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Rough Riders: Riders on the Storm #1-6
Rough Riders Volume 2: Riders on the Storm
Collecting all six issues of the Riders on the Storm arc!
Three years have passed since the Rough Riders last adventure, but when an assassins’ bullet takes President William McKinley’s life, Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt is thrust into the role of Commander in Chief. As a country mourns the loss of their leader, Roosevelt believes that the assassin is part of a bigger conspiracy, ones whose tentacles reach back to Europe and whose intentions are to destroy humanity through world-wide ANARCHY.
To stop them Roosevelt must convince Harry Houdini, Jack Johnson, Thomas Edison and a surprisingly very alive Annie Oakley to band together again. But time has strained the bonds that once united them and the ideologies of their enemies may have already seeped into one of their own.
Created and written by Adam Glass (executive producer of Supernatural and writer of Suicide Squad) with art by Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man).
Three years have passed since the Rough Riders last adventure, but when an assassins’ bullet takes President William McKinley’s life, Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt is thrust into the role of Commander in Chief. As a country mourns the loss of their leader, Roosevelt believes that the assassin is part of a bigger conspiracy, ones whose tentacles reach back to Europe and whose intentions are to destroy humanity through world-wide ANARCHY.
To stop them Roosevelt must convince Harry Houdini, Jack Johnson, Thomas Edison and a surprisingly very alive Annie Oakley to band together again. But time has strained the bonds that once united them and the ideologies of their enemies may have already seeped into one of their own.
Created and written by Adam Glass (executive producer of Supernatural and writer of Suicide Squad) with art by Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man).
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 18, 2018
Rough Riders takes a bunch of famous early 20th century Americans and sends them on secret missions. It's a cross of Wild, Wild West and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. When President McKinley is shot, Teddy Roosevelt reassembles his team of Thomas Edison, Harry Houdini, Annie Oakley, the boxer Jack Johnson, and Monk Eastman, one of the first New York gangsters. A group of guys running around in plague masks calling themselves the Anarchists are responsible and the rough Riders need to wipe them out before they destroy the country.
The book is a lot of fun. Patrick Olliffe is one of the more underrated artists working in comics today. I've liked his art since his days on Untold Tales of Spider-Man back in the 90's. He captures the likenesses of the characters perfectly.
Received a review copy from Aftershock and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book is a lot of fun. Patrick Olliffe is one of the more underrated artists working in comics today. I've liked his art since his days on Untold Tales of Spider-Man back in the 90's. He captures the likenesses of the characters perfectly.
Received a review copy from Aftershock and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 25, 2019
The Arthur Conan Doyle/Edgar Allan Poe style mistery storyline was just not as good as the sci-fi one in the first volume and it is more and more heavily in debt to Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but I'm just in love with this alternative-history steampunk series, the historical research, inter-characters dynamics and comic book references are excellent ones (Harry Houdini and Jack Johnson seem a sort of Marvel's Heroes for Hire... 'nuff said).
And last but not least Patrick Oliffe's Joe Kubert-style amazing artworks are real ☆☆☆☆☆ ones.
A must read if you are into action-packed steampunk uchronias genre.
November 26, 2017
'Rough Riders Vol. 2' by Adam Glass with art by Patrick Olliffe takes historical figures and turns them into a kind of super team. I had a great time reading this.
What do you get when you team up Teddy Roosevelt, Jack Johnson, Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison and Harry Houdini? Something that in less deft hands might have been merely mediocre. Here they are out to solve the murder of President McKinley, and being chased by figures in Venetian plague doctor masks.
I am new to the series with this volume, but I had no trouble jumping right in. There are some steampunk type elements to the story, but they aren't overwhelming and actually enhance the story instead of trying to over-style the world. I like the different characters and the strengths they bring to the team. The issue of racism is touched on as two of the characters have felt it in their lives.
The art by Patrick Olliffe is pretty good. These historical figures are given physiques like superheroes, but it's in keeping with the story. The covers for these issues are included and they are all very striking.
I really enjoyed reading this and I think it struck all the right balances of story and art. Something happens to one of the main characters and it isn't really explained, but I assume that is for a future story.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
What do you get when you team up Teddy Roosevelt, Jack Johnson, Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison and Harry Houdini? Something that in less deft hands might have been merely mediocre. Here they are out to solve the murder of President McKinley, and being chased by figures in Venetian plague doctor masks.
I am new to the series with this volume, but I had no trouble jumping right in. There are some steampunk type elements to the story, but they aren't overwhelming and actually enhance the story instead of trying to over-style the world. I like the different characters and the strengths they bring to the team. The issue of racism is touched on as two of the characters have felt it in their lives.
The art by Patrick Olliffe is pretty good. These historical figures are given physiques like superheroes, but it's in keeping with the story. The covers for these issues are included and they are all very striking.
I really enjoyed reading this and I think it struck all the right balances of story and art. Something happens to one of the main characters and it isn't really explained, but I assume that is for a future story.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
January 24, 2020
Nice work, with an over-the-top ending. Recommended.
April 29, 2018
The Wild, Wild West + Steampunk + Weird Western Tales + The X-Files = Rough Riders Volume 2: Riders on the Storm
Teddy Roosevelt assembles a famous collection of secret crime fighters to investigate a conspiracy and save The United States from evil anarchists. Combine the old world technology and tongue-in-cheek flavor of the old TV show The Wild, Wild West with a healthy dose of steampunk, add a dash of the "anything could happen, just go along with it" attitude of the old comic series Weird Western Tales, just a smidgen of X-Files-type conspiracy, and the result is a superior story that is very entertaining and fun.
Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders are now an elite group of (somewhat reluctant) government agents. There is Harry Houdini, Thomas Edison, boxer Jack Johnson, Annie Oakley, and New York gangster Edward "Monk" Eastman (I had to look him up - apparently he was quite famous and notorious in his time). After President McKinley is shot TR reassembles the group to assist in putting down a group of masked assasins overseen by a mysterious man in the shadows... Action, adventure, and intrigue ensue! Plus wisecracking, a lot of wisecracking amongst our heroes.
I loved this book! The art is great, the characters are fully formed, the whole thing makes for freewheeling fun. I particularly liked the interplay between Houdini and Jack Johnson who have kind of a buddy cop/bro-mance thing going on.
While this volume works very well as a standalone I got the definite sense that a few of the twists and surprises would have had far more impact if I had been familiar with the previous book.
*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Rough Riders Volume 2: Riders on the Storm
Teddy Roosevelt assembles a famous collection of secret crime fighters to investigate a conspiracy and save The United States from evil anarchists. Combine the old world technology and tongue-in-cheek flavor of the old TV show The Wild, Wild West with a healthy dose of steampunk, add a dash of the "anything could happen, just go along with it" attitude of the old comic series Weird Western Tales, just a smidgen of X-Files-type conspiracy, and the result is a superior story that is very entertaining and fun.
Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders are now an elite group of (somewhat reluctant) government agents. There is Harry Houdini, Thomas Edison, boxer Jack Johnson, Annie Oakley, and New York gangster Edward "Monk" Eastman (I had to look him up - apparently he was quite famous and notorious in his time). After President McKinley is shot TR reassembles the group to assist in putting down a group of masked assasins overseen by a mysterious man in the shadows... Action, adventure, and intrigue ensue! Plus wisecracking, a lot of wisecracking amongst our heroes.
I loved this book! The art is great, the characters are fully formed, the whole thing makes for freewheeling fun. I particularly liked the interplay between Houdini and Jack Johnson who have kind of a buddy cop/bro-mance thing going on.
While this volume works very well as a standalone I got the definite sense that a few of the twists and surprises would have had far more impact if I had been familiar with the previous book.
*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Rough Riders Volume 2: Riders on the Storm
November 1, 2019
Druhé volumko už bohužel nemá takový tah na branku jako to první. Většina věcí je tu stejných, ať už fázování příběhu či podobný závěr kdy Roosevelt opět odhalí zločince.
Naštěstí s tím zůstala i chemie postav a pořád vydařený humor i s good feelem Indiana Jonese. Jenom ale zamrzelo po fajn béčkové Scifi Zápletce tu máme linku co se docela drží při zemi a týká se to prakticky napadnutí Ameriky a tím to končí. Nic nadpřirozeného apod. Vše se navíc rychle vyřeší a celé to působí jako fakt výplňový Story Arc.
I tak musím ale dát 4/5 protože mám pro tyhle Feel Good nahláškované dobrodružství slabost.
Snad ale trojka půjde v lehce jiných šlépějích. Jinak by to bylo lehce zklamání.
Naštěstí s tím zůstala i chemie postav a pořád vydařený humor i s good feelem Indiana Jonese. Jenom ale zamrzelo po fajn béčkové Scifi Zápletce tu máme linku co se docela drží při zemi a týká se to prakticky napadnutí Ameriky a tím to končí. Nic nadpřirozeného apod. Vše se navíc rychle vyřeší a celé to působí jako fakt výplňový Story Arc.
I tak musím ale dát 4/5 protože mám pro tyhle Feel Good nahláškované dobrodružství slabost.
Snad ale trojka půjde v lehce jiných šlépějích. Jinak by to bylo lehce zklamání.
February 28, 2019
3.5 stars
While a little weaker than the previous installment, it is still a fun follow up with an interesting twist at the end setting up for some interesting events to go down in the next arc
While a little weaker than the previous installment, it is still a fun follow up with an interesting twist at the end setting up for some interesting events to go down in the next arc
December 5, 2017
This was a fun leisure reading which I read during the long Thanksgiving weekend. I enjoyed this second volume more than the first one (I review volume one below in this post!). Rough Riders is a comic series that is part alternative history, part steampunk and part sci-fi. As a fictional alternative history it tells the story of Theodore Roosevelt who assembled a team of other historical figures in the late eighteen hundreds to confront secret threats and dangers to the United States and the world.
This particular story takes place three years after the story in volume one. The United States president William McKinley has just been assassinated. Which means then Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt will become the twenty sixth president of the United States. But before he becomes president Teddy assemble his Rough Riders secret team to investigate whether there is a greater conspiracy is involved with the murder. As they investigate they discover there is a lot larger conspiracy than they can imagine. I love the unexpected twists and turn in the story. They were ones that made me think, “Wow, that’s a deeper conspiracy behind the conspiracy!”
Like the previous volume I enjoyed this book for the historical references that shapes the plot of the story. There’s the assassination of McKinley and the fact that Roosevelt and McKinley were quite distanced. There’s also the fear of that time of anarchists operating underground. What made me like this particular story more than volume one is that the enemies were believable; I guess I’m not too big of a fan of aliens story which we saw in volume one. Also while volume two has less pages than volume one I thought volume one laid a lot of the foundation of how the teams are assembled which allowed more space in volume two to deal with the actual missions. Plus you also already know the history between the characters that began in volume one.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Aftershock Comics, Diamond Book Distributors and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
This particular story takes place three years after the story in volume one. The United States president William McKinley has just been assassinated. Which means then Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt will become the twenty sixth president of the United States. But before he becomes president Teddy assemble his Rough Riders secret team to investigate whether there is a greater conspiracy is involved with the murder. As they investigate they discover there is a lot larger conspiracy than they can imagine. I love the unexpected twists and turn in the story. They were ones that made me think, “Wow, that’s a deeper conspiracy behind the conspiracy!”
Like the previous volume I enjoyed this book for the historical references that shapes the plot of the story. There’s the assassination of McKinley and the fact that Roosevelt and McKinley were quite distanced. There’s also the fear of that time of anarchists operating underground. What made me like this particular story more than volume one is that the enemies were believable; I guess I’m not too big of a fan of aliens story which we saw in volume one. Also while volume two has less pages than volume one I thought volume one laid a lot of the foundation of how the teams are assembled which allowed more space in volume two to deal with the actual missions. Plus you also already know the history between the characters that began in volume one.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Aftershock Comics, Diamond Book Distributors and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
November 22, 2017
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
I am greatly enjoying the Rough Riders series. Volume 1 gave us quite a quirky assemblage of characters and characterizations combined with a fun fantastical steampunk universe. The historical facts are there but reinterpreted in an intriguing way. As well, the personalities of the historical characters are accurate but ramped up to make for a much more adventuresome story. It's obvious that the author/illustrators are are having a blast and it shows through in the exuberance of the storyline and artwork. Rough Riders 2 compiles the full second story arc.Story: President McKinley has been shot and Teddy Roosevelt grapples with what it means for him in his position of Vice President. To protect the president, he calls in his band of Rough Riders: Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, Monk the Gangster, Houdini, and Jack the champion boxer. They uncover a plot that stretches across the entire US - and what at first looks like anarchists soon blossoms into something much more deadly.
The story continues smoothly from the first volume: Annie doesn't realize she is something more than human now, Jack and Houdini's friendship grows stronger, Roosevelt still lone wolfs a lot,and no one trusts Edison. New characters such as Hearst add to the flavor but also create some fun red herrings and we see the return of Monk as a more central character.
Historically, I love all that we get here. From Hearst's yellow journalism to McKinley's assassination, the author creates some fun backstories to events of the era. The result is a lot of twists and turns coupled with actual history culminating in a finale so over the top as to be incredibly amusing - by the end, you'll never believe where the story could go!
If this had been told too earnestly or with too much a slavish attention to historical accuracy, it would never have worked. But this American "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is all the more fun for how the characters are written and their rivalries and camaraderie. It's something that couldn't be achieved with the British ensemble but is all the more rewarding for its very American heart.
The illustration work is fun and tells the story well. There was probably too much a reliance on repeated motifs (e.g., the 'reflection of the scene in the pupil of the main character" got old fast and was done too often) but I had to appreciate how the panels were set up and the bright and over-the-top steampunkish color schemes.
In all, I liked this volume even better - and look forward to #3 next year. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
May 18, 2022
There's wall-to-wall action in this volume as well. Also betrayal from within the crew. Their true antagonist is only revealed half-way through the story and it's again a well-known historic figure. It's pure joy to read about these entertaining characters in settings that borrow elements from real-life history.
The US president has been shot. Monk Eastman makes a return after being kicked off the team in the first volume. Annie Oakley is also back from the dead thanks to Edison using the alien tech found in the previous volume. Of course, the others aren't too happy about Edison playing God. Still, they must focus on the mission - protect the president and find out who wants him dead.
The US president has been shot. Monk Eastman makes a return after being kicked off the team in the first volume. Annie Oakley is also back from the dead thanks to Edison using the alien tech found in the previous volume. Of course, the others aren't too happy about Edison playing God. Still, they must focus on the mission - protect the president and find out who wants him dead.
November 26, 2017
When a secret cabal tries to take over the world in the late 1800s/early 1900s by fronting the anarchist movement, it takes someone like Theodore Roosevelt to gather an elite unit of famous/semi-famous commandos to stop them. And apparently it’s for the second time, though I haven’t read the first volume.
When a story starts right off with the assassination of McKinley, it’s normal to wonder if Teddy might be behind it. I didn’t know Jack Johnson; considering he was a boxer, that’s not surprising. All the other characters are familiar. . . well, not Monk. Some of the tech is steampunk, but the eye scanner goes way beyond that. (Ah, got it. Again, didn’t read the first volume.) Annie Oakley is drawn much more attractively than in real life, but then that was the usual in the early days of cinema.
I’m not going to give you the context to this, because it’s just as delicious. When Edison screams, “I’m a national treasure!” the only reply can be, “We should drop you (off the train) just for saying that.” Yep, this just plays into everything I hate about Edison. This is also why Tesla is more often featured in fiction. . . and why I loved the moment when he mistook the priest for an admirer. That goes double for the surprise villain at the end.
“You couldn’t handle this even if I came with directions.” Okay, I officially love this Annie Oakley, especially when she ogles the guys as they strip and still beats them swimming.
Totally unbelievable for so many reasons, but enjoyable.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
When a story starts right off with the assassination of McKinley, it’s normal to wonder if Teddy might be behind it. I didn’t know Jack Johnson; considering he was a boxer, that’s not surprising. All the other characters are familiar. . . well, not Monk. Some of the tech is steampunk, but the eye scanner goes way beyond that. (Ah, got it. Again, didn’t read the first volume.) Annie Oakley is drawn much more attractively than in real life, but then that was the usual in the early days of cinema.
I’m not going to give you the context to this, because it’s just as delicious. When Edison screams, “I’m a national treasure!” the only reply can be, “We should drop you (off the train) just for saying that.” Yep, this just plays into everything I hate about Edison. This is also why Tesla is more often featured in fiction. . . and why I loved the moment when he mistook the priest for an admirer. That goes double for the surprise villain at the end.
“You couldn’t handle this even if I came with directions.” Okay, I officially love this Annie Oakley, especially when she ogles the guys as they strip and still beats them swimming.
Totally unbelievable for so many reasons, but enjoyable.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
June 16, 2018
Well... It seems I’m always overexcited when a new Aftershock comic comes out. That excitement, strong at the beginning, seems to always fade with a second volume. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a quick read and one that is worth the time, but the story line is simple and some of the super group members don’t hold up as well after 14 issues.
I preferred the sci-fi aspects of the first arc over the political unrest of the second. I’ll read the next volume for sure because of my fondness of Annie Oakley. I wish this volume had gone deeper into her new life through alien technology. Maybe volume 3 will scratch that itch.
I preferred the sci-fi aspects of the first arc over the political unrest of the second. I’ll read the next volume for sure because of my fondness of Annie Oakley. I wish this volume had gone deeper into her new life through alien technology. Maybe volume 3 will scratch that itch.
March 11, 2024
The entertaining team led by Teddy Roosevelt is back and the adventure gets more wild. Adam Glass writes another fun book that goes even more over the top that last volume. The team is back together dealing with President McKinley's assassination. I love the personality that Glass instills in the team especially Houdini and Roosevelt. There were a handful of twists, some obvious, some less so. Its far from perfect but it was entertaining. Pat Ollife's art is classic and fits well with the story. Overall, another solid read that has me wanting to read more.
January 11, 2018
When President McKinley was shot, Teddy Roosevelt called the Rough Riders back into harness 3 years after their first adventure in Cuba. Not everyone wanted in on the hunt of the conspiracy behind the assassination of the President, but TR is a very persuasive fellow. And what a conspiracy it is with strange costumes, a Latin motto, and links back to Europe via American co-conspirators. The question to ask at the end is "Was there a deeper conspiracy at play?" Read and make up your mind!
August 12, 2018
I cannot recommend this series highly enough. A brilliant steampunk-pulp story from Adam Glass, executive producer on the hit series SUPERNATURAL, and absolutely gorgeous artwork from the hugely underrated Patrick Olliffe combine to make this a must-read series. So looking forward to the next volume!
April 10, 2019
What to say about this series?
It gets bonus points for embracing it's own absurdity as fully as it does. With strong art and committed storytelling, whatever flaws this volume has in delivery, it balances against the engaging fun of its historically driven action-adventure-steampunk-sci fi-reimagining of American history.
It gets bonus points for embracing it's own absurdity as fully as it does. With strong art and committed storytelling, whatever flaws this volume has in delivery, it balances against the engaging fun of its historically driven action-adventure-steampunk-sci fi-reimagining of American history.
December 2, 2017
Much better than League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but when little is worse, that doesn't say much. Very forgettable.
September 15, 2020
How do you follow up secret aliens in Cuba as the nemesis for a shadowy supergroup headlined by a future President? With this, apparently.
November 28, 2017
Wow what a great way to continue the series. I love how it deals with history with a mix to it. There is so much action and adventure. I love how these group of people are so different but they end up working so well together. It makes for such a great series. I really enjoyed this volume. I feel it was filled with some twists and turns. The ending was a nice twist. I can't wait to see how things are going to continue in volume 3. I do hope this comic ends up becoming more popular.
Read
November 19, 2017More steampunk secret history, this time based around the assassination of McKinley - the US president who got shot yet still doesn't make the cut in terms of memorability. From the plague doctor masks with vaguely techie bits, to the ludicrous twist, it's a farrago of clichés, and the characters with two dimensions are the lucky ones - but for reasons I can't pin down, I would probably still read Volume 3.
(Netgalley ARC)
(Netgalley ARC)
November 24, 2017
Finding an interesting steampunk comic to read is a pretty difficult task, but Rough Riders sure do the trick. I haven't read the first volume and did miss some background story and world-building with this volume, but despite that and a number of clichés that caught my attention, this was an enjoyable book. The characters you wouldn't usually imagine to be this badass don't look out of place at all, and the author's writing surely does them justice. The storytelling is quick-paced and action-packed, keeps you immersed into the story till the very last page, and it's a fun alternative lesson in American history. Who doesn't love a good anarchist conspiracy with plague doctor masks and seemingly no-win situations to keep up the suspense? The artwork is enjoyable as well, I especially loved the chosen color scheme. Both the foreword and the book itself show that the author and the illustrator had fun with this work and the research they put in it. Definitely interested in picking up the first volume I missed and any that might come in the future.
*Many thanks to the publisher, authors and NetGalley for this ARC.*
*Many thanks to the publisher, authors and NetGalley for this ARC.*
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews