J. Michael Straczynski’s unlikely team-ups kick off this week with Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon. It’s a series of one-shots with different artists teaming up with Straczynski to deliver the strangest pairings ever. It’s certainly a surprise to see Doctor Doom and Rocket Raccoon work together, but given their history, it’s not as crazy as you might think.
As far as one-shots go, Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1 is a satisfying story from beginning to end. It opens with Doom trying to figure out some tech, only for his head to explode and another Doom to enter, revealing the Doctor Doom we thought was the real one was a robot. He’s stuck and needs a brilliant mind to help him out. The grandiosity of Doom is captured well by artist Will Robson. But who can help Doom with his task?
Enter Rocket, who is happy to help thanks to the two connecting in a semi-recent story when they swapped bodies. Straczynski does a good job playing up their mutual respect, and given Rocket has a history of helping out jerks in the universe, it’s not so far-fetched to think he’d give Doom some help, especially if it was something that wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Doctor Doom’s device is really blowing his mind.
Credit: Marvel
That something is the task of going back in time before the Big Bang. It’s a tall order because time travel devices require a specific time to zip off to, but before the Big Bang, there was no time. Straczynski does a great job explaining the problem and, eventually, the solution, giving the issue a nice true-science feel even though it’s sci-fi.
Once embarked on the adventure, Robson and Straczynski blow your mind with a Marvel cosmic tale worthy of the best Fantastic Four stories. There’s also a nice resolution that pays homage to Doctor Doom.
If there was a weakness to this issue, it’s a two-page recap of Doctor Doom’s failures. The art is good, but it feels unnecessary to draw so much attention to it. It’s the reason why he’s making the device, but it still seems long.
Another minor gripe is that some of the dialogue isn’t as snappy as it seems to think it is. Particularly an Abbott and Costello-style bit between Doom and Rocket. The dialogue is mostly great, however, especially the complicated bits of science stuff.
Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1 is a delightful one-shot that delivers on its promise of an unlikely yet compelling team-up. Straczynski’s storytelling and Robson’s artwork seamlessly offers a mix of science, humor, and adventure, even if a couple of moments stumble. Fans of cosmic Marvel tales or either character will find plenty to enjoy in this clever and satisfying issue.
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