Come on, this one should have been half-obvious from the moment I said that Rocket Raccoon is my favorite comic book character. You can read up on him there if you want to basics on why he’s showing up this week. Groot, however, might not be as obvious, especially since it means that my favorite character has to share the spotlight.
But you know what? I don’t think Rocket would have it any other way.
There are some things that, while all well and good on their own, can be paired up with something else so that both become something much, much more than the sum of their parts. Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate. The exact same principal applies to Comic Book characters, sometimes in ways you might never expect. Who would have thought, when they were originally created, that Power Man and Iron Fist or Blue Beetle and Booster Gold would one day be teamed-up and become the iconic parings that they remain to this day?
Such is the case with Rocket Raccoon and Groot. And it’s amazing to think of how great a pair they’ve made in spite of how it was less than five years ago that someone got the bright idea that putting a wise-cracking raccoon and
a walking talking tree together might be a smart idea. But that’s just what happened when Keith Giffen first stuck them together for his Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord miniseries. And of course, I’d hate to diminish the contributions of DnA in the matter, who managed to take the concept and run with it in a way that’s allowed the Raccoon and his Tree to get their own miniseries post-Guardians of the Galaxy. One which manages to far outshine the main book they’re supposed to be a ‘backup’ story to, I might add.
I have little doubt that Rocket Raccoon and Groot still have a bright future ahead of them, and I look forward to seeing just what scripts both our regular and guest writers come up with this week that I have no doubt will provide further evidence to this effect.
Disclaimer: I have no previous knowledge or experience of the character. Everything is pretty much gleaned from Wikipedia in this instance. I may be tripping all over continuity and established "rules" for the character.
ReplyDeleteIn a similar spirit I abandoned my usual format this week and tried a little simpler approach , albeit something shamelessly stolen from Greg Rucka (he runs the script alongside his Lady Sabre strip every week).
Page 1
ONE:
WIDE PANEL: We open on a CLOSE UP of ROCKET RACCOON. He looks frustrated and annoyed, frowning slightly. Wherever he is, it's dark.
NB: All around him are disembodied speech balloons forming a cacophony of noise, like an echo chamber.
1. GROOT/disembodied balloons: I am Groot.
2. ROCKET RACCOON: Groot, this isn't funny...
TWO:
We CUT TO a MEDIUM CLOSE shot of MOONDRAGON. She's on the comms deck of a small spaceship that's orbiting the planet Rocket and Groot are on.
3. ROCKET RACCOON/psychic balloon: He thinks this is funny.
4. MOONDRAGON/psychic balloon: I dont think-
5. ROCKET RACCOON/caption: Groot...
THREE:
We CUT back to the surface of the planet and a MEDIUM CLOSE shot of Rocket. Rocket is still bathed in shadow making it hard for us to make sense of his surroundings.
6. GROOT/disembodied balloons: I am Groot.
7. ROCKET RACCOON/to himself: This isn't funny.
FOUR:
CUT TO a panoramic shot of the surrounding area. The surface of the planet is covered in trees as far as the eye can see-- Endor on steroids.
8. GROOT/disembodied balloons: I am Groot.
FIVE:
WIDE PANEL: CUT TO a CLOSE UP on GROOT's face looking straight ahead into CAMERA. Behind him we can see nothing but forest.
9. GROOT/disembodied balloons: I am Groot.
10. GROOT/caption: I am Groot.
11. GROOT/caption/linked: I am the last.
@Dan - I like that a lot. It's simple and yet so very effective. I like the concept of Endor on steroids, and I like the pay off with the final caption. Tight.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Groots idea of a practical joke, even if I don't understand the meaning behind the last caption.
ReplyDeleteI should have clarified it really. The page takes place at a time when it was thought Groot was the last of his species.
ReplyDeleteHe's not playing a joke as such (though Rocket thinks he is), just feeling very alone.
Dan, I like the misdirection here. You set me up for thinking this was going to be a gag script, but actually the final panel is quite sad. Good stuff.
ReplyDelete