Reviews»Comic Books»Rocket Girl #5
RocketGirl_05-1
Kareem Ali 4

Rocket Girl #5

 

  • The good

    The artwork, of course. Dayong's context in 1986 being established. Characters settling into their roles

  • The bad

    Very few answers in the future regarding Dayoung being sent back. Futuristic world hasn't been established so no idea what change will truly look like

  • The ugly

    • Rocket Girl #5 opens up with Dayoung coming to her senses in Grand Central Terminal while a crowd of New Yorkers gather around her in awe. Considering how much coverage she’s been receiving in the news they know exactly who she is and they do something that somewhat surprises her: they protect her. They know the cops are looking for her and since they don’t trust the cops, in addition to seeing how she’s been saving people, they help her put on a disguise and hide her gear before the cops arrive. She’s able to make it out but the same can’t be said for the Quintum Mechanics Hawkcycles. The cops arrive and 2 of the officers Dayoung encountered when she first arrived in 1986 descend into the subway tunnels to check out the wreckage. They see that one of the cyclists is dead but the other one is still alive, and when they pull him out of the wreckage things become more bizarre because it’s actually one of the officers. They don’t know how to respond while in shock, and to make matters worse, the future officer is confused because he doesn’t recall this encounter ever taking place in his life. Meanwhile in the future, the NYTPD has had its charter revoked by Quintum Mechanics so they can no longer operate, and a curfew has been implemented so none of them are even authorized to be outside past a certain hour due to their age. But they won’t go down without a fight, and they clash with Quintum Mechanics security force. Ever since these series of events were set in motion due to Dayoung being sent back so many others have become involved, and even Dayoung reflects on the NYers who helped her escape. So is the mission still worth it or has she already changed things with the proof being the officer with no recollection of meeting his future self?

    RocketGirl_05-1
    This series has been highly entertaining on many levels throughout this story arc, and the premise has been shown to be solid. And even though the action has easily been the most enjoyable aspect, the story developments being overshadowed up to this point has also been due to the placement of seemingly major revelations. And since the world in 2013 hasn’t been developed outside of the NYTPD and some aspects of Quintum Mechanics, the greater implications of Dayoung being sent back isn’t specifically known other than just changing the timestream. Fortunately, the start of this issue with Dayoung’s interaction with NYers gives more context to NYC in 1986, and her impact on it. This is important in establishing her in what would be her permanent home not just for this story arc but going forward as well. And I was shocked when the identities of the Hawkcycle drivers were revealed, and this was very intriguing with the many possibilities that could explain this development. And so this issue raises more questions than it answers, and it doesn’t take long to realize it’s due to setting up the next story arc(s) and not attempting to answer them right now. And with that being the case, that has to be taken into consideration when evaluating this issue. There isn’t an action sequence as intense as previous issues but that provides an opportunity for the story to establish characters in their respective roles. And it does a relatively fine job of that, although I wonder how one character in particular will be able to just go about her business after her drastic actions. This story arc successfully created a very engrossing story, an interesting and entertaining protagonist in Dayoung, and rounds things off with a good supporting cast. However, 1986 NYC is more developed, and not just because of my understanding of it, than NYC in 2013, and as a result her impact on the former has been far more intriguing than any changes in the future. This is where the lack of answers regarding the master plan in sending her back comes into play although a cliffhanger is teased, which makes seeing the events that unfold in the next issue very crucial. But if you’re in this series for the long haul, which I am, then you’ll be satisfied by this start and optimistic about the future storylines, which are ripe with potential in both time periods.

     

    SUMMARY

    Rocket Girl #5 is a satisfying conclusion to the first story arc in terms of establishing the characters, an engrossing situation that’s highly entertaining, and creating a strong desire for future story lines in this world. The premise of a teenage cop from a world where things are viewed in black and white terms to the past, namely 1986 NYC where practically nothing is in black and white, works extremely well. However the impact on 1986 NYC has been more enjoyable than any influence on the future timestream due to the lack of any answers about the future other than the Hawkcycles sent back, which doesn’t necessarily mean anything was changed. But there are many things to enjoy on this ride, and the amazing artwork, which has been consistent throughout, is alone worth the price of admission. And Rocket Girl is definitely a series worth reading.

     

    Release Date: 5/21/14

    Writer: Brandon Montclare

    Artist: Amy Reeder

    feel for nyers

  • Rating ( 8.25 )
  • Total score 8.3

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