Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Groot #1
Marvel Comics
Loveness & Kesinger
Groot is a fun comic book. The first issue relies heavily on the charm of Rocket Raccoon, the expressions on Groot's face and some humor and it all works well. The comic may not be everyone's cup of tea as it isn't setting out to change the universe, but it does provide solid entertainment and isn't the usual kind of comic book. I recommend checking this out.
The elephant in the room is the fact that Groot's only dialogue is: "I am Groot." This provides a trap for the book right off the bat. The book requires either a second character to regurgitate everything Groot says or there needs to be internal monologue to let the reader know what Groot is thinking (which I don't believe has been done with this character in prior stories). With the inclusion of Rocket Raccoon, the book allows a character that is a little off the wall mentally to spit Groot's words back at him, letting the reader in on the dialogue without it being ridiculous. The book works well with the whole "I am Groot" dialogue limitation, which is not an easy thing to pull off.
The plot in the book is that Rocket and Groot are on a road trip. This allows the pair to run into some transportation issues. These scenes allow for both comedy and trouble. If you find the characters charming either separately or as a pair then this book is a real treat. Perhaps the best scene is when the pair steals a ship from a certain couple that is planning to send their infant son to Earth. However, there are plenty of other situations to latch onto as the best in the book.
The artwork is brilliant. The artwork absolutely nails the facial expressions to match Groot's dialogue. Whether the dialogue is expressing surprise, anger, sarcasm or just asking a question, the artwork presents them all perfectly. The art's detail extends to Rocket and his reactions to Groot's dialogue as well. It's easy to make the mistake that this book has an all ages look to it, but I think the art really just presents a lively looking read. This is a great visual book.
Groot is not for everyone. The comic book isn't part of Secret Wars, it doesn't have drama and it isn't trying to world build anything. The comic is mostly about Groot and his buddy Rocket Raccoon as they travel through space. The book is as character driven as they come and it turns out the pair is as charming a duo as you are likely to find in comics. This comic is definitely worth picking up.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
