Roken is Broken

Every character a writer will ever create has a piece of themself in there. Whether it’s a hero, an anti-hero, or even the most diabolical, venal, evil, villain, it’s really just the writer talking to different versions of themselves.

I wrote Roken during a rough patch. I wanted an angry character who, unlike myself, had the means to do something about it. I needed a character who could see the crimes of their society, spot what looks like an easy solution, and get lost trying to fix it all. His journey leads him to the real villain behind the world’s rot: The Storyteller. Or at least… that’s how it seems at first.

(Spoilers for those who haven’t cracked open Roken #1 yet!) Roken dies… Right out of the gate.

Roken #1 Cover

The story then follows Arthur, Roken’s brother, a man inspired by Roken’s short-lived crusade. But Arthur? He’s no heart-of-gold protagonist. He’s not even that brave at the start. As time drags on, Arthur doesn’t grow stronger, he grows colder. Where Roken wanted to save people, Arthur learns to use them, bending their hopes and dreams to fuel his rise. In a world without Roken, Arthur surrounds himself with users and opportunists, people who twist his original fire for change into something uglier: strip-mining communities, building an army, and setting his sights on the one who started it all. (Yes, the godlike Storyteller.)

Roken #2 Preview

“Isn’t the world already full of dark stories, both in fiction and in reality?” Sure is. So why seek redemption when you can have revenge instead?

Imagine it: your father kidnapped and forced into slavery, your mother captured by cannibals, and a world crawling with ravenous cyclopes hungry for human flesh. Who wouldn’t be tempted to walk a darker path?

Alternity Magazine #2

You can find Roken physically printed in Alternity Magazine on Amazon or check out the digital version on AlternityComics.com. Dive in and decide for yourself: can two lowly humans muster the strength to fight the Storyteller?