Longbox Junk Halloween - Sea of Sorrows #1

Welcome to the Longbox Junk Halloween Horror Party!

It's October!  It's that special season where the vegetable nobody cares about any other time of year suddenly costs three bucks a pound.  But here at Longbox Junk, we aren't carving pumpkins, we're reviewing comic books!

This year, I decided to go trick or treating down a different street than usual by spotlighting some NEW horror comics that are out on the shelves right now (or were, pretty recently).  We started the party off strong with a couple of very nice treats. . .but then we started to go downhill a bit when we came across a couple of pieces of candy corn.

So what will we get this time?  Let's find out!

SPOILER ALERT!  This series is finished at this time.  But since it's also pretty new, I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum. If you don't want ANY spoilers just scroll down to the "Conclusion".  END SPOILER ALERT

SEA OF SORROWS #1

IDW (2020)

SCRIPT: Rich Douek

PENCILS: Alex Cormack

INKS: Alex Cormack

COVER: Alex Cormack

THE COVER:

I'm sort of a sucker for a monochromatic background on a comic cover, and the bold darkness of this one does catch the eye.  BUT. . .I think it might be just a little TOO stark.  It's well done, but there's a lot of empty space and barely a bit of color for variety.  I know it's supposed to evoke the darkness of the ocean depths, and it does that very well, but there's really not much else to it. Let's see what's inside!

THE STORY:

Our story takes place off the coast of Newfoundland, 1926.  A former German naval officer hires the SS Vagabond and her somewhat unsavory crew to go in search of a sunken U-Boat rumored to have been carrying a cargo of German gold at the end of the war.

On board the Vagabond, tensions mount between the crew of the ship and their employer's partners.  Danger and double-crosses are in the air as the two groups plot against each other.  

Below, in the darkness on the ocean floor, the salvage team's deep sea diver discovers the wrecked submarine and confirms the valuable cargo in the hold. . .but he also encounters a strange creature that seems to be watching him!

The crews celebrate as the diver brings up a gold bar as proof that their hunt is successful, but as the party continues into the night, we learn that there's more to the naval officer than what we think, as he begins to tell the diver the strange tale of how the U-Boat was sunk. . .

To be continued. . .

THE REVIEW:

All right. . .not bad.  Not bad at all!  This comic hits the sweet spot that I expect a first issue to hit. . .it makes me want to read the next issue.  The story is more of a pulp adventure tale with some horror elements, but that's fine. 

 I like the character-driven slow burn introduction, the feeling like each character has their own agenda.  I like the post-WWI era setting a lot.  It's a great choice for a pulpy horror story like this!  And then there's the ending, with the grizzled naval veteran beginning to drunkenly regale the diver (an army veteran who served a nightmarish tour in the trenches) with the REAL story.  It hooked me into the next issue in a big way!

The art on this story is nothing short of amazing!  The artist not only portrays the scheming expedition members as flawed individuals that are easily distinguished from each other, but he also perfectly embodies the darkness and isolation deep under the sea.  His style was a great choice for this early 20th century pulp/horror tale!

CONCLUSION

I was getting a little worried after hitting two clunkers in a row, but Sea of Sorrows came to the rescue with a pulp adventure/horror story that delivers some great character work and a narrative that hooked me into immediately wanting to read the next issue.  The art perfectly evokes the post-WWI setting above the waves, as well as the darkness and isolation at the bottom of the sea.

Overall, this one's a winner!  If you're interested in some good pulpy horror, then definitely take a look at Sea of Sorrows.

Up Next. . .

What happens when five kids find a human brain in a jar?  Let's find out!

It's "Piecemeal" from Aftershock Comics. . .

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction

Welcome back to Longbox Junk, the blog stuffed FULL of comic reviews you never asked for!

Before we begin. . .

Sorry my posting schedule has become a bit spotty lately.  As the chief bonehead managing a skeleton crew running a hotel, I'm working various shifts 6 days a week for the time being.  It's a bit chaotic but at least I still have a job, which is more than a lot of people can say these days, so I ain't complaining.

ANYWAY. . .

The past couple months haven't exactly been a party, to say the least.  There's no news but bad news.  Heck, it's gotten to the point that I don't even want to read the paper or watch the news any more.  I've got about 60 rolls of toilet paper in my house, and I don't even know why.

Keeping that in mind, I've decided to try and keep things on the lighter side here at Longbox Junk.  There's not much that I can do about everything going on in the world, but hopefully MY small corner of the internet can be a place to visit and get your mind off of things for at least a few minutes.  I think we can all sort of use a place like that now and then these days.

SO. . .

How about we take a look at a Pulp-Tastic IDW/DC  intercompany crossover adventure featuring a team up between two of my favorite characters of all time. . .The Spirit and The Rocketeer?

It's The Spirit and The Rocketeer! Two of the most fun comic characters ever created.

How can this NOT be good?

LET'S DO IT!

THE ROCKETEER/ THE SPIRIT:

PULP FRICTION

IDW/ DC (2013)

ISSUE ONE

SCRIPT: Mark Waid

PENCILS: Paul Smith

COVER: Paul Smith

THE COVER:
It's great to see two of my all-time favorite heroes together on a comic cover!  I think the Rocketeer is better done, but then again, I love the design of the Rocketeer in general.  Overall, this is a great cover that shines the spotlight (literally) on both main characters in a big way.

THE STORY:
The Year: 1941.  The body of a man is discovered in California, which begins the mystery of how a dead Central City Alderman who had just been seen at a city council meeting on the East Coast ended up 3000 miles away in only eight hours.

Since the victim was a friend of Central City police commissioner Dolan, he recruits resident vigilante detective, The Spirit, to get to the bottom of things.  Dolan's daughter (and Spirit's sorta-girlfriend) Ellen insists on going as well (for some California sun), and Dolan grudgingly agrees to accompany them.

IN THE MEANTIME. . .

We see that the model who discovered the body is Betty, girlfriend of pilot Cliff Secord (AKA The Rocketeer), and that millionaire tycoon Benjamin Trask (on the West Coast) and elusive criminal "The Octopus" (on the East Coast) were behind the mysterious death.

Upon arrival in California, mistaken identity shenanigans ensue as Cliff's friend, Peevy, accidentally overhears the masked stranger (The Spirit) talking about taking care of business and assumes he's there to kill Betty.

Cliff flies to the "Rescue" as The Rocketeer and fights with The Spirit in the sky over the airfield until Peevy and Dolan recognize each other from the war (WWI, that is) and realize that there's been a big mistake.

On the ground, strained introductions are made and Cliff takes The Spirit to talk to Betty. . .who immediately falls for the square-jawed detective, much to the consternation of both Cliff and Ellen.

To be continued. . .

THE REVIEW:

This issue is pretty much concerned with setting up the central mystery, bringing the two main characters together, and introducing conflict between the two reluctant allies.  That's a lot to pack into a single issue, but veteran writer Mark Waid handles it all with ease.  The dialogue is snappy and everything moves at a fast pace. . .but not too fast.  Waid definitely keeps a steady hand on the wheel here as he pushes the pieces into their initial places.

Okay, the old "Heroes fight until the realize they're on the same side" crossover hook IS a very well-worn path, but sometimes you just have to go with a "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude.  I've seen it done a lot worse in other comics.  It actually fits the story here instead of feeling forced.

The art here makes a good story even better with sharp, realistic lines and great facial expressions that make even scenes of characters standing around talking interesting to look at.  The action scenes are dynamic and have a great sense of movement.  The backgrounds are sparse, allowing the artist to draw the reader's focus to the detailed characters. The style serves this particular story very nicely.

Overall, a very nice first issue!  It quickly introduces the characters and conflicts in a very readable way. . .despite reliance on the good old "Heroes mistakenly fight each other" crossover hook.  The art style fits the story perfectly. 

I would have liked a little more information on The Spirit and The Rocketeer for new readers (but reading ahead I can see that's covered in upcoming issues, so no harm no foul) but other than that very small complaint, I call this one a winner!

NEXT!

ISSUE TWO

SCRIPT: Mark Waid

PENCILS: Loston Wallace

COVER: Paul Smith

THE COVER:
As big a fan of The Spirit and The Rocketeer that I am, I find this cover to be a bit "Meh".  Once again, it's great to see two of my favorites together on a comic cover, but this one just seems underwhelming.  Not that it's bad.  Just sort of. . .average.  Not really the kind of cover that makes me want to buy a comic.

THE STORY:
Now that our heroes are reluctantly working together, they head into the city to see if they can gain any clues from the autopsy of the dead Central City Alderman.

Since morgues are more in Dolan and The Spirit's wheelhouse, Ellen and Cliff find themselves making an unexpected connection while the two detectives meet with the coroner.  Dolan and The Spirit make the incredible discovery that the organs of the dead man are scrambled beyond recognition. . .another mystery!

Meanwhile, back at the airfield, Peevy and Betty discover an image of the dead man burnt into the screen of Peevy's experimental homemade television set. . .adding yet more to the mystery at hand.

Cliff, Dolan, Ellen, and The Spirit rush back to the airfield to check out the new wrinkle in the case.  Shortly after they arrive, the airfield is attacked by two airplanes armed with machine guns!  Cliff jumps into action as The Rocketeer, and The Spirit insists on helping.

After a tense mid-air battle, the attackers are taken down.  Dolan and Peevy interrogate the captured pilots and discover they are working for Millionaire Tycoon Benjamin Trask.  Deciding to follow up on this new clue, the pair of heroes make plans to follow Trask to Central City.

IN THE MEANTIME. . .

While the airfield is being attacked, Betty is auditioning for a producer that is promising to make her the first star of America's newest form of entertainment, television.  It turns out that the producer is none other than the newly-discovered villain, Benjamin Trask.  DUN-DUN-DUN!!

To be continued. . .

THE REVIEW:
Now that the two heroes are in the same place and on the same side, Mark Waid begins adding layers to the mystery with an issue that is mostly the characters finding and following clues. . .with a nice bit of aerial action thrown in.  The dialogue remains snappy and light, making the story move along at a very nice pace.  We get to see both The Rocketeer and The Spirit doing what they do best. . .The Spirit as a detective and Rocketeer in high-flyin' action, with both characters getting their own moments in the spotlight.  All in all, very nicely done.

We get an artist change in this issue as well.  The style is a little lighter, less realistic and more cartoony than in the first issue, but I think it fits the story even better!  I've never heard of Loston Wallace, but a quick dive into the Wiki-Well tells me that he's mostly known for illustrating "all ages" comics for DC.  I really enjoy his art style a lot and his work here is excellent.  I wish he had more regular comic work on his resume I could keep an eye out for!

Overall, we have a great second issue here.  It adds to the mystery at hand, gives The Spirit and The Rocketeer both time in the spotlight, and features some really enjoyable art.  There's nothing I can possibly complain about here!  This is the kind of comic book that really makes me want to jump right into the next issue.

So let's do it!

ISSUE THREE

SCRIPT: Mark Waid

PENCILS: J Bone

COVER: J Bone

THE COVER:

J Bone is an artist I don't really know, but his chunky cartoon style works a lot better on the delightful interior art than it does on this cover.  It's not BAD. . . I love seeing two of my favorite characters together on a comic cover, and it's sort of fun, but there's just something missing. . .

THE STORY:

Moving from sunny Hollywood to the cold and snowy streets of Central City, we begin the story inside The Spirit's crypt hideout where he is recounting his origin to The Rocketeer, who is understandably disturbed by hearing such a strange story from a dead man in the middle of a cemetery. . .

IN THE MEANTIME. . .

Betty and Trask have also arrived in Central City, and Betty is put up in a suite at the swankiest hotel in town.  Their arrival has not gone unnoticed by Commissioner Dolan's informants.  The Spirit, Dolan, and The Rocketeer make ready to confront Trask.

While the heroes make their plans, the full scope of the villainous plot is finally revealed as Trask meets with Central City Crime Lord, The Octopus in a dockside warehouse.  

It seems that Trask and Octopus have been working with a German scientist named Goessel and have discovered a way to use the new technology of television to transmit not only images, but matter!  A secret that Trask demonstrates during a television meeting of various powerful American crime figures by firing a machine gun at them through their television screens!

After Trask's demonstration seals an alliance among American organized crime, he returns to the hotel where Betty is staying, along with Goessel and the television/teleportation equipment.  He reveals to Betty that he was merely using her as bait to lure The Spirit and The Rocketeer to him.

As the Rocketeer attacks the hotel, Goessel uses the teleportation camera on Betty, teleporting her to the warehouse where The Spirit is attacking The Octopus' gaurds.  Unlike the dead Alderman at the heart of the original mystery, Betty survives the teleportation intact and alive, but her mind is practically blank and leaves her completely open to suggestion.

As The Rocketeer battles his way through the streets of Central City in pursuit of Trask, The Octopus' minions subdue and capture The Spirit in the warehouse.  The story ends with Octupus and Goessel preparing to have the mind-controlled Betty kill The Spirit live on television for the viewing pleasure of their new organized crime allies. 

To be continued. . .

THE REVIEW:

As we head into the big finish of Pulp Friction, this issue very nicely sets up the final confrontation between our heroes and the villains by revealing the master plan behind everything that's happened so far.  Yeah. . .it's kind of corny when you think too hard about it, but on the other hand, it's also a lot of fun!  

Mark Waid channels his inner Golden Age and gives us the kind of story you'd expect if this comic were actually written on the edge of an emerging technology like television.  It's complete fantasy based on speculation and possibility. . .but those kind of stories were common in the years when this comic is supposedly taking place.  A bit of modern suspension of disbelief is needed, but I think Waid pulls off bringing the reader into the Golden Age quite well.

All that AND we get a great little retelling of The Spirit's origin story!

We also get ANOTHER artist change with this issue.  Like I said in the look at the cover above, I'm not familiar with J Bone (and wasn't really impressed with the cover), but his chunky, exaggerated, darkly-inked art style is a great look for this issue!  I have to confess that I'd rather have seen more of Loston Wallace's work on this, but with J Bone's art and the great sense of movement it has, I can easily imagine this story as an animated feature!  

Overall, writer Mark Waid very nicely sets things up for the big finish with an action-packed issue that brings the Golden Age of comics onstage in a big way.  Another art change gives us a glimpse of what this would look like as an animated movie.  It looks great, but I wish that they would have stuck with one artist through the whole series.  That very small complaint aside, this issue is a winner in my book, and everything is standing strong heading into the final issue.

AND FINALLY. . .

ISSUE FOUR

SCRIPT: Mark Waid

PENCILS: J Bone

COVER: J Bone

THE COVER:

This cover by J Bone actually works a lot better than the one he did for the previous issue.  His cartoony animation style art perfectly fits this "Damsels in distress" shot.  The colors give a great contrast to the two leading ladies of the story.

THE STORY:

Continuing from last issue, The Spirit manages to break through Betty's mind control and she frees him.  As the Octupus sets his henchmen on Betty and The Spirit, the police and The Rocketeer arrive on the scene in time to win the fight. . .but just a moment too late to prevent The Octopus from escaping.

With everyone safely reunited, The Octopus' and Trask's henchmen arrested, and the mystery of the dead Alderman solved, it seems that all that is left is to track down Trask, Goessler and The Octopus in order to bring them to justice.  

But as the heroes ponder what their next move will be, they suddenly realize that the plot goes much deeper than they thought as they see on a television screen running at the warehouse that Trask is filming President Roosevelt live on television at the White House!

Knowing they have to take action quickly in order to save the President, the heroes use the teleporting equipment at the warehouse to transport Roosevelt to them. . .but they also accidentally teleport a squad of Nazi soldiers that Trask was teleporting from Europe (in partnership with a Nazi General) to assassinate Roosevelt.

The heroes manage to get President Roosevelt to safety before the fighting begins by strapping The Rocketeer's jet pack on him and shooting him out of the warehouse. . .and then it's Nazi Punchin' Time!

As The Rocketeer and The Spirit take down the Nazi assassination squad, Trask's Nazi General ally destroys the teleport connection between Europe and kills Trask by transporting explosives through the television. . .erasing the evidence of the Nazi plot to assassinate Roosevelt.

Later, at the White House, President Roosevelt allows The Rocketeer to keep his jet pack (which IS officially stolen government property) in exchange for keeping the secret of The President's polio, which was discovered by The Rocketeer during the warehouse battle.  The Spirit and Rocketeer say their goodbyes before departing to their respective cities, having earned each others respect and becoming friends and allies during their adventure together.

The End.

THE REVIEW:

And everything wraps up very nicely in an action-packed final issue that takes time at the end to slow down and pay a lot of respect to two of my favorite heroes as the bow on top of the package.  I really couldn't ask for anything more.  The end of this issue just brings a smile to my face.  In these times, that's something that's sort of rare these days.  Mark Waid definitely hit it out of the park with this issue.  No. . .with this whole series!

J Bone stays on art for this final issue, and everything good about his chunky animation-style art from the third issue stays good here.  You can almost imagine seeing these panels in motion on a T.V. screen.  I think I'm going to keep my eye out for some more of his work now.

Overall, this was a great finish to a great series!  Everything wrapped up nicely and as a big fan of The Spirit and The Rocketeer, the ending made me happy and wanting to see more adventures with them teaming up.  The only complaint I have is that this is probably the only time I get to see these two great heroes in the same comic.  Other than that, I've got nothing bad to say about this.

CONCLUSION

I have to confess that I cheated a little on this one.  

Most of the time when I do a Longbox Junk review, it's either my first time reading a comic or the first time in so long that I don't really remember much about it.  This time out, I picked a series that I ALREADY knew was good and have enjoyed reading several times.

I just didn't have it in me to throw out anything too negative right at this moment.  I'll get back to gritting my teeth through some lousy comics soon enough, just not right now. Fair?

ANYWAY. . .

As you can tell from the reviews of the individual issues, I don't have much bad to say about this series:   The Rocketeer didn't get much background information compared to The Spirit, which doesn't matter to a fan such as myself, but might be an oversight when it comes to new readers who might not know these characters.  A couple of the covers are "So-So".  Some people might think the whole "Heroes fight until they realize they're on the same side" crossover setup is a golden oldie that needs to be retired (I thought it worked here better than it usually does).  Some people might think that Nazis being the ultimate villains is a bit tired (okay. . .maybe they're right).

BUT. . .

Those are small complaints when you take in the overall view of this series:  It has a pretty good story bringing together two great pulp heroes for the first and probably only time.  It showcases some great art.  Most of all. . .it's FUN!  Mark Waid  successfully brings the nonsense of the Golden Age into the Modern Age and it's just a plain old good time!

If you are a fan of pulp adventures or are just looking for some fun comics, then I heartily recommend this series. I bought this one off the rack when it was coming out, but I've seen the issues in back issue bins and it's been collected in both hard and soft cover.  It's also available on Comixology for you high-tech folks out there.

Up Next. . .

I'm not really sure.
I've been digging through my daughter's comics for some Marvel-Style fun.
Right now, I'm reading a pretty good Spider-Man/ Human Torch five-issue mini that might be just what Longbox Junk needs to stay on the light side of comics next time out.  Until then. . .

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - Rocketeer Adventures 2

Welcome back to Longbox Junk, the place to find all the comic reviews you never asked for!

Yep.  The world is still crazy.  Even worse. . .no more new comics!

If you'll indulge me a moment of digression, may I humbly suggest that anyone reading this please continue to go to your local comic shop (if they're still open at all) every week and continue to spend the same amount of money you would normally spend for your subscriptions on back issues?  Check out some stuff you let slide in favor of your regular pull.  Maybe grab some trades.  Let's stand together as comic fans and try to support these businesses in dire need.

DIGRESSION OVER. . .

And now to the comics at hand.

I'm a BIG fan of older, pulp-style characters. . .Green Hornet, The Shadow, Zorro, The Spirit, Tarzan, The Lone Ranger. . .so on and so forth. Characters of action and adventure that don't need to rely on super powers to be heroes.  They're pretty much my favorite genre of comic hero.

I discovered The Rocketeer many years ago through the Disney movie and assumed he was a character from that same era of heroes.  After I hunted down some comics and information, I was surprised to learn that the Rocketeer was a product of the 80's!  

Despite The Rocketeer's modern pedigree, I consider him one of the greatest pulp heroes ever created, and that he stands perfectly alongside his fellow heroes as both an individual character AND as a homage to the bygone era they are part of.

Let's take a look at some of his more recently-written adventures in this 4-issue mini from IDW that was the second in a set of two anthology-style series they put out. . .

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES 2

IDW (2012)

ISSUE 1

COVER: Darwyn Cooke

In this first issue we have three stories to consider.  Let's look at each of them on their own. . .

THE GOOD GUYS
Written by: Marc Guggenheim
Art by: Sandy Plunkett

The first thing that caught my eye on this story is how almost perfectly the artist captures not only the look, but the dynamic and energetic feel of Dave Steven's art style! It's a little spooky, in a way, but fantastic. . .

The story itself  is pretty good. The Rocketeer is shot down during a dogfight and the residents of a small town have to decide whether or not to turn him over to the authorities (because he IS a wanted criminal).  It nicely showcases the idea of people in the post-depression NEEDING to believe in someone wanting to be a hero. 

There's not much to it, (basically an extended conversation while The Rocketeer lies unconscious) but I give it a big thumbs-up for the amount of heart the writer manages to cram into such a small space.  

THE DUCKETEER
Written by: Peter David
Art by: Bill Sienkiewicz

This story is based on the notion that if the Rocketeer DID exist, he'd be celebrated in many ways, including being made fun of in Looney Toon-type cartoons before movies. 

This is basically a Daffy Duck/Marvin the Martian cartoon set on paper with Daffy playing the part of the Rocketeer. It's a fun idea and just as wacky and off the hook as those great old cartoons are!

I thought it was pretty funny, but Bill Sienkiewicz's art is a bit of a "love it or hate it" sort of thing because of his very unique (some might say strange) style. So for some, the art might bring this one down a notch or two.

NEXT!

A DREAM OF FLYING
Written by: Stan Sakai
Art by: Stan Sakai

This light and humorous story is about a boy that saves the Rocketeer and is rewarded with a flight with his hero. It has a clever twist at the end where it doesn't say it explicitly, but hints that the boy is a very young Clark Kent (the future Superman) in an unofficial inter-company crossover cameo.   I liked it a lot!  It has heart and shows the Rocketeer as a hero that kids can look up to.

The cartoony, yet detailed art style gives this story a joyful feel and is a perfect match for this tale of a young boy meeting a superhero.  Overall, this whole little story brought a smile to my face.

CONCLUSION

Starting with a fantastic cover by the late, great Darwyn Cooke and going through three stories with a lot of heart and humor, I'd say that this first issue of Rocketeer Adventures 2 is a winner!

The only criticism I would have on this issue is that if you aren't already a fan of The Rocketeer, this is NOT a good introduction. It fully assumes you have knowledge of The Rocketeer and just goes from there.  The stories are still quite enjoyable, it's just that established fans will get more out of them.  

A good start. . .let's see what's next!

ISSUE 2

COVER: Dave Stevens

Like the first issue, there's 3 stories and a pinup here.  Let's check them out!

WORK TO DO
Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by: Colin Wilson

This story takes place on a miserable, rainy, European battlefield during WWII. The art is simply fantastic here. . .it's dark and very detailed. Normally I associate The Rocketeer with brighter hues, but the art fits the tone of the story perfectly here.

The story itself is pretty simple. The Rocketeer going to fight a giant war machine, but delaying long enough to save a single wounded man who needs help. It really paints the picture of The Rocketeer as a true hero. A man who is willing to risk everything for the life of ONE other person. I liked this story a lot! It really pays respect to the character of The Rocketeer.

BETTY'S BIG BREAK

Written by: Paul Dini

Art by: Bill Morrison

This story is played more for laughs, and is based on Cliff Secord's almost insane jealousy over his beautiful amateur actress girlfriend, Betty, as he spies on her during the filming of her first big part and accidentally ends up in the movie too.

The "comedy of errors" escalating through Cliff spying and trying to cover it up just brought a big goofy grin to my face.  This story is a lot of fun!  It's illustrated in a great Golden Age homage style that perfectly matches the light and humorous tone of the story.  

Overall, another winner! Let's see what's next. . .

AUTOGRAPH
Written by: Walt Simonson
Art by: John Paul Leon

Last, we have a pretty simple story about The Rocketeer saving a woman from being kidnapped by thugs and it turning out to be Judy Garland. It's a pretty good story, but what I liked most about it the fantastic artwork! It's sharp, detailed, and heavily-inked. There's one large panel of The Rocketeer flying up from the street that really caught my eye in particular. . .

Overall, a nice action-packed story backed up with some fantastic art gives this issue its third winner in a row!  Special mention goes to the J. Scott Campbell pinup in this issue for the great colors and awesome sense of height. . .

CONCLUSION

The first issue was good, but the second was even better!  From the pulp-tastic Dave Stevens cover in front to the high-flyin' pinup at the back, this issue delivers action, adventure and humor to spare!  Rocketeer Adventures 2 is shaping up to be an extremely solid mini-series.

NEXT!

ISSUE 3

COVER: Darwyn Cooke

We've got three more stories and a pinup. 
Let's do this!

COULDA BEEN. . .
Written by: David Lapham
Art by: Chris Sprouse

After Cliff ruins Betty's night with his jealousy AGAIN, he flies her to the countryside to show her a farmhouse he's been thinking of buying. This leads to reflection from both of them on what their life would be like if they settled down. Cliff becoming a farmer and Betty taking care of the kids. 

The more they think about it, the more they both realize they love each other for what they are and they don't have the right to take each other's dreams away. It's a great little story and digs deep into the relationship between Cliff and Betty. The art is also very nicely done in a sharp, realistic style. It's a different kind of Rocketeer story, but I liked it a lot!

NEXT!

BUTCHY SAVES BETTY
Written by: Kyle Baker
Art by: Kyle Baker

This one is played for laughs, turning the regular "Cliff is jealous of Betty" ongoing Rocketeer joke on its head as Betty interrupts Cliff auditioning a line of pretty girls for a stunt show with a shotgun. Hijinks ensue and Cliff's dog Butch ends up being the hero and saving the day. 

I liked the humor in the "turnabout's fair play" nature of the story, as well as the surprise cameo of The Shadow's alter ego Lamont Cranston! But like the Bill Sienkiewicz story in the first issue, Kyle Baker's art is another unique "Love it or Hate it" style that might leave some readers not liking this one.  Honestly, I'm not on the "Love it" side of the Kyle Baker fence in general. . .

Moving along!

HISTORY LESSON
Written by: Matt Wagner
Art by: Eric Canete

This was a pretty unusual Rocketeer story. It's told mostly with a series of full-page montage scenes until the end, when it's revealed that the narrator is teaching a history lesson about The Rocketeer to students in a far future classroom. It ends with school being dismissed and showing that everyone is flying around with jetpacks. A nice little story with an interesting twist. 

Matt Wagner wrote this story, I would have LOVED to see his art on it as well.  I'm a big fan of Wagner's art and it seems like a missed opportunity.  I'm not saying that the highly-stylized art featured here is BAD, I just think it's a little disappointing that Wagner's talents are only half used here.

CONCLUSION

Unfortunately, of the three issues so far, this one is the weakest.  That's not to say it's bad.  Just compared to the first two issues, this one doesn't have as much going for it.  The stories are still enjoyable little looks into the world of The Rocketeer, they just aren't quite as strong as what came before.  I think the art choices sort of blunted this one for me.  I'm not a fan of Kyle Baker's art and IDW missed an opportunity to showcase Matt Wagner as a writer AND artist.

AND FINALLY. . .

ISSUE 4

COVER: Dave Stevens

And here we are with the big finish!  Starting off on a VERY nice foot with a fantastic poster-worthy cover by the late, great Dave Stevens.  Let's check out the three stories beneath that awesome cover.

WAR HERO
Written by: Louise Simonson
Art by: Walt Simonson

Set in 1942 after the Pearl Harbor attack, Cliff Secord finds himself blocked from joining the military and relegated to making War Bond appearances as The Rocketeer because of his originally stealing his jetpack from the government.  Cliff proves his worth to President Roosevelt by preventing a Nazi suicide bombing attack on the U.S. Capital during one of his shows.

This was a pretty good little story spotlighting the homefront war effort.  It felt realistic in how the government was holding The Rocketeer back from the fighting to raise war bonds.  Honestly, if Disney would have made a second Rocketeer movie, this story would have been a mighty fine starting point for it.  

NEXT!


CLIFF SECORD, WARLORD OF BLARGON
Written by: David Mandel
Art by: J Bone
This story is about The Rocketeer travelling to another world where everything is pretty much the opposite of what he thinks it is. The story is actually pretty funny, with some great moments based on his utter misunderstanding of the aliens and their actions, but the art is sloppy and looks like something from an Indie comic.  It just doesn't look right and takes this otherwise good story down a notch.

AND FINALLY. . .

FAIR GAME
Written by: John Byrne
Art by: John Byrne

I got a sense of deja vu reading this final story. That's because basically, it's the same story as the first one in this issue. In this one, The Rocketeer stops a suicide bomber from killing the King of England during a visit to the World's Fair. 

It seems like a strange choice to put two stories that are so similar in the same issue, but that doesn't make it a bad story at all.  It's well-written and full of the heroic action I want in a Rocketeer story.  John Byrne delivers some reliably good art to go along with his writing as well.  

So even though it's oddly similar to another story in the same issue, this is a pretty good bite-sized chunk of nicely-done Rocketeer action that I can't really find anything to complain about at all.

And to finish things off, a very nice pin-up at the end of this issue by J.K. Snyder III that I NEED as a poster on my comic cave wall!  What a great way to end this series. 

CONCLUSION

And there it is. . .IDW's Rocketeer Adventures 2 four-issue anthology mini-series.

Overall, I found this to be a great read, and would highly suggest that any fan of pulp fiction characters, or those just looking for some good fun in comics, keep your eye out for this one while diving through the back issue boxes. 

It has a few rough spots here and there, but nothing is perfect in the world of comics.  I feel that there was a lot of respect shown for the character.  There's a pretty wide-ranging variety of stories and art. It has a nice, high-quality presentation by IDW, with good thick paper and great covers that are worth the price of admission alone.  

But beyond all of the above, it's just plain FUN!  There's action, there's adventure, there's humor, there's even a little romance.  What more could you ask for in a comic book?  

The only REAL complaint I have about this series (beyond my personal taste in art not being met a few times) is that the reader is pretty much assumed to already be a fan of The Rocketeer and to know all about the character coming in. 

This is probably not the best doorway to becoming a fan of The Rocketeer if you're coming in cold with little or no knowledge of the character.  It's kind of a shame because The Rocketeer IS a great character that more comic fans should get to know about.   It's a good series. . .even great in some parts. . .but it's not a good introduction to The Rocketeer for new readers.

Up next. . .

There's still no news but bad news, so I'm going to try and keep things light here at Longbox Junk for the time being.   I'm not entirely sure exactly what that's going to be.  I think I'll grab some more of my daughter's comics and see if I can find something to make me smile, so I can tell you about it.

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - The X-Files/ 30 Days of Night

Welcome back to another Longbox Junk "Rescue Review", which is where I'm going back to some older reviews I did for a well-known comic site that shall go unnamed because I really don't have anything against them (They actually PAID me to read and write about comic books, after all!), but they really don't care as much about comics these days as they do comic-related movies and T.V. shows.

So I'm digging these up where they're gathering dust in a forgotten archive, doing a little spit polish here and there, and putting them back up in a place that still actually cares about comic books. . .right here at Longbox Junk.

What we have here today is a series that was still pretty recent (at the time) when I wrote the review.  The site I was working for was demanding that I review some newer (5 year time frame) stuff. . .which you'll see reflected in the next few "Rescue Reviews", which are all comics from 2011 to 2015.   I didn't particularly like that editorial edict, and I think you can see me pushing against it in some of these reviews. . .this one in particular.

You'll see below that I was EXTREMELY unkind toward this series, and pretty much considered it the worst I'd ever reviewed up until that time.  It's a pretty brief and nasty review, to say the least.  Reading it now, I even surprise myself by how hateful I was toward this series.

BUT. . .

Unlike the last "Rescue Review" I DO still have these issues, so I'm going to re-read them and give this series another chance.  Is this series REALLY as bad as I thought it was when I originally wrote this review?  Or was I just pushing against doing something I really didn't want to do?

Let's find out!

ORIGINAL INTRO:

I love the X-Files. I have the whole Topps run, as well as the entire T.V. series (good and bad) on DVD. I love 30 Days of Night. I have the original series signed by Steve Niles, as well as the movie (which I consider one of the few successful non-superhero comic movies). FBI paranormal detectives vs. Vampires.  It would SEEM that the two properties would be a sweet fit for each other.  Let's find out!

THE X-FILES/ 30 DAYS OF NIGHT

IDW/ Wildstorm (2010 - 2011)

SCRIPTS: Steve Niles & Adam Jones

PENCILS: Tom Mandrake

COVERS: Sam Keith & Andrea Sorrentino

ISSUE ONE

Sam Keith Variant.  Best one of the bunch

This first issue makes me wonder if an X-Files and 30 Days of Night combo sounds better as an idea than as an actual thing. . .

FBI Agents Scully and Mulder find themselves in Alaska investigating 16 beheaded bodies drained of blood and hung 40 feet in the air on a pole. Also on the case, believing it to be a serial killer he's been tracking, is an old rival of Mulder's, Agent Daniel "Frenchy" French.

Niles is usually a good writer, but the dialogue seems stilted and unnatural. The art isn't doing the story any favors either. The covers are OUTSTANDING for the entire series (Especially the Sam Kieth variant for the first issue), but the interior art is pretty bad. Scully looks nothing like her T.V. counterpart and Mulder bears only the slightest resemblance. It's a fairly big fail if you're going to do a licensed property and can't get the likenesses at least halfway there.

In my opinion, this first issue is a dud. Good concept. Bad writing. Bad art.
5 more issues to go. God, I hope it gets better. . .

2019 RE-READ:

It's still not very good. . .but it's not as bad as I made it sound.  The story setup is actually pretty solid.  There's a lot of exposition and setting things up, but Scully and Mulder are pretty true to their T.V. personalities and the dialogue in general isn't as stilted as I originally thought.  The art is probably the worst part.  I'll hold with my original review and say that there's a pretty big failure to capture the likeness of the main characters.

Overall, even though it's not as bad as I originally thought, it's still on extremely shaky ground.

ISSUE 2

As per the T.V. status quo, Mulder's suspicions immediately leap to "Vampire", while Scully insists that there must be a reasonable explanation. While they investigate the crime scene again, Scully comes across a child buried in the snow. When she digs her out, the kid bursts into flames in Scully's arms when exposed to sunlight.

I know she's established as "the skeptic", but one would THINK that Scully would begin to formulate some alternative explanations at THAT point.   But no.

They also come across a band of Inuit natives performing a ceremony about fighting creatures in the dark and living to see the day. . .and when they interrupt, the natives demand to see their teeth to avoid getting shot. Again. . .one would THINK.

All that and somehow the art is worse than it was in the first issue.

Overall, except for the outstanding covers, this mini gets a failing grade so far.

2019 RE-READ:

I hate to say it, because I was intent on giving this series a second shot based on my love of both properties. . .but I pretty much agree with my original assessment of this issue.  It might not be AS bad as I made it sound, but it's really just not that good.

The story is a bit better than I originally thought, but things like Scully sticking to her "Skeptic" guns when A KID BURSTS INTO FLAMES IN HER ARMS WHEN EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT, just drain the life (heh) out of any good in this story.  The art isn't completely terrible (the artist draws monsters decently), but it's right on the edge of being downright bad.  A damn shame.

ISSUE 3

Agents Scully and Mulder investigate an iced-in ship and find more bodies. Elsewhere, State police get into a gun battle with a bunch of feral vampires. After a run in with Agent French, Mulder and Scully catch a helicopter ride back to town.

They get attacked mid-air by a fanged, red-eyed vampire crashing through the windshield. Mulder discovers they don't give a rip about crosses, so he puts a bullet in its head, but the helicopter crashes, leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Perhaps NOW Scully will consider vampires as a suspect?

I'm really having to force myself to finish this mini. Besides the great covers, the only good thing I can say about it is that it's a quick read. I can't figure out why anyone would have kept this crap on their pull list past the second issue when it was on the stands.  It's just bad.  Plain and simple, it's bad.

2019 RE-READ:

While my opinion of this issue might not be AS harsh as my original review, I pretty much agree with it.  It's at this point of the series that I realize it's not going to get any better.  Scully STILL not believing in vampires when one crashes through the window of an airborne helicopter right IN HER FACE is what takes this already extremely shaky ride straight through the curve and off the rails.  I tried.  I really wanted this to be better than I remembered.

ISSUE FOUR

Please, God. . .let it end.

Scully and Mulder are rescued by Russians tracking the same killers. Scully STILL insists they are human, even after personally witnessing one burst into flames in her arms, and another crashing through a helicopter window and killing their pilots. There's such a thing as staying in character. . .but there's also such a thing as common sense.

AND THEN. . .

Scully and Mulder are taken to a cave where a vampire without arms or legs tells them a tale of when he was alive over 100 years before and was searching for an artifact of eternal life. And Scully STILL doesn't believe in vampires. . .

The artifact is found by the band of vampires. Inside it is some sort of blood drinking baby.

This is just bad. Started bad and looks like it's getting worse. Even the art seems like it's worse. I don't even know how that's possible. I'm sure Scully could come up with a rational explanation. Mine is that everyone on this project was just making a paycheck, and there was minimum effort expended on something that everyone KNEW fans of the X-Files and 30 Days of Night would buy regardless of quality.  I feel dirty just reading this pile of money-grubbing crap.

2019 RE-READ:

At this point, the train is off the tracks and flying over the cliff.  I am now wondering if I even want to continue re-reading this series because the farther I get into it, the worse it becomes.  I feel the pain of the past in the pain of the present.

That said. . .I ain't a quitter, son.

I think the major disappointment here for me is that this series completely abandons any of the ambiguity that made the X-Files great.  There was always an alternative explanation.  In this case, the attempts by the author to keep Scully skeptical are just laughable in the face of what she is experiencing.

In other words, this story breaks the delicate balance of believer and skeptic by having vampires literally everywhere Scully and Mulder go.  They might as well be generic characters created for this story instead of iconic characters who play off of each others strengths and weaknesses.  This MIGHT be a decent 30 Days of Night story, but it's a damn poor X-Files story.

ISSUE FIVE

Thank God there's only 1 issue left. This crapfest started off barely on the rails and at this point it doesn't even remember where the rails are.

Never mind the synopsis. Just be warned. This mini is the definition of cash-in crap. The only reason I'm even finishing it is because I've come this far.

2019 RE-READ:

Now THAT'S a pretty poor review!  Not even a synopsis. I can DEFINITELY feel my past frustration with this series.  Unfortunately, I'm experiencing the same frustration reading it again.  This whole project just went SO wrong in many ways.  In the original review of the first issue, I wondered if maybe an X-Files/ 30 Days of Night crossover was the sort of thing that sounded better as an idea instead of an actual thing.  The answer came in the 3rd issue and this 5th issue is a solid reinforcement that, yes. . .this idea sounds better than it actually is.

ISSUE SIX

It's over. Finally, it's over.

Why does this series even exist? I mean, I know why it exists. The idea sounds good on paper. Unfortunately the execution of that idea doesn't even come anywhere close to the promise. No. . .the question of this series' existence is that of why the publisher allowed it to exist in the form it is in.

X-Files/30 Days of Night has so few redeeming qualities that I can't help but wonder if this was literally the worst kind of blatant cash grab that can exist in comics. . .just squeezing money out of established properties that have rabid fans.  And doing it without a care in the world about anything but having X-Files and 30 Days of Night on the cover to lure the suckers in.  Just thinking about this series makes me sick.  I just want to forget that it even exists.

2019 RE-READ:

Oof.  Harsh.  But on a re-read. . .I agree.  The story isn't QUITE as bad as I first found it to be, but it's still pretty bad.  The art is worse.  The whole thing just looks like it was rushed and minimum effort was put into it.  To make matters worse, this series is two issues too long.  The amount of actual story in the final 3 issues tell me that this series should have really been a 4 issue mini instead of 6. . .but in light of my original review, it makes perfect sense that the publishers felt the need to squeeze the fans for another 8 bucks.  It's just so disappointing to realize this.

CONCLUSION

X-Files/30 Days of Night will now be the lowest bar by which all other comics I review will be judged until I find something worse. And believe me. . .I can't really see that happening any time soon. This series is truly the definition of Longbox Junk with the emphasis on Junk.

2019 CONCLUSION UPDATE

I REALLY wanted to give this mini a fair second chance.  I am a HUGE X-Files fan and a pretty big 30 Days of Night fan.  I really wanted to believe that I was so harsh on it because of my frustration with the site I was working for at the time.  I really wanted this idea to work.  Unfortunately. . .it doesn't.  If I had to describe this series in one word, that word would be: Disappointing.

So let's look at the few GOOD things about this series. . .

It has some really excellent covers.  The only other good thing I can really say is that it's actually a decent 30 Days of Night story.  It's a pretty lousy X-Files story, but Steve Niles is the original author of 30 Days of Night and it shows here which property is cared about more. 

This would have been a LOT better if it had just been written as a 30 Days of Night story, with Scully and Mulder as new characters created for the project.   If you read it THAT way. . .It's not too bad.  It's pretty much in line with the mythos and feel of other 30 Days of Night comics.  30 Days of Night fans will definitely get a bit more mileage out of this.

BUT. . .

As I came to realize when I wrote the original review AND during the re-read. . .there's a minimum effort put into anything between those nice covers.  It's a pretty obvious cash grab that is a total insult to X-Files fans and sort of "okay" for 30 Days of Night fans.    It's a damn shame.  Steve Niles is one of my favorite writers.  I've met him a few times. . .a really nice guy.  But THIS is NOT a shining moment in his career at all.

Overall this series well and truly deserved to be called the Longbox Junk low bar for the years that it held that prestigious designation.  It has since been replaced by the God-Awful 12 issues of Marvel's "America", but with the minimum amount of effort put into X-Files/ 30 Days of Night I'd say that it's pretty comfortable sitting in second place.

Trust me.  If you are a fan of X-Files or 30 Days of Night don't get fooled by the IDEA of two great properties coming together or by the great covers.  Steer clear of this one.  You have been warned.

Up Next. . .

Another "Rescue Review"

I'm a bit behind because I took a few vacation days from work, so I'm not going to hit this one on May 4th like I planned, but you're gonna get some Star Wars next week. . .Marvel's 5 issue "Princess Leia" mini.

Be there or be square!