Advance Review — The Hero Dominates ‘The Rocketeer: In The Den Of Thieves’ #4

For a series that initially didn’t feature much of its titular hero in the first two issues, the conclusion of The Rocketeer: In the Den of Thieves sure makes up for it. The rocket-powered good guy dominates the fourth and final issue of this limited series – all while battling some Nazi doppelgangers.

With a rocket strapped to his back on nearly every page, Cliff Secord is trying to rescue his mechanic Peevy, who was kidnapped by the goose-stepping villains. Later, the Rocketeer has to stop a squadron of Nazis in rockets of their own from blowing up Manhattan.

All of this is a far cry from the first two issues, when Cliff was questioning whether he’d ever wear the hero’s helmet again. The only time we say the Rocketeer in those issues was either through a daydream or a case of mistaken identity. It’s a welcome change that gives readers plenty of what they are looking for in a story like this.

Writer Stephen Mooney gives the Rocketeer plenty of 1930s-era lingo, including a nice sequence where the hero admits to being “steamed” over the flying Nazi invasion of his home. “Get yer filthy rockets outta my sky!” he exclaims.

All of this action gives artist David Messina more than enough to work with. Something or someone is getting punched, thrown, or blown up on nearly every page. It may not be a thinking person’s story, but it is a fun one. There’s so much action, in fact, that the issue flies by to the point that the ending is a bit rushed. We end up having some of it explained to us, which is disappointing given the amount of action occurring on the page already.

While this story definitively concludes, there’s little doubt that this creative team is planning some more Rocketeer for the future. When it arrives, let’s hope it features plenty of the hero throughout the tale.

The Rocketeer: In the Den of Thieves #4 will be available for purchase on Wednesday.