Comic Book Review: Rockstars, Issue 1, by Joe Harris and Megan Hutchison
The first issue of Rockstars, a rock n’ roll mystery graphic novel by Joe Harris (writer) and Megan Hutchinson (artist), is a perfect introduction to what I’m sure is going to be an exciting series.
Jackie Mayer is the audiophile lead of our adventure who has been trying his best to solve a mystery that followed the 70’s band, Blue Rider and seems to be picking up once more. This installment is our first look into Jackie as our narrator, what appears to be his partner in crime local investigative reporter and writer, Dorothy Burell, and the string of satanic murders that have been plaguing the rock scene for decades. Jackie and Dorothy are both music enthusiasts in the city of angels, combining their knowledge and Dorothy’s connections as a reporter to pave the way to answers.
Rockstars is intricate enough that it intrigues you and makes you want to dig deeper without laying everything out on the table in the first issue. We get the skeleton of the story in issue one: what seems to be motivating Jackie’s quest, the previous girls who are a part of this string of murders, and a taste of the dark side of rock n’ roll ghost stories. If you’re a music buff, you’ll be delighted to delve into the grittier parts of the L.A. music scene that act as Rockstars landscape and the music encyclopedia that seems to be Jackie. The authors paint a vivid story, rich with snippets of music history without isolating any audience members who aren’t rock n’ roll superfans. Rockstars is an approachable and colorful thriller that obviously has a lot of tricks up its sleeve.
We’re extremely excited for the coming issues of Rockstars and where the trail of bodies is leading us. Are the girls being found a part of a special ritual? Is that how the mysterious backstage crowd we consistently see stays as young as they do? We’ll just have to wait and see!
Rockstars #1 will be available December 14th, 2016