Comic book covers can often be misleading, but Rogue Sun #26 lives up to its cover by featuring a teamup between its fiery protagonist and Radiant Black. The two have joined forces before, but under different circumstances: first off, most of their meetings were confined to the yearly Supermassive one shots, and Dylan Siegel has technically never met Marshall Ward until now. This is even lampshaded hilariously in the issue itself, but it’s fun to see these two truly interact.
So what exactly brings Massiveverse’s cosmic champion and fire-slinging monster hunter together? The monstrous Clyde Bludmoon, who Radiant Black tracked all the way to Chicago. Further complicating matters is the presence of Dylan’s half-sister Aurie, who has her own Rogue Sun powers and is determined to help (the price is that she’s bonded to former Rogue Sun Caleb, who Dylan is wary about on account of Caleb briefly hijacking his body).
Ryan Parrott and Nick Cotton deserve credit for how they incorporate Radiant Black into the story. Despite the fact that his powers are cosmic, rather than mystical in nature and he’s not used to fighting magical threats, he still manages to hold his own against Clyde. They also develop a fun back and forth between Marshall and Dylan, which I hope to see more of in the future. On the ongoing story side of things, Parrott and Cotton also dig deeper into the Bludmoon clan, and sow the seeds for even more calamity to enter Rogue Sun’s life.
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Series artist/co-creator Abel is joined by Bruno Frenda, and the duo manage to deliver an action packed issue that makes use of both heroes’ powers. From Marshall utilizing his gravity powers to suspend flying train cars or turn vehicles into projectiles, or Dylan summoning a flaming mace to keep Clyde at bay, there’s plenty of great images to feast on. Of note is how Clyde stands out due to being a vampire/werewolf hybrid, as he boasts the large furry body of a werewolf but also the massive wingspan you’d expect from a fruit bat. Natalia Marques’ color work shrouds New Orleans in a reddish-pink haze, while also highlighting Radiant Black’s bluish glow and Rogue Sun’s crackling fire.
Rogue Sun #26 also benefits from its quieter pages, as it lets the creative team deliver some great moments. Of note is a moment toward the end of the issue, where Marshall and Dylan have a frank conversation. It shows that the events of the Catalyst War are still haunting Marshall, and he’s still trying to figure out if he’s a good guy. The same could be said of Dylan, who was kind of a jerk when Rogue Sun first started; he still might be, but this issue shows that he’s gained some perspective on the finer points of superheroism.
Rogue Sun #26 delivers a great team-up with Radiant Black, and some great character moments in the process. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for Radiant Black #33 to see Marshall’s side of the story.
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