THE ROOK #4

“The Spider Obsidian Part 2 The Spider’s Touch”

Writer: Tom Sniegoski

Artists: Kirk Van Wormer, Joe Weems and Marco Galli

The Rook is battling Spider Donovan who has been transformed by the chaos bullet in his chest. Unfortunately, Slough loses his power, and the Rook is captured. Seems that because Hitler is coming to power about now, Chaos can draw power from the air and neutralize Slough. Spider has his goons throw the Rook into the lake.

While this is happening the club owner manages to escape out the back with the Spider Obsidian. He is killed by the showgirl who sees her chance at getting something of value. She later tries to make a deal with Spider. When she arrives at the warehouse he is located at, Spider decides to kill the girl and take the Spider Obsidian. At this time other gang members arrive because they heard that Spider is now a freaky monster, and they decide he is bad for business. The Rook being submerged in the lake has recovered and comes back. He kills Spider and takes the Chaos pieces to somewhere safe. Back in the Rook’s world, the Danse Macabre has resurrected the Rook’s great-great-great grandfather Bishop to help in killing the Rook.

This ends the Harris run for the Rook. It leaves on a bit of a cliffhanger with his great-great-great grandfather Bishop being brought back. It did say that the Rook would return in an issue of Vampirella. Someday I might find that. This was a very interesting and fast paced story. I liked this reboot of the Rook. It had a lot of potential that apparently never found an audience. Now I do admit that I do miss the old seventies version with his leisure suit and MP-5 submachinegun. A guy who was having fun and blasting away people in the past without any concern for the consequences. Still this version had potential and am glad I had these issues to enjoy. Next, we will look at Dark Horse’s take on the character.

THE ROOK #3

“The Spider Obsidian”

Writer: Tom Sniegoski

Artists: Kirk Van Wormer, Joe Weems IV and John Livesay

In present day Boston a gathering of the cities criminal leaders has been called. The Rook has called the meeting to announce he is taking charge. A gangster pulls a gun, and the Rook has to use his suit to kill him. We then switch to a gangster telling how he gained power. That something fell from the sky and burrowed into the Earth long before humans existed. It was dug out and made into a bullet. This bullet hit Spider Donovan in the chest during a shootout and now he is possessed with the Chaos power.

We then cut to a junkyard and The Rook and Slough have arrived. The ship camouflages itself as a pile of junk. Slough turns into a spiffy black suit and fedora. They are in a 1934 Chicago gangster reality. Slough senses a powerful fragment of Chaos. It leads to a nightclub. The Rook makes some inquiries about the owner’s new acquisition. There was a scene earlier of him stealing a box from a Chinese curio shop. The owner shows the Rook the box. It is a large spider figurine and has driven the club owner mad. He tries to kill the Rook but finds out that the Rook is too powerful. Yet the gangster possessed by the other piece arrives. A guy with a giant spider growing out of his chest.

This new story takes us to a gangster reality. It introduces the main villain and gives the reader a good explanation of how he gained the Chaos power. An interesting prologue that seems to have nothing to do with the main story but hopefully will be explained in the next issue. A good start to a new storyline.

THE ROOK #2

“The Good the Bad and the Chaotic”

Writer: Tom Sniegoski

Artists: Kirk Van Wormer & Joe Weems

Restin Dane dreams of the time he bonded with Slough. He wakes and finds himself at the cabin of Caleb Storm. Dane has healed from his last encounter but is soon faced with another. Four horsemen of Chaos have arrived. One is a robot, the other a fancy guy named Boot Hill that can raise the dead. A pale rider and blonde woman round out the lot. They have a fight and the Rook wins, but Caleb is deformed, and his wife dies. Yet some of the Chaos energy leaked from the robot and has make Caleb a kind of zombie.

The two continue on to the citadel of Chaos. They arrive in the Rook’s ship and are attacked by a giant worm. This is Chaos and the Rook gets inside him and tears the Chaos worm apart. Caleb takes care of the preacher that was serving him. With Chaos defeated the Rook moves on to another world and Caleb decides to hunt down evil. An epilogue has the Pale Rider the last surviving servant eat the body of Chaos.

This was an interesting story. We get a look at the scene where Restin bonded with Slough. The story moved quick which kind of did limit character development. Which is a shame since the characters were interesting and I would have liked to explore them some more. In fact, it seemed that Caleb was being set up for his own series. In interesting issue but just moved way too fast.

THE ROOK #1

Fist Full of Chaos”

Writer: Tom Sniegoski

Artists: Kirk Van Wormer and Joe Weems V

Restin Dane and his suit Slough are going to another reality. This one is 1845 Texas where a mysterious alien fell from the sky. The locals are under its control and led by a creepy preacher. This is part of the Chaos being and it has established itself. Meanwhile a former bounty hunter named Caleb Storm works a ranch with his wife and son. Four riders come and turn out to be men that Caleb killed. They have been brought back and seek vengeance. They kill his son with bullets that have an alien organism inside it.

Dane comes on this scene and starts to shoot the zombies. One zombie manages to pierce his armor with a chaos blade. Dane kills the zombies but is in danger of dying himself. At the temple that was built for Chaos he has his preacher servant send four of his minions to finish off Dane.

This was an enjoyable first issue in the new Rook series. We find out that this is the classic Warren character but his old time machine opened up tears in the fabric of space and let in Chaos. Now he has to hunt down the fragments of Chaos that is entering the various realities. The story starts in the old west which was a favorite of the classic character. Introduces interesting supporting characters and villains. The series is off to a good start.

THE ROOK #0

“Shiny Baubles”

Writer: Tom Sniegoski

Artists: Version I Caesar Version II John Stinsman & Joe Weems Version III Kirk Van Wormer & Joe Weems

It is September in Boston and the Rook, with his suit Slough are looking for a skull in the sewers. When they find it, they are attacked by a rat-man and other armed humans. They are agents of the Danse Macabre and also after the skull. In the conversation we find out that Rook and the Danse Macabre are enemies with the Rook once working for them. They tried to kill him, and this is how he bonded with the Chaos skin Slough. Rook’s suit destroys the men, and he uses a time jump to beat the rat-man to the skull. Gets in an argument with Slough as one of the men thought dead is still alive and creeping up on the Rook. Never fear for the Rook also has a crow with metal claws that helps him out. Ends with Rook telling the rat-man if he survives to tell the Danse Macabre that he’s coming for them.

“The Evolution of the Rook”

Writer: Tom Sniegoski

Artists: Karl Altstaetter, John Stinsman, John Estes.

A collection of illustrations on how the creative team came up with the new Rook’s look. Also has some cover art from Chains of Chaos.

This introduction issue gives us the same story three different times. Only each is done by a different art team. Was used to determine who the art team would be. The winners are the third of Van Wormer and Weems. Personally, I would have chosen the Stinsman/Weems team but all three were good. A good story that gives us some idea of the Rook and the enemy he fights. Looking forward to seeing this reimaged version of my favorite seventies’ comic time traveler.

CHAINS OF CHAOS #3

“Link III”

Writer: Tom Sniegorski

Artists: Ceasar & Joseph Burch Weems V

Vampirella has returned with The Rook to Chaosworld. Her alternate version on this world gave birth to the Chaoschild and her return has brought hope to the people. Vampirella has to fight Hemorrhage a being that can take blood from people and use it as a weapon. The Rook has to fight his evil counterpart Husk. Husk tries to take over his suit Slough. Yet Slough has no interest in being under Husk’s control and defeats him. Dracula comes to help Vampirella and distracts Hemmorhage so Vampirella can kill him. They confront the Chaoschild who is using the Rook’s old time machine to travel through the dimensions. A big final confrontation occurs where Vampirella destroys the Chaoschild.

The final issue in a limited series from the old Harris comics. I bought this series because it introduces their version of the Rook. An interesting take in giving him some suit to travel to alternate worlds and I guess not time travel. They do show that this Restin Dane is from the old Warren comics. They show us his Rook Castle machine that the Chaoschild got hold of.

This was an interesting series. I admit that I am not familiar with the Vampirella/Harris comics and most of the characters in this are not familiar. Yet the story explained stuff good and kept the action moving. Will see what the Rook is like when I start his series.

CHAINS OF CHAOS #2

“Link II”

Writer: Tom Sniegoski

Artists: Kirk Van Wormer and Joe Weems

Restin Dane has come to get Vampirella so he can defeat the Chaoschild in another realm. The Danse Macabre had some issue with Dane. Yet they are soon having to join forces because armed dinosaurs have invaded. They manage to defeat them. Then Dane with Vampirella go to the Chaos realm and start a general rebellion.

This was an OK issue. It hits you with a lot of stuff but does have a story that you can follow. Oh yeah and Dracula is revealed at the end as a prisoner.

CHAINS OF CHAOS #1

“Link One”

Writer: Tom Sniegoski

Artists: John Stinsman and Joe Weems

Reston Dane is traveling in his time ship when they come on an alternate reality that has strong necromantic energy. While this happens, Vampirella and a team from the Danse Macabre attack an abandoned factory in Massachusetts. A sacrifice is going on to a dark god. Back to the Earth that Dane finds, and it is one nasty place. He finds some demons in a dump truck hauling dead human bodies. They are attacked by the resistance and Dane finds out about this world. That the Chaoschild used Vampirella to give birth to his form. Now he controls the planet and is assembling an army of dinosaurs to conquer other realities. Back in time, Vampirella and company interrogate a captured demon from the raid and find out that Chaoschild will rule all. Suddenly Dane appears looking for Vampirella.

Harris had acquired the characters from the old Warren comics. This series is meant to introduce the Rook. This Rook is very different. He wears some advanced suit and flies around in a tear dropped shape ship called Slough. No leisure suit or castle shaped craft. It involves this nasty evil that is the personification of chaos. It manages to enter the world through Vampirella. So far, I find this an interesting story. A story filled with colorful characters and an intriguing premise. Looking forward to this interpretation of the classic Rook character.