- Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
- Art by: Will Robson
- Colors by: Andrew Dalhouse
- Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
- Cover art by: Gary Frank, Alex Sinclair (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: January 22, 2025
Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1, by Marvel Comics on 1/22/25, finds one of the Galaxy’s Guardians hired by the ruler of Latveria to assist in the creation of a special device. Can two odd Marvel characters solve the mysteries of the universe without driving each other crazy?
Is Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1 Good?
Plot Synopsis
Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1 begins with Doctor Doom overseeing his Doombots as they work through the creation of a special device. The work goes well up to a certain point, but the build repeatedly ends in explosive disaster. One rainy night, Rocket Raccoon arrives in response to Doom’s summons and with the promise of a hefty fee to lend his technical genius.
What’s Doom building? Doctor Doom is building a time machine, but here’s the twist. He’s building a time machine designed to go back to the point of creation before time began. Doom needs help building a time machine that can travel to a place where there is no time.
Why does Doctor Doom want to go back to a point before the creation of time? He wants to find the answer to the same question every living thing asks at least once in life – Why are we here? Rocket Raccoon, who never turns down endless food and massive money, agrees to help.
The two spend days together working through the technical calculations and magical spells necessary to complete the build. Eventually, it’s Rocket who stumbles upon the conceptual secret that makes the machine possible. With the flick of a switch, Doom and Rocket slip through space, time, reality, and creation until they reach the point before everything begins.
What do they find? They find an answer, but it’s not what you think.
First Impressions
Honestly, I don’t know what I expected with this one-shot, but it’s perfectly fine as a mildly serious/comedic adventure starring an unlikely partnership. J. Michael Straczynski (and the editors) insert a fair number of jokes to offset the serious philosophical tone of the subject matter, so how much or little you enjoy this issue will be up to you.
How’s the Art?
Will Robson and Andrew Dalhouse do a commendable job of presenting a pair of characters who could not be more different while working together toward a common goal. Admittedly, Rocket’s design and figure work come off as cartoonish compared to Doom’s rigid and imposing frame, so you sometimes feel there’s an inconsistency in how seriously you should take this issue. As with the script, this issue will be rated high or low, depending on your taste.
What’s great about Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1?
Underneath the sporadically cartoonish art and humor, Doctor Doom embarks on a thought-provoking journey to answer one of life’s greatest mysteries, ending in a thought-provoking answer with a twist. Purely as a one-shot to give readers something different, you’ll likely get some entertainment value out of this issue.
What’s not great about Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1?
It’s the sporadic inconsistency that holds this issue back from great to just okay. Sometimes the jokes are over-the-top slapstick. Sometimes, they’re wordplay bits like an Abbot & Costello skit. Sometimes, the story hits a dead serious note. In short, the tone is chaotic, so you get a little whiplash as the story zigs and zags from one style to the next.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1 is an oddly inconsistent yet strangely amusing one-shot that finds Doctor Doom hiring Rocket Raccoon to build a machine to answer the greatest question in the universe. J. Michael Straczynski’s imaginative script ultimately leads to thought-provoking concepts with an interesting resolution, but you may find yourself suffering from tonal whiplash by the end.
7.5/10
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