Essential Rogue Trooper: Genetic Infantryman Is A Terrific Entry-Level Collection

Written by Gerry Finley-Day. Art by Dave Gibbons, Colin Wilson, Cam Kennedy, and Brett Ewins. Lettered by Bill Nuttall, Dave Gibbons, Tony Jacob, and Tom Frame. Published by Rebellion.

2000 AD has reprinted classic stories as part of the Essential line over the past few years. These larger-dimension trade paperbacks collect classic stories – either long-form stories or ones thematically linked – as an entry point for new readers. While these have focused on Judge Dredd (and the spin-off Anderson, Psi Division), this latest collection branches out to another quintessential series in Rogue Trooper. It comes at a good time, with a Duncan Jones-directed film on the way. If the upcoming movie has caught your interest in the source material, then read on to find out more about it and this entry-level collection.

Rogue Trooper is a military science fiction series that has run periodically since 1981. While there have been different incarnations over the decades, this collection focuses on the earliest material. In it, readers get dropped into the conflict on Nu-Earth, a harsh planet ravaged by a never-ending war between the Southers and the Norts. These ideologically opposed sides will do anything to win this war of attrition, which includes unrelenting chemical warfare and other science fiction solutions.

Readers witness the war by following Rogue – the last of the generically engineered soldiers made to withstand the poisonous environments of Nu-Earth. Having gone AWOL, he wanders the planet, accompanied by three fellow genetic infantrymen’s minds uploaded to Rogue’s equipment, in search of answers to who set up the ambush that killed all the other genetic infantrymen.

This motivation gives Rogue Trooper its through line. However, it also intermingles with self-contained elements, encountering different aspects of the conflict. Classic war concepts, like enemy snipers and tanks, get re-skinned with science fiction elements. Others are more fantastical, such as a unit with hallucinogenic gases. Each story falls into one of three categories. Some stories drop clues for the protagonist to follow, inching a larger narrative forward; others are more reflective, giving readers a bit more insight into the massacre that killed the other genetic infantrymen; and some are just a romping adventure. They all end with Rogue picking up his quest again, ready to move on to the next story’s war zone. It seems formulaic, but it works because there’s enough variety to keep it engaging.

War comics are a long-standing tradition in British comics, with dozens of different serials and magazines dedicated to the genre. Until the late 1970s, these treated war as an adventure. Boys and men saving the mother country and shooting Nazis and having a good time doing it. Rogue Trooper was part of a new breed of war comics that highlighted the horrors of war. Yes, there was still adventure, but it didn’t shy away from the bleakness of war. Chemical warfare is front and centre, and its use results in horrible deaths for those on both sides of the conflict. There’s also an environmental aspect too, with this kind of weaponry making the air unbreathable and the water a poisonous slush of scum. Rogue Trooper regularly reminds the reader of the hostile environment by having soldiers succumb to it in various manners. And if that’s not enough for the reader to get that this is an anti-war comic, our protagonist makes it very clear through strong statements like “We may have had no choice in being bred to fight. But that doesn’t mean we have to enjoy killing.” and “the biggest joke is war itself.”

From a visual perspective, the art roster is mostly a good fit for these Rogue Trooper stories. Dave Gibbons sets the tone as the first artist on the title with narrow line work that acts as a frame for the heavy spot blacks. The first chapter, titled “Rogue Trooper“, is sparse in places, with minimal backgrounds, instead focusing on the action on a dense page. The following story, “Nu Paree“, is a level-up for the artist, with the environments rendered in this story acting as the blueprint for the rest of the series. There’s the destruction we’d expect in a World War II battlefield, with rubble and debris everywhere but intermixed with science fiction spires.

Other artists rotated with Gibbons to keep up with the almost weekly release schedule. Colin Wilson subs for Gibbons and complements the previous him well. Wilson’s use of line-width and spot blacks continues a visual consistency. However, some differences take the series to the next level. This includes sharper edges and a strong sense of depth that gives characters and environments a fuller form. Cam Kennedy is another great addition, who isn’t too far removed from the other artists. The only one who stands out is Brett Ewins. While he’s an exciting artist, with thicker strokes to create an ink-rich style, it’s too different from everyone else involved. Ewins would do his own science fiction war comics in the form of Bad Company a few years later.

The comics in Essential Rogue Trooper: Genetic Infantryman were originally serialised in black and white. However, they’re given the modern colouring treatment in this collection. I’m not a fan of the various techniques applied. Uses of gradients, lighting effects, and other colour flourishes not stated in the original line work transplant it out of the era it was produced. Essential Rogue Trooper doesn’t go overboard on these inclusions – committing only minor crimes and nowhere near as bad as what Marvel has done with Walt Simonson’s Thor run – but I’d preferred something more in line with the era they were created in. Luckily, these comics are also available in their original black and white form through the Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth collections.

Essential Rogue Trooper: Genetic Infantryman is a terrific entry-level collection for anyone interested in Rogue Trooper. By packaging a handful of foundational stories, 2000 AD has made it easy for those curious about the upcoming movie to dive into the dirty science fiction and anti-war adventures.

Essential Rogue Trooper: Genetic Infantryman can be found at all good comic book shops, online retailers, eBay, Amazon/Kindle, and the 2000 AD webshop.