By T.W. Worn — It's dark. It's 10 in the morning and it is dark. A thick blanket of gray hangs above me as a sheet of white ice sits beneath my feet. It is two days into the Texas Ice Storm, and I have ran out of cigarettes. The closest store, a convenience store, is over a mile away. We all knew it gets cold here from time to time, but not so cold that winter boots and scarves ever seemed like necessity. I am half way there and my toes are numb. I promise myself a cup of gas station coffee with the smokes. My foot hits a patch of ice and I begin to slip, but steady myself. I have made it to the top of the hill. I now need to make it down to the other side.

In Rogue Planet — a new collected trade paperback out this month from Oni Press — a team of deep space ship scrappers find themselves on a planet absent of a solar system. As soon as they land, they realize they are out of their element, but it is too late to turn back. They had something they needed to do, regardless of what happens around them. With this story, writer Cullen Bunn (Bone Parish, Harrow County) and his collaborators set up a tale that is familiar, yet alien. We have seen situations like this before, but not quite this way. It is a situation that reminded me of my own plight within iced-over Texas, albeit with much lower stakes.

I've made it to the bottom of the hill. The convenience store is still half a mile away. A pickup truck slides down beside me at an unusual angle. They make it around the corner ahead of me, regardless of the ice. I've put on a face mask to try and keep my nose warm. The moisture of my breath seeps into the masks, making it colder over time. I think about how if I were to have been a caveman, I would have been dead pretty early into my life.

The art of Rogue Planet — which was first published monthly last year within five issues — is fantastic. Artist Andy MacDonald and colorist Nick Filardi bring their A games . I have long been a fan of their works, and even though I approached this series with that bias, I was still astounded by a lot of the series' art. The composition of some of the set pieces surpassed my expectations, heightened only by the colors that softly filled its designs. In one specific scene, a star ship graveyard left me both breathless and anxious. I wanted to dive into it more, but knew in my caveman brain something sinister lived there. The art is definitely the strong leader of Rogue Planet, and, for me, that's absolutely fine because these stories are more about setting and tone than anything else.

While titles such as "Event Horizon" come to mind after reading this series — and while there are many differences in the story — it's still a rhythm I've danced to before. That doesn't mean, however, that I didn't enjoy my time on Rogue Planet. There was just enough to keep me curious. I still wanted to see how this series played out, even if I already had my assumptions. While it didn't exactly bring anything new to the subgenre, it was still a fun read. It was the sympathetic reflection I needed to get through the disastrous Texas winter storms.

I've made it to the gas station. I buy my coffee and cigarettes. I sit at a table outside as I sip and smoke. The crunch and shatter of the ice beneath my feet is quieter than on the road. I am exhausted, but obtaining the items you need is only the first part of the quest. Unfortunately for me, there is still the trek back home.

Overall: Rogue Planet is a tune we've heard before, but it's one I have always enjoyed and It is made even better by its powerhouse art team. 7/10

The Rogue Planet trade collection is due out March 10, 2021. — The **Rogue Planet** trade collection is due out March 10, 2021.

Trade Review: Rogue Planet

Rogue Planet
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Andy MacDonald
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Letterer: Fabio Amelia
Publisher: Oni Press
Salvage vessel Cortes tracks the Lonely Orphan, a planet with no star system to call its own. Somewhere on this hostile rock is a payload fit for a king. To attain it, though, the crew of the Cortes must brave razor rock, poisonous vapors, treacherous footing, and… the most mind-numbing horrors imaginable. Something nightmarish is at work on Lonely Orphan. Something cruel. Something hungry.
Release Date: March 10, 2021
Price: $19.99
Read It Digitally: Rogue Planet via comiXology
Order the Trade: Rogue Planet via Amazon