Looking For a Good Book

GRAPHIC NOVEL WEEK

I’m starting a week of graphic novels – something I was in the mood for – and I decided to start my week with this, Rook: Exodus. I’m really glad I did, because this absolutely rocked!

It is centuries in the future and Earth is dying. Corporations have jumped on this and have profited from the destruction by terraforming distant planets and either charging large sums of money to travel to these places, or by hiring desperate laborers.

When his generations-old family farm was destroyed by a fire, Rook takes a job and a one-way trip to Exodus where everything is under human control. That includes all specially designed earth-like animals. Wearing specially designed helmets which allow a human to communicate with a specific animal species, a human Warden exerts great control.

But the planet failed, the rich departed, the laborers were left behind and the criminals found a way to take charge. Rook, who controls the scavenger bird population, has a few Warden friends, but the Warden enemies are powerful and want to take away Rook’s (and a few others’) animal control.

This was such a clever story and author Geoff Johns works it masterfully. There’s great action, wonderful drama, and rising out of it all is a human story that we can really get behind. Rook’s our hero but you know, he’s just a guy trying to survive in some really tough circumstances and he needs to dig deep and stand tall. 

Rook is our hero and as such he’s the best defined of the characters, but even with a limited appearance, we get to know Swine and of course the potential romance (well, there’s no romance here, but she is the female lead) Dire Wolf (care to take a guess which animals these two control?). Ursaw is our villain and as written, and especially as drawn, he is tremendous.

The artwork – Jason Fabok’s art (colors by Brad Anderson) really ties in well with with the story. Art and story are so well integrated that it makes for a delightfully sweet read. All graphic novels should be so well connected and with such great art. I’m not aware of seeing any art by Fabok prior to this, but I’m reminded of some of the great comic artists of the 70’s and 80’s (the Buscema’s, John Romita, Mike Grell, etc)

I’ve been away from comics and graphic novels for awhile, but if this is an example of what publishers are putting out, I’m ready to get back in. This was wonderful and I can’t wait for the next volume.

I have, however, taken away half a point for the volume of ads included here. And because these are comic issues bound into one book, it’s generally the same ads repeated six times.

Looking for a good book? You found it! Rook: Exodus Vol. 1 is a well-written, beautifully drawn sci-fi adventure graphic novel. 

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

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Rook: Exodus Vol. 1: Fight or Flight

author: Geoff Johns

artist: Jason Fabok

publisher: Image Comics

paperback, 192 pages