"THE CHALLENGE"
Plot/Writer: David Michelinie | Plot/Finished Art: Bob Layton
Pencil Art: Jerry Bingham | Letters: John Costanza | Colors: Carl Gafford
Editor: Jim Salicrup | Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
Plot/Writer: David Michelinie | Plot/Finished Art: Bob Layton
Pencil Art: Jerry Bingham | Letters: John Costanza | Colors: Carl Gafford
Editor: Jim Salicrup | Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
Continuity Notes: A footnote reminds us that Iron Man killed the Carnelian ambassador in issue #124. One of Iron Man's tests is for a security measure to make certain he can never be remote-controlled that way again.
Mrs. Arbogast informs Tony that Iron Man's speaking engagement at the Lions' Club has been cancelled in light of the Carnelian incident. Titanium Man is unaware of this cancellation, and his first stop in New York is the Club, where he accosts the replacement speaker: Rodney Dangerfield.
Bethany's partner, Ling McPherson, makes her second appearance, on her way out to bodyguard a professional tennis player. Tony innocently flirts with her while in Bethany's earshot. Neither here nor there, but Tony is also seen "rating" a woman he passes in the street (as a nine or maybe a nine-and-a-half), and when he takes Bethany to dinner at the Playboy Club, where he is identified as a Gold member, he is hit upon by a lady in a very revealing evening gown while Bethany is away (to his credit, Tony rebuffs the woman's advances before Bethany comes to his rescue).
And of course, at long last, The Other is revealed to us as -- gasp! -- Titanium Man!
My Thoughts: As primarily a sub-plot issue, this story is relatively uneventful. We get some further fall-out from the Carnelian ambassador's assassination (and it's nice to see that little incident wasn't swept under the rug as soon as it was resolved), but other than that, pretty much nothing happens. We still don't know Titanium Man's plan, aside from some vague babbling about destroying Manhattan to prove to the Soviets where his loyalty lies.
What's up with the fact that Tony still has a fully-stocked bar in his penthouse? I mean I suppose maybe it's for entertaining or something, but you'd think that, this close to his recent troubles, he might try not to keep alcohol so readily available!
One thing I enjoy about the Michelinie/Layton run is just how much they play up Tony Stark as a dashing playboy. I've read other IRON MAN runs, and that aspect of the character is often swept aside in favor of the "reclusive inventor" persona. I much prefer this version of Stark, who is always out on the town, spending money like it's free, being fawned over by beautiful women, and just generally having a great social life. This, to me, is how Tony Stark should be handled. It's a shame more writers don't realize that. Iron Man is the hero readers should envy more than any other, not due to his heroic identity, but for his civilian life!
Also -- since I have a little extra space this entry -- I just want to mention how much I love John Costanza's lettering. It's big and bold, and his titles are usually quite well done. Costanza is easily one of my favorite Bronze Age letterers.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I found the fully stocked bar suspect too.
// Tony is also seen "rating" a woman he passes in the street //
I had the same thought at first but, given the caption and the woman seen from behind in foreground, it seems more likely that the balloon dots are meant to lead to the woman in the background turning to look at Tony admiringly. (Not worth revisiting to see if you concur unless it really interests you...)
Costanza’s lettering on the splash page, credits and title, actually had me pausing to admire it. His work becomes less appealing to me as the decade wears on, definitely in the next, but during this period it’s good enough that I hardly miss Gaspar being subbed in on splashes and it’s certainly above the efforts of most other contributors to the series around this period. That being said, however, the jump from Titanium Man’s speech balloon to the display lettering of his name in that last panel is a big fail, which appears yet is surely not meant to be diegetic lettering visible in-story as if he’s landed on a monument dedicated to himself.