Rocket Girl #1 is a series written by Brandon Montclare and drawn by Amy Reeder about a teenage girl sent back in time to New York City in 1986. Her name is Dayoung Johansson and she’s a cop from 2013 who has come back on a very important mission. It opens up in 1986 in a laboratory where scientists from Quintum Mechanics are working on something called the Q-Engine, which they believe will make history and  they’re getting ready to fire it up. However when they activate it something goes wrong and after an explosion and the smoke clears, Dayoung emerges announcing that she’s part of the New York Teen Police Department on a mission to investigate crimes against time. Naturally the scientists are confused about this proclamation but also don’t have a clue where she came from or her suit. But that’s because the answers lie in the future where Dayoung made the case to Commissioner Gomez, a teen just like her, that Quintum Mechanics was using its technology to alter the time stream in its favor so its current position would be stronger. Apparently she had an informant on the Board of Directors who was passing this information to her but everything isn’t as simple as it seems. Prior to Quintum Mechanics taking over everything, NYC was suffering and crime and corruption were rampant, and any attempts to change that could have unforeseen consequences. However Dayoung is determined, and hot-headed, regardless of whether she’s in 2013 or 1986, and with her arrival, 1986 will never be the same again.

Although this isn’t a new comic book I decided to give it a try after attending a panel at Special Edition: NYC for it because I was thoroughly impressed. So coming into this issue I had a good idea of what to expect but that didn’t prepare me for how immediately I would be drawn into its world, and almost as suddenly as Dayoung appeared in the Quintum Mechanics lab. Time travel in stories can be a tricky thing, and not just in terms of what’s past, present and future but even in the most complex webs there can linger an air of inevitability sucking out the life from any sequences until that final moment. Rocket Girl #1 tries to eliminate that pitfall completely with its intriguing premise of a teenage cop from the future where all cops are teenagers because of their propensity to view things in black and white, right and wrong, and not touched by the corruption that would plague adults. However with a corporation like Quintum Mechanics running the show the potential for manipulation is high. So an excellent job is done in introducing the reader to Dayoung as well as this futuristic world, however since it’s the first issue only a tease is given about the complete nature of her mission. She talks about scientists from Quintum Mechanics making a discovery that would change everything but it wasn’t meant to be so she was sent back to stop it. Of course this raises very interesting questions about changing time streams but before it can even be addressed Dayoung is out the window ready to respond like a cop but instead of the world she’s used to it’s a completely different world that might even shock some New Yorkers today. One of the things that drew me to this series at the panel was the amazing artwork by Amy Reeder, and it’s one thing to see it on a screen and another to see it in your hands when reading the issue because the details are immaculate. It’s easy sometimes to take the backgrounds for granted in panels but you’ll definitely be rewarded if you take your time and analyze it because you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported back in time too. But the beauty here isn’t just skin deep as the fast paced action is exhilarating and all the mayhem you can expect would occur from such a situation pretty much does occur. Even though Dayoung leaves a strong impression the supporting characters all appear to act in unison so it’s hard to differentiate between them despite the witty dialogue. Still, at this pace, with its unique premise, engrossing story, and detailed artwork I can see Rocket Girl blasting up my list of must-read comic books.

SUMMARY

Rocket Girl #1 is an extremely enjoyable start to the series with its stunningly detailed artwork and beautifully organized chaos capturing 1986 NYC and how things would unfold with a teenage cop believing she knows it all being sent back from the future. The story starts off with an explosion and is full-speed ahead from that point on while setting up an intriguing mystery regarding the nature of her mission, who sent her, and what she has to do to succeed. And after this issue I’m all in to seeing where this time-traveling journey takes Dayoung.

Release Date: 10/9/13

Writer: Brandon Montclare

Artist: Amy Reeder