The Rocketeer to return from IDW

IDW is bringing back Dave Stevens’ famous character, The Rocketeer.   A four-issue miniseries is set for 2011 release, and will include contributions from Mike Allred, Kurt Busiek, John Cassaday, Darwyn Cooke, Michael Golden, Gene Ha, Michael Kaluta, Garry Leach, Bruce Timm, Bill Willingham, and more. Alex Ross will be the cover artist for the series.

The Rocketeer, first published in 1982,  was an indy comics sensation despite an infrequent publishing schedule.  The character was adapted into a Disney movie in 1991. Stevens died in 2008 after a battle with leukemia.

A substantial portion of profits earned from this new mini-series will be donated to Hairy Cell Leukemia research by the estate of Dave Stevens, the creators involved, and IDW Publishing.

“Dave Stevens was an incredibly talented artist and a wonderful person,” said IDW Special Projects Editor Scott Dunbier in a news release.  “I would like to think that he would be happy with a book like this, one that pays such loving tribute to his greatest creation.”

- Matt Price