A Fistful Of Groots: Reviewing ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ #4

A lone figure stands against the might of a fallen friend, protecting that which is left in the destructive wake. Guardians Of The Galaxy takes a moment to finally explore what missing member Rocket Raccoon has been up to. Some tissues might be required.

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what to fully make of this volume of Guardians. One can check my reviews and see that I have liked it all so far, that’s not what I’m referring to. What I mean is the overall format. It was said to be a space western, which it is, following this crew. I wasn’t expecting there to be such mostly solo-focused one-shot style stories.

I wasn’t expecting it, but I really love it.

Stories with Rocket Raccoon often trend towards the sad. Everything about his origin and being is wrapped up in trauma, pain, and loss. That doesn’t change with this issue.

Of all the Guardians, naturally, it would be Rocket that takes the loss/turning of Groot the hardest. Honestly, I would read a whole series about the lone sheriff Rocket on the frontier fighting the good fight. Even when everything is stacked against him.

Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly tap into the character perfectly here. He’s a gruff type that has a heart of gold, even if he won’t admit it often. Rocket filling the void of Groot with, essentially another robotic Groot was so sad and a fitting choice. Of course, Rocket would say he doesn’t care and let go of Groot while showing he is of course, nowhere over the loss of his buddy.

Their chosen format for these stories has given great focus to some of the characters so far. Allowing us to see how they are handling, or not handling, Grootfall and the consequences. My only quibble, and it’s a minor one, would be that the focus has been very Star-Lord focused before now. But overall, I’m a very happy reader.

Everything about the work of Kev Walker and Matt Hollingsworth sells the Western vibe. Just enough roughness is present throughout every bit of the artwork. It’s got a heaviness and plenty of detail and visible emotion, cutting panels in the best way to capture the moment. From big action-packed wide shots to more intimate close-ups that showcase those emotional moments. We feel Rocket’s pain, weariness, anger, and more as we journey through the panels/pages.

On paper, the story seems like one where not a ton is happening. Yet, a ton is happening. A simple plot allows for the exploration of character in so many ways. Walker captures those moments and developments in the starkest most real way to make sure we feel everything.

For all the roughness and heaviness of the artwork, it’s the colors that help lighten things up. Hollingsworth brings a mixed color palette that slides between the various sides of the spectrum. Bold bright heroic colors for various sci-fi or action moments. With plenty of shadows and heavier darker colors surrounding them to set the tone.

We can see all the emotion on the page through the figures and moments. To fully experience them though we have to be able to accurately hear them. That’s where lettering comes in and Cory Petit is always one of the best at this sort of thing. All the little bits here or there that he brings to the page make every voice so authentic and powerful. Also, very unique and playful in a visual sense, with changes to bubbles or fonts. Even things like the simple choice to have transparent caption boxes add so much to the overall presentation. These narration captions are literally part of the overall goings on shown on the page, colored and embraced by them.

It’s pretty darn awesome stuff.

Guardians Of The Galaxy #4 is now available from Marvel Comics.