Rocket Raccoon (limited series)

Rocket Raccoon
The cover of Rocket Raccoon #1, art by Mike Mignola & Al Gordon
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series
Genre	Science fiction Anthropomorphic
Publication date	May – August 1985
No. of issues	4
Main character(s)	Rocket Raccoon
Creative team
Created by	Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, and Al Milgrom
Written by	Bill Mantlo
Penciller(s)	Mike Mignola
Inker(s)	Al Gordon
Collected editions
Hardcover	ISBN 0-7851-3388-7

Rocket Raccoon was a four-issue comic book limited series that was published in 1985 and featuring the eponymous character. It was written by Bill Mantlo, penciled by Mike Mignola and inked by Al Gordon (Issue # 3 was inked by Al Milgrom). All covers by Mignola and Gordon. The series took place on half world where Rocket and his anthropomorphic allies fought killer clowns with lethal juggling balls and deadly unicycles and who spoke in a stilted language full of alliteration and rhyme.

Publication history

This series was reprinted as backup stories in the 1980s Transformers (Marvel UK) series. In November 2008, the Rocket Raccoon limited series was reprinted in the Annihilation Classic books.

Plot synopsis

Rocket and his animal companions were genetically manipulated animals with human level intelligence and a bipedal body construction. They were created to be caretakers of the inmates (or "loonies") on the verdant side of halfworld. Rocket was a guard who protected the colony against various threats.

Rocket and his friends ultimately cured the inmates of their mental illnesses and then took off into space for their own adventures.

Issues

Marvel Age #25 (April 1985): had a preview of the mini-series and featured Rocket Raccoon on the cover.

1. "Rocket Raccoon/Animal Crackers"—May 1985
2. "The Masque of the Red Breath"—June 1985
3. "The Book of Revelations"—July 1985
4. "The Age of Enlightenment"—August 1985

In other media

• Rocket is one of many members in Marvel to appear in the Capcom fighting series Marvel vs Capcom 3, even though he was part of the much-updated version Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3.
• Marvel had stated that they are "going to push him" in having a cameo in the new Avengers animated series".

Collected editions

The story was collected in a single volume as an introduction to the early appearances of a number of the characters appearing in the "Annihilation" storyline:

• Annihilation Classic (collects Rocket Raccoon #1–4, along with Bug #1, Tales to Astonish #13, Nova #1, Quasar #1, Marvel Spotlight vol. 2 #6, Logan's Run #6, and Marvel Premiere #1, 240 page hardcover, November 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3388-7, softcover, July 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3410-7)