Review: The Rocketeer - The Great Race #4 (of 4)

Homage or repetition, that’s the question that may be asked of this concluding issue of the latest Rocketeer series, if not the whole series. The answer depends on your mindset and your own point of view; I know which side of that particular call I am falling on.

The race is afoot; it’s Deb versus the Iron Baron with Cliff Secord thrown in the mix, creating a volatile situation. Planes, planes and rockets compete to win the race and take the day. However, there are nefarious dealings in the shadows that could have a huge impact. It’s America versus the Nazi’s with Cliff and his rocket pack smack bang in the middle!

Stephen Mooney again pulls double duty as writer and artist in true Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens style. Taking the writing first, the story is pure pulp. You can tell who the good guys are and who the bad guys are from the get go. The situations work well, with airplanes dominating the issue, Mooney does well in interlacing dialogue and keeping the characters in contention. There is a lot going on in this issue; was pacing an issue down the line? It does feel that things happen to Cliff rather than him being in control, but I guess that is part of the charm. Dialogue wise, the book is cheesy and there are a couple of inconsistencies; at one point Deb ask Cliff how he can keep up with her; surely the rocket is faster than in plane in the first place, so the question should be how does the plane keep up with him? There is also the varying speeds of the pack; I was under the impression it had two settings, on and off. If this was explained earlier in the series then I apologise.

Mooney’s art has a Stevens like cartoon strip kind of quality. It is surprisingly well details, evocative of the Rocketeer’s early adventures. Mooney mixes up smaller panels, giving the appearance of velocity, with bigger character pieces that act as bookends of sorts, though the pencil lines seem a touch heavier than elsewhere in the book. There is a distinct lack of Betty in the book, which is a shame, but I guess it is hard to have her in scenes when the action is more airborne than previous issues. Colors are provided by Len O’Grady who delivers that tell tale scheme that is so iconic with The Rocketeer. Good work. Letterer Shawn Lee delivers a font and design that also works well. Makes me wonder with such an important contribution, why is there no cover credit?

Another Rocketeer series see the a number of things that we have seen before, is it homage or repetition? Whilst the case could be made either way, I am going homage. I love The Rocketeer from way back, from the King of the Rocketmen serial, through Dave Stevens and of course the movie. There is a slight nod to trying to change things up, so we will see where those storylines go.

Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Stephen Mooney
Art by; Stephen Mooney
Colors by; Len O’Grady
Letters & design by; Shawn Lee
Published by; IDW Publishing

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network