Review by Frank Plowright
A second volume of Rocketeer Adventures continues the process of letting assorted creators loose on the Rocketeer concept, and name by name those contributing to this volume aren’t as well known as those responsible for Volume 1. Yet here the writing is stronger than the art overall, which isn’t to say that there’s not some art to love and cherish.
The artist likely to be least known to American readers is Colin Wilson (sample art left), yet his and the then little known Tom Taylor’s contribution depressingly brings home the horror of war. Wilson, of course, is no novice and has a long track record in both British and European comics. His art is paired on the sample selection with that of Stan Sakai whose clever story works on two levels. It’s charming enough if considered about the Rocketeer endangered in a rural community, but it’s elevated for readers who pick up on the subtext.
It’s the writers straying away from what would be a conventional Rocketeer story that makes this a more interesting collection than the first. Peter David reformats the cast for a classic Warner Brothers cartoon, but Bill Sienkiewicz looking to Ralph Steadman as influence doesn’t sell the idea as well as he might. David Mandel and J. Bone have the Rocketeer transported to another planet, where he misreads every situation and Kyle Baker’s strip focuses on bulldog Butchy. They’re all played for laughs, and very few contributors follow the light adventure template, meaning the consistent mood of the first volume here acts as a change of pace. It’s best pulled off by Louise and Walter Simonson’s tale of a bombing raid on the White House, with John Byrne’s plot very similar.
Marc Guggenheim’s opening strip also features an aerial battle, but develops into a consideration of the value of vigilantes during wartime. It’s beautifully drawn by Sandy Plunkett, an artist whose rarity almost matches that of Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens.
The variety over a dozen adventures means few Rocketeer fans will feel short-changed. The dust jacket features Darywn Cooke’s cover art without the logo.
