Stephen Mooney returns to the wonderful world of The Rocketeer, and we get more of a view of Cliff Secord’s life post-rocket pack. Stephen Mooney wrote The Rocketeer: The Great Race last year and left us with quite an ending as the rocket pack was beyond repair, and Cliff was finally looking at settling down with Betty. It looks like Cliff has found paradise and is doing something most heroes dream of, living a normal life. Yet, it can’t be that easy, can it? Mooney teams with artist David Messina to give us some thoughts on that answer.
The first few pages are a fantastic opener for a sequel to life post-heroics. Stephen Mooney and David Messina open the issue up with what we readers want to see: a man flying over the open fields. Nothing but sky and rocket power. The colors do a superb job of keeping the reader, and our figure, in the dark.
Messina shines in this scene as he pulls double duty as an artist and colorist. Messina keeps us in the unknown by using an excellent shadow trick so we can’t confirm who is flying up in the sky, which keeps the reader in suspense with Mooney’s script.
You’ll find your answer to the rocket pack situation and an introduction to our villains quickly following. I know the world of The Rocketeer is always 1940s and Nazi bashing, but it works! Cliff is a hero of an era, and these pulp-styled adventures play to his style and technology of the time. Stephen Mooney motivates this group of Nazis to make it work for the story; plus, they are not looking to quarrel with Cliff, which makes this scenario more interesting. Yet, by the end of the issue, you’ll see that these Nazis can’t keep themselves from a run-in with our hero.
As the comic continues to explore Cliff’s life, we find ourselves visiting a movie studio, and of course, Betty’s introduction is an alluring page. David Messina reminds us of how Bettie Page influenced Dave Stewart by offering this excellent page showcasing the character’s beauty. Stephen Mooney adds some icing to their relationship by showing Cliff as a caring boyfriend, so they are perfectly in love. This level of commitment will be a sore spot when the action calls, but it is lovely to see for now.
Sadly this perfect life is making Cliff hunger for more; even after doing a tight stunt in his small plane, Cliff can’t find the thrill. This scene is an excellent characterization of how could a stunt pilot find excitement in a plane after having a rocket strapped to his back. Here is where Stephen Mooney digs into Cliff’s mindset and establishes it perfectly. Then, Mooney hammers some sense into Cliff via Peevy as the voice of reason. Peevy gets such a great spotlight in this issue that it is bittersweet with Alan Arkin’s passing being so recent. Peevy has been a great character in The Rocketeer’s world, and now more than anything, we need Cliff to step up as a hero in this adventure by Mooney and Messina.
Mooney & Messina craft an excellent opening to a potential epilogue to Cliff Secord’s time as the Rocketeer by giving him the perfect life, yet Cliff can’t find the thrill. Now by tossing him into the Den of Thieves, Cliff must sacrifice his peace to save others, but can he do it without a rocket pack? Is Cliff willing to pay that price?
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