With years spent reading single issues here and there, juggling storylines of dozens of titles, I decided it was time to find a better way to read comics. So, it was off to the back issue bins armed with the longest want list you’ve ever seen! Putting together series after series and reading them in their complete goodness, I was reborn as the Retro-Reader!
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Number of Issues: 8
First Issue: November 1994 ($2.95)
Last Issue: June 1995 ($1.50)
Writer: Eric Fein
Artist: Anthony Williams
Published in 1994 by Marvel Comics, this title only lasted eight issues and adapted the 1990s Iron Man cartoon. Eric Fein scripted the series pitting Iron Man (and his pals, Force Works – War Machine, Hawkeye, U.S. Agent, Scarlet Witch, Century, Spider-Woman) against the Mandarin and his minions (MODOK, Fin Fang Foom, Blizzard, Whiplash, Whirlwind, Grey Gargoyle and a new character named Hypnotia). Anthony Williams provided the very capable 90s-style artwork.
I found it interesting that the series maintained a sense of continuity within itself. It wasn’t a one-in-done type of series where the characters forgot everything that happened previously. The latter half of the series delved into the origins of Iron Man and the Mandarin. Curiously enough, Tony Stark suffered a back injury (not heart trouble) and, while captured in Vietnam, he created the Iron Man suit as a means of escape (not to heal his health conditions).
The Good: The first issue came polybagged with an animation cel from the cartoon that this is based on and the artwork was on par with the real Iron Man comics of the time (although, it’s inferior to the level of art that creators are capable of today).
The Bad: Unfortunately, with so many characters there’s very little room to develop character beyond Iron Man and the Mandarin, which is a shame because I like some of those other guys and gals …. But, what can I expect from an eight issue series, right?
The Verdict: In the end, I find this series a bit redundant. After all, this comic book series is an adaptation of a cartoon series that adapts a comic book. I’m kind of left wondering why Marvel didn’t suspect that fans of the cartoon would just go and buy the Iron Man and Force Works series that existed at the time, instead of these rehashes of the cartoon. Which, it seems, is exactly what happened since this series couldn’t even last a year. Skip this and go read some in-continuity Iron Man.
On Ebay: Iron Man | Marvel Action Hour