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Animation:
The Power of Iron Man
One
of the most (if not THE most) attractive aspects of Marvel
Comics, beginning with the inception of their superhero
revival in 1961 with the Fantastic Four, has been the vulnerability
of their characters.
In AND
out of their costumes, they had problems, both self-made
and
inflicted upon them. No stranger to that trend was Tony
Stark, a.k.a Iron Man. One of the best examples of this
billionaire philanthropist’s non-charmed life is collected
in a trade paperback originally published in 1984 called
The Power of Iron Man.
Written
by David Michilinie, Tony Stark is taken through his paces
by a mysterious assailant behind the scenes, as he faces
several different villains, as well as multiple manipulations
of his armor, once with fatal results. Add to this Stark’s
personal struggle with alcoholism, a subject not tackled
seriously in comics to that point, and you have one of Michilinie’s
greatest accomplishments in the comics industry.
If that
weren’t enough, readers are treated to the amazing
art combo of John Romita Jr.’s pencils and Bob Layton’s
art finishes and inks. Both now longstanding figures in
comics, their work was amazingly action-oriented, expressive
and detailed even 20+ years ago. In fact, even though I’ve
always been a fan of Romita, Jr., it’s my contention
that, while his work has improved in many aspects over the
years, it has lost a certain dynamic fluidity since his
early days drawing characters such as Iron Man and Spider-man.
In other words, you can see something in The Power of
Iron Man that you just can’t see anymore.
One
of the best things about this collection, however, is that
it hails from the days when creators didn’t feel compelled
to place superheroes in “real life” settings.
Imagine that; imaginary concepts in an imaginary world.
Who’da thunk it?
The
Power of Iron Man is recommended for all fans of superhero
action and adventure. Find it at
comics shops, and online retailers and auctions.
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