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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was one of, if not the, most anticipated films of 2016, and for the year, it grossed over a billion dollars, finishing just behind Captain America: Civil War. Rogue One was the first film in the Star Wars ‘Anthology’ series, which means that it rests just outside of the main saga flicks and works to broaden our understanding of the main films by complementing them. Rogue One was received well by both critics and fans alike, and despite being a sort of ‘gap-filler,’ the film stands well on its own two feet and makes for a solid watch. But we’re not here to talk about the film, we’re here to talk about the Rogue One comic book adaptation.
So, what’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Adaptation about? From the publisher:
The Rebellion is here! The Rogue One crew makes the leap from the big screen to the comic-book page in this action-packed adaptation! All looks lost for the galaxy when the Empire’s new super-weapon is discovered. Any insurgency will quickly be thwarted by the devastating new Death Star! But maybe there’s hope for the Rebel cause when Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor lead a crew of new heroes on a desperate mission to steal the plans to the planet-destroying threat! A crucial tale in the Star Wars saga is told at last! Plus: In an all-new story, flashback to the ill-tempered first meeting between Cassian and scene-stealing droid K-2SO!
When books/comics are adapted into major motion pictures, one of two things happen: either the film is good and fans end up liking it while saying that the book was still better, or, the flick is bad and fans end up saying that the book was better. Regardless of how well an adaptation is made, most times the original work is believed to be better. This being the case, I wondered whether it was possible for a film to comic adaptation to not only be good but, to be better than the original film.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Adaptation was not better than the film, but it does work well enough as a comic that fans can refer to when they’re looking to get their Rogue One fix but don’t have the 133 minutes needed to get a screening of the film in. The meat of the story can be found throughout the book, but it lacks some of the energy and magic that makes Star Wars films so captivating. Also, the film’s final scenes (you know which ones I’m talking about) are not nearly as epic on the page as they are on screen. (Yeah, no shit Charlie.)
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The creative team behind this collection did a fine job in producing a very readable, highly-entertaining comic book, but, it does nothing for those who have already seen the film. Unfortunately, the only readers that I see picking this collection up are those who have seen the film; I can’t see someone saying, “I heard that movie was great, let me read the comic book instead,” unless, of course, a reader thinks that the comic came before the film.
Overall, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story works well enough as a comic, but again, doesn’t do much for readers who have already seen the film. Thus I can’t recommend to those who have seen the film, as I myself wasn’t all that satisfied with my read.
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