Writer/Artist: Mike Allred
Colourist: Laura Allred
Price: $29.95
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
ISBN: 1-56971-347-2

There's a feeling that albums from the glory days of rock 'n rollgive you - a feeling of a world that only existed in the lyrics and the music of the lifestyle. The world of David Bowie's ZIGGY STARDUST, of The Beatles' STRAWBERRY FIELDS, of The Velvet Underground's LOADED, of Led Zepplin's II. RED ROCKET 7 is a glimpse into that world.

I found my copy of RED ROCKET 7 at a convention while sifting through huge stacks of BUFFY and STAR WARS trades. It was like finding a copy of an OTIS BLUE LP in the midst of a hundred SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER soundtracks. It's just like a record too; square, vibrant, with grooves in it that reveal something else when you work them. And like most records nowadays, I was able to get this dirt-cheap - but even at full price, RED ROCKET 7 is worth every single penny.

Like all good science fiction rock 'n rollepics, this one starts off with a crash landing. A man called The Original was taken prisoner by an alien race, the Enfinites, who tried to wipe out his people, the Celestonians. The Original escaped and landed on Earth, where he was cloned six times. This book follows the life and adventures of the sixth clone, Red Rocket 7, and his brothers (numbered Two through Seven) as they tumble through the last 50 years' worth of rock 'n' roll, all the while avoiding being hunted down by the Enfinites and finding the lost chord that will bring about a new level of existence called Astroesque.

Starting with Little Richard and Elvis, Red moves through the history of rock 'n rolllike he was rock's fifth Beatle. It covers The Beatles, The Stones and Bowie pretty well, with numerous other rock luminaries (and smaller deities) appearing along the way. "Musically, you needed a map," says Rusty, Red's brother. RED ROCKET 7 is that map, one that Allred uses as both a collage and timeline to chronicle everything from Zepplin to Nirvana.

Allred, comics' own renaissance man, crafted this book out of his obvious love for rock 'n' roll. Taking a break from his best-known creation, MADMAN, Allred let loose his own concept album, essentially his own WHO'S NEXT. Red Rocket 7 spun out of a character design Allred came up with for the Madman playing card set, and eventually he had a character that fully fused his love for comics with his love for music. (Allred and his band, The Gear, actually appear in the comic as Red's band.)

RED ROCKET 7 fits in with the world of MADMAN - it has that same sensibility of fun and danger, where anything can happen - but reads perfectly well on its own. Allred cranks up his art style to a more detailed level in many parts of the book, particularly in his gorgeous spreads of musicians. His art retains that same stark, iconic look, but with the extra detail Allred has infused into it, he has created some of his finest work.

Laura Allred's colouring as always helps to make her husband's work just bleed right off the page. The shading and depth of her colours are just gorgeous, and the end result lends itself well to both the grand science-fiction scope of the book as well as the tour through moments of rock history both large and small.

Red's journey through rock is as interesting as it is entertaining. A lot of the information will be common knowledge to many, but through the inclusion of Red in the events, Allred always puts a fresh spin on things. The dialogue is pretty straightforward and innocent for most of the time, which works for the character of Red, but it also sparks and amuses plenty of other times too.

The science-fiction elements of the story are the book's weak spots, as the story gets a little far out there with the talk of the Astroesque and whatnot. It's when Allred focuses on Red's life on Earth and his journey through rock history that the book shines brightest. Some may say it's a little much to have Red at all these crucial key moments in history, like the Forrest Gump of rock 'n roll, but unlike Forrest, Red's experiences seem more natural, believable and enjoyable.

Like a reissue of a classic album, this book also has a bunch of extras included. Starting with the introduction by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (whose likeness has occasionally popped up in MADMAN), there are also sixteen portraits of Red hanging out with musicians the likes of Frank, Sammy and Dean, The Kinks, Dylan, Kiss and others. The original seven covers to the series are included (with a key to who's who on cover six's take on the SGT PEPPER album cover), plus other goodies like early drawings of Red Rocket 7, a picture of Mike and Laura with The Dandy Warhols, and the designs for The Gear dolls that Laura and her mother made to sell at conventions.

ALSO BY ALLRED:
If you enjoy RED ROCKET 7, check out Mike Allred's MADMAN, available from Dark Horse and Oni Press, and THE ATOMICS, available in hardback from Allred's own AAA Pop Comics label. Allred created this as an offshoot of a film he was working on called ASTROESQUE, with RED ROCKET 7 essentially being the same story told with an unlimited budget. He also put out a soundtrack for the film and comic with his band The Gear, called SON OF RED ROCKET 7. Both the film and the album are worth exploring if you like the comic, but they're by no means required.

RED ROCKET 7 is ultimately about identity and coming to terms with who you are. The type of music you listen to is often a key component to one's sense of identity, so to an extent, that's what RED ROCKET 7 is about - defining yourself through music. This is the type of comic to hand off to any friend with a die-hard love of Brian Wilson or The Dandy Warhols.

In a career marked by originality, this may be Allred's best and most original work yet. But The Original may have summed it up best when he said:

"Fab. Gear. Fab."

Wil Moss is a freelance entertainment writer and editor currently working out of Chicago.

This article is Ideological Freeware. The author grants permission for its reproduction and redistribution by private individuals on condition that the author and source of the article are clearly shown, no charge is made, and the whole article is reproduced intact, including this notice.