual, Marvel-Verse: Rocket and Groot is not the ideal starting place if you’re aiming to brush up on the characters in a linear way, but it is a pleasant taste tester.
Collected here is Incredible Hulk #271, Free Comic Book Day 2014, Rocket Raccoon #4-6, and material from A Year of Marvels: The Unbeatable. Running 120 pages long, it’s a good size for younger readers, and as I said above, it’s smaller in size, so it’s easier to handle for younger hands. My copy also had Guardians of the Galaxy: Dream On listed in the credits, but it was not actually printed in the trade paperback.
Kicking things off is Incredible Hulk #271 by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema. This tale is the first-ever appearance of Rocket Raccoon and a sidekick Wal Russ. Yes, Wall Russ is a walrus. How did you know? Sporting a pipe, Rocket is near how he’s characterized in modern days, save for a story that’s embroiled in humanoid animal adventures. Hulk is basically annoyed by it all but ends up helping Rocket. It’s interesting to read this first appearance knowing how much he’ll change in the future.
Next is the Free Comic Book Day 2014 story by Joe Caramagna and Adam Archer. This story is a companion piece, or maybe even a sequel, to the Incredible Hulk #271, only it also integrates Groot. The characters are fighting some evil rabbit aliens, and Wal Russ makes an appearance. Archer’s art is dynamic and in your face in ways only Marvel supplies. The characters are a little more cartoony but also a ton of fun. I could see Caramagna and Archer doing a long run of adventures utilizing various animal-themed aliens.
This guy better show up in Jeff Loveness’ Avengers movie.
Credit: Marvel
Next up is three issues of Skottie Young’s Rocket Raccoon #5 with co-artist Jake Parker. This is a delightful tale as we see Groot tell a story at a campfire. The only thing is, all the dialogue in the story is “I am Groot.” That’s a clever way to tell a story visually with an inside joke that maybe not every camper can understand him. The story is a huge adventure involving poker, Sirens, and lots of fun antics. It’s a delight.
Jeff Loveness and Brian Kesinger’s Groot #6 follows, detailing some of Groot’s past, how he was thrown out by his people, and the deep connection he made with a single human. Loveness introduces a villain called The Clam, the X-Men pop-in, and our heroes even watch Star Wars. It’s a great story celebrating pop culture and the fun way these characters work so well off each other. Throw in the meaningful ending and it’s a home run of an issue.
Young is back with Rocket Raccoon and Groot #4 with art by Aaron Conley. With tons of detail in the art, this is a story that’s super fun with a great hook. Essentially Rocket is insulted by Tony Stark at his D&D game and agrees to play fantasy football. The only problem is its not just fantasy, but actually football on a planet that is literally just one large field. Rocket must fight incredible machines and dangerous threats all so that he can win a bet. The story feels ahead of its time, given Dungeons & Dragons is now all the rage.
Closing out the collection is a short team-up story by Milah Magruder and Geoffo set on Earth. Rocket and Tippy-Tap must stop some angry trees, but how?! It’s a cute story and a smart idea to have these two team up. It’s also helpful that Rocket can talk to trees, as we learn in the final act of the story. It’s short and to the point.
I had a great time reading Marvel-Verse: Rocket and Groot, with a classic story thrown in with a whole bunch of modern tales. As a package, this is a great read for younger readers, or those young at heart, as these stories are filled with adventure, fun, and cartoonish humor.
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