Great news for small audiences. The character of rogue trooperunfairly misunderstood in comparison to his cousin Judge Dredd in the landscape of comics 2000AD, belongs to this closed category of inventions that appeared in the United Kingdom and whose success is generally confined to the local market, or abroad, for small niches of British comic book enthusiasts. Which perhaps explains why a lot of editorial staff missed the announcement of Rebellionyet exciting from a fan’s point of view: Garth Ennis is about to write a comic about the rogue trooperwith the artist Patrick Goddard at drawings.
Back to the Front
Created a few years after the launch of the journal 2000ADthe rogue trooper initially presents itself as an absurd parody of military comics, and the resurgence of science fiction at the turn of the 1980s. The synopsis follows the radical contours and general pessimism of the thought of British authors of the time: in the future, on “Nu Earth“, two military factions are opposed. One claims a fascist ideal, the other a libertarian ideal, and each of the two groups has resorted to bacteriological weapons to try to win. As a result, the planet is not more frankly habitable by the human race, who had to isolate themselves in cities under domes and wear insulating suits to be able to walk outside.But the conflict did not stop for all that.
On the contrary, the democracy camp has decided to create a new breed of soldiers capable of operating in these extreme conditions: the Genetic Infantrymen (parody of the military training of American GIs), blue-skinned mutant infantrymen adapted to the poisonous atmosphere of the planet, and particularly adept at close combat. A small troop will be sent into battle.
Some of the soldiers will be mortally wounded, but their spirits will be saved in a computer chip set by the hero of the story, who gives his name to the series – the rogue trooperthe last survivor of his battalion, roams the Earth in search of the enemy general in the company of his old friends converted into elements of his inventory. Gunnar (his weapon), helm (his helmet), bagman (his bag) and Snape will evolve from conflict to conflict, from adventure to adventure in an anthology in the form of a war diary, sometimes absurd, often brilliant, maintained by a gaggle of great cartoonists. To start with Dave Gibbonsthe co-creator of the character, but also cam kennedy, Steve Dillon Where Steve McManus. Pat Mills, Alan Moore or Peter Milligan will make a small passage on the series with the writing, in the wake of the run creator’s original Gerry Finley-Day.
In the pages of the magazine 2000AD, Rebellion published an advertisement announcing the release of a new project on the rogue trooper by Ennis and Goddard“Blighty Valley“, for 2023. On social networks, the cartoonist confirmed that the title was well and truly on the way, and should be published in black and white in homage to the original series of the Eighties. No release date for the moment, but the prospect of an excellent moment to pass for the amateurs of the character and her mythology – of which it is said that she would have participated in inspiring, like Judge Dredd Where Nemesis the Warlockthe spirit of the games Warhammer 40,000 of Games Workshop. Take it or leave it.
Garth Ennis reunites with the Rogue Trooper at 2000AD with artist Patrick Goddard | COMICSBLOG.fr