Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer returns in a big way in a new one-shot!
By Liam McGuire
Feb 9th 2023
Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer is making an unexpected return in a big way in a new one-shot from IDW Publishing, as a long-lost story will be printed in a brand-new anthology. Adam Hughes is among those lending his talents to The Rocketeer #1, which will tell the untold tale of an all-new Rocketeer story thought to be lost over time. For fans of Stevens and the late illustrator’s work, the new Rocketeer is set to capture the hearts and minds of readers once again.
The Rocketeer was created by the late Dave Stevens, as the writer and artist first introduced the titular hero in 1982. The comic told the story of Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot in the late 1930s, who takes to the skies after discovering a jetpack and becomes a hero. The critically acclaimed Rocketeer series featured a throwback style from Stevens, quickly becoming iconic for capturing the Pulp Magazine style of the ‘30s. In 1991, Joe Johnston directed a well-received live-action adaptation of the comic starring Billy Campbell, which has developed a strong following as it’s considered a cult classic. Now, The Rocketeer returns in a story from more than 30 years ago that was recently uncovered.
Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer is getting a new one-shot anthology from IDW Publishing based on an unpublished story from Paul De Meo and Danny Bilson, who wrote the 1991 film. Filmmakers Kelvin Mao director of the Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection documentary, discovered the story while filming the recent project - and teamed up with Robert Windom to get the comic off the ground. The pair assembled some of the industry’s best artists for The Rocketeer #1, including having Adam Hughes draw the lost eight-page story featuring Amelia Earhart. Check out the entire creative team below.
The Rocketeer one-shot includes the aforementioned eight-page story by Bilson, De Meo, and Hughes; a 12-page story of Cliff Secord’s date night with Betty leading to trouble with a vaguely familiar adventurer/archeologist, written by Mao, drawn by Craig Cermak (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), and colored by award-winning Laura Martin; a four-page story of the Rocketeer fighting a Japanese Zero in the South Pacific, written by Robert Windom (Seven Sons), drawn by the fan favorite Jae Lee (Batman/Superman), and colored by June Chung; pinups by Phil Noto (Black Widow) and Maria Laura Sanapo; and more!
Hughes said in a press release that he’s excited to tackle his favorite sky-high hero.
“The Rocketeer, my favorite flying hero, has got a dish of a girlfriend, an unnecessarily cool outfit, and great hair. You’d hate someone like that in real life, but as a comic book character, he’s aces!” says Hughes.
The Rocketeer #1 will feature several variant covers, including a main cover from Hughes and a variant by Locke & Key artist Gabriel Rodriguez, with retailer incentive variants (1:10 for Hughes and 1:25 for Rodriguez) available on release day in May. Pre-Orders for Rocketeer #1 by IDW Publishing are due to CaptCan on March 19th, 2022. Don’t forget to order a copy now!
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