Rogue The Savage Land #3: Aunt Carrie Was Right!

We sometimes say stuff like: this comic has no right to be this good but it is. In this case this comic is so damn good and has every right to be because the creative team are giving it 110% and it comes through on every single page. Tim Seeley’s script has it all. Vignettes and wisdom from Rogue’s childhood, snappy dialogue, a younger Rogue in perfect voice internally and dialogue-wise. Perfect tension between Magneto and Kazar with two fantastic references from both Kazar’s and the X-Men’s past integrated seamlessly into the story. A perfect and hilarious awkward moment between two members of the cast with some rising jealousy from another and then as if the interpersonal drama wasn’t entertaining enough: UNDEADOSAURUS!!! Yes, you read that right.

It feels perfectly in step with existing canon yet continues to offer wild and exciting moments involving the main members of the cast particularly Rogue, though Kazar and Magneto are not forgotten, as well as exploring the lore and people of the Savage land in an intriguing ways. Also lots and lots of undead dinosaurs and normal dinosaurs which is perfect for an adventure in this land that time forgot. Zaladane does feature but her role is minor, her plans still mysterious as the issue focuses on the heroes of the piece. Ultimately the story moves our characters along inexorably toward their confrontation with Zaladane and ends on a ugly note for our Master of Magnetism.

Zulema Scotto Lavina continues to impress. Her style, while not traditionally as clean as others, it is dynamic and expressive, and Rogues hair is always giant and gorgeous. She gets to draw Rogue as a child, something we don’t get to see very often and she pulls it off marvelously with a clever transition from young girl to young woman early on in the issue. I have to also come back to how I’ve seen detractors of this series bang the sexploitation drum and once again I have to say emphatically that I feel that the most exploitive thing about the book is the covers because the book itself takes all it’s characters seriously and yes while we do have a moment around physical intimacy in the issue it’s kept PG and light and ultimately awkward but wholesome. Lavina manages to pull that awkward moment off with wonderfully cheesy and embarrassed expressions while colorist Rachelle Rosenberg adds just the right amount of blush red. There’s plenty of action for those not interested in the interpersonal play between Rogue, Kazar and Magneto and plenty of wild sound effects from Ariana Maher to round off another excellent chapter in this entertaining romp through the jungle!