Steve Ditko nearly derails the final years of Rom the Spaceknight

ROM #62

By this time the ROM series is drawing to a close but remains very strong story-wise. Writer Bill Mantlo never took his foot off the gas pedal even when it was obvious the title's days were numbered. Unfortunately, the work of past master Steve Ditko is not my favorite art ever on this title. Ditko's pencils are solid, but unspectacular, and get raised only a little above workmanlike by talented inkers like Akin and Garvey on this issue.

Unless I want to be branded as a comic book apostate, I should quickly mention that I have a lot of respect for Mr. Ditko (see this review of Shade the Changing Man). My understanding is Shooter felt the clear-cut unambiguous morals of a character like Rom were a good fit for Ditko's extreme form of ideological purity. Some people like his work on the latter issues of Rom. I'm not one of them. Even so, these are good comics.

The plot revolves around Rom trying to convince the mutant weapons-maker Forge to change his philosophy against building more neutralizers (in the wake of his estranged lover Storm losing her powers to one over in X-Men). The Dire Wraiths are making a last desperate bid to merge Earth with their twisted homeworld, and SHIELD wants humans armed with neutralizers for the final battle. This central conflict overshadows the obligatory end-of-issue fight which ultimately helps make Rom and the mutant inventor into allies.

My copy is a little beat up, but it is a good reader and (you guessed it) only cost me a buck! Not everything has to be a 9.8 CGC copy. Sometimes you just want to hold a comic in your hands and read it! Add on an incredible cover by Mike Zeck and you've got a winner. Concept-wise this cover would have worked for any number of titles: Rom, G.I. Joe, Punisher, Blade, and more.