By Brian Ruckley, Alberto Ponticelli, and Stephen Downer

Often western, sci-fi, and war comics don’t intersect in the same story. Rogue Trooper #1, a new volume of a 2000AD classic for American audiences seeks to defy that standard, delivering a unique and bizarre combination of storytelling. Bringing Trooper back to his roots, while embellishing his story for a new generation and group of readers, Ruckley and Ponticelli are embarking on a dark and lonesome journey, choc full of brutality.

One of the biggest strengths of this first issue is Ruckley and Ponticelli’s ability to make the reader feel completely alone, isolated in the vast desolation of Nu-Earth. Trooper and his accomplice cover great expanses of land showing us the extent of destruction and chaos, rounding out a bleak and dire situation with an excellent air of action and excitement.

Ruckley does an amazing job at presenting Trooper as a lonesome soldier. Aided by his three microchip accomplices, Trooper seeks redemption and revenge. His danger excellently amplified by the consciousness of running out of supplies, his loneliness and dedication to his fallen comrades highlighted by almost schizophrenic interactions with their microchip personas.

Similarly, Ponticelli’s dark and foreboding visuals bring the pollution and destruction of Nu-Earth to life. The dire actions of Trooper’s foes express a mixture of terror and desperation, accentuating the horrible conditions they’re forced to fight in.

Overall this is a really solid start to IDW’s latest 2000AD repackaging effort. Rogue Trooper #1 is an extremely solid dark sci-fi read, with a long history and a solid backbone to work from. Ruckley and Ponticelli clearly have big plans for Trooper, and are eagerly sinking their teeth into his extensive legacy.

roguetrooper1

About The Author Nick Rowe

Nick has worked with comics for the last 15 years. From garbage disposal, to filing, to grading, he has become a disgruntled, weathered comic fan. A firm believer that comics are meant to be fun and be printed on paper, Nick seeks wacky, bizarre, and head-scratcher comics from every era. Introduced to Ranma ½ at a young age, his love for manga continues to grow, fueling his desire to learn Japanese and effectively avoiding the wait between publication and translation. His love for classic comics originated from a battle between Batroc the Leaper and Captain America, and he’s never turned back. Preferring “reader copies” over pristine comics, he yearns for comics to return to the fun days of the Silver Age buying up anything his bank account can sustain.

comments (0)

%d bloggers like this: