#5610287 - 04/18/1203:55 PMRe: Rom Versus The Micronauts
[Re: PulpCultureComics]
Ken AldredKen Aldred
If you have a dream about out-posting me, you better wake up and apologize.
Registered: 10/18/08
Posts: 2934
I didn't read the later issues of Rom. I recently saw that many of them were inked by Craig Russell, pencilled by Steve Ditko. The finished art could've gone either way there, excellent if it was dominated more by Russell's style, or let down badly by Ditko's very stiff figurework.
Any thoughts about whether the title finished strongly or weakly, from an artistic POV?
#5610630 - 04/18/1205:56 PMRe: Rom Versus The Micronauts
[Re: Ken Aldred]
PulpCultureComicsPulpCultureComics
Up 20 words per minute since I signed up
Registered: 05/13/11
Posts: 1049
Loc: UK
Originally Posted By: Ken Aldred
I didn't read the later issues of Rom. I recently saw that many of them were inked by Craig Russell, pencilled by Steve Ditko. The finished art could've gone either way there, excellent if it was dominated more by Russell's style, or let down badly by Ditko's very stiff figurework.
Any thoughts about whether the title finished strongly or weakly, from an artistic POV?
It's been a while since I've read the Dikto penciled issues, but here's a few examples of the Russell / Dikto partnership...I think Dikto's style is the dominant force in this issue but it is softened somewhat by Russell's influence.
Rom #67
Edited by PulpCultureComics (04/18/1205:57 PM)
_________________________
"THE BRONZE AGE & BEYOND"
"Just in time! I couldn't have taken another panel of this unrequited love bull!"
#5611357 - 04/18/1210:14 PMRe: Rom Versus The Micronauts
[Re: PulpCultureComics]
blutobcblutobc
I was posting here when you were in diapers.
Registered: 07/27/03
Posts: 3156
Loc: Southeast
thanks for the pics of Ditko/Russel art. I was thinking earlier "who in their right mind says (hey, lets team up Steve Ditko and P. Craig Russel on a toy robot comic)".
And here was the possible answer. Mike Carlin - editor and Jim Shooter - ed in chief.
Rom looks very early Ditko-ish, which is not a bad thing for the book, but the people look more PCRish, as in elvish.
#5611567 - 04/18/1211:20 PMRe: Rom Versus The Micronauts
[Re: blutobc]
40sJohn40sJohn
The Post-man always rings twice. Uhm... ring ring?
Registered: 03/21/07
Posts: 1804
This is actually a great question and one that eliminates the presuppositions of a long lived character that we may have grown up reading. Meaning that we are down to evaluating a comic based purely on story and art.
I am going purely on memory here, which goes back to when the comics first hit the racks. My problem with Micronauts was that I couldn't past the fact that they were toys first. The art was incredible, but I couldn't get into the stories. Rom seemed to have good stories and a was a decent read. My vote was probably Rom at the time.
#5612479 - 04/19/1212:14 PMRe: Rom Versus The Micronauts
[Re: PulpCultureComics]
Ken AldredKen Aldred
If you have a dream about out-posting me, you better wake up and apologize.
Registered: 10/18/08
Posts: 2934
Thanks for the scans. I prefer the effect of the finished combination to Ditko's art alone from this period, but it's a shame that Craig Russell didn't get to fully illustrate these issues. Killraven, Rom, a great match for this type of material. Then, the book would've gone out on an artistic high note, at least on par with Michael Golden's work at the beginning of Micronauts.
#5612520 - 04/19/1212:28 PMRe: Rom Versus The Micronauts
[Re: blutobc]
Ken AldredKen Aldred
If you have a dream about out-posting me, you better wake up and apologize.
Registered: 10/18/08
Posts: 2934
Originally Posted By: blutobc
Rom looks very early Ditko-ish, which is not a bad thing for the book, but the people look more PCRish, as in elvish.
There are some typical Craig Russell effects evident in the backgrounds, particularly the last panel - jagged lightning bolts and glassy, crystalline surfaces.
Registered: 08/11/09
Posts: 22
Loc: Va Beach, Virginia
Loved em both.
As a kid I thought the Micronauts had a great buildup to the showdown with Baron Karza and Rann and a surprisingly great final battle between Acroyear and his brother. If anything the Karza thing came to a head too early as the issues after felt anticlimatic. Even when they brought him back a little later it wasn't the same. Maybe I'll have to give it a re-read to see how it holds up over time.
Rom had the twist of the hero "vaporizing" the bad guys (actually sending them to limbo but of course no one else could see that) so while he's actually saving innocents they see him as a murderer. Pretty cool since the other heroes had always been able to just capture their villains and leave them tied up on the courthouse steps by the end of the story.
I think I kept up with both into their twenties before dropping comics entirely for awhile.
Registered: 10/28/02
Posts: 21558
Loc: Jet Blue Flight 711
I got into Rom late, and ended up reading the first fifty something issues over a long weekend. Really really enjoyed it. Some great teamups along the way- X-Men, Shang Chi and Gladiator come to mind. I remember the shocking results when Rom and company convinced Galactus to consume the Dire Wraiths home planet. I never got into the Micronauts. I tried but it didn't work for me.
_________________________
The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of its master.
Comic rich but cash poor? I will lend you money with your CGC comics as collateral. PM for details. All transactions 100% confidential
Registered: 04/07/05
Posts: 17260
Loc: The Fashion Runway
Originally Posted By: PulpCultureComics
Originally Posted By: Jeffro
Originally Posted By: PulpCultureComics
Anyone could be a Dire Wraith as they'd infiltrated all levels of Earth society, waiting and planning to take over the planet when the time was right....Hmm "Secret Invasion" anyone?
The Dire Wraiths really kick into high gear with issue # 48. They go from a somewhat scary foe to an absolutely terrifying one.
I can see me digging out those issues and having a re-read.
Excellent stories in ROM. Although one issue can be completely ignored. I browsed through my notes of my collectorZ software and under plot of issue 67 I said...
Quote:
Rom checks out a boring planet where people wake up every thousand years and sing a song that has no words for a few hours. Then they go back to sleep.
