Guardian’s Team-Up #5 is now available to purchase from Marvel Comics in print and digital format.
The star of this issue is Rocket Raccoon, who has been getting plenty of attention since the titular Guardians of the Galaxy has picked up steam. Raccoon’s rise to stardom was enhanced by the fact that he was added to the cast of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and that the series was adapted into a movie last year, which is part of Marvel Entertainment’s Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Raccoon’s adventure is funny, but insulting to his character.
I don’t find it insulting, but Raccoon surely feels insulted in this issue. Guardian’s Team-Up #5 has Rocket Raccoon teaming up with the Mighty Pet Avengers: Astro-Mut, Lockjaw, Redwing (Falcon’s pet bird), Zabu (Kazar’s pet sabertooth tiger), Throg, Furball, and more.
This issue begins in Nowhere, the Guardians’ HQ, where Raccoon is on monitor duty with Astro-Mut.
Raccoon is about to enjoy some beer only for Astro-Mut to confiscate it. It obviously pisses Raccoon to no end, where he looks for Astro-Mut and sees that they are playing a game of poker. This is perhaps one of the most shocking revelations in the Marvel Comics universe, the Pet Avengers showing the ability to play poker.
That includes Redwing and Zabu.
Raccoon is angry that they didn’t invite him to poker, where Astro-Mut assures him that this is a once-a-month basis. It angers Raccoon when he sees that Astro-Mut took the beer with him to the poker game.
The game is interrupted by the arrival of the Pets of the Masters of Evil before Raccoon can even have his hear. Raccoon’s beer and most of the Pet Avengers are captured and taken to Dr. Doom’s secret base, where a masked bird is calling the shots.
It is a typical rescue, where Raccoon leads the operation.
Meanwhile there is an imminent galactic threat headed to Earth, which Raccoon didn’t know because the monitors picked it up after he flagged down Astro-Mut. They defeat the masked villain, who is a vulture.
This vulture is likely the pet of the Vulture.
Lockjaw teleports Raccoon and the other Pet Avengers to intercept the new threat, Grott, where they send him away through a portal. It’s a simple story with a happy ending, where Raccoon is invited to the Pet Avengers’ poker game.
Raccoon celebrates the successful team-up by sharing his special outer space beer, which is incredibly difficult to come by.
What did I think of Guardians Team-Up #5?
I can sum it up into one word, cute.
This team-up felt appropriate because Rocket Raccoon is an anthropomorphic raccoon capable of independent thought and action. I loved the fact that Raccoon openly expressed and voiced his frustration of working with a team that sucks, but claims is not useless at all. It’s obvious that Raccoon didn’t like being stereotyped, which happened to be the case.
I broke into laughter when the Pet Avengers were playing poker. Rhetorically asking, do they even know how to play poker? Who taught Redwing and Zabu how to play poker? I laughed when Redwing and Zabu were sitting at the poker table like it was a casual poker night.
I have to say that this issue is lighthearted compared to the previous team-ups.
I will give Guardians Team-Up #5 a grade of A.
