There’s another raccoon wandering the galaxy, and Rocket isn’t happy about it at all, Your Major Spoilers review of Rocket Raccoon #4 awaits!
ROCKET RACCOON #4
Writer: Skottie Young
Artist: Skottie Young
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Colorist: Jean Francois Beaulieu
Editor: Sana Amanat
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Rocket Raccoon: “Guardian of The Galaxy, gunslinger, victim of identity theft?! Rocket has always thought he was the last of his kind, but it looks like another raccoon is out there killing people and Rocket just won’t stand for it. Digging for info on the imposter, and with a group of killer ex-girlfriends on his (beautifully maintained) tail, Rocket arranged a sit-down with an intergalactic kingpin known as Funtzel to see if he knew anything. The Other Raccoon was already there, though, and, what’s worse, he’s kidnapped Groot!”
“ROCKET, I’M YOUR BROTHER.”
Having caught up with The Other Raccoon, Rocket is stunned to find himself gun barrel to gun barrel with another of his kind, only to have his fellow four-legged mercenary claim to be his brother. It’s a feint, obviously, but it throws Rocket off-guard, allowing the Other Raccoon to blow Groot to smithereens and bribe Rocket’s pirate allies to leave the fight, leaving him face to face with…
…his old frenemy BlackJack O’Hare. This issue then becomes a slugfest, as Rocket fights Blackjack, then Rocket fights his legion of exes, then Rocket fights Blackjack again, all amidst Skottie Young’s trademark cartoony chaos. It’s a really fun issue, full of background touches like a crate marked “John Woo Props” and a nice “Bugs Vs. Daffy” climax for the raccoon/bunny donnybrook. As the issue ends, we see that Groot is okay, and Rocket even has a moment to hang and bond with his fellow Guardians of The Galaxy, announcing that he’s found his people, and that they’re it. It’s a sweet moment, only barely undermined by his giving them the finger as he staggers off to his cabin…
BIG BATTLE FUN
As someone who remembers Rocket’s adventures pre-movie, it’s nice to see touches of the original Bill Mantlo stories showing up again, and the idea of trying to find out his background and whether he’s the only one of his kind really works for this character. I like the over-the-top nature of the story, the bombastic fight scenes, and even the hilarious touch of BlackJack opening his Raccoon disguise with a giant zipper that wasn’t there a moment ago. It’s all fun, but the final scenes give it emotional resonance that I didn’t expect, and the final page offers a cliffhanger that I hope Young can follow up on. I’m not always a fan of Skottie’s stylized art, but it works here, with both Rocket and Groot looking amazing throughout the issue, and the evil exes managing to seem alien yet pretty at the same time. As long as you’re ready for a high-speed thrill ride of an issue, this one does the trick. The view into the mind of our Raccoon hero is nicely handled and adds a little Marvel-style angst to the proceedings.
THE BOTTOM LINE: FUN *AND* TOUCHING
In short? This is a fun one, full of chaos, crackin’ skulls and the occasional shot to the face with a giant monkey-wrench. Rocket Raccoon #4 winds up the first arc with style while fitting together past stories and giving Rocket Raccoon more depth than I expected, and leaving the reader with a grin on their face, earning the issue 4 out of 5 stars overall. This is a book that’s not afraid to cut loose and have some fun with the characters, a perspective of which I whole-heartedly approve…