Marvel; January 1979
Cover by Dave Cockrum and Al Milgrom
Title: “Homeworld!”
Synopsis: Arcturus Rann returns from a millennium of exploration to find the Microverse under siege by the evil Baron Karza.
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciler: Michael Golden
Inker: Josef Rubinstein
Review: As with his other toy-spawned epic, Rom, writer Bill Mantlo borrows heavily from popular sci-fi tropes for this debut issue of Micronauts. But instead of Rom’s ’50s B-movie paranoia, Micronauts mines a more contemporary brand of sci-fi. Royalty and rebellions and black-masked tyrants with genetically engineered foot soldiers? Yes, the (Enigma) Force is strong with this one. The derivative elements aren’t the only problem: The premise requires a huge amount of setup – more than can be wedged into this single issue. But there’s certainly potential here, and a saving grace: gorgeous art from Michael Golden!
Grade: A-
Cool factor: Michael Golden interior art. Wish he had done more, because it was always so dang pretty.
Not-so-cool factor: Commander Rann returns home after 1,000 years in suspended animation and experiences very little culture shock? Really?
Notable: First comic book appearance of the Micronauts. … Based on a 1970s toy line from Mego. … This issue also includes a “Meet: The Micronauts” page with brief character bios. … According to Mantlo: A Life in Comics, writer Bill Mantlo pitched Marvel with a proposal for a Micronauts series after his son, Adam, received a few of the action figures for Christmas in 1977.
Creator quoatable: “Jim (Shooter) and Stan (Lee) were appalled! What did you do? We can’t understand this!” – Writer Bill Mantlo, on his early efforts on Micronauts (From Mantlo: A Life in Comics, 2007)
Character quotable: “An eternity spent in subservience to Karza and his perverted science? That is not what I call living, Argon!” – Princess Mari, soon to be on the run as Marionette
Copyright ©2016 Off the Wahl Productions, all rights reserved. Each week, T. Andrew Wahl takes a look at a Bronze Age Fantastic First. For more reviews like this one, check out Wahl’s website, SequentialReaction.com.