The first issue of Rocket Girl was one of my favorites last month, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to reading this issue.  With issue two, some of my qualms from the first issue were answered, but also left me with even more questions. The issue starts out in the morning with Dayoung at Annie and Ryder’s house, who seems to be a couple and are two of Quintium Mechanics’ physicists.  Dayoung has been questioning them at length about the Q-Engine and how to dismantle it.  The setting for the issue is the next day after the first issue.  And now, 1986 is the present.  So basically, the Q-Engine was made and now Dayoung wants to dismantle it… but didn’t she blow it up yesterday?  Then Dayoung says they need to bring in a Professor Sharma for questioning.  While Ryder tries to put her TV on to get the news, Dayoung pulls it up on her Q-Pad.  It allows for many stations to be played and projected into the room at once.  Most of, if not all the news stations are raving about the Rocket Girl.

All three of them go to Quintium Mechanics, but for different reasons.  Annie and Ryder just want to send Dayoung back where she came from.  Dayoung said that what happened yesterday altered the future and created the New York City she belongs in 2013.  Before it cuts back to 2013, Annie says to Dayoung that she has to trust her and Ryder since she’s in their world now.

In the past, which is now 2013, we see Leshawn and Dayoung on the job as detectives.  They’ve tapped into the Quintium Mechanics board meeting which includes who I’m guessing is the CEO admitting that QM has reverse-engineered the Q-Engine.  He also says without the company’s head start, they wouldn’t be nearly as successful as they are today.  In light of that, they’re sending the Q-Engine back 27 years to 1986.  After hearing that, the two NYTPD members jet off to where I’m assuming their own headquarters is.  Dayoung gets into a human-sized pneumatic tube thing (I can’t think of the right word), and that’s where we found her in the first issue when she crashes into QM headquarters in 1986.

I won’t give away any more of the story other than the fact that Professor Sharma is introduced, so the beginning where Dayoung mentioned him now makes sense.  Other than that, there’s some great action and a mind-bending ending that will leave any reader wanting more (in a good way).

My first read-through of this was frustrating, and I can’t say even now I understand everything 100%.  It’s a bit heady for me with all the sci-fi and time travel, I just haven’t been exposed to many other books with elements like this.  However, I came to really enjoy the way they placed each point in time into the story.  It was an excellent storytelling choice and really resonated with me.

The art is again just stunning.  It’s detailed, bright, and dynamic.  Just like the first issue, both time periods are brought to life expertly and the futuristic 2013 stood out even more to me, like the portrayal of the holographic news stations on Dayoung’s Q-Pad.  Also, we got a deeper look into Dayoung’s personality.  It’s clear that she is very strong-willed and wise beyond her years.  When Leshawn wants to go with her back to 1986, she just gives him a stoic look and says “You’ll only slow me down.”  This was a great second issue, and I’m looking forward to putting more of the pieces of the puzzle together next month.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Brandon Montclare Artist: Amy Reeder Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 11/13/13