A new player has entered the game. Stag has come looking for Bloodhound. The mad Warden is the only one who can fix the World Engine of Exodus. Rook and his crew have to keep him alive to get this job done.
This is easier said than done.
ROOK: EXODUS #9 by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson & Rob Leigh explodes with an all new chapter.
Let’s take a closer look and see what happens now!
ROOK: EXODUS #9 by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson & Rob Leigh (Image Comics/Ghost Machine)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The injection of Stag helps to throw more gas on an already raging inferno of emotion. Readers can easily see his reasons for wanting to kill Bloodhound. The writing doesn’t hold back on his drive. Even when cooler heads start to prevail, there’s never a let-up of pressure. This only gets more complicated with the arrival of the Spider Warden.
This causes a shift in direction of the story. The chapter goes from being a direct sci-fi tale into dabbling with horror. Watching the hallucinations take hold, Rook starts breaking. This pushes events into a terrifying close. Even with the fate of the planet at stake, some want to watch it burn down. The writing leaves readers on a dire situation as events wrap up. It’s a great cliffhanger to a very intriguing lead.
Fabok and Anderson open with a fantastic full page image of Rook and company. This moves into a strong series of two page splashes. Each explain the conflicts at hand. Stag’s interactions throw some action into the tense situation. It starts giving way to the nightmare visions proceeding the true threat here.
The full page shot of the Spider Warden sends a direct message. It escorts readers into more frightful visions. There is no question of the effects of the Warden. Seeing this impact Rook only enhances the dangers currently faced. Another two page spread takes Rook into a direct face-off with the Warden. Fabok brings out the scary truths of the Warden as he delivers his reasonings. This moves into the closing panels. Once here, the art leaves a chilling parting shot for readers to ponder. Always a treat seeing these visuals.
FINAL GRADE: 8.8
Rook’s attempt to fix the World Engine runs into more roadblocks in this latest chapter. The writing takes readers through many themes. Fabok and Anderson construct fantastic imagery as the sci-fi elements take hold. Rook: Exodus is a mainstay on pull lists for good reason. Don’t miss this.
Let me know your thoughts on Rook: Exodus #9 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!