ROM is Back!
The Space Knight returns, Diamond won’t go away, and comics remember how to surprise us—by Stephen Schleicher
ROM the Space Knight is back… again! And Skybound executed the surprise introduction to the Energon Universe in the best way possible.
ROM
This week, M.A.S.K. #1 debuted as part of the Skybound Energon Universe, and once again the company issued a number of blind bags for collectors to try and nab coveted rarities. What no one expected was to open the blind bag and discover that a ROM one-shot had sneaked into the set.
I’ve long said that the current variant cover craze has reached its ultimate form in blind bags. Skybound appears to be committed to the bit, and Marvel has dabbled with the concept, but this week no publisher should be sitting back waiting for the next big thing, because Robert Kirkman and company have set the tone for the future.
Aside from those on the inside, no one knew ROM was about to debut, which makes this reveal all the more exciting. When Kirkman wrapped The Walking Dead years ago by simply releasing the last issue without fanfare, he claimed it was to make going to comic books more exciting. He did it again with Void Rivals with the surprise appearance of the Transformers, which then officially kicked off the Energon Universe. The Battle Beast Blind Bag rush was fantastic, as it supports the comic shop instead of penalizing them for not ordering 1,000 issues just to get one variant cover, and now ROM.
Nothing is more exciting to me than an unexpected comic drop! Getting to a store and finding out a brand-new book exists is just the coolest thing. The only thing that could make it better... is if it was ROM!” exclaimed Robert Kirkman. “ROM is such an iconic character with a rich history spanning decades. He’s been a constant request for the Energon Universe. Getting to develop him for the Energon Universe alongside my pal Lorenzo De Felici was an absolute blast and I can’t wait for fans to see our long-range plans for the character! ROM! WOO!!
This kind of stunt is what makes comics thrilling again, because you never know what to expect next.
Now, there is no word on if or when we are getting a complete ROM series, as this blind bag reveal is a one-shot, but since demand for ROM to be part of the Energon Universe has been high, I expect we’ll have a big announcement at the San Diego Comic-Con.
PAIZO PROBLEMS
Tabletop games have had some real highs and some deeply disappointing lows over the last couple of years, and the latest low has hit Paizo, the publisher of Pathfinder and Starfinder. The company claims a $2 million loss in 2025, due in part to… wait for it… Diamond Comic Distributors.
Yes, the bankruptcy that will never end. At one point, Diamond refused to return merchandise to publishers, prompting many companies to sue Diamond—essentially alleging that it was holding their inventory hostage. For Paizo, that amounted to $10 million in inventory.
While this is nowhere close to last week’s Bricks and Minifigs debacle, it once again forces us to think about the evils of private equity, venture capital, and now consignment sales.
That $2 million loss is nothing to sneeze at, given that Zippia reports the company reached peak revenue of $12 million in 2024. Some back-of-the-envelope math suggests overall Paizo revenue was lower, even before accounting for Diamond.
BARBARIC: THE BOARD GAME
Even with the Paizo news, companies continue to explore new IP for tabletop board games. Vala Foundry and Vault Comics announced this week that Barbaric is getting a board game adaptation of the comic book series.
Barbaric now has a comic series, a board game, and a Netflix adaptation in development.
Will next year be the year of Barbaric?
Maybe.
As my youngest son returns from Greece this weekend, I can’t help thinking about Icarus.
Specifically, the part where the wings melted.
IDW Entertainment once looked unstoppable when it had Wynonna Earp on television, TMNT and Ghostbusters as part of IDW Games, and things looked bright…right up until those wings came off.
I hope Vault Comics and others were paying attention so they don’t make the same mistake again.
A NEW AVENGERS #1…AGAIN
Avengers: Armageddon, a five-issue limited series, kicks off next week, but even before we know what is going to happen, Marvel has let the cat out of the bag about the next big thing.
A new five-issue Avengers series from Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto.
Look, I understand the logic.
Finding the book that hooks someone for life is hard.
You gotta test the waters to see what works and what doesn’t.
But after twenty years covering comics, I’m finding myself increasingly exhausted by the endless cycle of:
new #1s
mini-series
relaunches
event books
announcements for the thing after the thing before the current thing is even finished
At some point, a new reader stops asking “Where do I start?” and starts asking “Which #1 are we talking about?”
The confusion around the various Scarlet Witch mini-series and the recent online reaction to Dan Slott asking readers to support his five-issue Spider-Man run in hopes that it could become an ongoing series suggest the current model may not be serving anyone particularly well.
If Marvel is committed to producing endless five-issue stories, maybe it’s time to consider skipping directly to collected editions.
Tell the complete story.
Release the next one four months later.
Repeat.
Manga figured out that consistency builds habits.
The North American comics industry is still trying to figure out whether it wants habits or spikes.
WHERE THIS LEAVES US
At the end of the week, I’m left with two competing thoughts.
The industry still knows how to surprise us.
The ROM reveal proved that.
The question is whether publishers remember that surprise, discovery, and excitement are the things that made people fall in love with comics in the first place.
Because if comics can still make readers walk into a store and say:
“Wait… ROM is back?”
Then maybe there’s hope yet.
Cheers,
Stephen Schleicher