Rogue Sun is a new superhero that stands on its own, but also is part of the larger Radiant Black universe. The first issue introduced us to the hero, but only dipped the teenager heroes toe into the superhero life. Time for a crash course with issue #2 out this week, but he’s got a little unexpected help.
Given the cliffhanger in the last issue revealed this it’s not a huge spoiler, but overt your eyes if you want to go in clean and haven’t read issue #1. This issue opens with Rogue Sun fighting a werewolf with wings. Just another day for Rogue Sun, I guess. You soon see red caption boxes are a voice in Dylan’s head and it’s the voice of his father. Apparently, after he died, some kind of consciousness remained in the suit in order to help his son learn the ropes.
This dynamic works very well in part because Dylan hates his father. Imagine having a parent you don’t want to be around but is ever-present in your head while you’re utilizing the coolest suit imaginable? The only way for Dylan to shut his dad up is to take off the suit, which is a bit counterintuitive since the suit gives him powers and is a thrill. He needs to learn somehow, though, and that mentor element is intriguing.
Ryan Parrott also continues to flesh out the supporting cast well in this issue. For this reason alone, it might have made more sense to release the first two issues in an extra-sized start because key pieces in the larger story become more apparent here. Dylan has to contend with his dad’s kids from another mother and they seem a bit shifty and odd. Throw in a murder mystery element and you have a lot of pieces that mix things up for the superhero genre and draw your interest.
That were-bat has nothing on Rogue Sun.
Credit: Image
The likeability of Dylan is an interesting element that makes enjoying the character a bit difficult. He’s still a bully even with powers and he clearly has a lot of anger pent up, but he’s also in a bit of anguish in this issue asking the reader to feel for him. When he bullies a kid to give him his paper he comes off as sly and not overly aggressive. He’s living off past interactions and actually harming the victim, but here he gets his way. It’s tricky to read how we’re supposed to feel, especially since he’s not violently acting out in other scenes. He just seems troubled and pissy.
Abel’s art with Chris O’Halloran’s colors continues to impress, especially from the superhero angle. O’Halloran colors in a more realistic way with Rogue Sun’s fire being the brightest thing on most pages. This world looks lived in and realistic. Abel’s lines are sharp lending a detailed look to buildings and clothes. The Rogue Sun costume itself looks great with a slight edge to it at times adding a bit of volume to the mask.
Rogue Sun #2 opens up its larger story revealing a mystery, developing Dylan’s control of his father’s super-suit, and integrating his father into the narrative in a bigger way. It all amounts to Parrott and Abel showing their cards and making it far more clear what this series is about. All told, there are multiple pieces to this superhero story that feel wholly original and worth investing in.
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