Groot

Groot #1-6

by Jeff Loveness, Declan Shalvey (Cover Art), Brian Kesinger (Artist)

For the first time ever, the most famous talking-tree-thing in the Marvel Universe is starring in his own series! You might recognize him from Guardians of the Galaxy, the biggest movie of 2014. When Rocket and Groot are on an intergalactic road-trip and calamity strikes, the two get separated, and for the first time in years, Groot's on his own! Whatever may be coming Groot's way, one thing's for sure- it's going to be a Groot adventure!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Am Groot.

I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot.

I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot.

I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. (I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot.) I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot.

I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot - I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot.

I AM GROOT! I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot.

I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot. I Am Groot!

(Translation:

I know the Guardians of the Galaxy movie was a massive hit for Marvel Studios a couple years ago but really - a Groot solo comic? Yeah, really. And, like the movie, beyond all expectations it’s really, really good!

On their way to Earth for a holiday (Groot’s mysterious choice of destination), Rocket and Groot’s ride breaks down in the middle of space - and that’s just the beginning of their troubles. After Rocket is nabbed by a space pirate for his bounty, Groot must track down and save his best friend - with the help of the Guardians? Nope, a group of complete nobodies. Bring it on!

The general story of the book is quite amusing. We meet a trio of Skrulls that’re like the Three Stooges, a robot called Mantron, the pinnacle of 1996 technology (complete with floppy disks!) and Groot teams up with the Silver Surfer and Dawn Greenwood to save a planet from a Power Cosmic-guzzling alien slug monster. But the issues that focused on Groot’s character were the ones I loved best.

A little background if you’re unfamiliar with Groot: he’s a tree-like alien creature who can only say the words I Am Groot. Understandably it leads to some communications problems as hardly anyone besides Rocket can understand Groot and it’s something we see Groot dealing with as he saves a space bus-load of people who think he’s attacking them (this scene was the first inkling you get that this is book is something special). Upset, he thinks back to the first time he met Rocket - in jail of course – and the same communications issue came up. It’s a fun, utterly sweet and touching episode to see as the prickly Rocket slowly warms to the lovable Groot and a lifelong friendship is born.

Once Groot - joined by Mantron and the three Skrulls - find the space pirate and Rocket, I was losing interest, thinking writer Jeff Loveness was going to do the usual superhero big fight finale to wrap things up quickly and boringly; how wrong I was! (I’ve never read a Jeff Loveness comic before so I totally and unfairly misjudged him.) Baby Groot makes an appearance - yup, the Jackson 5-loving breakout star of the Guardians movie is in this comic! So good. And Mantron, sweet Mantron - I shed a few tears over this supporting character we just met in this comic. I must be on my man-period because that rarely happens!

And STILL Loveness kept the brilliance flowing with the final issue as we find out why Groot wanted to go to Earth in the first place. I won’t spoil it but remember the first ten minutes of Up? Yeah, you’re gonna cry when you read it like I did (again). Losing my shit twice over a fucking Groot comic?! Yes, oh god, it’s so beautiful!

Brian Kesinger, bring it in you talented sumbitch, drawing our hero in all his glorious incarnations so damn skilfully! The Groot-ified Marvel heroes were a highlight but I adored Groot Galactus. When you’re doing a cosmic Marvel comic, you’re taking in who knows how many worlds and alien species so hats off to Kesinger for his vision and imagination in bringing the universe to life!

Groot is the full package: a great story with a wonderful cast of characters full of fun scenes, creative art, witty dialogue and bursting with heart - so many feels! Highly recommended to all comics fans wherever you are in the cosmos - I Love Groot!)

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

GROOT FOR PRESIDENT!!



He’ll be kind of like Chance from Being There. Any query will always elicit the “I am Groot” response and will be interpreted by the listener in a most favorable way to them. Only Rocket Raccoon will know the real deal.

Tippicanoe and Groot too!

A vote for Groot is a vote for Green!

A chicken in every pot and a Groot in every yard!

In this light hearted space adventure, Groot and Rocket are on their way to Earth for a vacation.



They get waylaid and Rocket gets kidnapped.



On his way to help his pal, Groot picks up a motley assortment of friends to help rescue Rocket.



Eventually.

“I am Groot.”

You’ve got my vote, big guy.

Bottom line: This is a fun, charming title. Highly recommended for fans of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Aww alert - The ending should leave a little lump in your throat.

Cute gifs for Trish:





Bonus gif: A karen shark alert!!! Groot and Rocket fight orange space sharks!!!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every so often a comicbook comes along that reminds me what the medium is capable of and why I love it so. This six-issue Groot mini-series is one of those comicbooks.

I know what you're thinking: how the flark do you do a solo book about a character who can only say three words? Well, stop thinking it because Jeff Loveness and co. have pulled it off with style!

This book is funny and genuinely moving; I had tears in my eyes at the end of the last issue. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody who has ever read a comicbook.

I'm incredibly tired so I'll stop there but to say that, if you want to read a much better but equally glowing review of this book, you should read Sam Quixote's review. It rocks and I wish I knew how to include a link to it...

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

D'aaawww!!!
Ever since I watched Guardians of the Galaxy I was in love with Rocket the gun-loving not-racoon and Groot, a tree-like life form. This collection of 6 issues is about Groot himself (although Rocket is there too).

All 6 issues are what a comic should be: fun, colourful, with great and adorable art, addressing important topics such as friendship and finding yourself.

So Groot persuades Rocket to go visit Earth for some mysterious reason.

En route there they encounter a few hopeless individuals,

shoot a lot of stuff, make friends, shoot some more, we get to know how Rocket and Groot met (a lot of shooting there too), they get separated, they find each other again, and in the end we find out why Groot wanted to go to Earth. And space sharks!


The sidekicks were of course not really important, which is just as well because I didn't know all of them - like, who the heck is Dawn?!

The focus was on Groot and why he is the way he is, why friends are so important to him. Plus we got to see three different stages of Groot - one being downright cute, one being adoribly funny and the last being awesomely kick-ass!
But Rocket got enough spotlight too. I have to admit I can't imagine one without the other (the time they were separated worked because we got both their POVs).

Rocket, I am sure now, is my soul mate. My spirit animal. He just wants to shoot stuff, he usually doesn't like other people because they are mean or stupid, but he can be quite nice too and when you're his friend, he'll do anything for you.


I really loved the art in this that was just the right mixture between funny and colourful, while never silly or sloppy and the story adds a lot of adorable, even deep moments to it. Perfect combination!

Thanks you, Paul, for making me read this!!!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a tall order to ask for a book starring a character who has a vocabulary of exactly three words, but Loveness was up to the challenge. So how do you do it? You give Groot at least one character to bounce off of. Mostly, this was Rocket, because of course it was, and the end result was a story that was largely about their friendship specifically. But it would have been easy to leave Groot and Rocket together, and he didn't do that. He splits them up and Groot spends the rest of the book bouncing from one improbable situation to the next. And he puts the focus squarely on Groot's good nature, which makes the whole book relatively cute and light. The ending is as sweet as the rest of the book, and surprisingly touching.

I didn't expect much from this book, and Loveness ended up doing a great job with a tricky lead character. It's a very cute book, and it will appeal to anyone who loves the character of Groot.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow Jeff Loveness and Brian Clevinger have taken a comic featuring a character that only says 3 words and turned it into a fun, rip-roaring, heartwarming, adventure comic. They expose Groot's heart and how he tries to find the good in everyone while still making fun, dynamic stories. Clevinger still needs to work on his human facial features, but he can draw some bang-up aliens.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartfelt and fabulous.

Lots of cameos and some hilarious characters. Loving the artwork and loving groot!

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars

- I didnt steal it. I used it.
- I am Groot!
- There is a difference. I needed it. It's not stealing if you need it.
- I am Groot?
- Oh, I'm sorry! Am I the one who desperately wanted to visit the lamest place in the galaxy? Am I the one who wouldn't shut up about ''taking the slow, scenic route''? Am I the one who got us kidnapped by skrulls and attacked by space sharks? Am I the one who stole a ship from a baby?
- I am Groot.

HAHAHA. I LOVE THE BRO-ROMANCE BETWEEN THIS TWO!!

My introduction to the character Groot, as well as the other Guardians, was the Guardians of the Galaxy film. After watching it, I’d been interested in picking up some comics featuring those characters, but never got around to it until now. What better way to start from my favorite GOTG character’s comic, right?

Explosions! Intergalactic Hitchhiking! Aliens! Space Sharks! And that’s just the first issue.

Groot and his best pal Rocket Raccoon decide to take an intergalactic roadtrip to Earth. But there are off to a rought start. First, they hitch a ride with some skrulls on their way to Earth who are attempting (and failing hilariously) to disguise themselves as humans. Then Rocket Raccoon decides to steal a life-pod to get there which essentially turns into a Superman origin story parody. Then their luck take a turn for the worse when a bounty hunter shows up to claim a prize on Groot's head. They also cross paths with Silver surfer and Dawn Greenwood (I've no idea who the hell she is. I was so confused that issue!) Some beloved X Men and Avengers characters also make cameos. We also get a bit backstory about Groot and how he became friends with Rocket Raccoon.

I adored this comic so much because it is for all-ages, with the lighthearted script and adorable artwork. It had just the right amount of silliness, wonderful expressive faces on every character. The story wasnt too intense and seems fairly continuity-free but but it still will hold your interest. For those looking for something fun and “popcorn-y” this is the perfect read. But I must warn you, it also had some cry-worthy deep moments.

Such as, this perfect quote;

“Time is strange. At first, it feels boundless. But it is always fleeting. Soon, our time belongs to others...And it races by. But before we know it, time runs out. And we lose the chance to thank the ones who meant the most to use. Who made us who we are...Because of her, I learned the greatest truth I know. One I live by every day. I want to thank her. I want to thank the person who showed me that a kinder universe was out there. And that kindness is worth the risk.’’

Aww.


Other Favorites:
>> "We wanted to invade earth, but we lost our way and couldn´t find it." Honestly. this might be the best reason for a failed invasion I have ever saw.



>> That funny nod to Superman

>> The strong friendship between Groot and Rocket Raccoon.

- Quotes such as;

“Aww. C'mon. Really? How do you have a higher bounty than me?!
- I am Groot.
- How! I commit crimes! I steal stuff. I steal stuff all the time!
- I am Groot...
- I stole a rocket ship from a baby!’’

“Nobody shoots my friends but me.’’

The Art: The artwork does a brilliant job in communicating Groot’s feelings at any given time, giving him so many variations of “serene” and “happy” and “optimistic,” as Groot tends to be when he isn’t fighting.








Last Thoughts:

“Life is not about the shadow you cant on your enemies. But the shade you provide to your friends.’’

And this is why...
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[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heart of the galaxy—altruism and love, an explication of origin and the language for which Groot is constantly derided.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I am Groot." - Groot

I'm glad Groot was recommended by a 'GR' friend because admittedly I otherwise would've ignored it on the library shelf. It's a fast-paced outer space comedic adventure co-starring best friend Rocket "I'm not a flarking raccoon" Raccoon. The duo is trying to reach Earth for an initially unspecified reason, also encountering a trio of hapless Skrulls, a yearning gas jockey robot, and a troubled cosmic entity. Sounds like an oddball demolition derby - but wait, there's more.

Even better are some of the guests, like a full-issue appearance by Silver Surfer and new sidekick Dawn (soooo glad right now I coincidentally read Silver Surfer, Vol. 1 hours ago) and cameos by Captain Marvel and X-Men. There's a lot of humor but it switches effortlessly into drama when appropriate. Don't underestimate a limited dialogue character being able to carry his own book.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a rather fun and loving book. Groot is a great character, but he can't talk much, so to get around that problem Rocket Racoon is in this a lot (kinda making it a Rocket & Groot team-up book, which isn't entirely bad).

The two of them travel through space and get up to no good. There's also appear fences from other Guardians of the Galaxy members as well.

This book is probably better than any Guardians book Bendis has put out in the last 18 months or so. It gets the cosmic feel really well and along with the characterisation of Groot. And I thought the art would be a little off putting because it's all ages, but it's fun.

And the last part will probably make you fill up and feel emotional for all the right reasons.

[Anna Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5, but I'm upgrading cause it was much better than I expected it to be - I especially enjoyed the origin of Groot's friendship with Rocket.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I AM GROOT.

I Am...

I...

Okay it gets annoying after awhile. Like, I do enjoy the character of Groot. To have someone actually always look on the bright side and also to have someone who can fuck you up but choose not to is always interesting concept. I also like Rocket and Groot's banter most of the time.

However the weakest parts of this are the action pieces. They aren't all that interesting and I didn't find this very funny. Like at all. I didn't laugh once, and I know it wanted me to. Which is a shame.

On the flip side I was surprised how much I enjoyed the nicer moments, filled with good character motivations, and some heartbreaking moments. The backstory of how Groot met Rocket, Silver Surfer issue, and the final few pages made this a worthy read. All the rest was just meh but luckily those three things I mentioned add up nearly half of it. So for that it's a 2.5 out of 5. But I'll go with a 3 cause I did have fond memories of the ending.

[Arie ☂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is not about the shadow you cast on your enemies, but the shade you provide to your friends.

4.5 stars. Holy crap, this was beautiful. MY HEART. It hurts.




Not only did it tug on my heartstrings, but the humour was on point as well. You can never overlook the appeal of adorable yet incompetent space invaders!

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but there were not too many pages that really wowed me. I would read more of this series.

[Emmanuel Nevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, whimsical, and full of pop culture references Groot was a great read! I really liked this more than I thought I would.

[shal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkably humorous and the best Groot title ever.

Rocket and Groot's hitchhiking adventures in the space reminds me of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. It's wondrous to read those space travelogues especially when one can't question the futuristic realism of a good many of those events.

NARRATION
This is the beauty of mysticism that instead of allowing repetitions of Groot's dialogues, which has been done in other comics, they left it to the readers' imagination. Even though I love first person narration the most, I liked the narrative and amusing dialogues of this book.

STORY ARC
Well, in their most amusing and witty adventure, Rocket and Groot are travelling all the way through space to Earth to meet someone and that's supposed to be a mystery. And they have a bucketlist which includes one to-do advice from each superhero.

What intrigues me the most is that how many different versions of Rocket Groot first meeting story arcs have been constructed in the Marvel Universe. At this point of time, I do think this is the best.

Favorite Quote
"They went to many worlds, took so many.
In the name of empire, fear, conquest, science.
Every reason was used to justify their actions.
The powerful always justify their actions against the weak."

In a nutshell, it's a non-sensical book just like one of those Douglas Adams' books and it's one hell of a read.

[Jaye Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot! I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot.
I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot????

I am Groot! I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot! I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot.

I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot? I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot.

I am Groot!!!

[Petergiaquinta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful, just awful...

Disney owns Marvel and just about everything else in the world, and so they should know that with great power comes great...

Oh wait...they don't own that, do they? Not yet.

But still, they should be familiar with that concept anyway, and they should know that just because they own Groot that doesn't mean they should turn him and his cosmic friends into some sappy, sophomoric Lilo and Stitch knock-off wannabes...it's just wrong and dumb and vomity and sadness inducing and wrong again.

Or at least they should slap a big label on the cover: "Intended for younger readers." Or lobotomy patients. Or morons. Or dumb twats. Take your pick.

[Travis Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly a really fun and entertaining book. I didn't have high hopes for this but its really cute and funny. Rocket and Groot are on a road trip to earth, because Groot wants to find a girl he once knew. They run into space sharks, skrulls, and even silver surfer. Its classic Groot and Rocket humor and Loveness wrote it all perfectly. There is a really touching ending that wrapped a wild ride as Groot and Rocket travel in space. The silver surfer "surferizing" is hilarious and just makes the book all the more entertaining. This graphic novel is a reminder that silly fun can be just as entertaining as all the serious stuff out there.

[Hailee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love. I don't know how they took a character who only has three words in it's vocabulary and make it one of the best graphic novels I've read all year, but they did. I loved it.

[Annalise Kraines · Rating 5 out of 5]

A THOUSAND STARS. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. Groot is pure and I just UGH I cried while I read this. Beautiful in every way. And also hilarious. I rarely laugh out loud when I read, but I did this time!

[Corey Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fun a little adventure with Rocket and Groot.

What else is there to say?
Oh wait, I got it.

Translation: Recommended.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Я є Ґрут! Я є Ґрут! Я є Ґрут! Я є Ґрут! Я є Ґрут! Я є Ґрут!».

Думаю ось так би виглядав відгук самого Ґрута про мальопис з ним. Хех, ото було б весело таке читати. Але автор коміксу Джефф Лавнесс ще дасть волю Ґруту і він наговориться досхочу під час своєї подорожі космосом.

Відтоді, як я вперше переглянув фільм «Вартові Галактики» Джеймса Ганна, такий персонаж, як Ґрут закохав мене в себе. Хто ж він такий? Досить важко його описати, але виглядає, як цікава деревовидна форма життя, що легко відростить собі будь-яку кінцівку та дотягнеться до негідників, щоби зловити чи відгамселити їх. Або просто виростить затишне гніздечко із травичкою і квіточками для себе чи своїх друзів (то так мило 😊). І все, що він говорить: «Я є Ґрут».

Мальопис цілком зосереджений на цьому персонажі, але тут присутній також його найкращий друг, Єнот Ракета, який розуміє говірку «живого дерева» та зуміє перекласти його слова нам, простим смертним. Він різкий, самовпевнений та постійно готовий ризикувати.

За сюжетом Ґрут переконав Єнота Ракету полетіти на Землю через якусь загадкову причину, яку ми дізнаємося аж у самому кінці. Дорогою туди вони стикаються з різними створіннями, ворогами, друзями, знайомими героями чи навіть космічними акулами. Постійні бійки, польоти чи аварії формують загалом дуже динамічний сторітелінґ, який не дасть змоги вам відпочити.

Як я вже згадував, основна увага приділяється Ґруту. Чому він такий, який є? Чому в його житті такі важливі друзі? Це ми все дізнаємося з флешбеків про минуле героя. Також побачимо, як кумедно познайомилися нерозлучні товариші Ракета та Ґрут, та, як їхні дружні стосунки стали такими міцними. І думаю, найголовніше, це те, що можна побачити головного героя із кардинально різних сторін: милого та ніжного, кумедного та жартівливого, сильного і злого.

Щодо самого примірника, то він у м’якій обкладинці американського формату (як видно на одному з перших фото) та включає #1-6 випуски завершеної історії. Трішки з’їдаються кадри ближче до блоку, але не так критично, яку у перших виданнях видавництва. Тому примірник цілком хороший.

Загалом історія вийшла весела, барвиста, з чудовим і динамічним малюнком, де навіть автор зумів зачіпити важливі теми, такі як дружба та пошук самого себе. Тому якщо хочете весело провести час, то мальопис точно для вас. Я є Ґрут!

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a stupid motherfucker.

For some reason, I have not learned my lesson about flipping through a comic. Even one that I'm taking home for free from the library, and therefore do not need to make an informed decision about. I COULD just start in, and if it sucks, it's not like back when and I have to wait six months until I can save up enough to buy more trades at Mile High Comics.

And so, because I can't resist the ol' flipthrough, I completely spoiled the ending for myself on this one. Very dumb.

On the note of buying comics like an hour away, man am I jealous of these youths who can go to a legit bookstore and find comics. Also, the re-rise of comic book shops couldn't have come at a worse time for me. My peak fandom was right during the decline of the comic book shop. Now they're back. How did I manage that timing?

Also, with the legit bookstore, you can actually return a trade paperback, which is something I actually did once.

I was going somewhere on a plane. I can't remember where because it's been like 10 years, but I picked up Grant Morrison's The Invisibles vol. 1 for the trip.

Being a comic book dork, of course I started reading it the night before because fuck waiting.

I read the whole thing, and I hated it so much I returned it to the book store. Which seems like such a weird thing to do. Do people do that with books? Read the whole thing and then return them to the bookstore because they ended up disliking them? I guess it's a little like sending back a dinner after you ate the whole thing...but also not because, hell, I would think you'd know the meal was terrible pretty early on. With a book, it's different, right? If the ending is all fucked up, maybe it's like if you ate a really good meal and then got a note from the chef that was like "I prepared all of this without washing my hands, and I took a dump that, well, no need for the details, just know everything is ruined and I've kinda invalidated every time you've washed your hands in your entire life."

I feel like this is a thing that used to happen at movies too. Not taking dumps, the refund thing. If people hated them, they'd walk out and ask for a refund. Is that still a thing? I feel like maybe not. To be fair, in 1993 you couldn't really find out a lot of info about a movie. There was the two fucking columns in a newspaper where some asshole who had seen every movie ever said whether or not he liked it, and then that was it. Meanwhile, they had an entire section in the newspaper called Who's New that just listed everyone who was born the day before. I'm walking into Speed 2: Cruise Control with no warning. Who was asleep at the wheel back then? I can see some idiot named Jimmy was born yesterday, but no one tells me that although Speed was pretty successful with an unlikely premise, Speed 2 is for shit, and will actually make you miss Keanu Reeves in a role.

[Collin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Groot is a relatable character for me. He's tall, not particularly known for grace or subtlety, and doesn't say a whole lot that most people can understand. He's also a tree, and I love trees more than most other living things on the planet (or universe).

Groot is also not like me a lot of ways. He's loyal and kind, he loves people, he's courageous and steadfast, and he has an almost inexhaustible capacity to keep on keeping on, even when he's the size of some bad guy's little finger. He can also turn into a giant twiggy monster of fury when the timing is right. (It's pretty badass.)

Admittedly, I've not done a lot of digging into the Guardians (the library system isn't very well-equipped comics-wise) but I love Groot. I love his three single words and I love the sweet flower-child side of him and his rage-monster side. I love that he's LITERALLY A TALKING TREE. I love his friendship with Rocket and the backstory between them that got a little space (not enough, though - I want a full volume of the friendship bond-making). I love his frustration at not being understood, I love how easily he makes friends, I love his nerdy loser backup team. I love this volume's art style - it reminded me of the Buzz Lighyear of Star Command cartoon from the early 2000s, which was one of my favorites. Or the Lilo and Stitch aliens. In any case, I'm a huge fan.

I love literally everything about this comic. I love literally everything about Groot. Give me more.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the perfect superhero book. Damn. What else do you want? Rocket Raccoon and Groot make the perfect duo - Quickly becoming my favorite duo in comics.

This is the book that Marvel needed to make after the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. It requires no further knowledge of the characters or the world... and actually serves as a good introduction to some other Marvel characters and creatures.

It was interesting to get to know more about Groot... who seems like more of a punchline than a real character in the movie.

I ended up being really moved by the ending too! Loveness does a fantastic job of making the friendship seem real.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in single issues. This was so cute. I love the story of Groot and his adventure. A very fun read.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and sweet. A super-quick read. Took about 10 mins. More like a children's comic than the Marvel run of the mill children's fare.

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.
I love Groot, and the Raccoon and their friendship.
Visually very satisfying as well.