Rocket Racoon & Doctor Doom #1- A Capable Character Study from A Living Legend
From Marvel Comics
Written by J Michael Stracynski
Art by Will Robson
Cover Art by Gary Frank
One of the most celebrated authors in Marvel Comics history, J. Michael Stracynski, returns this week with the first installment of a unique ensemble series set to release over the course of this year via multiple one-shots. The essential premise of this nameless, boundaryless series is expressed on the first page of Rocket Racoon & Doctor Doom, asking the question, “What happens when two worlds collide. Friend or Foe? Ally or Enemy?” This predominant attention to and exploration of characterization and evocative narrative staging is an essential aspect of what has always made Stracynzski’s work in comics so influential. In the pages of Rocket Racoon & Doctor Doom, he once again showcases a masterful understanding of character interplay, wit, and technical, imaginative action sequences that showcase legacy characters in a revealing light.
Additionally, this debut one shot clearly illustrates the inherent conceit of the entire series, the timeless allure of fan favorite characters. Whether you are a die hard fan of Doctor Doom, or Rocket Racoon, or both, or only possess a cursory interest in either, this title is a rare opportunity to focus in on both characters and explore what a potential hybridized story with the duo could be.
Furthermore, as I hinted at earlier, this title is not bound by the strictures of hard continuity or a traditional continuative series and is thus foremost- fun and entertaining. If you have been looking for a more approachable modern Marvel Comics title recently, or just want a comic to blow your mind and defy expectations, then trust me as a reviewer of dozens of comics a week when I say that Rocket Racoon & Doctor Doom should definitely be your pick of the week.
Let’s talk more specifically now about this spectacular issue, which means,
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Our issue opens on a stormy night in Latveria as Doctor Doom sets his Doom Bots to work obsessing over calculations and an experiment that appears all but impossible to solve. The booming sound of the entrance bells to Doom’s castle resound throughout the halls as Doom greets his unlikely, disgruntled visitor from outer space, Rocket Racoon. After chastising Doom for leaving him out in the rain, Rocket asks Doom what matter was so important that he had to race across space immediately to Doom’s Castle to address.
As Rocket helps himself to a lavish dinner spread, he reminds Doom of their recent entanglement in Guardians of the Galaxy by Al Ewing, which is always a delight to see referenced as it was and continues to be a criminally underrated yet influential series. Which is once again corroborated in this scene, as Rocket expresses his hitherto unaddressed thoughts regarding his time in Doom’s mind, revealing that he considers Doom a genius of near-intellectual capacity. Doom seems to share this high regard, which makes for a subtle, intimate connection between our primary characters who are both historically obstinate.
From here, Doom explains his life story and struggles to Rocket, centering on the confounding notion of Doom’s constant failures. Apparently, Doom has become obsessed with the desire to understand this inherent, cosmic lack, which leads him to usher Rocket to his secret laboratory to show Rocket his iconic “Time Platform". Doom explains that he built this “Time Platform” in order to explore various eras of time, but for his current pursuit, Doom needs to uncover a way to allow the platform to travel beyond Time itself and venture into the Universe before the Universe existed. If all of this can be achieved, it will allow Doom the opportunity to uncover why the Universe was created, which will perhaps enlighten his understanding of his own tragic circumstances.
This entire plot is, first of all, astounding and insane- but most importantly, is conveyed thoroughly and effectively by Stracynzki and Robson. The specific, dramatic, and sinuous artwork from Robson in this book creates a truly memorable and vivid body of work that feels all at once both separate and synonymous with the classic artistic representations of both of these iconic characters. I mention Robson’s art here because it truly does the heavy lifting in the front half of this issue, creating a rich world of bold lighting, color, and diverse panel structure for us to explore amidst the weight of technical exposition on the writing front.
Additionally, I have to highlight the clever implementation of many humorous visual sequences and exchanges of dialogue throughout this issue, particularly in the beginning that create a light-hearted, quirky, adventurous tone more reminiscent of content featuring Rocket Racoon, as we delve into exposition and backstory directly regarding Doctor Doom. This choice helps make the issue feel both more balanced between the two core characters, and aids in making the plot not feel too complicated or self serious as could be the case with such a scientific and esoteric goal.
After Doom explains his scientific and moral conundrum, Rocket sets about helping the iron clad Doctor convert his time machine into a vehicle of entropy that will cut through the boundaries of our universe. We see a montage of scenes in which Rocket and Doctor Doom tinker with powerful forces both scientific and magical, and also find time to play a game of Monopoly, and share a glass of wine by the fire. Eventually, Rocket readies the machine, only awaiting a powerful enough powersource to engage it. As he barges through a closed door, Rocket discovers Doctor Doom wrestling with powerful cosmic forces as he binds the forces of “life and death” into a mysterious Kirby-esque box that will serve as a potent power source. Moreover, Doom reveals that he has magically severed a shard of his own soul in order to “steer” the machine with a purpose as the duo progress beyond time and space.
All of these details make for an engaging and truly gratifying experience as Stracynski weaves poignant and consistent character moments for Doctor Doom and Rocket Racoon, allowing both their time to shine in this shared title. Playing with Rocket as the sobering comedic relief to Doctor Doom’s stylized, over the top, straight man is a narrative choice that I don’t think I could ever get tired of, and yet I would never have known it could work as well as it does without a dedicated issue such as this.
As the platform departs backward in time, Doom reveals to Rocket that magical, primordial forces will be sent to intercept their meddling with time and creation. However, Doom has secretly outfitted the machine with defenses, and they are able to dispatch their attackers easily before they are pulled even further through time in a stunning full page that showcases iconic moments of Doctor Doom throughout Marvel Comics peeling away like pages layering the walls of a cosmic vortex.
Once through this confounding time tunnel, Rocket and Doom find themselves staring at the Universe during the Big Bang, which Rocket stares back at in wonder. However, the machine roars into animation once more, taking the ill-fated duo to their desired destination- an expanse of nothing. Yet, out of the nothingness, the Doctor’s temporal sphere is suddenly invaded by a strange visitor, an entity seemingly made from the clay of creation itself. Doctor Doom questions the creature, who replies in double talk and sudden inspiration, experiencing emotions, thoughts, and desires for the first time. As Doom argues with Rocket about the creature's ignorance, it reaches out for the shard of Doom’s soul and consumes it, seemingly as the catalyst that created the universe, the indomitable curious question of existence from which existence was paradoxically made.
That’s right, Doctor Doom and Rocket Racoon witnessed the birth of the universe which was spawned from Doctor Doom’s ravenously selfish pursuit of knowledge. I can almost guarantee that you didn’t expect that from a comic innocuously titled Rocket Racoon & Doctor Doom!
In our final pages, as Doom and Rocket return to the present reality, Rocket attempts to make Victor understand the weight of what they have just witnessed, the cosmic significance of their endeavor that allowed them to ask the question that started everything, but Doom is characteristically reserved and unamused. He leads Rocket to a waiting car to depart, as he muses that the answer he received was not the one he wanted to find, but he should have expected it seeing as the universe was made in his image, one that is covered by a mask.
This poetic ending is evocative of Doctor Doom’s enduring, unyielding quality as a character but also highlights Rocket’s essential search for knowledge and universal understanding, that in many ways aligns with Doom’s tragic worldview. Thus Rocket Racoon & Doctor Doom becomes a touching, powerful commentary on the relatable human search for truth and justice in the universe, explored through the actions of two of Marvel Comics' most intelligent, proud, and mysterious characters. It is certainly a definitive exclamation point of an ending that echoes throughout Marvel Comics canon and will hopefully become a standout moment for both characters in Marvel history.
Please support your local comic book stores and enjoy reading the adventure of Rocket Racoon & Doctor Doom on shelves now!
-Nicholas Aaron Hodge
Sidenote- If you read this issue and are looking for another singular, explosive Doctor Doom comic with a thoughtful, reflective, climactic ending, then I would steer you towards Vol 1 and Vol 2 of Christopher Cantwell’s limited run of Doctor Doom from 2019!
