After a promising start, we’ve finally hit the point where the plot of Rocket Girl is desperately trying to keep up with this series’ kick-ass art…and starting to fall behind.
Here’s the official word from Image:
The book everyone is talking about has plenty more surprises locked, loaded, and ready to shoot you in the face. It’s all-out action in this issue with a rocket chase through the graffiti-littered subway tunnels of NYC. DaYoung is stuck in the ’80s, with only her jetpack and wits to help the teenager crack a time-spanning conspiracy. Rocket Girl will get the who, what, where, when, and why — and deliver the wham!
Time travel, kid cops, and, now, with issue #4, the introduction of two new villains that are tangentially rooted in Rocket Girls past (or is it future?). Yes, you have to give Rocket Girl credit for being one of the most ambitious books out there right now — writer Brandon Montclare has absolutely no qualms about making his readers think (and sometimes flip to previous issues just to figure out the current plot-line). And while there’s something refreshing about Rocket Girls breakneck pace and narrative backflips, issue #4 reveals one fundamental truth: Montclare needs to slow down. While issue #4 offers yet another fast-ass chase scene, it offers very little in the way of character development or good old-fashion storytelling. It makes one wonder if Montclare is more obsessed with offering artist Amy Reeder opportunities to show off her craft than telling a tightly structured story.
Even though the story felt a little flatter with issue #4, the art does not. I could look Amy Reeder’s work all day. It is *simply* fabulous; her ability to illustrate chase scenes, capture facial expressions, and the flow of bodies fighting is worth every penny of this book.
Yes, I love Rocket Girl, but just four issues in and we’re already starting to get a series that just plays three notes over and over: chase scene, science talk, and quirky monologue that highlights the novelty of kids-as-cops (again). If this series is going to last, we need a bit more.
S#!T Talking Central