COMMANDER RAO (ONE-SHOT) – Review

In COMMANDER RAO (ONE-SHOT), available from Scout Comics on November 17th, 2021, Commander Rao is the legendary hero who saved her country from a tyrant, sacrificing her life in the process, but little is known about her… until now.

The Details

• Written By: Fell Hound
• Art By: Fell Hound
• Colors By: Fell Hound
• Letters By: LetterSquids
• Cover Art By: Fell Hound
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Release Date: November 17, 2021

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Was It Good?

Right off, I like this one-shot… I think. COMMANDER RAO (ONE-SHOT) takes a look at the “secret” behind a legendary war hero praised in the news, history books, and urban legends. She’s the lone warrior responsible for ending the reign of a brutal tyrant, and we, the readers, are given her origin story. The concept is original and the art is fairly action-packed. The narrative flows smoothly, and you get as much information about what’s said through the dialog as you do through the character’s actions and acting. In all, this is a well-drawn, well-paced, and well-written comic.

That said, I think I like this one-shot but there are some lingering concerns (Skip down to the next section for a more thorough plot synopsis). Commander Rao is actually a rogue soldier spurred on to take military action against her country’s enemies, but the motivation is not a matter of national pride. Commander Rao is spurred on by her relationship with (and eventual loss of) her soldier colleague, Julie Rao. The Commander Rao persona is an homage to her fallen compatriot.

To be motivated to go to such extremes, you need a very deep emotional connection. It’s clearly spelled out that Julie Rao and Kasey Cormack (Commander Rao’s real name) are extremely close, too close to feel like it makes sense for them to be just friends. In short, it feels like the creators are telling you Rao and Cormack are romantically linked but stop just short enough to make the true depth of their relationship ambiguous. Before anyone gets in a huff, I’m not saying there’s any queerbaiting going on but a case could be made, and if there was romantic intention, it would have been less frustrating/confusing to simply make it plain.

There’s the question. A person, a hero, motivated to overcome all odds to stop a villain is classic storytelling, but when you add in the “are they or aren’t they” question without ever resolving it, the story ends with a mix of satisfaction for the main conflict laced with frustration.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We begin with a documentary-style news report about the fabled Commander Rao. She’s credited with ending a decades-old war by single-handedly invading the stronghold of the infamous Baron Klaus and killing him, losing her life in the process. Her story is fabled because nobody knows where she came from or what drove her to achieve the impossible.

Through a series of flashbacks and official records, we learn Commander Rao is actually former soldier Kasey Cormack who served with distinction in the military during the war. Her military colleague, Julie Rao, fought side-by-side with her during countless battles. During one particularly nasty battle, Kacey was injured enough to be removed from combat duty and separated from Julie Rao. We see through a series of flashbacks and montage panels that Rao and Cormack are extraordinarily close.

Later, we indirectly learn that Rao is killed as part of a Resistance attack on Baron Klaus’s stronghold. Desperate for revenge and no longer in the active military, Kacey adopts the superhero-like persona of Commander Rao to destroy the Baron and find peace for her lost Julie. We conclude the issue with a desperate battle against overwhelming numbers, a duel to the death, and a final moment of rest.

Final Thoughts

COMMANDER RAO (ONE-SHOT) is an emotional case study on the extremes one person will go to in the name of someone they care about. The art is quite good for a one-person creation team, and all the logistics of this one-shot (pacing, acting, dialog, etc.) are excellent. However, the conclusion doesn’t resolve an open question and dampens the enjoyment of the story by ending on a frustrating note.

Score: 7.5/10

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