THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES TPB (review) - at FORCES OF GEEK

 

THE ROCKETEER - THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES TPB

By Dave Stevens
Coloring by Laura Martin
Lettering by Carrie Spiegle
Volume 1 art assist by Jaimie Hernandez
Co-writers of Volume 2, chapters 2 & 3: 
Danny Bilson & Paul Demeo
Volume 2 art assist by: Art Adams, 
Geof Darrow, Gary Gianni, Mike Kaluta,
 Stan Manoukian, Sandy Plunkett, and Vince Roucher
Volume 2, chapters 2 & 3 covers by: Dave Stevens
 and painted by Dave Dorman and Paul Chadwick
Edited by Scott Dunbier
Collected Edition by: Justin Eisinger and Alonzo Simon
Cover by Dave Stevens
IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 18, 2015
Cover Price: $19.99
UPC: 978163140227251999


Summertime is the best time to catch up on reading! One of the classic comic characters I have always wanted to know more about, since seeing his 1991 film was The Rocketeer. 

The pulp hero, inspired by art deco design and the creations of Howard Hughes (see The Aviator) was the titular work of Dave Stevens, a cartoonist and storyboard artist that passed away in 2008.

IDW released an accessible paperback volume of our hood ornament of a hero with The Rocketeer The Complete Adventures in association with the Stevens Estate. The publisher and Stevens before his death tapped the talented Laura Martin to remaster the colors for the hardcover edition.

This book is the best independent comics has to offer, a legendarily rare creation with extraordinary art and dogfight action.


The Rocketeer wasn’t created in the time of the pulps, but instead captures the spirit of that high-flying time in American history with Cliff Secord,  The Rocketeer and his sometime pin-up gal pal Betty.

Back in 2013, we covered Mark Waid’s Rocketeer & The Spirit: Pulp Friction. The two heroes are a perfect pairing for an adventure, but this was all I knew of Cliff and Peevy the mechanic besides the film.

Reading the ‘real’ Rocketeer makes me itch for more of these kinds of tales, hopefully Waid, Langridge. Samnee and J. Bone continue to work on more tales of Cliff under the IDW imprint.

 

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Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. March 18, 2015

 

COMICS

Like spies, jetpacks, and the glamor of a Hollywood stuntman? Look no further than all of Dave Stevens original comics for The Rocketeer are presented this week in trade form from IDW. … Mark Millar’s (Kick-Ass, Civil War) latest Chrononauts #1 with Sean Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus) telling the tale of the first televised trip through the time stream! … Crockett & Tubbs are back, reimagined by Joe Casey and Jim Mafood for Lion Forge Comics’ Miami Vice Remix #1. …Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

 

Ant-Man

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Entertainment Earth

Triple Shot: THE ROCKETEER & THE SPIRIT #1, ARMY OF DARKNESS VS. HACK/SLASH #1, THE SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #14

Mark Waid continues his winning streak and takes to the skies by pairing up The Rocketeer and The Spirit;  we get our groovy on with S-Mart employee of the month—housewares, 1999—Ash as he joins the Hack/Slash universe written by Tim Seeley and witness an even more unlikely team-up of Superior Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson in this week’s Triple Shot!

THE ROCKETEER & THE SPIRIT #1
WRITER: Mark Waid
ART: Paul Smith
Publication Date: July 24, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing / DC Comics
UPC: 82771400477900111
Buy it HERE

Have you also been watching The Aviator on a loop, quoting “Way of the future” and “show me all the blueprints” for the past month? Me neither, that would seriously harm the close relationships in your life. “Bring in the milk”.

A perfect companion (or welcome break) from the OCD Howard Hughes biopic would be the latest in Mark Waid’s take on The Rocketeer, co-starring Will Eisner’s The Spirit, subtitled “Pulp Friction”.


Alderman Cunningham is found murdered 3000 miles away in Hollywood from his home in Central City.

After The Spirit, Denny Colt makes his way to California to investigate, The Rocketeer, Cliff Secord and mentor, Peevy grow suspicious.

The Rocketeer picks up The Spirit for an amazing round of hand to hand combat hundreds of feet in the air, unlike anything seen before!

You’ll have to tune in next month to find out more, as Cliff’s Betty starts to fall for none other than The Spirit!

Mark Waid, ladies and gentlemen, teaming up classic characters and telling the best stories in monthly comic books on the shelves this year.

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