Rocketman by Chris Moeller: My All-Time Favorite Comic/Graphic Novel

This comic series was originally published by Innovation (R.I.P.) in 1991 in four issues…

Then came the graphic novel collection, which is one of my most prized possessions…

Let me tell you why I love this book so much:

It’s out of print and hard to find. This is not a huge factor in why I like it so much, but I have to admit it is a factor. It’s like a treasure that very few others have.

It’s by one author and artist. I like books where one person does all the writing and drawing (in this case it was Christopher Moeller). It came out of just one mind (and heart, as I’m sure it was a “passion project”).

The fully painted art. I’m a sucker for paintings, and for comic art that is angular (as opposed to more circular or spherical), and this book has both. I love the (almost) monochromatic colors, and how they blend so well with each other. And I love the dark and rich color choices themselves.

The plot. The first time I read the book, I genuinely didn’t know who the “mystery villain” was until he was revealed well into the story, and the same thing happened when I read it again after a long hiatus. (Now I know from the beginning, of course, because it’s such a favorite that I’ve read it over and over again.) I was truly surprised by the ending, which seems rare and daring for this kind of story (I won’t say more so I don’t give it away). And the many twists and turns along the way kept me guessing as well. Even now, knowing what happens, I still enjoy the plot from a writer’s perspective.

The action. Moeller has a great way of making you feel the fights and flights as you’re reading the story.

The source material. This book is based on an old movie serial from the 1940s, which of course has really horrible special effects and sub-par acting to go along with the cool concepts of rocket backpacks and secret scientific societies. The graphic medium has no such limitations, so Moeller can take the best of the material, make it look a lot better, and improve the characters by exaggerating their good and bad traits. So, for example, the villains Dirken and Vulcan are much more menacing in the book, and Glenda is way more attractive.

I’m guessing that Moeller was doing what so many of us would like to do–taking something he watched in his childhood and updating it in a way that is much more enjoyable today. And in case you’re wondering what the original serial looked like, here’s a trailer for it (or you can watch all the actual episodes on YouTube, with a much better picture)…

From that to this (and one of my favorite books ever)…