In the first 30 years of his existence, Rocket Raccoon appeared in a total of ten Marvel comics. Not ten different storylines, not ten different Rocket Raccoon series; ten individual issues period, mostly guest spots in other characters’ books. His profile increased somewhat in the mid-2000s when he became a member of the relaunched Guardians of the Galaxy, but not much. As Marvel properties go, to call him a D-lister might have been giving him to much credit. He had his fans, but they were incredibly few and far between.

But one of those fans was James Gunn. He seemed to recognize something in Rocket that few others saw, and over the course of his three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, he has turned this foul-mouthed creature from also-ran to scene-stealer to one of Marvel’s most soulful heroes, with a backstory so tragic he makes Peter Parker seem like a lightweight. At one point in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a character tells Rocket that the events unfolding onscreen have been his story all along — and with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 , it does feel like Marvel has spent $200 million on a movie about a melancholy space raccoon looking for love and acceptance.

Full review at ScreenCrush.