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The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction TPB Vol. 1

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    Nolando
    Senior Member

  • The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction TPB Vol. 1



    Released by: IDW Publishing
    Released on: Apr. 23, 2014


    Cliff Secord and Denny Colt finally come together in this series and the end results are very entertaining.

    A sinister, cross-country plot at the hands of their respective arch-enemies The Octopus and Benedict Trask draws the two heroes and their friends together as the new medium of television might be potentially more sinister than it seems. Alderman Cunningham in Central City Hall fights for the public's right to the airways against evil corporate ownership. The rest of the city council is going for it but Cunningham holds out, speaking with Commissioner Dolan on the way out, vowing to stop this evil plot.


    The next day, though, Rocketeer Cliff Secord's gal, Betty Page, discovers Cunningham's body on the beach in California that was killed the night prior out in Central City and kicks everything off. Dolan marvels at how someone he saw last night could end up dead all the way across the country so he, his daughter Ellen, and The Spirit fly out to Los Angeles (wisely leaving the subtly-racist Ebony behind).

    And, it turns out, Cliff's mechanic buddy, Peevish, is old war buddies with Dolan. The two of them reunite joyfully but, overhead, The Rocketeer and The Spirit are fighting over some poor communication, the former thinking these mysterious folks are after his gal and the latter that they're under attack. But things are soon cleared up and they're all working together in short order.


    Dolan and The Spirit identify Cunningham's body at the morgue but the coroner points out that something was wrong with the body, that all his internal organs were jumbled. Across town, Peevy and Betty are hanging out and he's showing her how he's managed to tinker together a working television. But upon turning it on they're presented with a gruesome site - of Cunningham!

    Everyone rushes back to the airfield to find out what's happening. Betty rushes off to an audition and immediately afterward the airport is attacked by planes. The Rocketeer hauls The Spirit up with him and throws him at one plane while he tackles the other. Eventually, they “land” with one of the attackers in hand, giving Peevy and Dolan a chance to get him to spill the fact that he works for Trask who owns all television broadcasting in the U.S. Meanwhile, Betty gets the part she's auditioning for and thanks the producer...Mr. Trask!

    The investigation follows Trask, not knowing that Betty is under his sway nor is she aware of his nefarious activities, back to Central City. There, the Spirit opens up to Cliff about the demise of Denny Colt in the sepulchre he calls home. Cliff, though, is scared out of his wits at this ghost and runs to Dolan's offices, only to have The Spirit scare him there again. The cops are watching Trask's offices but have yet to spot him; he's too busy setting up Betty as the “big, new star,” drawing her deeper into his evil plot.


    The cops manage to track Trask's limo to a remote part of town. Inside, it's Trask and The Octopus, putting this new medium's possibilities on display to deep-pocketed interests. Trask steps in front of the camera and they're all able to communicate. But, beyond that, and thanks to a Tommy gun, he's able to demonstrate their ability to transmit not just sound and images but matter as well! These investors are satisfied and Trask sets off to trap Betty and secure foreign investors. But the begging bum outside that he blows off on the way might be a certain Central City protector in disguise…

    Trask heads to Betty's hotel with a TV transmitter in tow and soon reveals that he's just using her for bait to capture and finish off her heroic friends. He then uses the equipment on her, teleporting her back to the studio he just left. There, a quick exam shows that her organs are all where they should be but her mind is a blank, leaving her in a highly suggestive state. The Spirit hops in then to save her but is overwhelmed and captured. The Octopus in inspired, then, and sets up his own call with those foreign investors. Back at the hotel, though, Cliff has followed Trask and sees his Betty vanish. He storms in but Trask and his goons escape so he pursues but finds navigating in the cramped skyline of the city a chore. Thankfully, the cops show up with orders to assist him however they can.



    But back at the studio The Spirit is trying to convince Betty not to murder him as he's tied up and she's under the mind control of The Octopus as a display of the power of this new technology. And, being The Spirit, he's able to break that control and bring the dame to her senses. They have some goons to fight but The Rocketeer and the cops soon arrive, capturing the goons and all the special equipment The Octopus left behind. All this action allow the two heroes to bond a bit better, with The Rocketeer getting his own Spirit-style mask to hide his identity while he's not wearing his trademark headgear. The good guys discover that all this equipment uses TV transmissions for teleportation and mind control and it's all owned by the evil Trask. Worse, Trask is setting up a television interview with President Roosevelt at that very moment…

    The heroes are able to utilize this technology against the villains, though, and soon have carted the President off to safety. They discover his secret in doing so - that he's in the early stages of the polio that would confine him to a wheelchair. But with the rocket pack strapped to him Roosevelt's able to kick some Nazi butt along with the main heroes. However, the Prez also thinks that Secord's invention is US property until Secord reminds him that, now, they've got secrets on each other.

    Light, fun, with clear, knowing nods and respect for the original source material of these characters Mark Waid's story here is a great, new time with some classics. And the artwork from J. Bone captures the innocent, kinetic style of those old comic strips excellently. The TPB also contains a fabulous cover gallery as well that nicely caps this excellent series' collection.
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