Spotlight#186: Dc's Rogues
Have you ever wanted one big score? If so, you'll get a kick to the teeth from DC's Black Label: Rogues by Joshua Williamson and Leomacs.
Summary
In Central City's years, there was never a more crooked set of blue-collar convicts like the Rogues. Under Captain Cold's icy cold disposition, the group uses technology and strategy to rob the town blind.
Ten years later, though, all they have to show for it is two dead members, with the rest of the team forced to take on menial jobs to integrate with society.
At first, Snart played ball, keeping his nose to the grindstone and staying out of trouble. But after one too many setbacks, something in Snart snapped. So, in one last all-or-nothing heist, Captain Cold brings the crew back together (plus some new additions). The problem is to get their one-way ticket; they have to steal from Gorilla Grodd right under his primal nose, a feat which may be too hard-boiled even for them.
Characters
Leonard Snart/Captain Cold: The planmaker. Snart is a blue-collar man who has been working one too many times, whether it be through his father or the system. As such he's learned to be an intelligent yet stubborn man who knows how to spin a tale. While some genuine honor is behind some of his actions, Snart's ambition clouds his judgment.
Lisa Snart/Golden Glider: The voice of reason. Lisa, out of all the Rogues, can most easily integrate into normal society as a social worker. As such, she acts as a mediator for the more unsavory members of the group. With her pristine grace and prominent ice skating skills, Lisa has proven she can be as deadly as Snart.
Sam: The informant. Sam is based on the obscure comic Ape and Angel. A psychic gorilla detective broken up by his angel, Sam has spent the last few years an old-school detective with a bone to pick with Gorilla Grodd's oppressive hold over the city.
Gorilla Grodd: The Mark. As the Ruler of Gorilla City, Grodd is a mob boss and father. While he tries to present himself as a gentleman criminal, Grodd, when pushed, is just as brutal as the animal he is. With his psychic abilities, he controls the money and people here.
Summary
I guess you have to start calling me a fake DC fan, man, cause I did not hear about both this or the label this was a part of till now. So, let me rectify that now. For those unfamiliar, Rogues is under DC's Black Label Book, a line of darker and more mature Elseworlds mini-series that's been going on since 2018. These titles are out of continuity and allow lesser-known DC characters to get the spotlight. The Rogues being one of them
I'm surprised we haven't gotten a full-length story like this. The Rogues have always been one of the more slept-on supervillain teams. Their close bond, moral compass, and genuine skill make them a group I never feel like gets much love. The closest roster we get to the original line up was only in the Flash CW show. This is why I'm glad long-time Flash 2016 writer Joshua Willamson got the chance to work on this.
This story fully gives the supervillain team a new coat of paint while embracing the neo-noir aesthetic. These new Rogues, featuring Captain Cold, Golden Glider, the pyromaniac Heatwave, manipulative Trickster, maddended Mirror Master, pacifistic martial artist Bronze Tiger and malnourished Magenta. Each of them is down on their luck and unsatisfied with the current placement, making them underdogs without anything to lose.
You see the decay all the characters are going through expertly through the art. Through Leo Mac's gritty, thick outlines and colorings by Jason Wordie, saturated ugliness proliferates much of the book. Whether it be the increasingly gentrified Central City or the Las Vegas-esque Gorilla City, a hidden horror and progressive decay is barely disguised.
It makes the often gory action and explosive curses shine all the more. The Rogues highlight the attention well, making it seem like the group is one step away from death. Unfortunately, though, as stylistic as the book is, the short-lived nature of the miniseries bites this series back hard.
I think that, through a combination of low sales and marketing, this book has only four issues. This makes things at least end quickly, but I do think it makes the ever-present shit hit the fan movement and lose a lot of emotional upheavals. If this comic had 2 or 3 more issues, we could better service to the characters and overall experience.
Epilogue
Despite the short length, the Rogues were a perfect introduction to the DC's Black Label run. I hope to shine a little more light on what other darker stories are out there. Until then, though, let's spin it somewhere else.