Is It Good? Rogue Trooper #2 Review

Bringing back a hero from the 80’s can be tough, but the first issue of this new series by IDW wasn’t half bad. Issue #2 of series can be a fickle thing though, so, is it good?

Rogue Trooper #2 (IDW Publishing)

Rogue Trooper is a genetic marvel that was made to fight in a world where poison is in the air and a super soldier needs to be completely fabricated in a lab to live through anything. Well, except for his two buddies, who are reduced to voices in his gear. They’re sidekicks of sorts, who he carries around until he can get them new bodies. While in the field Rogue saves a soldier and gets himself in the thick of things with a special ops team on its way to cut him down. This issue focuses on the repercussions of saving someone and Rogue meeting the team behind the person he saved.

Yah, bust the guy’s balls for being a virgin when you live in a wasteland.

This issue doesn’t work, largely because the new cast of characters are so flat and boring. They bring nothing to the table besides being curious with Rogue. They all serve to point out things about the character for the audience, but none of them have much character. Considering most of this issue is spending its time to show them off that’s a major failure. I’m also not interested in the big bad and what he wants. There’s nothing tying Rogue to him yet, so why care what his plans are? The fight sequence though, which lasts about four pages, is pretty good with nice pace and gadgetry.

The art by Alberto Ponticelli is a little stiff, mostly because so much of this issue takes place inside. The facial expressions in particular are stiff and they don’t give you much behind the characters’ eyes. In some panels the characters look flat out bored. He knows his way around dramatic lighting and action though, which work well for a series about war in a wasteland.

Yeah but he’s blue…

Is It Good?

No, very skippable issue. There isn’t anything added from a character standpoint and the big bad is flat and boring. Here’s to hoping things turn around when Rogue has to fight robot dogs.