Retro Re-Read for November 24th 2024
Rom #16
Writer-Bill Mantlo
Artist-Sal Buscema
Colorist-Ben Sean
Letterer-Michael Higgins
Editor-Jo Duffy
Back at it with one of my favorite comics ever ROM THE SPACEKNIGHT! After a long break from the series this issue was a great way to return to the series. The writer took the time at the beginning to remind us, the readers, of Rom’s background and a little of the past events from the series while also giving us a new villain. This issue also sets up a new status quo for our hero that will bring a big change in his battle against the Dire Wraiths. So let’s discuss the events of issue #16.
Appropriately so this issue takes place in mid November, right on the cusp of Thanksgiving in America. We meet a reporter who has heard of stories of Rom and has come to Clairton West Virginia to get some answers. What he finds is a town who is hiding the existence of Rom. He eventually gives up and decides to go to the local diner to grab a cup of coffee, we will see him again later on.
We then move over to Rom in the house of his friends Brandy and Steve as he is retelling the horrors of the Dire Wraiths, and remembering the events of last issue where the town agreed to help him with his mission. After some reflection Rom hears an alarm and is off to help the town. Outside of town we see some kids playing in an abandoned mine that the Dire Wraiths were using as a base. While inside they activate a Dire Wraith sentry android that attacks the town setting off the alarm that Rom hears. The two fight for some time and during the battle Rom discovers that the Wraiths have fled the town because the people here are aware of their existence.
As the battle ends the reporter runs out and threatens to run a story about Rom but the townspeople come to his aid in covering up the story. They tell him to go ahead and run the story but no one will believe him as they have already started to cover up the damage that was created by the fight. After the reporter leaves Rom and the town come together and decide that Rom should use Clairton as his base of operations moving forward. The town would aid him in his battle and Brandy’s house could be his new home.
In the backup story we go back hundreds of years where Rom has left his home planet for the second time to find Dire Wraiths and exterminate them. While traveling they find a Wraith ship attacking a Galadorian hospital ship, along with two other Spaceknights. They fend off the Dire Wraiths but discover that the people on the ship have been infected with a disease that has the potential to wipe out planets. One of his Spaceknight friends, Terminator, decides to destroy the ship killing everyone inside. He later tells Rom that he was the sole survivor of this same disease years before, and that the only reason he survived was that the Galadorian doctors transferred his conciseness into a cyborg body.
This issue hit right in so many ways. Getting a nice catch up at this point in the story was well earned, even if in the past they have over used this tactic, and having a good fight sequence that sets up events for future issues was well done. Plus I always enjoy the past Spaceknight backup stories. All together this was the perfect issue to come back to the series with.
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A quick reminder: I wanted to say that I made the decision to put the Crowdfunding Spotlight series on ice for the month of December. I will put this disclaimer at the end of each post through the month of November to remind you all. The decision came down to the simple fact that December is a tough month for crowdfunding. Last year it was very hard to find projects I wanted to bring to everyone’s attention, and when that happens it becomes hard to be excited to write about them. So I have decided that I will do two Retro Re-Read posts a week in December as we ramp back into the Marvel Comics series Rom the Spaceknight. Thank you for the support, and hope you all understand why I made this decision.