ROM Spaceknight #35 - Video Review by ComicBook.beer

Welcome back to ComicBook.Beer for the review of ROM Space Knight issue number 35 from October of 1982. It’s like I’m stuck in that year because I just reviewed one also from October of 1982. It’s a great year. If I could just go back in time and stay there, I would. But I can’t. What I can do, and what you can do, is enjoy this terrific issue of ROM, which is like the conclusion of all the awesome stuff that takes place in ROM issue 34.

So it’s really helpful if you read ROM 34 before this one. Before I get started here, check out the cover. This is busy. This should not work, but it does. I just love all this stuff in the background. The ROM title is covered up by these two lines here, which are kind of tying the whole thing together. We’ve got Namor, we’ve got ROM, and then there are pirate skeletons or something.

That’s an interesting cover, and a great issue, Agony in Atlantis. Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, and Danny Bulanadi. And a giant walking carpet that’s like an off-brand Chewbacca is about to destroy the entire Earth. Let’s see, many fathoms below the sea, ROM Space Knight and Namor confront a threat of dire wraith conjuration. That’s a great word, that’s fun.

Which, if not checked, could spell the end of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis and the surface world as well. That means no more Hostess fruit pies for any of you. So we’ve got to stop this horrible creature, which is like a dire wraith monstrosity. And there’s a little backstory here on what’s going on. If you remember the previous issue, it’s making its way to Atlantis to go and wreak havoc. If you missed the previous issue, they give you a little bit of backstory here.

Sybil falls into the ocean. I think her name is... yes, I was right. So Sybil ends up in this situation where this fish makes a bubble so that she can live underwater. The sheer nonsense in this issue is just fabulous. And if you remember the dire wraiths...

For those of you who might be new to the series, the main enemies are Dire Wraiths. They take the form of other living things like people, raccoons, puppies, eels, bats, whatever. But they’re actually these horrible monsters and they’re evil. So there are Dire Wraiths among the Atlanteans, and they know this giant monster is going to come and destroy Atlantis. That was their plan from the beginning, I guess.

There’s a monster at the gates. It’s shooting dolphins. All these action scenes are just fabulous. I think I’ve used that word already. I’m running out of synonyms for awesome. Just terrific. Great. Look at this. Guys with laser beams riding dolphins. This is what I’m reading comic books for. That and ads for Hostess fruit pies. I hope we get one in this issue. I can’t remember if there’s one or not. Tons of detail. Sal Buscema just knocks it out of the park in this one.

As Namor and ROM battle these monsters and this giant beast, the Dire Wraiths are plotting and scheming behind the scenes. It’s so cool. There’s this great two-page spread that’s going to blow your mind. It’s just so much fun and it’s ridiculous. It’s complete nonsense and I love it. There’s all the detail in there.

I had a lot of time enjoying this one. And, slot cars. These slot cars are awesome. Love slot cars. One thing leads to another, obviously, and there’s this huge battle. The Atlanteans think they’re going to lose, but ROM and Namor turn the tide of the battle. They uncover the Dire Wraiths, and ROM shoots them with his energy analyzer, sending them into limbo.

I guess that’s a fate that’s not quite worse than death, but almost as bad as death. Then the next issue brings out even more stuff. We’ll cover that separately. There’s one of the Dire Wraiths that gets pinned to the wall, then transforms into a Dire Wraith and you see it. Obviously, they’re not going to kill the girl. But I won’t give away the ending. Let’s just say it involves lots of knobs and buttons. And we get no Hostess fruit pies in this one. No, master kung fu.

Space notes, comic book conventions from 1982. Please take me back in time so I can go to these. And the ad on the back of this issue, maybe that number still works. The ad is for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Atari 2600, one of my personal favorite Atari 2600 games. You just can’t go wrong shooting at snow speeders on the Atari 2600.

Got my copy autographed by Anthony Daniels too. True story. ROM issue number 35. This is great, and I think you definitely need to read it with issue 34. These two definitely form one big story, and it’s just awesome.

So I’m a big fan of this one, and I’m becoming a huge fan of ROM. I’ve already been a fan of The Empire Strikes Back for a long time. This one’s winning. This series is winning me over. So check it out. Highly recommended. ComicBook.Beer.