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Rocket Salvage
Rocket Salvage
Primo Rocket is a down-on-his-luck rocket racer, with two "kids" (one turns out to be his clone, another turns out to be . . . well that would give too much away) who finds himself mixed up in an intergalactic search for a rumored "ultimate weapon." Backwater gangsters, mad scientists, and two antagonistic governments end up in an epic showdown, and it turns out it's Primo's job to save the world.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 17, 2014
85 people want to read
About the author
Yehudi Mercado
47 books45 followersYehudi Mercado is a former pizza delivery driver and art director for Disney Interactive. He is currently a writer-artist-director living in Los Angeles by way of Austin Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 30, 2018
Warning: The feels, a review that took hours and made me bleed, as well as controversial opinions
Rocket Salvage, first off, is based on true fact. Don't believe me?
So Cowboy Bebop had a baby with
Firefly
Akira was the wet nurse – and so, Rocket Salvage was born.
Rocket Salvage: May the stars protect these drivers and keep them safe.
This is an interstellar race adventure that leads up to a cosmic level of events. Since father's day is coming up, I suggest you go read this and then hug your dad - or go celebrate any man in your life who is absolutely amazing if your dad isn't around. I'm so glad that single fathers are represented in this book!
"You need to let go, Zeta. I used to be fueled with anger, too. It won me a ton of races, but in the end it made me crash."
Basic premise
Our main character is Primo Rocket. Fifteen years ago, Primo Rocket was the best and fastest racer in Rio Rojo and the galaxy. Races are a big deal in the city and the winner is a celebrity in the eyes of the public.
He races against Evy (his love interest) but gets into a massive crash. That's when his life is not saved by Utzman (his father figure), but also changed forever: Primo has children, and not in the way you’d think.
Oh, and there’s a galactic war going on and the whole family gets thrown slapdash in the middle of all of it. The Galactic Republic is winning the war and the Republic of Galaxies is losing. it's a robots vs monster kind of deal. I’m pretty sure the naming is in the vein of
There’s a little too much information to digest in the beginning, but it’s necessarily to go through this carefully to establish a basis for this very, very busy comic.
Characters and their development: This may be a complex explanation
Primo: Basically, our main character is like Freddie Mercury: bad ass and open-minded. Sensua and just rocks that ‘stache' : Primo goes through a lot of development not only as a person, but as a father. He realizes where he has neglected his children, despite trying his best to raise them (especially since they were unexpectedly thrown at him).
Evy: Evy is Primo’s lover, but not the mother of his children, neither step nor biological. But she’s sassy, confident and maybe just a little stubborn and hotheaded. She was never around to be a mother. Evy begins to be more responsible and helps Primo with his children and the chaos of the universal war going on. Evy shows how comics can have unique character relationship dynamics.
Beta to his sister: ”Just because you’re a genius, doesn’t mean I’m an idiot. Enter Beta. Beta doesn't have many skills or smarts. Beta met his girlfriend when she was robbing a strip club. His character development in this cyberpunk sci-fi is the best in the entire comic.
Zeta Zeta is so annoying, but I guess she's just a kid despite being a genius. Her origin story is at the crux of the matter in this comic and she learns to take much more responsibility. Zeta realizes how much she loves her dumb brother, and her powers come to light. The galaxy’s opposing factions are on the lookout for her, and although she’s about twelve, she kicks ass and gets drunk on beer. I love characters who start out annoying but become great.
Utzman Utzman is Primo’s father figure, and a bit of a mad scientist and basically an Admiral Akbar with a story. He’s all err, technically Zeta’s mother (no worries, no incest occurred.)
Rocco He’s a doggo, and thus my favourite character. He does not develop – he’s just a doggo.
Conclusion and afterthoughts
Each character goes through their internal struggles with being clones, disabled or just the feeling of being broken. Many of the themes of clones resemble
due to the clone concept. The character exposition is done in a way that is quite in your face, but necessary for such a fast-paced and full-blast comic.
My favourite line was when Primo spoke to Evy and said “Do you know how hard it is raise yourself?”
There is so much love, anger and all those ups and downs a family faces. I love this book for that: and for the fact that it brought intellectual disabilities to light. There are so many plots going on, but they're not too rushed – I struggled, however, to keep up with all the politics . I won't go into to much detail, but the plots are fun and come together very nicely. I love it when a great concept has a solid execution.
I've started to incorporate soundtracks into my reading and it's great
My playlist: The Pillows full FLCL soundtrack
Take me Home, country roads - John Denver
David Bowie – Oh you pretty things
The Pillows - Thank you, my twilight
Foster the People - Sit next to me
Foster the people - pumped up kicks
Big Iron and El Paso - Marty Robbins
Bad, Bad, Leroy brown - Jim Croce
This is an important read for siblings who feel like the neglected one - the one without alleged smarts or just the lesser one, in the parents eye. It's also important for the parents guilty of this.which is most parents, to be honest. This is the kind of comics teens should be reading instead of cliche YA tropes that fulfill the female fantasy.
I received this comic from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
edit: spelling and grammar.
Rocket Salvage, first off, is based on true fact. Don't believe me?
So Cowboy Bebop had a baby with
Firefly
Akira was the wet nurse – and so, Rocket Salvage was born.
Rocket Salvage: May the stars protect these drivers and keep them safe.
This is an interstellar race adventure that leads up to a cosmic level of events. Since father's day is coming up, I suggest you go read this and then hug your dad - or go celebrate any man in your life who is absolutely amazing if your dad isn't around. I'm so glad that single fathers are represented in this book!
"You need to let go, Zeta. I used to be fueled with anger, too. It won me a ton of races, but in the end it made me crash."
Basic premise
Our main character is Primo Rocket. Fifteen years ago, Primo Rocket was the best and fastest racer in Rio Rojo and the galaxy. Races are a big deal in the city and the winner is a celebrity in the eyes of the public.
He races against Evy (his love interest) but gets into a massive crash. That's when his life is not saved by Utzman (his father figure), but also changed forever: Primo has children, and not in the way you’d think.
Oh, and there’s a galactic war going on and the whole family gets thrown slapdash in the middle of all of it. The Galactic Republic is winning the war and the Republic of Galaxies is losing. it's a robots vs monster kind of deal. I’m pretty sure the naming is in the vein of
There’s a little too much information to digest in the beginning, but it’s necessarily to go through this carefully to establish a basis for this very, very busy comic.
Characters and their development: This may be a complex explanation
Primo: Basically, our main character is like Freddie Mercury: bad ass and open-minded. Sensua and just rocks that ‘stache' : Primo goes through a lot of development not only as a person, but as a father. He realizes where he has neglected his children, despite trying his best to raise them (especially since they were unexpectedly thrown at him).
Evy: Evy is Primo’s lover, but not the mother of his children, neither step nor biological. But she’s sassy, confident and maybe just a little stubborn and hotheaded. She was never around to be a mother. Evy begins to be more responsible and helps Primo with his children and the chaos of the universal war going on. Evy shows how comics can have unique character relationship dynamics.
Beta to his sister: ”Just because you’re a genius, doesn’t mean I’m an idiot. Enter Beta. Beta doesn't have many skills or smarts. Beta met his girlfriend when she was robbing a strip club. His character development in this cyberpunk sci-fi is the best in the entire comic.
Zeta Zeta is so annoying, but I guess she's just a kid despite being a genius. Her origin story is at the crux of the matter in this comic and she learns to take much more responsibility. Zeta realizes how much she loves her dumb brother, and her powers come to light. The galaxy’s opposing factions are on the lookout for her, and although she’s about twelve, she kicks ass and gets drunk on beer. I love characters who start out annoying but become great.
Utzman Utzman is Primo’s father figure, and a bit of a mad scientist and basically an Admiral Akbar with a story. He’s all err, technically Zeta’s mother (no worries, no incest occurred.)
Rocco He’s a doggo, and thus my favourite character. He does not develop – he’s just a doggo.
Conclusion and afterthoughts
Each character goes through their internal struggles with being clones, disabled or just the feeling of being broken. Many of the themes of clones resemble
due to the clone concept. The character exposition is done in a way that is quite in your face, but necessary for such a fast-paced and full-blast comic.My favourite line was when Primo spoke to Evy and said “Do you know how hard it is raise yourself?”
There is so much love, anger and all those ups and downs a family faces. I love this book for that: and for the fact that it brought intellectual disabilities to light. There are so many plots going on, but they're not too rushed – I struggled, however, to keep up with all the politics . I won't go into to much detail, but the plots are fun and come together very nicely. I love it when a great concept has a solid execution.
I've started to incorporate soundtracks into my reading and it's great
My playlist: The Pillows full FLCL soundtrack
Take me Home, country roads - John Denver
David Bowie – Oh you pretty things
The Pillows - Thank you, my twilight
Foster the People - Sit next to me
Foster the people - pumped up kicks
Big Iron and El Paso - Marty Robbins
Bad, Bad, Leroy brown - Jim Croce
This is an important read for siblings who feel like the neglected one - the one without alleged smarts or just the lesser one, in the parents eye. It's also important for the parents guilty of this.
I received this comic from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
edit: spelling and grammar.
July 30, 2018
This has got some Cowboy Bebop, some Firefly and some Douglas Adams all mixed up in it. Giving new meaning to nuclear family, Primo is raising his 2 clones, Beta and Zeta. Beta started life as Primo's organ donor until Primo felt bad when they were going to dispose of Beta and decided to raise him (minus the arm and eye he had already donated to Primo). Zeta is a whole 'nother brand of trouble. The galaxy is at war between the Republic of Galaxies and Galactic Republic (See, that's some Hitchhiker's Guide shit right there.) with Primo's home caught in the middle. Both sides are searching for the ultimate weapon and word is, Primo has it.
This was a lot of fun. Bachan's art is great. The colors are bright and poppin'. If you like space adventure such as Fear Agent, I think you'll like this.
Received a review copy from Lion Forge and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
This was a lot of fun. Bachan's art is great. The colors are bright and poppin'. If you like space adventure such as Fear Agent, I think you'll like this.
Received a review copy from Lion Forge and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
March 2, 2019
A juvenile and predictable sci-fi action/adventure story that is not without some crowd-pleasing appeal as it nears the climax. But for book about racing, it seemed a bit slow and safe.
July 30, 2018
Entertaining. Not shocking or terribly exciting, but a nice, good flowing story. None of the twists/ reveals came as a big surprise, nevertheless, they didn't come across as lame or stale either. I must admit, I somehow had higher expectations, based on the beginning of the story.
I received a copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2018
Rocket Salvage is a fun, action-packed, family-friendly sci-fi story with the potential of becoming an ongoing, potentially never-ending series.
The artwork is so nice. Very clean, readable and colorful.
I also really liked the world that is created in this story, even though it felt rushed at first. At the very beginning we get introduced to a couple of key players, which basically means there's a lot of characters and a lot of information about them all at once. On top of that, there's an ongoing war between monsters and machines who both gave their team a name that is very similar to the other. So for me, the start was very confusing. Luckily I didn't have to remember everything to be able to read, understand and enjoy the story. All of this means there is a lot of backstory and some of it is given as the novel goes on, but a lot of it could potentially make up great sequels (or prequels).
The story is action-packed and contains some great fight scenes, but still manages to be family-friendly (there's a dog, and does anyone actually die in this story?) which also gives it a bit of a Disney feel.
Solid.
The artwork is so nice. Very clean, readable and colorful.
I also really liked the world that is created in this story, even though it felt rushed at first. At the very beginning we get introduced to a couple of key players, which basically means there's a lot of characters and a lot of information about them all at once. On top of that, there's an ongoing war between monsters and machines who both gave their team a name that is very similar to the other. So for me, the start was very confusing. Luckily I didn't have to remember everything to be able to read, understand and enjoy the story. All of this means there is a lot of backstory and some of it is given as the novel goes on, but a lot of it could potentially make up great sequels (or prequels).
The story is action-packed and contains some great fight scenes, but still manages to be family-friendly (there's a dog, and does anyone actually die in this story?) which also gives it a bit of a Disney feel.
Solid.
July 31, 2018
The art!!!!! *swoon
It’s bright and punchy. Space and clones, oh my!
The story is a bit slow at first but it picks up and the quirky little family grows on you. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
It’s bright and punchy. Space and clones, oh my!
The story is a bit slow at first but it picks up and the quirky little family grows on you. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
May 31, 2018
Hmmm… Sci-fi japes of a family friendly bent, but little that's original or executed well. A guy on his downers with the world's least interesting, but possibly most imbalanced, family finds himself the centre of two galactic forces when his past comes back to haunt him. The two forces really aren't explained well enough – it's defined once as robots vs monsters, but there are too many humans involved if that's the case – and the characters aren't great enough to make you care about whatever it is they're involved with. Also, for a book that wants to thrive on kinetic action and drama, the fight and stunt scenes are some of the most hard-to-read I've ever seen. Not horrendous, but not worth a purchase.
July 17, 2018
Rocket Salvage is more comic book than graphic novel, despite the fact that the story is contained within this one volume, rather than multiple issues published sequentially. It's the story of Primo and his two "kids" Beta and Zeta. Primo used to be a famous racer on the Rio Rojo planet, but in a devastating crash, he was badly injured and multiple other racers were killed. Some 10 years later, he and his kids are on the run and in the running for saving Rio Rojo from the feuding Galactic Republic and Republic of Galaxies because the most powerful weapon is hidden on Rio Rojo. Will they find the weapon in time and will they be able to save Rio Rojo and defeat the GR and ROG scum?
Rocket Salvage is a fun idea: clones, robots, space, aliens. I especially like the idea of the original and his two clones being a family: dad and kids/siblings. However, the execution of the story arc was poor. The plot was flat the entire time: adrenaline-coursing and do-or-die the entire time gets old fast. In addition, the lead-up to the reveal of the weapon is limited. It's just "there's a weapon" > "no one knows where it is" > "the weapon is [spoiler]." Maybe it seemed too fast to this reader who is used to and prefers novels over graphic novels. The reveal *is* faster and is *supposed* to be faster because of the difference in mediums. Maybe? Either way, I imagine Rocket Salvage will appeal to a certain audience only, and that audience is not me.
Rocket Salvage is a fun idea: clones, robots, space, aliens. I especially like the idea of the original and his two clones being a family: dad and kids/siblings. However, the execution of the story arc was poor. The plot was flat the entire time: adrenaline-coursing and do-or-die the entire time gets old fast. In addition, the lead-up to the reveal of the weapon is limited. It's just "there's a weapon" > "no one knows where it is" > "the weapon is [spoiler]." Maybe it seemed too fast to this reader who is used to and prefers novels over graphic novels. The reveal *is* faster and is *supposed* to be faster because of the difference in mediums. Maybe? Either way, I imagine Rocket Salvage will appeal to a certain audience only, and that audience is not me.
December 29, 2019
'Rocket Salvage' by Yehudi Mercado with art by Bachan and Jeremy Lawson is a Sci-Fi graphic novel with the kind of wackiness you might like, if you liked the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
Primo Rocket had a career as a racer until an accident. Now he runs scrapyard with his two kids, Beta and Zeta. But there are secrets behind these two kids, like one of them is secretly a weapon. Now everyone wants the weapon and Primo has to fight off megalomaniacs, mobsters, and luatic scientists to save his kids.
This story scratched an itch I've got for loopy science fiction. At times, the family feels like Speed Racer, but there isn't a lot of racing going on in this. There is a ton of action, and I liked just about all of these characters, good and bad. The art works wonderfully, especially when things get all topsy turvy.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Primo Rocket had a career as a racer until an accident. Now he runs scrapyard with his two kids, Beta and Zeta. But there are secrets behind these two kids, like one of them is secretly a weapon. Now everyone wants the weapon and Primo has to fight off megalomaniacs, mobsters, and luatic scientists to save his kids.
This story scratched an itch I've got for loopy science fiction. At times, the family feels like Speed Racer, but there isn't a lot of racing going on in this. There is a ton of action, and I liked just about all of these characters, good and bad. The art works wonderfully, especially when things get all topsy turvy.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
July 15, 2018
This comic won't win awards for originality of content but it's got a fighting spirit and I appreciate that a lot. The family dynamic among the Rockets is heart-warming and the sibling dynamic between Beta and Zeta strikes key notes that any reader with siblings close in age can appreciate. The artwork is great and draws the eye with its sharp angles and color choices--lots of turquoise and magenta, two of my fave colors!--and it's easy to read.
July 4, 2018
// Netgalley ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ///
I really appreciated Primo's relationship to Beta and Zeta, especially Zeta even. My favorite was the second issue. But I cannot say these comics blew me away. They are executed fine, the illustrations are good, but the all thing still seems very unoriginal. It was an OK read, not more than that, honestly.
I really appreciated Primo's relationship to Beta and Zeta, especially Zeta even. My favorite was the second issue. But I cannot say these comics blew me away. They are executed fine, the illustrations are good, but the all thing still seems very unoriginal. It was an OK read, not more than that, honestly.
March 2, 2021
I was looking for a middle years graphic novel with a "little" bit of an edge. Rocket Salvage is certainly more YA appropriate than MY (it was recommended to me at a library conference). To be honest, I didn't finish the book. An alcoholic mad scientist, strippers, a mob boss and gun violence within the first few pages was enough for me to decide on a firm NO for readers under 14.
May 19, 2019
Exciting, imaginative, YA sci-fi comic following ex-racer Primo and his two kids as they work at his salvage yard and get thrown into a galaxy-wide conflict. I found it incredibly fun, and the illustrations were vibrant and expressive.
August 25, 2023
Was hyped to me as one of the great underread comics. It's good but I think the hype is too much. The twist was obvious and while the art is nice, I think people have been over the top in praise. A solid 3 star comic.
December 16, 2025
Kind of messy and hard to get attached. There is someone pretty likable in Primo, but there is a lot of noise around him. A cute dog, but the dog barely registers.
I think there was potential that was squandered on making everything bigger and louder except the heart.
I think there was potential that was squandered on making everything bigger and louder except the heart.
August 22, 2023
Fun with decent art but nothing is all that new. A good add to a teen rather than adult collection.
December 26, 2018
Loved the first 4 issues but the last 2 were completely rushed or was entirely to long. Very awesome art and some cool sci-fi elements other comics are missing.
March 12, 2015
ComicWorm Speaks!
Rocket Salvage by Yehudi Mercado and Bachan
****
The Story: Since this is only the first issue, the complete story is a little vague but their are certain elements that have already been revealed. The Story revolves around a former rocket racer named Primo Rocket and his family of clones that he is raising as his children. Primo Rocket was once a great rocket racer on the space station/planetoid Rio Rojo and seemed destined for glory, but something happened, the end result being him labeled a murderer and now reduced to running a salvage yard and may have resulted in Rio Rojo falling on hard times. While dodging mobsters and trouble, there is a big war going on and Primo Rocket may hold the key to ending it.
The Good: If your looking for hard sci-fi, go read “The Martian” by Andy Weir (A very good read). But if you want a fun, rip-roaring adventure, Rocket Salvage may just tickle that itch. Like the artwork, which we will address below
The artists and writers cram so much into the art and narrative that its hard to keep up! The story moves as fast as the races that it revolves around. The whole world has a ton of atmosphere and the story keeps enough hidden from the audience in order to keep them engaged for the next issue.
Everytime you read it, something different is found. For example, after rereading the comic for this review, ComicWorm has discovered that the two sides in the war, the Republic of Galaxies and the Galactic Republic are essentially the same thing, maybe that’s part of the humor.
The Artwork: The level of detail in this story is fantastic. You need to read this comic multiple times just to soak in all of the details crammed into each page. There is plenty of zaniness and character to be had when soaking in the details.
The Worm is not exactly sure what it is but latin artists seem to have a certain style that seems to encompass them all. It is not exactly certain what it is but when a certain piece of work is seen, there is a certain element that makes latin aesthetic come to mind.
The Flaws: There is really not a lot to say since this is only the first issue of the comic, but that is not to say there are not a few issues. The main one is the pacing, it goes by so fast that its very hard to keep up sometimes, requiring the reader to go back and look at it again. Every story needs a chance to stop and breathe for it to be the most effective. The characters seem rushed as well, but again this is more do to the fact that its only the first issue of the comic.
Final Verdict: While there is not much to go on since its only the first issue, Rocket Salvage is rousing sci-fi adventure, brimming with potential. Can’t wait for the next issue!
Four out of Five Stars.
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
Rocket Salvage by Yehudi Mercado and Bachan
****
The Story: Since this is only the first issue, the complete story is a little vague but their are certain elements that have already been revealed. The Story revolves around a former rocket racer named Primo Rocket and his family of clones that he is raising as his children. Primo Rocket was once a great rocket racer on the space station/planetoid Rio Rojo and seemed destined for glory, but something happened, the end result being him labeled a murderer and now reduced to running a salvage yard and may have resulted in Rio Rojo falling on hard times. While dodging mobsters and trouble, there is a big war going on and Primo Rocket may hold the key to ending it.
The Good: If your looking for hard sci-fi, go read “The Martian” by Andy Weir (A very good read). But if you want a fun, rip-roaring adventure, Rocket Salvage may just tickle that itch. Like the artwork, which we will address below
The artists and writers cram so much into the art and narrative that its hard to keep up! The story moves as fast as the races that it revolves around. The whole world has a ton of atmosphere and the story keeps enough hidden from the audience in order to keep them engaged for the next issue.
Everytime you read it, something different is found. For example, after rereading the comic for this review, ComicWorm has discovered that the two sides in the war, the Republic of Galaxies and the Galactic Republic are essentially the same thing, maybe that’s part of the humor.
The Artwork: The level of detail in this story is fantastic. You need to read this comic multiple times just to soak in all of the details crammed into each page. There is plenty of zaniness and character to be had when soaking in the details.
The Worm is not exactly sure what it is but latin artists seem to have a certain style that seems to encompass them all. It is not exactly certain what it is but when a certain piece of work is seen, there is a certain element that makes latin aesthetic come to mind.
The Flaws: There is really not a lot to say since this is only the first issue of the comic, but that is not to say there are not a few issues. The main one is the pacing, it goes by so fast that its very hard to keep up sometimes, requiring the reader to go back and look at it again. Every story needs a chance to stop and breathe for it to be the most effective. The characters seem rushed as well, but again this is more do to the fact that its only the first issue of the comic.
Final Verdict: While there is not much to go on since its only the first issue, Rocket Salvage is rousing sci-fi adventure, brimming with potential. Can’t wait for the next issue!
Four out of Five Stars.
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
July 14, 2015
The Rocket Salvage collected book doesn't come out till next month, but I was a big fan of the first issue when it hit the stands. When I met Yehudi at SDCC last week, he didn't have to twist my arm much to pick up the rest of the single issues.
For as much as we are living in a new golden age of exciting and weird indie comics, there's still a thin dividing line between those books that are designed to be ongoing series (or at least series without a definitive ending) and those that are really just finite graphic novels in the making. Rocket Salvage is the latter, and I think for this particular story, the book's need to construct itself as a three-act action movie kind of works against what makes it so totally excellent.
Rocket Salvage is a gorgeous sci-fi cartoon of a book. It's bold and colorful, with a million crazy monsters and cool machines (it is literally set against a backdrop of a war between crazy monsters and cool machines). I picked it up off the rack because it was one of those Wednesdays when it seemed like I was standing in a comic book store where nothing was fun -- it was either DC's black grittiness, Marvel's shameless grabs at the zeitgeist, or Image and ever other indie trying to out-cool each other (making nothing actually cool). And floating left of center is this funky technicolor bubblegum explosion full of hoverbikes, pink aliens and blue-haired clones. It's freaking cute racecar gangster sci fi, is what it is!
But Rocket Salvage also has a lot of heavy-handed plot -- something about the mistakes of the past and family and power and I think there was some dialogue in there about love and truth, blah blah yadda yadda. Yehudi is a creative director at Disney, and you can kind of see how the somewhat saccharine plot points and themes of every animated feature ever are burned into the story's core. The strict narrative adherence keeps the book on track, but also inhibits a lot of what makes it an interesting comic. And while Rocket Salvage has some violent parts and sexy bits, it's basically, yknow, a relatively good Disney movie in comics form. I just think it would be better if it was more comfortable owning it's comicbookyness, and didn't try so hard to be a movie pitch.
For as much as we are living in a new golden age of exciting and weird indie comics, there's still a thin dividing line between those books that are designed to be ongoing series (or at least series without a definitive ending) and those that are really just finite graphic novels in the making. Rocket Salvage is the latter, and I think for this particular story, the book's need to construct itself as a three-act action movie kind of works against what makes it so totally excellent.
Rocket Salvage is a gorgeous sci-fi cartoon of a book. It's bold and colorful, with a million crazy monsters and cool machines (it is literally set against a backdrop of a war between crazy monsters and cool machines). I picked it up off the rack because it was one of those Wednesdays when it seemed like I was standing in a comic book store where nothing was fun -- it was either DC's black grittiness, Marvel's shameless grabs at the zeitgeist, or Image and ever other indie trying to out-cool each other (making nothing actually cool). And floating left of center is this funky technicolor bubblegum explosion full of hoverbikes, pink aliens and blue-haired clones. It's freaking cute racecar gangster sci fi, is what it is!
But Rocket Salvage also has a lot of heavy-handed plot -- something about the mistakes of the past and family and power and I think there was some dialogue in there about love and truth, blah blah yadda yadda. Yehudi is a creative director at Disney, and you can kind of see how the somewhat saccharine plot points and themes of every animated feature ever are burned into the story's core. The strict narrative adherence keeps the book on track, but also inhibits a lot of what makes it an interesting comic. And while Rocket Salvage has some violent parts and sexy bits, it's basically, yknow, a relatively good Disney movie in comics form. I just think it would be better if it was more comfortable owning it's comicbookyness, and didn't try so hard to be a movie pitch.
March 31, 2017
Good stuff. I grew up reading Archie Comics and really abandoned reading comics as an adult. I enjoyed reading Rocket Salvage. Got me back into wanting to read more comics. Art work is great. Story line is creative. I truly enjoyed it.
Want to read
June 22, 2018Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
July 23, 2018
This was an interesting title. At first the cover had me thinking of Warship Jolly Roger, and the mechanic from the Disney movie Atlantis. But I had a wonderful time, even if Disney would never make this into a movie. Why, it’s entertaining, action packed, rough riding plot. Primo Rocket was a racer, until an unfortunate crash ended his career. Now he and his kids are in the salvage business. But not everything thing is great on his tiny planet/ship the Galactic Republic (GR) is in search of a fabled weapon that can bring down entire civilizations. Unfortunately for Primo, that weapon is close at hand. This is a story of man trying to save his unusual family from space dust, aliens, and the big bad republic. Think Star Wars but with more sass. While this appears to be a stand alone, I would so read more.
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August 25, 2018rtc
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