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Rocket Raccoon Reading Order

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During the 1970s, Marvel expanded its offer with magazines. One of them was the black and white “Marvel Preview” in which Bill Mantlo started the science-fiction serial “The Sword in the Star.” The story was about a character named Prince Wayfinder of the planet Ithacon who was searching for a mythical sword. This didn’t last long, only two chapters were published, but the second one published in Marvel Preview #7 in 1976 introduced an anthropomorphic character who’s quite popular now, the famous Rocket Raccoon.

At the time though, in this story drawn by Keith Giffen (his first professional comic book job), he was called Rocky. A fan of the Beatles, Mantlo was inspired by their 1968 song “Rocky Raccoon” from the White Album which is a cowboy story. Elements of the song were also used for Rocket’s second appearance equipped with rocket-powered skates and laser pistols, in The Incredible Hulk #271 (published in 1982). That’s when it was explained that his real name was Rocket. After his team up with the Hulk, Rocket Raccoon starred in his first miniseries and then made a few apparitions next to other heroes. Nothing of note for a long time.

It really was during the Annihilation: Conquest crossover that Rocket Raccoon found its place in the Marvel Universe, with the Guardians of the Galaxy. He went from law officer from the planet Halfworld to military tactician protecting the Universe.

Rocket Raccoon Comics Reading Order

Rocket Raccoon’s first solo adventures were collected in new books to support the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie–with Groot’s first stories too.

  • Rocket Raccoon & Groot: The Complete Collection
    Collects The Incredible Hulk #271, Rocket Raccoon (vol. 1) #1–4 and material from Marvel Preview #7, Annihilators #1–4, Annihilators: Earthfall #1–4, Tales to Astonish (vol. 1) #13.

After that, Rocket Raccoon only made a handful of apparitions during the 1990s.

  • Quasar (1989) #15
  • Sensational She-Hulk (1989) #44-46 — he barely speaks in issues #45-46. It’s better than his one-panel apparition in She-Hulk (2005) #1.

Rocket Raccoon & The Guardians of the Galaxy

In 2007, Rocket Raccoon was finally properly used in the Annihilation: Conquest–Starlord miniseries, then the Annihilation: Conquest miniseries. Star-Lord (Peter Quill) chose him as a member of his team to stop a Phalanx infiltration of the Kree homeworld.

When Star-Lord decided to form the Guardians of the Galaxy, his friend Rocket was invited to join–this was the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning era of the Guardians. Rocket was the one who recruited Groot (an idea from Keith Giffen) when he had to keep the team going after Quill’s brief disappearance.

The Guardians of the Galaxy disbanded at the end of the Thanos Imperative, but Rocket Raccoon and Groot got a backup story in the following Annihilators miniseries. This story saw Rocket coming back to Halfworld where he realized that his memories of his time there were not complete. It’s available in the Rocket Raccoon & Groot: The Complete Collection with the first stories of the two characters.

In 2013, the Guardians of the Galaxy made a comeback–just in time for their first movie–with Brian Michael Bendis as the main writer–his whole run is even collected in the Guardians of the Galaxy by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus.

He brought them back in Avengers Assemble and they quickly got a new ongoing series. Of course, Rocket was once again a key player in the team, with Groot.

In 2014, Rocket Raccoon got a new series, coming from writer and artist Skottie Young, that explores past relationships.

In the first issue of “Secret Wars,” Rocket and Groot are killed. But as this event was just the ending of an era and Marvel relaunched after it, Rocket Raccoon came back and even took leadership of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

We are starting with another series from Skottie Young. Rocket Raccoon & Groot starts when Rocket undergoes a transformation and Groot must battle to remind him who he truly is.

Rocket Raccoon and The Guardians of the Galaxy have been grounded on Earth of all places!

Written by Al Ewing with art by Adam Gorham, The Blue River Score is a space crime story with Rocket. Heist, trial, mobster… everything is there.

Brian Michael Bendis left the Guardians of the Galaxy in the hands of Gerry Duggan who launched the All New Guardians of the Galaxy during the Secret Empire crossover event. This run led to the Infinity Wars event.

For the No Road Home miniseries, Rocket Raccoon teamed up with the Avengers!

  • Avengers: No Road Home
    Collects Avengers: No Road Home #1-10.
  • Infinity Wars by Gerry Duggan: The Complete Collection
    Collects Infinity Countdown Prime #1, Infinity Countdown #1-5, Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1, Free Comic Book Day Amazing Spider-Man/Guardians of the Galaxy 2018 (Guardians of the Galaxy Saga), Infinity Wars Prime #1, Infinity Wars #1-6, Infinity Wars: Fallen Guardian #1, Infinity Wars: Infinity #1, Thanos Legacy #1 (B story).

After Gerry Duggan, Donny Cates took over the Guardians of the Galaxy with artists Geoff Shaw and Cory Smith. Then, Al Ewing with artist Juan Cabal took over. And more recently, it was Jackson Lanzing and artist Collin Kelly who relaunched the title.

Did we forget an important issue? Did we make a mistake? Let us know in the comments!

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