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JANUARY 2006
IRON MAN: THE INEVITABLE #1
A mini series REVIEW by BOB LAYTON |
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I think Joe Casey is a terrific guy and a good writer. And, to be perfectly clear, my problems with this first issue of this new Iron Man mini series not necessarily with Joe's script. In spite of being editorially mishandled for almost half a decade by proven Iron Man hater, Tom Brevoort, Joe Casey has attempted to bring a modicum of the character's legacy back to the book with the inclusion of some of Iron Man's original rogues gallery. In this first issue, we are treated to glimpses of a rebooted Spymaster and the Ghost. Unfortunately, it's only glimpses. (In this case-each villain appears in only two pages of this story.) I'll reserve judgment on the overall story until more of it unfolds in subsequent issues. My major problem (and this is more with today's snail-paced storytelling) is that, like most Marvel Comics these days, not much happens. I suspect that this is due to the Marvel mandatory six-issue edict in order to stretch out stories for trade paperbacks. There are some clever moments in Casey's story, like Tony Stark's use of a chemical marker to track a couple of munitions black marketers.
My real problem is with the Rorschach test that passes for the art in this issue. Brevoort's assassin, this time around is Frazer Irving. I'm not one of those guys who believe that every artist must draw like I did or follow my example as a storyteller. There have been plenty of guys who have gone in their own artistic direction on Shellhead that I've truly admired. (Sean Chen comes to mind immediately. Hell--I even liked some of Quesada's cover art on the book.) However, this comic stands as evidence of my past indictments of Marvel's butchering of the storytelling process under those auspices of the Quesada/Brevoort era. Man--this stuff is u-g-l-y! Tony Stark looks like his new hair stylist is Joseph Goebbels. Narrow his moustache and Stark will be a dead ringer for the author of "Mein Kampf".
"Seig Heil!"
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Most
of the art in minimalist, at best. On a series, known for it's
high-tech backdrop, Irving gives us esoteric graphic designs that are
better suited as wallpaper for a web page.
CAN YOU FIND THE AUTOMOBILE IN THIS PICTURE?
In fact, there is very little background art in the entire issue. And, what little action there is (and there is only one, short physical conflict in the entire issue) is incredibly stiff and uninteresting. This guy is simply NOT a good storyteller. I'm also not a fan of monochromatic coloring, so the three-color palate left me totally cold. The pink and black Ghost particularly amused me. (Yes--we have a pink super villain in the series, although I'm sure someone will argue that it actually 'salmon'.)
THE SINISTERLY-SALMON HUED GHOST
As I stated previously, I'll reserve final judgment until more of the series unfolds. I applaud Joe Casey for being able to write a cohesive story in spite of the dreadful, disconnected art. I really wanted to like this book. Hopefully, Irving will improve his game as the series progresses. If not--chalk up yet another Iron Man debacle to the offices of Tom Brevoort.
1/1/06 |
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* First off, I'd like to personally thank everyone who sent Jill and me a card or e-mail greeting over the past Christmas holiday. We were both touched by the enormous outpouring of good will we received this year. Apparently, this year's Bob Layton.com Christmas card was a big hit with the Iron Man fans out there, as well. As I like to do every holiday season, I sent a limited-edition print of my Iron Man: Armor Wars poster (sorry--only thirty were printed) out to those who have stuck with me throughout the years or those who've ordered multiple commissions over the last year. I apologize to those who didn't make the list this year. Obviously, my resources are somewhat limited. But rest assured that you'll be that list next year and my website audience continues to grow. On the subject of that print, I certainly need to thank Zoom Suit's Daddy, John Taddeo, for getting those prints made for me.
BTW: Keep in mind that I'd love to create personalized card as commissions, but you'll have to approach me about doing them a bit earlier next year. Several regulars hit me up for card art about three weeks before Christmas--which simply isn't enough time to get the job done right. I'd also like to thank my pal Ian Sokoliwski for the great coloring job on my card. Be sure to check out Ian's website.
* Secondly, thanks to everybody who took the time to drop Uncle Don Perlin a line while he's recovering from complications during a surgical procedure. Although he's expected to fully recover, it's been slow and I know that an encouraging word or two from fans and colleagues would do wonders for the healing process. I urge all of you to send him a 'get well' e-mail at: DPerlin@bellsouth.net.
Don Perlin as a Boy
All grown-up Perlinator!
For those of you who may have missed Cliff's column on Dandy Don, here's the original text :
Don
Perlin, “Mr. Reliable” Encomiums
should be written while people are around to enjoy them, which was the
reason for dusting this soapbox off in the first place. So let’s talk
about Don Perlin this week. Don’s under the weather at the moment and
while he’s healing, I thought it would be nice to send him our love and
a get-well wish with a look-back at his impressive, reliable career. Don
was born in 1929 and raised in New York City. His father had always wanted
to be a pro artist but circumstances hadn’t allowed it, so when Don
showed talent, he was greatly encouraged. “We never figured out what
kind of an artist I was going to be,” he explained, “but the path was
marked early on. I loved comic books...I would collect them, trade them.
In those days, kids didn’t save them like now—you’d read one and
trade with friends so you didn’t have to buy all the different ones.”
Don was 14 when he caught an ad from Burne Hogarth in his high school
paper offering a cartooning class. Hogarth leased a loft in a small
building on Broadway where half a dozen students met each Saturday
morning. Don’s father called Hogarth and his boy was accepted as a
student. Don recalls the pivotal moment: “I knew comic books was the
thing I wanted to do and everything then was focused to that goal.” By
the time Hogarth opened his Cartoonists and Illustrators School—alma
mater to such future stars as Ross Andru, Dick Ayers, Mike Esposito and
Roy Krenkel—Don was already a graduate peddling his wares. The
first professional gig came at the age of 19, penciling a cops-and-robbers
story for Fox Features (inked by Pete Morisi). Soon, Don wracked up
credits with Timely, St. John, Hillman, and Harvey. In 1953, he even
assisted Will Eisner on The Spirit for three weeks. “That was about when
that psychiatrist Wertham came into the picture, and I was drafted,” he
recalled. “But I went into the army and for a few months in the army I
was doing stuff for Stan Lee. Then things in comics got worse and I couldn’t
get any more work. When I came back out of the army, I started getting a
few things from Timely and then they went under.” Nevertheless, comics
were in Don’s blood now, so full-time jobs as a technical illustrator
and then a packaging designer couldn’t stop him from taking comics work
on the side, including jobs from Charlton and DC (doing Weird War for
editor Murray Boltinoff). One
day, Roy Thomas called from Marvel and said there were two books
available: Werewolf By Night and Morbius: The Living Vampire. “Morbius
was bi-monthly and the other was monthly, so I took the monthly book,”
Don remembers. He spent three years on Werewolf, then three more on Ghost
Rider while also inking Sal Buscema on Captain America. Eventually, he
ended up on The Defenders and also did odd issues of The Avengers and
Marvel Team Up. When Jim Shooter left Marvel to form Valiant, he took Don
with him… and we all remember how cool those books were. Here’s
Chuck Dixon weighing in on Don: “I've often used one particular
freelancer as an example to disprove the fatuousness of the ‘youth is
king’ philosophy of comics. By 1990 there was possibly no freelancer in
comics whose career was deader than Don Perlin’s. The guy had done
yeoman work, mostly at Marvel, for decades. I think even Don would admit
he never set the world of comics on fire. Sure, his books sold just fine.
A long run on Werewolf By Night was popular, but no one was clamoring for
the “next Don Perlin” or imitating the “Don Perlin Style.” So,
things being what they are, time passed Mr. Perlin by… But along comes
Acclaim Comics and Jim Shooter, looking for guys who can draw and who
understand that monthly comics come out every 30 days, hires Don to pencil
some of his books. Suddenly, Perlin is popular. Not just popular. He's
HOT. This guy for whom everything was “over” or “never was” now
has lines at conventions rivaling the Image guys. I saw him at a big New
York con and the guy looked bewildered as hell seated with a long line of
enthusiastic kids clamoring for his attention and signature. I felt happy
for him. And I didn't see any kids turned off by the fact that he was
probably older than their dad. They bonded to him 'cause he did the comics
they liked. He wasn't pierced in any portion of his body. Not only didn't
he wear his ballcap backwards, he didn't wear a ballcap at all. They
didn't know he was middle-aged and unhip when they enjoyed his work and it
was still irrelevant when they saw him in person.” When
I heard Don was ill, I passed the news to friends who should hear it. All
of them who’d worked with Don—from Marie Severin to Neal Adams—used
the same word to describe him: Reliable. That’s a word I wouldn’t mind
associated with me behind my back. Reliable has lazy piece of shit beat
hands down. If
Don was up for it, I’d call now and say hey and get one of his poignant
observations on the industry. Here’s one for the record: “[Today’s
comics] have lost their uniqueness. You used to be able to pick up a book
and you could tell John Buscema did this, or Neal Adams did that, or Herb
Trimpe did something, and it was interesting. Now you look at them and it
looks all the same… The main thing that seems to have gotten better in
comic books is the technical end. They use better paper.” You
said it, Don. Of course, there’s still a few things worth looking at,
but we miss seeing your work. So here’s to a speedy recovery! Clifford
Meth P.S.
Drop Don a get-well message at DPerlin@bellsouth.net Grateful
acknowledgement to Bob Layton for the warm update on Don’s health and to
Daniel Best for his in-depth interview with Don Perlin from 2003, which I’ve
liberally quoted from (read it in its entirety at
www.adelaidecomicsandbooks.com/perlin.htm)
BOB'S FAVORITE COVER WORK WITH DON: |
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