THE ROCKETFELLERS #4, by Image Comics on 3/19/25, catches up with a day in the life of the Rocketfellers when Roland and Rachel go on a date, Richie and Rae bond, Rodney saves a boy, and Raina draws closer to the family.
Credits:
- Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
- Artist: Francis Manapul
- Colorist: John Kalisz, Francis Manapul, Ian Herring
- Letterer: Rob Leigh
- Cover Artist: Francis Manapul (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: March 19, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 36
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of THE ROCKETFELLERS #4:
Recap:
When we last left the fugitive family from the future in The Rocketfellers #3, Rachel Rocketfeller tested her breath-holding ability during a morning swim and tested her resistance abilities when confronted with inappropriate advances from a co-worker. In the future, the cybernetic bounty hunters draw closer to finding where the Rocketfellers escaped to in Time. In the present, Richie Rocketfeller drew the attention of a pair of European gangsters when he stole their money to create a financial windfall.
Plot Analysis:
In The Rocketfellers #4, Rachel and Roland reminisce about how much their plans changed when their children and danger came into the picture. To ease the tension, Roland takes Rachel on a date night with time on a rented hockey rink.
Meanwhile, Rodney leads a running group through the neighborhood. During the exercise, he leaps into action to save a boy on a skateboard from getting flattened by a distracted driver. Elsewhere, the Petrov brothers oversee a hacker hired to find out who is stealing money from them using super-advanced techniques. When the hacker loses focus due to overwork, the Petrov brothers make a painful example out of him.
We catch up with Richie writing out sentences in detention, which makes him late to pick up his sister, Rae. The siblings talk about their feelings regarding the future, their present, and their family. Elsewhen, Olivia, Roland’s soon-to-be sister-in-law visits the Old West in 1875 to administer medications and assistance with the local Lakota Sioux to another temporal witness protection member, Jeremiah Wood.
The issue ends with Wood making good on the deal Olivia brokered with the Lakota Sioux by offering up a pile of buffalo pelts. Unfortunately, things go awry when the cyborg hunter looking for the Rocketfellers, Raina, interrupts the exchange.
First Impressions:
If not for the dazzling art by Francis Manapul, The Rocketfellers would be dangerously close to moving over to the “Drop It” list. Peter J. Tomasi’s series about a refugee family from the future is filled with plenty of heartwarming moments, but the story just isn’t going anywhere.
Artwork and Presentation:
If it wasn’t clear from the 1st impression above, Francis Manapul’s artwork, consistent with the rest of the Ghost Machine titles, is truly top-tier. Manapul’s line work is outstanding, the compositions are gorgeous, and the coloring team’s execution is second to none. This book looks amazing.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
Individually, Peter J. Tomasi’s scenes depicting family interactions go a long way to showing how much the family members love each other and express their love (and concern) in a myriad of authentic, believable ways. Regardless of the outcome, you come away feeling good about the Rocketfellers as a family.
The Negatives:
Moments and relationships are no substitute for plot and pacing. Peter J. Tomasi doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon, and it’s dragging interest in the story to a crawl. The first issue had a solid hook, but Tomasi is either unwilling or unable to capitalize on the hook, instead opting for a meandering slice-of-life series. There’s no urgency, no clarity on the family’s journey, several mysteries (for example, the eye) that barely get any attention, and an overall lack of purpose.
Final Thoughts:
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THE ROCKETFELLERS #4 delivers yet another day in the life issue to show how the refugee family from the future is adapting to 21st-century life. Peter J. Tomasi’s script is filled with heartwarming moments of sweetness, and the art is some of the best around. That said, the story is going nowhere, so readers will be sorely tempted to tune out.
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