IDW Announces ‘The Rocketeer: The Island’ — Based On A Dave Stevens’ Unused Outline

by Olly MacNamee

The Rocketeer is about to fly again with a new series from writer John Layman, artist Jacob Edgar and colourist K.J. Díaz.

The Rocketeer: The Island will debut February 2025 and is inspired by a never-published outline by The Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens, this all-new adventure brings readers back to 1938 as Cliff Secord, a.k.a. The Rocketeer, returns to save Amelia Earhart! But this search and rescue mission brings the fan-favorite hero to a mysterious island that is full of surprises.

Speaking of this new series and his love of the character, Layman said:

“This Rocketeer project has been coming together for the past few months, and I can’t say enough about how much joy I’m getting every time a new page comes in. Playing in Dave Stevens’ world, a retro-world of charm, humor and rocket-fueled adventure, has been an absolute blast. As an artist Stevens was an absolute virtuoso, and I feel like Rocketeer is an all-time classic comic character — he’s always been one of my favorites. IDW, a publisher I’ve already done work for on some of my very favorite comic projects, has given me another fantastic opportunity to get paid while having fun, while allowing me to honor a vision of a comic book hero of mine, and play in a world I’ve loved for decades. Plus, the art and colors by Jacob Edgar and K.J. Díaz are just phenomenal and perfect for the book.”

Edgar added:

“It’s a huge honor to be working on The Rocketeer, an iconic character with a very high bar to try and live up to, artistically. From Dave Stevens himself, to Chris Samnee, Darwyn Cooke, Staz Johnson… It feels like Cliff Secord always gets the greats. I love the tone that John is bringing to our story and I’m always jazzed to be working with K.J Díaz for color. This is a book I would not have guessed I’d ever get to do, but I’m having a blast making it, and I hope that energy comes through in the pages.”