The Rocketeer Franchise Soars Again With a New Sequel

The Rocketeer is officially set for what will be the biggest fight of his entire 35-year career, and it isn't even close.

The next issue of The Rocketeer: The Island is just around the corner, and it is already promising to be one of the most harrowing chapters of the titular pulp hero's life. Not only is the Rocketeer racing against time to rescue his beloved Betty, but he'll have to take on none other than the towering Kong to do so.

The Rocketeer: The Island #3

• Written by JOHN LAYMAN
• Story by DAVE STEVENS
• Art by JACOB EDGAR
• Colors by KIKE J. DÍAZ
• Main cover art by JACOB EDGAR & KIKE J. DÍAZ
• Variant covers by DAVE STEVENS and J. GONZO

The official solicit synopsis for The Rocketeer: The Island #3 from IDW Publishing reads, "Betty's been kidnapped for sacrifice! With his girlfriend and another crew member missing, the Rocketeer must race across the island to find and rescue them. But after running into dinosaurs along the way, he'll need help to understand just what he's up against. Fortunately, that help arrives most unexpectedly. Unfortunately, it may be too late, because... Kong is coming."

Cliff Secord, better known as the Rocketeer, was created by Dave Stevens and first appeared in 1982 in the pages of Starslayer #2 from Pacific Comics. In the decades since then, The Rocketeer has been translated across nearly every medium, with perhaps the most well-known franchise entry coming in the form of the 1991 live-action feature film starring Billy Campbell, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, and Jennifer Connelly.

The Rocketeer's Return, Explained

In February, IDW Publishing's The Rocketeer: The Island kicked off a brand-new adventure that saw the high-flying hero cross paths with some truly unlikely, if equally recognizable, characters. Apart from his impending encounter with Kong, the Rocketeer has spent the past few months teaming up with the likes of Tintin and Snowy, and even the legendary Popeye.

The Rocketeer: The Island scribe John Layman previously discussed his time with the franchise, noting that "Playing in Dave Stevens' world, a retro-world of charm, humor, and rocket-fueled adventure, has been an absolute blast." Layman added, "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."

On June 24, The Rocketeer: The Island will come to a close with the release of its fourth and final issue, although that won't be the last that fans see of their favorite pulp icon in the near future. Just two weeks later, on July 8, the very first issue of The Rocketeer: Infiltrator! by Gabriel Hardman and Dean Kotz will arrive in comic book stores everywhere. The upcoming series will follow the Rocketeer as he embarks upon an undercover mission alongside the one and only Betty Paige.

The Rocketeer: The Island #3 from IDW Publishing goes on sale on May 27.