IDW ROM Spaceknight issue #3 review

I am happy that my local comic shop set aside the above cover variant of ROM issue #3 for me, but I am a bit torn because I really like the standard cover too by Bill Sienkewicz (not sure I spelled that right).

This issue begins by showing the outcome of the cliffhanger the last issue ended on, and Camilla learns firsthand how the Dire Wraiths have existed over the years on Earth. Darby was "recovered" by a covert government agency from the hiding spot she and ROM hid in at the end of the last issue, and now Darby seemingly feels that she has been duped by ROM.

ROM and Camilla eventually meet up with Darby again, but Darby, thinking it's in her best interest, alerts the covert government agency that ROM is with her. There appears to be a gap in the story before ROM, Camilla and Darby meet and I think that's where the ROM Revolution one shot might come into play.

The issue ends on another cliff hanger where the covert government agency and Darby are transporting a restrained ROM to some government facility. Is ROM and Darby allowing themselves to be caught to gain access to the government facility and get more information, or is this an actual major setback for ROM? We'll have to find out in the next issue.

Please comment with your thoughts or theories about issue #3 and which variant cover you got or which one is your favorite.

Grade: B-

IDW ROM Spaceknight issue #2 review

The image of the cover above is the variant of issue #2 my comic shop set aside for me and it happened to be the one I liked the most.

Issue #2 picks up where issue #1 left off and we see that the Dire Wraith infestation of Darby's hometown is more than it originally appeared. There's a hint that something about Darby has kept her from being 'Body Snatched' by the Dire Wraiths and ROM is trying to convince her to help him. In the last issue, ROM had to take out pretty much all of Darby's family Terminator style because they were Wraiths and Darby is still struggling with how to accept that and ROM being an alien.

A big aha moment is the reveal of the secondary phase of ROM's Neutralizer where it looks very similar to the classic version of his Neutralizer in the Marvel series. The secondary phase of the Neutralizer doesn't just take out individual Dire Wraiths, it takes out whole blocks of Dire Wraiths. I have to admit, I was a bit giddy when I saw it happening.

In this issue, we get a brief retelling of ROM's origin including why he joined the Solstar Order. Amazingly, one of the knights of the Solstar order was a bear. ROM's homeworld is now called Elonia, which unfortunately is a far cry from the cooler sounding Galador from the Marvel series. After reading a couple issues of this new series, I believe IDW needed to make darn sure that Marvel wouldn't come knocking with any copyright infringment claims by changing things like ROM's homeworld's name and the look of the armor he wears.

ROM and Darby are eventually separated and that leads to ROM finally meeting up with Camilla. There was a panel where I swear ROM could have said "come with me if you want to live" (which would have been a neat homage to The Terminator), but that wasn't exactly the dialog used. 

The issue ends on a cliffhanger when a sorcerer like Dire Wraith and his minions get the best of ROM and Camilla by evading ROM's Analyser and holding them captive. Will ROM and Camilla escape the clutches of the Dire Wraiths? What are the Wraiths' new capabilities? Tune in next month for the thrilling answer.

Please leave any comments regarding your thoughts of IDW's ROM #2 and what cover variant you got or like the most.

Grade: B

IDW ROM Spaceknight issue #1 review

The cover above is the variant of issue #1 that my local comic shop set aside for me. While it isn't my first choice of variant covers, it has grown on me how retro and classy it looks.

I was excited to finally pry open the pages of a ROM comic after nearly 30 years since I last read a new issue of ROM the Spaceknight. The #0 issue first introduces ROM after he had just landed on Earth as opposed to seeing him crash down dramatically in the first issue of the Marvel series. Immediately we are introduced to the 'ROM is a random killer' trope when he takes down some dire wraiths disguised as humans.

Dire Wraiths now come in various shapes and sizes. Some look like H.R. Giger's Alien, some have cords that come out of their hands and suck body fluids ala the "I come in peace/Dark  Angel" film's alien drug dealer, some can manipulate living things like people or fauna, and some are just beastlike (i.e. the Wraithhawk). This variety of baddies is pretty cool, and I really love the 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' and 'They Live' movie vibe the storyline plays out.

ROM predictably ends up with a female sidekick Darby Mason (i.e. like Brandy in the Marvel series) that has a progressive twist in that she's an African American female soldier. I don't mind that as much as long as she doesn't become the predictable love interest that Brandy became in the Marvel series. Let her just be a warrior in the long run that works along side ROM.

One of the biggest aha moments in this issue is the reveal that Dire Wraiths can control plant life in addition to controlling humans. We get an Evil Dead possessed trees moment where ROM has to escape a possessed forest and then obliterate the Dire Wraith controlled fauna.

Another character, Camilla Byers, is a survivor of the first encounter between ROM and the Dire Wraiths and she is the victim of an interesting twist to the story. Having been grazed by that alien sucking cord that comes out of the hands of one of the Dire Wraiths, she is infected by something that gives her the ability to see and hear Dire Wraiths in plain sight (think of the sunglasses in the movie 'They Live'). Very cool idea that should be an advantage to ROM in future issues.

The last thing I'll mention is that the Dire Wraiths have now infiltrated Earth so much so that many government agencies are compromised. This includes the most popular Hasbro government agency, G.I. Joe. Very cool way to end the first issue with the promise of a shared universe with another popular toy of my childhood. Before anyone balks at the shared toy universe going on at IDW, remember that Marvel did the same with ROM by having cameos and interactions with many famous Marvel characters fighting with/against ROM and the Dire Wraiths.

Overall the first issue left me feeling this new series will be promising by touching on my favorite toys and storytelling genres (i.e. Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror) and I was left wanting more when I was done reading. I am highly anticipating the next issue.

Please leave any comments regarding your thoughts of the first issue of IDW's ROM #1 (and issue #0 which is included in issue #1) and what cover variant you got or like the most.

Grade: A-