Throughout Rook: Exodus, the eternal question of man vs. nature has been at the forefront. It’s fueled the general premise, as Rook and his fellow Wardens have to fight to make sure the power of their helmets doesn’t fully take over them. It’s in the landscape, as the so-called Better World conglomerate abandoned the planet of Exodus once it started to slip into chaos. Rook: Exodus #9 brings this struggle to the forefront, showcasing another Warden that’s gone wild in the form of Arachnid. While Arachnid’s presence has been hinted at in previous issues of Rook: Exodus, this is his first full appearance – and it doesn’t just live up to the terror of the previous issue but exceeds it in spades.
Arachnid, true to his name, has a helmet that lets him control spiders; however, judging from the fact that they’re a deep, dark purple and the size of a Yorkshire terrier, it’s safe to say that they aren’t your usual spiders. That becomes even more apparent when they fire webs that sever Rook, Dire Wolf and Matterhorn’s connection to the Wildlife Grid – and traps them in nightmares about their past lives. With just one sequence, Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok have created a truly terrifying antagonist.
Johns also uses Arachnid as an example to show the fate that might befall Dire Wolf’s father, Bloodhound. Though Bloodhound isn’t as sinister as Arachnid, his humanity is on the tipping point – and it doesn’t help matters that Stag, the mysterious deer/samurai-esque Warden, is out for his head. It’s a lot to juggle, and unfortunately the Arachnid story ends up overriding what could have been an interesting clash of morals (though Rook: Exodus #10 promises to explore Stag’s story in full.)
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There’s also the big reveal that the Wardens aren’t the only other human beings on Exodus, which raises even more questions. Have some Wardens stayed behind to raise families? Is Exodus not as doomed as Rook thinks? While Johns’ tendencies to sow mysteries has had its ups and downs, particularly in his DC work, he’s found a great groove with Rook: Exodus and I hope it translates to Ghost Machine’s other titles (particularly Hyde Street, which is mostly getting by on spooky vibes).
You can’t talk about Rook: Exodus and not talk about Fabok’s work. Fabok is continuing to push himself artistically, with big spreads that feature snow-covered mountains and hordes of ravenous dogs facing off against birds, wolves, and Pumbaa the boar, and an opening page that looks like it could be the cover to an action movie. Speaking of action, Fabok draws a battle between Rook, Stag, Dire Wolf and Matterhorn that showcases’s Stag’s agility and speed with the blade – not to mention the fact that it pairs perfectly with Johns’ dialogue.
Arachnid is the true star of the story, and Fabok doesn’t skimp on the body horror with this guy. Arachnid’s entire lower body is encased in a massive mechanical apparatus designed to look like, you guessed it, a spider; even more terrifying is his mask, which bears multiple eyes and fangs. The rest of the art team makes the horror hit as hard as they can, with Brad Anderson making sure Arachnid’s pet spiders are the perfect purple to both draw the eye and repulse while Rob Leigh gives him twisted, utterly inhuman word balloons.
Rook: Exodus #9 doesn’t hold back on the horror, as it introduces its most terrifying Warden yet. Maybe the next issue might be dedicated to Stag, but Arachnid has Rook – and the audience – caught in his web.
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