GROOT #1 Review - The Tree With A Heart Of Gold
Writer: Jeff Loveness
Art: Brian Kesinger
Letterer Jeff Eckleberry
I wasn't aware I could love Groot any more than I already did. Thankfully, that assumption was all kinds of wrong. The creative team of Jeff Loveless and Brian Kesinger successfully multiplied my admittedly already high level of adoration for Groot ten fold. If you were looking for a perfect hopping on point after Guardians of the Galaxy, look no further.
While there are some who undoubtedly will be turned off by this more humorous take on the duo of Groot and Rocket, that happens to be one of the book's biggest strengths. I often found myself laughing out loud, much to the chagrin of my wife (pretty sure she was really invested in a Criminal Minds episode at the time, to be fair). Loveness has imbued Rocket with the perfect amount of lovable sarcasm, and Groot couldn't be more endearing if he tried.
That perpetual feeling of adorableness on display owes a great deal to the talented art team of Kesinger and Jeff Eckleberry. Groot himself is so expressive, with every emotion so vividly on display that you start to understand him even without Rocket's translations. Half the time it doesn't even require traditional punchlines, as the looks and reactions of Groot and Rocket sell the moments better than any line could.
The wonderful art and witty writing come together beautifully, crafting the start of a hilarious road trip story that just so happens to star an ancient tree and a raccoon who isn't really a raccoon. I couldn't recommend it more.
