Rogue Sun #29: Why Dylan?

“Only those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it.”   –Plato

Parrott has been dancing around a theme not unlike this for much of Rogue Sun’s run. It’s been central to the last few issues. It’s finally addressed head-on in Rogue Sun #29. Why did Dylan get the sun stone and is he the right person to have it?

Dylan is a messy superhero. He’s arrogant, impulsive, inconsistent, and a host of other qualities one would expect to find in a teenager. All of these qualities cloud his judgment. Indeed, they led Dylan to abandon rich insurance executives to their fate in Rogue Sun #28, and it takes an unfavorable comparison to his father to change his mind in Rogue Sun #29.

Dylan’s change of heart is of relatively little consequence, though. The major character exploration in Rogue Sun #29 happens between Caleb and Marcus inside the sun stone. Marcus all but admits to having not passed the sun stone on to his more qualified daughter Aurie for fear of her being hurt. But he also says that since Rogue Suns have failed over the years to win their battle against evil, it might be time for a new way of doing things–including having a Rogue Sun who sees people as people as opposed to having been trained to see evil.

Marcus’s statement does two things. One is to bring Plato to mind if the reader is predisposed to–Dylan has often been only a reluctant Rogue Sun whereas Aurie is eager. But the far more obvious and more important thing is to once again connect Dylan’s journey as Rogue Sun with his journey as a young man. Parents often want their children to exceed them. Marcus’s statement aligns with that sentiment. This thematic connection between Dylan as a teenager growing into a young man and Dylan becoming a stronger and more capable Rogue Sun is where the series has been at its strongest. It keeps Dylan sympathetic and easy to relate to.

The evil rich insurance executives storyline loses most of its juice here. It opened the door to an interesting moral debate in the previous issue only to now be brushed aside. That dismissal works for the issue but overall shortchanges Noxious as a character.

Marques’s coloring steals the show in Rogue Sun #29, especially with regard to Noxious. His story thread may peter out, but he remains a visually engaging character. The bulk of the issue takes place at night which sets Noxious against darker blues. The result is a high degree of contrast every time he is on the page. The rich, almost bright green gas that he wields as a weapon pops off these nighttime pages even more than the Rogue Suns’ red and orange. Usually they are the most distinctive characters on a page, but in this case it’s all Noxious.

Successful contrasts also happen between scenes. The sun stone interior where Caleb and Marcus fight has a very different appearance this time around, looking like an empty wasteland. Marques uses a combination of different shades of brown, especially in the range of tan and sepia, to create a ground and sky that feels dry and used up. This stands in stark contrast to the real world where the wider color spectrum, even in the darker night setting, looks bright and alive.

Fight sequences dominate most issues of Rogue Sun, and certainly Rogue Sun #29 features an extended one. But there are a large number of simple character interaction sequences. The most significant one is between Marcus and Caleb as they discuss why Dylan was picked as Rogue Sun. The two characters are treated very differently from a visual perspective. Caleb’s expressions are more broad and often feature sidelong glances and an angry furrowed brow. Marcus is more nuanced which by comparison almost makes him seem weak. Their appearance befits their personalities. Marcus is not an aggressive character whereas Caleb has been one almost since his first appearance.

The aforementioned fight sequence is dynamic and intense as most of them are in this series. As is the case with the color art, Noxious is the most visually compelling character, his movement feeling particularly energetic.

Issues featuring a larger number of more basic, less violent character oriented sequences tend to be heavier with dialogue. Rogue Sun #29 isn’t necessarily a text heavy issue, but Beaudoin does a good job keeping everything well organized and out of the way of the art, especially Marques’ vibrant coloring in this case.