Rogue One #1 Review

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The Rogue One adaptation commences with Rogue One #1 and provides readers what they missed with The Force Awakens adaptation.

Rogue One #1

Writer: Jody Houser | Artists: Emilio Laiso & Oscar Bazaldua | Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg | Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles | Cover Artist: Phil Noto | Production Design: Carlos Lao | Editor: Heather Antos | Supervising Editor: Jordan D. White

The Adaptation Begins

The Rogue One adaptation recently commenced with the arrival of Rogue One #1 at comic shops. This adaptation shines where the adaptation for The Force Awakens failed. It expands and adds depth to the story. Most readers likely saw the movie; and therefore, this review concentrates less on the story and more on the additions and some of the changes the comic made to the film. This adaptation is a success overall.

Additional Scenes

The first issue of the comic adaptation gives readers what they wanted from The Force Awakens adaptation: additional content. For the most part, the adaptation of The Force Awakens simply translated the movie to the page. The adaptation of Rogue One adds additional scenes. Just a few pages into the book, readers witness Galen Erso recruiting Bohdi Rook. Galen urges Bohdi to take action because he cannot unsee what he saw.

The very next scene is new too. Stormtroopers escort Jyn to her cell at the Imperial labor camp on Wobani. Jyn’s cellmate threatens her life. If that isn’t enough, the very next scene that follows is new as well. This scene details Bodhi’s defection and quest to find Saw Gerrera. Are these scenes necessary? No. Do they add much to the story? They add something. Galen’s recruitment of Bodhi demonstrates why Bodhi later felt affection for him.

Cassian Andor

Rogue One #1’s introduction of Cassian Andor’s expands his scene and character. First, Cassian arrives at the Ring of Kafrene disguised as an Imperial officer aboard a stolen cargo shuttle. This is a trick he recycles later in the movie when the Rebels infiltrate Scarif. While unnecessary to the overall plot, it adds some symmetry to the beginning and end of the story.

The biggest addition is Cassian appears even more cold blooded. After learning his contact’s message that a defecting Imperial pilot carries information on the Empire’s superweapon on Jedha, Cassian shoots two stormtroopers before killing his disabled contact. Laiso and Bazldua portray Cassian as far more grim than his appearance in Rogue One if such a thing is possible. Cassian is all business. This is an example of the terrible things he did for the Rebellion.

Jyn’s Arrival on Yavin IV

After Jyn’s rescue from Wobani, the adaptation next expands Jyn’s arrival on Yavin IV. Rebel soldiers talk with Jyn in transit. What is different is that during the trip, Jyn contemplates her kyber pendant. Unlike the movie, this is its first appearance. The scene where Lyra gives Jyn the pendant was omitted from the adaptation. Also, Jyn is much more feisty with her Rebel captors. She immediately throws out the fact that Mon Mothma has a bounty on her head. Plus, this adaptation illustrates the day Saw Gerrera left Jyn behind when she was sixteen. Flashbacks to Jyn’s life with Galen are interspersed throughout this scene as well.

Bail Organa and Mon Mothma

One of the best additions to story features Bail Organa and Mon Mothma. After presenting Jyn with her mission, the two discuss strategic goals for the Rebellion. Their conversation subtly establishes the state of the galactic civil war. They need proof of the Death Star. With such proof, action by the senate becomes mandatory. In addition, this scene demonstrates Mon Mothma’s commitment to diplomacy in the face of doom and terror.

Krennic and Tarkin

The first meeting between Director Krennic and Grand Moff Tarkin surprised audiences in theaters. Lucasfilm successfully created a digital likeness of Peter Cushing. The rest of the scene devoted itself to the necessity of a weapon’s test. The adaptation extends the beginning of the scene. Since this is a comic, the recreation of Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin is not a factor. However, the beginning of the scene expands the reason for the weapon test. With rumors of the Death Star spreading, the potential for systems joining the Rebellion magnifies. Therefore, Krennic must complete the weapon and test it.

Conclusion

Rogue One #1 creates a solid foundation for the adaptation. It retells the story with additional scenes and maintains the key dialogue and scenes of the film. It succeeds without perfectly recreating every shot from the movie. Therefore, this is a fun way to experience the story of Rogue One without watching the film.

Favorite Panel of Rogue One #1

Laiso and Bazldua bring a welcome art style to Rogue One #1. It is cinematic. For instance, K-2SO jealously noted that Jyn had a blaster. However, the movie left how she acquired the blaster unanswered. Not the comic though. In the adaptation, Laiso and Bazldua cleverly spread Jyn’s acquisition across three panels. Throughout Rogue One #1, they often use different angles and place objects in the foreground and background that other artists would ignore. The focus of the panel resides in the middle ground, but the style is refreshing.

For this issue’s favorite panel, I selected the panel where Jyn reports to the U-Wing and meets K-2SO. It represents Laiso and Bazldua’s style. It looks up from a spot just above the ground to the underside of the ship. That is the favorite panel of Rogue One #1.