Guest Post: Convention Stories

Doug: A few weeks ago William was relating a story about an encounter he had with Will Eisner. As it seemed like he'd picqued the curiosity of many a BABer, I emailed him and asked if he'd be interested in sharing more. We're really excited today to be able to present "the rest of the story", as they say. Thanks, William!

William: Back in 1993 I had the very good fortune to attend a "Comics and Sequential Arts Workshop" taught by the great Will Eisner. It was an eight week night class that was offered at a local community college in my home town of Davie, Florida (located just west of Fort Lauderdale). The class even got a write up in the local paper. 

 

My old friend from art school, Tony Diterlizzi, attended the class with me. He went on to become a pretty well known artist in the industry, writing and illustrating many children's books and co-creating "The Spider Wick Chronicles". But I digress.

In each class Will would give a demonstration of a certain art and/or storytelling technique and then give us a homework assignment based on that weeks lesson. Then the next week Will would critique the work of each student and then he'd give us another demo and another assignment and so on. It was a lot of fun, and I thought Will was a really great teacher, and a really nice and guy.

He usually did just rough pencil sketches for his demonstrations (sometimes no more than stick figure drawings), and afterward he'd give the pages to whoever wanted them. Well, one night he did an inking demonstration that included much more detailed drawings of figures and such (all fully inked). After he was done I half-jokingly blurted out "I'd like to have that one." Everyone laughed, and then Will said "Sure, no problem." Then he signed it "Will Eisner, Done By Hand" and gave it to me. I almost fell over, and the rest of my classmates were fairly green with envy (to say the least). The next day I showed the piece to my friend who owned a comic-book store, (and was an avid comic art collector as well). He was pretty blown away and said, "Wow man, you just paid for that class and then some." Because Will Eisner did not sell his original art, so it was very hard to come by.

During this same time there was a comic convention in Fort Lauderdale that featured John Romita Sr. and John Romita Jr. as guests that year. So, my friend Tony Diterlizzi, my wife, and myself decided to go check it out. Shortly after we arrived who should walk through the front door but Will Eisner himself. We see him, and he sees us, and he comes over and we all start talking. Well, it isn't long before we are surrounded by other convention goers who recognize Will and stop by to pay their respects. My wife looks at me like "what is going on?" Even though I'd told her that Will Eisner was like the godfather of comic art she did not realize what a legend he was to most comic-book geeks (like myself).

Unfortunately the big crowd around us soon attracted the attention of the convention organizers and they swooped in and, even though he wasn't a scheduled guest, they begged Will to join the other creators up at the tables. He agreed (sort of reluctantly) and before he left us he said "You know, I would have much rather just stayed down here and hung out with you guys all day." (My wife thought that was very sweet and still mentions it to this day).

Later on we got in line to meet the Romitas -- Sr. and Jr.. and I had them sign a couple of comics I'd brought along (including my copies of Amazing Spider-Man #s 39 and 40 for Sr. to sign). John Sr. was also doing free sketches of either a masked Spider-Man head or the half Peter Parker/half Spidey face. I chose the fully masked Spidey. (I think my friend Tony got the other). I remember John Jr. turning to his dad and telling him he was nuts for doing all that work for nothing, and John Sr. was like "Ahh, I don't mind." John Jr. was also flirting with my wife big time. He was saying things like "You don't see many women who look like you at these things." and "What are you doing with these guys?" and so on. And she was eating it up because he's not a bad looking guy at all. It was all in good fun, and instead of being put out I was like "Cool, John Romita Jr.'s hitting on my wife." LOL

I think that probably remains the best (or at least most memorable) comic book convention I ever attended. Although shortly after that I went to another one where I got to meet Stan Lee. But that's a story for another day.

True or False: Bad Art Ruins Good Writing

Doug: ...and its antithetical question, also True or False: Bad Writing Ruins Good Art. Have at 'em!

Exhibit A is for the art -- I'm not saying the dialogue is akin to Shakespeare

I'm not saying this art is good, but hey -- the writing is by Bendis...

Medieval Times: Iron Man 150

Iron Man #150 (September 1981)
"Knightmare"
David Michelinie/Bob Layton-John Romita, Jr./Layton

Doug:  So what do you get when you drop two of the 20th century's weapons geniuses into the heart of the Middle Ages?  You get a double-sized, double-barreled book full of great art, snappy dialogue and all-around great late-Bronze Age awesomeness, that's what!  Let us tarry no longer!

Doug:  We begin this tale in the time stream, and I'll say right off that I don't know that I've ever seen time travel drawn in a more scary fashion than what JR JR and Bob Layton give us on the splash page.  We could probably have an entire discussion today on what we and our readers think such a "place" would look like; I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have chosen the old DC Comics version that shows concentric circles each labeled as a decade.  Duh...  But this version might even give ol' Immortus pause!  I said last week that I was impressed at how physical this version of Dr. Doom was.  If you'll recall, I commented about a panel that showed Vic leaping over the rail of a balcony to land on the floor before.  Here he and Iron Man are unceremoniously dumped from limbo onto the turf of 6th Century Briton (although given that the Arthurian legend grew out of 12th Century French literature, the art team seems to have chosen the later period for the costuming).  And just as they're about to square off again, Shellhead notes the castle in the background; obviously they "aren't in Kansas anymore"!

Karen: I'm sure depicting time travel is no easy task, but this looked more like some scary dimension Doc Strange would go to -I see tentacles, and little orbs with teeth! Talk about freaky! Doug, I would agree with you about Dr. Doom here: not only is he very physical, he also appears to be bigger than Iron Man. In some scenes, he seems to loom over him. 

Doug:  It immediately sets in with Iron Man that however they got to wherever they are, it doesn't look positive for getting back to 1981.  Doom scoffs, basically telling him they'll worry about it later -- he has other concerns at the moment.  Their contentiousness is interrupted, though, by a welcome wagon of fully-armored knights.  Iron Man adapts to the situation quickly, bowing in deference.  Doom, naturally, isn't bowing to anyone.  And when a knight decides he's going to make Doom kneel... you know it's game on!  Doom grabs a knight's lance, and darn near electrocutes the poor unsuspecting fella.  Iron Man gains separation with a repulsor blast, and sidles over to Doom and strongly encourages the Latverian to go along with all of this -- Doom reluctantly agrees.  The acquiescence of the two time travelers seems to pay off, as they are led to the court of... King Arthur!

Karen: Doom, of course, is used to time travel. For Iron Man, it's still quite a shock. He's still trying to wrap his mind around it when the knights arrive. But being as how he has respect for authority (remember, we're not talking the movie Iron Man), he accedes to the knights just as he would modern policemen or military officers. Doom is his usual haughty self. I enjoyed the dialog between the two of them here, as Iron Man gets Doom to grudgingly behave. "You may have a point, lackey. Very well, I agree -for now." "Stop calling me lackey!" 

Doug:  The creators really do a nice job of giving Arthur a regal air about him.  He's drawn tall and straight, and his speech is deliberate and authoritative.  It's really a nice bit of characterization as the king asks Iron Man to discuss their intentions.  Iron Man tells that he was in conflict with a king named Dr. Doom, and trailed him to Arthur's lands.  When Arthur asks him how he will address the charges of black magic, IM admits to have certain special abilities.  He then uses the magnetic powers of his armor to levitate Arthur's throne and replace it quite gently.  Arthur is amazed, and then turns to Doom.  Vic, of course, isn't in any mood for "parlor tricks".  Instead, he flashes his bling with the seal of the great state of Latveria, and proclaims himself to be a king.  Arthur seems puzzled, and agrees to take their circumstance under advisement overnight.

Karen: I thought it was interesting that Shellhead's demonstration involved 'levitating' Arthur magnetically in his throne. Just two years later, we'd see a similar scene in Return of the Jedi, as Luke Skywalker levitates C-3P0 to get those miserable Ewoks to let them go. But Iron Man did it first!

Doug:  That, partner, is a great association; I'd not have come up with that one!  Both Iron Man and Doom retire to their quarters.  Iron Man has removed his helmet, and is fearful whether or not he'll ever return to his own time.  He muses on his skills and how there is no place for him in Camelot.  However, when a royal "bedwarmer" knocks at his door, offering her services, he hesitates.  Down the hall, Doom broods while sitting in a high-backed chair, regal as always.  His thoughts are on his original plan, which was to come to Arthurian times anyway; his aide Hauptmann, however, made it happen sooner.  When a concubine enters Doom's quarters, he immediately says that yes -- he can use her.  But he immediately hypnotizes the maiden and asks her -- how would he get to the castle of Morgana Le Fey?

Karen: I've sometimes felt like Iron Man/Tony Stark had little personality. But honestly, this scene says a lot about who he is. He's worried about how he, a man whose entire life centers on technology, could fit into this non-technological world. But as soon as a hot chick shows up, that thought (and all others) go out the window. Could you see Cap doing this? Tony's personality might be shallow, but he does have one. Doom's use of the serving girl to further his plans is also typical of Doom. Again, I felt Micheline really understood the character.

Doug:  Tony could have gotten a bit more than he bargained for; hot or not, remember that people in the Middle Ages only bathed once a year. They thought that being cold and wet would make one sick; to combat the personal odors... well, that's why the Age of Exploration eventually began.  Spices and PERFUMES!!  Once equipped with the knowledge he sought, Doom leaves his chambers, assaults the guard in the corridor, and blasts through an outer wall.  Using a jet pack, he flies off in search of the witch who might grant him his greatest wish.  Iron Man is summoned to Arthur's court, where he finds an unhappy monarch.  Arthur mentions the name of his sister, Morgan Le Fey, and Iron Man asks him about her.  Arthur obliges, and gives us the readers, a lesson on the legends of Camelot.  Using terms such as Merlin and Excalibur, we are told how dangerous and conniving is Arthur's sibling.  After this, Iron Man offers to take on Dr. Doom -- he says he's done it in his own time, and he'll do it for Arthur.  The king calls him a true champion.

Karen: I love the jet pack! Doom had had it a long time, but was often forgotten by the 70s, so it was cool to see it re-appear here. Regarding Marvel's version of Arthur and Camelot -I'm not sure how much this had been explored by this point. Merlin had appeared a few times, I believe. I recall seeing a version of him in a reprint of Avengers #10 - and perhaps a few other places. But I don't recall much about King Arthur himself in Marvel comics of the 60s-early 80s. Morgana did later on go on to become an Avengers villain. But did Marvel ever publish their own version of the Arthurian myths? I did a little poking around and it looks like Arthur might have shown up in the Marvel UK books frequently.


Doug:  Doom acquired a horse to take him the rest of the way to Morgana's castle.  Riding up to the drawbridge, which is down and unguarded, Doom suspicions that something might be amiss.  Breaking the horn off the saddle, he tosses it out onto the bridge.  It passes right through, and falls into the moat -- which is caustic.  Doom decides that spells are being used, so uses his jet pack to ascend to an open window in the castle tower.  Alighting on the sill, he introduces himself to the witch, who knows that he has come.  She has been watching him, but knows not what he seeks.  Doom then narrates his story, which has a decidedly Christian bent to it, to my eyes.  He claims that his mother was a great sorceress, but died "unconfessed" and was "cursed to an eternity of damnation".  Certainly the afterlife takes many different forms in religions around the world, but I found this to be a surprising interjection of beliefs that could certainly be construed as Christian.  I'd just never thought of Doom as really any sort of believer outside of a follower of the black arts.

Karen:  As I recall, unless they've gone back and retconned it, Doom's mother had sold her soul to Mephisto, who at one time was Marvel's version of Satan. So if you're going to believe in a Satan, you have to believe in God, too. It does come across as a Christian version of the afterlife and considering Doom's background didn't surprise me, although I think the only god he worships is himself. By the way, I'd like to veer off slightly and recommend the "Triumph and Torment" graphic novel that features Doom and Dr. Strange battling Mephisto to save Doom's mother.  It's a solid read.

Doug:  Morgana agrees to help Doom, but for a price.  He must lead an army against her brother, Arthur.  She at one time had appropriated Excalibur, and had taken a chip from it.  She uses it in an incantation to raise from the dead all who had ever fallen before Arthur's blade.  It is this army that Doom shall lead.  And as we see the dead raised and armed, our next vision is of the sentry at Camelot, who spies the army advancing.  Shouting the alarm, Arthur rallies his warriors, in fear of what may come.  And what comes is quite a visual -- Doctor Doom riding hard on a mount, leading an army of near-skeletons.  Arthur asks Iron Man if he will assist; Iron Man agrees, and to the death.  He flies out ahead of Arthur's legions and asks Doom if there might be some other way.  Doom denies him -- and in a wonderful 2-page spread, the war commences!

Karen: The dead knights rising was creepy and cool, and also reminded me of the wonderful Army of Darkness by Sam Raimi, a film that wouldn't come out until 11 years after this comic! 

Doug:  It's a nice touch to see Arthur leading his own men into battle, as medieval kings often did.  Iron Man and Doom tussle, and as their tech tends to cancel each other out, Iron Man gives Doom a blow, which stuns the Latverian.  And then Iron Man suddenly realizes that Doom could not have conjured this army of the dead; he can only be leading them.  In a ruse of flight, Iron Man takes off toward the castle of Morgana.  Doom, figuring he has fled, heads back into the fray.  As the Golden Avenger approaches, Morgana assaults him with her magicks, engulfing Iron Man in ribbons of darkness.  Iron Man is able to activate his chest light, which dissipates the black light bands.  But Morgana has other tricks up her sleeve.  She summons a black raptor, and as it flies away from her castle it morphs into some incredible pterodactyl.  Iron Man takes it head on, but is not successful.  Resorting again to his technology, he pulls a vial of concentrated freon and launches it at the monster.  The beast is overcome by the cold, and crashes to earth.

Karen: I can't help but think fewer wars would be fought today if the people who ordered them actually had to go out and fight them. But anyway, back to the story: I found it interesting that Iron Man was so concerned about saving his energy. He's obviously still thinking that he's going to be stuck in the past a very long time. I got a chuckle when, after IM beats the conjured beast, he thinks to himself  "I hate magic. I really do." Of course he does! It's outside his comprehension, and that just makes him plain uncomfortable. I would love to see something like this in the Marvel films, where Iron Man has a hard time dealing with say, Thor's hammer, trying to figure out how it works. I would think that would drive him nuts.

Doug:  In the recently-deceased Avengers cartoon, wasn't there a running plot in the 1st season about Cap and Tony and technology?  Iron Man now makes his way directly into Morgana's chambers.  She waits for him, but tells him that although she hates him she cannot conquer that which she doesn't understand.  As Iron Man moves toward her, she uses the shard of Excalibur to spirit herself away.  And when she does, the army of the dead falls.  As Arthur moves toward Doom, Doom immediately realizes how he was undone by Iron Man's departure.  Crying out in anger, he launches himself skyward and jets toward Morgana's castle.  Bursting an outer wall, he confronts Iron Man -- it is painfully obvious that Doom shall not have any rescue for his mother's soul.  He tells Iron Man that he shall be his death -- and then follows that up by saying that his need to be in Camelot is passed.  Yet the only way the two combatants can return to the 20th Century is if they work... together.  Iron Man is skeptical, but Doom gives him his word of trust.

Karen: Doom is nothing if not practical. He realizes Morgana is no longer a viable source of help, so he's got to put aside his distaste for "the lackey" and work with him to get home. It's fun seeing Iron Man try to figure out whether he can trust Doom -but then again, this was back before Doom began doing nutty stuff like making armor out of the skin of his ex-girlfriends. You know, back when he could be a villain, yet still retain some honor. 

Doug:  Both men agree to power down their armors.  It's a great face-to-face scene; as we said last week, the JR JR/Layton team is really pretty spectacular throughout this storyline.  The pages that follow show Iron Man and Doom literally taking their armors apart, using components to craft a device that will allow them to bridge the time stream.  When the construct is finished, the two men grasp its ends, activate it, and indeed fly again through time and space, landing once more in the Balkans.  The device is nothing but slag.  Doom and Iron Man agree that the time for fighting is past; but the future will hold no altruistic feelings toward each other.  And they part.

Karen: Both men think with respect about the capabilities of the other. Doom thinks that if one of Stark's employees' is so smart, "He himself must be a genius!" I still can't believe that Doom wouldn't have figured out that Stark and Iron Man were one and the same, but I guess we just have to accept that cliche. For his part, Stark thinks that only Reed Richards has shown such a natural understanding of electronics. So high praise indeed from both. 

Doug:  As I'd said last week, I really don't have any sort of experience with Iron Man's solo adventures much past what we've reviewed here on the BAB.  I really, really like this Michelinie/Layton/ Romita run and look forward to seeing more of it in the future.  It's a real high point for the latter Bronze Age.

Karen: This was truly a lot of fun to review, and I think we should plan on doing some more Iron Man reviews next year.  It's just a fabulous combo of story and art.

A Contest of Iron Wills: Iron Man 149

Iron Man #149 (Aug 1981)
"Doomquest"
Writer/plot: David Michelinie
Pencil art: John Romita Jr.
Finished art/plot: Bob Layton

Karen: We figured it might be time for some more Iron Man. When you're talking Bronze Age Shell-head, the go-to guys are Michelinie and Layton, of course. These two did as much for Iron Man as Walt Simonson did for Thor, or Frank Miller for Daredevil. They took a B level Marvel character -yes, think about it, he really was B-level til the films - and made his title a can't miss book. Finally, Iron Man was interesting and Tony Stark actually had a personality. Not as much personality as Robert Downey Jr., mind you, but he was at least distinguishable from other characters once these two guys got their mitts on him. We're going to review a two-parter this week and next, the classic story of what happens when two high-tech prima donnas wind up in an age of myth. It ain't pretty...

Doug:  You know, I never read Iron Man as a kid.  I usually checked out the covers.  I don't know if it was budgetary concerns or what.  I've said before that I always gravitated to team books -- so today that will be my excuse, as I didn't read much more of Cap or Thor solo, either.  But this is going to be fun today!  You know, JR JR's name came up the other day in our "Erosion" post.  Here he's really good, but I think that's largely due to Layton's inks.  This is, in my opinion, really good stuff.  The X-Men pencils Romita would turn in just a few years later were troublesome.  So plain.  To each his/her own, I guess.  

Karen: I would agree with you that Layton is really the one who elevated the art here. He's another one of those inkers who leaves his mark, regardless of the penciller. And that's not necessarily a bad thing! Our tale opens with Iron Man chasing after a Stark International cargo ship that is under attack by pirates. Iron Man easily takes down the hijackers, and then orders the captain to turn the ship around. Apparently, Iron Man has a lot of clout, as the captain does so, no questions asked! The Golden Avenger then jets off to Stark's Long Island headquarters, for a meeting with regional managers. Just as he's about to fly to his penthouse to change into his civvies, Shellhead recalls that the penthouse was badly damaged in a battle with Blacklash, so he heads off instead to temporary quarters on the grounds. He changes and thinks about his problems, including the departure of his current love interest, Bethany Cabe, on some secret mission. But he has no time to sulk. It's off to his meeting, where he  tongue-lashes his Miami manager for selling circuitry to Latveria! Stark policy is that no sales are ever made to Latveria, the home of Dr. Doom (of course you knew that). He fires the man right then and there.

Doug:  I thought the scene you mentioned where the ship was unquestioningly turned around was dumb.  Of course, we live in the post-9/11 world with all sorts of protocols.  But c'mon.  In the Marvel Universe, that dope didn't think someone could successfully impersonate the Iron Man?  And does one really forget that one's home was blown up, set ablaze, whatever?  I did like many of the perspectives Romita employed in telling these early parts to our story.  Nice panoramic shots, and interesting camera angles.  It was nice to see Tony Stark kick some butt as a CEO as well.  That dude that was selling tech to Doom was a doofus.  Nice touch of characterization.

Karen: Speaking of Dr. Doom, the former monarch (at this time) of Latveria  is making a deal with the wizard Cagliostro. The magician has taught Doom every occult skill and spell he knows -and demands his payment. Doom warns him that no one demands anything of Doom -but as he has given his word, he hands over a chest filled with treasure. Doom then turns, presses some buttons on his gauntlet, and a huge glowing rectangle appears and passes over him, and he disappears, only to reappear in his castle in present time. He speaks with the lab-coated technician operating his time machine, Hauptmann. When he's informed that the planned improvements to the device can't be made because of the lost shipment from Stark Industries, Doom becomes furious. I felt Michelinie really had a good grip on Doom and what makes him tick. He's imperious and egotistical, yet also strangely honorable.

Doug:  The gauntlet buttons are somewhat problematic.  At times throughout comicdom we sometimes see formerly hidden elements suddenly appear that have no explanation.  We've all seen Batman pull out some gadget that in no way would have fit into his belt.  By this time we've been exposed to Dr. Doom for 20 years and he's never (to my recollection) been drawn with buttons on his gloves or arms.  The wizard was OK looking, but let's face it -- no one draws a guy like that like Big John Buscema!  Hey -- and a shout-out from me, too, to David Michelinie's dialogue.  He really nails Doom's utter pomposity, doesn't he?  And I've loved that time machine since we first laid eyes on it in Fantastic Four #5 (or Avengers #56, or...).

Karen: Back in the States, Stark, suited up as Iron Man, waits at a warehouse for Doom's forces to show up and take the components he ordered. He doesn't have to wait very long. A bizarre, insect-like metal craft appears from the ocean and attacks Iron Man. Shellhead gets snared in a net that zaps his circuits. Gambling that he can survive it, he maneuvers himself under the tractor treads of the vehicle, which shred the net but don't damage his armor. Freed, the Golden Avenger pursues the craft as it flies off, but it's too fast for him. But he's not done yet. I  love the way Romita/Layton drew the armor. It truly looks metallic; so many times other artists drew it just like any other costume, almost as if it were cloth. But here it glints like it should!

Doug:  In regard to the ship that attacked Stark's warehouse, and really to all of Doom's tech in this story...  What did you think of it?  I guess for me, it was all such a departure of what we'd become used to from Jack Kirby.  To some extent, I felt that Romita should have used Jack's stuff.  But I suppose to some extent that had become somewhat cliche'.  I don't know -- comics have to modernize.  But I just felt that there were elements of the story that seemed un-Doomlike.  Anyway, I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of the armor.  The way the coils encircle him, there's a real sense of the energy given off.  It's quite well done.  Bob Sharen (never heard of him) is credited as the colorist.  Big ups to him.

Karen: With his first plan foiled, Stark decides to take it to Doom in Latveria. He flies -in his corporate jet -to Latveria, where he is almost immediately surrounded by soldiers.  However, the men aren't there to attack him. Rather, they actually provide him with directions to Doom's castle! It seems the current king, Zorba, is concerned that Doom may try to re-take the throne. He's hoping that an altercation with Iron Man may eliminate that possibility. Soon switching to his armor, Stark flies off to the castle, to find it oddly undefended. He soon realizes that Doom is using a special refraction shield around the castle, so that visually, everything appears to be several feet from where it actually is. His equipment helps him overcome this and he strolls into the castle, where he's attacked by some robots, but they don't give him much trouble. He finally confronts Doom as the doctor is overseeing work on his time machine. Doom really denigrates Iron Man, calling him a "lackey" and an "errand boy." You know, you'd have to wonder if a guy as brilliant as Doom wouldn't suspect that Iron Man was actually Stark. Of course, you'd think most people would suspect that. I have to say I think it was smart of the movie folks to do away with the whole 'bodyguard' idea. Would anyone really buy that? In any case, Iron Man wants those components, and Doom ain't giving them up. Game on!

Doug:  The major problem I have with all of the Marvel movies is that all of the characters go without masks.  Warner Bros. hasn't done this with the various Batman films because that would be STUPID.  But Marvel seems to insist on having Spidey, Cap, Iron Man, etc. run around with their secret IDs all over the place.  But enough of that.  Hey, this Doom has a really nasty disposition!  I don't know that he's ever talked to Ben Grimm the way he rips on Iron Man.  It's really quite a bit of fun!  I thought it was interesting that once the battle commenced Doom was a little physical.  The scene where he leaps over the railing to the floor below was not what we've come to expect from His Eminence. 

Karen: Doom attacks with a nifty device in his gauntlet, which swiftly enlarges tiny molecules so that they become dangerous boulders. Iron Man responds by using one of his earliest powers, reverse magnetism, to send the rocks hurling away. He momentarily stuns Doom, then blasts him, which enrages the Latverian. He grabs Iron Man and the two get physical. In the heat of battle, neither notices that they have stepped on the time platform. Hauptmann sees this as an opportunity to rid himself of his demanding overlord, and activates the device, sending both combatants off to the past. He then destroys the controls, marooning the two armored foes in the past.

Doug:  Hauptmann was another of those tragic figures that so often pop up in literature as virtual slaves to the antagonist.  I'm sure, knowing that the Doctor will inevitably return from the past, that Herr Hauptmann will get his soon enough.  I enjoyed the brief contest of wills, and tech, between our two combatants.  I would think that Doom and Tony Stark are evenly matched.  We'll see what next issue brings us!

Karen: This was fun, but just the prelude to an even bigger story in Iron Man #150. But even here, we can see why the book was so popular: it looks great, and it's a blast to read. 

Spotlight On: John Romita, Jr.

Doug: Welcome back for another round-robin discussion of an artist who got his start in the Bronze Age, but is still in the public eye 30+ years later. John Romita, Jr. came to the comics-buying public's attention with his run on Iron Man (working with scribe David Michelinie and inker Bob Layton) in the very late 1970's and into the '80's. We've reviewed part of the stellar "Demon in a Bottle" storyline, and at the time remarked that the art was so strong. But, was it Layton's inks carrying the load? I'd have to think so, and we said it at that time.

Doug: Lately, John Jr. has developed a unique style, and saying that is certainly not meant to be complimentary. Young Romita shows a very sketchy, blocky, scratchy style, and his faces tend to be somewhat flat -- does everyone have the same nose? It's quite an odd cross between latter-day Kirby, latter-day Byrne (when he inks himself), latter-day Infantino -- it's just sort of a hodge-podge style. It's difficult for me to put my finger on just what it is about Romita's style... But whatever he's doing, I'm not a fan. I'll admit the sample below is not all that bad (anyone who draws Venom sans that ridiculous tongue scores at least some points in my book *EDIT: I noticed on 4/11/11 that the image I reference has been removed. Now I wish I'd saved it instead of providing a direct link...). Go ahead and do a Google image search for his work -- there are many, many samples of pencil and post-production work, for your examination.

Doug: So how about you? What are your perceptions of Romita Jr.'s work over the course of his career? High points? Lows? Give us an opinion, and thanks in advance for sharing!