When it comes to the timing of the releases for this series, it is interesting to notice a trend between Marvel and DC Comics.  Series do tend to fluctuate a bit by bit every month in terms of their release dates, with some sometimes months behind, but in the case of Groot, it has thus far been released on the same days as DC’s two lighthearted series, Bizarro and Bat-Mite.  While Bizarro and Bat-Mite are not entirely terrible, they have mostly been misfires.  Groot on the other hand proved with its first issue that it was going to take a different approach in its lightheartedness and was far more successful than the DC products, a trend which continued for each of the series’ second issues.

This second issue picks up right where the first left off.  With the bounty on Groot’s head hard to cash in, the bounty hunters settled for Rocket Raccoon and Groot was left floating in space without a way to free his friend.  This issue starts with that briefly, but quickly goes into a non-sequitur hallucination where Groot is surrounded by Groot like version of Marvel’s heroes.  The heart of this story comes from Groot’s recollection of why he is interested in finding and saving Rocket, as their first moments together in prison are revisited.  This all continues as Groot gets on his way to finding Rocket, except for the intervention of a surprise couple of characters that one would likely not expect to see here.

The result is whimsically entertaining as the lighthearted books are supposed to be, but equally this series puts the heart back into lighthearted by building surprising depth out of a character who most consider to be two dimensional because of his lack of vocabulary and strange background.  The series proves once again that Groot is a perfect choice for his own series, and while the series started out with the idea of Groot hitchhiking to Earth, it seems as though it doesn’t really matter that he might never get there.

Story: Jeff Loveness Art: Brian Kesinger
Story: 8.8 Art: 8.8 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy