REVIEW: ‘Rogue Sun,’ Issue #7

Rogue Sun #7 is written by Ryan Parrott & Nick Cotton, illustrated by Ze Carlos, colored by Raul Angulo, and lettered by Becca See. Image Comics publishes it. Ever since he took up the mantle of Rogue Sun, Dylan Siegel has had to deal with a lot of family issues. The ghost of his father, Marcus, haunted him, leading to a contentious relationship. And it turns out that his mother, Gwen, killed Marcus in cold blood. Now with Gwen imprisoned and Marcus departing for the afterlife. Dylan isn’t sure where his path as Rogue Sun will lead. Enter the mysterious time traveler known as Ornate!

This issue continues the Massiveverse’s trend of experimentation with the comic book narrative. Its core title Radiant Black has perfected this method, with its most recent issue depicting four simultaneous timelines side-by-side. With Rogue Sun, Parrott and Cotton opt to take the “choose your own adventure” method that’s been popularized in young adult books. Not only is this fitting since Ornate is a time traveler, but it also lets the reader have a say in how the story goes down. Do you flip to the page where Dylan fights Ornate, or do you go to the one where the young hero destroys the time traveler’s Censure of Fate? Whatever the choice, no two readers will have the same experience.

This is more than just a fun thought experiment, though. The entire issue addresses the nature of choice and the roles people play in life. “You are in a perpetual loop of death and destruction,” Ornate tells Dylan, adding that the only way to escape said cycle is to listen to him. Dylan being Dylan believes that his fate isn’t set in stone. Ultimately the moral of the story is that even if they lead down a destructive path, you make your own choices, and you’re responsible for them. It’s that combination of Tokusatsu action and life lessons that fueled Parrott’s run on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and it’s a formula that works wonders for Rogue Sun.

The issue also sees another change in artwork, as Ze Carlos takes over from series artist/co-creator Abel. Carlos is perhaps best known for his work on the Amazing Spider-Man titles, and he takes to Rogue Sun like a duck to water – or in this case, fire. In fact, the elements play a large part in the artwork. Rogue Sun is constantly surrounded by burning fire, Ornate from the thick smoke of his Censure of Fate, and there’s a massive sea monster called Lord Viathan. Viathan is a mash of aquatic life and colors thanks to Carlos and Angulo, and See’s lettering gives his threats of killing mankind a Lovecraftian edge. The best way I can describe this character? Imagine if Aquaman and Namor took their status as “king of an underwater empire” to a lethal extreme.

Rogue Sun #7 isn’t just a great standalone story: it’s a comic that ditches traditional narrative to explore the weight of the choices we make. It also serves as a reminder that the Massiveverse is one of the best things to happen to superhero comics, and I look forward to the different ways that it continues to play with the form of comics.

Rogue Sun #7 is available wherever comics are sold.