Rom and the Micronauts #1 review: Wrath of Baron Karza
By Alex Widen
Rom and the Micronauts meet again! Yet can they withstand an alliance between Baron Karza and the Dire Wraiths?
Rom and the Micronauts #1
Writer: Christos Gage
Artist: Paolo Villanelli
Colorist: Alessandra Alexakis
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While it seemed like Rom’s ongoing series ended in November, his battle rages on. IDW Publishing has decided to combine some of their Hasbro Universe titles together. This is due in part to better explore and expand upon the shared universe IDW is forging with them. In addition, it’s also due to sales realities for some of the titles. Following on the heels of their First Strike one-shot, Rom is once again uniting with the pint-sized warriors from another dimension, the Micronauts!
Image by IDW Publishing
Yet the issue starts out not with Space Knights or tiny soldiers, but with Baron Karza. The warlord from the Microverse is once again seeking conquest. To this end, Karza has reached out to D’rge, high ranking Dire Wraith sorcerer. While D’rge is wary of an alliance considering Karza betrayed the Wraiths during last year’s Revolutions crossover, they do have matching goals. Rather than deny it, Baron Karza revels in his scheming nature. He merely indicates that at the moment, their plans intersect!
Image by IDW Publishing
Alliances Abound!
While D’rge wants to completely conquer Earth for the Dire Wraiths and summon their god, Baron Karza wants to gain enough power to dominate the Microverse. D’rge is hesitant, least of all because Karza utilizes technology, which is considered blasphemy to the Wraiths ever since their attempt to possess Transformers backfired centuries prior. Yet when D’rge’s ally, the Absence, an avatar of their god, agrees to their alliance, the trap is set! The trio plot the demise of all of their foes!
Image by IDW Publishing
The Micronauts eventually track down Baron Karza’s last location, and vow to track the tyrant down. For the warrior Acroyear, it’s revenge for his suffering as Karza’s prisoner in the past. For Larissa, who is Karza’s daughter, it’s unfinished business. Space-Glider advises against reckless pursuits, while the robots Biotron and Microtron seem like they live for the team. Upon realizing Karza has teamed up with the Dire Wraiths again, it is the latter who suggests contacting Rom.
Image by IDW Publishing
The titular Space Knight, ever since the finale of his ongoing series, has kept busy. Not only is Rom destroying a Wraith cell in Utah, he’s reunited with his two human allies! Darby Mason is utilizing a gauntlet left behind from a deceased Knight — who may be Rom’s pal Fy-Laa — while Camilla Byers capitalizes on the after effects of a Dire Wraith possession. Both of them united around their alliance with Rom and their involvement in the Wraith war, and have become Rom’s partners!
Image by IDW Publishing
A Showdown near Sin City!
Although this may be the second time Rom has encountered the Micronauts, it’s a new experience for his allies. While Camilla initially distrusts them, Darby considers them to be cute action-figures. Yet their news comes with dark tidings. A new alliance between the Wraiths and Baron Karza is bad news for everyone. Rom immediately agrees to team with the Micronauts to investigate, and brings both of his human allies with him. Little do any of them know that it’s a trap!
Image by IDW Publishing
It may look like a new Dire Wraith enclave in Nevada, yet it’s all for show. In reality, the entire affair is a set up to lure Rom to that location. While D’rge and the Absence take on the Micronauts, Baron Karza focuses on the Space Knight. Although a six inch tall warlord would seem like a pushover, appearances are deceiving! Via a process called “enterchange,” the Baron can absorb the power and size from another being. As a result, Rom starts growing both weaker and smaller!
Image by IDW Publishing
Rom’s fellow Space Knights Livia and Orphion arrive too late to save their comrade. It seems like Rom has met his fate, declaring his love for Livia as he vanishes away to nothing. The often stoic Livia then proceeds to lose her cool and declare bloody revenge against Baron Karza. Yet in a full sized body, the Baron is more than a match for both of the Space Knights! The Micronauts, meanwhile, fail to do more than distract D’rge as the villains flee the scene in victory.
Image by IDW Publishing
Reunite with Some Old Friends!
Yet all is not as it seems! Least of all because Rom is the titular character! While Livia and Orphion vow to avenge their stalwart friend, the Micronauts know better. Rom hasn’t been killed, he’s been transported to their home dimension, the Microverse. Accessible only via the energies of shrinking into sub-atomic space, it’s a realm with its own dangers. The venerable Space Knight finds himself out of his element, and only Larissa and the rest of the Micronauts can rescue him!
Image by IDW Publishing
Christos Gage, longtime co-writer of Rom, scripts his first issue of the franchise solo. While Gage has spent a chunk of his comic career co-writing with others (especially Dan Slott), he’s also best known for his work on Netflix’s Daredevil. His other solo comic runs include Avengers Academy and Absolution, his creator owned property at Avatar Press. He picks up the ball from Rom seamlessly, progressing some of the series’ leftover subplots into this new story.
Image by IDW Publishing
Chief among them are the fates of Darby Mason and Camilla Byers. The ex-soldier and cop found themselves embroiled in Rom’s war, and undergoing their own transformations. While for Darby it was willing, as she was eager to take the fight to the Dire Wraiths, for Camilla it was a matter of survival. The pair were the first humans that Rom interacted with for long, and it was their courage and determination which helped convince him that Earth was unique, and must be spared.
Image by IDW Publishing
A Most Villainous Introduction!
Furthermore, the romantic subplot between Rom and Livia continues in a tragic turn. Having been “close friends” on planet Elonia, the pair became lovers when they joined the Solstar Order. Yet their transformation into Space Knights altered that relationship, with Livia becoming cold and zealous for combat. At the end of Rom, Livia had a near-death experience. This time, it is Rom who gets to make a tear-jerking farewell, and Livia’s continued feelings for him become obvious.
Image by IDW Publishing
Yet if anything, the only downside to this arrangement from my perspective is sharing space with the Micronauts. As a fan of Rom, I am more interested in his affairs than the half-pint warriors. Gage has long had experience with team comics, and knows how to quickly introduce the cast to the reader in the opening pages. It’s become something of a lost art for comic book writers to do that via functional dialogue, instead of lazy introduction boxes. Despite that, the Micronauts are a tad dull.
Image by IDW Publishing
In fact their only saving grace is having a cool villain. Having emerged from a licensed toy franchise which emerged in the shadow of Star Wars, the influence is obvious. Others have compared Baron Karza to Darth Vader in places such as Wizard magazine, and it remains true. Yet this isn’t altogether a bad thing, as the Baron certainly has a dangerous design and a presence all his own. D’rge, one of the main villains from Rom, almost seems like a henchman in comparison!
Image by IDW Publishing
There Is Nothing Small about This Art!
After a long absence (pun intended) from the franchise, Paolo Villanelli returns as the main artist for a Rom book. His take on the Space Knights, Dire Wraiths, and the ladies is as masterful as ever. Yet it’s obvious that his Baron Karza all but steals the issue. Villanelli goes for broke on the villain, showcasing his awesome power and shape-changing abilities. Mixed in with Alessandra Alexakis’ reliable color work, and the battles involving Baron Karza are easy visual highlights for this comic.
Image by IDW Publishing
Next: See how Rom's ongoing series ended in issue #14!
The merger of Rom and the Micronauts may be a bit of editorial necessity, but it may reap some interesting fruit. Through the eyes of an outsider like Rom, Gage will have an opportunity to showcase more of the Microverse. And with the Micronauts now on equal footing, it may give Gage a chance to make them more dynamic characters. For the moment they’re up against Rom’s already memorable supporting cast, and carving a path of their own may be a more difficult foe than Karza.