THE POWER COMPANY SKYROCKET #1
"First Gleamings"
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Pencils: Joe Staton
Inks: Christian Alamy
Colors: Carla Feeny & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
I've always felt that giving characters some flaws make them more interesting, easier to relate to. But so far, of the four Power Company one-shots we've seen, my favorites have been those featuring the overachievers with strong moral centers. Skyrocket is one of those two favorites. Busiek has crafted a character one can't help but admire, and though she becomes a soaring super-hero by the issue's end, her feet are planted firmly on the ground.
Lt. Celia Forrestal was getting nowhere fast in the U.S. Navy. It wasn't because she wasn't qualified. As a pilot, she could outmanoeuvre anybody. But thanks to her gender and her race, her career remains stalled as a training instructor. Looking for some perspective while she considers leaving the service, the St. Louis native visits her parents, scientists who have developed a personal harness that can absorb, convert and redirect energy. The invention draws the attention of a group of mercenaries that the Green Lantern has been dealing with lately.
Joe Staton's art rarely appeals to me. His elongated figures and twisted facial features just don't work for me, but his art on this one-shot worked just fine. His pencils mesh well with Alamy's detailed inks. Though Staton's unique style still come through, the inks flesh his characters out more. The art on this book reminded me more than a little of the work of classic penciller/inker Dick Giordano.
Green Lantern Hal Jordan may be a prominent figure on the cover of this comic book, but his role within is limited. Good thing too. This is Celia's story. Unlike what we saw in the Witchfire and Striker Z specials, Skyrocket's origin mixes the mainstay elements of yesteryear with a heavier emphasis on characterization and a more modern sensibility.
The greatest strength of this issue is the racist and sexist bureaucracy that we see in the opening pages. Celia's refusal to remain socially caged by the Navy not only brings real-world subject matter and an accompanying credibility to the tale, but it says a lot about who Celia Forrestal is. This morally-centered character will likely be tested by the corporate priorities that will no doubt be a central plot element in the upcoming Power Company ongoing series.
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