When Rook returns on October 1st with issue 7, the series will begin a brand new arc. “The quest to save Bloodhound.” One of the most respected guards of all time, the Bloodhound (Dire Wolf’s father), disappears in madness and lets Rook and Dire Wolf pursue him before he brings destruction to the world of Egypt. Along the way, readers also meet Stag, a mysterious new guard who promises to shake up the foundations of the wild itself.
Prior to this issue, artist and co-creator Jason Favok spoke about the challenges of expanding Luke’s scope, introducing new watchers, and building an epic world that thrives in intimate, character-driven moments.
Courtesy of the image comic.
New settings influenced by familiar
For Fabok, the new arc offers the opportunity to explore the fresh corners of the world.
“In Luke #7, you can see several different parts of the world,” Fabock said. “We are rising to the north of the planet, where snow is icy with ice.
The snowy setting is just not cool. It brings personal importance.
“Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars movie because of the snow,” Fabock said. “And we can play with it, but we can also travel to the Earth and travel to the world’s engines themselves. This is so much fun.”
Unlike the drastic travelogue of the first Ark, the story remains focused on the environment it contains. Fabok compared it to the survival horror classics.
“A lot of our influence comes from films like Aliens and Aliens. You’re trapped in strange places and trying to survive,” Fabok said.
Courtesy of the image comic.
The influence of bloodhounds and instincts
The new setting has fresh character insights. First introduced in the debut arc, Bloodhound takes the center stage for this new storyline.
“He was Wolf’s father and was angry at the influence of his instincts in his helmet,” Fabock said. “He’s almost like a rabies dog or a werewolf.”
That premise grew from discussions with co-creator Jeff Johns.
“We really liked this idea of the effects of instincts. How can instincts from animals start to play in the human mind,” Fabock said. “We thought it was a lot of fun to play with animals that overtake humans and those dynamic things.”
The result is a terrifyingly tragic character.
“His heart is shattered and it’s primitive,” Fabock said. “Dire Wolf and Rook really have to do their best to get to him. He could be the key to solving many of the problems in this world. It would be great drama and storytelling.”
Stag (and other new guards) arrive
Question #7 brings the wave of the Chief among them, the new character who first appeared temporarily in Luke: Exodus #3.
“He’s like a samurai Ronin character wielding katana, bow, arrow and ninja star,” Fabok said. “He’s a deer guard and he’s a lot of fun drawing.”
Thus, Stag’s design was born out of Fabok’s love for Japanese Samurai films.
“I just had this vision for this deer character who had a red helmet and a samurai sword,” Fabok said.
Fabok also teased the introduction of Matherhorn, the Mountain Hoat watchman who “has a bit of a butt heading towards the head in Dire Wolf and Rook” but has ultimately proven to be a key alliance.
“We also have a few other surprises… a new character who brings new dynamics to the world and the team,” Fabok said.
Courtesy of the image comic.
Evolve the appearance of Luke
Like the story itself, Fabok’s art is falling into constant evolution. He admits that his process is guided by instinct as much as planning.
“I rely a lot on my gut sensations… if I don’t feel them and don’t capture some kind of sensation, I can’t publish that page,” Fabok said. Sometimes it means redrawing the splash page later in the process or discarding it until the design feels right.
Stag was one such character “just happened” but Fabok says his appearance changed as he portrayed him more.
The freedom to change courses is one of the joys of a work owned by a creator.
“In these projects, we have the ability to do that,” Fabock said. “On the other hand, when you’re in a monthly book, you have to go with everything and move on.”
Courtesy of the image comic.
Balance of spectacle and intimacy
Despite Rook’s grand scale and pure “business”, Fabok argues that quiet moments are of paramount importance.
“I love the sequences of speaking. When there’s drama, I love it and I really can play with it,” Fabok said. Even the character wearing a helmet, he tries to attract emotions, adding, “You’re trying to feel like you can see under the mask.”
Pay attention to small details when paired with pieces from the cleaning set.
“The grand range of the whole world is Jeff and I’ve always spoken, let’s really pull back and show the scale of everything,” Fabock said. “But it’s a close, emotional sequence that connects with the audience, which allows us to pull back and make big, epic shots.”
Courtesy of the image comic.
The reward of building the world
Fabok acknowledges that the pressure of books owned by the creator can be exhausting, but the rewards outweigh the tension.
“I love making books that are owned by creators, because you say a lot about what happens to the pages and the vision,” Fabock said. “Luke is one of those books that you feel you can give it to someone and be proud of. It’s a fully realized world. It’s something that allows you to get lost.”
Even if it means sleepless night, he says in return he’s looking at the finished product on the shelf.
“When the book comes out and people are reacting to them, that’s when you know you’ve really done something cool,” Fabok said.
Comic shops and retailers will need to place any orders until September 8th!
Courtesy of the image comic.
