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STAR WARS THE CLASSIC NEWSPAPER COMICS Volume 1

STAR WARS THE CLASSIC NEWSPAPER COMICS, VOL. 1
IDW PUBLISHING/The Library of American Comics – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Russ Manning; Steve Gerber; Russ Helm; Don Christensen
ARTISTS: Russ Manning; Mike Royer; Rick Hoberg; Dave Stevens
EDITOR/DESIGNER: Dean Mullaney
ISBN: 978-1-63140-872-4; Over-sized 11” x 8.5” hardcover-with-dust jacket (May 9, 2017)
264pp, Color and B&W, $49.99 U.S., $65.99 CAN

Introductions by Rich Handley and Henry G. Franke III.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... there was a Star Wars newspaper comic strip, which included a daily strip in black and white and a full-color Sunday episode.  From 1979 to 1984, a group of dedicated writers and artists “brought us all the action of the movie [Star Wars] in a daily adventure comic strip!”

Now for the first time, courtesy of IDW Publishing and its imprint, The Library of American Comics, the classic Star Wars newspaper strip is being reprinted in its entirety and in its complete format.  That includes each Sunday title header and the “bonus” panels in their restored original color.  Star Wars The Classic Newspaper Comics, Volume 1 was published in May and contains 575 sequential comic strips from the Star Wars comic strip’s premiere on March 11, 1979 to October 5, 1980.

This collection covers ten story arcs, beginning with the first three, which were written and drawn by the legendary newspaper comics and comic book artist, Russ Manning.  The next six story lines were drawn by Manning with the help of several artists, among them Rick Hoberg and Dave Stevens, and written by Russ Helm, Don Christensen, and Steve Gerber.  This book's final story arc is drawn entirely by legendary Filipino comic book artist, Alfredo Alcala, and written by Helm.

The Star Wars newspaper strip features the classic characters from the classic original film, Star Wars (1977).  Luke, Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and, of course, Darth Vader, spar for the fate of the galaxy.  In “Gambler's World,” Luke and Leia travel to Vorzyd 5, a world that is one planet-wide casino, and our heroes must shut down this gambling operation that funds the Galactic Empire's military efforts.  Han Solo and Chewbacca race “The Second Kessel Run” to stop a ship that can use a planet's weather and climate to destroy that world.  In “Bring Me the Children,” the entire Star Wars gang leads a ragtag band of pilots, who are also friends of Han Solo, to save a group of children from the murderous clutches of the Empire.

Once upon a time, the Star Wars franchise consisted of a few novels, a few dozen comic books, and assorted odds and ends.  In this fledgling universe, the Star Wars newspaper comics were born.  Because there was only a single movie upon which the creators of the strip could draw (and not a big expanded universe), the Star Wars newspaper comics came about as close to the tone and spirit of the original film as any official Star Wars spin-off ever got, perhaps even closer than Marvel Comics first run of Star Wars comic books.

I think what makes that possible is that the beginning of the Star Wars newspaper comics was guided by Russ Manning.  Manning's career as an illustrator and as a comic book artist began with his childhood love of pulp magazines and of science fiction in the 1930s and 40s.  As a young professional artist, he worked on the kind of material that entertained and influenced a young George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars.  In fact, Manning's best known work, the comic book, Magnus, Robot Righter, which he created, made him the ideal choice to be the writer-artist to bring Star Wars to the newspaper comics pages.  Manning gives the early story arcs a tone and a spirit that recalls space opera and space jockey adventurers like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, as well as the B-movie serials of the 1930s and 40s and 1950s sci-fi films – all Star Wars influences or antecedents to one extent or another.

What really shows is Manning's great talent for character design and creature creation and for his ability to fabricate exotic locales and environments.  Characters like “Black Hole” (a Darth Vader agent, lackey, and spy) and the wookies of Chewbacca's home planet (to say nothing of the fauna and foliage) are inventive and striking.

I do not want to downplay the contributions of the other writers and artists who worked on the first two years of this newspaper comic, but Manning sets the tone.  Manning was captivated by the original Star Wars and described it as incredible to the Los Angeles Times.  His love and admiration shows in the narrative and in the graphically striking art Manning produced for the strip, and that carries on through the stories reprinted in Star Wars The Classic Newspaper Comics, Volume 1.

For Star Wars fans who read this in a newspaper back when it was originally published, these comics are probably as entertaining now as they were then.  For someone who is just reading them now, like me, well, these newspaper comics, feel, read, and look like old-timey, original Star Wars.  IDW and The Library of American Comics do it again!  No fan of Star Wars comic books can go without reading Star Wars The Classic Newspaper Comics, Volume 1.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for syndication rights and fees.

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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for March 1, 2017

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Review: ROCKETEER Adventures #4

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES No. 4
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Dave Gibbons; Joe Pruett; John Arcudi
ARTISTS: Scott Hampton; Tony Harris; Brendan McCarthy
COLORS: Scott Hampton; JD Mettler; Jamie Grant
LETTERS: Shawn Lee
PIN-UPS: Ashley Wood
COVER: Alex Ross
ALTERNATE COVERS:  Dave Stevens (Cover B), Alex Ross (Cover RI – sketch); and Dave Stevens (B/W Incentive Edition)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2011)

Rocketeer created by Dave Stevens

Long live The Rocketeer!

Born in 1955, Dave Stevens was an illustrator, artist, and storyteller who worked on newspaper comic strips and as a storyboard artist on both live-action and animated films and also for television.  Many, like me, know Stevens for his comic book work.  While there was not much of it, what Stevens did produce was spectacular and beautiful.

His most famous comic book creation is The Rocketeer, a superhero Stevens first introduced in 1982.  The Rocketeer’s style and the mode of his adventures recall the Saturday matinee heroes of the 1930s and 1940s.  The Rocketeer’s exploits are mainly set in and around Los Angeles, beginning in 1938 and into the 1940s.  The Rocketeer even made it onto the big screen in a 1991 film from Walt Disney Pictures.

The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers an experimental jet pack (or rocket pack).  When he straps it on, Cliff can fly and becomes The Rocketeer.  Cliff’s friend, Peevy, an airplane mechanic, helps him maintain and modify the rocket pack.  Cliff’s girlfriend is the actress, Bettie, whom Stevens based on real life, 1950s pin-up and fetish model, Bettie Page.

Debuting in 2011, Rocketeer Adventures was an anthology series from IDW Publishing.  Edited by Scott Dunbier, Rocketeer Adventures featured Rocketeer short stories (about 7 to 8 pages in length) produced by some of the most popular, imaginative, and unique creators in comic books.  The series, which had a sequel, basically paid respect to Stevens (who died in 2008) and his most beloved creation.

Rocketeer Adventures #4 features three stories.  The first is “A Day at the Beach,” written by Dave Gibbons and drawn by Scott Hampton, which finds the Rocketeer taking on surfboard thieves.  In “Waterlogged,” written by Joe Pruett and drawn by Tony Harris, the Rocketeer battles a Japanese submarine.  “The Flight of the Aeronaut,” written by John Arcudi with art by Brendan McCarthy and Jamie Grant, finds Cliff battling Nazis who want Peevy’s plans to improve the Rocketeer’s rocket pack.

“A Day at the Beach” shows off Scott Hampton’s technique in illustrated narrative, which I still find eye-catching decades after I first saw his work.  The delicate watercolors (or watercolor-like colors) perfectly convey a sunny day at the beach.  “The Flight of the Aeronaut” is scary, and I wish it were longer.

In fact, since Rocketeer Adventures was first published, IDW Publishing has published three original miniseries starring the Rocketeer (one of them featuring Will Eisner’s The Spirit).  So here’s an idea for another miniseries, Mr. Dunbier, editor of all things Rocketeer, a follow-up to “The Flight of the Aeronaut.”

As a bonus, Rocketeer Adventures #4 features two pin-ups by artist Ashley Wood.  The second of the two, entitled “Heaven Bound,” captures the sense of wonder and hope that the Rocketeer embodies.  Long live the Rocketeer.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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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

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for September 26 2012

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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

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-

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for August 22 2012

IDW PUBLISHING

JUN120368 COBRA ONGOING #16 [DIG] $3.99
JUN120362 DANGER GIRL GI JOE #2 [DIG] $3.99
JUN120407 ETERNAL DESCENT VOL 2 #6 [DIG] $3.99
JUN120313 MARS ATTACKS #3 [DIG] $3.99
JUN120418 RIP KIRBY HC VOL 05 $49.99
JUN120315 ROCKETEER CARGO OF DOOM #1 [DIG] $3.99
JUN120348 STAR TREK ONGOING #12 $3.99
JUN120414 STARSTRUCK TP $34.99
JUN120403 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ONGOING #13 $3.99
JUN120376 TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE ONGOING #8 [DIG] $3.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for July 4 2012

IDW PUBLISHING

MAY120426 CAPE 1969 #1 $3.99
APR120408 CONVENTION SKETCHBOOK HC $19.99
MAY120431 DANGER GIRL DANGER SIZED TREASURY ED #2 $9.99
MAY120407 DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS SERIES IV #6 $3.99
APR120389 DOROTHY OF OZ PREQUEL #3 $3.99
APR128213 FRANKENSTEIN ALIVE ALIVE #1 2ND PTG $3.99
MAY120441 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #180 $3.99
MAY120444 GI JOE V2 COBRA COMMAND TP VOL 02 $19.99
MAY120461 INFESTATION 2 TP VOL 02 $17.99
MAY120455 POPEYE #3 $3.99
APR120319 ROCKETEER ADVENTURES 2 #4 $3.99
APR120353 STAR TREK LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES HC $24.99
MAY120368 TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE ONGOING #7 $3.99

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.

B

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

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #2
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITERS: Tom Taylor, Paul Dini, Walter Simonson
ARTISTS: Colin Wilson, Bill Morrison, John Paul Leon
COLORS: Dave Stewart, Serban Cristescu
LETTERS: Robbie Robbins, Chris Mowry, Shawn Lee
PIN-UP: J. Scott Campbell with John Rauch
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Darwyn Cooke (A, C), Dave Stevens (B)
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Inspired by the Saturday matinee movie heroes of the 1930s and 40s, The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly. The Rocketeer’s adventures are set mainly in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938. The character was created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens, who died in March of 2008.

After a long absence from comics, The Rocketeer returned 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 7 to 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 #2 opens with “Work to Do,” story by Tom Taylor and art by Colin Wilson, which places The Rocketeer on a European battlefield with a job to do. In “Betty’s Big Break,” writer Paul Dini and artist Bill Morrison take our hero to the set of a B-movie where he becomes a “Rocket Rustler,” much to Betty’s chagrin. Writer Walter Simonson and artist John Paul Leon send The Rocketeer flying like a flying monkey to save a special young lady in “Autograph.”

I found the first issue of Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 to be a tad bit over the top as a tribute to a respected, deceased artist. Why? While honoring Dave Stevens’ memory, the slam bang action that is The Rocketeer lost its pop and became like something preserved in amber and golden hues. Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #2 is different. These three Rocketeer stories read like real Rocketeer stories and not tributes meant to be placed in the burial chamber of some great figure’s tomb.

“Work to Do” is a gritty battlefield fantasia with heart and pop. As for the second story: I’ve long been perplexed with the popularity of Paul Dini’s comic book work. I’m sure that he has an entire wing devoted to him at the Academy of the Overrated. I have found enjoyment in a few of his comic book stories; “Betty’s Big Break” is one of them. I think it would make an excellent graphic novel if expanded. I don’t know if Walter Simonson has ever disappointed me; if he has, it was not by much. “Autograph” moves like an action movie, and its references to the late 1930s are wonderful.

I don’t think that I have to say anything about the artists who drew these stories. They are all consummate professionals and their graphic storytelling and art are sparkling. On the other hand, that J. Scott Campbell pin-up is rather ordinary. It’s like something Campbell would knock off while sitting at a convention table. Of course, he would over-charge for it, though it’s worth no more than 25 bucks.

A-

I Reads You Review: ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #1

"More tears than rockets"
ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #1
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITERS: Marc Guggenheim, Peter David, Stan Sakai
ARTISTS: Sandy Plunkett, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai
COLORS: Jeromy Cox, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Robbie Robbins, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai
PIN-UP: Arthur Adams with John Rauch
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: Darwyn Cooke (alternate cover by Dave Stevens)
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

First appearing in 1982, The Rocketeer is a superhero created by the late writer/illustrator Dave Stevens and inspired by the Saturday matinee movie heroes of the 1930s and 1940s. Set mainly in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938, the series follows Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly, leading to the birth of The Rocketeer.

After a long absence from comics, The Rocketeer returned last year in Rocketeer Adventures. This four-issue miniseries was an anthology comic book edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing. Rocketeer Adventures features Rocketeer short stories (about 7 to 8 pages in length) from some of the premiere creators in American comic books. Now, the fun is back in Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2.

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #1 opens with “The Good Guys,” story by Marc Guggenheim and art by Sandy Plunkett. While the wounded Rocketeer slumbers in a bed on the second floor of a farmhouse, the locals discuss his fate: turn him over to the law or not. But a child shall lead them. Peter David gives the Rocketeer a Looney Tunes spin in “The Ducketeer,” with art by Bill Sienkiewicz, who executes a graphic riff on Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble. Stan Sakai takes the Rocketeer to a small-ville and the Rocketeer takes a kid up, up, and away in “A Dream of Flying.”

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 starts off nostalgic and quaint with this first issue. The stories are sweet and sentimental, with in-jokes for comic book and cartoon fans. These pop culture references and riffs will make even the most jaded pop culture buff smile.

Marc Guggenheim’s tale (“The Good Guys”) treads on familiar territory. Are there enough good people to fight evil and what is the nature of vigilantism are two real-world questions with which this story grapples. Guggenheim’s story is timely in light of a FOX News affiliate in Orlando, Florida referring to Neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Movement, as a civil rights group, something the FOX News website later repeated.

This story is also a welcomed return of seldom-seen comic book artist, Sandy Plunkett, whose style is ideal for this old-timey, rural pastoral story. Like Rocketeer creator, Dave Stevens, Plunkett is apparently also influenced by the American book and magazine illustrators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

That aside, these new Rocketeer comic books are rapidly becoming showcases for artists that don’t regularly produce comic book art. These stories are also too sentimental, and, as much as I enjoy a dose of “Disneyana” with my comics, The Rocketeer’s origin comes out of adventure movie serials. This character needs to bust out in a miniseries – one complete with cliffhanger endings at the end of each issue. New Rocketeer comics should not be treated as if they are part of a eulogy to Stevens. All this pretty art and quaintness makes Rocketeer Adventures seem like a funerary item.

I appreciate the new Rocketeer comics, but they can be more than what they are. I must admit, of course, that I think the Art Adams pin-up is awesome.

B+

I Reads You Review: ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #3

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #3
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITERS: Ryan Sook, Joe R. Lansdale, Bruce Timm, Jonathan Ross
ARTISTS: Ryan Sook, Bruce Timm, Tommy Lee Edwards
COLORS: Tommy Lee Edwards
LETTERS: Ryan Sook, John Workman
PIN-UPS: Stephanie Buscema, Joe Chiodo
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: Alex Ross (alternate cover by Dave Stevens)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

First appearing in 1982, The Rocketeer is a superhero created by the late writer/illustrator Dave Stevens. The Rocketeer takes inspiration from the Saturday movie heroes of the 1930s and 1940s, and his exploits are mainly set in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938. The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly, and Secord’s girlfriend, Bettie Page, is based upon real life, 1950s pin-up and fetish model, Bettie Page.

Over a 30 year period, The Rocketeer made infrequent comic book appearances in several publications from several publishers. The character debuted as a backup feature in the comic book, Starslayer, from the now-defunct Pacific Comics and made two appearances in Pacific's anthology, Pacific Presents. Afterwards, there was the Rocketeer Special Edition (Eclipse Comics), the Rocketeer Adventure Magazine (Comico Comics) and finally graphic novel collection from Dark Horse Comics

The Rocketeer is back in Rocketeer Adventures, a new anthology series from IDW Publishing. Edited by Scott Dunbier, Rocketeer Adventures features Rocketeer short stories (about 7 to 8 pages in length) from some of the premiere creators in American comic books.

Rocketeer Adventures #3 opens with “A Rocketeer Story” by Ryan Sook, which finds the Rocketeer taking on robbers at the premiere of a new film in which Bettie has a major speaking role. Writer Jonathan Ross and artist Tommy Lee Edwards introduce the “Junior Rocketeers” as girl power flexes its muscles. Stephanie Buscema and Joe Chiodo offer pin-ups. Writer and novelist Joe R. Lansdale and artist Bruce Timm present an illustrated prose short story and faux pulp tale, “Heaven’s Devils.”

“A Rocketeer Story” and “Junior Rocketeers” are nice, but nothing special. How does one follow up an issue that had a Darwyn Cooke Rocketeer story? Scott Dunbier somehow wrangled a Joe R. Lansdale/Bruce Timm joint – a short fiction piece with illustrations. I’ve always hated/dreaded finding a prose story in a comic book. I like short stories, but I don’t want to read one in a comic book. Am I obligated to read it, I always ask myself.

The seven-page story features a cover-like illustration and wide black and white illustrations by Timm, but Lansdale holds up his end. “Heaven’s Devils is a fun read with lots of salty language, and it features the subtly vivid prose that is a hallmark of the usually excellent Lansdale. Once again, the contributors to Rocketeer Adventures do right by Dave Stevens.

B+

Complete List of 2011 Eisner Award Winners

2011 Eisner Award Winners List

Best Continuing Series
Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)

Best Short Story
"Post Mortem," by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, in I Am an Avenger #2 (Marvel)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)

Best Limited Series
Daytripper, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Vertigo/DC)

Best New Series
American Vampire, by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque (Vertigo/DC)

Best Publication for Kids
Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)

Best Publication for Teens
Smile, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)

Best Humor Publication
I Thought You Would Be Funnier, by Shannon Wheeler (BOOM!)

Best Anthology
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, edited by Paul Morrissey and David Petersen (Archaia)

Best Digital Comic
Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl, www.abominable.cc

Best Reality-Based Work
It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album—New
Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee (Archaia)
Wilson, by Daniel Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Wednesday Comics, edited by Mark Chiarello (DC)

Best Adaptation from Another Work
The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
Archie: The Complete Daily Newspaper Strips, 1946–1948, by Bob Montana, edited by Greg Goldstein (IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
Dave Stevens' The Rocketeer Artist's Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

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

Best Writer
Joe Hill, Lock & Key (IDW)

Best Writer/Artist
Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit (IDW)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Skottie Young, The Marvelous Land of Oz (Marvel)

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

Best Cover Artist
Mike Mignola, Hellboy, Baltimore: The Plague Ships (Dark Horse)

Best Coloring
Dave Stewart, Hellboy, BPRD, Baltimore, Let Me In (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Neil Young's Greendale, Daytripper, Joe the Barbarian (Vertigo/DC)

Best Lettering
Todd Klein, Fables, The Unwritten, Joe the Barbarian, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom (WildStorm/DC); SHIELD (Marvel); Driver for the Dead (Radical)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
ComicBookResources, produced by Jonah Weiland (www.comicbookresources.com)

Best Comics-Related Book
75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, by Paul Levitz (TASCHEN)

Best Publication Design
Dave Stevens' The Rocketeer Artist's Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk (IDW)

HALL OF FAME
Judges' Choices: Ernie Bushmiller, Jack Jackson, Martin Nodell, Lynd Ward
Elected: Mort Drucker, Harvey Pekar, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award:
Nate Simpson

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award:
Patrick McDonnell

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award:
Del Connell, Bob Haney

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award:
Comics & Vegetables, Tel Aviv, Israel - Yuval Sharon, Danny Amitai