ROOK: EXODUS #5, by Image Comics on 9/4/24, sends Rook down a fever dream of painful memories when he wakes up to find the animals are talking to him as a raging forest fire closes in.
Credits:
- Writer: Geoff Johns
- Artist: Jason Fabok
- Colorist: Brad Anderson
- Letterer: Rob Leigh
- Cover Artist: Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: September 4, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 22
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of ROOK: EXODUS #5:
First Impressions:
Fever dream is right… sort of. Geoff Johns uses Rook: Exodus #5 to force Rook into facing his repressed pain over his father, the home he left on Earth, and why he never fully bonded with his flock. The answers may not be as satisfying as Johns intended, but the issue promises strong potential for what comes next.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Rook and Dire Wolf in Rook: Exodus #4, they managed to defeat Ursaw’s lieutenant Wardens in a bid to give Carapace time to escape the Oasis with the Wildlife Grid. Unfortunately, Ursaw broke through the Oasis defenses to take the Wildlife Grid for himself. When Rook tried to stop Ursaw, he was easily beaten down and tossed over the dam’s edge.
In Rook: Exodus #5, Rook wakes up after washing ashore from getting tossed off the dam by Ursaw. The face greeting him is Pumba’s, Swine’s favorite hog, who thanks Rook for saving his life in the earlier fight.
“Wait! What?” you might wonder. Yes, that’s right. Pumba thinks/speaks at Rook in perfect English. The development is unsettling, and you’re not quite sure if Rook is hallucinating or if some quirk of the Wildlife Grid has enabled some kind of new telepathic link. It’s weird but intriguing.
Rook struggles to make sense of a talking hog when they’re both startled by a nearby explosion. Ursaw set the woods ablaze to drive the animals and Rook out. Man and hog flee. Rook puts on his Warden helmet, believing the birds will show him a safe route out of the forest fire. Unfortunately, activating the link sends him into a hallucination where he witnesses the destruction of his father’s home by fire. Pumba urges Rook to search his feelings and consider that the fire that destroyed their home was set by his father in desperation instead of an accident, a notion Rook rejects.
By this point, it’s clear the issue is very far into hallucination territory. While it partly feels like the momentum from the fight with Ursaw slams on the brakes in this issue, we’re getting some deep character work that explores Rook’s mindset, which loosely connects to why he can’t connect with his birds like the other Wardens.
The dream switches back to the forest, where the birds have found a way out. Unfortunately, the path ends at a cliff, forcing Rook to make a choice. Can he open himself up to his birds and take a literal leap of faith? Rook chooses to open his mind to the flock, including their leader, as partners and jumps.
For readers inclined to anxiety, the leap only occurs in Rook’s mind. Here, the leap of faith goes to the extreme end of metaphorical storytelling, but the incident forces Rook to confront the reason behind his inability to fully bond with his flock – he hasn’t trusted them enough to hear them so that mistrust is returned. Rook needed to take this metaphorical leap to complete the bond.
The issue concludes with signal interference, an act of God, and a son taking up his father’s cause.
Overall, Rook: Exodus #5 is an interesting character piece that exposes some of the emotional and mental baggage getting in his way, leading to mature character growth that sets him up for a stronger sense of purpose moving forward. That said, the energy and momentum from the last few issues take a serious step back.
Artwork and Presentation:
It’s impossible to overstate how good Jason Fabok’s art looks in this issue. The amount of detail is jaw-dropping, and Fabok’s cinematic eye for action and scene progression is astounding. The Ghost Machine imprint refuses to skimp on art quality, and it shows on every page.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Readers following Ghost Machine may have noticed other titles, such as Geiger, Junkyard Joe, and Redcoat, are drawing close to a crossover. As of now, Rook is not part of that impending event. If that situation changes, we will report it.
Final Thoughts:
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ROOK: EXODUS #5 is another masterpiece of top-tier art in an issue that slows down the pace and momentum to get inside Rook’s head. Geoff Johns makes up for the lack of plot with a strong character piece that forces the titular character to grow and become the hero he needs to be, so the issue may not be what readers expect, but it’s still worth the cover price.
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