Rocket Girl is clearly a labour of love. In 2013, artist Amy Reeder had recently been burned by bad editorial experiences on her previous high-profile project, the DC title Batwoman, so it seems she had something to prove to herself, her peers and to the general comics audience. And so for 10 issues, published over 4 years, she partnered with writer Brandon Montclare on a mini-series that would give her all the creative freedom she desired, and allow her talents to shine.
The resulting comic is a witty, action-packed, neon-soaked love letter to rebellious youth in the Big City. I would normally try to summarise the pitch, but it’s almost impossible to do so; concerning time travel, alternate futures and flying teenage cops, along with themes of identity, determinism and blooming friendships in 80’s NYC. This short interview with the creators does a better job than I could ever manage:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wd-d0iJio&w=560&h=315]
Montclare’s overall story is split into two 5-issue arcs, although it’s not clear whether this was always the writer’s plan. While the first arc does a brilliant job of introducing the characters and setting up the time-hopping mystery, the second arc falters a bit as it crunches gears and retraces ground in attempts to shift the main characters’ developments to where they need to be. The effort is worth it though, as the resolution of the final few issues just about manage to pay-off the promise of the original concept.
Rocket Girl is a poignant and eye-catching read, and for any flaws in the comic’s plotting, it stays true to itself throughout, which it turns out, is sort of the whole point.