ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Rogue Planet,’ Issue #3

Rogue Planet #3 is a sci-fi/horror comic published by Oni Press. The writer is Cullen Bunn and the artist is Andy MacDonald. Colours provided by Nick FIlardi and letters by Crank! The plot continues seconds after issue two, as the traumatized salvage team make their way to the blood-stained ship. At the same time, the crew members left on board the ship are given an introduction to more of the beings that call this monstrous world home.

The pace of the story picks up incredible speed within this issue, and the terror that was being teased in the previous issue explodes within Rogue Planet #3. Bunn consistently makes each scenario the explorers face even more frightening than the last. The creatures and the content of what happens within the scenes are bestowed with incredibly twisted events that make them even scarier than when they’ve been used in other stories. The aliens that were first seen in the prologue of the first issue, and the final page of the second, display more of their plans for the humans.

The structure is similar to the previous issues, but there is a satisfying battle towards the end. The reveal on the final page hints at a new direction the story will be moving in, explaining more about the world under the characters’ feet.  

It is still difficult to get attached to many of the characters, as their faces have been occluded by the spacesuits for much of Rogue Planet. We lose more of the crew members within this issue, and one of the crew members that die was a surprise to me, as I thought they would be kept alive until the very end of the series.

What has improved is the dialogue. The characters are doing and saying more to showcase their personalities. Panic is really setting in as their experiences get worse, and this comes across through their word balloons. The lettering by Crank! is influential in presenting that fear to the reader, as the balloons and text itself get larger as the frantic scenes reach their summit. With the cast getting progressively shorter, it could be beneficial to get more development from those that are left.

The art by Macdonald continues to be gloriously terrifying. We are reintroduced to the alien race that has been threatening to make a true appearance so far, and each one of them is given individual details by both MacDonald and Filardi. Their expressionless faces as they perform their acts make them appear unassailable. And the new creature that makes itself known to one of the groups is a truly frightening monster. MacDonald also excels in showing excess, reveling in the gore that he can inflict upon those he draws. Rogue Planet #3 is just dripping with blood.

Filardi’s colours remain as beautiful as ever while maintaining the ugly look of the planet. There is a variety of colours used, from the blues of the aliens to the pink of the flesh that seems to run underneath the surface of the world. All of that is presented against a backdrop of bright green light poking out between the pure black mountains. When the action starts and the gunfire rips through the air, the darkness is replaced with bright lights and streaks of white. The diversity of colours used keeps the reader interested in a landscape that they still haven’t seen much of yet.

Rogue Planet #3 shows that this series continues to be deliciously horrifying. Bunn and MacDonald’s world-building is constantly expanding and getting better. This planet the Cortes has landed on never ceases to reveal even worse possibilities for the characters to lose their lives, while keeping us in suspense of something even more gruesome around the corner. The energy and pace of the series pick up with a fight at the end, and it does seem like there will be more exploration and depth added to the series in the next issue. With more character development and an explanation of the history of the world, this series will have me even more hooked.

Rogue Planet #3 is available on July 29th wherever comic books are sold.