Welcome back to Longbox Junk, the blog stuffed FULL of comic reviews you never asked for!
Before we begin. . .
Sorry my posting schedule has become a bit spotty lately. As the chief bonehead managing a skeleton crew running a hotel, I'm working various shifts 6 days a week for the time being. It's a bit chaotic but at least I still have a job, which is more than a lot of people can say these days, so I ain't complaining.
ANYWAY. . .
The past couple months haven't exactly been a party, to say the least. There's no news but bad news. Heck, it's gotten to the point that I don't even want to read the paper or watch the news any more. I've got about 60 rolls of toilet paper in my house, and I don't even know why.
Keeping that in mind, I've decided to try and keep things on the lighter side here at Longbox Junk. There's not much that I can do about everything going on in the world, but hopefully MY small corner of the internet can be a place to visit and get your mind off of things for at least a few minutes. I think we can all sort of use a place like that now and then these days.
SO. . .
How about we take a look at a Pulp-Tastic IDW/DC intercompany crossover adventure featuring a team up between two of my favorite characters of all time. . .The Spirit and The Rocketeer?
It's The Spirit and The Rocketeer! Two of the most fun comic characters ever created.
How can this NOT be good?
LET'S DO IT!
THE ROCKETEER/ THE SPIRIT:
PULP FRICTION
IDW/ DC (2013)
ISSUE ONE
SCRIPT: Mark Waid
PENCILS: Paul Smith
COVER: Paul Smith
THE COVER:
It's great to see two of my all-time favorite heroes together on a comic cover! I think the Rocketeer is better done, but then again, I love the design of the Rocketeer in general. Overall, this is a great cover that shines the spotlight (literally) on both main characters in a big way.
THE STORY:
The Year: 1941. The body of a man is discovered in California, which begins the mystery of how a dead Central City Alderman who had just been seen at a city council meeting on the East Coast ended up 3000 miles away in only eight hours.
Since the victim was a friend of Central City police commissioner Dolan, he recruits resident vigilante detective, The Spirit, to get to the bottom of things. Dolan's daughter (and Spirit's sorta-girlfriend) Ellen insists on going as well (for some California sun), and Dolan grudgingly agrees to accompany them.
IN THE MEANTIME. . .
We see that the model who discovered the body is Betty, girlfriend of pilot Cliff Secord (AKA The Rocketeer), and that millionaire tycoon Benjamin Trask (on the West Coast) and elusive criminal "The Octopus" (on the East Coast) were behind the mysterious death.
Upon arrival in California, mistaken identity shenanigans ensue as Cliff's friend, Peevy, accidentally overhears the masked stranger (The Spirit) talking about taking care of business and assumes he's there to kill Betty.
Cliff flies to the "Rescue" as The Rocketeer and fights with The Spirit in the sky over the airfield until Peevy and Dolan recognize each other from the war (WWI, that is) and realize that there's been a big mistake.
On the ground, strained introductions are made and Cliff takes The Spirit to talk to Betty. . .who immediately falls for the square-jawed detective, much to the consternation of both Cliff and Ellen.
To be continued. . .
THE REVIEW:
This issue is pretty much concerned with setting up the central mystery, bringing the two main characters together, and introducing conflict between the two reluctant allies. That's a lot to pack into a single issue, but veteran writer Mark Waid handles it all with ease. The dialogue is snappy and everything moves at a fast pace. . .but not too fast. Waid definitely keeps a steady hand on the wheel here as he pushes the pieces into their initial places.
Okay, the old "Heroes fight until the realize they're on the same side" crossover hook IS a very well-worn path, but sometimes you just have to go with a "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude. I've seen it done a lot worse in other comics. It actually fits the story here instead of feeling forced.
The art here makes a good story even better with sharp, realistic lines and great facial expressions that make even scenes of characters standing around talking interesting to look at. The action scenes are dynamic and have a great sense of movement. The backgrounds are sparse, allowing the artist to draw the reader's focus to the detailed characters. The style serves this particular story very nicely.
Overall, a very nice first issue! It quickly introduces the characters and conflicts in a very readable way. . .despite reliance on the good old "Heroes mistakenly fight each other" crossover hook. The art style fits the story perfectly.
I would have liked a little more information on The Spirit and The Rocketeer for new readers (but reading ahead I can see that's covered in upcoming issues, so no harm no foul) but other than that very small complaint, I call this one a winner!
NEXT!
ISSUE TWO
SCRIPT: Mark Waid
PENCILS: Loston Wallace
COVER: Paul Smith
THE COVER:
As big a fan of The Spirit and The Rocketeer that I am, I find this cover to be a bit "Meh". Once again, it's great to see two of my favorites together on a comic cover, but this one just seems underwhelming. Not that it's bad. Just sort of. . .average. Not really the kind of cover that makes me want to buy a comic.
THE STORY:
Now that our heroes are reluctantly working together, they head into the city to see if they can gain any clues from the autopsy of the dead Central City Alderman.
Since morgues are more in Dolan and The Spirit's wheelhouse, Ellen and Cliff find themselves making an unexpected connection while the two detectives meet with the coroner. Dolan and The Spirit make the incredible discovery that the organs of the dead man are scrambled beyond recognition. . .another mystery!
Meanwhile, back at the airfield, Peevy and Betty discover an image of the dead man burnt into the screen of Peevy's experimental homemade television set. . .adding yet more to the mystery at hand.
Cliff, Dolan, Ellen, and The Spirit rush back to the airfield to check out the new wrinkle in the case. Shortly after they arrive, the airfield is attacked by two airplanes armed with machine guns! Cliff jumps into action as The Rocketeer, and The Spirit insists on helping.
After a tense mid-air battle, the attackers are taken down. Dolan and Peevy interrogate the captured pilots and discover they are working for Millionaire Tycoon Benjamin Trask. Deciding to follow up on this new clue, the pair of heroes make plans to follow Trask to Central City.
IN THE MEANTIME. . .
While the airfield is being attacked, Betty is auditioning for a producer that is promising to make her the first star of America's newest form of entertainment, television. It turns out that the producer is none other than the newly-discovered villain, Benjamin Trask. DUN-DUN-DUN!!
To be continued. . .
THE REVIEW:Now that the two heroes are in the same place and on the same side, Mark Waid begins adding layers to the mystery with an issue that is mostly the characters finding and following clues. . .with a nice bit of aerial action thrown in. The dialogue remains snappy and light, making the story move along at a very nice pace. We get to see both The Rocketeer and The Spirit doing what they do best. . .The Spirit as a detective and Rocketeer in high-flyin' action, with both characters getting their own moments in the spotlight. All in all, very nicely done.
We get an artist change in this issue as well. The style is a little lighter, less realistic and more cartoony than in the first issue, but I think it fits the story even better! I've never heard of Loston Wallace, but a quick dive into the Wiki-Well tells me that he's mostly known for illustrating "all ages" comics for DC. I really enjoy his art style a lot and his work here is excellent. I wish he had more regular comic work on his resume I could keep an eye out for!
Overall, we have a great second issue here. It adds to the mystery at hand, gives The Spirit and The Rocketeer both time in the spotlight, and features some really enjoyable art. There's nothing I can possibly complain about here! This is the kind of comic book that really makes me want to jump right into the next issue.
So let's do it!
ISSUE THREE
SCRIPT: Mark Waid
PENCILS: J Bone
COVER: J Bone
THE COVER:
J Bone is an artist I don't really know, but his chunky cartoon style works a lot better on the delightful interior art than it does on this cover. It's not BAD. . . I love seeing two of my favorite characters together on a comic cover, and it's sort of fun, but there's just something missing. . .
THE STORY:
Moving from sunny Hollywood to the cold and snowy streets of Central City, we begin the story inside The Spirit's crypt hideout where he is recounting his origin to The Rocketeer, who is understandably disturbed by hearing such a strange story from a dead man in the middle of a cemetery. . .
IN THE MEANTIME. . .
Betty and Trask have also arrived in Central City, and Betty is put up in a suite at the swankiest hotel in town. Their arrival has not gone unnoticed by Commissioner Dolan's informants. The Spirit, Dolan, and The Rocketeer make ready to confront Trask.
While the heroes make their plans, the full scope of the villainous plot is finally revealed as Trask meets with Central City Crime Lord, The Octopus in a dockside warehouse.
It seems that Trask and Octopus have been working with a German scientist named Goessel and have discovered a way to use the new technology of television to transmit not only images, but matter! A secret that Trask demonstrates during a television meeting of various powerful American crime figures by firing a machine gun at them through their television screens!
After Trask's demonstration seals an alliance among American organized crime, he returns to the hotel where Betty is staying, along with Goessel and the television/teleportation equipment. He reveals to Betty that he was merely using her as bait to lure The Spirit and The Rocketeer to him.
As the Rocketeer attacks the hotel, Goessel uses the teleportation camera on Betty, teleporting her to the warehouse where The Spirit is attacking The Octopus' gaurds. Unlike the dead Alderman at the heart of the original mystery, Betty survives the teleportation intact and alive, but her mind is practically blank and leaves her completely open to suggestion.
As The Rocketeer battles his way through the streets of Central City in pursuit of Trask, The Octopus' minions subdue and capture The Spirit in the warehouse. The story ends with Octupus and Goessel preparing to have the mind-controlled Betty kill The Spirit live on television for the viewing pleasure of their new organized crime allies.
To be continued. . .
THE REVIEW:
As we head into the big finish of Pulp Friction, this issue very nicely sets up the final confrontation between our heroes and the villains by revealing the master plan behind everything that's happened so far. Yeah. . .it's kind of corny when you think too hard about it, but on the other hand, it's also a lot of fun!
Mark Waid channels his inner Golden Age and gives us the kind of story you'd expect if this comic were actually written on the edge of an emerging technology like television. It's complete fantasy based on speculation and possibility. . .but those kind of stories were common in the years when this comic is supposedly taking place. A bit of modern suspension of disbelief is needed, but I think Waid pulls off bringing the reader into the Golden Age quite well.
All that AND we get a great little retelling of The Spirit's origin story!
We also get ANOTHER artist change with this issue. Like I said in the look at the cover above, I'm not familiar with J Bone (and wasn't really impressed with the cover), but his chunky, exaggerated, darkly-inked art style is a great look for this issue! I have to confess that I'd rather have seen more of Loston Wallace's work on this, but with J Bone's art and the great sense of movement it has, I can easily imagine this story as an animated feature!
Overall, writer Mark Waid very nicely sets things up for the big finish with an action-packed issue that brings the Golden Age of comics onstage in a big way. Another art change gives us a glimpse of what this would look like as an animated movie. It looks great, but I wish that they would have stuck with one artist through the whole series. That very small complaint aside, this issue is a winner in my book, and everything is standing strong heading into the final issue.
AND FINALLY. . .
ISSUE FOUR
SCRIPT: Mark Waid
PENCILS: J Bone
COVER: J Bone
THE COVER:
This cover by J Bone actually works a lot better than the one he did for the previous issue. His cartoony animation style art perfectly fits this "Damsels in distress" shot. The colors give a great contrast to the two leading ladies of the story.
THE STORY:
Continuing from last issue, The Spirit manages to break through Betty's mind control and she frees him. As the Octupus sets his henchmen on Betty and The Spirit, the police and The Rocketeer arrive on the scene in time to win the fight. . .but just a moment too late to prevent The Octopus from escaping.
With everyone safely reunited, The Octopus' and Trask's henchmen arrested, and the mystery of the dead Alderman solved, it seems that all that is left is to track down Trask, Goessler and The Octopus in order to bring them to justice.
But as the heroes ponder what their next move will be, they suddenly realize that the plot goes much deeper than they thought as they see on a television screen running at the warehouse that Trask is filming President Roosevelt live on television at the White House!
Knowing they have to take action quickly in order to save the President, the heroes use the teleporting equipment at the warehouse to transport Roosevelt to them. . .but they also accidentally teleport a squad of Ratzi (BECAUSE I JUST NOW DISCOVERED THAT CBR'S FILTER WON'T LET ME WRITE N-AZI) soldiers that Trask was teleporting from Europe (in partnership with a Ratzi General) to assassinate Roosevelt.
The heroes manage to get President Roosevelt to safety before the fighting begins by strapping The Rocketeer's jet pack on him and shooting him out of the warehouse. . .and then it's Ratzi Punchin' Time!
As The Rocketeer and The Spirit take down the Ratzi assassination squad, Trask's Ratzi General ally destroys the teleport connection between Europe and kills Trask by transporting explosives through the television. . .erasing the evidence of the Ratzi plot to assassinate Roosevelt.
Later, at the White House, President Roosevelt allows The Rocketeer to keep his jet pack (which IS officially stolen government property) in exchange for keeping the secret of The President's polio, which was discovered by The Rocketeer during the warehouse battle. The Spirit and Rocketeer say their goodbyes before departing to their respective cities, having earned each others respect and becoming friends and allies during their adventure together.
The End.
THE REVIEW:
And everything wraps up very nicely in an action-packed final issue that takes time at the end to slow down and pay a lot of respect to two of my favorite heroes as the bow on top of the package. I really couldn't ask for anything more. The end of this issue just brings a smile to my face. In these times, that's something that's sort of rare these days. Mark Waid definitely hit it out of the park with this issue. No. . .with this whole series!
J Bone stays on art for this final issue, and everything good about his chunky animation-style art from the third issue stays good here. You can almost imagine seeing these panels in motion on a T.V. screen. I think I'm going to keep my eye out for some more of his work now.
Overall, this was a great finish to a great series! Everything wrapped up nicely and as a big fan of The Spirit and The Rocketeer, the ending made me happy and wanting to see more adventures with them teaming up. The only complaint I have is that this is probably the only time I get to see these two great heroes in the same comic. Other than that, I've got nothing bad to say about this.
CONCLUSION
I have to confess that I cheated a little on this one.
Most of the time when I do a Longbox Junk review, it's either my first time reading a comic or the first time in so long that I don't really remember much about it. This time out, I picked a series that I ALREADY knew was good and have enjoyed reading several times.
I just didn't have it in me to throw out anything too negative right at this moment. I'll get back to gritting my teeth through some lousy comics soon enough, just not right now. Fair?
ANYWAY. . .
As you can tell from the reviews of the individual issues, I don't have much bad to say about this series: The Rocketeer didn't get much background information compared to The Spirit, which doesn't matter to a fan such as myself, but might be an oversight when it comes to new readers who might not know these characters. A couple of the covers are "So-So". Some people might think the whole "Heroes fight until they realize they're on the same side" crossover setup is a golden oldie that needs to be retired (I thought it worked here better than it usually does). Some people might think that Ratzis being the ultimate villains is a bit tired (okay. . .maybe they're right).
BUT. . .
Those are small complaints when you take in the overall view of this series: It has a pretty good story bringing together two great pulp heroes for the first and probably only time. It showcases some great art. Most of all. . .it's FUN! Mark Waid successfully brings the nonsense of the Golden Age into the Modern Age and it's just a plain old good time!
If you are a fan of pulp adventures or are just looking for some fun comics, then I heartily recommend this series. I bought this one off the rack when it was coming out, but I've seen the issues in back issue bins and it's been collected in both hard and soft cover. It's also available on Comixology for you high-tech folks out there.
Up Next. . .
I'm not really sure.
I've been digging through my daughter's comics for some Marvel-Style fun.
Right now, I'm reading a pretty good Spider-Man/ Human Torch five-issue mini that might be just what Longbox Junk needs to stay on the light side of comics next time out. Until then. . .
Be there or be square!
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