Rock-A-Girl #1 is a comic written by Louis Wire with art by David Negrete and colors by Martina Rossi. A woman working two jobs struggles to make ends meet with the added possibility of losing custody. This is a comic about crime and being poor that stars a woman who is trying her hardest. The woman in question is Bonnie Rockwell, she is a waitress and postal worker who zones out a lot due to her thoughts about bills. She also has two kids named Nina and Bobby. The story begins with Bonnie receiving a visit from a trio of government men who attempt to pressure her into sending her kids to the nearby parish, which is where they’ll end up if she can’t increase her income by the end of the month. The struggle to find money to solve urgent problems is the main theme here. This takes place during the Cold War where communism is both a threat and a dangerous accusation. The violence here is bloody with light gore. The pacing is a bit slow at the beginning as there are more than a few thick text bubbles but it speeds up to a steady pace afterwards. The tone is depressing and stressful throughout with some intense violence popping up. The dialogue is all conversational with topics and slang appropriate for the time. There are a couple pages on the cusp of being word-heavy. This is a comic that perfectly lays out the internal struggle and external pressure of a character that simply needs to make money in a world where it is hard to.

            The art here is drawn in a very slightly animated way with an overall glossy shine. The color range matches the time period and the depressing tone as nothing is too bright. Aside from a quick glance at the grass when a door is opened we don’t see much scenery here. The majority of this comic is located in Bonnie’s living room but we will visit both of her places of work. The backgrounds tend to show the scene but when they don’t it is usually a gradient color. The expression level here is a tick above average as the faces can get a bit animated. The emotions are mostly sad and somber with some angrier ones mixed in. The faces and overall bodies of the characters can seem a bit stiff but the animatedness of the expressions makes them seem more alive. The violence is very bloody but it is quick and the action scene is only a few panels.

“Is this worth reading?”

Yes, if this is right up your alley.

“Would I like this?”

If you like Cold War-era stories that star a woman and deal with depressing dramatic situations and the struggle of not having money while also featuring crime and violence then this is for you.

“What would this comic’s film rating be?”

R. Violence, blood.

“Could I get a quote from the comic?”

“But there is no more suitable work.”

 

Digital Link(Free): https://t.co/eLrkoHab9m

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rock-a-girl/rock-a-girl-1/description

***IN-DEPTH COMIC STATS BELOW***

Probably Contains Spoilers

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Actual Pages(not counting covers and credits): 20

Violent Pages: 2, for 10% of the comic

Sexy Pages: 0, for 0% of the comic

 

**The levels below aren’t necessarily maintained throughout the whole comic, but they were definitely reached**

 

Violence Level – 2

“Wasn’t no tussling at all.”

“Sometimes you gotta hit somebody.”

“I’m getting charged with how many counts of assault?”

“This was a tournament arc.”

“All my life I had to fight.”

 

Gore Level – 3

“The only thing leaking out your face is tears.”

“Looks like somebody spilled some ketchup.”

“Might need to soak that up with a bath towel.”

“That isn’t supposed to be outside the body.”

“This is a slaughterhouse.”

 

Death Level – 2

“And everybody lived happily ever after.”

“We might have gone to a couple funerals.”

“It just LOOKS like a serial killer was here.”

“Yeah this was a tragedy.”

“Think Gettysburg.”

 

Porn Level – 1

“Everybody kept their clothes on.”

“I guess it was too hot for a bra.”

“Sometimes you got to let everything air out.”

“This is like late night Cinemax in the early 2000’s.”

“Oh. This is porn.”