Kyle’s Review: Marvel’s Rogue One #2 Is A Whirlwind of Memories

Marvel continues to treat fans to a great adaptation of Rogue One. If you are anything like most fans, you left the theater this past December wishing you could get a little more time with the characters and worlds in the film. If that desire still lingers, look no further than Marvel’s treatment of the story. With a Star Wars story as unique as Rogue One–not only in it’s ultimate implications on the Original Trilogy–but with an ensemble of the likes we’ve never seen, this story comes to life very well on the illustrated frames and pages.

 

 

marvelrogueone2- saw's arrival

 

The Marvel team seems to have been given much more free-range to explore pieces of Rogue One‘s story. This issue gives us a few glimpses into the past of Saw and Jyn’s relationship from the time of her rescue as a small girl. Above, we see that rescue play out more through Saw’s point of view, with him finding one of Jyn’s toys after Krennic’s murder of Lyra and subsequent abduction of Galen. It didn’t occur to me, upon viewing the film, that when Saw arrived he must have been uncertain about whether Jyn had survived as he made his way to her bunker. Another small difference that adds to the tone of the story, come to life here on the pages of the comic.

 

marvelrogueone2- bor gullet

marvelrogueone2- bodhi memory

 

We also get a better look at what exactly happens to Bodhi when the Bor Gullet gets inside his head. In my opinion, the Bor Gullet sequence in the film seemed a little more elaborate a plot device for Saw to ensure Bodhi was being honest. Here, in print, it doesn’t strike me that way at all. Saw’s paranoia seems to be the thing that has made his campaigns against the Empire successful, but also alienated him from both the Rebel Alliance and Jyn, so it’s understandable he would be extreme in his measures to ensure Bodhi wasn’t a trap. I guess I get that now more so than I did in the film.

 

marvelrogueone2- chirrut

 

We are treated to the conflict Jyn and Cassian are caught in the middle of in Jedha, which pretty much plays out as it does on film, save for Jyn’s rescue of a small child caught in the middle. That never happens in the comic, which seemed a little odd to me, since it showed Jyn’s selflessness. We are also introduced the Chirrut and Baze, but don’t really see much of them, other than their swift takedown of several Stormtroopers. I love the depiction of Chirrut by artists Emilio Laiso, Oscar Bazaldua, and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg. The “halo” glow around Chirrut is a pretty strong indicator the Force is nearby. I just picked up my copy of Greg Rucka’s Guardians of the Whills, so I’m excited to dig in to that this weekend and learn more about Chirrut’s relationship to the Force.

 

marvelrogueone2- saw and jyn rescue

marvelrogueone2- saw and jyn training

marvelrogueone2- jyn and leia met

 

Memories seem to be the common theme in this issue. Here we see glimpses of Saw and Jyn’s relationship over the years. In addition to Guardians of the Whills, there is Jyn’s story, Rebel Rising, and I picked that up as well. I’m guessing these frames are a brief glimpse into what we’ll read in Beth Revis’ novel. Count me in. At some point in their relationship, Saw recognized himself as a liability to Jyn, not the other way around. He recognized that he would most likely fail in his duty to keep her safe. The last frame is especially interesting, since we see two very familiar faces of the Rebellion. Though Saw’s tactics were broad and controversial to the Rebellion, a lot can be said for Saw himself taking the difficult steps to let go of Jyn and step away when he recognized he was caught up in a movement much bigger than himself. Saw’s remorse about missing out on Jyn’s life is underscored much more on these pages than I felt it in the film, which is not meant as a criticism to Forrest Whitaker or Gareth Edwards, but more a compliment to the team of artists.

 

marvelrogueone2- aboard the Death Star

 

The issue concludes just as the Death Star arrives and destroys Jedha City. The Death Star and the officers aboard are painted in very apocalyptic brush strokes. All the Imperial Officers, emphasis on Krennic and Tarkin, are heavily shaded with dark shadows covering nearly all their expression. The Death Star itself is illustrated as more a dark orb in the sky, rather than the technological terror in the sky. This use of shadowing and darkness is very effective, almost as if the Imperial officers are something of the Four Horsemen from the Biblical chapter of Revelations. It gives Krennic a much more sinister feel, rather than the slimy bureaucratic one of the film.

 

There’s a lot to enjoy in this adaptation. Judging by the first two issues, this is just going to get better, as we know the blueprint of the story gets more and more intense. There are so many moments from the film I can’t wait to see play out on the pages here. I never got a chance to read Alexander Freed’s novelization, but this series’ writer Jody Houser is doing an excellent job condensing and expanding scenes. I hope that all of you who enjoyed the film as much as I did get out there and pick up copies of these issues. I think you will be very pleased.

 

marvelrogueone2- next issue

 

 

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Kyle Larson lives in Portland, Oregon. When he's not running trails, he's reading and writing.

Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson lives in Portland, Oregon. When he's not running trails, he's reading and writing.

17 thoughts on “Kyle’s Review: Marvel’s Rogue One #2 Is A Whirlwind of Memories

  • May 6, 2017 at 2:01 am
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    Chirrut & Base cover –
    Q:
    Does this mean they fleshed-out the back love-story between Chirrut & Baze? 😉

    • May 6, 2017 at 5:37 am
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      You jest, but I’ve also joked with friends, light-heartedly, that I could easily imagine most of the Rogue One characters as gay: Jyn, Cassian, Krennic (his love of capes lol) and K2 (of course!). Apparently, according to Rebel Rising, Jyn had a boyfriend or crush on a man, so maybe we could imagine her as bi.

      • May 6, 2017 at 10:50 am
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        y tho

        • May 7, 2017 at 2:20 am
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          *shrug* no reason. Why speculate, muse about anything about Star Wars? It’s all just for fun 🙂

          • May 7, 2017 at 11:16 am
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            Why make them gay, though?

          • May 8, 2017 at 12:12 am
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            Why not?

          • June 4, 2017 at 9:29 am
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            ya but y tho

          • June 4, 2017 at 5:40 pm
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            Because you feel like it.

      • May 7, 2017 at 3:47 am
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        Out of all the “main” characters in Star Wars films, the only person I believe could be gay is Poe. And I think if they do go for it, the way they are doing it is a fnatastic natural way. They established him as a strong capapble warrior/leader first instead going straight in an saying “Im gay but Im also a pilot too” and hiting the audience of the head with it.
        Yes gay characters are great and should be in film and star wars films ( I think the novels have been great in introducing gay characters yet not focusing on it, unless like in aftermath were the romantic relationship was part of the plot). But the reason we go to see Star Wars isnt to explore the complex issue of someone dealing with their sexuality, we go for space battles and lightsabers.

        Additioanlly, new Snoke Theory, Snoke is RuPaul!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        “Rey shantay you stay, Kylo sashay away”

    • May 6, 2017 at 6:23 am
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      Haven’t started Guardians of the Whills, but I wondered if they would imply a romantic relationship between the two.

  • May 6, 2017 at 5:31 am
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    According to the above flashback, Jyn and Leia may have met as children.

    What’s the deal with Bodhi’s parents — they wore goggles on their heads, too?? So Bodhi’s goggles are not standard Imperial issue for workers like him? Bodhi comes from a culture where the humans wear goggles?? WTH. (And did any of you wonder why Bodhi was always wearing his goggles in the movie, but we never actually saw him wear them over his eyes??)

    But Bodhi’s flashback memories could be messed up, a surreal hallucination. In the first frame, it looks like he’s slicing up a baby version of Bor Gullet. Overall, his flashback is weird.

    • May 6, 2017 at 6:19 am
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      I understand the technicality, but I hold Krennic responsible.

      Yeah, I wondered if Bodhi was seeing his current self in past situations. Can’t imagine he’s always had that gear on 🙂

  • May 6, 2017 at 3:41 pm
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    I have liked this issue 10X more than the Force Awakens comic. I just wish the art was a little better. Saw really didn’t look like Saw to me.

    • May 6, 2017 at 3:44 pm
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      Chalk it up to some artistic freedom. I remember the Heir to the Empire and Dark Empire comics using pretty liberal depictions as well.

    • May 7, 2017 at 8:39 am
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      I agree with you about TFA. I love that they gave Marvel more room to add to characters and events. I thought the art was pretty great, but I understand that some of the frames are a little choppy, especially the Saw ones.

  • May 6, 2017 at 3:43 pm
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    In the Cantina Forums, there recently was some theorizing about the character that gets killed by Kylo in Rey’s Forceback, the so called Clan Leader. That character possibly being tied to Rey’s lineage. The theory further goes that that particular Clan has some ties to the Force. As they pointed out, a character which looks pretty much similar (going by his oversized hat/ helmet) is seen in the background of Rogue One.

    So it’s fun to see that character actually interacting with Cassian in this issue.

    • May 7, 2017 at 3:35 am
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      Ive always wondered about that scene. I initally took it as Kylos massacre of the new jedi (maybe not literal, but a force intepriation of it). But then I always wondered who the man being stabbed is. If he was a jedi he would have a blade. Or he was part of the children of the force.
      Additionally, I cant remember what this theory was about (I think rey linage and the lightsaber), but it was suggested in the this theory that Rey was view that scene from Lukes persepctive. and the man was a Kinght of Ren about to kill Luke with Kylo killing him (perhaps showing his inability to join the darkside complelety).
      Again the I cant rememebr what theroy this was + it wasnt centred on who the figure was.

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