The first comic book featuring the Rocketeer was released in 1982. Those first stories appeared as a second feature in issues #2 and #3 of Mike Grell's Pacific Comics' "Starslayer" series. For its next two installments, Steven's feature moved to the anthology comic title "Pacific Presents" #1 and #2. The fourth chapter ended in a cliffhanger that was later concluded in a lone "Rocketeer" comic released by Eclipse Comics. The character was then continued in the "Rocketeer Adventure Magazine", with two issues being published in 1988 and then 1989 by ; a third and final issue was published six years later in 1995 by Dark Horse Comics. Stevens' extensive background research and meticulous approach to his illustrations contributed to the long delays between "Rocketeer" issues. The first completed story line was then collected into a graphic novel by Eclipse Comics, in both trade paperback and hardcover formats, and simply titled "The Rocketeer" (); the second story line was collected into a glossy trade paperback graphic novel by Dark Horse called "The Rocketeer: Cliff's New York Adventure" ().