“We are Groot.”
That certainly seems to be the thought process over at Marvel right now, at least.
The company has announced that the most beloved character from their recent hit film, Guardians of the Galaxy, will be getting his own comic series.
Indeed, the Monarch of Planet X a.k.a. Groot will be getting his first-ever ongoing solo series. Drax is now the only member of the team to not have his own solo title – but who knows? That could change any minute.
Writer Jeff Loveness and artist Brian Kesinger are going to be taking on the series, set to debut in June. Loveness addresses the complications I’m sure you’ve already thought of regarding a Groot comic series:
“There’s a huge language barrier between Groot and the rest of the Marvel Universe. He may be a kind-hearted soul to us, but to a stranger, he’s just a terrifying tree-monster. He’s bound to get in trouble because of people judging him before they know him… But Groot’s an optimist. He’s a wide-eyed optimist in a universe that doesn’t always reward such an attitude. Groot’s going to be in the worst situation of his life, but maybe Groot knows something about the universe that we don’t. Maybe he knows what it’s actually all about—that’s what gives him the strength to be an optimist.”
That’s a lovely sentiment to have about Groot and one that makes me feel positive about this series already. Certainly for an alien that can only speak variations of one sentence, you would think a solo series would be difficult to accomplish, but Groot is a character deserving of exploration. And also… space sharks?
“Overall, it’s a story about overcoming your own handicaps in life. Maybe you’re lonely. Maybe you can’t speak properly. Maybe you’re a giant space tree who’s best friends with a raccoon. Every Marvel character, no matter how big or outlandish, is based on an emotional truth, and I’m really looking forward to exploring the truth behind Groot… Also, they’re going to fight space sharks.”
Yup, space sharks.
And not to worry, based on the first couple of pages from the run, which you can see below, Rocket will be part of this title. So there’s bound to be some dialogue. Colorful dialogue, most likely.
Groot was first introduced to the comic world as a villain, intending to capture humans for experimentation. In 2006, however, he was reintroduced as a more heroic character. It’s hard to imagine him as a villain, isn’t it?
Groot #1 is set to come out in June.
What do you think of Groot getting his own series? Are you excited? Let us know in the comments!
