Review: The Rook archives Volume 2
I used to read every Warren magazine that was published in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. I couldn’t afford to buy them with my meager allowance, I could only buy a few titles a month for comic books, these included Spider-man, Fantastic 4, Hulk, and Batman. Plus, I would buy the occasional non-Marvel or DC titles such as Gold Key’s Star Trek, or Charlton’s E-Man.
So, what we did was; my friends and I got together on weekends and read each other’s comics or magazines and that’s how I kept up with the entire comic book universe in the good old days. And now, thanks to Dark Horse and other great comic book publishers I get to relive my childhood! I love it. For those who don’t know, The Rook was a Time Travel title which appeared in the pages of Eerie Magazine and eventually gained his own title in the ‘80’s.
The Creative Team:
William B. Dubay wrote mainly for Warren Magazine. He created The Rook in 1976 at the request of Jim Warren. Warren wanted to create the next craze in comic-dom and wanted a western character. This wasn’t an easy task since Western’s weren’t all that big in the world of comics anymore, what titles that did exist were usually reprint issues. So, along with Howard Peretz, Dubay brainstormed until he found what he thought would be the biggest thing since sliced bread. It worked. The Rook got more fan-mail than any other story in Eerie magazines, so much so that in 1979 the character had its own title. This collection features some of the best stories in the series. Beginning with Trouble in the Time Factory and ending with Quarb and the Warball. These are all timeless classics and should be on the shelves of any comic book aficionado. I think fans of Westerns and Science Fiction alike will enjoy this collection. I loved reading them when I was a kid and I’m proud to own them now. I’m not going to review each story, obviously, so I’ll just say if you like Clint Eastwood mixed with a little Han Solo, this title is for you.
The artists are some of the best Warren had to offer. The various robots and aliens rendered in these pages are way ahead of their time for the mid-70’s and hold up even to today’s standards. It’s part Wild, Wild West and part Gunsmoke meets the Outer Limits. The way Bishop is drawn channels Sam Elliot before he became a star and the comradery between Bishop and the mechanical man reminds one of the Lost in Space robot and Dr. Smith. It’s a fun read and the pictures do justice to Dubay’s words in a way that’s sure to please anyone who discovers them. I loved it in 1976 and I love it even more today.
In Conclusion:
Nostalgic comics are always fun for us old timers and they’re a fantastic way to introduce timeless classics to a younger generation. If you have a lot of Science Fiction comics in your collection or even some Westerns. You’ll want to pick up this agglomeration. Even if you’re not fans of those genre’s, I urge you to try this collection. The stories are well written with just the right blend of humor and action plus the characters are well developed. Take a chance, shell out a couple of bucks then sit back and enjoy the ride. I think you’ll be glad you did.
The Rook archives Volume 2
Writer – William B. Dubay
Art – Luis Bermejo, Alex Nino, Abel Laxamana, Jose Ortiz
Cover – Jordi Penalva
Publisher – Dark Horse
Publication date – June 2017
About the Author
Kevin Given Kevin Given has studied with "Longridge Writers Group" and "Writer's Boot Camp" a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the "Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter" franchise which includes 2 novels and 8 comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of "Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter" #1 and "Files of Karl Vincent" #1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series "Dracula Rising" (working title) and developing "Foul Blood" into comic book form.
