Review by Booklist Review
The high-flying hero of this gloriously retro comic book, which inspired a 1991 feature film, is Cliff Secord, a pleasantly lunkheaded, barnstorming aviator in 1930s Los Angeles who comes into possession of a stolen rocket pack that enables him to fly. A bullet-shaped helmet designed by Cliff's mechanic pal, Peevy, completes the look, inspired by the 1949 King of the Rocket Men movie serial. The story lines, involving Nazi spies and the like, are slight but serviceable. What made The Rocketeer a fan favorite was Stevens' luscious artwork, especially his rendition of Cliff's girlfriend, Betty. Stevens' talent for drawing cheesecake-style gorgeous women was unsurpassed, and Betty, an overt homage to pinup queen Bettie Page, was the most dazzling of them. It took Stevens, notoriously slow and meticulous, a dozen years to produce the relative handful of stories gathered in this slim volume that, unfortunately, must stand as The Rocketeer in toto, since Stevens died in 2008. In this lovingly designed, newly recolored collection, though, that legacy is very impressive in quality, however meager in quantity.--Flagg, Gordon Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Speeding across the sky like a jet-propelled dream, Stevens's Rocketeer is one of the most enduring and endearing images of '80s comics. Set in the '30s, these tales follow Cliff Secord, an impulsive young stunt pilot who finds a mysterious jetpack that enables him to fly. And then his troubles-and the fun-begin. A charming, lively tribute to the pulp era-several characters from well-known pulp serials make clandestine appearances-Stevens's lively, gorgeous art captures every wide-eyed gasp and clenched-jaw struggle of the breakneck tale. While Stevens, who died in 2008, is a master of adventure, Cliff's girlfriend Betty, a delightful homage to pinup queen Bettie Page, often steals the show. Due to Stevens's slow output, only a handful of Rocketeer stories exist, collected for the first time following a checkered publishing trail and being out-of-print for over a decade. Those who have never seen the complete Rocketeer will be satisfied with the regular hardcover edition; an oversized deluxe edition brings together concept art, sketches, and background materials that make this the definite record of one of comics' most appealing recent characters. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
