Rocket Girl #10 Review

Rocket 86                           

Written by: Brandon Montclare
Art by: Amy Reeder
Cover Price: $3.99
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: 4 October 2017
Reviewer: Andrew McAvoy





There's an end-to end quality about Rocket Girl as a title that is immediately apparent. It just seems to deliver up a fully formed world, with art and writing working in perfect harmony. This issue closes the second volume of the title but not, according to writer Montclare, the series as a whole. The artist (art, coloring, lettering, and book design) Amy Reeder has referred to the fact that the series has given her scope to show what she was capable of, with fewer cooks to spoil the broth. Thank goodness there weren't more cooks because consistently this series has showcased some of the finest comic book art of the year. 

It also helps the title that the only other person involved aside from Reeder was writer Brandon Montclare. Reeder's art is perfectly matched with Montclare's writing. This is writing which achieves a deceptive simplicity for the reader, a feat that must actually be extraordinarily challenging as a writer given that the story deals with the subject of time, and time travel. 

This tenth issue wraps up the tale. I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't read issue 10 yet, but let's just say the conclusion has the potential to be simultaneously heart wrenching and gripping. In fact as a last issue it leaves you begging for more, and muttering to the eponymous Rocket Girl, "You're Impossible Dayoung Johansson!". Let's just say that the clues for the ending were there to see all along right from the first issue, but none of us wanted them to be true. As a piece of narrative work it is a fine piece of writing on Montclare's part to have seeded this story from the off with little nods to this potential finale. 

I've touched on Amy Reeder's art already, but it really is critical to this series. Firstly she evokes both of the 1986 and 2013 periods that the book alternates between so perfectly that, even in the absence of a narrative text, we would know which one we were in at any given point. Particularly for the 1986 era, the art just seems to be so perfect at delivering me back to that time period. Everything is so authentic in terms of the style, the fashion, the colors. It has a "1980s movie" feel to it in the best possible way; in particular the character Annie just evokes the spirit of Janine Melnitz from Ghostbusters. 


Bits and Pieces:

As noted above the conclusion to this series is likely to leave you with a slight melancholy feeling. It is important then that the text at the back of the book alludes to a continuation of Dayoung's story, as it allows the retention of some hope in how the story will ultimately pan out. Whatever you do don't miss out on this one, and to be frank - if you haven't read the earlier issues now's the time to do it.

8.7/10