Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures by Dave StevensMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Down and out pilot Cliff Secord finds a rocket pack in his plane. Will it be his ticket to the big time or a one way trip into a pine box?
I saw the movie version of The Rocketeer in the theater in the dim past and liked it quite a bit. After recently watching it on Disney+, I decided it was time to finally read the comics.
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures collects all the Rocketeer material written and drawn by Dave Stevens. Sadly, it's only 148 pages, comprising two long tales and various covers and pinups.
The tales in the Rocketeer are both pulpy adventure tales featuring secret agents, government stiffs, heavies, Hollywood phonies, and Cliff's knockout girlfriend Betty. There's also a guest appearance by a certain mystery man disguised as a man about town.
The stories are fun but the real star here is the art, naturally. Stevens had a slick style that reminds me somewhat of Alex Toth The art holds up very well despite being almost 40 years old at this point. I have to think the Big Two were courting Dave pretty hard at the time. Also, the guy could really draw a gorgeous dame. Betty was spectacular. Why was she with a mug like Secord anyway?
The movie version of Cliff is more likeable than the version presented here. Movie Cliff seems like a naive guy with a good heart. This Cliff is just a couple steps away from being a back robber. I think the story in the movie flows better than either tale in this collection as well. That being said, this was still a fun read and I can see why some people revere it as much as they do. Also, Jennifer Connelly was a great pick to play Betty.
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures is a gorgeous book. It's a damn shame Dave Stevens didn't produce more Rocketeer material during his time on Earth. Four out of five rocket packs.
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