ROGUE #4 – The Truth Revealed

Creative Team – Erica Schultz, Jim Towe, Espen Grundetjern, VC’s Ariana Maher, David Nakayama

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up on Rogue #3!

The Story

This comic is reviewed by Nerd Initiative’s Shawn, and your truly, Megan!

Shawn – Erica Schultz continues to capture the essence of what fans love about Rogue in this run. I love that Schultz crafts Rogue as independent and capable, but still reminds us that she’s part of a pair. Working some of Remy’s Cajun slang into her lexicon is a nice callback to her and Remy’s relationship without taking away from Rogue being the main character.

Schultz continues to give us glimpses into Rogue’s past that feel grounded and painful. Anyone who has followed Rogue knows that her past has never been rainbows and sunshine, but Schultz has forced Rogue to contend with the ripple effect her past actions have caused in this series, and that feels refreshing in a superhero comic. Schultz’s story also feels fulfilling. It’s nice to see, as a long-time X-Men fan, the real-life aspect of how spending time with folks changes us. Schultz lets us see how time with folks Betsy and Rachel, taught her new skills that she uses.

Megan – Rogue is on a journey to figure out these missing memories and these strange visions she’s been having, and this journey is anything but simple. She’s already visited Mystique, who wasn’t any help, she’s had to take out The Constrictor, and now she’s appeared on national news as causing mutant chaos out in the public. It’s not until Rogue saves the mutant public image by going live on the news that she gets a chance to sit and meditate to figure out what is going on with her memories, and that’s when she remembers the horrible truth.

Erica Schultz sets the tone immediately in Rogue #4 with Rogue in the midst of a violent battle, and the energy never drops from there. We finally find out what happened to John Stelton, and the truth is alarming for Rogue. I’m very interested to see where this goes with John because this issue gives us a look at just how terrified he still is of Rogue. Erica Schultz knows exactly how to keep the reader locked into the story and keeps the excitement going for the next issue.

The Art

Shawn – Jim Towe and Espen Grundetjern do a phenomenal job on this issue. While Towe’s art maintains the comic feel to it, the proportions of the character and the details feel realistic and highly polished. Every stroke of the art from Towe feels intentional. This is a series that doesn’t need to feel gritty but clean, and Towe crafts some high-fidelity art that does just that. The backgrounds feel lived in rather than just sketched.

Espen Grundetjern really nails it with colors. The contrast between Rogue’s bright colors that pop against the sullen and sunken cooler tones when John Stelton begins to become more worried allows the art to tell the story in addition to the narrative. Ariana Maher is her usual outstanding self, getting to play around with some unique SFX and bubble shapes that create tension and excitement in the story

Megan – Jim Towe, Espen Grundetjern, and Ariana Maher bring a lot to heat to the pages of Rogue #4! Jim Towe draws the panels with such detail that you can feel the intensity of the fighting scenes clearly. Along with that, Towe expertly has the emotions of the characters on full display, allowing their facial expressions to tell the story. Grundetjern makes Rogue’s classic yellow and green the focal point of the panels, which makes her practically pop off the page. Mixing the muted tones with the vibrant rogue pays off in a big way because every panel is absolutely stunning. Maher, who handles the lettering of the comic, gives the dialogue an even pace, giving the story a perfect flow. With that, there are also great sound effects that bring the comic up several levels when it comes to excitement.

Final Thoughts

Shawn – 9/10 This issue felt like the creative team kicked it up a notch. The story has been compelling and unique, giving us a side of Rogue we haven’t seen as much. It’s one thing as a comic fan to know that Rogue has been through it. It’s another to pull back the curtain and see what has happened to make her who she is.

Megan – 9/10. Rogue #4 brings so much depth to Rogue’s journey in the series and gives us a great amount of action. This comic run feels like it was written with the Rogue fans in mind, and any Rogue fan will love it!

Overall Grade – 9/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of Rogue #4!