Rocketeer Adventures

[samurainoir]

Nice to see the Rocketeer back on the comic stands. Particularly with creative teams really in tune with the character.



Art by John Cassaday, Mike Allred and Mike Kaluta (who worked alongside Dave Stevens on the original series).

[kingdom warrior]

I'm so getting this!!!! has this hit the stands yet????

[ODBJBG]

I'm hoping they opt for the movie jetpack. Such a better design.

Can't wait to read these though.

[johnmiic]

I heard the Rocketeer w/movie jet-pack is a different licscence than the one w/comic jet-pack. Not sure why that is.

[ODBJBG]

Ah, Disney probably owns it. Makes sense I suppose.

Anyway, I managed to wrangle this up (I had forgotten it was out, but I'm quick to act haha) and posted a review. I think Rocketeer fans will love it. To me this is just a drop of what I always imagined Rocketeer could be. Hopefully they expand beyond the four issue mini series.

Review here: Infinite Hollywood: Comic Review: IDW Rocketeer Adventures #1

[johnnystorm]

It came out last Wednesday. It was really good, the creators on it were very respectful of Stevens' design & characters. Plus seeing Bettie again is always cool! I'd happily buy this as an ongoing...with issue to issue continuity if they kept it at this level.

[The Toyroom]

It came out last Wednesday.

My LCS sucks....

[kingdom warrior]

It's out? gotta head over to the nearest comic shop and pick this up....

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I dunno; this is one of them comics that I think are irrevocably linked to their creator. Between the art, characterizations and plot there was something.... I can't think of the term.... down to Earth maybe.... that made the book different from everything else, and I don't know if anyone but Stevens could produce that. The whole book sort of happened; it wasn't forced, it wasn't overwrought, and the words and pictures didn't fight each other. (Like they do in so many superhero comics.)

Don C.

[samurainoir]

I'm of two minds about other creators taking over on such a creator driven character, but given Stevens passing and the amount of reverence for the original material that these guys have, I think the Rocketeer still has a great amount of potential as long as they keep the quality of the creative teams at a high level.

New work doesn't necessarily take away from the fact that the original work will continue to exist (in a high quality new format to boot!).

I originally thought that no one except Will Eisner could do justice to The Spirit, but there has been some terrific stuff done... Alan Moore in particular seems to have a givt for taking Eisner's old chestnuts and making the sing like they are fresh again (although like Watchmen, his best "Spirit" material was actually done as the analogue character Greyshirt). On the flip side there has also been quite a bit of mediocre Spirit material out there as well.


I think they have been really smart in getting folks like Kaluta and Jim Silke who have collaborated with Stevens on Rocketeer and Bettie, and can be true to the character and his trappings with that first hand knowledge.

Reading the Stevens hardback retrospective coffee table book, I was absolutely shocked that the reason we never got much more Rocketeer material from Stevens was the amount of self loathing he had for his own abilities as an artist. The clash with his inner perfectionist was apparently paralytic for him, which is why he needed to draft the services of Art Adams, Kaluta and others to give him a kickstart on the Comic stuff. Even more shocking is that he went back to school to learn how to be a classical painter! (post-Rocketeer)

[kingdom warrior]

I'm of two minds about other creators taking over on such a creator driven character, but given Stevens passing and the amount of reverence for the original material that these guys have, I think the Rocketeer still has a great amount of potential as long as they keep the quality of the creative teams at a high level.

New work doesn't necessarily take away from the fact that the original work will continue to exist (in a high quality new format to boot!).

I originally thought that no one except Will Eisner could do justice to The Spirit, but there has been some terrific stuff done... Alan Moore in particular seems to have a givt for taking Eisner's old chestnuts and making the sing like they are fresh again (although like Watchmen, his best "Spirit" material was actually done as the analogue character Greyshirt). On the flip side there has also been quite a bit of mediocre Spirit material out there as well.


I think they have been really smart in getting folks like Kaluta and Jim Silke who have collaborated with Stevens on Rocketeer and Bettie, and can be true to the character and his trappings with that first hand knowledge.

Reading the Stevens hardback retrospective coffee table book, I was absolutely shocked that the reason we never got much more Rocketeer material from Stevens was the amount of self loathing he had for his own abilities as an artist. The clash with his inner perfectionist was apparently paralytic for him, which is why he needed to draft the services of Art Adams, Kaluta and others to give him a kickstart on the Comic stuff. Even more shocking is that he went back to school to learn how to be a classical painter! (post-Rocketeer)

Yeah Dave at times was very very very critical of his work. to the point that it would stop him. He did admit that he was not a good story teller and often times had a hard time breaking down pages. That's why he enlisted so many talented guys who were great at it to do layouts for him. But his inking was stellar. I got to meet and Talk with Dave he gave me great advice. he was and shall always be an inspiration to me.

Going back to school is not really shocking many artist continue to study art it's ever evolving and you need to constantly hone your craft. I still do. It's the one profession you really never retire from.

Dave was getting better and better over the years his paintings were reaching new heights and then he got sick and the world was robbed of his amazing talent.......

[torgospizza]

I'd like to see Mark Schultz do a story or an arc. I think his style would work well for this.

[ctc]

>given Stevens passing and the amount of reverence for the original material that these guys have, I think the Rocketeer still has a great amount of potential as long as they keep the quality of the creative teams at a high level.

Well.... I think it takes more than skill, and reverence. No matter how good someone else might be, they probably see things differnet from Stevens.... and that's where I think the problem would be.

>I think they have been really smart in getting folks like Kaluta and Jim Silke

Kaluta's a good choice. I think he's more in line with Stevens' attitude. There's something decidedly UNcomic-booky about how both them folks approached their work.

Don C.

[thunderbolt]

After seeing a few Mignola pinups, it would be great for him to do a story or two. supernatural Nazi villains are some of his favorites.

[babycyclops]

I'm usually the first to poo-poo stuff like like this, but those covers have definitely got me interested. Mike Allred is a plus for me too.
I love Dave Stevens' work, 'Brush with Passion' sits proudly on my bookshelf... what an amazing artist.