– Spoiler Review –
It’s hard to think of a better way to honor Rogue One‘s 10th Anniversary (what do you mean it’s been 10 years?!?) than basking in Andor‘s complexities, seeing the heroic efforts afterwards by rewatching the film, and maybe diving into A New Hope for the ultimate payoff. Marvel Comics didn’t want that to be fans’ only option and thus a series of one-shot comics were born. We begin with Rogue One: Cassian Andor #1, which tries to squeeze into the end of Andor season two and the beginning of the film. Read on for my review!
Considering Cassian got his gigantic, gorgeous, and damn near perfect time to shine in Andor, and the fact Rogue One: Cassian Andor #1 is trying to fit in right after that tee’d up the movie so well, this was the only entry in the anniversary one-shot series I had my doubts about. Writer Benjamin Percy (who’s made an enjoyable prequel out of Shadow of Maul so far!) makes a fun story appear where it doesn’t feel like anything could, with some humorous dialogue from K-2SO and some final tidbits linking to the film’s opening moments with Cassian. In fact, I’d say this issue will fit in nicely to a grand rewatch of Cassian’s story for completionists out there. Yet I left the issue wondering if it was really necessary. It links Tivik and Cassian’s meetup better and adds an extra dash of darkness to Tivik’s death, but not having this story won’t make an Andor to Rogue One rewatch seem incomplete. It doesn’t need to be an important piece of the puzzle nor to feel like it’s necessary to the larger story to exist, but when you have such giants on either side of its tale, it’s hard to ignore them when thinking about the merits of this issue. In the end, Percy writes this one well and it’ll entertain, so if you can’t get enough Rogue One related things, you won’t be disappointed.
On art for Rogue One: Cassian Andor #1 is Luke Ross, colorist Michael Atiyeh (what doesn’t he color for Star Wars comics these days?!), and letterer Clayton Cowles. When Luke Ross’ name appears, you know you’re in for a visual feast of a comic, and he does not disappoint. I think what he and colorist Michael Atiyeh do for the Ring of Kafrene, a low-key favorite location of mine from Rogue One that’s onscreen for such a short time, is nothing short of wonderful. Everything I enjoyed and wanted to see a bit more of, Ross and Atiyeh find a way to make the dingy, crowded space feel exactly that. It must’ve been painstaking for Ross to jam as many people into each panel that he does, with dozens and more jammed into each space to the point it feels like they are almost ripping out of the panels themselves. It helps add a layer of claustrophobia and urgency to the proceedings, much like the energy of the film itself! Atiyeh helps the crowds from breaking out of the panels by dimming down the lights, heavy shadows encasing the already tight quarters more, while the pops of color make certain individuals in the background standout or feel more present. The fight with Barger, a bounty hunter Director Krennic has out looking for Bodhi Rook, has some great panels, but it’s how it plays to expectations that really helps it stand out. Ross’ art for fight/action sequences can come with a series of same-sized panels spread out on a page, each one encapsulating a vital or intriguing moment of the action. For the fight with Barger, it’s much as you’d expect, as one moment Cassian is grabbing kebabs, the next Barger’s shout bubble from Cowles is making his imposing size an imposing problem, yet Cassian’s smaller size and quicker movements result in a successful use of the kebabs, little yet deadly sound FX from Cowles making the kebab stab a quick yet damaging attack. This goes for two pages, and just when you think it’s about to spread out to a third, K-2SO appears, his initial reveal just his metallic hand enclosing on Barger’s massive wrist with a satisfying “kunch”, where Atiyeh’s colors for the black of the droid vs Barger’s pink makes the squeezing metallic hand stand out so much more. The next panel is a a creepy look at K2, his light blue eyes still unnerving against the depth of Atiyeh’s blacks. Yet what comes next best serves how K2 disrupts the unexpected, as the same sized panels are disrupted as well when the ex-Imperial droid chucks Barger away, as it’s a long, connected panel that curves and angles compared to what comes before and what comes after, showing how much he changes Cassian’s life just in a fun way to adjust and change the layout of a sequence.
Here is one other thing:
- I’m still really excited for the remaining one-shots, so here’s a list of who and when! June 3 gives us Rogue One – Jyn Erso #1, which takes place during her time in prison on Wobani, and I think could be quite elucidating for a character we’d love to see more of her history; July 1 brings Rogue One – Saw Gerrera #1, which sounds like a fascinating story given we’ll see him commit the act of revolution that tore a schism between him and the main Rebellion; August has Rogue One – Chirrut and Baze #1, which sounds like a fun way to spend more time with this lovely pair and you can get a sneak peek of it via artist Kieron McKeown’s Instagram; and lastly September offers Rogue One – Darth Vader #1 and it sounds like more Vader, so your mileage may vary.
- Really enjoy the moody series of main covers from artist David Marquez. Joins well with the emotional depth of Andor and Rogue One!
Rogue One: Cassian Andor #1 is a solid enough start that sets a tone for what’s to come, though I hope what’s next can squeeze out a little more to honor what has all come before.
+ Funny moments and Luke Ross and team’s wonderful art
– Hard to stand out amongst giants
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky.
ROGUE ONE RELATED REVIEWS:
Andor Reviews – Season Two: Season Premiere “Episode 1 – One Year Later” & “Episode 2 – Sagrona Teema” & “Episode 3 – Harvest” | “Episode 4 – Ever Been to Ghorman?” & “Episode 5 – I Have Friends Everywhere” & “Episode 6 – What a Festive Evening” | “Episode 7 – Messenger” & “Episode 8 – Who Are You?” & “Episode 9 – Welcome to the Rebellion” | Series Finale “Episode 10 – Make It Stop” & “Episode 11 – Who Else Knows?” & “Episode 12 – Jedha, Kyber, Erso” | Season One: Series Premiere “Episodes 1-3” | “Episode 4 – Aldhani” | “Episode 5 – The Axe Forgets” | “Episode 6 – The Eye” | “Episode 7 – Announcement” | “Episode 8 – Narkina 5” | “Episode 9 – Nobody’s Listening!” | “Episode 10 – One Way Out” | “Episode 11 – Daughter of Ferrix” | “Episode 12 – Rix Road”
Film Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (by Ryan) | Novel Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (by Chris) | Novel Review: Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel (by Ryan) | Young Adult Novel Review: Rebel Rising (by Ryan) | Soundtrack Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (by Elliot) | Young Reader Review: Guardians of the Whills (by Ryan) | Young Reader Review: Rogue One: Rebel Dossier (by Chris) | Reference Book Review: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide (by Chris) | Comic Review: Cassian and K-2SO Special #1 (by Ryan)