Comic Books

> > 2
THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #2

“ROCKET MAN”

In this issue, we learn about the secret role that the super-scientists of THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS played in the fall of Germany during WWII. It’s the hidden history of Werner Von Braun, the rocket god of Deutschland and the only guy before 1950 to have a super-cool robot arm.

One of the most anticipated new series of the year continues THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #2: ROCKET MAN!

Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Nick Pitarra & Cris Peter



Price: $3.50
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 10.3%

Reviews

UserAddedSpoilers
TheNextChampion04/18/12NoRead Review
akamuu04/17/12NoRead Review
901
Pulls
Avg Rating: 4.6
 
Users who pulled this comic:
 

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Rabbit11 says:
    April 16, 2012 at 1:41 pm

    No info listed on this? For shame. I loved the first issue. Hickman’s Image stuff is always superb.

  2. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    April 16, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    The best #1 issue of the year, so far, and I’m stoked to read the second.

    • Avatar photo JesseG says:
      April 16, 2012 at 2:38 pm

      not quite… There is this other little indie title called Saga that had a pretty strong premiere issue.

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      April 16, 2012 at 5:53 pm

      I have to go with Saucer County as my favorite #1 so far this year with this second and Saga third.

    • Avatar photo optra08 says:
      April 16, 2012 at 6:38 pm

      I´m right there with you Saucer Country-first, Danger Club and Saga-tie second, and this one third…. or something like that.

    • Avatar photo kmob181 says:
      April 17, 2012 at 1:37 am

      I thought Saga blew Saucer Country out of the water. Didn’t read Manhattan #1 but I love Hickman’s Fantastic Four/FF work (although not a fan of SHIELD) so will give this a try.

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      April 17, 2012 at 10:32 am

      Don’t get me wrong, I liked Saga a lot, but Saucer County felt like something I hadn’t seen done before while Saga felt a little more familiar. Which ever you liked more, based on all the great new stuff coming out from Image and Vertigo this year, its going to be a gerat year for creator owned comics!

    • Avatar photo sitara119 says:
      April 17, 2012 at 6:56 pm

      i’ve never read a comic like saga, before.
      romeo and juliet meets star wars. seems very original to me.
      definitely my favorite indie book.

  3. Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
    April 16, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    This is such a rude title!!!!

    Don’t care that there’s no info, it’s Hickman gonna kick ass no matter!?

  4. Avatar photo GaviinNansoong says:
    April 16, 2012 at 1:45 pm

    rumour (from Destination Venus) is that image has cocked up and no copies are shipping to the UK. I hope this is not true, 1st issue was awesome

  5. Avatar photo colossusofrhodeisland says:
    April 16, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    The book I’m most looking forward to this week, and considering Batman comes out this week that’s really saying something.

  6. Avatar photo wangman31888 says:
    April 16, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    I can’t wait for the secret history of Albert Einstein!

  7. Avatar photo player1 says:
    April 16, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    So glad to see this so high on the pull list.

    Hickman is good writer, looking forward to reading this and The Red Wing soon.

    • Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
      April 16, 2012 at 5:22 pm

      Red Wing is proper rude, you’ve so gotta check it out!

    • Avatar photo player1 says:
      April 16, 2012 at 5:34 pm

      It’s in the To-Read pile of independent and creator-owned stuff.

      I may get to that pile around August.

      8)

    • Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
      April 17, 2012 at 6:54 pm

      How big is your to read pile?

      I thought I was bad, got a lot of Trades & most of the X-Men Legacy series, plus the more recent Black Panther series apart from that lot & I when get this weeks releases that’s my stack, yours must be months worth?!

    • Avatar photo player1 says:
      April 18, 2012 at 7:41 pm

      It started to really pile up around ’93.

      I’ve still got 40 unread issues of Backlash in a box around here somewhere.

      I’ve tried to read the bulk of “last year’s” Marvel every year for the last three or four years, as well as the mostly Marvel comics I bought last year (every year or two), along with large chunks of “it’s-time-to-catch-up-on-this-guy-now” in trades from the public library. And big piles of “what-you’ve-never-read-some-famous-writer” stuff as well. Plus anybody who can write good science fiction comics (from the last decade or so).

      And every time I pull out a pile of my comics to read, like a year of Mighty Thor, I hear about how good Kieron Gillen is on JIM, and how good he was on Thor before Fraction, and how Fraction did some really great minis, then I remember I still never read that Langridge and Samnee book that I bought two copies of, and someone else tells me Robert Rodi is really good. And before you know it that nice bag of twelve singles becomes a side table heaving with tomes of mystic Norse weirdness. Having a really good public library is almost too nice.

      On top of that I was starting to read Fear Itself in library trades when I realized that they all tie in to Thor, so I ordered another dozen library books…

      8)

      So it can really snowball, and from time to time I hack away at it with a machete.

      🙂

    • Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
      April 20, 2012 at 5:42 pm

      So basically it’s years worth, not months then!

  8. Avatar photo Neeks says:
    April 16, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    This has felt like forever to get the second issue immso excited to read this now

  9. edward says:
    April 17, 2012 at 9:27 am

    Remember when Hickman was super serious about everything? Now he could give a flipping heck

    • Kmanifesto says:
      April 17, 2012 at 9:59 am

      @edward – The more I hear from those in the industry, the more I’m convinced that a majority of them think that comic book readers are idiots. As if somehow, they are unscathed by the fact that they promote comics to an audience for which they have contempt.

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      April 17, 2012 at 10:30 am

      Not trying to be a jerk but what are you guys basing those comments on?

    • edward says:
      April 17, 2012 at 10:52 am

      @USPUNX: His previous published work

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      April 17, 2012 at 10:55 am

      I meant about him no caring anymore. Issue one of this book seemed pretty great to me. I loved this month’s Fantastic Four. I haven’t had a chance to read Secret yet but a lot of people seemed to enjoy it. Just wondering why/when you think he stopped caring.

    • edward says:
      April 17, 2012 at 6:15 pm

      @USPUNX: yeah, I don’t mean he does care any more, just that he has relaxed

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      April 17, 2012 at 6:54 pm

      Gottach. Part of that is probably that he’s established himself now. No longer the up and comer.

  10. Avatar photo optra08 says:
    April 17, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Is this a miniseries? How much issues?

  11. Avatar photo wallythegreenmonster says:
    April 17, 2012 at 10:24 am

    I’m excited for this 2nd issue. That “SS” logo is ominous….i’m interested in seeing the villain this alludes to.

  12. Avatar photo Flash923 says:
    April 17, 2012 at 10:48 am

    Ok issue two, please try and understand; I do not want anymore blank pages for artsy-fartsy reasons. I personally find them distracting and almost as if they are there just to fill in space due to a lack of artwork to finish the issue or lack of story to fill up an entire series. Just feels that way, and no I did not say anything about robbing our moneys, clearly that is not the case since we would just not buy it. I just honestly think they have no bussiness being in the comic. Other than that I really enjoyed the first issue and have a feeling the way the story line rolls so far I will enjoy this as well.

    K

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      April 17, 2012 at 11:31 am

      I don’t really have an issue with “blank pages” as long as they fulfill a story purpose. And if they do serve a purpose, even if there is no artwork or words, are they really “blank?” Even though they are seemingly empty, if they serve a purpose to move the story along or make a strong point about a character or event I think they are relavent and therefore not “blank.” That said I can see how they would bug some people.

    • Avatar photo wallythegreenmonster says:
      April 17, 2012 at 12:10 pm

      there were no blank pages in that issue. You must own a valuable printing error.

      Seriously though, yours (and other’s) attitudes towards design and experimentation in comics is very discouraging. Indie, creator-owned comics are THE PLACE to take risks, try things, experiment. Its irritating that even in that arena, fans are still demanding the same “white styrofoam box” of design and presentation that the other 99.9999% of comic books come in. Issue #1 had a great story…i didn’t feel shortchanged at all.

      I think its great that a creator is considering design for interior pages. To me it functioned like a title card in a movie or tv show. Pacing, design…its setting a tone.

      Also title page spreads have been around for hundreds of years in book design…its amazing that comic book fans treat it as some radical thing that shatters their universe…like showing my great, great grandpa an iPad or something.

      sorry for ranting…but this designer is frustrated by such staunch resistance by my fellow comic fans to anything that’s slightly different.

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      April 17, 2012 at 12:33 pm

      @wallythegreenmonster: Perfectly said. Agree completely.

    • Avatar photo player1 says:
      April 17, 2012 at 6:08 pm

      @wallythegreenmonster: As usual, you make way too much sense.

      Cheers. 😉

    • Avatar photo Sockman says:
      April 18, 2012 at 3:27 am

      @wally
      agree #3. These covers are also some of the best covers I have ever seen. They shine so much brighter than anything else on the shelf and demand your attention.

  13. Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
    April 18, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    Trickery of minimalism!!!

  14. Avatar photo Zhurrie says:
    April 18, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    Do all of the copies have the printing error on the left-hand side of the cover with the small white mark (sort of a dot/bubble/crescent) ? I actually passed on my copy to check another LCS because it is noticeable on the dark, stark, cover. Bummer.

    • Avatar photo cornflakes says:
      April 18, 2012 at 9:35 pm

      My copy has a small dot slightly to the upper right of the cover logo. My guess is that since it’s such a large space of one constant color, there will be minor printing issues for most copies.

      Regarding those who had issues with the “blank pages,” I believe Mr. Hickman started with a career in graphic design. As such, I’m quite sure he’s responsible for these awesome covers and the various title/chapter pages interspersed throughout the comic. Personally, I really enjoy them. They’re considerably better than the Mark Millar double-page-spread-of-boring-block-letter title pages.

      As to the issue itself, another win for Messrs. Hickman and Pitarra. I found the first issue to be stronger, but still had a great time reading this. I am absolutely all in for this series, regardless of how long it lasts.

    • Avatar photo Zhurrie says:
      April 18, 2012 at 9:45 pm

      The thing is though, if you are going to go for such a stark and graphic design then you need to make sure the production and QC can match up or else it looks like crap. The white covers have scuffs and marks, now the dark ones have white specks/marks… that is a failure. Attention to detail matters if you are going to go that route. Previous Hickman works have had all white covers and none of the mess that these current issues have had.

    • Avatar photo Agent Graves says:
      April 18, 2012 at 10:51 pm

      In before the inevitable “my digital copy had no printing errors” comment.

    • Avatar photo adrianrigter says:
      April 21, 2012 at 1:49 am

      A small dot on the cover? WHO GIVES ****!? what are you worried about the resale value? if you want to appreciate the cover in it’s pristine glory just download the image from iFanboy.

    • Avatar photo Zhurrie says:
      April 21, 2012 at 4:44 pm

      I do. The point is that they are designed to be graphic and clean and out of two issues so far my all white cover has black scuff marks (all of them did at two different LCSs) and my black cover has a noticeable white spot on it. Has nothing to do with value, I actually like my stuff to look good and these are not printed or handled with the same care as the design. If you don’t care, that’s fine.

  15. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    April 18, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    It’s only two issues but I can safely say this is the Best New Series of 2012. God damn this book is amazing. It’s Hickman with no filters or restrictions and the book is all better for it. Also, Nick Pitarra is just fantastic. Hickman is throwing all of this crazy shit at him and he draws it so damn well. I never want this thing to end.

    5/5 (POTW)

  16. Avatar photo wallythegreenmonster says:
    April 18, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    one of the main advantages of printed things is that they have a “soul” and by that i mean little imperfections and quirks that make them more tangible than a pdf full of outlined vectors and pixels. Thats something that i really miss from old newsprint comics.

    That being said, black covers with any kind of coated paper are always rough….fingerprints!!!!! argh.

    But a failure? really? Also i think expectations should be checked a bit. comic books aren’t even close to being considered fine printing, and considering the papers and processes used, the quality is pretty good across the board.

    • Avatar photo Zhurrie says:
      April 20, 2012 at 12:05 pm

      Yes a failure on the printing and QC. If you are going to do something unique and different, then you need to actually put the proper effort into it or it looks bad. You want stark, graphic, covers then make sure they get handled correctly. That is what makes companies like Apple stand out, like them or not, they go that extra mile to care about details and not settle for less. When There have been two issues and both had some pretty major flaws with the covers then they go from something I’d be happy to frame or showcase to something I don’t even want to look at. Hickman’s The Red Wing had stark white/graphic covers and they were all perfect, so I think this has fallen short personally. I still enjoy the book and the content but I’d love a nice set of these without scuffs and print errors and such. That’s all.

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      April 21, 2012 at 11:31 am

      My cover seems to look okay. Was the error on all the covers?

  17. Avatar photo Flash923 says:
    April 19, 2012 at 10:48 am

    Well they were sold out at my store so I have to wait for the re-order.

    K

  18. Avatar photo GaviinNansoong says:
    April 21, 2012 at 6:45 am

    image/diamond short changed my store, they only got two… i missed out 🙁

    • Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
      April 21, 2012 at 6:51 am

      Yeah dude, my store only had 3 copies & they put them out early on Tuesday & sold all 3 in no time, luckily someone I know had a copy & let me read it!

      I’ve been trying to source a copy online but having no luck whatsoever!

      I need my weekly Hickman-fix!

Leave a Comment