Rocket Raccoon #1

By Scottie Young & Jean-Francois Beaulieu

Leading up to one of this summer’s biggest Marvel movies, Guardians of the Galaxy, we’re introduced to its most fowl mouthed character, Rocket Raccoon, in his very own solo series.

Rocket was just trying to show his latest girl a good time by bringing her to a wrestling match (what girl doesn’t love wrestling?!), and just when things were looking sort of okay something happens to ruin his entire date! Coincidentally, this also ruins his plans for meeting back up with his Guardian pals. He’s on the run in a surreal looking world, with wild artwork and blazing colors. This book’s visuals are just as much an impact as the story.

Scottie Young is the writer to this tale as well as the artist. He’s created a scenario for Rocket to play in that fits the character well. It’s got deception, crazy ex-girlfriends, and lots of @#%$# within almost every speech bubble. Young’s art is playful and not intended to look “real”, a lot of the characters are over-dramatized and the settings and panels are a lot of fun. This is a style fit for such an odd marvel character as Rocket Raccoon. The humor is consistent throughout and makes for a few good laughs throughout the read. Young is definitely well-suited for this character.

Jean-Francois Beaulieu is the colorist and his addition to the panels is incredible. This issue is jammed with beautiful panels and a lot of strange color variations. The opening scene to the wrestling match is a two-page spread packed with detail by Young and the colors by Beaulieu spring it to life. The lighting onto the match itself is a bright yellow; the surrounding walls consist of various shades of purple. The crowd is a mismatch of different alien species (and a guy wearing a Southern Bastards jacket) and the pages are filled with big neon signs depicting funny “warnings” to the crowd.

This is a series that doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously. We’re given a character that is strange and fowl, and loves to shoot guns off whenever possible. Young brings the humor and, together with Beaulieu, has created something exploding with great art and colors.