It’s hard to believe that a comic based on a gun-totting raccoon could be entertaining, but Rocket Raccoon is a brilliant story that has earned my undivided attention.
Rocket is part of Marvel’s new “Guardians of the Galaxy” line of comics.
An eclectic line of characters joins Rocket in his adventures. Among them is a synthetic man, a human wanderer of the cosmos, the weilder of the cosmic bands, the most dangerous woman in the universe, a thrice reincarnated man, a ‘Celestial Madonna’ and a stick. And that doesn’t include the supporting cast.
Now on its third issue, the book manages to remain serious and maintain intelligent storytelling thanks to its plot pace and skillfully rendered images.
Penciller Paul Pelletier does a masterful job and inker Rick Magyar sharpens the images beautifully.
But the maestros of this mayhem are writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. The pair have people wondering what a sentient stick says.
Guardians proves a great adventure yarn but maintains a sense of humor. The jokes are quick and sharp without detracting from the story or the action.
This is a book you really have to take a look at, and this is a great time to jump on board as it looks like the title is about to really pick up steam.
‘Knight’ night
Fans of the Batman will be able to catch the new movie a day before it opens, if they’re willing to stay up late.
Cinemark in Harlingen and Weslaco will both have midnight screenings of the comic book film. Brownsville had not confirmed any screenings at press time. Harlingen will have five screenings starting each minute from 12:01 through 12:05 a.m., while Weslaco will have two screenings at 12:01 and 12:02 a.m.
You can purchase tickets online or at the box office for the 2-hour-32-minute movie. Just remember, you still have to go to work in the morning.
Shawn Munguia does graphics and layout for the Valley Morning Star. He also maintains a blog about cartoons and comics at http://toontalk.freedomblogging.com/. Munguia can be reached at 956-421-9870 or you can e-mail him at shawnm@valleystar.com.
