Skateman #1 - Pacific Comics

SKATEMAN No. 1, November 1983

“Primarily known for its artistic failings, despite being the product of the highly regarded and influential comics creator Neal Adams”, Issue One of “Skateman” by “Pacific Comics” arguably contains far more punch per panel than many of the independent publisher’s other titles during the early Eighties. Indeed, as far as origin stories go, the Manhattan-born writer’s nineteen-page storyline rarely delivers a moment for its readers to catch their breaths, before hurtling headlong into another phenomenal demonstration of Billy Moon’s prowess with martial arts, or a scintillating, sense-shattering flashback sequence; “You didn’t know till later on that one of Jack’s skate wheels had come loose just before you hit him! You thought it was you that caused Jack to fall that crooked way. Caused him to hit wrong.”

Disappointingly however, whilst this pulse-pounding pace does lead to some truly awesome ‘super-heroic’ moments, such as “one (of) the least-acclaimed heroes of all time” tackling a gang of leather-clad motor-cyclists single-handedly or skating beneath the very wheels of a plastics factory’s cargo container, it doesn’t debatably leave much room for any actual character development. True, the “creators-rights advocate” does pen a few trips back into the Vietnam veteran’s haunted past so as to allow his audience to better understand just how the roller derby star became such a mentally-damaged masked vigilante, and wanted revenge for the brutal murder of his beloved Angel.

But such intriguing insights are frustratingly rapid and rushed, and would undoubtedly have benefited from being given much more space within the publication, even to the point where Moon’s multiple motivations were perhaps explored over two or three editions, as opposed to being callously crammed into just the one. This significantly slower speed to events would also have allowed the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Famer to utilise some noticeably larger layouts with which to pencil Skateman’s action-packed exploits, rather than shove such sequences as Billy’s recovery from a life-threatening beating, into a horrifically-cramped, scratchily-drawn, single stamp-sized picture.

Similarly as off-track with its pacing is Jack Arata’s "Futureworld", which as five-page backup features go, questionably delivers a fascinating insight into a post-apocalyptic world where multiple monsters stalk the last bastions of humankind in their unquenchable search for fresh flesh. Firmly focusing upon the exploits of Korlack and his air ship’s journey to a disused nuclear power station, this tale is sadly sold disappointingly short due to its creator’s dizzying dash to have his protagonist uncover the Great Machine’s lead box and “bring back its power to defeat the lizards before it is too late!”

Writer, Artist & Inker: Neal Adams