The Rocketfellers #4 Review

 

Writer: Peter J Tomasi

Artist: Francis Manapul

Colorists: John Kalisz, Ian Herring & Francis Manapul

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artist: Francis Manapul; Brad Walker & Brad Anderson; Todd Nauck

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 19, 2025

 

Roland Rocketfeller discovered a secret his employer prefers to remain hidden. Forced to flee their wrath, Roland's brother Reggie enlisted Roland and his family in the Time Zone Protection Program. Officially, no one knows where and when the Rocketfellers reside. But Reggie has told his fiancée Olivia. And Cronex is scouring time zones and interlinked realities for clues to their hiding place.

 

Abandoning the 25^th Century for the 21^st necessitated learning new ways of living. It also meant leaving behind Roland's mother, Rose. While the Rocketfellers gradually adjust to our time, their neighbor notices Rachel’s enhanced swimming ability. Roland and Rachel's son Richie exploits his futuristic skills for spending money. Can Cronex follow the family’s footsteps through time? And will they capture Roland’s bioengineering project before it matures? Let’s grab our hoverboards, leap into The Rocketfellers #4, and find out!

 

Story

While Richie attracted notice at the family's neighborhood Thanksgiving bash, Rodney proved a hit with the ladies. Seniors in the neighborhood join him on his morning run. The ladies don't realize he wasn't joking about his age. Nor do they know he has a cybernetic leg. But they respond to his zest for life, and he inspires them with his commitment to physical fitness.

 

Rachel remains the thrill seeker in the family. In The Rocketfellers #4, she remembers the heartbreaks of her career. Roland takes a rare break from his basement lab to revive her spirits. While Rachel refuses to complain about her sacrifice, her actions on their sporting date suggest resentment over putting her dreams on hold.

 

Perhaps the most intriguing member of the family is little Rae. In The Rocketfellers #4, the Sparrows she rescued from a Christmas tree are no longer babies. Yet they return to her after their flights and are content to remain in a box. Rae has a reverence for nature. In Peter J Tomasi's story, the young girl demonstrates a deeper understanding of our world than her brother senses.

 

Art

Francis Manapul gives us a second look at Yuri and Nicholas. The stature-challenged brothers dress like decorated generals as they shake a seated man awake. Like Dennis Nedry in Jurrasic Park, the worker sits at a desk littered with empty cans, paper cups, and scattered snacks from a bag. He is shocked when his Napoleon-like bosses surround him in The Rocketfellers #4. Their words relax his facial muscles, and he smiles as they escort him from the control room. When the brothers activate a big screen, the other workers turn to watch the man meet with the demure Miss Kleb.

 

John Kalisz, Ian Herring, and Francis Manapul lavish bright colors and realistic flesh tones on Rachel as we glimpse her face through a page of numbers. Green holoscreens surround control room workers clad in green suits. The repulsors on their gravchairs glow yellow, linking them with the mission controller and the astronauts surrounded by purple. Then Rachel, clad in a green-and-yellow Jetsons-like minidress, stares at their yellow-and-brown TZPP suits hanging in the closet.

 

Rob Leigh portals black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons in The Rocketfellers #4. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Balloons grow spiky when characters undergo stress. Purple letters in lavender boxes denote time and space changes as Reggie's fiancée Olivia travels through time. A fact sheet on Rodney featuring lowercase letters closes this family saga. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Raina demonstrates the company's ruthlessness when she travels through time to prevent the Time Zone Protection Program from building a case against Cronex. Raina seems heartless and cruel. Yet a repetitive injury suggests an intriguing link between Raina and Roland in The Rocketfellers #4.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside and view more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Geiger #7 Sells Out As Ghost Machine Takes On NYCC

 

Have you heard the latest news about Geiger #7? Are you attending New York Comic-Con? The Ghost Machine universe is creating some terrific titles, and this news is so hot it's radioactive! Check it out! 

IMAGE/GHOST MACHINE’S GEIGER #7 SELLS OUT AHEAD OF NYCC 2024, RUSHED BACK TO PRINT THIS WEEK

 

The latest issue in the bestselling Image/Ghost Machine series, Geiger (2024) #7 written

by Geoff Johns with art by Paul Pelletier and Andrew Hennessy, colors by Brad Anderson, lettering by Rob Leigh and cover by Geiger co-creator Gary Frank has sold out completely at the distributor level. This new story arc kickoff issue is being fast tracked for reprint this week in order to keep up with escalating demand.

Excitement surrounding Geiger and the Ghost Machine line of comics is at an all-time high headed into New York Comic Con this week. Fans won’t want to miss the “Ghost Machine: One Year In” panel this Saturday, October 19 at 10:45 a.m. in room 1C03 to get the scoop on what’s to come for the popular series. Ghost Machine will also be exhibiting at the show and can be found at booth #3043.

“The entire Ghost Machine team are excited to see readers and retailers embrace the second Geiger story as strongly as they did when we began our ongoing series last April," said Johns. "This next chapter introduces new characters, new threats and new mysteries in the world of ‘The Unnamed’ as we build to the shocking revelations ahead."

In Geiger (2024) #7, readers follow Geiger, Barney, and Nate the Nuclear Knight as they come across a hidden community in the wastelands—one that offers an echo of what once was suburban America…and a hope for what it could be again. But the dark forces in pursuit of The Glowing Man threaten to destroy it all, and only the unleashed rage of Geiger can stop them. But will Tariq go too far? The answer: yes.

Geiger (2024) #7, second printing (Lunar Code 0924IM870) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, November 13.

All Ghost Machine titles, including Geiger, Hyde Street, Redcoat, Rook: Exodus, and more, are also available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Ghost Machine’s groundbreaking creator collective was launched at New York Comic Con in October 2023 and features a global best-of-class lineup of artists and writers whose award-winning and iconic works include a who’s who of comic book legends such as Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Aquaman, Stargirl, JSA, The Flash, The Ultimates, Black Lightning, Green Arrow and countless more: Brad Anderson, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Rob Leigh, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Ivan Reis, Peter Snejbjerg, Peter J. Tomasi, and Maytal Zchut. In an industry first, all of Ghost Machine’s creators jointly own and run the company, sharing in all of Ghost Machine’s publishing, media, merchandising and licensing. Each creator is exclusive to the company for their comic book work after completing projects already committed to. Ghost Machine recently boosted its already unrivaled creator roster with renowned inkers Andrew Currie and Danny Miki who joined on an exclusive basis alongside designer Steve Blackwell, in charge of the company’s publishing design. Earlier this year Brian Cunningham was named Ghost Machine’s first editor-in-chief.

With an eye towards fostering superstar creators of tomorrow, the company also set up the Ghost Machine Scholarship in June of this year with the famous Joe Kubert School.

Let's take a look inside Geiger #7!  

(Warning: This is not for the squeamish!)

Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for sharing this announcement and previews with us!

For more on Ghost Machine, follow them on social media:

Follow @ghostmachinepro on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook

 ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States, and is the #2 graphic novel publisher in America. It is the publisher of such award winning titles as, Spawn, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Saga, Monstress, Deadly Class, Chew, The Old Guard, I Kill Giants, Criminal, The Department of Truth, W0rldtr33, Geiger, Descender, Gideon Falls, It’s Lonely At The Centre of The Earth, Do A Power Bomb, and more. The company currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit: www.imagecomics.com.

Redcoat #2 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Ivan Reis, Danny Miki & Brad Anderson

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 15, 2024

 

Simon Pure wants to escape his grave. Albert Einstein hopes to prevent a catastrophe. What do the cultists that attack them in the cemetery want? Let’s grab our shovels, leap into Redcoat #2, and find out!

 

Story

Simon Pure once fought for the British. Now, he lives in Boston. Over a century has passed since the locals dumped tea into the sea, forwent their biscuits, and called it a party. The colonies have become the United States of America. And Simon Pure has died and been reborn many times.

 

Albert helps Simon fight off the cultists. Then, the teen chases after the man he calls "The Wizard." Albert tells Simon how he fled his home in Munich to prevent the destruction of the United States. Simon dismisses the boy's fears, intent on getting a meal and repairing his century-old uniform. Then pain seers him. The magic that always revives him now knocks him and Albert off his feet.

 

Okay. The boy stowed away on a steamship and crossed the Atlantic to see him. Maybe Simon should hear what he has to say.

 

Reading books on science prompted Albert to call out spiritualists, magicians, and fortune tellers in his native Germany. But then, his younger sister Maja started having visions, and what she saw came true. In Redcoat #2, Albert says Simon is a central figure in Maja's dream of the United States on fire. Simon knows magic is real. The colonists used magic to defeat the British in the Revolutionary War. Simon stumbled upon a ritual in 1776 that granted him immortality.

 

Simon isn’t sure how much credence to give Maja’s vision in Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch’s story. Nor does he know how he could prevent such a catastrophe. But something has gone wrong with his magic, so Simon heads off toward another man who's lived a longer-than-normal life. If Benedict Arnold can fix his malfunctioning magic, perhaps he can also prevent that whole End Of The World thing.

 

In Redcoat #2, magic granted two men who betrayed their countries immortality. The cultists who tried to extend Ben Franklin’s years believed Simon wasn’t worthy of their gift. But why should they, or their descendants, try to kill Simon in 1892? Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch’s story weaves intriguing mysteries into a compelling historical fantasy. Simon may have retained his youth and vitality for two lifetimes. Still, I don’t want him to die.

 

 

 

Art

Cultists clad in gray robes and red hoods surround Simon and teenage Albert. Flashbacks show Simon fumbling in combat. Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch contrast these with Simon singlehandedly shooting a cultist before another cultist strikes him with an axe. Albert picks up the axe inscribed with symbols as the cultists flee and chases Simon across the cemetery.

 

Brad Anderson shows a blue glow where the inscribed axe struck Simon. Then, the blue immortal energy fills the air, flinging laundry off clotheslines and Simon and Albert to the ground. From the backstreets of Boston to the carriage of a steam train, Anderson gives Currie and Hitch's art lifelike appeal in Redcoat #2. His loaded palette reveals highlights, and he uses darker shades of colors to portray shadows. Scenes set in New York City glitter with all the splendor of Mark Twain's Gilded Age. The travelers visit a ball filled with elegantly dressed guests and dine before a roaring fire in an immense library.

 

Rob Leigh bespells white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters in Redcoat #2. Leigh prints their italicized cousins on scraps of parchment. Young Albert may not have mastered English to Simon’s satisfaction, but the boy’s enlarged cries resemble those of his “wizard” friend. While no sound effects enliven the action, the yellow laughter that spills across the ballroom suggests that, like Simon, Benedict Albert doesn’t take life too seriously.

 

Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Simon's immortality malfunctions in Redcoat #2, he and Albert Einstein race across New England to prevent the magic inside him from sparking a holocaust that consumes the United States.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Rook Exodus #1 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artist: Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson; Ivan Reis, Danny Miki & Brad Anderson

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 3, 2024

 

When Rook needed a fresh start, the Better-World company delivered. Now Rook inhabits a planet all but abandoned by Humans. The warden races against the clock to build a rocket and launch it into space before all technology fails. But is he already too late? Let's put on our helmets, leap into Rook Exodus #1, and find out!

 

Story

Out-of-control population growth and global warming strained Earth’s ecosystem to the breaking point. Humans endured earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and pandemics until their trust in society broke. Rioting, insurrection, and war followed.

 

Better-World purchased Planet F in the Kepler system. They rebranded the planet Exodus, brought in their world engine, and began colonizing it six years later. Advertisements showed scenes of pristine nature. Imported animals inhabited verdant fields, explored forests, and sated their thirst in clean rivers and streams.

 

Perhaps Better World should have left the planet's name as F because the company royally f---ed up. Eleven years after they radically changed the planet’s ecosystem, their terraforming world engine coughed and died. But Exodus seems apt in hindsight, as the colonists couldn’t abandon their hastily remodeled planet fast enough. After assisting with their flight from Exodus, the company's porcine management left employees like Rook and his friend Swine behind. Better-World promised to provide transportation for them, but two years later, Rook, Swine, and the other wardens are still waiting.

 

In Rook Exodus #1, Rook watches a rocket launch into the atmosphere. Like most jury-rigged transports, a system failure brings it crashing down. Rook evokes Mad Max as he spots the burning wreck and races over in his armored dune buggy. Without Swine’s help, Rook doubts he can find the remaining components he needs before everything becomes slag. When Rook spies a man dying in the wreckage, all hope dies.

 

Losing his father was a hard blow. The way Better-World treated him made Rook cynical. The company's Weathermen looked down on wardens like him and Swine. He should hate them. After all, their failure to maintain the world engine led to this catastrophe. Yet Rook abandons his scavenging to ease the man’s final moments.

 

Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok’s story demonstrates the fallacy of quick fixes. Building anything worthwhile that lasts takes time. The issue also shows how people react to failure. Some leaders struggle to continue or give up. Others shrug, say, "So what," and make new plans. Sadly, some always seek advantage in tragedy. They don’t try to fix what’s broken. Instead, they become hunters and view everyone else as prey.

 

 

 

Art

A spaceship perches on its launch pad, surrounded by industrial infrastructure, in Rook Exodus #1. The fire from its thrusters produces smoke that startles birds in the surrounding forest. Then, the thruster explodes, and the vessel descends into a scenic valley like Yosemite National Park. Rook spies this distant tragedy through computer-enhanced binoculars. His metal helmet evokes a demonic bird. Spikes adorn shoulder plates and forearm armor. Clad in a shredded trench coat, chest armor, and military-like fatigues, Rook carries equipment and guns as he strides through the forest.

 

Birds surround Rook as he walks. They circle his buggy as he races through the forest. They survey the burning wreckage. They’re not as large as Swine’s boars. Yet, we sense Rook's fears over his dwindling control. Once severed, will they reenact the brutal ferocity of Hitchcock's classic "The Birds"?

 

Brad Anderson breathes life into a world of fading beauty in Rook: Exodus #1. We gain glimpses of the paradise this word seemed, even though yellow and brown now choke the skies. Windblown dirt coats the fantastic cities that have fallen into disrepair. Rook inhabits a realm of perpetual twilight, a noir dreamscape filled with few people and abandoned cities. Anderson’s pleasing color tones enhance the lifelike art, even if the tones cluster for comfort amid the shattering finale of this mesmerizing 46-page story.

 

Small upper-case letters fill dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Rob Leigh provides contrast and interest through eye-catching lettering colors, fonts, and balloon shapes. His sound effects strengthen every moment of action and drama in Rook: Exodus #1. Thanks to Image Comics and all the creators at Ghost Machine for providing a copy of this issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Haunted by his past, Rook fears his friends will turn against him. Abandoned by his fellow humans, he works frantically to escape his adopted planet before it descends into savagery in Rook Exodus #1.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Ghost Machine #1 Review

 

Creators: Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Ivan Reis, Peter Snejbjerg, Peter J. Tomasi & Maytal Zchut

Inker: Danny Miki

Colorists: Brad Anderson & Bjarne Hansen

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Gary Frank & Brad Anderson; Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Francis Manapul; Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson; Peter Snejbjerg; Ivan Reis & Brad Anderson; Ivan Reis & Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 24, 2024

 

A radioactive man traverses an apocalyptic wasteland. Wardens in an abandoned terraformed world wear helmets to control animals. Novelty store items wield unexpected power. A family travels back through the centuries to live among us amid a contest between Heaven and Hell. What do all these stories have in common? Let’s leap into Ghost Machine #1 and find out!

 

Stories

Geiger

Creators: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank; Colors by Brad Anderson

Geiger wanders post-apocalyptic America. He burns with radiation. Beside him trots a two-headed wolf. Many come to him for help. One, the nuclear knight, begs to assist him. But all that interests Geiger is another immortal named Redcoat.

 

Redcoat

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch; Colors by Brad Anderson

Redcoat was born in 1749. Colonists killed him in 1776. He awoke on the battlefield and has since fought in many wars. He’s met many historical figures, including Einstein and Annie Oakley. Every time Redcoat dies, his mind returns to a painful childhood memory. Then Redcoat awakens to fight another day.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, Geiger and Redcoat introduce several antiheroes who fight wars across time. As these stories interweave, so are the acts of these immortal warriors. A chart provides the timeline for each soldier's origin across a tapestry called The Unnamed, while biographies reveal insights into their histories and characters.

 

Rook: Exodus

Creators: Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok; Colors by Brad Anderson

Rook failed at farming. Now he’s a Warden. His helmet helps him command crows, ravens, and rooks. With Swine’s help, Rook searches for parts to repair a rocket and leave the planet. Swine isn’t sure he wants to leave Exodus with Rook. Dire Wolf argues they should build a new community among those who have not abandoned the terraformed world. Yet someone else hunts the three wardens long after the corporation that settled the planet fled. As with the Unnamed characters, short biographies provide insights into their histories and characters.

 

 

The Rocketfellers

Creators: Peter J. Tomasi & Francis Manapul

A 25^th-century family travels back to 2024. Neither his father, wife, or children are inclined to sacrifice their likes and interests. Still, Roland’s determined to forge them into a loving, supportive family. While doing this for personal reasons, Roland worries that Vertex will discover them.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, The Rocketfellers participate in the Time Zone Protection program. Perhaps the family protects our future. In any case, Roland must help them disregard traditions and perspectives that originate in their society and adapt to our less-advanced ways.

 

Hornsby & Halo

Creators: Peter J. Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerb; Colors by Bjarne Hansen

Zachary Halo and Rose Hornsby live in Warwick, New York. Zach is the child of angels who now lives with demons. Rose is a demon maturing among angels. While Rose's parents are loving, Zach struggles to please his adoptive mother and father. As the eleven-year-olds compete against each other, they reveal supernatural abilities.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, Heaven and Hell wonder whether nature or nurture will triumph. How the contest relates to peace between both realms is yet to become apparent. And how will mortals react when they notice Zachary and Rose’s superhuman abilities?

 

The Rocketfellers and Hornsby & Halo shelter under the Family Odysseys umbrella. Fact sheets provide the lowdown on each character. Even Rex--the Rocketfellers' family dog--gets a paragraph!

 

Hyde Street

Creators: Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee & Ivan Reis

Inks: Danny Miki

Colors: Brad Anderson

A boy blows a whistle to punish a rude man. A woman who has tried everything makes another attempt to lose weight. The items look like mass-produced gimmicks. How do these powerful objects influence the user, and what happens when wielded for evil purposes? Could using these artifacts hasten the apocalypse?

 

Ghost Machine #1 introduces all these stories arriving in comic shops in the upcoming months. Among this tempting array of appetizers, The Rocketfellers and Hornsby & Halo best resemble entrees. But all these appealing starters will tempt the palettes of readers hungering to discover a promising new storytelling universe.

 

Art

An elder sits on a rock, telling stories of Geiger, the Nuclear Knight, and Redcoat to children gathered around a campfire. They clutch cloaks or blankets over their antiradiation suits and gaze at each other through the visors of their helmets. Geiger doesn’t need a radiation suit. He strides through the wasteland, carrying two sticks across his back like ninja swords. He glows with green fire when angered.

 

American colonists surround Redcoat on a hill. Their rifles encircle his head. Redcoat smiles congenially, offering to change sides. Yet he awakens moments later amid the Revolutionary War as scavengers try to pinch his boots. A lifetime later, Redcoat awakens when people try to bury him. The Unnamed features appealing realism with vibrant colors.

 

Rook: Exodus catches Rook and Swine on the run. The Wardens charge through trees and fall off a cliff, pursued by a beast they cannot control. Water streams down their features and flies into their faces as they struggle through a stream. Grays and browns saturate this failed terraformed project. Yet Rook and Swine shine, thanks to nuanced coloring and detailed penciling.

 

Lavish penciling inscribes The Rocketfellers into our hearts in Ghost Machine #1. The limited color palettes shift by scene, while other panels offer full-spectrum coloring. Many images evoke paintings. Grandma appears via hologram. The art conveys rapid movement as the family leaves their clapboard home, boards their VW bus, and races to escape pursuit. A 25th-century blaster—stored in the dash—provides their only protection.

 

 

 

The soft tones of the limited palette imbue Hornsby & Halo with All Ages appeal. The art suits these young heroes as they compete against each other on the baseball diamond. While outshining their peers, they endure parents who view the world from a different paradigm.

 

Three sections comprise Hyde Street in Ghost Machine #1. Pages advertising novelty items evoke Bronze Age Comic advertisements for items children could purchase via mail. These give way to paintings of realistic art in which characters exude warmth and settings radiate vitality. Moments of action strike powerfully while danger menaces throughout.

 

Rob Leigh populates Ghost Machine #1 with a wide range of lettering. Sizes ranged from large to small, and styles from simple block font to italicized. Vibrant sound effects enliven every story, and Easter Eggs hint at linkages to others.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy of this sixty-six-page issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Popular and promising creators introduce a lavish sampler of exciting stories in Ghost Machine #1. The oversized one-shot fires a salvo across the bows of local comic shops, warning readers to take heed and other storytelling universes to remain on High Alert.

 

Rating 10/10

 

For more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.