Somewhere in between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Rocketeer is Captain Gravity. That synopsis is just there to give you an idea of the flavor of Captain Gravity and the Power of Vril, as the actual story is much, much more.

In many old serials the general premise was that a bona-fide superhero, be it the Lone Ranger or the Shadow, showed up one day and, naturally, became incredibly popular, resulting in his own comic and fan club. Captain Gravity takes this idea and turns it on its head.

Joshua Jones is a young black man from Mississippi that has gone to California in an attempt to escape the brutal racism that claimed his father’s life. There he finds some modicum of acceptance on the movie set of golden age Hollywood . During the course of a shoot in , he gains the power to control gravity. Which is, of course, pretty freakin’ cool.

Being an upstanding young man, Josh decides to use his powers for good. However, he realizes that while California may be light years ahead of Mississippi when it comes to race relations, it is not quite ready to accept a black man flying around its suburbs. As a result, he adopts the identify of a fictional serial hero, Captain Gravity, by stealing one of the costumes off the set he works on. This being the late 1930’s, it seems like a pretty bright idea.

Without giving too much away the rest piles on some old familiar elements for this time period; Nazis, world travel, ancient discoveries and some intrigue and romance. All good things to have around if you know how to use them properly.

But not only does Captain Gravity know how to use these properly, but it seems to breath new life into them, making the story fresh and interesting. The Nazi villain with the glowing skull, oh so reminiscent of the Red Skull, miraculously does not come off as kitsch or silly.

Best of all about the story, though, is Josh Jones himself. While the story may be reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Josh is more Peter Parker than Indiana Jones. Where does one go for super-hero training after all? With no military or police training to speak of, Josh is forced to learn the evil-busting business on his own with only the assistance of a few intrepid friends. Bright but dangerously naïve, Josh (as Captain Gravity) is thrust onto a stage of international intrigue and is forced to learn some hard lessons on how the world works.

All of this is wrapped up beautifully in the art on the pages of Captain Gravity. The art team has captured the feel of the golden era of comics and Hollywood , making it a tribute to that period of time and the old serials it use to produce. The characters are expressive and the action flows smoothly. It even manages to make a monkey-faced Nazi seem like something that might be hiding in your closet.

Bottom Line: Captain Gravity is a period piece that doesn’t get lost in the details, but uses them beautifully as a backdrop to a fantastic story. Its characters are human and real, with action that’s fun and fantastic. If you’re comic book shop doesn’t carry it, then you should demand that they do.

Writing Rating: (9/10) Artistic Rating: (9/10) Overall Rating: (9/10)

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