I can't decide if Romp is funny, uplifting or just disturbing. Probably a mix of all three, with a little bit of "disappointing" thrown in for good measure. You see, I've long been a fan of Pollina's artwork, but he's never really been on a project where I thought the writing did him justice, and his choice of projects seems to be getting worse rather than better. Romp had the potential to be hilariously funny and off-beat, and certainly Pollina presents an unusual sort of hero here, but I can't escape the feeling that this is sort of a novelty art project rather than a story, and the ads to "see Romp in action" in a music video don't help in that regard either. Romp reads very much like an animated short in comic-book form, and it's interesting enough on that level, but Pollina's art is so good that I'd really rather see him engaging in deeper storytelling.
One thing you can say for Romp: You're not likely to find this sort of thing anywhere else. An armless kid overcoming his own shy personality to become a street-fighting super-hero, driven by Chi Chi Gigante, a midget playing the "Mickey" role from Rocky with gusto. Pollina's story may follow the fairly typical formula of a hero overcoming great odds and his own self-doubt to defeat a powerful villain, but the trappings of the story make it fairly unique.
Unfortunately, those trappings really amount to window dressing, especially when a lot of the really funny, off-the-wall descriptions of the characters show up in the back cover copy but not really in the story itself. There's something kind of uplifting about Romp overcoming his self-doubt and physical disabilities to take down a bully, but there's also something pretty predictable and the whole story just feels a bit light and empty-headed.
Where Romp really stands out is in the artwork and design sense. Pollina's designs for Romp, Chi Chi and Lulu Lewbrowski are evocative, unusual designs. My particular favorite is Chi Chi, whose gruff attitude and slightly delusional outlook come through loud and clear in his expressions, but all three are great designs. In addition, the artwork really seems to move, you get the sense of the impending battle as Chi Chi and Romp close in on Lulu and the brutality of the fight just shines through as well. Credit here should also go to Tyson McAdoo, who uses an unusual palette to spotlight the characters when they're introduced and to give the whole thing a weird, unreal feeling. As a showcase for Pollina's artwork, Romp is a triumph.
I just wish that I could say the same of the book as a story. The tale is played a little too straight to be as hilariously funny as it could be, even though there are some funny moments, largely coming out of design aspects like the "Oooh Baby" brass knuckles that Lulu wears. However, there are too many bizarre elements for it to be read just as a straight hero overcoming obstacles tale as well. Instead it reads like an artistic experiment, a bit of a lark that exists largely to show off the graphic design talents of all involved. Which is fine, but it doesn't make for the best comic book read, when there are so many others out there that have both great art and a great story.
