Dire Wraith / X-men cross over cover variants. Which do you like better folks? Plus, the "Why bring back ROM" slide show

You all remember the X-Men Classic series from the late 80s and 90s? It's where Marvel was reprinting a bunch of original X-men issues with different covers and they also featured an original back story. This series was a good marketing move on Marvel's part it had a lot to do with what got me into the X-Men.Well I came across X-Men Classic #91 (bottom clip art) in some $1 bins a couple of days ago. I have the original X-Men issue (#187) of course but I'd never seen the X-Men Classic variant version which prompted me to find the X-Men Classic cover for 90 which naturally reprints X-Men #186 which I also have. And in case you didn't know X-Men issues 185, 186,187 and 188 feature a Dire Wraith cross over storyline in which the Wraiths try to take down Forge because of the Neo-Neutrilazer he was developing to aid ROM in the Wraith War on Earth. For a recap go to: http://siskoid.blogspot.com/2009/07/so-whats-this-about-forges-dire-wraith.html
I thought it might be interesting to do a comparison of the covers and get some opinions on which you all like better. In the case X-Men 186 & X-Men Classic 90 I have to say I've always liked the original but the new one does add something extra to it that I like seeing as the story also featured a skirmish Rogue had with the Dire Wraiths. Even with the slightly exaggerated Billy Idol sneer on Rogue's face I'm kinda torn on this one.
But in the case of X-Men 187 & X-Men Classic 91 it's a no brainer the original cover is far better. It's not that the X-men Classic cover is so terrible but to me what hurts it the most is how the lead Wraith looks. I just don't like the way it's drawn it kinda reminds me of a bad sci-fi B movie prop. And as you can see the original cover looks really good especially where composition is concerned. So what do you folks think? If your wondering why I didn't include X-Men issues 185 and 188 or their corresponding X-Men Classic issues in this posting is because neither versions of the covers feature any Wraiths.

2010 Winter Guard: A more comprehensive look at this mini-series and how the Dire Wraith fit into it

So part of my $1 bin score yesterday included #1 of the Winter Guard 3 issue mini-series. I had already done a posting about this series but it sucked cause it was just based on information I could find online. Pretty much all of which is not provided from ROM fans or those interested much in the Dire Wraiths. Well that's about to change. It all starts with the secret Wraith base in Russia that ROM, Starshine and the Soviet Super Soldiers went up against in ROM # 45 and 46: http://siskoid.blogspot.com/2009/03/spaceknight-saturdays-back-in-ussr.html Even though they killed all the Wraiths there the base remained intact which was later discovered and it along with it's technology was utilized by the Russian government.
Now part of this story revolved around a character who used to be part of the various Soviet super hero teams but went M.I.A. at some point. Her name is Fantasma and has powers that are supernatural in nature. She's discovered during some kind of super natural weather disturbance and falls out of the sky complete with this hot purple Victory's Secret neglige. Unfortunately, it turns out she's a Dire Wraith who supposedly escaped Immortus's realm in Limbo (remember him from Annihilators #4?) after a year there and returned to Earth somehow. Which means of course this hot chick who wears an out fit that would even make Vampirella and Satana blush is actually butt ugly in her true form.
As if that doesn't suck enough by it's self she also has this plan of hatching all these Wraith egg spores hidden somewhere in The Citadel. How the Russians never discovered these eggs all these years is not explained. Maybe the place was understaffed due to budget cuts or something I don't know go figure.
You see I told ya, butt ugly! Now of course you know a big show down is coming between the Winter Guard and Fantasma is coming but before that there is some preliminary battles including and "aerial rodeo show" Ursa Major has with some Deathwings. You can see that here: http://comicsvanguard.blogspot.com/2010/08/here-is-ursa-major.html But when the final show down does occur it involves a number of Wraith eggs that have hatched as well as the Winter Guard and another Russian super team called the Protectorate. During the fever pitch of the battle the new Darkstar is tongue spiked by one of the Wraiths in the back of her head and it comes out of her mouth! Now apparently the new Darkstar has the powers and "spirit" of the original through some sort of gem she wears. When the Wraith takes on Darkstar's form which is typical after they suck out someone's brains something unexpected happens. The Darkstar force apparently possesses the Wraith and in the process some how the original Darkstar is reanimated. Now I don't pretend to understand 100% how that happened but I'm sure the last couple of paragraphs of the Darkstar history section on her Marvel wiki page can do a better job of it: http://marvel.wikia.com/Laynia_Petrovna_%28Earth-616%29 The reborn Darkstar eradicates the Wraith hatchlings and rallies her comrades to defeat Fantasma by some how sending her back to Limbo. And in just like a Michael Bay film all our heroes make good their escape as the Citadel blows up into smitherenes. So that's it based on my reading of the first issue and what I could research about issue's 2 and 3 which hopefully I'll find some day in another back issue bin. Some of the stuff I've read on blogs about this series kinda criticized the writers for making Fantasma a Wraith and reviving what they considered an irrelevant 80's franchise. This ROM centric summery of the Darkstar Winter Guard mini- series is my way of saying fuck em!

August 26 Update: I just found Darkstar Winter Guard # 2 and 3 yesterday. It looks like my summery of the mini-series was pretty accurate as it turns out. But what's also worth mentioning is that there is also some discussion about the Dire Wraiths that are in Limbo trying to invade the realm of Immortus. This ties-in to Annihilators #4 in which the team brings Volx to Limbo and have a run in with Immortus who as it turns out has the dominion over the Wraiths there. It also turns out that Fantasma is an escaped Wraith from Limbo.

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.