Alright, I’ll hold my hand up and admit it: I am a little bit late to the party on this one. Rogue Agents #1 actually hit shelves over a month ago (way back at the tail end of December), but life has been busy. We all get busy, right?
Now that I’ve finally had the chance to sit down with it, was it worth the wait? Let’s break down the return of our favorite “defective” clones.
The Story
Written by Michael Moreci, this issue picks up with the squad during the height of the Clone Wars. The premise is classic Bad Batch: they are sent to track down a missing Separatist scientist, Dr. Ergin Lazlo, and his potentially devastating invention. What that invention is? We don’t know. I suppose that is the MacGuffin of the series.
The hook that really worked for me in this storyline was the introduction of a rival squad. Seeing Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech run into another group of clones, Sergeant Cole’s unit, creates an immediate, standoffish tension. It feels like a spiritual successor to Moreci’s previous Ghost Agents run, and the mystery of who these other clones are actually working for is a great hook moving forward in the series.
The Artwork
When it comes to the visuals, the artwork is very good. It is exactly what you have come to expect from a Dark Horse Star Wars comic, or a Dark Horse comic in general, really. Reese Hannigan, Elisabetta D’Amico, and Michael Atiyeh do a stellar job of capturing the aesthetic of the animated series.
The character designs have a classic Clone Wars feel, and the action sequences, especially a chaotic escape involving Wrecker, have a great sense of movement. Dark Horse Comics has consistently excelled in creating captivating artwork for every comic series I’ve read. I particularly appreciate the distinctive grungy aesthetic they bring to their comics.
The Verdict
Despite my delay in getting to this issue, I really enjoyed the storyline. It’s great to see the squad back together in a whole new series of comics. It captures that classic Bad Batch energy while adding enough new mystery to keep seasoned readers engaged.
Overall Score: 7.5 out of 10
Are you keeping up with Rogue Agents, or are you running behind like me? What do you think of Sergeant Cole’s squad? Let’s talk about it in the comments!