Comic Review: Rogue Trooper WAR Machine
Now, you are most likely wondering, “Where are the Nu-Earth OG adventures?”. Well, they are coming. I have a silly amount of TBR comics piled on my iPad, but rest assured, they are coming! Until then, we must make do with Rogue Trooper: War Machine. This e-comic celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019, and 2000 AD did a 50% off deal, so I had to get it (yep, I told you the pile was significant). So, let us dive in.
Title: Rogue Trooper: War Machine
Writer: Dave Gibbons
Artist: William Simpson
Pages: 150
Publisher: 2000 AD or Rebellion Publishing
Fluff:
They are the best of the best. Alpha Company, 1st Genetic Infantry, has been created for war. Able to survive in the harshest environments, each clone warrior knows how to obey orders. Fight hard. Die well. But as the sole survivor of a brutal massacre, Friday starts to question those who have made him this way, creating an uncontrollable war machine, the most dangerous creature in the galaxy!
As the 1980s drew to a close, 2000 AD had decided to revamp Rogue Trooper and invited co-creator and original artist Gibbons back to re-visualize the character - but rather than draw the new series, he ended up writing it. It was his chance to put his spin on the character. Debuting in Prog 650, War Machine ditched the bio-chips. It turned 'Rogue' into 'Friday,” a different genetic infantryman with similar origins who swears vengeance on the corporation that cloned him and his fallen buddies - Top, Lucky, and Eightball.
Will Simpson's artwork marked a clear departure from the black-and-white art that had defined so much of Rogue's previous incarnation, sitting easily alongside Simon Bisley's work on Sláine: The Horned God and Colin MacNeil on Chopper: Song of the Surfer.
If Westerns and World War Two films partly inspired Rogue Trooper, War Machine took its cue from Vietnam and Paul Verhoeven movies - a gritty, hard-edged and taciturn meditation on war, obsession, and identity.
Review
As a long-time fan of the original Rogue Trooper strip, I had seen this comic kicking around for a while but had never dived. I wasn't sure what the story would be as I had never seen these in 2000 AD (pre-me being a reader). But when they discounted it by 50%, I knew I had to pick it up.
The story is Dave Gibbons' retelling of the Rogue Trooper story, but in a version he felt it deserved. The significant change is Rogue is now called Friday; bio-chips are not a thing. Yep, that's right, Helm, Bagman, and Gunner are no more. Though the characters exist in this comic, they are known as Top, Lucky and Eightball. They don't survive the battle, and death is their final act. The war has also stepped back from crazy sci-fi into a more realistic sci-fi. The war for Nu-Earth is much more violent and dark, which you will love or hate.
Unfortunately for me, some of these changes hurt the storytelling. Without the bio-chips, Rogue/Friday is purely out for his motives, and he doesn't have a counter character, drawing him back from the edge or pushing him on. I loved it when the chips disagreed or forced Rogue to save someone. Rogue needs this. Otherwise, he is just a dull lone wolf seeking vengeance and nothing else. I feel this was a big miss by Gibbon on this tale. We also lack the humour of the original comic, mainly brought by Gunnar, but without his bio-chips, Rogue/Friday is just a dull action hero, and I ended up not caring for him by the end.
The battles are a highlight for sure, which is excellent as most of the comic is action, action, action! The artwork is also crazy and beautiful and full of colour while remaining dark and moody. But these just aren't enough to save it for me.
Guess what I am saying is I am glad it was 50% off and is a miss for me. Somehow, Gibbons made a character I loved and enjoyed into a two-dimensional, dull action hero. Have you read this comic? What are your thoughts? Did I miss something, or did Gibbons miss something?
As always, thanks for reading along!
