REVIEW: ‘Rogue Sun’, Issue #2

Rogue Sun #2 is written by Ryan Parrott, illustrated by Abel, colored by Chris O’Halloran, and lettered by Becca Carey. It’s published by Image Comics. Following the death of his father Marcus Bell, Dylan Siegel has inherited the Sun Stone and his late father’s mantle as Rogue Sun – but he’s accompanied by the ghost of Marcus every time he powers up. While Marcus attempts to help his son battle the many threats that lurk in the night, Dylan wants nothing to do with him. The two must make amends when the vampire/werewolf Billy Bludmoon comes seeking Rogue Sun’s head.

From the jump, it was apparent that this series was going to tackle a father/son relationship, even though the father had perished. Parrott leans into the series’ supernatural elements by having the ghost version of Marcus show up and give advice to Dylan, which puts a rather macabre spin on Batman Beyond.

But where Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis developed a father/son relationship, Dylan refuses to take Marcus’ advice and remains suspicious of the reason his father granted him the mantle of Rogue Sun. Fans who’ve read Supermassive know that Marcus isn’t the easiest person to get along with, and it’s clearly rubbed off on his son. Dylan also butts heads with Marcus’ biological son Brock, but finds a connection with his half-sister Aurie; it’s an interesting dynamic that I hope is explored in future issues.

Abel gets to illustrate more supernatural creatures, including Billy Bludmoon. As mentioned before, Billy is half-werewolf/half-vampire and that looks as terrifying as it sounds. He’s a huge, hulking wolf with leathery bat wings. The battle between the two pulls no punches, as Dylan and Billy slam each other through a graveyard and into the pavement, leaving rubble and destruction in their wake.

O’Halloran adds a dark shade to most of the scenes which take place at night – the only source of light comes from the flames in Dylan’s armor. He also applies different colors to See’s lettering. While Dylan’s word balloons are normal, Marcus’ balloons are lined with a reddish-orange barrier, signifying his connection to the Sun Stone.

The end of the issue features a backup story from Francesco Mortarino, who served as the main artist on Parrott’s Power Rangers series. It reveals that Suave – the gentleman thief who Dylan encountered in Rogue Sun #1 – is in the thrall of a mysterious master. There’s a rather horrific moment where Suave picks up a purplish spider and consumes it whole; I admittedly had to fight the urge to throw up. But it only raises more questions: who is Suave’s master? And what ties does he have to Marcus’ master? Like any good mystery, the audience is given enough to stay invested but not enough to spoil the surprise.

Rogue Sun #2 continues to explore the father/son relationship at the heart of the series, while also introducing new threats for its fiery hero to fight. The mystery of Marcus’ death looks to be a major factor in the series, and I’m looking forward to how that unravels – as well as how Dylan juggles school and superheroics.

Rogue Sun #2 is available wherever comics are sold.