by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

The Massive-Verse continues to expand with the release of Rogue Sun – Volume 2: Hellbent! Creators Ryan Parrott (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and Abel (Rogue Sun) explore the ongoing adventures of teenager Dylan Siegel as he attempts to master the mysterious sun stone.

Creative Team:
Writers: Ryan Parrott & Nick Cotton (Chapter Seven)
Artists: Abel with Ze Carlos (Chapter Seven) & Marco Renna (Chapters Eight & Nine)
Colorists: Natalia Marques with Raul Angulo (Chapter Seven)
Lettering: Becca Carey

With his father’s murderer revealed, Dylan continues his journey of mastering the sun stone and the responsibilities of being a superhero. As great as the superpowers are, he must also find a way to deal with his new extended family and the trials of high school. As his adventures continue, his “heroic” actions will have some unintended consequences, as he inadvertently creates a new nemesis that is quite literally hellbent on his destruction. What does villain want and how do they connect to the history of Rogue Sun? 

Rogue Sun – Volume 2: Hellbent features issues 7-12 of the hit series, including one of my favorite Massive-Verse adventures “Too Many Choices”. This Choose Your Own Adventure inspired story allows the reader to explore various paths and story elements through an engaging new character named Ornate. This time-bending threat alters Dylan’s perception of reality, taking the reader along for the ride as he attempts to save the city from an attacking sea monster. I loved how Dylan managed his way through the maze of story elements, ultimately coming out stronger and more determined as a result. 

Although the first chapter is my favorite in this volume, I absolutely enjoyed the character development and narrative behind Hellbent’s creation and Hunter’s justifiable anger towards Rogue Sun. The creative team did a wonderful job building towards his introduction, with vivid and emotional imagery adding to each impactful engagement. I loved the tragic background and family element tied to this new threat, as Hunter’s journey could be a considered a dark mirror to Dylan’s.

Another interesting layer to this new arc was the introduction of “The Knight Sun”, the first known bearer of the sun stone. Caleb Hawthorne appears to Dylan (thanks to the actions of his step-siblings), offering to help guide the young hero through the use of his powers. To no surprise, Dylan isn’t that interested in Caleb’s help, especially since he just got rid of the ghost of his father. He reluctantly agrees, and the two set off to deal with Hellbent and a side-quest to a magical place called the Avery. What damage will The Quill have on our world? Will Dylan be able to get past the Ravyn Queen? The adventure will take readers through new visually impressive designs (in landscape format!) in out of this world locations.

Without going into spoilers, Chapter Twelve “The Last Dance” is sure to have major ramifications for future Rogue Sun stories as well as the larger Massive-Verse. Supermassive 2023 is coming soon, and this is the perfect way to catchup on the adventures of Rogue Sun before the annual team-up event. 

Overall

If you are looking for creative new titles that are outside of the big two publishers, the Massive-Verse books are sure to impress. Although the titles exist in the same universe, the characters continue to have their own adventures in their respective titles, allowing for easy access and new readers to join along for the fun.

Ryan, Abel, and the creative team made some bold choices in these chapters (artistically, in color-pallet, and in narrative), resulting in an overwhelmingly entertaining experience from start to finish. Rogue Sun Vol 2: Hellbent features magical realms, mystic knights, supervillains, and heroic endeavors in a story that continues to defy expectations. 

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Rogue Sun – Volume 2: Hellbent – 5/5 magical flaming swords.

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