Hey folks, Harry here... I usually leave these sorts of things to the @$$HOLE$, but IDW sent me an early copy of this absolutely magnificent limited item that they've created for COMIC CON 2010. Now, I've been a Rocketeer geek from pretty much the beginning. My parents were huge Commando Cody / Rocket Man serial geeks - and my father just happened to be a fan of Mike Grell's in the early 80's. So he was reading STAR SLAYER #2 when Dave Stevens first birthed the adventures of Cliff Secord. Because of my love of the controls so easy a child could use them... He handed me the book to read and I wanted more. Being a young fan of THE ROCKETEER was never easy, the character went from comic to comic - being an "extra special" story in these pre-B&W Indie moments... But Dad bought me everything that was released. All the Pacific Presents, that Hardback that Ellison did an intro for and then the ECLIPSE SERIES. Later when Dave Stevens started doing Limited Edition Prints - I got those - and Dave even drew a Rocketeer for me in my sketch book when I was just 15 at the DALLAS FANTASY FAIR. Dave was awesome. Absolutely awesome. As I grew up, I continued to meet him at cons. He bought some old Men's Mags from the 50's & 60's from Dad and I... along with a few Gogos covered MEN'S ADVENTURES. When Joe Johnston had the chance to turn it into a feature, though the studio never quite fully gave him their support... he still managed to make a movie that I loved. And I couldn't believe, fetishistically, that it existed at all. I mean, that Nazi Cartoon in the middle of the film? Holy shit! Rick Baker's RONDO make up? Just the general existence of Jennifer Connelly and that they found Cliff Secord? And the score. I was always upset that it seemed to be missing an action sequence, and a couple years ago when I sat down with General Joe on the set of THE WOLFMAN, I finally got to talk with Johnston about ROCKETEER - a film he kinda loves still... And he confirmed that he had wanted to shoot a big action number coming out of the South Seas Club - and he told me that there was to be a fight down Hollywood Blvd, to the front of Graumann's. But Disney wouldn't pay for it. Apparently Disney fought him at every turn. Let's hope MARVEL fully supports him on CAPTAIN AMERICA, of course they will. Anyway... IDW recognizing the awesome we all feel for our dearly departed Dave Stevens and his glorious ROCKETEER has printed an enormously awesome Hardback that I feel may represent the single best printed oversized book that I've ever had in my grubby greedy little paws. DAVE STEVENS' THE ROCKETEER: ARTIST'S EDITION - which you can order for pick-up at Comic Con. It is 12" by 17" - reprinting in EXACTING DETAIL - Dave's exact original art. There are points where Dave had to cut and past the actual dialogue into the panel - and it is so faithfully produced at such high resolution, that you will find yourself dragging your finger atop it, hoping to feel it being raised. Dave's ink and pencil work is legendary. I received this yesterday and my sister - who is currently working on her "inking skills" lost her mind looking at this book. And then she said something hilarious to me. She mentioned how nobody does it like the golden age artists like Will Eisner, Dave Stevens, Frank Frazetta & Wally Wood. I stopped her. Telling her, "You do know that Dave Stevens did ROCKETEER just slightly before TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES." To which, her brain melted. I had to pull up Wiki to prove to her that I was right, because the art is of such an exacting and loving detail that it doesn't make sense that it was created within our lifetimes. But then, that was the magic of DAVE STEVENS. Here you have every page of ROCKETEER originals in a perfect & magnificent presentation. Word is, IDW might do some others like this, if not even larger. The thought makes me giddy. I've collected comic Original Art my whole life and having this really is a testament to the amazing work that Dave did on this seminal series. If you love THE ROCKETEER order and pick up! You won't regret the exchanged Benjamin. Totally worth it. Here's a few pages - to drool over. And realize - it looks WAY BETTER PRINTED!
