Groot #1 Review: A Fitting Guardians of the Galaxy Origin Featuring a Cosmic Icon

It's common that Marvel Comics releases a series of comics to coincide with a film release from Marvel Studios, more often than not serving as a pseudo-licensed tale that was cobbled together as nothing more than promotional film material. Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters on Friday, the supporting series comes in the form of Groot, a mini-series that promises to give a definitive origin to the Monster From Planet X. Fortunately for those reading, Groot doesn't fall in line with previous movie supporters; no, the debut of this latest series is a delicious cosmic treat from start to finish.

Dan Abnett—one of the creators behind the comic series that inspired Marvel Studios' version of the space group—returns to the House of Ideas to flesh out some corners of the cosmic world the publisher has yet to touch. At the center of this story is, of course, Grootand his two best childhood friends Gleef and Tweeg. Joining the tree-like characters is a squad of the Kree Starforce, which includes Captain So-Lar and Private Mar-Vell, long before his days as the original Captain Marvel.

Abnett's quick to give his story a similar structure to that of Star Trek, in that he fleshes out his world-building with furor and little explanation. The classic hallmarks of science-fiction storytelling can be seen through the Starforce, from the design of its ships to the technology it uses. It's simultaneously familiar and fresh with the organization and structure being vastly different than any Guardians of the Galaxy title has seen in over a decade.

Though a Groot story by title, this fable—or its debut issue, at the very least—is a Mar-Vell tale through and through. Though it begins and ends with Groot, Mar-Vell is ever-present, and rightfully so at that. Groot can, after all, only say the three words we all know, so dialogue and plot progression needs to happen through other means. Still, it's a great balance that helps the story from becoming one-dimensional.

Then there's the lineart from Damian Couceiro and Matt Milla, a duo that does what it can to pay tribute to the best cosmic tales, with echoes of Kirbian spaceways and action pieces staggered throughout. The work on the faces of the characters throughout are especially delightful, with incredible expressions portrayed despite the rather finite line art otherwise.

While some things may be tired, Abnett's scripting gives it all a fresh coat of paint that injects life into Marvel Cosmic with every passing page. This is far more than the aforementioned faux-licensed works, that much is evident. In fact, this introductory issue, by all accounts, is an excellent start to what can be a wondrous sci-fi story.

Published by Marvel Comics

On May 3, 2023

Written by Dan Abnett

Art by Damian Couceiro and Matt Milla

Letters by Travis Lanham

Cover by Lee Garbett