Groot Is Getting His Own Comic Book

Groot, the sentient talking tree, is splintering off to star in his own comic book.

The character, who has bounced around the Marvel universe since first appearing in a 1960 issue of Tales to Astonish, won fans’ hearts in last summer’s box-office smash Guardians of the Galaxy. The computer-generated character, which was voiced by Vin Diesel, had a very limited vocabulary, but was in many ways the heart and soul of the unconventional superhero team.

Now, he’s taking his place as a leading man— er, tree.

Groot’s new comic, which will be scripted by Jimmy Kimmel Live! writer Jeff Loveness, will explain how Groot got to know his furry, foul-mouthed friend, but will also send the characters on different paths (at least for a little while).

“That [separation] brings up so many opportunities for comedy, but it also brings in that human aspect of feeling lonely and isolated from the world around you,” Loveness told Mashable. “If you lose your translator, you’re on your own out there.”

Loveness also note that given Groot’s three-word vocabulary, it will require coming up with a lot of physical comedy.

The current run of the Guardians of the Galaxy comic launched in 2013, and has already seen many of its main characters get their own titles. Groot’s partner in crime, the Bradley Cooper-voiced Rocket Raccoon, had his own spinoff comic series launch to record sales in July; Star-Lord (played by Chris Pratt) also got his own book that month. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) will star in her own title that will launch this spring; the series will be written by original Guardians screenwriter Nicole Perlman.

Marvel hasn’t announced when Groot will sprout, but let’s hope he gets to do some dancing.

Photo credit: Marvel