It's been said many times - although I can't think of a single example at this moment - that Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter issued an early eighties edict that anyone should be able to pick up any issue of a Marvel comic book and grasp the basics of who's who and what's what.
It makes a great deal of sense, both commercially and creatively, but it did tend to lead to some rather cumbersome dialogue as characters crudely reintroduced themselves to each other (and the readers) issue-after-issue. The above panel (from ROM 58, September 1984) caught my eye as a particularly clumsy example - and made me laugh - so I thought I'd share it here. Well done Starshine (and writer Bill Mantlo) for shoehorning that one in!
I picked up the issue, along with a number of other Rom back numbers, for 50p at the weekend. The dealer I bought it from seemed surprised anyone would ever want his Rom's, even from the bargain bins. Each to their own but with no reprints or collected editions (Rom's toy origins, and oddles of Marvel characters - like Ant Man seen here, will likely leave it languishing in licensing hell forever) these are actually a pretty good find.
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