Pulp Comics: Rocketo: Journey to the Hidden Sea by Frank Espinosa

Today, I'm going to make some of you scramble to find this. It's fun, it's beautiful, it's pulpy as all getout. These were cowritten by Frank Espinosa and Marie Taylor, with Espinosa doing the art. Warning: I will be putting in some plot spoilers here and there.

Vol 1:

This is the start of a journey past the edges of civilization, where none have returned from. We open with a side tale told in issue 0 that had a little added to make it fit the mold of the rest of the story. Great move, and it gets the reader involved. This may or may not be our Earth, there's been great disasters and interventions from monsters and something close to gods. The world has been reshaped, and man has changed, to include (l to r on the cover) Mappers(Rocketo Garrison is one), Earth Men(Epiku is a such), Dogmen(Spiro Turnstile), Inventors(Doc) and Silent Men(Boaz), with Birdmen, Tigermen, and the Lucerne filling roles as allies and adversaries. Also, monsters.

Plenty of Monsters. Rocketo Garrison is a Mapper, the son of a long line of Mappers. Once their compass alights, they have an unerring sense of direction, vital in a world that has lost its magnetic field. Mappers explore, add to the knowledge of men, and fight monsters. Rocketo's compass awakens when his parents are killed by a monster known as the Omerylla Coil, which disappears suddenly with his compass lighting.

He gets fostered by another Mapper, and shirks the Guild when he grows up, to face adventure. In a war, he chooses sides, and ends up captured and providing a weapon for his enemies, the Lucerne. After the war, he takes over a lighthouse, only to be interrupted by his old friend, Spiro, who's putting together a crew, and also fleeing the Hand, a criminal organization with operations over large parts of the world. Said adventure happens(not spoiling more here), their ship is attacked, and Spiro, Doc, and Boaz end up meeting the first mapper, and Rocketo and Epiku are lost.

Vol 2

Rocketo is lost. He starts wandering amidst a sea of wrecked ships. His friend Epiku is hurt, and Rocketo collapses trying to get him to help. Rocketo awakens to a mysterious woman. Yes, this book does have a strong woman, but she is no fighter, nor is she nearly as strong as Rocketo. She has her own strengths, and this book does not play copy paste or gender swap. 



Rocketo is brought to the city within the Hidden Sea, where he meets his lifelong hero, the First Mapper. The leader of the Hand is leading the Lucerne to them, and Rocketo leads the fight, before his compass lights again, and once relit, destroys the enemies of the people of the Hidden Sea.(Yes, I'm keeping it short. I've got an appointment.)

When you play Social Justice, the world loses.