Publisher: IDW
Writer: Chris Ryall
Art:
(NOTE: This piece was written and meant to be posted before last Wednesday’s (9/21) launch of REVOLUTION. Unfortunately, I didn’t posted it do to dealing with a serve arm infection. It has not been re-written to include thoughts on REVOLUTION as I have not read it yet.)
ROM is back. After a long hiatus, ROM: THE SPACE KNIGHT is back on your local comic book shop shelves every Wednesday. This time coming forth from the IDW office, not the Marvel Bullpen.
Yes, I know ROM started out as a toy, but he is more known for his adventures in comic books, then his toy line.
I’m happy ROM is back and that IDW is giving him a major push. However, the title itself in the first two issues seems to fall flat.
ROM arrives on Earth in search of the hated Dire Wraiths, a Space Knight from a world they destroyed. He finds the Earth infected with the Wraiths – so deep in fact he must eradicate an entire town, leaving only a female soldier alive who resisted infestation.
The Wraith infiltration is so wide spread it has even infiltrated GI Joe (yes, GI Joe).
The saving grace of the title for these two issues is the artwork, specifically ROM. ROM is awesome, and looks like a Knight. Other characters are well drawn and defined as well.
The Dire wraiths, while well-drawn, don’t seem as menacing as they should. Instead of fearsome, they are sort of just there.
What is odd, is that even though the pacing in the first two issues is okay, and there does seem to be urgency, it feels slow and plodding. The slow and plodding feeling may be from how many times ROM repeats himself about the Dire Wraiths. Often times to the same female soldier who events force into becoming his companion.
One issue I have with ROM himself is the dialogue, it’s bad. However, it may improve as ROM cracks a joke in the second issue and specifically mentions that his system is still working out the language.
For the most part it feels like the actual story isn’t coming together, and there may be a reason for that, it’s called: REVOLUTION.
REVOLUTION is a massive IDW crossover with all the Hasbro characters. It starts with ROM and will included Transformers, GI Joe, Micronaughts and M.A.S.K. (Yes, Yes, Yes!).
This explains some of the odd aspects of ROM, such as humans knowing about alien life and talking about defenses against them.
It seems, for now, that ROM is a setup for REVOLUTION, which may explain the slow feeling to it.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The first two issues aren’t bad, just flat – needing a little more life and direction to them. Let’s see how that changes with REVOLUTION.
RATING: 6
No comments:
Post a Comment