“Do I get frequent flyer miles for this?” “Why? I never do.”
The Rocketeer & The Spirit #1
IDW Publishing (July, 2013)
(in cooperation with DC Entertainment, who currently holds the comic rights to The Spirit)
“Pulp Friction” WRITER: Mark Waid ARTIST: Paul Smith COLORIST: Jordie Bellaire LETTERER: Tom B. Long EDITOR: Scott Dunbier “THE ROCKETEER” CREATOR: Dave Stevens “THE SPIRIT” CREATOR: Will Eisner
When a Central City alderman is found dead by Bettie in Los Angeles, The Spirit and his friends head to the west coast to find some answers. Since this is a team-up comic this leads to some blows between the cop and the city’s local superhero, the Rocketeer. Luckily they put their differences aside quickly.
What they got right: This is a good team-up idea since the Spirit debuted around the time The Rocketeer is set. There is even a parallel established for the two heroes in their girlfriends, although admittedly fans of the Spirit who have never read a Rocketeer story won’t make the connection between Betty and Ellen. Fans of Cliff Secord, who haven’t read the Spirit (for example, me) however, will make it fairly quickly, as you’ll see in the Best Scene nomination.
What they got wrong: I know television was a new medium but how can you control what’s on television within one city’s limits? And why would anyone vote for that? Is Central City as corrupt as Gotham City? Oh, as is Ellen using the murder of her father’s friend to visit LA? That’s kind of cold.
Recommendation: An interesting first chapter. This should make for an interesting team-up. Fans of one or both characters should give this a look.
See what I mean?
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