Review: Rocketman & Rocketgirl One-Shot

Ever since King of the Rocketmen blasted across my TV screen, I have always loved the idea of strapping on a rocket pack and taking to the skies. Imagine my joy when I discovered the cheesecake of The Rocketeer and then movie that followed! Now Dynamite Entertainment are dusting off rocket sleds to take to the skies one more in a new Rocketman & Rocketgirl one-shot set firmly in yesteryear.

Its the 1940’s; a bank heist is in progress, when suddenly two heroes er…rocket across the sky. It’s Rocketman and Rocketgirl to the rescue! However, where there is no honour among thieves, there lives conspiracy reaching from the highest point of the long arm of Johnny Law! Now the pair must speed to save themselves and possibly the world!

This slice of kitsch is brought to you from the pen of The Ones writer, Jacob Edgar, Who installs the book with a healthy dose of tongue in cheek fun. This a breath of fresh air after reading a ton of dark, dark and then more dark books from a range of publishers. Edgar writes a zippy style of dialogue, where the one liners and patter doesn’t sound forced. The plot of the book is quite similar to aspects of many a Rocketeer story, but I think I will let that pass this time. after all, there are two Rocket people! The characters interact well with each others with only a slight confusion in the final battle, slowing down proceedings a touch.

The art, from Jordi Perez, has a smooth, languid and elongated feel to it which surprisingly doesn’t hinder the pace. Perez changes it up with the introduction of the secret identities and throws in a decent amount of details for the 40’s era. Faces can lack focus, though this is a minor quibble counteracted by the fight scene. The action scenes pack a punch more than once. Ellie Wright produces a color scheme that bright and breezy, suiting the era well; I
especially like the garishness of the rocket outfits! Letters are provided by Jeff Eckleberry with a font that you may think is larger than some of the modern day fonts. Finally, there are a raft of covers to choose from; buyers choice for sure!

If like me you like the older tongue-in-cheek stories or even if you love the Rocketeer or King, than this book is a must! For everyone else, a simple, yet fun book awaits!

Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 4.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Jacob Edgar
Art by; Jordi Perez
Colors by; Ellie Wright
Letters by; Jeff Eckleberry
Covers by; Various
Published by; Dynamite Entertainment

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network