ROCKET GIRL #4
Written by Brandon Montclare
Art by Amy Reeder
Published by Image Comics
Release Date: March 19, 2014

The road to revolution is being paved and the past is catching up on the future in this latest installment about a teen cop who has gone back and time to take down the corporate overlord from the future.

While not too much plot has moved forward since issue one, this is not a series to be taken upon lightly this late into the game. The basics of the series are this: in the future cops are teenagers, who serve until they’re 20 years old then go to work for the big corporation that runs the world. However, one teen cop, Dayoung, has recognized that life is not as it should be and has gone back to the 1980s to keep the corporation that has taken their society into the unlimited government future and keep it from forming. Meanwhile, her comrades from the NYTPD (New York Teen Police Department) are stuck in the future, investigating the corporate power and trying to take it down with old fashion police work. These dueling timelines and story-lines have been playing out since issue one.

However, with this latest issue, Montclare and Reeder take it up a notch by having corporate security from the future also go back to the 1980s to take Dayoung down. Also, her friends “back” in 2013 are on the verge of a police, corporate security war. Could it get more complicated? Yes. The twist ending shows just how messy time travel and trying to make-up for past mistakes can get.

Reeder continues to have a flawless execution in her art style. The bright colors pop against the dark night skies. The contrast between the 1980s fashion and the varied look of our modern-day clothing is fun to compare. It’s a soda-pop playground variation on Blade Runner that has constant chase scenes and logistical debates about ethics and just which time period is responsible for fixing the future.

Those who haven’t been following the series can find enough exposition to fill them in on the comings and goings of characters. There doesn’t seem to be as much character development or change in personalities or opinions with such a small amount of time being covered in each issue. However, the action and logistical twists are more than enough to keep your attention. Montclare and Reeder continue to build a unique world that features action-driven female characters, that challenge your time travel logic and keep you guessing.

The Verdict: 8.0/10