Is Rogol Zaar a hit or a miss?

[Nero]

Villains come and go. Some antagonists manage to sustain potential to the point where they eventually become a classic villain to the superhero's rogues gallery, while others fade into obscurity usually after their creator leaves the book. Creating new villains for an iconic superhero like Superman is a tall order especially in comparison to the Superman rogues that have become classic. Since his introduction, Rogol Zaar has been hyped up as the next big heavy hitter to Superman and so far he hasn't clicked with me.

What say you? Do you see Rogol Zaar as a hit or a miss?

[The World]

Miss. You know the feeling when someone has hit pay dirt when it comes to crafting new villains for longstanding characters. Court of Owl was someone creating a modern day classic.

But honestly even amongst his "standard" villains there is something lacking with some of them. Doomsday and Zod come to mind. The focus of both characters is to give Superman someone to tussle with all out but Zod feels behind the curve given what Kal goes through on the daily and Doomsday is just a walking gun. Bring back Terraman and Xavier imo, think outside the box.

[Vordan]

So far he’s been a miss. I can see the potential with him, but that’s all it is: Potential. I’m ready for the current arc focusing on him to be over and for us to move on.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Miss. He has even a lame design. I can see Rogol Zaar being easily forgotten after Bendis run will end.

[Robanker]

Miss. He's just another villain of the week so far and he's way over designed in that Jim Lee way. He can be saved (Mr. Freeze was a joke until BTAS, after all), sure, but currently he's a dud.

[Killerbee911]

No character is a hit or miss until they are in the hands of another creator. On super villain aesthetics he is a miss ,His face looks kinda silly to me ,Some sort of mask then revealing his face would be better otherwise his design fine. In Functionality he is a hit ,He is villian that can go head to head with superman physically and mentally. But of course that means he has to be taken off the board which makes him harder to use over time. He is not Lex, Zod, Darkseid, Brainiac but could be Doomsday,Mongul or Parasite.

[Raijin]

Any villain who is able to get under Superman's skin is not a miss to me.

[LordUltimus]

He really couldn't have been called Black Zero? Because that's basically what he is.

[K. Jones]

I feel it's too early to tell.

Rogol's design still comes across as a cross between other villains, only less cool and less original. Lobo wardrobe aesthetics (and motorcycle). Big ugly monster face. In my mind the only thing really interesting going on with him is the red and blue eye and what that could indicate.

Rogol himself is less interesting though than the actual facts of the history of Krypton that he could be indicative of. As simply a fanatical agent of a more sinister cabal or conspiracy, Rogol is fine. Sort of just a driven and physical foe that can compete on Superman's level but who is really just the first agent we meet of a greater epidemic. And in that mind, just being a legendary space mercenary barbarian with a kind of standardized alien barbarian mercenary look is apt enough and fine for this sort of "Chapter 1" storyline. I mean I guess it's more of a Chapter 2, since MOS was the Chapter 1, but you take my meaning - Rogol is just the first salvo in something bigger. The boss of LEVEL 1. Rogol is just Iggy Koopa.

I think by the time Superman deals with Rogol we'll sadly have to be inclined to think that Rogol's high point was ... what? Perhaps-maybe-Phantom-Zone-Killing the Nuclear Man?

I mean this dude ain't a Darkseid (Space Devil). Ain't even a Mongul (Space Tyrant). This dude is just a Space Warrior.

I'm inclined to think that we'll get more specifics soon on how Rogol Zaar is just a mad dog zealot on a mission, but he was carrying out (knowingly or not) someone far more nefarious's purpose.

[Vordan]

I feel it's too early to tell.

Rogol's design still comes across as a cross between other villains, only less cool and less original. Lobo wardrobe aesthetics (and motorcycle). Big ugly monster face. In my mind the only thing really interesting going on with him is the red and blue eye and what that could indicate.

Rogol himself is less interesting though than the actual facts of the history of Krypton that he could be indicative of. As simply a fanatical agent of a more sinister cabal or conspiracy, Rogol is fine. Sort of just a driven and physical foe that can compete on Superman's level but who is really just the first agent we meet of a greater epidemic. And in that mind, just being a legendary space mercenary barbarian with a kind of standardized alien barbarian mercenary look is apt enough and fine for this sort of "Chapter 1" storyline. I mean I guess it's more of a Chapter 2, since MOS was the Chapter 1, but you take my meaning - Rogol is just the first salvo in something bigger. The boss of LEVEL 1. Rogol is just Iggy Koopa.

I think by the time Superman deals with Rogol we'll sadly have to be inclined to think that Rogol's high point was ... what? Perhaps-maybe-Phantom-Zone-Killing the Nuclear Man?

I mean this dude ain't a Darkseid (Space Devil). Ain't even a Mongul (Space Tyrant). This dude is just a Space Warrior.

I'm inclined to think that we'll get more specifics soon on how Rogol Zaar is just a mad dog zealot on a mission, but he was carrying out (knowingly or not) someone far more nefarious's purpose.

As an attack dog for the Circle there’s the potential for exploring DC Cosmic relationships and perhaps some Kryptonian history. But while I’m enjoying Bendis books, Rogal’s motivation is “I hate Superman and I want to kill him”. That’s not really a distinguishing factor, pretty much all of Supes Rogues could be summed up as thus. I think he’d be better off if Bendis had explored his background first, and explain why he is the way he is.

[Sacred Knight]

I'm in the same boat, I feel its too early to tell. Right now he's just a plot device, and he's serving that role fine, if little else. But with these reveals about Krypton purposely still being left undeveloped, still being kept as a question of "is it true, and if so how?", its not easy for me to give a fully honest answer to the question yet.

[Rakzo]

Miss. This kind of concept has been explored before and in a much more effective manner.

Although I would have tolerated him more if Bendis didn't focus so much on him.

[Coal Tiger]

I keep hoping there's more to him that what we've seen so far, but he just seems kinda surface-level and boring. I don't buy that he blew up Krypton so there's not a lot to him.

[jetengine]

Very much a miss.

Between his incredibly generic design, terrible Marty-stu levels of self insertness (I destroyed Krypton...and Kandor.....and the fortress mwhahaha ) and his terrible backstory (Hey remember Marvels lame illuminati idea ? Lets just copy that) he's awful.

It is Bendis though and the only character he created thats not a legacy and actually has any staying power is Jessica Jones.

[Armor of God]

Big time miss. Lame design, unoriginal motivation, uncool powers and too much exposure.