Review: First Strike – Micronauts One-Shot

This one-shot serves to bridge The Micronauts and ROM together, as IDW has already announced they will share a title following the events of First Strike. This issue features the Micronauts as they pursue and are amazingly outclasses by the villainous Dire Wraiths.

ROM arrives later on, doing what he always does, questioning and has a general mistrust for anything and everything. It’s a real endearing trait. He must have lots of friends.

The issue felt a fast read, and felt like nothing major took place, except for the plot point for the Micronauts to seek out ROM. If you have not read the Wrath of Karza miniseries, then there will be some holes you’ll need filled in.

It’s almost cliche at this point. In practically every story arc, ROM doesn’t trust anyone, yet after convoluted confusion and a senseless battle, he realizes “oh, maybe you aren’t the bad guys.” We get it. ROM is a Space Knight and thus has been trained to be ruthless, untrusting, and most importantly, effiecient at his job. Killing Dire Wraiths. So anything which impedes this mission is ignored and dismissed, yet many of these distracting details would help ROM in the long run.

The Micronauts realize they are out of their element, and this makes their plight sympathetic. In their own series, they scatter from those who wish to dissect and study their power. They run, they hide. They are small, and intimidated by the number of larger creatures around them. You almost feel bad, until you realize their power makes He-Man look like Prince Adam.

Artwork gets a solid A. I enjoy the bright colors and fluid artwork. I don’t enjoy repetitive and “brick to the skull” writing where the reader isn’t allowed to imagine possible outcomes when ROM narrates every single possibility in robotic fashion. The hate for Dire Wraiths seems to come to the sacrifice of personality. Yet, it is explained many times, ROM is not a robot. More of this is seen in the currently running ROM vs. Transformers Shining Knight miniseries. 

Not a bad read, but doesn’t add into the main arc, and I imagine with the chaotic shipping schedule, might not make sense until later on.

This gets a 7 out of 10, for good art, and believable storytelling.

Now, where are the Visionaries already?!!?

First Strike – Micronauts One-Shot is available at comic book retailers everywhere.