The Rocketeer

I loved this but the edition that I read and is widely available features truly awful recolouring. It speaks to the insecurity of publishers that they think anything old needs to be "modernized" for the sake of commercial viability.

The beautiful, warm, sun soaked colours of the original are replaced with sterile, overly rendered colours that detract from Stevens' immaculate line art

His figures are incredible, his layouts are energetic. The character design is vivid. It's good pulpy fun.

The original publications aren't cheap to track down so I dunno, it's either the $200CAD artists' edition or scans ☠️ to get the best experience.

Even so, it's not like the IDW edition isn't enjoyable and it does include both arcs. Stevens left us far too soon.

Like many people, I first encountered the Rocketeer through the 1991 movie. The character seemed so pitch-perfect that I took it for granted that he dated back to the golden age of pulp, so it was surprising to find out that his first appearance was as late as 1982.

This volume collects the entirety of the all-too-brief comic series, cut short by creator Dave Stevens's death from leukemia at 52. And it's great, my only complaint it that there isn't more of it. The pace is fast, the action exciting, and the whole tone of the series is exhilarating and fun. I especially appreciated the sly references to pulp heroes like The Shadow, distinctive horror actor Rondo Hatton, and pinup queen Bettie Page. The artwork, complete with remastered color, is stunning as well.

Highly recommended to pulp adventure fans.