The Rocketeer is one of the rare comic book characters who feels truly larger than life. A large part of that is thanks to IDW putting out comics with unique premises, helmed by top-tier creative teams. Whether it’s Mark Waid and Chris Samnee bringing in actual dinosaurs with The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, the anthology series Rocketeer Adventures featuring stories from comic book legends like the late, great John Cassaday, or the highly underrated The Rocketeer: The Great Race, this is a franchise that has something for everyone. The Rocketeer: Infiltrator #1 continues this grand tradition by plunging its high-flying hero into the world of espionage.
The year is 1944, and in the thick of World War II, Cliff Secord is tapped for a secret mission that will take him deep into the heart of Nazi-occupied Germany. He isn’t alone, however, as his girlfriend Betty has been roped into the mission. She’s taking a role in a film abroad, with Cliff having to pose as her brother/manager; matters aren’t helped by the fact that the charming leading man, Charles Ballard, is taking an interest in Betty. Can Cliff manage to stop the Nazis’ latest plot and salvage his relationship in the process?
What makes the Rocketeer comics so great is that you can throw Cliff into any genre and it’ll work. Whether it’s pure pulp or a commentary on Hollywood’s Golden Age, as long as you keep the fact that the main character’s a guy with a futuristic jet pack and really cool helmet, you’re golden. Gabriel Hardman understands this, as he manages to inject plenty of grit and intense fight scenes into the atmosphere while still featuring Rocketeer flying around and punching or shooting guys. I also love that Hardman introduces historical context into the mix, particularly with the presence of the Maquis, the French guerrilla fighters who seek to take down Nazi forces.
IDW
The Rocketeer: Infiltrator #1 also features some great work from Dean Kotz, who doesn’t shy away from the kind of violence that perpetuated World War II. Bullets cut through the air, bodies hit the ground, and blood is shed frequently. K.J. Diaz adds to the atmosphere with his color palette, choosing dark blues and black to reflect the gloom of WWII. He tends to punctuate it with bursts of color: the Rocketeer immediately stands out thanks to his golden helmet and purple jet pack, Betty and Cliff’s scenes are often shrouded in a hazy pink that underscores their romance, and whenever firefights break out, golden blasts of light streak across the screen.
There’s one major twist at the end of The Rocketeer: Infiltrator #1 that immediately makes me want the next issue, and it’s clever on two fronts. The first is that it’s a nice take on the movie The Rocketeer, particularly given a certain role one of the cast members was famous for playing. The second is that it pays homage to that character’s history in a way that actually feels fresh, rather than being a pastiche. To say more would spoil the surprise.
The Rocketeer: Infiltrator #1 puts its high-flying hero smack-dab in the middle of an espionage tale, still keeping the pulpy aspects while tackling the realities of war. Whether this is your first introduction to the Rocketeer or you’re a longtime fan, it’s a comic worth picking up.
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