Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Steven Grant
Artist: Paul Gulacy
Editor: Daniel Chabon
Release Date: 16 December 2015
Price: $3.99

I confess I was drawn to The Rook #3 by the artwork of Paul Gulacy. I’ve been a big fan of his since his Master of Kung Fu days and I was intrigued to see how he and Steven Grant would handle this latest incarnation of the time-travelling hero originating from that same era.

Grounded in the writings of H. G. Wells, who is one of the series regular characters, The Rook #3 tells the story of Restin Dane, grandson of Adam Dane, who, we are told, was the inventor of a real time machine and who later told his exploits to H. G. Wells who duly published them and didn’t have to pay a single penny in copyright fees it seems.

Granted, you would have a hard time bringing a lawsuit when you’re zipping through time and end up stranded in an era of violent Eloi which is where Adam finds himself in The Rook #3. Luckily, his plucky grandson comes to the rescue, although his motives may be a tad self-centred because if his grandfather dies in a far off time zone will he simply cease to exist? Time paradox anyone?

The Rook #3 initial pull of nostalgia was not a mistake. Paul Gulacy’s art is as fluid and dynamic as ever and Steven Grant’s polished script gives a 21^st century vibe to his source material. If you haven’t read The Rook #3 yet, don’t worry, you will in the future, a little Rook told me.

 

 

Reviewer: Gary Orchard
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker