Rom Epic Collection 2: The Original Marvel Years

At last, the classic adventures of 80s sci-fi icon Rom the Spaceknight are collected in paperback format!

ROM faces a head-on collision with the super hero known as the Torpedo — but is he destined to be a bitter adversary or a staunch ally in the Spaceknight’s relentless quest to rid Earth of Dire Wraiths? When that same mission takes him to New York City, Rom faces Power Man and Iron Fist and has a strange encounter with the Fantastic Four. Then, when Rom heads home to Galador, he joins Nova in battle against Diamondhead and the Skrulls! Finally reaching his home planet, Rom finds treachery awaiting him and his fellow Spaceknights! That’s nothing, though, compared to the arrival of Galactus, intent on making Galador his next meal! And when Rom returns to Earth, he’s joined by his gleaming, golden compatriot: Starshine! But for how long?

COLLECTING: Rom (1979) 21-33, Rom Annual (1982) 1, Power Man and Iron Fist (1978) 73

Bill Mantlo began his Marvel career on Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, in which he introduced White Tiger, one of the industry’s earliest Hispanic super heroes. Eventually writing stories for almost every Marvel title, he did some of his most fondly remembered work on Incredible Hulk and Spectacular Spider-Man. He also launched Cloak and Dagger in a pair of miniseries and guided Alpha Flight through some of its most harrowing ordeals. Mantlo excelled at integrating licensed properties into the Marvel Universe, as demonstrated by Micronauts and Rom: Spaceknight, both of which he wrote from start to finish. At DC, he wrote the Invasion miniseries for one of the company’s biggest crossover events.

After a start as inker to his older brother John, Sal Buscema penciled Captain America, Defenders, Incredible Hulk and more. Famed for his ability to meet tight deadlines, he spread his talents across multiple genres. His 1970s work ranged from Ms. Marvel and Nova to Sub-Mariner and Spider-Woman’s first appearance in Marvel Spotlight. He was the uninterrupted artist on Spectacular Spider-Man for more than one hundred issues and penciled the web-slinger’s adventures in Marvel Team-Up, in which he and writer Bill Mantlo introduced Captain Jean DeWolff. After handling more team-ups in the Thing’s Marvel Two-in-One, he reunited with brother John on Steve Englehart’s Fantastic Four. He later provided inks for Tom DeFalco’s Spider-Girl titles and Thunderstrike miniseries.