Here we are talking about Rom #1. When I originally conceived this idea for Retro Re-Read I really just wanted an excuse to read and talk about Rom the Spaceknight. For what feels like forever I have loved this character, even enjoying the more recent IDW series that they put out, but I never completed my collection of issues from the Marvel run. So I always had wholes in my Rom knowledge, and with Marvel releasing these Omnibuses I was given the chance to read it straight through with no gaps. Now I feel bad because once again I choose a series that is tough for you all to read along with. Currently the only ways to read the series currently are to track down old issues(except #1 which did get a facsimile edition), buy the Omnibus in print, or buy the Omnibus digitally, all of which are expensive. But I just had to do this for myself, and my love of this character. Along the way I will check in with the audience to see if you all want to move on from Rom, or if you want bigger breaks inbetween stories. If I don’t get any feedback I’ll continue with my plans, which are to take breaks every 6-10 issues to do some one-shots or short runs, and then get back into Rom. So please feel free to express your opinion and take part in any polls I put up moving forward.
For this first issue we are introduced to the character Rom. He lands on earth and makes first contact with a woman in the middle of the street. Obviously this woman is fearful of what she is seeing, wouldn’t you be, but quickly learns that he does not mean her harm. Once Rom leaves he makes his way to a nearby town where he searches for an enemy alien race, we learn later to be the Dire Wraiths, and kills two that are disguised as towns people. This sends everyone into a panic as they just saw two people they’ve known for years disintegrated right in front of them. This then leads us into the woman from before coming to the town and Rom revealing to her that he has a translator allowing him to speak with her. After this reveal we get the origin of the Dire Wraiths attacking his people and the crimes they committed. Leading us into the final fight where the national guard, with some Dire Wraiths hiding among them, take on Rom and lose.
Even though it has become a troupe in science fiction to make the alien an immediate threat that is feared, I just love it. Having Rom come to Earth and seeing the fear on peoples faces as they experience first contact with an unusual metallic being just makes sense in the context of the world. I also enjoy the fact that Rom makes so many assumptions about the events of this issue, causing him trouble throughout. All together I find this issue, which I’ve read so many times throughout my life, to be a near perfect example of introducing a new character while giving a story that has weight to it.
Now it goes without saying the Sal Buscema is a legendary artist that has done so much amazing work we wouldn’t have the time to list it all. To have an artist of that caliber on this book is amazing to me. These days a character like this would be one that usually gets an artist trying to break into the industry, not a veteran artist who could pick his next project, but those were different times. Every inch of art in this issue is done masterfully in that classic style that I love so much, as you would know if you read my Adventures on the Planet of the Apes series. Lets not forget that art is not a one man job, the colorist for this issue, Bob Sharen, really bring the linework home with his coloring. I especially love that every panel with Rom in it has shades that make his metallic body feel like it’s shimmering off the page. It’s just amazing artwork all around.
It’s hard for me to be bias in anyway about this issue in particular as it was my first introduction to Rom. As I said earlier I feel it’s a near perfect intro to a new character and gives a cliffhanger that makes it hard to not jump right to the next issue. I feel if you read this and aren’t at least interested then the premise must not be for you, but it is definitely for me. Hopefully you are able to read this issue and read along with me. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to this journey together!
Never apologize for sharing the love of something old and not-entirely-easy to track down/secure! Readers who really want to will find a way. My own passion will be to revisit the entirely of DARKHAWK someday - that's my all-time fave mainstream comic character, hands down. Funny how ROM and DH have very similar backstories/set-ups, now that I'm thinking about it.
I mentioned in a previous post that I didn't think ROM as a series held up too well, but this admittedly does not include this first issue, and like the next 2-12ish or so. The beginning of this series was finely crafted, if nevertheless dated. It's funny, the way you describe the events of this issue are kind of the antithesis to the movie SHORT CIRCUIT, where a robot is mistaken for a metallic alien being but everyone just accepts it and gets excited that it's there and goes on crazy adventures with it. Zero fear/worry about thinking it's a metallic alien being.
Never read Darkhawk, might have to check it out though based on that. It's interesting to me as someone who is more of a completionist to fall to hard for a property I was never able to complete.
Ha, not getting to the later issues of ROM might be WHY you fell so hard! It largely loses its way as it goes, with a few exceptions here and there, as a lot of these series tend to do.
Darkhawk is a book that ran 50 issues, and is 100% worth it, though much like with Rom, the first 25 issues are > the second 25. It approaches the subject matter as more of a mystery that runs through those first 25 chapters, then reveals itself to be something akin to the Rom conceit.
Just wanted to let you know we featured your substack on our last livestream. https://www.youtube.com/live/GQ0W6zx-lYE?si=Iua5jrGqFKu71c-E
At around the 36 minute mark.
I appreciate that. Just tweeted out the episode
Never apologize for sharing the love of something old and not-entirely-easy to track down/secure! Readers who really want to will find a way. My own passion will be to revisit the entirely of DARKHAWK someday - that's my all-time fave mainstream comic character, hands down. Funny how ROM and DH have very similar backstories/set-ups, now that I'm thinking about it.
I mentioned in a previous post that I didn't think ROM as a series held up too well, but this admittedly does not include this first issue, and like the next 2-12ish or so. The beginning of this series was finely crafted, if nevertheless dated. It's funny, the way you describe the events of this issue are kind of the antithesis to the movie SHORT CIRCUIT, where a robot is mistaken for a metallic alien being but everyone just accepts it and gets excited that it's there and goes on crazy adventures with it. Zero fear/worry about thinking it's a metallic alien being.
Never read Darkhawk, might have to check it out though based on that. It's interesting to me as someone who is more of a completionist to fall to hard for a property I was never able to complete.
Ha, not getting to the later issues of ROM might be WHY you fell so hard! It largely loses its way as it goes, with a few exceptions here and there, as a lot of these series tend to do.
Darkhawk is a book that ran 50 issues, and is 100% worth it, though much like with Rom, the first 25 issues are > the second 25. It approaches the subject matter as more of a mystery that runs through those first 25 chapters, then reveals itself to be something akin to the Rom conceit.
I'll add that to my to-do list then