So in all honesty, this thing barely holds up as any kind of
narrative. Sure, some top notch writers get to throw together some quick plots
and fun dialogue, but let’s face it, this is an art book. You’re picking up
this collection to see top notch artists draw a classic pulp hero and his gal
Betty. If that is what you came to see, you won’t be disappointed.
Not surprisingly, my favorite sections are the ones drawn by
Mike Allred and Darwyn Cooke. Both indulge in a bit of tasteful good girl art,
but it is all in service to the story (wink). Gene Ha’s section has a much
stronger conflict than the rest, with the Rocketeer facing down against a Nazi
aeronaut with similar powers. Ryan Sook is such a great artist, seeing his
gleaming Rocketeer helmet shine off the page made me long for more work from
the guy. John Cassaday knocks his pages out of the park too, surprising no one.
As an art book, this thing is wonderful. I am not very
familiar with the Rocketeer himself (other than the move when I was a kid), and
I can’t say I know too much more about the character after reading this
collection. But again, the story isn’t the point. If you want to see some
EXCELLENT artists put together some beautiful pages, then this will be a GOOD
comic for you.
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