I've never read one of Penny-Farthing's Captain Gravity comics before, so I honestly didn't know exactly what to expect from this book. It had a vague Rocketeer-like pulp feel to it, but beyond that, I was in the dark. That vague impresison I had was pretty much accurate, as the book combines super-hero elements with the pulp-adventure feel of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I was most pleased to discover that the art is provided by the one-time Black Panther line art team of Sal Velluto and Bob Almond, who do a fantastic job of bringing this story to life. This accessible comic boasts a nice balance of action and characterization, and the production quality of this small-press title tops a lot of the titles produced by the bigger comics publishing houses, including Marvel and DC.
Movie starlet Chase DuBois has accompanied her archaeologist boyfrind Jan Gunter to Egypt for a dig because she's secretly keeping tabs on him and his activities for the U.S. government, months before the States becomes embroiled in World War II. Unbeknownst to her, Chase has picked up a second shadow in the form of her best friend, Josh, who's worried about her. Josh, of course, has brought along his gravity-defying and altering gear, and it's not long before he cons the mask of Captain Gravity in order to rush to Chase's rescue.
Velluto and Almond's work here is second to none, and I can't imagine why Marvel and DC aren't falling over themselves to hire them for higher-profile work. The higher grade of paper suits their work well, as it boasts a cleaner look here than it has in the past. Velluto captures the title character's youth, inexperience and fear quite well. I like the black-and-white motif employed for the newsreel scenes, and Garcia's computer-coloring effects really conveys the arid and windy nature of the setting.
It takes a while, but Dysart's script eventually fills the reader in on everything s/he needs to know in order to follow along. That accessibility is far from the book's greatest strength, though. There's a nice mix of wartime intrigue and super-hero elements here, making for an entertaining and engaging read. Dysart's other recent projects, such as Demon: Driven Out, left me cold, but he seems a lot more comfortable here. The pacing is slow but steady at first, building to a more exciting and action-packed tempo.
I think what most impressed me about this story was the timid and unsteady personality of the title character. Josh isn't a typical super-hero here. His fear for Chase's safety is what drives him forward. He's scared and doubts his own abilities. He's not the square-jawed, uber-confident type, and that makes him much more human and makes it easier to identify with him despite the unusual setting in time. 7/10
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
