It’s sad to let a series go, especially one as good as Rocketeer/Spirit: Pulp Friction has been. But at the same time, there is a feeling of completion after one has read and reviewed the entirety of a series. So here is my final review of Pulp Friction…is it good?
Rocketeer/Spirit: Pulp Friction #4 (DC Comics/IDW Publishing)
Betty is brainwashed and ready to attack The Spirit who is tied up to a chair in the Octopus’s lair. Before Betty kills her friend, The Spirit reminds her of her acting career and she breaks the spell. The two fight the Octopus’s men and call the police. The Octopus’s plans have been foiled, but before the police can nab him he escapes into the shadows, avoiding prison or worse. Meanwhile, Benedict Trask plans to assassinate the president using the television/teleportation device.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned in any of my reviews what a great pair these two characters are. Especially in this issue when The Spirit gives The Rocketeer a little coaching and advice, we see this couple really get along and strike a kind of team-up gold. I will remember this team-up less for the situations they got in together, and more for how their relationship formed and progressed.
It was also nice to see the two finally become an efficient and effective fighting team. Not only do they seem to get along, they seem to really be dynamic when fighting off Germans and saving dames. It’s not so much a sense of the two being able to subdue countless enemies effortlessly but more the sense of adventure so often lost in modern day super hero dramas. The story really brings out the best of the era, one that I wish I could read more of today.
The story itself wraps up satisfyingly without being too tidy. Some things just don’t go so well in the end; the Octopus is still on the loose and the president is injured. But our characters and their conflicts get resolved in a way that makes the whole miniseries worth it.
Although before reading Rocketeer/Spirit I was not so sure if Mark Waid was really worth all of the praise he’s so often given, now I can say that I believe in Mr. Waid’s ability to craft a truly excellent story. Well done!
Is It Good?
9.0
- Art and writing are just great, as always
- Fun wrap-up that stays in the spirit of the series while also being memorable
- Makes you realize what a great team-up this really is
- Could have been a little less epilogue-esque verbal wrap-up
Most definitely! Writing and art are great as always, but what else could you expect? Mark Waid’s excellent dialogue is really a blast to read and an art in itself to write well. The art also keeps the books tone pulpy yet sophisticated with a slightly more cartoonish look to it than some other comic books these days.
This is an interesting and satisfying conclusion to what has been a great series.
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