Rom: Dire Wraiths #3 - IDW Publishing

ROM: DIRE WRAITHS No. 3, October 2020

Published almost eleven months to the day when the mini-series’ opening instalment was first released, Chris Ryall’s script for Issue Three of “Rom: Dire Wraiths” was arguably worth its long wait considering just how action-packed its concluding narrative is. In fact, the nineteen-page periodical’s plot flows so fast towards its fulfilling finale that some within the comic’s audience probably felt that the former President of “IDW Publishing” could possibly have ‘squeezed’ at least another edition or two out of his book’s premise that the entire 1969 moon landing was almost disastrously eaten by a pack of slavering Dire Wraiths.

 As it stands however, the surviving extra-terrestrial antagonists found within this magazine are rather uncharacteristically easy for the ‘fleshbag’ humans to overcome, with one particularly formidable-looking specimen actually running away from his space-suited prey after it becomes abundantly evident that the sharp-toothed alien isn’t quite as strong as its hulking size would suggest; “But I can’t help notice you’re blustering a lot more than you are attacking! By all rights, you should’ve cracked me open like a Maine lobster but I’m still up and around.”

Enjoyably though, the astronauts’ ability to physically intimidate and later tactically outwit their multi-eyed opponents doesn’t debatably stop either Ryall’s storyline or illustrator Ron Joseph’s astonishing good artwork from being any less entertaining, as these elements actually provide the opportunity for some marvellously tense action-packed set-pieces, such as Sandra Shen getting the better of a Dire Wraith sorcerer on board the Adventure-One Satellite, or the space mission’s commander courageously ordering one of his fellow cosmonaut’s to kill him with a technologically-advanced laser rifle before the hapless hero can be consumed alive by one of the ravenous aliens.

Correspondingly as compelling is this comic’s secondary story, “One Small Step For A Spaceknight”, which does a good job of explaining just how Rom somehow magically managed to be in orbit of the Earth’s moon at just the right moment to save Apollo 11 from a truly grisly fate. Dynamically drawn by Guy Dorian Senior and Maria Keane, this five-pager’s highlight is witnessing the ursine member of the Solstar Order, Nikomi, unselfishly sacrificing himself to be abandoned alone in outer space, so as to ensure his armoured friend was able to save Mankind from the Dire Wraith threat.

The regular cover art of "ROM: DIRE WRAITHS" #3 by Luca Pizzari

Rom: Dire Wraiths #2 - IDW Publishing

ROM: DIRE WRAITHS No. 2, November 2019

Absolutely crammed with some of the most gratuitous, zero-gravity based violence seen this side of the Moon, Chris Ryall’s sense-shattering script for Issue Two of “Rom: Dire Wraiths” soon builds up a death tally which would surely sate even the most blood-thirsty “IDW Publishing” reader. Indeed, for any uber-nostalgic fans of the short-lived 1986 animated series “Inhumanoids” and its scientist-rich, super-team of heroes, the Long Beach-born writer’s “One Small Step For Dire-Wraith Kind” kill-count will disconcertingly prove a truly traumatic twenty-page passage.

First of all, the narrative strongly suggests straight from the start, that absolutely nobody is safe from having their extravehicular mobility unit lethally torn asunder and vital organs wantonly exposed to the cold vacuum of space. True, there is a modicum of trust that NASA's Apollo 11 astronaut crew will survive the horrific ordeal befalling them, especially as the steadfast Adventure-One Team repeatedly hurl themselves in harm’s way so as to protect Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. But considering the shroud of national security which overshadows all of this comic’s events, it quickly becomes clear that a cover-up relating to their tragic demise would not be beyond belief; “Houston. Houston, do not turn the cameras on. Repeat, keep the Eagle dark. There is a… situation I do not want broadcast.”

In addition, Ryall appears utterly unafraid of murdering off this comic’s lead cast without any warning whatsoever, whether it be a “simple matter” of a Dire Wraith literally boring into an unsuspecting astronaut’s boot so as to liquefy their body from the inside out, or simply gnaw another unsuspecting victim’s helmeted head clean off with a viciously vengeful bite. Such unrestrained carnage does rather satisfyingly work both ways, with the Dire Wraiths themselves adding to this book’s death toll courtesy of a truly patriotic spear throw across the thin atmosphere of the lunar surface using “Old Glory”. Yet is is undoubtedly the "pathetically weak" humans who bear the brunt of this book's grisly atrocities.

Delightfully, all of these pulse-pounding panels are gloriously pencilled by Luca and Andrea Pizzari, with colorist Jim Boswell providing some extra punch, thanks to some vibrantly vivid palette choices. In fact, even towards this publication’s end, when a lone Dire Wraith inexplicably decides to deliver a heavily-wordy piece of exposition to the surviving astronauts rather than just hew them asunder with his barbed tentacles, the creative team’s artwork quite compellingly carries the audience along, thanks to a tremendously well-drawn splash page featuring the Spaceknight, Rom.

Writer: Chris Ryall, Artists: Luca Pizzari & Andrea Pizzari, and Colorist: Jim Boswell

Rom: Dire Wraiths #1 - IDW Publishing

ROM: DIRE WRAITHS No. 1, October 2019

First announced during the July 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, and penned by a man who had wanted the character of Rom to “return to comics long before I was ever in position to inquire about” writing a comic about him, this three-part mini-series’ opening instalment certainly must have intrigued its 4,599 strong audience with a storyline featuring NASA's Apollo 11 astronaut crew facing a murderously menacing party of Dire Wraiths during their momentous Moon landing. But whilst Chris Ryall undoubtedly provides this nineteen page periodical with an authentic air of late Sixties life within the confines of a lunar module, his inclusion of the technologically advanced Adventure-One Team, complete with state of the art spacecraft, disappointingly soon disperses any notion that this book is going to focus upon Neil Armstrong’s three-man team desperately fending off the hostile aliens with whatever limited resources they have to hand.

Indeed, rather than portray the complexities encountered by the Eagle's crew during their historic mission, and the sheer terror a reader might imagine them facing when they suddenly realise that there isn’t “just the three of us in all the universe”, the current President of “IDW Publishing” instead spends a large portion of this publication sedentarily sketching in the backgrounds to its increasingly bloated cast, such as Arsenal, Badger, Hank, Mixmaster, Scalpel, Doctor Sandra Shore, and even NASA’s “first female engineer at Kennedy”, Joann Morgan. This massive influx of characters arguably would blow the mind of any bibliophile unfamiliar with the “Hasbro” animated series “Inhumanoids”, and certainly doesn’t help matters when the Long Beach-born author attempts to imbue all four of this tale’s lethal Dire Wraiths with similar individuality; “Spare me from such stupid soldiers. I remember a time when study of the sciences meant something to Wraith culture.”

Luckily however, Issue One of “Rom: Dire Wraiths” is blessed with the layouts of Luca Pizzari, whose prodigious pencilling is highly reminiscent of that seen within the pages of the science fiction comic “2000 A.D.” during the late Seventies. In fact, even though much of their ‘screen time’ is spent arguing over whether Russian Colonel Anatoli Kiev is allowed to take a formidable-looking heavy weapon with her or not, the Italian artist’s engaging style automatically emboldens each member of Earth Corps with an air of military might, especially to those familiar with the exploits of “The V.C.s” (Vacuum Cleaners) as drawn by Cam Kennedy.

The regular cover art of "ROM: DIRE WRAITHS" No. 1 by Luca Pizzari

Rom: Tales Of The Solstar Order #1 - IDW Publishing

ROM: TALES OF THE SOLSTAR ORDER No. 1, March 2018

Advertised by “IDW Publishing” as a “special re-presentation of Rom comic co-creator Sal Buscema’s storied return to the character… along with bonus art, an interview… and other cool extras”, this one-shot rather beautifully collects the “series of back-up strips” initially printed in Issue Eleven of “Rom” into a single “special” edition. As a result, regular readers of the Spaceknight’s ongoing monthly title probably won’t take much more from Christos Gage & Chris Ryall collaborative writing, except perhaps all the additional material, such as pencilled panels, crammed into the back of the book. But for those bibliophiles unfamiliar with the San Diego-based company’s currently licensed series, this eighteen-page long narrative contains an entertaining look at the Wraithslayer’s “third wheel”, Fy-Laa, and their genuinely sorrowful “last mission together”.

Indeed, for many of this comic’s 2,288 readers, the one-time Velovian living on Elonia is arguably the star of this tale, ill-advisedly trying to live up to his best friend’s expectations one minute by unwisely ‘bulking-up’ his crystalline armour so as to look “more menacing”, and then nobly sacrificing himself at the adventure’s end when he realises he has been ‘fatally’ contaminated by “the strange planet of Verdulun-5” and its Dire Wraith desire for universal domination. Admittedly, the “assimilated” member of the Solstar Order does spend the vast majority of “Battle Scars” trying to kill the titular character, or at least damage Rom’s protective panoply so as to allow the planet-wide collective through his defences. Yet even amidst such despicable treachery, Fy-Laa is still, in his addled mind at any rate, simply trying to bring “a peace that, together, with our ability to fly unaided through space we will carry to every living being in existence”, rather than maliciously betraying his old chum from the Elonia University of Arts and Sciences.

Of course, this marvellous magazine’s greatest asset is its rich-looking illustrations, which prove a joy to behold, especially to those long enough in the tooth to remember Sal Buscema’s original “ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk” and “Marvel Comics” 1979 Galadorian incarnation of the Spaceknight. Impressively pencilled by Guy Dorian Senior, this narrative’s leading cast really impress in every single panel within which they appear, whilst the New York-born inker’s finishing is magnificently ‘highlighted’ throughout the book’s printing process to the point where one can debatably see every single embellishment the eighty-two year-old has made over the original artwork.

Plot & Script: Christos Gage & Chris Ryall, Pencils: Guy Dorian Senior, and Inks: Sal Buscema

Micronauts First Strike #1 - IDW Publishing

MICRONAUTS FIRST STRIKE No. 1, September 2017

Publicised by “IDW Publishing” as a “cosmic alliance” between the “Earth’s smallest heroes” and “Rom”, this “Hasbro comic book event” must have proved a bitter disappointment to its readership, not least of which because the Knight of the Solstar Order doesn’t even make an actual appearance in this twenty-page periodical until its very ending. Indeed, the cosmic superhero originally created for “Parker Brothers” as an action figure only appears in the magazine’s final four frames, yet still just long enough to disconcertingly transform from being the Micronauts’ much-sought after benefactor in their fight against Wraith “magic”, into an unforgiving killing machine who alarmingly misanalyses his tiny allies as his deadliest foes?

Christos Gage’s script for Issue One of “Micronauts First Strike” also suffers from containing some marked similarities to the 1989 motion picture “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”, by depicting Microtron and Biotron narrowly avoiding the scything blades of a motorised lawnmower. It even includes a somewhat shrinking scene where one of the robots attempts to communicate with a garden invertebrate and then later, depicts Acroyear wrenching loose a (giant) daisy and unromantically offering it to space glider Phenolo-Phi in order to help the “rebel” feel better after Oziron Rael’s departure to become “a time traveller.” 

Admittedly, the American screenwriter’s narrative contains some elements to enjoy, such as the Dire Wraiths’ attempt to mutate “common Earth insects” into “biological weapons designed to infect native humans by a form of energy unknown in Microspace”, and the Micronauts’ subsequently bloody battle with a small coven of extra-terrestrial sorcerers. But even these pleasurable passages of action-packed fisticuffs are ultimately underwhelming due to some truly stilted dialogue and an ultimately illogical, yet all-pervading lack of menace towards the miniscule lead characters; “No time! Save yourself! And avenge me.” In fact, rather than squash their opponents when they have them at the mercy of the Dark Arts, the Dire Wraiths somewhat inexplicably release their foes so that their “enemies will take care of themselves.”

Sadly, this publication’s biggest hindrance however, is Chris Panda’s less than impressive artwork. The French pinup illustrator’s drawing style, which sports thick black lines that run around the entirety of his figures, doesn’t really suit the technologically advanced look of the titular team and definitely provides a great disservice to the look of the Dire Wraiths, which at times appear as if they’ve been sketched by an overenthusiastic amateur adolescent.

Written by: Christos Gage, Art by: Chris Panda, and Colors by: David Garcia Cruz

Rom [2016] #1 - IDW Publishing

ROM No. 1, July 2016

Apparently an “IDW Publishing” comic book title which was in the making since Chris Ryall first joined the publisher and partnered with Hasbro on “Transformers” in 2005, this “extra-length official debut” of “Rom” arguably manifests “one of the key comments” posted online when the return of the Spaceknight was first announced, by failing to “live up to fans’ expectations.” Indeed with the exception of the titular character’s appearance proving reasonably similar to his “Marvel Comics Group” incarnation, and the Long Beach-born author’s evident insistence on calling the extra-terrestrial infiltrators Dire Wraiths, there would seem to be very little in common between this disappointing nonsense and the highly successful seventy-five issue run of the early Eighties. It's certainly disconcerting (though perhaps understandable) that the Lord of the Solstar Order inhabits a “universe that also includes the Transformers, G.I. Joe, the Micronauts, and… M.A.S.K.” as opposed to Marvel continuity.

Admittedly it would have been a huge mistake for the Eisner Award-nominee to have simply directly copied the narrative from that of Bill Manto’s stories, and undoubtedly certain elements of those classic tales are nowadays subject to complicated legal taboo. Yet the decision to have the cyborg from Galador’s foes already be so ingrained into human society that both the “seemingly idyllic town” of Cooper’s Mill, as well as Vandenberg Air Force Base, have already been “overrun by Dire Wraiths” makes it seem that a lot of the potential suspense generated by readers having to guess just which person is an evolutionary offshoot of the Skrulls has instantly been lost. This isn’t a world upon which the aliens are trying to gain a foothold through planetary subjugation. It is a planet where the “Wraith-rot [already] pervades the very landscape” and the shape-shifters can already affect flora and fauna, as well as surprisingly de-activate Rom’s neutralizer with their magicks; “Too many for you to slay, Space Knight. We are prepared for you. And for what follows.”

To the credit of the Editor-In-Chief however, this thirty-five page periodical does additionally contain the short story “offered up in this past May’s Free Comic Book Day”. Such a generous gesture to “many international fans” who found Issue Zero “impossible to come by” is doubly welcome as “Earthfall: Prelude” is really “where our ongoing tale begins” and without the magazine repeating that material it is doubtful many purchasers would actually have understood “the full story.”

Sadly, David Messina’s pencils and colours arguably prove just as disenchanting as the comic’s unsatisfactory script. There’s no doubting the new streamlined Spaceknight looks suitably sleek and sophisticated. But the Italian’s somewhat fiddly-looking panels, especially those depicting events such as the manifestation of Rom’s neutralizer, prove somewhat hard to discern, even when long-time fans of the “Parker Brothers” toy know precisely what the cyborg is meant to be doing.

The variant cover art of "ROM" No. 1 by Sal Buscema and Mike Cavallaro