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"WAITING..."

Volume No. 1

Issue No. 12

June 1993

Quantum Leap ™ & © 1993 Universal City Studios, Inc

Published by the INNOVATIVE CORPORATION



Writer:
Scott Rockwell
Illustrator:
Mike Deodato, Sr.
Lettering:
Vickie Williams
Coloring:
Scott Rockwell
Editor:
George Broderick, Jr.


Excerpt from this issue

 

Next issue leap-in page

Continuity page correction



Synopsis:

April 24, 1950
Southern California, Mojave Desert

Sam finds himself in the middle of the Mojave Desert... alone. He has leaped into the life of a seventy-nine year old hermit who's customer base averages two per month. Will he ever find out what he is there to do?

This comic is undoubtedly the best in the series! While Sam is waiting for something to happen, he and Al discuss time-travel theories, the reason behind the leaps, and why Sam's clothes always seem to fit on each leap. The ending is remnant of "Lee Harvey Oswald" and there are many humorous moments during this leap that will make you laugh out loud. The artwork is incredible and the story is perfect. You can actually taste the Coca-Cola...


Summary by mshirley27

Written by colorist Scott Rockwell, "Waiting" finds Sam leaping into a curmudgeon loner who operates a desert gas station.

While he, and Al, wait for Ziggy to calculate what Sam has to do to leap, the Time Traveler and Observer converse about the nature of Sam's leaping.


airdave's Quantum Leap #12 - Waiting review

Oh, Heck to the Yeah!

Sam leaps into an illiterate curmudgeon who owns and operates a gas station in the California desert. The Leaper is literally stuck in BFE. Lucky is a quiet loner. He likes being where he is, not bothered by people. He averages two customers a month; and all he offers is fuel. No friendly conversation. So, why has Sam leaped into Lucky's life?

No one knows! Not Al, not Ziggy - and certainly not Sam, with his Swiss cheese memory.

Scott Rockwell's script is amazing. What it does is it gives Sam and Al a pause to talk about the nature of Sam's leaps and the paradoxes of it. Rockwell cites three different scientific paradoxes. It is awesome to see Sam and Al ponder what drives Sam's leaps. Is it God, Time, Fate, Destiny?

The appeal of Quantum Leap is that it embodies Mister Rogers' quote - "look for the helpers." For whatever reason, Sam, and Al, are helpers.

Doesn't everyone need a helper?

The reveal is kinda cool. The last page is almost a series finale cliffhanger. (The leap-out is into a woman having a heart attack in a hospital. This was meant to be the story for the Quantum Leap Annual, but was never published. A replacement page for this issue was presented in "Time & Space: One Giant Leap".)

Quantum Leap 12, "Waiting" is a really enjoyable read.

From "Beyond The Mirror Image: Volume 1":

The date is never stated except to be “after VJ Day” (1945), however Marilyn Monroe is not yet famous – she’s on the way to film her breakthrough role, which could either refer to The Asphalt Jungle or All About Eve. The former was filmed during the winter of 1949, though, which is unlikely due to the weather. All About Eve was filmed April to June 1950. The cover shows a calender suggesting April 24th, which is not entirely reliable (April 1st is shown to be a Tuesday, however the closest Tuesday April 1sts to Monroe’s career were 1941 and 1952). Nonetheless, April 24th 1950 seems the most likely setting.

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