ROM from IDW Review

ROM

plot and script- Christos Gage & Chris Ryall

art and colors- David Messina

“Far, far away, in another galaxy, the knights of the Solstar Order, defenders of justice and truth, have been ambushed by the evil magicians, the Dire Wraiths. The Solstar Order has prevailed and is now seeking out their scattered enemies.

One of the knights has followed the trail of the Dire Wraiths all the way to Earth. This one, the Dire Wraiths fear more than all others. This one has hounded them and kept them underground for centuries. This one alone could wipe them off the face of creation. He is ROM, Lord of the Solstar Order. ROM, the Wraithslayer.”

Previously...

In 1979, three men sold the design for their new toy figure to Parker Brothers, hoping it would be the next big thing in the world of action heroes. Originally called COBOL, Parker Bros. executives renamed the toy ROM and by December of that year, it had appeared on the cover of Time Magazine and gotten its own Marvel comic book. ROM proved not to be the hit toy Parker Brothers wanted it to be. In the end, ROM sold only about 200,000 units in the US and Parker Brothers decided to abandon it. One of the creators, Bing McCoy, blamed packaging and poor marketing. But whatever caused the toy's lack of popularity, there was no denying that ROM's appearance on the cover of Time Magazine wasn't very helpful. The article was entitled “Those Beeping, Thinking Toys,” and it pointed out ROM's stiff articulation and predicted that it would “end up among the dust balls under the playroom sofa.”

Despite the ROM toy tanking, one thing was certain... ROM had made a splash in the pages of the Marvel Universe. The book, ROM Spaceknight, ran from December 1979 to February 1986. It quickly became a fan favorite, giving ROM connections to characters like the Fantastic Four, Thor, Power Man and Iron Fist, and the Incredible Hulk. ROM even had encounters with Wolverine and the X-Men from time to time. It's the legacy of the comic book that has kept the property alive this long.

The Marvel comic was written by Marvel giant, Bill Mantlo and drawn by illustrator, Sal Buscema. The general plot was that ROM came from the planet Galador in pursuit of the Dire Wraiths, a shape-changing alien race bent on world-domination. ROM belonged to the order of Space Knights, specifically recruited for this threat. The series put him in touch with characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men and pit him against the Mad-Thinker and Galactus. And the Dire Wraiths showed up in multiple Marvel comics without ROM, including the X-Men. This not only cemented ROM's place in the Marvel Universe, but allowed the character to help build the universe they all existed in. It also made it possible for ROM to appearing his own series, a handful of cross-over events, several Annuals, and a pile of mini-series.

And now...

ROM #1 by Chris Ryall, Christos Gage, and Dave Messina streaks across our comic book shelves and back into the lives of kids and adults around the world. With great thanks to longtime ROM fan, Chis Ryall, IDW now has the reigns of the gallant Spaceknight. Once again, ROM is on Earth to defeat the evil Dire Wraiths, only this time... they've already invaded. No one can be trusted. The Dire Wraiths has taken position in local law enforcement and almost every other facet of society, and it's up to ROM alone to stop them.

This book is beautiful. I'm a fan of the original Marvel series, but even I'll admit that it now reads like a Hasbro toy advertisement. Still, the IDW reincarnation brings new life and new excitement to the 37 year old action figure. Ryall takes great care with creating the world around the character. He puts detail into everything down to the locations he uses and promises that the detail he puts into character backgrounds will have us relating to and fully believing in ROM and the supporting cast. ROM lands on Earth in the first issue and quickly destroys a group of Wraiths posing as US soldiers. This puts ROM on the law's naughty list, even though he's trying to keep the Earth from being fully taken over. Times have changed in comics writing style, and Ryall shows that it's only for the best. No disrespect to Bill Mantlo (a legendary genius), but I can already see that this time around, ROM is truly going beyond the stars.

As for the art, Messina handles everything with grace. His version of ROM is nearly identical to the Buscema version from Marvel. And his Dire Wraiths, though they are totally different from what they used to be, are a fine upgrade into the modern age of comics.

Here's something for Mantlo fans and fans of Parker Bros/Hasbro action figures from the 80s... IDW now has the licensing to not only GI Joe and the Transformers, but to M.A.S.K., Visionaries, and the Micronauts. There is a massive cross-over on the horizon, so keep a look out.

ROM #1 and #2 are at Blaqk Door in Fort Bragg, right now. IDW has done the universe a favor by bringing ROM back, and you'll be doing yourself a favor if you pick up this book.

Betrayal at House on The Hill Review

Betrayal At House On The Hill

by Bruce Glassco and Avalon Hill Games

for 3 to 6 players

game time approximately 1 hour

The Setting:

Welcome to an old abandoned mansion on the hill. Evidence of unspeakable horrors litter the decrepit rooms, and active spirits populate the dusty halls. You and your friends are here to investigate those spooky corridors and uncover whatever secrets the house holds. But be careful. Besides ghosts, ghouls, and other nightmare creatures, someone among you is a betrayer. A member of your group has lead you to the house for their own sinister agenda. Who is it and what evil deeds are they hiding?

The Setup:

At the beginning of the game, players will chose a Character Pentagon that will layout who their character is and what they're capable of. Each character has a set of stats: Might, Speed, Sanity, and Knowledge. Those stats are used when moving, fighting, and resisting mental strain. Sliders on the side of the pentagon indicate the level of each stat at any specific moment. Also in this game, there are three decks of cards- Omens, Events, and Items.  Omen cards are usually something supernatural and can possibly bring on the “Haunt” of the game. Events are things that happen and usually need the player to make a roll with a bonus to their stats as a result. And the Items cards can be tools or weapons the players might find to help them in their investigation or general survival once the “Haunt” happens. The house itself is mapped out by a series of tiles laid down as the players discover them. On the back of the tiles, the words Basement, Ground Floor, or Upper Floor tell players where to connect each tile as the rooms are discovered and the map grows.

The Haunt:

For the majority of the game, the players are merely exploring the haunted house. They may discover strange artifacts such as a porcelain mask or a sacrificial dagger, or they may bump into a crazed madman who has been locked away in the home for decades, waiting for his moment to escape. Also, players might stumble into a paranormal scene where two ghosts replay the bloody events that thrust them to their deaths. But as players draw Omen cards and roll against the Haunt Meter, the chance of something actually horrible happening becomes more and more imminent.

Once the player fails a Haunt roll, everything in the game turns upside down. Results on the Haunt chart in one of the manuals will direct players as to who the betrayer is and what the Haunt entails. Perhaps the betrayer needs souls to open a portal to the deepest depth of Hell, or maybe they are being manipulated to feed their friends to an evil demon. Once the Haunt kicks in, the betrayer will leave the room and read a section in a manual written specifically for the bad guy. That section will give the player everything they need to be a great evil villain. During that time the rest of the players will read a section from their own manual. This tells them all they need to know to win the game. All heck breaks loose and anything is possible.

Winning The Game:

Betrayal At House on The Hill can be considered a cooperative game, but when the Haunt happens it could end up that it's every player for themselves. Winning the game can go one of two ways. If you're the betrayer, completing your goal (whatever it may be) is the only way to win. For the rest of the group, it may be something like escaping the house before it crumbles apart, or killing the betrayer before they destroy everybody else. Either outcome, it's an amazing game that combines miniature figures, cards, dice, and a whole lot of fun and imagination.

Re-play Value:

The replay value of this game is better than most games out there. The layout of the house is never the same, which means the possibilities of encounters are extremely vast. Also, there are 50 different Haunts possible and each of those can vary depending on who is involved and what weapons and companions they might have with them.

You can buy Betrayal At House on The Hill at Blaqk Door or at most specialty game stores around the country. And if they don't have it in stock, ask them to rush an order just for you. We give this game thumbs up all across the board.

Update:

This fall, Avalon Hill Games is releasing it's first expansion to Betrayal at House on The Hill. Look for Widow's Walk coming to retailers soon.

“Just played Betrayal At House on The Hill for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it! I love all the different outcomes that are possible. It was really easy to learn and follow. I can't wait to buy it for my own collection. Very pleased and glad to have played it with friends.” - Tarah from Fort Bragg, Ca.

“The variety in Betrayal at House on The Hill is what makes it a genuinely fun game, and every time you play it is a new unique experience.” - Vance from Modesto, Ca.

“I love this game! I love everything about it! It's different every time you play. It's almost like Clue. I want to play this game 24/7!!!” - Rhi “Child Nightmare” Mendocino High School student, Mendocino, Ca.

“First time playing, and I'm impressed! I love the unknown element of the game. It's a really great experience for a large group of players. If you like the group dynamic and strategy games, then you'll really enjoy this game! Betrayal at House on The Hill is a game I'll certainly be buying now!” - Caedyn from Fort Bragg, Ca.