I Reads You Review: RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: The Score (Book Three)

RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE SCORE (BOOK THREE)
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

CARTOONIST: Darwyn Cooke
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
ISBN: 978-1613772089; hardcover (July 24, 2012)
144pp, 2-Color, $24.99 U.S.

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score is a 2012 graphic novel written and drawn by cartoonist, Darwyn Cooke.  It is a comic book adaptation of the 1964 novel, The Score, by Richard Stark, a pseudonym of the late author Donald E. Westlake.

The Score, also published under the title, Killtown, is the fifth novel starring Parker, the master thief and ruthless criminal who is Westlake’s signature character.  Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score is Darwyn Cooke’s third graphic novel adaptation of the Parker novels, following The Hunter (2009) and The Outfit (2010).

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score opens in Jersey City on Monday, April 13, 1964.  Parker is there for a meeting with Paulus about an upcoming job, but the job isn’t Paulus’ idea.  This operation is the brainchild of Edgars, someone who is both an amateur and someone unknown to Parker.  Parker should refuse the job and walk out, but he doesn’t.

Edgar proposes a grand robbery; the target – an entire town.  According to Edgar, a cool quarter of a million dollars is there for the taking in the mining town of Copper Canyon, North Dakota.  It’s like science fiction, thinks Parker, a job with too many rules and set up by an amateur.  Still, he’s intrigued, and he assembles a team of 12 to knock over a town.  Parker, Edgars, Paulus, Grofield, Wycza, Wiss, Palm, Elkins, Chambers, Cho, Salsa, and “Pop” Phillips.  But it’s all going to blow up in their faces.

I have praised Darwyn Cooke’s Parker graphic novels so much that I think I’ve run out of words that I can use for more praise.  Speaking of praise, maybe I should get Biblical on this review.  Seriously folks, Parker: The Score is so f-word + ing good.

Like the two before it, Parker: The Score is a great crime comic, obviously.  I think what makes it a superior work of comics and storytelling is that for all its crime genre trappings, Parker: The Score balances classic elements of storytelling.  Over the years, I have learned that storytelling is about plot, setting, and characters – especially the last one.  Parker: The Score balances all three.  It flows like a lush jazz composition played by an orchestra not afraid of finding the brash rhythms and strident moments or even the dark mood in the last act.

Cooke makes the setting, Copper Canyon, also a character.  The town is a she, a siren that entices with the treasure she holds within her – ready to be plucked by any ambitious man or group of men that think it is worth the risk of crashing and burning.

Cooke takes some of the characters:  Parker, Edgar, and Grofield, to name a few, and makes them, specifically their actions and motivations, the plot.  They drive the story even more so than the primary plot, which is about the planning and execution of the robbery.

Which brings us to the setting:  it is the robbery itself.  Parker and company and Copper Canyon are brought to this thing that is also a place:  the act and planning of a robbery.  It is where characters and setting meet in order to do their thing.  Cooke presents the fundamentals and elements of the story in such a way that they function as they should.  They also break the boundaries and expand the story beyond their function.

Parker: The Score is such a beautifully drawn and designed book.  Cooke’s style, which resembles the work of cartoonists such as Alex Toth, Will Eisner, Steve Ditko, and John Romita, is always attractive.  It is the storytelling at the core of his art, however, that is important.  He uses the overall graphic design of the page and the design of the elements and contents of individual panels not just as compositional elements, but also as the storytelling.  Thus, this book of striking images is more than just pretty pictures.  It is that kind of storytelling that has been grabbing the human imagination for a long time, or so I’m told.  Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score: you need to score one.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: The Hunter (Book One)

RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE HUNTER (BOOK ONE)
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

CARTOONIST: Darwyn Cooke
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
ISBN: 978-160010-493-0; hardcover (July 28, 2009)
140pp, 2-Color, $24.99 US

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter is a 2009 graphic novel written and drawn by cartoonist, Darwyn Cooke.  Originally published as a hardcover, Parker: The Hunter is based on the 1962 crime novel, The Hunter, written by Donald E. Westlake (under his pseudonym Richard Stark).  The Hunter introduces the enduring and ruthless career criminal, Parker (whose first name is never mentioned in any of the 24 “Parker” novels).

When IDW announced in 2008 that acclaimed comic book creator Darwyn Cooke (DC: The New Frontier, The Spirit) was adapting four of author Westlake’s “Parker” books as graphic novels, fans were excited.  This was probably especially true of readers looking forward to what would hopefully be a great crime comic book.  With the release of the first Parker graphic novel, The Hunter, fans of crime comics got their wish.

However, Parker: The Hunter is not just a fine crime comic book, but it is also an outstanding comic book.  In his adaptation, Cooke even remains faithful to the original novel’s uncomplicated plot.

Parker arrives in New York City with a head of steam, as he scams and schemes his way to a little financial stability.  He only needs a little stability, just enough to begin to get payback.  Parker’s mission begins the woman who betrayed him – the woman who shot Parker just above the belt and left him for dead – his wife Lynn Parker.  She’s the key to Parker discovering the whereabouts of Mal Resnick, the partner who double-crossed him after a successful heist.  Parker, however, wants more than to just coldly exact revenge; he also wants back everything that was taken from him, including the money Resnick stole from him, and that will pit Parker against Resnick’s employers, The Outfit.

Is The Hunter a great crime comic?  It certainly could be considered as such.  Is it a faithful adaptation of the source?  Yes, it is – quite so, but The Hunter is something else, also.  It’s a terrific comic book, plain and simple.  Darwyn Cooke has taken Westlake’s first Parker novel, a story that has already been told, and Cooke retells it in a new voice.  This is Cooke’s voice – the graphic novel as only he can do it.  Cooke blends words/text, pictures in sequence, portraits, cityscapes, and single illustrations into a graphic work that does more than just adapt The Hunter into comics form.  It is something new; it is Parker and his world as they’ve never before been.

With modern crime comics, sometimes the emphasis is either on drawing stylish art that will have a “film noir feel” (even in full-color crime comics) or stories that “play with crime genre conventions.”  Cooke’s The Hunter is certainly visually stylish.  The elements of line, shape, value, texture, and color are hardboiled.  In terms of components and principles of art, Cooke’s work here has a passing resemblance to the comics of Will Eisner and Alex Toth, both noted for their cinematic visual motifs.  However, ultimately the art direction, graphic design and composition, both as style and as storytelling, make The Hunter something different.  Whereas other creators may be concerned about crime comics that have a general visual style or specific narrative conventions, Cooke reaches beyond convention simply to tell a great story with wide appeal.

The parts of Westlake’s text that Cooke uses as word balloons and in captions, he also brings to life with his art.  The art establishes story, especially the first 24 pages, in which Cooke efficiently reveals to the reader Parkers abilities and his aptitude as a criminal.

Cooke detailed renderings of New York City, 1962, brings us to a hustling, diverse city of distinct locales and varied local colors.  From the bustle of the subway to greasy diners manned by saucy waitresses, Cooke establishes the world in which Parker will make his long, slow, but relentless climb up the hill to revenge.  Look at this book long enough and it is obvious that Cooke put so much thought into creating The Hunter’s environments via art direction and set decoration.  There’s the cool, ultra-modern of Lynn Parker’s apartment, bought with ill-gotten gains.  That actually pales next to the spotless, space-age elegance of the lobby at Frederick Carter Investments.  Whatever the setting, Cooke’s deft touch at fashioning the milieu of Parker’s world brings the story alive and brings the reader into that world.

Ultimately, The Hunter will be judged on how well Cooke tells a story, more so than on how pretty the art looks or how much the art fits a genre.  Every panel and every page connects in one fantastic tale of a man who simply wishes to balance the scales in his favor.  Yeah, Parker is a ruthless criminal and murderer, but in the world in which he lives, he earned what is his.  All he wants to do is get that back.

Decades ago, Donald Westlake began an epic journey convincing readers that Parker was doing the right thing as Parker saw it, and that first book, The Hunter, was a terrific book of crime fiction.  Nearly 50 years later, Cooke retells that story in his own unique voice, and as expected, Darwyn Cooke’s The Hunter is a superb comic book – in whatever genre one might place it.  It is a graphic novel better than most and as good as the best.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

The "Leroys" 2012 - Richard Stark's Parker: The Score

Hey, it’s Leroy Douresseaux – the Prince of Comic Book Reviews.  Of course, the prince can’t read every thing.  Seriously, I wish I could, as I am always curious about the comic books that I have not read.  Still, I’ve managed to compile a list of what I think are the best comic books, graphic novels, and books related to comics of the year 2012 that I actually read.  It has taken me awhile, of course…

And if the Eisner Awards are the Oscars of comic book awards (which is sad that people actually say that), then, the “Leroys” are the Golden Globes of comic book awards.  My “best picture” award is the “Comic Book of the Year” award.

2012’s “Comic Book of the Year” goes to Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score by Darwyn Cooke; edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing

I was going to go with Building Stories by Chris Ware (Pantheon Books), just for its sheer audacity, planning, and publication design.  I could even go with Love and Rockets: New Stories #5, which is so awesome.  But I’m a homer for Darwyn Cooke.

25 Best of (what I’ve read) 2012:
COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS AND RELATED: (in alphabetical order)

1. All New X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen – Marvel Comics
2. Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata – VIZ Media
3. Bad Medicine by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir and Christopher Mitten – Oni Press
4. Batman: Earth One by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank – DC Comics
5. Bleach by Tite Kubo – VIZ Media
6. Building Stories by Chris Ware – Pantheon Books
7. Comics Sketchbooks: The Private Worlds of Today’s Most Creative Talents by Steven Heller – Thames & Hudson, Inc.
8. Cross Game by Mitsuru Adachi – VIZ Media
9. The Hive by Charles Burns – Pantheon Books
10. The Judas Coin by Walter Simonson – DC Comics
11. Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo, Volume 1 – DC Comics
12. Love and Rockets: New Stories #5 by Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez – Fantagraphics Books
13. Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe - HarperCollins
14. Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto – VIZ Media
15. Natsume’s Book of Friends by Yuki Midorikawa – VIZ Media
16. Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga – VIZ Media
17. Peanut – Ayun Halliday and Paul Hobbe – Schwartz & Wade Books
18. Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score by Darwyn Cooke – IDW Publishing
19. Right State by Mat Johnson and Andrea Mutti – DC Comics/Vertigo
20. Rocketeer Adventures 2 (anthology) edited by Scott Dunbier – IDW Publishing
21. The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee – IDW Publishing
22. Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue – VIZ Media
23. The Strain by David Lapham and Mike Huddleston – Dark Horse Comics
24. Three Wolves Mountain – by Bohra Naono – SuBLime/VIZ Media
25. 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa – VIZ Media

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: Pulp Friction #4

THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #4
IDW PUBLISHING with DC Entertainment – @IDWPublishing and @DCComics

WRITER:  Mark Waid
ART: J Bone
COLORS: Rom Fajardo
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: J Bone
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT COVER: Chris Samnee with Jordie Bellaire
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2013)

Two classic characters unite in the four-issue comic book miniseries, The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction.  The Rocketeer is a modern-day comic book character whose adventures are set in the era known as the “Golden Age” of comics.  The Spirit is a comic book character that actually appeared in that Golden Age.

Published by IDW Publishing (in association with DC Comics), The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction is written by Mark Waid and drawn by Paul Smith (#1), Loston Wallace (#2), and J Bone (#3 and #4).  Pulp Friction unites the two heroes, as they try to solve a peculiar murder case.

First appearing in the 1980s, The Rocketeer was created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008).  Stunt pilot Cliff Secord discovers a mysterious jet pack, which he straps to his back.  Adding a helmet, Secord becomes “The Rocketeer,” and begins a series of adventures set mainly in and around Los Angeles and beginning in the year 1938.

The Spirit was created by legendary cartoonist Will Eisner (who died in January 2005) and first appeared on June 2, 1940 in a 16-page, Sunday newspaper supplement (or insert) called “the Spirit section.”  Once known as Detective Denny Colt (believed by some to be dead), The Spirit is a masked vigilante who fights crime in Central City.

After the corpse of Alderman Tommy Cunningham, a Central City politician, is found in Los Angeles, The Spirit travels to LA. to investigate, as it is physically impossible for Cunningham to have been in the city when he was.  Meanwhile, longtime Spirit nemesis, The Octopus, joins Hollywood “producer,” Benedict Trask, in a plot to use the new medium of television to launch a worldwide criminal enterprise

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction #4 opens in Central City.  The Spirit finds himself imperiled by Cliff’s girlfriend and actress, Betty, who is under the thrall of the Octopus.  Trask, feeling assured of victory, prepares to “fire a bullet that will draw blood from the world.”  The Rocketeer and The Spirit have been at odds of late.  Can they come together in time to save the world?  They can with the help of a very special leader.

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction #4 is the best issue of what has been an entertaining series and a welcomed union of two special comic book characters.  Comic books like Pulp Friction remind me of the fun I had reading comic books as a child, flipping pages as fast as I could read them.  Sometimes, I had to go back and reread a comic (several times) because my rapid reading was causing me to miss things.

In this final issue, writer Mark Waid brings everything together:  all the themes, conflicts, personality clashes, and subplots.  Waid cleverly constructs a scene that explains why The Spirit and The Rocketeer might clash that makes perfect sense in the context of the story that Waid is telling.  Also, the surprise way in which he turns a famous historical figure into a kind of action hero makes me glad that I read this series.  And there are many reasons to read this comic book.

Although he did not draw the opening chapters, J Bone made Pulp Friction his own.  His art has an old-timey quality that captures the… ahem… spirit of Will Eisner’s art in terms of mood, graphic design, and pacing, which is appropriate here.  The Central City side of this story arc should resemble classic Eisner, as the L.A. side of the story recalls classic Dave Stevens Rocketeer.  When it comes to comic books, this is the good stuff.

Once again:  more Mark Waid Rocketeer, please, Mr. Dunbier.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: Pulp Friction #3

THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #3
IDW PUBLISHING with DC Entertainment – @IDWPublishing and @DCComics

WRITER:  Mark Waid
ART: J Bone
COLORS: Rom Fajardo
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: J Bone
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT COVER: Chris Samnee with Jordie Bellaire
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2013)

First appearing in the 1980s, comic book character, The Rocketeer, was created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008).  Stunt pilot Cliff Secord discovers a mysterious jet pack, which he straps to his back.  Adding a helmet, Secord becomes “The Rocketeer,” and begins a series of adventures set mainly in Los Angeles and beginning in the year 1938.

Golden Age comic book character, The Spirit, was created by legendary cartoonist Will Eisner (who died in January 2005).  The Spirit first appeared on June 2, 1940 in what readers called “The Spirit Section.”  This was a 16-page, Sunday newspaper supplement or insert that was carried in various newspapers from the 1940s and to the early 1950s.  Once known as Detective Denny Colt (believed by some to be dead), The Spirit is a masked vigilante who fights crime in Central City.

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction is a comic book series that brings these characters together.  Published by IDW Publishing (in association with DC Comics), the series is written by Mark Waid and drawn by various artists.  Pulp Friction unites the two heroes, as they try to solve a peculiar murder case.

The corpse of Alderman Tommy Cunningham, Central City politician, is found in Los Angeles, although it is physically impossible for him to be in L.A.  Meanwhile, longtime Spirit nemesis, The Octopus, has joined Hollywood “producer,” Benedict Trask, in a plot to use the new medium of television to launch a worldwide criminal enterprise

As The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction #3 opens, The Rocketeer visits The Spirit’s home/base of operations at Wildwood Cemetery.  Meanwhile, Cliff’s girlfriend and actress, Betty, is also in Central City for meeting with Trask, who puts her up in a posh hotel.  Betty is about to discover, however, that Trask wants to make her a star in the new medium of television, but not in the way she expects.

At this point in my review cycle of The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction, I have run out of things to say about Mark Waid writing The Rocketeer.  That is especially when I consider how much I liked his earlier effort, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom.  Simply put, he’s good with the character.  [Dear Mr. Dunbier, More Mark Waid Rocketeer, please.]

J Bone, who seems to emanate from the Bruce Timm-Dawyn Cooke school of cartooning, makes a welcomed return to The Rocketeer.  As talented as J Bone is, neither his style nor his draftsmanship, approaches that of the late Dave Stevens or the late Will Eisner.  Yet, there are moments in this wonderful comic book in which Bone captures the spirit of both artists’ work on their signature characters.  From the Rocketeer’s mad chase through the canyons of Central City to Betty’s femme fatale, behind-the-curtain dance, Bone captures the graphical essence of what made Eisner and Stevens’ comics exceptional, iconoclastic works of the medium.

Tune in tomorrow… next issue

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: Pulp Friction #2

THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #2
IDW PUBLISHING with DC Entertainment – @IDWPublishing and @DCComics

WRITER:  Mark Waid
PENCILS: Loston Wallace
INKS: Bob Wiacek
COLORS: Hi Fi Designs
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: Paul Smith with Jordie Bellaire
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT COVER: Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2013)

Artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008), created the comic book character, The Rocketeer.  Cliff Secord is a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack.  Donning the jet pack and a helmet, Secord becomes “The Rocketeer,” and begins a series of adventures set mainly in Los Angeles, beginning in the year 1938.

Legendary cartoonist Will Eisner (who died in January of 2005) created The Spirit, a comic book character that first appeared on June 2, 1940 in what readers called “The Spirit Section.”  This was a 16-page, Sunday newspaper supplement or insert that was carried in various newspapers from the 1940s and to the early 1950s.  Once known as Detective Denny Colt (believed by some to be dead), The Spirit is a masked vigilante who fights crime in Central City.

IDW Publishing (in association with DC Comics) brings the two characters together in a new comic book miniseries entitled, The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction.  The series is written by Mark Waid and drawn by various artists.  Pulp Friction unites the two characters, as they try to solve a murder case.  The corpse of Alderman Tommy Cunningham, Central City politician, is found in Los Angeles, which is impossible, because he should not be in L.A.

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction #2 opens with the Central City contingent:  The Spirit, Commissioner Dolan, and Ellen (the Commissioner’s daughter), at odds with our L.A.-based friends: The Rocketeer, actress Betty (Cliff Secord’s lady), and airplane mechanic Peevy (Cliff’s friend and partner).  The girls are using their feminine wiles to both agitate and excite.

Meanwhile, The Spirit’s mysterious nemesis, the Octopus, plots with Benedict Trask, who seems to be trying to become the first of what we now call a media mogul.  Their plotting involves a surprise attack on our heroes.

Having Mark Waid write the first ever team up of The Rocketeer and The Spirit, as is the idea of uniting them in the first place, is a no-brainer.  Waid is good with Golden Age characters, of which both these classic comics characters are.  Here, Waid’s comics script is a nice brew of fisticuffs, high-flying derring-do, and pulp crime fiction with an occasional bit of innuendo.  Is that a rabbit in your pocket, Mr. Second?...

I thought Paul Smith was going to be the series artist, but that seems not to be the case, as this second issue and the third are drawn by different artists.  Loston Wallace, who provides the pencil art (which Bob Wiacek inks), is good enough.  His style is acceptable for this kind of story, and his storytelling is good.  The most important thing is that he does not make the transition from Paul Smith a disaster.

I’m ready for the next issue of The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction.  Tune in tomorrow.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Happy Birthday, Scott Dunier

IDW Publishing Special Projects Editor celebrates his birthday.

THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: Pulp Friction #1

THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #1
IDW PUBLISHING with DC Entertainment – @IDWPublishing and @DCComics

WRITER:  Mark Waid
ARTIST: Paul Smith
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: Paul Smith with Jordie Bellaire
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT COVER: Darwyn Cooke and J Bone
CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE COVER: Darwyn Cooke
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2013)

The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008).  Cliff Secord is a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack.  Donning the jet pack and a helmet, Secord becomes “The Rocketeer,” and begins a series of adventures set mainly in Los Angeles and beginning in the year 1938.

The Spirit is a comic book character created by cartoonist Will Eisner (who died in January 2005).  The Spirit first appeared on June 2, 1940 in what readers called “The Spirit Section,” a 16-page, Sunday newspaper supplement or insert that was carried in various newspapers from the 1940s and into the early 1950s.  Once known as Detective Denny Colt (believed by some to be dead), The Spirit is a masked vigilante who fights crime in Central City.

Now, the two characters come together in a new comic book miniseries entitled, The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction.  Written by Mark Waid and drawn by Paul Smith, Pulp Friction unites the two characters to solve the murder of a Central City politician whose corpse is found in Los Angeles.

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction #1 opens in Central City in February 1941.  It is cold and snowy outside, but inside City Hall, it is quite heated.  The story moves to the following morning, three thousand miles west.  Betty, Cliff Secord’s lady, is doing a modeling shoot on a beach when she makes a grisly discovery.

When they learn that a denizen of Central City has been found dead L.A., The Spirit, Commissioner Dolan, and Ellen (the Commissioner’s daughter) head to Cali.  And The Rocketeer is ready to greet them.

Uniting The Rocketeer and The Spirit seems like such a no-brainer that I’m surprised that it’s just happening now.  The Spirit is a character from the “Golden Age” of American comic books, and The Rocketeer, who first appeared in the 1980s, harkens back to the “Golden Age” of both comic books and Hollywood.

The creative team of writer Mark Waid and artist Paul Smith is an excellent choice to chronicle the team-up of two beloved “old-timey” characters.  When Waid is at his best, his comic books are pure fun, and as a fan of and expert on Golden Age comic books, Waid can write stories that capture the spirit of the 1930s and 40s, but tell them in a modern idiom.  Best known in the 1980s for his elegant and animation-influenced drawing style, Paul Smith engaged comic book readers with his storytelling that hit on all points:  character, plot, and setting.  That serves him well in this series, which will mix adventure and action with mystery and suspense.  I must note, however, that Smith’s work in Pulp Friction is closer to Dave Stevens’ in nature than to Will Eisner’s – not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction looks to be one of the good things we will get this year.  It’s that wild ride comic book fans want.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

2013 Will Eisner Award Winners - Complete List

by Leroy Douresseaux

The winners of the 2013 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were announced at a ceremony held during the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, on Friday, July 19, 2013.

Since the people that manage (or own) the Eisner Awards and many of their supporters hilariously call the Eisners the "Oscars of the comic book industry," that must mean either the "Best Continuing Series" winner (Saga) or the "Best Graphic Album" winner (Building Stories) is the Eisner "Best Picture" winner - or maybe both.

Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Winners 2013

Best Short Story: “Moon 1969: The True Story of the 1969 Moon Launch,” by Michael Kupperman, in Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8 (Fantagraphics)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): The Mire, by Becky Cloonan (self-published)

Best Continuing Series: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best New Series: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7): Babymouse for President, by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8–12): Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13–17): A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, adapted by Hope Larson (FSG)

Best Humor Publication: Darth Vader and Son, by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle)

Best Digital Comic: Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)

Best Anthology: Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)

Best Reality-Based Work (TIE):

• Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller, by Joseph Lambert (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney Hyperion)
• The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song, by Frank M. Young and David Lasky (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Graphic Album—New: Building Stories, by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium: Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint: King City, by Brandon Graham (TokyoPop/Image)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: Pogo, vol. 2: Bona Fide Balderdash, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly and Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books: David Mazzucchelli’s Daredevil Born Again: Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW

Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Blacksad: Silent Hell, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia: Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer: Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)

Best Writer/Artist: Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Penciler/Inker (TIE):

• David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)
• Chris Samnee, Daredevil (Marvel); Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom (IDW)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse)

Best Cover Artist: David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)

Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Batwoman (DC); Fatale (Image); BPRD, Conan the Barbarian, Hellboy in Hell, Lobster Johnson, The Massive (Dark Horse)

Best Lettering: Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: The Comics Reporter, edited by Tom Spurgeon, www.comicsreporter.com

Best Comics-Related Book: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe (HarperCollins)

Best Educational/Academic Work: Lynda Barry: Girlhood Through the Looking Glass, by Susan E. Kirtley (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Publication Design: Building Stories, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Hall of Fame: Lee Falk, Al Jaffee, Mort Meskin, Trina Robbins, Spain Rodriguez, Joe Sinnott

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Russel Roehling

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Chris Sparks and Team Cul deSac

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award: Steve Gerber, Don Rosa

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Challengers Comics + Conversation, Chicago, IL


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I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: Hollywood Horror #4

THE ROCKETEER: HOLLYWOOD HORROR #4
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

WRITER: Roger Langridge
ARTIST: J Bone
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Walter Simonson with Jordie Bellaire – regular cover; Walter Simonson – Cover RI; and James White – Strange Adventures Retailer Exclusive Cover
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2013)

The Rocketeer created by Dave Stevens

The Rocketeer vs. Hollywood Horror, Chapter 4 “A Night at the Altar”

I’m only a little more than a week late, but I did it. I finally got around to reading the fourth and final issue of the latest Rocketeer comic book miniseries, The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror. This four-issue miniseries is written by cartoonist Roger Langridge and drawn by artist J Bone.

Created by the late artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens, The Rocketeer is stunt pilot, Cliff Secord. Secord finds a mysterious rocket backpack or jet-pack (the Cirrus X-3) that allows him to fly. Donning the jet-pack and a metal helmet, Secord becomes the adventurer and masked crime-fighter, The Rocketeer. His adventures begin in 1938 and continue into the 1940s (as of this writing), with most of his activities occurring in and around Los Angeles.

Hollywood Horror opens in the year 1939. Cliff’s girlfriend, Betty, is searching for her missing roommate, Dahlia Danvers, a newspaper reporter. Cliff is in trouble with the actual inventor of the jet-pack (Howard Hughes?), who has sent henchmen to retrieve it. Cliff’s friend, partner, and ace airplane mechanic, Peevy, learns that an old WWI acquaintance, scientist August “Augie” Lowcroft, is missing. Everything centers on impresario and mystic, Reverend Otto Rune and his Church of Cosmicism.

As The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #4 opens, Cliff as The Rocketeer arrives at the Octopus Club to rescue her from Otto Rune’s clutches. He finds Lowcroft and a monster right out of nightmares ready to stop him. And even if Cliff rescues Betty, can he repair their strained relationship? He gets by with a little help from his friends.

The fourth issue of Hollywood Horror is the best issue of the series. The previous series, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, was like a big-budget B-movie with its sci-fi and monster (in this case, dinosaurs) elements; it was also dark in tone. Hollywood Horror is lighter in tone, talky, and resembles a screwball comedy, with the sci-fi elements being negligible, even the monster. In fact, this series is more about Hollywood than horror, with it cameos by and allusions to Hollywood legends of bygone eras.

The final issue is fun and fast-paced. The resolutions and romantic make-ups, reunions, and reconciliations give The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #4 a “Hollywood ending.” Can we imagine The Rocketeer giving us anything but a happy ending?

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: Hollywood Horror #3

THE ROCKETEER: HOLLYWOOD HORROR #3
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

WRITER: Roger Langridge
ARTIST: J Bone
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Walter Simonson with Jordie Bellaire – regular cover
Walter Simonson – Cover RI; and James White – Strange Adventures Retailer Exclusive Cover
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2013)

The Rocketeer created by Dave Stevens

The Rocketeer vs. Hollywood Horror, Chapter 3 “In the soup”

I finally got around to reading the third issue of the latest Rocketeer comic book miniseries, The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror. This four-issue miniseries is written by cartoonist Roger Langridge and drawn by artist J Bone.

The Rocketeer is a fictional character created by the late artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens. The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious rocket (or jet) backpack that allows him to fly. Donning the backpack and a metal helmet, Secord becomes the adventurer and masked crime-fighter, The Rocketeer. His adventures begin in 1938 and continue into the 1940s (as of this writing). Most of his activities occur mainly in and around Los Angeles.

The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror opens in the year 1939. Cliff’s girlfriend, Betty, is searching for her missing roommate, newspaper reporter, Dahlia Danvers. Cliff is in trouble with the actual inventor of The Rocketeer’s jet-pack, who has sent henchmen to retrieve it. Cliff’s friend, partner, and ace airplane mechanic, Peevy, learns that an old WWI acquaintance, scientist August “Augie” Lowcroft, is missing. Everything centers on impresario and mystic, Reverend Otto Rune and his Church of Cosmicism.

As The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #3 opens, Cliff is left without his jet-pack. Betty, who has infiltrated Rune’s organization, gets in deeper, with encouragement from a cagey husband and wife detective team. Peevy has a surprise for Cliff. Everything points to a big event at the Octopus Club, but first Cliff makes a stop at The Flying Swan, a bar where he meets the narrator.

The veiled references and cameo appearances by famous Hollywood types are what I like most about The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror. Clark Gable, Carol Lombard, and Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy are among the stars that appear this time. That the narrator of Hollywood Horror might be a fictional version of Grouch Marx makes this a special treat for me. The suggested guest appearances by Nick and Nora Charles and the hint of Doc Savage go a long way in selling this series’ late 1930s setting.

Hollywood Horror’s story and plot are good, but the allusions and cameos make them even better. Bring on the conclusion.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: Hollywood Horror #2

THE ROCKETEER: HOLLYWOOD HORROR #2
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

WRITER: Roger Langridge
ARTIST: J Bone
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Walter Simonson with Jordie Bellaire – regular cover
Walter Simonson – Cover RI; and James White – Strange Adventures Retailer Exclusive Cover
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2013)

The Rocketeer created by Dave Stevens

The Rocketeer vs. Hollywood Horror, Chapter 2 “These troubled times”

I finally got around to reading the second issue of the latest Rocketeer comic book miniseries, The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror. This four-issue miniseries is written by cartoonist Roger Langridge and drawn by artist J Bone.

Of course, some of you know that The Rocketeer is a character created by the late artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens. The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious rocket backpack (or jet-pack) that allows him to fly. Donning the jet-pack and a metal helmet, Secord becomes the adventurer and masked crime-fighter, The Rocketeer. His adventures begin in 1938 and continue into the 1940s (as of this writing). Most of his activities occur mainly in and around Los Angeles.

The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror opens in the year 1939. Cliff and his girlfriend, Betty, are having their usual squabbles, but that is all about to be put on hold. Betty’s roommate, newspaper reporter, Dahlia Danvers, has gotten herself into some trouble and disappears. Cliff’s trouble is that the actual inventor of The Rocketeer’s jet-pack has sent two henchmen to retrieve it.

Meanwhile, Cliff’s friend, partner, and ace airplane mechanic, Peevy, learns that an old WWI acquaintance, scientist August “Augie” Lowcroft, is missing. Then, there is impresario/mystic, Reverend Otto Rune, and a couple of detectives or a detective couple or a couple who are detectives.

The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #2 opens with a return, and with Cliff looking for a place to sleep for the night. The henchmen demanding the jet-pack confront Peevy. Cliff decides to focus on Otto Rune, with whom Betty is about to make a connection. Meanwhile, Rune and his Church of Cosmicism prepare for a big gathering.

After reading the previous Rocketeer miniseries, the most excellent The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, I had high expectations for the next miniseries – perhaps, too high. Hollywood Horror #1 received a mixed reaction from me.

Hollywood Horror #2 changed my opinion. Now, I can’t wait for the third issue (which will already be in comic book shops by the time I post this review). I love the vibe writer Roger Langridge has created for Hollywood Horror. It is a comedy and mystery mixed with the visual elements and sensibilities of 1930s and 40s era Hollywood B-movies and sci-fi movie serials.

Artist J. Bone’s quirky art captures what Langridge is doing and even does him one better. Somewhere between the cartoony graphics and the semi-deformed (like manga’s super-deformed) art, Bone is trying to invent a visual aesthetic for what might be the comic book version of the screwball comedy.

I also enjoy the cultural and pop culture allusions and references that appear in Hollywood Horror. The henchmen after the jet-pack might be working for Doc Savage, although I always thought that Howard Hughes was supposed to be the jet-pack’s inventor. Of course, the detectives are stand-ins for Nick and Nora Charles of Dashiell Hammett’s novel, The Thin Man, and the film series adapted from it. I’m sure Otto Rune is based on some (in)famous, Depression-ear occultist.

Sorry about before, Cliff – I’m in again.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: Hollywood Horror #1

THE ROCKETEER: HOLLYWOOD HORROR #1
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

WRITER: Roger Langridge
ARTIST: J Bone
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: Walter Simonson with Jordie Bellaire – regular cover
ALTERNATE COVERS: Walter Simonson – Cover RI; Roger Langridge and J Bone with Jordie Bellaire – subscription cover; Roger Langridge and J Bone – Comics Pro Retailer Exclusive Cover; and James White – Strange Adventures Retailer Exclusive Cover
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

The Rocketeer created by Dave Stevens

The Rocketeer vs. Hollywood Horror, Part 1

The latest Rocketeer comic book is The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror. The four-issue miniseries is written by cartoonist Roger Langridge and drawn by artist J Bone.

Created by the late artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens, The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious rocket backpack that allows him to fly. Donning the backpack and a metal helmet, Secord becomes the adventurer and masked crime-fighter, The Rocketeer. His adventures begin in 1938 and continue into the 1940s (for the time being). Most of his activities occur mainly in and around Los Angeles.

The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #1 opens in the year 1939 with the usual; Cliff is late for a date with his girlfriend, Betty Page (if “Page” is still her last name). Soon, Betty will need Cliff as the Rocketeer. Her roommate, newspaper reporter, Dahlia Danvers, has gotten herself into something deep, and this deep means trouble.

Everyone seems to be talking about a missing scientist, Augie Lowcroft. Cliff’s friend and partner, Peevy, an ace airplane mechanic, just so happens to be acquainted Lowcroft. Also crawling around this case is Reverend Otto Rune, some kind of impresario/mystic, and a mysterious couple with a penchant for detecting.

Coming on the heels of the most excellent The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror is a change-of-pace for the franchise. Whereas Cargo of Doom was like an old Hollywood movie serial from the 1930s and 1940s, Hollywood Horror is a snappy comic adventure. Part screwball comedy and a whole lot of tongue-in-cheek, this looks like it will offer some B-movie, science fiction, monster fun.

Honestly, I don’t love The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror the way I did Cargo of Doom. In this first issue, J Bone’s art seems like a near-cubist take on Bruce Timm’s graphic style. I usually like Bone’s work, but this is hit or miss for me. It took me until the end of Chapter One to buy into Roger Langridge’s jesting take on The Rocketeer. If this is the tone of the book, then, Walter Simonson isn’t the appropriate cover artist for Hollywood Horror.

This isn’t really The Rocketeer the way Dave Stevens did it, which other creators have tried to emulate. Hollywood Horror could turn out to be really good, though, so I’ll keep reading.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: Cargo of Doom #4

THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #4
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

WRITER: Mark Waid
ARTIST: Chris Samnee
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Shawn Lee
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Chris Samnee with Jordie Bellaire – regular cover
Dave Stevens – Cover RI
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom comes to an end. This four-issue miniseries is the first new story arc featuring Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer, probably since 1995. The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom is produced by the Eisner Award-winning team of writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee (Daredevil).

For those who don’t know: The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by the late artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens. The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious rocket backpack that allows him to fly. Donning the backpack and a metal helmet, Secord becomes the adventurer and masked crime-fighter, The Rocketeer. His adventures begin in 1938 and continue into the 1940s (for the time being). Most of his activities occur mainly in and around Los Angeles.

The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom is set in 1940 and finds Cliff with troubles on his hands. The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) may take away his pilot’s license. Sally, the young niece of Cliff’s best pal, Peevy, is now working as a mechanic at Peevy’s. Sally has a mad crush on Cliff, and Cliff’s girlfriend, the bombshell actress Betty, is fuming about the crush and about Sally being around Cliff so much. If domestic drama weren’t enough, The Rocketeer falls into a conspiracy involving The Master, a mysterious figure, and an invasion of dinosaurs.

As The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #4 begins, The Rocketeer battles the dinosaurs that have escaped into Los Angeles and are terrorizing the citizens. Luckily, our hero has a ray gun that takes care of the problem, but how long will this miraculous weapon hold? Still fuming, Betty spurs Peevy into action to help Cliff. Meanwhile, Sally and CAA Inspector Earl Garland also plot to help Cliff, or is there more to their actions?

For some reason, I thought that The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom was supposed to be a five-issue miniseries. Regardless, the wrap-up in this last issue seems rushed. The action that focused on The Rocketeer lacks the impact that a man with a rocket backpack fighting prehistoric monsters should have. That sequence is actually overly compressed when it should be open and run several pages. The Peevy/Betty bit is funny, while the Sally-Earl Garland segments offer intrigue, but may be a little too oblique at this point.

Still, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom was and still is fun to read. I wouldn’t mind seeing Waid-Samnee give The Rocketeer another whirl.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: Cargo of Doom #3

THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #3
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

WRITER: Mark Waid
ARTIST: Chris Samnee
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Shawn Lee
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Chris Samnee with Jordie Bellaire – regular cover
Dave Stevens – Cover RI
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Mark Waid, you had me at dinosaurs. This is just another reason why I’m glad that I’m still reading The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom.

The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by the late artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens. The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly. Secord dons the pack and a metal helmet and becomes the adventurer and masked crime-fighter, The Rocketeer, whose adventures are set in 1938 and the following years, mainly in and around Los Angeles.

Rocketeer Adventures marked The Rocketeer’s return in 2011. Edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing, this anthology comic book featured Rocketeer short stories from some of the premiere creators in American comic books created in honor of Stevens. Now, the adventure continues in a new series, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, from writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee.

The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom opens in 1940 and finds Cliff with troubles on his hands. The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) may take away his pilot’s license. Sally, the young niece of Cliff’s best pal, Peevy, is now working as a mechanic at Peevy’s. Sally has a mad crush on Cliff, and Cliff’s girlfriend, the bombshell actress Betty, is fuming about the crush and about Sally being around Cliff so much. Then, he falls into the clutches of The Master.

As The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #3 begins, The Master prepares to make Cliff a dino-treat. However, Cliff didn’t survive this long as The Rocketeer with being wily and using his wits. Now, can he save L.A. from becoming the valley of the dinosaurs?

As far as I’m concerned, Mark Waid is one of the few name comic book scribes who consistently writes comic books that are fun to read and also recall the free-spirited, eccentric weirdness of old comic book stories. He is a traditionalist who can take Marvel and DC Comics’ intellectual properties and brands and recall them to bygone glory. I think that makes Waid just right for The Rocketeer, which is set in a golden age, but is not a Golden Age comic book character.

Chris Samnee’s textured inking heightens the drama in the dinosaur/fire destruction scenes. Add Jordie Bellaire’s colors and the drama is heightened even more. Finally, I feel like I’m getting every penny of the $3.99 cover price

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #4

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #4
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITERS: Louise Simonson, David Mandel, John Byrne
ARTISTS: Walter Simonson, J Bone, John Byrne
INKS: Bob Wiacek, J Bone, John Byrne
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire, J Bone
LETTERS: John Workman, Shawn Lee, Neil Uyetake
PIN-UP: J.K. Snyder, III
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Darwyn Cooke (A, RI), Dave Stevens (B)
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Here, we are – the final issue of Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2.

The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by the late artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens. The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly. Secord dons a funky helmet, straps on the jet pack, and becomes The Rocketeer, beginning his adventures in 1938, in and around Los Angeles.

The Rocketeer returned to comic books in 2011 in Rocketeer Adventures. Edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing, this four-issue, anthology comic book was a tribute to Stevens and featured Rocketeer short stories (about 8 pages in length) from some of the premiere creators in American comic books. The tributes continue in Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2.

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #4 opens with “War Hero,” written by Louise Simonson and penciled by her husband, Walter Simonson. The story finds Cliff Secord fuming about being declared unfit for combat in World War II. Now, he is reduced to playing The Rocketeer in war bond drive theatre, but when the Nazi’s show up, Secord gets his chance to show that he is fit for combat.

In “Cliff Secord, Warlord of Blargon,” written by David Mandel and drawn by J Bone, The Rocketeer travels to another planet and completely misunderstands the rules and regulations. “Fair Game,” written and drawn by John Byrne, takes The Rocketeer to the 1939 World’s Fair (The 1939-40 New York World’s Fair, a favorite setting of Byrne’s). Cliff Secord is unhappy with his traveling accommodations, while his girl, Betty, is on the trail of a possible conspiracy. With royalty visiting the expo, the game’s afoot.

Although I’ve had my reservations about Rocketeer Adventures in its entirety, I am a bit sad about the end of Vol. 2. Some of the entries in these two miniseries have not been special or even amounted to much as stories, but they were fitting tributes to Dave Stevens. If there is ever a short list for most beautiful artwork ever produced for American comics, Stevens’ art has to be on that list or that list won’t be worth shit.

This fourth issue of Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 features contributions from two comic book legends, John Byrne and Walter Simonson. The Rocketeer first appeared in early 1982 (at least by the cover date) when Byrne was hitting his stride as a writer/artist, especially on Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four. Simonson would shortly shake the industry with his revamp of Marvel’s The Mighty Thor. David Mandel and J Bone’s contribution here, (“Cliff Secord, Warlord of Blargon”) is cute, but the attractions here are Byrne and Simonson.

“War Hero” offers more than just seeing Simonson art. The story is written by Louise Simonson, once a prolific comic book scribe, and letterer is produced by John Workman, whose collaborations with Walter make great comics. Simonson, with inker Bob Wiacek, also create some spectacular pages of aerial action.

Byrne’s “Fair Game” is spry and fun, and looks like some kind of adventure, espionage, newspaper movie from the 1940s. The fifth page offers some excellent panel design, and Byrne packs more action in pages 6 and 7 than most comic book creators can get in six or seven pages. It’s also nice that Byrne still uses thought balloons, which have largely become passé, most likely because Alan Moore did not use them in Watchmen. And, of course, you know that all comic books must follow the holy writ that is Watchmen.

If editor Scott Dunbier can recruit more veteran creators who worked and thrived in the 1970s and 80s, then, I hope we have more Rocketeer Adventures.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #2

THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #2
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITER: Mark Waid
ARTIST: Chris Samnee
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Shawn Lee
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Chris Samnee with Dave Stewart – regular cover
Dave Stevens – Cover RI
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

In a world where there is a jet pack/rocket backpack that a man can use to fly, why can’t there also be a lost island where dinosaurs still live? This is the world of The Rocketeer.

The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by the late artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008). Cliff Secord is a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly. Secord dons the pack and a metal helmet and becomes the adventurer and masked crime-fighter, The Rocketeer, whose adventures are set mainly in Los Angeles and begin in 1938.

The Rocketeer returned to comic books in 2011 with Rocketeer Adventures. Edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing, this anthology comic book was a tribute to Dave Stevens. The series featured Rocketeer short stories from some of the premiere creators in American comic books. Now, the adventure continues in a new series, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, from writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee.

The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom opens in 1940 and finds Cliff with troubles on his hands. The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) may take away his pilot’s license. Sally, the young niece of Cliff’s best pal, Peevy, is now working as a mechanic at Peevy’s. Sally has a mad crush on Cliff, and Cliff’s girlfriend, the bombshell actress Betty, is fuming about the crush and about Sally being around Cliff so much.

As The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #2 begins, the mysterious Trask and The Master continue the plot they are hatching out of the docks at the Port of Los Angeles. Cliff learns that he has a new case worker from the CAA, a brawny black man named Earl Garland, who can hit back (unlike the last guy). The Master also makes a move on capturing The Rocketeer and reveals what he has stowed away in his ship’s cargo hold.

In my review of the first issue of Cargo of Doom, I admitted that I was not crazy about the comic book’s cover price ($3.99). I wrote that I might eventually balk at paying $20 to read the entire series. I haven’t balked yet.

This is a good series. Mark Waid offers characters that are more character types than fully-developed characters, but they work for Cargo of Doom. Samnee’s art is still tight and still eye-catching, especially with that killer figure drawing. How could I stop reading this? The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom is the kind of rousing, fantasy adventure that got me started reading comics.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Happy Birthday, Scott Dunbier

He's the Special Projects Editor at IDW Publishing, in case you didn't know (and a former Wildstorm editor).

Happy Big-5-0!

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #1

"Back in the sky high saddle, again..."

THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #1

IDW PUBLISHING

WRITER: Mark Waid
ARTIST: Chris Samnee
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Shawn Lee
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Chris Samnee with Dave Stewart – Cover A
Dave Stevens with Laura Martin – Cover B and Jetpack Comics Cover
Chris Samnee with Jordie Bellaire – Cover RIA
Chris Samnee – Cover RIB
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008). The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly, and his adventures are set mainly in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938.

The Rocketeer returned to comic books in 2011 in Rocketeer Adventures. Edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing, this anthology comic book was a tribute to Stevens and featured Rocketeer short stories from some of the premiere creators in American comic books. Now, the adventure continues in the new series, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, from writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee.

The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #1 opens in 1940. Cliff dons his Rocketeer garb and gear to rescue two people from a struggling airplane. One of those people is Sally, the young niece of Peevy, Cliff’s best pal and the one mechanic who can tinker with the Rocketeer’s jetpack. Sally has a mad crush on Cliff, and Cliff’s actress/bombshell girlfriend, Betty, is fuming about the crush and Sally. Meanwhile, something wicked has just docked at the port in Los Angeles, and the sinister mastermind targets The Rocketeer.

As much as I liked both Rocketeer Adventures series (or at least parts of Vol. 2), I wanted IDW to publish an actual Rocketeer story arc. I was excited to discover The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom while reading the list of comic books shipping this week (8/22/). I was immediately determined to get my hands on this comic book, and having just read it, I am not disappointed.

When Mark Waid is on, the comic books he writes are fun to read. In Cargo of Doom, he uses dialogue to form the characters for readers, and crackling dialogue is always preferable to a psycho-babble when it comes to developing comic book characters. This is why I think someone like Waid is more of a natural at creating comic book than other writers who seem to have some kind of quasi-literary credibility. Under Waid’s care, Peevy hasn’t been this spicy since Dave Steven’s original comics. As for the characters’ actions, Waid also makes that clear and straightforward, from the lecherous government agent to the mercurial Guptmann.

I had been planning on reading some comic books drawn by Chris Samnee, but I was reluctant to try some of his Marvel Comics work if that meant figuring out whatever is going on in the Marvel Universe. Samnee’s art bears similarities to the work of Darwyn Cooke, David Mazzuchelli (Batman: Year One era), and Bruce Timm, while remaining uniquely his own style. Samnee’s figure drawing is killer, and there is a bit of classicism in the way he poses characters, as if he were drawing human bodies for academic critics.

I must admit that I am not crazy about Cargo of Doom’s cover price, and I may ultimately balk at paying $20 to read the entire series. Still, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #1 is one of the year’s best debuts.

A-

I Reads You Review: ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #3

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #3
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITERS: David Lapham, Kyle Baker, Matt Wagner
ARTISTS: Chris Sprouse, Kyle Baker, Eric Canete
INKS: Karl Story
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire, Eric Canete and Cassandra Poulson
LETTERS: Shawn Lee, Kyle Baker
PIN-UP: Eric Powell with Dave Stewart
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Darwyn Cooke (A, C), Dave Stevens (B)
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens, who died in March of 2008. The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly, and his adventures are set mainly in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938.

The Rocketeer returned to comic books in 2011 in Rocketeer Adventures. Edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing, this four-issue, anthology comic book was a tribute to Stevens and featured Rocketeer short stories (about 8 pages in length) from some of the premiere creators in American comic books. The tributes continue in Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2.

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #3 opens with “Coulda Been…,” a story by David Lapham with art by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story, that finds Cliff Second and his girlfriend, Betty Page, imagining what their lives could be like. In “Butch Saves Betty,” the brilliant cartoonist Kyle Baker introduces Cliff and company to a shadowy client. Then, writer Matt Wagner and artist Eric Canete take readers to the future for a “History Lesson.”

David Lapham is a popular comic book creator, but I wonder if people really appreciate what a good writer he is. I see him as a comic book scribe who can always put an imaginative twist on the character/ensemble drama. Read 30 Days of Night: 30 Days ‘Til Death; it could have been just another vampire comic book, but isn’t. His “Coulda Been…” shows why making comic book characters “grow up,” especially those grounded in fantasy, is a mistake. The reason is that when you make characters act like real-world adults that fundamentally changes those characters, sometimes to the point in which they become different from what they were originally. Another good thing about this story is that the artist is the talented and under-utilized Chris Sprouse.

There is nothing special about the other two stories, other than that Kyle Baker draws one of them. What is special is the pin-up by Eric Powell (with colors by Dave Stewart). I could stare at a Powell drawing for an hour and not consider that a waste of time.

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