Rocket Raccoon #1 (May 1985)

In the Marvel Universe, anyone can be a hero. Regardless of who you are, where you're from, what you identify as, anyone can be a hero. Heck, you don't even have to be human. In the marvel Universe, a hero can be an anthropomorphic raccoon. Which is what the subject of this week's blog entry is about: Rocket Raccoon.

He's a rather famous character, but that was not always the case. Rocket first appeared in the black-and-white magazine Marvel Preview #7 (July 1976), created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen. Aspects of his character were inspired by the Beatles' 1968 song "Rocky Raccoon". In fact, in his first appearance, he was named "Rocky". it would be retconned that "Rocket" was his full name in his next appearance in The Incredible Hulk #271 (May 1982), which was written by Mantlo. In 1985, he would be given a four-issue miniseries. Afterwards, Rocket would go on to appear in Quasar and The Sensational She-Hulk, but it seemed that the character would fade completely into obscurity...until the 2000s. 

In 2008, he was included in the revamped version of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Being part of this group would significantly elevate Rocket's profile, as this version of the group was the basis for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of the Guardians. Rocket's been associated with the Guardians ever since, going on to appear in video games and cartoons. 

The comic we're looking at here is the first issue of his 1985 miniseries. Is it a good contribution to the legend of Rocket Raccoon, or should it be best forgotten? Let's find out as we look at Rocket Raccoon #1!

The cover is a Mike Mignola and Al Gordon piece. It's pretty good, depicting our titular hero shooting at a clown while being surrounded by various enemies. It's an exciting cover, giving the impression that that Rocket is fighting for his fuzzy life. 

"Animal Crackers"
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciler: Mike Mignola
Inker: Al Gordon
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Ken Bruzenak
Editor: Carl Potts
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with an anthropomorphic lizard hard at work. 

"Man, this new line of toys is going to make a mint!"

He lives in a galaxy unlike our own Milky Way. Within this galaxy is an area called the Keystone Quadrant. In this Quadrant is a space station called Spacewheel, and this lizard man is working for a powerful figure in it called Lord Dyvyne. Evidently, "extreme 90s misspelling" predated the 90s itself. Anyway, this Chief Toysmith is building some, well, toys for Dyvyne. He grumbles about being behind schedule, but he's able to get the job done. He notes a reflection in a crystalline eye he's about to install. 

He recognizes the reflection as a clown. One of the clowns that works for a Judson Jakes. The clown then gives the Chief Toysmith some hot lasers to the chest. The clown makes his escape through the Spacewheel, fighting his way through samurai monkeys. Lord Dyvyne calls in some help.

"I HATE CIRCUSES! KILL ALL CIRCUSES!"

That backup comes in the form of Blackjack O'Hare and his Black Bunny Brigade. These lagomorphs are mercenaries by trade, and they easily dispatch the clown, showing they are worth the expense. Dyvyne is furious, as he knows why Jakes sent the clown to kill his Chief Toysmith. Jakes wants to start himself a little trade war, but Dyvyne is going to sic the law on him.

So, who is this intergalactic lawman Dyvyne is calling in? Well, our man, er...raccoon, Rocket.

Nothing can possibly ruin a wonderful day like this...

We see him frolicking with his lady love Lylla the otter and Wal Russ the, well...walrus. Lylla is enjoying a nice cool dip, Wal Russ is taking in some sun, and Rocket is trying to decipher a book.The group get a visit from Rocket's deputies, the Keystone Kops. Rocket wonders why they're here, as he had them tracking a group called the "Snail Gang". They were, but got a call from a place called the "Cuckoo's Nest" about Lord Dyvyne's Chief Toysmith being murdered. Rocket tells the Kops to stay on the Snail Gang, he'll check out the murder. He heads out towards the Cuckoo's Nest.

Rocket realized he needed to up the hiring standards for the help...

Yeah, the idea is that the Cuckoo's Nest appears to have once been a mental hospital/insane asylum, only there seems to be no doctors. Just patients, left to their own devices. Rocket returns the book to a chapel known as "The Admissions Ward". The book is the Bible of Halfworld, and Rocket's been trying to decipher it. The book is written in the language of the ancient Shrinks, their gods. The Good Humor Men in the chapel then perform an ancient ritual.

They next burst into a rendition of Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming to Take Me Away".

The last man's straitjacket is left untied, as the others cannot tie his own. Rocket leaves as they dance, saying he'll never understand these rituals. 

That's ultimately not the point. The uplifted animals like Rocket serve a purpose here in Halfworld. They help protect and entertain the inmates. He gets a call from Lord Dyvyne, the snake-like being demanding that Judson Jakes answer for killing his Chief Toysmith. Rocket wants proof.

Dyvyne provides his proof, showing the head of the destroyed clown robot. It's obviously Jakes, as he's the only one who makes them, and he'd profit if Dyvyne went out of business. We also learn here that Dyvyne has got a thing for Lylla, which Rocket is none too happy about, as Lylla is his girl. Also, Judson Jakes is Lylla's guardian, but she doesn't hold a lot of love for the guy. Rocket hates both Dyvyne and Jakes, as their competition over who gets to provide toys to the crazies of Halfworld makes his job much more difficult. Dyvyne points out without the toys the two provide, the inmates would fall into despair. And as the inmates' protector, he can't let that happen. Rocket admits the snake-man is right. As such, he needs to make a trip to see Jakes. And he'll get there on his ship, the Rack 'n' Ruin. 

"Wal, this planet is friggin' weird?"

This panel here helps show why this planet is called Halfworld. One half of it is green, lush, teeming with life. The other half is its opposite. Cold, sterile, metallic. This half is inhabited by robots. These robots work all day and night. They provide and maintain the toys for the inmates, as well as any of the uplifted animals' cybernetics. They're also hard at work on another project: A giant humanoid spaceship. Rocket wonders about the ship. Where would they go once it's done? The Galacian Wall around the Keystone Quadrant keeps everyone trapped inside. The only one who was ever able to get through was the Incredible Hulk in Incredible Hulk #271 (). Rocket finds himself envying the Hulk, as he wants out of here just as much as the Green Goliath did.

Rocket and Wal arrive at Judson Jakes's company, expecting a warm welcome. By that, I mean a firefight. Lord Dyvyne is thrilled, as he hopes this leads to Rocket and Jakes killing each other. We also learn a bit of Lylla's backstory. You see, her parents originally owned Mayhem Mekaniks, and Judson Jakes was their Chief Toysmith. Until he had them killed, and then took over the company, and made himself Lylla's guardian.  

On Halfworld, corporate intrigue is a deadly serious business.

Speaking of Halfworld, Lylla is watching over the Loonies, unaware a cloaked figure is among them. He makes his way to the room where the Bible is kept.

"Now I can finally finish the series!"

Meet Uncle Pyko, possible grandfather of the Ninja Turtles. Unlike Rocket, he's managed to decipher the Halfworld Bible. Pyko works for Jakes, but he's kept his successful decryption of the Bible to himself. Why? Well, because knowledge is power, and Pyko hungers for it. He believes that he can use the knowledge within the Bible to become the most powerful person, er...tortoise in the Keystone Quadrant.

He manages to make off with the Bible, replacing it with another book of his own. The Good Humor Men don't notice the switch until they perform their ceremony again. Trust me, you do not want to know what was in the book that Pyko left behind.

Lylla realizes that Pyko is behind this. She'd alert Rocket, but he's too far away now. She grabs a blaster to take care of him herself, but gets grabbed.

Meanwhile, Rocket and Wal Russ arrive at Mayhem Mekaniks. They head through the dumping grounds, the place Jakes lumps all the defective and rejected toys go. The ship is grabbed by a giant metal claw. Rocket flies out to take care of it, only to be greeted by Judson Jakes himself and his mechanical army.

This is what Terminators would be like if Skynet was a furry.

Rocket fights his way through the army of mechanical monsters, horrified that Jakes would make these things. After all, his creations are meant to entertain the Loonies, not wage war. But Jakes wants a war. He wants a monopoly on the Loonies' toys. And he wants Lylla's inheritance. But the only way to access it is to marry her. Pyko stops the fight. He is infuriated by the idea of his creations being used for what he thinks is a pointless war. He points out that both Dyvyne and Jakes want to control Mayhem Mekaniks, but Lylla will never consent to marrying either one of them. She loves Rocket, after all. 

Pyko shows the two that Lord Dyvyne has got his Black Bunny Brigade to kidnap Lylla. The story ends with Rocket vowing to make some fur fly. Nobody makes off with his main squeeze and gets away with it. He takes it real personal. 

I did enjoy this comic. It's...is surreal the proper term? Bizarre? It's bizarre, but in a rather fun way. I do think it requires a bit of context for the times. These characters all look like something you would see in a children's cartoon of the era, but you likely would not expect them to be plotting murder against each other. The whole bit with the Loonies can be seen as a bit stereotypical these days, considering stigmas regarding mental illness. The portrayal of Rocket himself can be a bit surprising for those who are more familiar with the modern and MCU interpretations of the character. Rocket is shown to be quite capable, a crack shot, and a loving boyfriend to Lylla. He's also shown to be a bit more lighthearted than modern takes on the character, which I think is interesting. I kind of like this more swashbuckling Rocket. 

I was surprised when I learned the art was done by Mike Mignola. I'm more familiar with his modern artwork from stuff like Hellboy. It's neat to see how his style started out. It feels more like "classical" comic art before its evolution into his later "German Expressionism-meets-Jack Kirby" (as Alan Moore) described it. It's very well done. 

If you want to read this one for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Rocket Raccoon and Groot: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Incredible Hulk #271 (May 1982)

When the Guardians of the Galaxy films hit movie theatres, many people got introduced to the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe. One of the breakout characters of the film was a certain little gunslinging uplifted raccoon named Rocket. And like the other members of the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy, he's an older character than many people realize. As such, I thought I'd take a look at his first appearance.

Well...technically, Rocket first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 (Summer 1976), written by Bill Mantlo with art by Keith Giffen. In his debut, he was called "Rocky", and used British phrasing. Which made sense as the character was inspired by the Beatles' 1968 song "Rocky Raccoon". However, it's in this comic that he would gain a higher profile...for a while, at least. Let's look at Incredible Hulk #271!

The cover is an amusing one. An Al Milgrom piece, it shows the Hulk being a bit frustrated with this little funny animal on the cover. Basically, Hulk is expressing my one big issue with this comic, but more on that later. It's a fun cover. I like it.

"Now Somewhere in the Black Holes of Sirius Major There Lived a Young Boy Name of Rocket Raccoon!" 
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Al Milgrom
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with a pair of unusual figures finding our Green Goliath out like a light.

Meet Rocket Raccoon and Wal Russ, a pair of funny animal adventurers. The two notice that Hulk is very much alive...and they need to get him out of here before the Robomower arrives. The Robomower is a big monsterous blue machine with arms and tank treads. Rocket tries to attack the machine, but his laser gun is not very helpful. Luckily, Hulk wakes up, and ol' Jade Jaws is none too happy. Well, more none too happy than usual. 

Yeah, never wake Hulk up if you value your life. Hulk then notices Rocket and Wal. Hulk wonders what is going on, but Rocket and Wal plan to skedaddle. The fuzz is after them. As in the cops.

Yeah, why do Rocket and Wal fear these guys? Oh yeah, they could end up getting killed accidentally. Anyway, the three make their way to Rocket and Wal's ship: The Rakk 'n' Ruin. On board, they're able to treat Hulk to some dinner. Hulk still wants to know where he is, and how he got here. Wal and Russ have no idea how he got here, but they do know where he is. 

Welcome to the Keystone Quadrant! This little area of space is cut off from the rest of the universe by the Galacian Wall. The major world on it is called Halfworld. Halfworld is Rocket and Wal's home. Why is this place called Halfworld? Well, one half of this planet has been stripped bare of its resources by its mechanoid inhabitants in an attempt to build a giant humanoid ship known as...Ship. Yeah, the mechanoids are no good at names.

The other half is a Garden of Eden, which is the home of uplifted animals. They maintain their half with machines the mechanoids built for them. The only known humans in the Quadrant are the Keystone Cops. And lately there has been some serious trouble in the Quadrant recently.

Meet Judson Jakes, the cause of all the problems in the Quadrant recently. This malevolent mole runs Inter-Stel Mechanics, a monstrous mega-corp who uses the creations of the terrible tortoise Uncle Pyko as well as the mercenaries known as the Black Bunny Brigade to do his dirty work. Jakes is obsessed with obtaining an artifact known as Gideon's Bible. This Bible is supposed to have contained the knowledge of the origins of the Keystone Quadrant. Thing is, Gideon's Bible is written in a language that no one on Halfworld can read. 

Rocket and Wal get a call from Rocket's ladyfriend Lylla Otter. The Black Bunny Brigade has launched an attack on the Cuckoo's Nest, the stronghold where Gideon's Bible is kept at. The two anthromorphic animals ask Hulk to help them out. After all, his power would be invaluable. However, the Green Goliath is a bit confused. He ended up here because he helped someone else, and he does have allies/friends on Earth that he wants to come back to. 

Back on Earth, two of those allies (Betty Ross and Rick Jones) are in a bit of a pickle. Rick Jones, being a bit of a dolt, decided to expose himself to a massive dose of gamma radiation in order to become a second Hulk. Rick's own idiocy has left him nearly at death's door, and then this woman shows up.

Meet Bereet, Krylorian filmmaker extraordinare. You may remember her from my review of Incredible Hulk #276 (October 1982). She's here to film the death of Rick Jones as part of her latest documentary about the Hulk. She's made a film about the Hulk before (this was a way to retcon the events of the first nine issues of the Rampaging Hulk magazine out of canon). Betty asks the alien woman to help her. Bereet whips out a spider-like machine that keeps Rick stable. The Life Support Spider can't cure Rick, but it will keep him alive until he can get some proper medical help. This occurs as the Hulk, Wal, and Rocket arrive at Cuckoo's Nest. We next get to see Spacewheel, the home of Judson Jakes.

Jakes also has Lylla captive. The malevolent mole asks Uncle Pyko to translate the Bible. The terrible tortoise is unsure that he can. After all, the words in there are incomprehensible. But Jakes has faith in him. Pyko is a genius. He built the Spacewheel station, he can translate a book. Uh, Judson? Just because Pyko can build a space station doesn't mean that he's a linguistics expert.

Anyway, the Rakk 'n' Ruin makes its way to the Spacewheel. The Hulk as agreed to help, and none too soon. Jakes and Pyko have sent a welcoming party.

...I think some of these guys would find their way to Earth in 1988. Rocket and Hulk engage in a little EVA to fight the clowns. Between Rocket's sharpshooting skill and Hulk's raw power, the Killer Clowns get wrecked. Hulk provides an alternate entrance to the Spacewheel with his fist, where they find that Blackjack O'Hare, the leader of the Black Bunny Brigade, has Lylla at gunpoint.

Hulk and Rocket take down O'Hare, and rescue Lylla. The thrown-together party head out to retrieve Gideon's Bible, but the Hulk gets distracted by something in another room.

Uncle Pyko can get Hulk home. After all, it would be advantageous to them both... Meanwhile, Rocket, Wal, and Lylla manage to catch up to the evil Judson Jakes. Jakes sics a creature called a Drakillar on them. The Drakillar is another one of Uncle Pyko's creations. Once a bat, now a monster. Rocket painfully blasts the creature, putting it out of its misery. 

Meanwhile, while talking to Hulk, Uncle Pyko makes a little revelation: He did manage to translate Gideon's Bible. He discovered how by probing the mind of one of the Keystone Cops. The Cop didn't survive the experience, but Pyko discovered the Cops were direct descendants of the people who wrote Gideon's Bible. The scene implies that Halfworld may have started out as an ancient human interstellar colony. Anyway, there's a balance of power on Halfworld between Uncle Pyko's machines and the animals that Rocket protects. The Hulk would really mess that balance up, and as such, Pyko wants him gone.

Meanwhile, Rocket's got a gun to Jakes's head, and the trash panda's got an itchy trigger finger. Pyko just hands him Gideon's Bible, claiming that he couldn't translate it. He told Jakes that earlier. He also points out the Hulk has gone home, claiming that whatever brought him here just...wore off. Rocket takes the book back, but is very suspicious of Pyko, outright saying that he thinks the turtle knows something.

The story ends with Jakes fuming over Rocket getting the Bible back (although Pyko reminds him that he supposedly couldn't translate it, so it was useless to them), and Rocket hoping that maybe he and the Hulk will cross paths again one day. You'd be surprised who your path crosses with in the future, Rocky...

I enjoyed this issue, but I felt it would have been better for a standard issue, not an anniversary one. It is a fun little tale, don't get me wrong. But this was meant to be the Hulk's 20th anniversary. It would have been nice to have Hulk be the focus of the story. This is clearly a Rocket Raccoon-focused story. It still is a fun one. And it's interesting to see how different he was in his early appearances compared to more modern portrayals of the character. 

I like Sal Buscema's artwork. His style captures the rage of the Hulk very well. His rendition of Rocket makes me think he was trying to go halfway between more realistic and cartoony. As such, his Rocket feels a bit...off to me. His Wal and Lylla don't seem to have that issue. I have no idea why. 

If you want to read this story yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Rocket Raccoon and Groot: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask! Join me next time when we look at the debut of some superhumans who made an escape...