Sorry about the previous posting mishap folks

Ok so I got rid of the bogus ROM information I had here originally (see comments section). This however isn't bogus. It's digital art I created a couple months back from some borrowed images that I put together in a single setting and fine tuned. I had done it originally for another blog for which it would have been more ideal but that doesn't look like it's gonna happen anytime soon so I decided to post it here cause I'd like for it to be featured somewhere then nowhere at all.

ROM by Yildiray Cinar. Plus, some bad ass Firefall fan art by mystery guest artist

Here's a guy I've been hearing more about in recent months. It turns out that this guy is quite accomplished in the comic book industry. You may have seen him featured in other blogs out there you've visited or go to on a regular basis. Cinar is from Turkey of all places which hasn't been at the top of my list of favorite foreign countries in recent years thanks to the anti-Western rhetoric coming from it's prime minister along with it's close ties to iran. But now thanks to Cinar's work I can say at least one good thing has come from that country.

http://firestormfan.com/2011/06/15/yildiray-cinar-sketches/

http://itsadansworld.blogspot.com/2010/10/yildiray-puts-cinar-into-catwoman.html

Here's a real treat for all you Firefall fans especially. I can only assume this one was inspired by ROM #4 and or Marvel Team Up # 99. I wish I knew who did this it's pretty hot (yeah bad pun intended) . Would the real artist for this please stand up? Be sure to magnify this one to get a better look at the details.

Dire Wraith reference found in Thanos Imperative #5. Thank the Gods of Galador for those 3 for $1.00 comic boxes!

So a couple of days ago I swung by one of the few places that still has those hard to find 3 for $100 comic book boxes. Among the three titles I picked was #5 of the Thanos Imperative. While reading it I noticed the panel below involving a plot line in which the war with the Cancerverse was not going so well for the cosmic heroes of the mainstream universe.
Although no one probably knew it at the time I bet this was a little bit of foreshadowing that Abnett & Lanning were doing knowing that The Annihilators mini-series was coming up soon. What's odd about this reference is the context that it's in. It implies that the Dire Wraiths are in a position to be of any help in the event they wanted to. And although they've popped up here and there over the last 25 years they haven't been any sort of major interstellar power since the conclusion of the Wraith War in ROM #65. Since that issue the Dire Wraiths have really just been pretty much scattered through out the galaxy in these disjointed "sleeper cells" causing some problems here and there like in the Darkstar: Winter Guard series or Volx in New Warriors. That is to say it's not as if they could have taken Gladiator's suggestion and mobilized an attack force like they did when they first invaded the Golden Galaxy as told in ROM #1. I dunno maybe I'm just taking this reference too seriously and over analyzing it.

I just found this review of Annihilators #4 that had me cracking up! This guy reviews several other books so it isn't until 6:30 minutes into the video does he start with A#4. But when he does the first thing he goes off on is how he got stuck with Rocket Racoon variant cover even though he got to the comic shop at noon on new comic book day. Can't say as I blame him I'd be pissed too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKMc-gW_u8I

ROM Spaceknight & Israeli super agent Sabra: fighting the forces of terror

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) just delivered rousing speech to the U.S. congress yesterday. I think it was one for the history books. So now that's got the Zionist in me all fired up and of course being the comic book nerd that I am I couldn't help but think of a hypothetical scenario involving some sort of cross story line or Marvel Team issue of ROM & Israeli Mossad (Israeli secret service) super agent Sabra. I don't know what sort of story line would have ever had ROM in Israel or Sabra in Clariton West Virginia but it would have made for an interest concept to explore. Aside from both being Bill Mantlo creations and having had run ins with the HULK these two heroes have one very important thing in common. Both have arch enemies that are masters of disguise, deception and manipulation. Rather if it's shape shifters who use black magic or people who use political correctness and stealth jihad, evil is evil by any name. We should see that evil for what it is and recognize the heroes who fight and sacrifice to keep us safe from it.

Aside from Bibi's speech here's what else you need to know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eIesXORjBps

ROM, Nova & Star Lord. One cool cosmic concept. 5/23 update with rare ROM cameo art

What you see here is some fan art I found on Comic Vine fan art I've ever come across featuring ROM, Nova and Star Lord together. Along with it was this comment "What could have been an even more epic team". I'm posting it here for good luck in regards to the final installment of Annihilators set to hit the shelves first thing next month. Rather your a ROM Spaceknight fan, a Marvel cosmic adventure fan or a combination there of I know what your all hoping to see far fetched as it may be.
That Marvel Magazine cover you see there was something my father got me back in 1979 when we lived in New York city. Back then my dad used to have a cab pick me up from school and drive me to his work where I'd have to hang with him for a few hours before his shift ended. He worked in this high rise office building over looking the water in lower Manhattan. Sometimes when he had some down time he would take me across the street to a buy me a bagel and some comics to help me pass the time. This is actually how I got my hands on the very first comics I ever had.
Star Lord was awesome in the Annihilation Wave series and I'm sure many of you out there loved him in the Guardians of the Galaxy. When he found out about Richard Ryder's fling with Gomora during the war with the Annihilation Wave his response was, "what part of the most dangerous woman in the universe do you not understand?". What a great line not to mention he called Nova "Richie" all the time. Who doesn't enjoy reading that sort of levity between characters?

After all my years of being a ROM Spaceknight fan I've never seen this before until very recently. I guess at some point over the years Rick Jones was a little suicidal or something so that's what the panel on the left I found on Comic Vine by random is all about. I think it's funny how Rick has that whole unshaven "Cast Away" man look going on. And on the right thanks to Ptor from the Sanctum we have a panel from a Dr.Strange Annual from 1992.

ROM original by Ian Akin, yes as in Akin & Garvey. Inking is not tracing! Plus, see "Reed Richards" getting tongue spiked in the head

This posting title is a bit misleading. Yes this is Ian Akin's pencil and ink work but it's colored by me. And also it should be known that what you are seeing is a cropped portion of the original work. Most of you should know by now that Akin & Garvey were the dynamic inking duo that were the perfect compliment to Sal Buscema's pencils. That awesome "trifecta" was the artistic pinnacle of the ROM series. It was among some of the very best comic art of the 80's on par with giants like Michael Golden.
You can see this illustration in it's entirety at the link below. And check this out, it will open up in color but when you roll your mouse over the image you see it just penciled and inked! It's a way cool affect plus you can tell me if I did Akin's pencil and ink work any justice with my own coloring job here:
http://ianakin.com/illustration/superheroes/rom.htm

Have you ever seen "Chasing Amy"? If so do you remember how they were joking about inkers just being people who trace? I really hope there isn't anybody around who reads comics today that is that stupid. If you look below the credit headline strip you'll see what un-inked penciling really looks like as seen in this Annihilators #4 splash page. Even if you were doing a black n white comic you wouldn't send it to press like that. Now this uncolored sample clip art here from ROM #45 is what I'm talking about. Look how even in black n white it almost seems to have texture to it as if you could run your fingers over the paper and feel the art like reading in braille.

ROM cameo in the continued Torpedo legacy from the pages of The New Warriors

Okay so here's something I hope is at least some what new to you hard core ROM fans out there in terms of art or information. I found 3 New Warriors covers that featured Turbo prominently cause I thought it would look cool to display here but it's issue 73 that I want to focus on. First of all it has the late Brock Jones (ROM side kick Torpedo) on the cover which is cool. And as you can see to the left the interior art includes some sort of retelling of the past Dire Wraith, Torpedo and Volx narratives. What I'm sure you also see is a panel that features a very obvious silver spaceknight. Did you know this issue was published in 1996? Did Marvel have the licensing deal in effect still at that time? Some how I doubt it so what gives? I was never into The New Warriors but if I had known back then that they were continuing the ROM mythology in even at least some small measure I certainly would have given that title a second look. You can read a thorough recap of the New Warriors #73 at this link:
http://www.newwarriors.com/html/nwv1n73.html

So if you've read the page that link goes to you'll see that issue kicks off Vlox's latest scheme. A scheme in which she appropriates the Torpedo suite, hijacks a starship and steals Forge's neo-neutralizer in an attempt to nullify the powers of Earth's heroes and also free her fellow Wraiths from Limbo. Ironically, the New Warriors series (Vol. 1) ends just two issues later with #75 (just like ROM). Obviously Volx was stopped by The New Warriors from carrying out her plans with the neo-neutralizer but as the saying goes she apparently lived on to fight another day. Hence, her appearance and agenda many years later in the Annihilators mini-series.


Now here is what appears to be a revamped version of the Torpedo "armor" I was able to find a picture of online. I can't seem to find any information about if this is the original suite with modifications or a brand new one but it looks good! The upper portion kinda looks reminiscent of Thor's classic costume strangely enough. I know based on some published clip art that Turbo did have a suite that closely resembled this sketch at one point but I can't find any information on it other then it being worn in the later volumes of New Warriors and with another group she ended up joining called Excelsior.

5/13/11 update
I took a look at New Warriors #1 (Vol.2) a couple of days ago and the new look for the Torpedo suite (first appearance) was the result of it having been "reconfigure" for easier use.