REVIEW: Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion #1

Forever Evil is underway and with it comes the inevitable tie-ins.  We’ve already had Arkham War and now Rogues Rebellion, a six-issue mini starring our favorite Flash villains.  Is this series worth your time, and even more importantly, your money?  Read on to find out!

FOREVER EVIL: ROGUES REBELLION #1
Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artist: Patrick Zircher, Scott Hepburn
Letterer: Dezi Sienty
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Editor: Wil Moss
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

Previously in Forever Evil: The Justice League is dead and the Crime Syndicate has taken over Earth. The villains are running loose doing whatever they please though not all of them seem happy about the current situation…

THIS ACTUALLY MIGHT BE FUN

I walked into this mini with extreme trepidation. I’m not one for big events and I’m not fond of the tie-ins that accompany them. Forever Evil has been good so far and I love the Rogues so I picked up a copy of Rogues Rebellion. While there is nothing special or critical here, I enjoyed the issue quite a bit.

The Rogues have always been villains with morals, which is what makes them unique. That is evident here as they are not happy with the state their city is in. Since they’ve been gone, Grodd has brought complete devastation to Central City. Not having read the Rogue or Grodd villain one-shots I didn’t know where the Rogues had been or what Grodd had done. This irked me a bit and a small caption or summary would have helped. I liked Captain Cold’s reaction at being thought of as the same type of villain as Grodd and showed why the Rogues stand out. After setting free a group of cops, there’s a nice little moment when both sides come to an understanding. Of course, Cold’s sister becomes the Rogues focus, which is disappointing as this plot device is starting to wear thin. There is some great action between the Rogues and another villain team (with awesome members like Black Bison and Plastique) and it wonderfully showed why the Rogues are not to be trifled with. I never liked when the Rogues came off as incompetent and that’s certainly not the case here. The cliffhanger is promising, though I’m worried that this might turn into six issues of fighty, fighty. The pace is fast, the dialogue well written and it’s enjoyable enough that I’ll read further issues.

JARRING SWITCH

Patrick Zircher and Scott Hepburn have two completely different styles and the change is extremely evident. Zircher’s is the more detail and realistic looking while Hepburn’s is stylized and resembles that which is found in animation. I actually preferred Hepburn as his section showed more movement and flow. Both artists knock it out of the park and bring their A-game but readers who get distracted or annoyed with dramatic shifts may not like this one.

BOTTOM LINE: WORTH READING THOUGH PROBABLY NOT NECESSARY

Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion #1 is a good start to a tie-in mini-series with a quick pace and great action. While the art makes a dramatic shift in the middle, both styles are strong. It’s problem lies in the fact that it so far has no importance, other than to make DC more money. While it’s nice to see how the main title is affecting the rest of the DCU, it’s not necessary reading. That’s the rub with tie-ins. You either pay for a story that has little importance, or spend more money to get the entire story that should be given in the main title. I enjoy self-contained stories but it all comes down to personal preference and should be taken into account before purchasing. But if you’re looking for a fun tie-in starring some of the coolest villains, Rogues Rebellion is where it’s at. Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion earns 3 out of 5 stars.