Issue(s): Hulk #271
Cover Date: May 82
Title: "Rocket Raccoon!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Sal Buscema - Inker
Ann Nocenti - Assistant Editor
Al Milgrom - Editor

Review/plot:
Still in space, the Hulk is discovered by an anthropomorphic raccoon and his walrus partner.

They are Rocket Raccoon and Wal Rus, respectively. And they're on a mission to prevent an evil porcupine echidna hedgehog mole and his science advisor, a turtle, from acquiring and translating the book of the original settlers of their planet, which is a Gideon's Bible.

The Hulk hangs out with Rocket Raccoon for a while...

...but eventually wonders off and is launched back towards Earth by the turtle, Uncle Pyko.

It's a deliberately goofy plot, with appearances by the Keystone Cops (or Kops)...

...and some killer space clowns.

The planet is called Halfworld, because half of the planet has been taken over by robots, which are building a human-shaped rocketship.

It's worth noting that the animals say that the only humans living on their planet are the Keystone Kops. In the Rocket Raccoon mini-series, the entire planet system will turn out to be an asylum for mentally ill humans that the talking animals have been specially bred to care for. There is mention of a place called the Cuckoo's Nest in this issue.

Buscema does a good job with the animal men.

The writing isn't great, but it's not like you're supposed to be taking this too seriously.

Back on Earth, Betty convinces the alien film maker Bereet to help Rick Jones, who is dying of a gamma radiation overdose.

There's a hilarious scene where Betty is shouting hysterically, as she has done for about 200+ issues, and Bereet sends one of her weird creatures, Sturky, to sit on Betty's shoulder, which causes her to calm down and speak like a rational person.

If only we'd had that creature all along, a lot of Marvel comics from the 60s and 70s would be a lot better.

Passing in and out of consciousness, Rick says that he's never actually seen Bereet before, which is setting the stage for establishing that Rampaging Hulk #1-9 aren't actually in continuity.

Rocket Raccoon first appeared in a back-up story in the black & white magazine Marvel Preview #7 (although it's debatable that it's really the same character), and despite a mini-series by Mike Mignola and some gag stories, he would have just been an odd curiosity if he hadn't been used in the more recent Annihilation related stories. There's the potential for satire here with the Gideon's Bible, but nothing really comes of it and it's not really clear what Mantlo was going for.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 4 - confirms that Rocket Raccoon exists in the Marvel universe. For all intents and purposes this is his first appearance.

Chronological Placement Considerations: The Hulk has been in space since the end of Hulk #270. And when he returns to Earth next issue, he'll have Banner's intelligence.

References:

• Bereet's films were the subject of Rampaging Hulk #1-9.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Mantlo was going for a corny Beatles hommage, that's what.

wow, all this book needs is the kitchen sink.

To bad we don't see comics go this crazy that often now a days.

Chaim? For serious, was searching for Rocket Raccoon related items for art project. If you are the person I'm thinking of....contact me and prove it, if you want...kinda weird, hope you are doing well.

**also, killer space clowns never fail to gain my attention.

The bad guy seems to be more of an echidna, or possibly a mole. That snout is distinctly not that of a porcupine.

It's a little bit hedgehog-ish maybe?

The Marvel wiki calls Judson Jakes a mole, so i've updated the description. Thanks Erik & Jay.

The only reason I picked this up now was I just found this issue at a yard sale for $1.25. Needless to say, I scooped it up quick. It's going for $109.00 on mycomicshop. Score.

Thanks, Clyde. I've upped the Historical Significance due to his increased prominence lately.

Sal Buscema has been one of my favorite artists and I loved the way he drew Hulk during the bronze age, but his Hulk here looks terrible and Sal doesn't ink himself pretty badly in this issue, looking quite rushed. Frank Giacoa complimented him very well during the early 70s. Klaus Janson inked him pretty good too.

On another note, I never liked RR until I saw the GoG movie. They really did an outstanding job with him.

Wish I had an edit button, sometimes mistakes happen when I revamp a sentence and fail to go over it thoroughly. I changed "very well" to "pretty badly" and forgot to fix "doesn't ink" to "inks."

Sorry Mike, primitive commenting system, and i haven't wanted to upgrade it because it will add a lot of overhead. (Or, i make typos all the time so it makes me look better when other people do too. ;-) )

Sturky Says Relax

This issue is the end of the long, unbroken run of stories featuring the childlike, "Savage" Hulk; this incarnation never fully returns to prominence again.

I think this book deserves its full title: Now Somewhere in the Black Holes of Sirius Major There Lived A Young Boy Name of... Rocket Racoon!

Sturky and Bereet both first appeared and were both created by Doug Moench and Walter Simonson for the Rampaging Hulk black and white magazine, which might not be obvious to everyone here, since those magazines are now considered to be out of continuity, and therefore have not been reviewed for this site.

Gideon's Bible as a Beatle's homage might also be unclear to all readers of this site, since the name of the Beatle's song being referenced is "Rocky Raccoon" rather than "Rocket Raccoon."