Prepare the Sacrifice

The old pulp serials are so beloved because, at the end of the day, they’re just fun. The Rocketeer: The Island #3 perfectly encapsulates that old-school pulp feeling.

Cliff Secord and company’s mission to locate Amelia Earhart has hit a few snags. Ending up on a tropical island with skull-shaped caves, their first strange encounter is with living dinosaurs. Before long, two of their number—Cliff’s old flame Betty and archaeologist Alexandra Payne—have been taken by the natives to be sacrificed to Kong.

Yes, that Kong. The “King” one.

Cliff’s first encounter with the gigantic being doesn’t end well, giving him a damaged rocket pack and a possible concussion. The former is resolved by the timely appearance of none other than Miss Earhart herself, but the appearance of a gigantic T-Rex called King Bloodscale complicates things further…

Not in the Travel Guide

Let’s get the big question out of the way first:

“Does the Rocketeer really stand a chance against King Kong?”

So far, the answer is a resounding “no.” I’m guessing that won’t change, and the new threat of King Bloodscale will be the x-factor that allows our heroes to escape.

So if we know our hero has zero chance against the antagonist, does that mean the story lacks any drama and isn’t fun?

Definitely not.

This comic is a blast from start to finish. The dialogue, the supporting cast that includes characters like TinTin and Popeye, the art… it all works in harmony to capture the feel of those old pulp serials. There are no deep philosophical questions here, and don’t go looking for complex character development. What you’ll find is a strong cast of characters that move from one setpiece to the next, stopping for a cliffhanger that they have to overcome before moving on to the next setpiece.

That may sound overly simple, but it’s the pulp formula to a “T.” Think of the modern movies done in the pulp style: Indiana Jones, The Mummy (the Brendan Fraser ones), and of course The Rocketeer, to name a few. They all follow this same structure, and are some of the most beloved movies ever.

Does Cliff get up way too fast after getting pimp-slapped by Kong? Yep. Is Amelia Earhart turning up just in time to help him fix his jetpack awfully convenient? Sure is. Do they detract from my enjoyment of the story? Not at all. In pulp, things happening like that are a feature, not a bug.

The Proverbial 800-Pound Gorilla

This story feels like something that Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens would have written, which is the highest compliment I can pay to the team of John Layman and Jacob Edgar.

John Layman is actually working from a story idea that Stevens himself came up with but never got to complete before he died, and he’s doing a bang-up job with it. Cliff comes across as brash and cocky, but also heroic and likable, just as he should. The rest of the cast doesn’t get a lot to do here, but none of them have their name is the title, do they? The plotting is fast-paced in the pulp style, neatly establishing the menace of the dueling Kings of Skull Island while showing how in over his head our hero is.

The artwork can make or break an adventure comic like this, and thankfully Jacob Edgar’s art is more than up to the task. His expressive, cartoony style reminds me a little of Chris Samnee, who has previously illustrated Rocketeer tales himself. Our hero cuts a striking figure as he streaks through the sky, and a full-page splash perfectly illustrates the sheer size and scale of Kong. Cliff is like a gnat to him, and gets swatted away like one. The appearance of King Bloodscale at the end adds another level to the danger that our heroes are in, and gives us one heck of a cliffhanger heading into the finale.

The colors of K.J. Diaz add to the pulp feel of the book, keeping everything in brighter tones but still using shadows when necessary. Kong and Bloodscale both stand out through their coloring as much as their scale, showing that they are something far more than their surroundings. The jungle itself is lush and capped in various shades of green, adding to the feeling that the island would be a paradise if not for the giant monsters.

In the Nick of Time

The Rocketeer: The Island #3 is a rip-roaring good time that pits the titular hero against the legendary King Kong in one of the most mismatched match-ups ever. Our hero may stand no chance against the giant monsters of Skull Island, but that won’t stop him from trying to rescue his lady love and get everyone home safely. The question isn’t if he’ll survive the next issue, but rather how. I’m at the edge of my seat waiting to find out.