Long John

There is absolutely an intentionality to having the opening of Chapter 6 mirror the ending of Chapter 5; basically, throw in an unexpected fight to make some noise in an otherwise fairly quiet sequence. Throwing that twist into the end of Chapter 5 was a late addition to the chapter and gave me a real sense of relief. Landing on the same idea––and then noticing how it mirrored the last sequence of the previous chapter (in more ways than one––just wait until the end of this scene)––had the same effect on me as I was writing this chapter. Where the fight scene at the end of Chapter 5 felt (to me) that it tied everything together, the fight scene that starts this chapter made me feel like a good start to everything that comes afterward.

Despite it being an act of violence, what I like most about this page is that we see another reason why The Rook has so much influence and power. Sure, she’s smart, knowledgeable, and calculated (as we saw with her interactions with a local farmer and with Rich Jack), but we see that she is also not afraid to get her hands dirty. She can ruin your life by drowning you in red tape or in red, literally. The only thing that we don’t yet know is why she’s so loyal to Rich Jack. We know Bishop is here for the paycheck and is loyal as long as the income keeps coming.

The very rough thumbnail for this page. Click for larger version