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From the pages of
Comic Heroes Magazine issue 27. Allow me to bring your attention to the paragraph inside the red square. Perhaps there's some hope in regards to the questionable ROM redesign as seen in the Previews clip art that had everybody (myself included up in arms) up in arms. But again there's no way to know for sure until the series comes out so ultimately the jury's still out on this but in about two weeks from now (FCBD) we should be able to get into more serious deliberations.
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On the flip side the IDW Micronauts series has generated next to no controversy and as far as I know will be turning up on comic book shelves on new comic book day this upcoming Wednesday. I have every intention of making it to the store that day to get a copy of issue 1. For which I will most certainly update this blog posting with after I get done reading it so be on the look out for that. Years ago I came across a letter to the editor in an old issue of Marvel's Micronauts with a good question a reader had that Marvel had no answer for but gave a "no prize" recognition for.
If a person traveled to a planet much larger then Earth they would be subject to some serious gravitational pull they wouldn't be used to. So how come visitors from The Microverse to Earth don't seem to be impacted by what most certainly would be for them the higher gravity? I think I'll throw that physics question at IDW in a letter and see if and how they respond to it since eventually even the rebooted Micronauts will find themselves on Earth.
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| My impersonation of Gary Martin Jr. A ROM curator |
If there's any confusion about this photo spoof please refer to the comments section. I remember back in the 80s how they used to rope us into buying more new comics with countless references being made by characters with all those asterisks * referring to the footnote boxes with the see this issue or see that issue and as told in the blah blah and so on. Today's comics seem to do the same thing with all these goddamn cover variants and with these cover prices! Although to be honest I don't mind these cover prices as long as the product is what I'm looking for. I mean really what's $4 or even $5 a month for a new ROM series that turns out to be a pleasant surprise? Same goes for The Micronauts. But ofcourse I'm just speaking as someone who's interested in just following the main story for which I don't need to buy multiple covers or any publication that even makes a ROM reference. That can really add up as we can see. It kinda reminds me of popular cities with notorious tourist trap area and attractions.
The following
April 28th update will just consist of a copy and paste of my latest letter to WTF Publishing.
When IDW released online all The Micronauts cover variants earlier this year I have to say I was very pleased with what I saw when it came to Acroyear and Baron Karza. For Acroyear, there had just been some minor design updates that I felt were done in good taste just like with ROM on the cover of his zero issue. And as for Baron Karza it pretty much looked like you guys just went with his classic look which I was cool with because like Darth Vader that look works just as well in 2016 as it did in the 80s. But it all became a different story once I read Micronauts #1.
With Acroyear you guys stayed consistent as far as character design goes with the interior art but what is up with Baron Karza!? Why did you guys find it necessary to change his head/helmet design like that? I also don't like the new look for Space Glider, as you did with Acroyear I would have much preferred a design that looks something closer to the original Mego figure. And especially that "tail" on this new Space Glider suite that has got to go! I know part of my negativity here has to do with my weariness from all the controversy earlier this year surrounding the first clear look at ROM spaceknight as seen on page 3 of the zero issue preview but all that aside I'm sorry guys this new series is not off to a great start in the opinion of this old school Micronauts fan.
To quote BACK TO THE FUTURE... "You are my DENSITY!"
ReplyDeleteDensity is the key.
A bigger planet doesn't necessarily have to have higher gravity.
A larger diameter planet MAY in fact have a lower density, and thus, lower gravity, so anyone from a higher density world would find they are stronger, faster and able to leap tall buildings in a single...Oh wait..Sorry, wrong character.
Although, while the red/yellow sun exchange was used to explain Superman's abilities, they COULD have just went the route of Earth has lower density/gravity.
(But that wouldn't explain laser eyes and stuff, so...whatever.)
The original Guardians of the Galaxy used that as the basis for making CHARLIE-23 a brick strong-house, as he came from Jupiter, which has a crushing density/gravity.
Anyway, the Microverse may have a higher density than our universe.
Or if not our entire universe, then at least EARTH.
HERE they may be as strong (or stronger) and durable as a full-size human.
Kinda like how Ant-Man maintains full-size strength when at ant size.
Density.
It's physics.
Well...comic book physics.
So...where's MY No-Prize?
;-)
you raise an excellent point with the density issue that could certainly be one plausible explanation. unfortunately it is not my place to hand out a no prize but if you want to send IDW a letter instead of me in regards to the gravity physics that would be just fine with me. as for that Charlie-23 shit that never made sense to me since Jupiter is a gas giant with a frozen core. it makes no sense for any kind of humanoid life to exist there no matter how adaptable.
DeleteI plan on only buying the Micronauts Complete 3-D Box Set. Unfortunately I've been told that for "some reason" it won't be available this Wednesday along with the separate covers. Boooooo.
ReplyDeleteCurrent update on the "Breaking A ROM Curator's Bank" saga (yeah you told me so Dave): I got my first quote on the cost of acquiring a complete collection of ROM #1 (all 9 covers including the 3-D Box & all 3 Retailer Incentives)...Two Hundred U.S. Dollars. I've got 3 or 4 other sources I'll be checking prices before deciding how to buy. The first source let me know that the 3 Retailer Incentives are a 1:25, a 1:50, and a 1:100, but they didn't say which are which.
Previewsworld.com put out July's release dates, so my checklist can now show the sequence everything's coming out & one can plan accordingly. I slipped two extra non-IDW items in here that I'm interested in:
5/7/16 [ ] ROM THE SPACE KNIGHT v2 #0 (Free Comic Book Day)
6/15/16 [ ] GUARDIANS OF INFINITY #8 (Marvel's new Space Knights group)
6/22/16 [ ] COMIC BOOK FEVER (TwoMorrows book with small ROM appearance on cover & some expected mentions inside)
7/6/16 [ ] 3 'ROM Cover Month' variants:
1. MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDS FOREVER #30
2. STAR TREK #59
3. TRANSFORMERS: TILL ALL ARE ONE #2
7/13/16 [ ] 5 'ROM Cover Month' variants:
1. ACTION MAN #2
2. BACK TO THE FUTURE #10
3. G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #230
4. JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS #17
5. JUDGE DREDD #8
7/20/16 [ ] 9 cover versions of ROM THE SPACE KNIGHT v2 #1:
1. ROM v2 #1 REGULAR EDITION (J.H. Williams III)
2. ROM v2 #1-A SUBSCRIBER VARIANT (Zach Howard)
3. ROM v2 #1-B SUBSCRIBER VARIANT (Tom Whalen)
4. ROM v2 #1-C CLASSIC TOY VARIANT (photo)
5. ROM v2 #1-D BLANK SKETCH VARIANT (logo only on white, presumably)
6. ROM v2 #1-E 3-D VARIANT (J.H. Williams III only in COMPLETE 3-D BOX SET)
7. ROM v2 #1-F RI-A VARIANT (Sal Buscema)
8. ROM v2 #1-G RI-B VARIANT (Michael Golden)
9. ROM v2 #1-H RI-C VARIANT (P. Craig Russell)
AND [ ] 1 'ROM Cover Month' variant:
1. MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #44
7/27/16 [ ] 3 'ROM Cover Month' variants:
1. MICRONAUTS v5 #4
2. TRANSFORMERS #55
3. TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE #55
Gary, i think we're gonna have to start a fund drive for you kinda like those commercials from the humane society with all those poor neglected animals. or maybe like one of those commercials advertising for help with addiction where you get these testimonials of former addicts that talk about how their addiction nearly ruined their careers and families.
DeleteI beleive the Sal variant is the 1 in 25 one Gary. Chris Ryall told me it was probably going to be a lower number a bit back ago so that leads me to think its that one.
DeleteJoseph you're the man, thanks for sharing that.
DeleteIDW & Shlomo though, just having fun at my EXPENSE...both literally and figuratively! ;-)
Don't worry too much. I'll be that. Everyone's got their own path but we'll get there together.
I am glad that Rom is coming back but not to sure how the series will go without the Space Knights.
DeleteI saw the part in the red square. This may indicate they are listening up us after all!
ReplyDeleteThey are way to invested in ROM to risk alinating us old schoolers, there is simply too many of us.
Also, this may be the reason that we see all the variant images of ROM. They are still deciding on his final look and I hope it's the Sal Bucema one or something similar.
well i suspect ROM's armor and weapons having "morphogenic" properties as a concept may have been the case all along but at this point all we can do is see how it plays out in the series as the issues come along. if what we saw in the Previews clip art of the zero issue was just a temporary configuration of ROM's armor and that in his more "normal" state he looks closer to the ROM 1 cover i added to the last posting then i for one would be very pleased. it certainly would make sense that ROM's armor would be configured differently for interstellar travel then when he's operating on a planet.
DeleteThat's actually a pretty good reason for the armor to change. I'll hold out any judgement until I've read the thing. Because if the story is good the rest will fall in line. Hopefully.
ReplyDeletePoor Gary. For so many reasons. New ROM kind of backlashed on you didn't it? I don't much care for variants and crossovers. Mostly because it makes collecting a whole story almost impossible now. Much less trying to backtrack through one.
I'm really feeling better about this. We'll see though. One of the things I always wished with the Original ROM was that he had more weapons. I mean come on, Javelin had a staff that shot darts/energy. The Neutralizer was an awesome weapon but it kind of got neutered itself with some issues and I wouldn't want to go to battle with just one weapon. Here's hoping.
ReplyDeletewell the neutralizer was a mutli purpose weapon so you gotta give it that. but the fact that he ran into beings like Hybrid and The Hulk the neutrilizer was able to handle by it's self made for suspenseful story telling.
DeleteHahaha! A spot on impression!
ReplyDeleteSoooo many variants. I mean, I get that the return of ROM to comics IS a big deal but... That's a bit of an overkill. It's like 12 comics that have nothing to do with ROM with him on the cover. Fuck that. That's a lame cash-grab.
Hey man what are you talking about those variants are gonna be special addition collectors items just like all those those number 1 issues in the early 90s.
DeleteWell that Mcfarlane Spiderman issue 1 did turn out well. I have the gold cover and normal one. The gold of course the smart buy way back when
DeleteHahaha! Oh, right! How could I forget... Well, I better buy THREE copies of each then. One to read, one to seal away, and one to never ever be looked at by human eyes! I'll be rich! I better start having kids so I can send them to college what with all the money I'll have from these in 20 years!!!
DeleteLol yes the get rich on comics thing. Just ask my vintage Ironman 1 2 about that.That spidy though was the first and only time I bought the same comic twice. I think I bought them by selling a hologram marvel card that was extremely popular then.That issue always did last on memory with the Lizards brutal killing spree It was a krazy huge deal back then
DeleteBut what did you think of the actual story in Micronauts #1? -Designs aside.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest here we are two days since I bought the issue I can hardly remember anything about the story. At this rate the only reason why I might buy another issue is if they print my letter in it. Next weekend will have free comic book day but I'm afraid Avengers Civil War might be the only high point of that weekend.
DeleteI thought the story of Micronauts 1 was busy. Alot going on for someone who only read a few classic micronaughts issues it was confusing .C3P0 1 shot about his red arm on the other hand was a very good busy and awesome art.
Deleteyour boy Dann Phillips also wasn't crazy about the issue. not at all confidence inspiring when it comes to what else awaits us from IDW on FCBD next weekend. which classic Micronauts issues have you read? hopefully it was the stuff from the Michael Golden art era of the series. but on a high note for next weekend i bought my ticket yesterday for a saturday screening of Avengers Civil War.
DeleteThe first 5 issue of the classic issues that its. I would keep your expectations in check for the short issue 0. Things dont really get going till issue 1
DeleteI wand to like the Micronauts issue. I realize that we can't have a continuation of Mantlo's comics, but this just didn't feel like a Micronauts to me....I'm going to give it a few issues to impress before I give up on it. I did score a blank cover for #1, so I'll be able to do a sketch on that one at least.
ReplyDeleteUgh....I should've checked the spelling on that post. $#%#@&
DeleteJoseph, the first 5 issues of the classic series is an excellent start I hope you'll be able to acquire issues 6-11 some day soon maybe I'll look out for them on your behalf in those dollar boxes.
ReplyDeleteDann, a "blank cover" for number 1 please do elaborate on that if you can.
And to the rest of you all, this upcoming Saturday morning I'll be at my LCS to grab my copy of the ROM zero issue and you can count on me having a fresh new posting with all my thoughts on it very soon after later that day.
A blank cover is just that. The cover of the comic is completely blank (white) so an artist can do his own sketch on the cover. The Title and numbering and all that is still on the cover....it's just devoid of any actual art.
ReplyDelete