Groot #1 Review: One-Line Wonder

Let’s get one of the few things I didn’t think was awesome about Groot #1 out of the way first: despite Marvel promoting it like Rocket Raccoon wouldn’t play a major part in it, he’s on nearly every page.

(*Checks comic again.*)

Scratch that, he’s literally on every page except for one. I’ve got nothing against Rocket, and it is helpful for Groot’s best friend to be the translator for the rest of us, something that’s kind of necessary when you’re dealing with the only super hero ever to be limited to a single line of dialogue. If I have to tell you what it is, you’re very new around these parts.

Regardless of that bit of bait-and-switch by Marvel, Groot #1 is just plain fun from beginning to end. With a premise that’s delightfully simple — Groot wants to take a road trip to Earth, over Rocket’s objections — writer Jeff Loveness and artist Brian Kesinger are able to spin some gold. Kesinger’s emotive characters are a joy, and it’s hard not to crack a smile simply by looking at Groot with his thumb out trying to hitch a ride … in space.

The very obvious gag that lampoons a famous super hero from another publisher even works, since it comes off as just another part of the overall wackiness. Also, space sharks show up. That’s something the six-year old in all of us has always wanted to see.

If you have friends who know Groot only from the Guardians of the Galaxy movie and are interested in trying comics, this is the book to hand them. Blissfully free of the universe-shaking ramifications of Secret Wars, Groot #1 is too busy goofing around on its own to care. The real test will only come if the creators can make him work untethered from Rocket, but there should be enough goodwill spread from this debut for many readers to give them a chance to see if they can.

SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

Rocket really doesn’t understand why Groot wants to go to Earth. His mood improves slightly when the first passerby to give them a ride has his ship attacked by space sharks, which at least forces the two buddies into battle — though Groot is able to convince Rocket to simply drive off the sharks instead of killing them.

After sneaking away from some comically inept Skrulls and stopping a terrorist attack on a restaurant that gets them some free food, Groot and Rocket “borrow” a small ship that was intended to transport a small baby away from a dying planet. I shouldn’t have to tell you what this is about:

That leaves them stranded as well, arguing about the plan and hinting at Groot’s real motivation for visiting Earth: he has a girlfriend there, apparently. Alas, we don’t get to explore that idea to our satisfaction (or Rocket’s) before a female space pirate named Eris shows up, aiming to collect the bounty on Groot’s head. Rocket? He’s just upset his own price is smaller.

Rocket eventually gets captured protecting Groot, though he’s able to slip his rocket pack to his friend at the last moment. Rocket bemoans the fact that Groot is probably not going to be able to “go tell everyone exactly what happened,” and it looks like we’ve got ourselves a space chase.

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