Marvel and DC Just Turned Rocket Raccoon into a Green Lantern — I Need More!

Image: Marvel Studios

On September 17, Marvel and DC staged a rare crossover event with Deadpool/Batman #1. While the centerpiece pairs the Merc with a Mouth and the Dark Knight against the Joker, the anthology’s backup strips are where the quirks and surprises truly land.

Among the short pieces you’ll find Krypto and Jeff the Land Shark volleying on an icy court, Captain America sharing an unexpected moment with Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow clashing with rooftop ninjas. The standout, though, is Al Ewing and Dike Ruan’s two-page romp, “Rocket Has a Green Lantern Ring Now.” You can read more about Ewing’s work here.

The gag is delightfully simple: DC’s Guardians of the Universe and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy agree to a cultural exchange. Hal Jordan accompanies the Guardians of the Galaxy and — before leaving — loans Rocket his Green Lantern ring. Rocket promptly suits up in a throwback Green Lantern outfit and bellows something along the lines of “Brightest day, blackest night… green flame on!” — a sight equal parts hilarious and absurd.

It’s gloriously daft.

True to form, Rocket doesn’t transform into a noble interstellar patrolman. Instead he gambles the ring at a casino — then robs the place. Green Arrow makes an unanticipated entrance to filch something back from the mobsters, playing the part of an outlaw with Robin Hood–style motives (whether Rocket approves is another matter).

The tone here is low-stakes and mischievous, exactly the kind of tonal freedom a crossover can provide. While the main Deadpool/Batman tale by Zeb Wells and Greg Capullo plays things more straight, Ewing’s backup lets these characters behave unpredictably and hilarious. His recent run on Guardians of the Galaxy ranks among the title’s strongest, and this little vignette only amplifies my wish for a full miniseries about Rocket’s misadventures as a Green Lantern — a concept far more inventive than some of the stranger mash-ups out there. See one such odd pairing discussed here.

Deadpool/Batman #1 is available in comic shops now from Marvel. DC’s complementary one-shot, Batman/Deadpool #1, arrives on November 19 — and yes, picking which variant cover to buy might be its own small dilemma. For more on the covers, check this round-up.

Source: Polygon