This volume bundles together the first four single issues in the ongoing The Rocketeer at War storyline. It is actually the first to be released as a trade paperback, the previous ones, with exception of the short-story book Jet-Pack Adventures, have always been hardcover.
What is great about this issue is that they have kept the same writers and used only two different artists. Which is a vast improvement on past storylines and really helps with consistency.
They have also fixed the past chronology issues, as this story is set after all the previous ones. Wether or not that’ll last of course remains to be seen.
The Rocketeer at War doesn’t explore anything new so far as the Rocketeer universe goes: he’s still fighting the Nazis left, right and center. But it’s an entertaining story, with fun characters (both new and old) and entertaining villains.
Also, the little historical facts that get sneaked in are pretty cool.
Another fun touch is the addition of a Rocketeer short story at the back of the volume. Well, it’s to say, it’s a nice idea, as The Rivet Gang was originally published as the final stories in Jet-Pack Adventures. But for people who don’t own that one, it’s a nice addition.
As far as the post-Dave Stevens Rocketeer goes, this is definitely one of the better installments. It’s not as good as the utterly sublime The Rocketeer and The Spirit: Pulp Friction (our review here), but it’s a very close second.
