This is another comic I bought on impulse at Sodiler Bookstore in Brasília during my comic book explorations. With a cover by Jim Starlin, Iron Man #160 offers the pleasant surprise of pencil artwork by the legendary Steve Ditko, perfectly complemented by Dan Green’s inking. Interestingly, the opening page was not drawn by him but by Marie Severin, one of Marvel’s artistic giants. Ditko had a very strict vision of how heroes should behave and supposedly, didn’t agree to draw Tony Stark the way described in the script—even though the scene was just a dream. Whether true or not, Severin’s version is the one that was published, and it effectively conveys Stark’s fears in his struggle with alcoholism.
It wasn’t the first time Ditko had worked with the character. Around the same time he was bringing the Marvel Universe to life—creating or co-creating many of its most important characters—Ditko actually worked on Iron Man for a short while. More than that, he was the one who introduced the classic yellow-and-red armor that, despite many variations over time, remains the hero’s visual standard. It happened in issue #48 of Tales of Suspense, from December 1963, in three iconic pages showing Tony Stark donning the new armor for the first time.
Nineteen years later, Ditko returns—and how! His style is incredibly expressive and is reflected in the characters’ facial expressions and gestures. Details stand out beautifully, such as Tony’s expression as he looks with both atraction and fear at the drink, his annoyance with his companion, and the agony of one of the security guards as he realizes death is approaching.
He even revisits his 1963 sequence, with Stark donning the armor in just a single panel!
In the story, Iron Man faces off against the Serpent Squad, a rather bizarre team of supervillains that, at the time, would pop up here and there, causing trouble for other Marvel heroes. All the action takes place inside a zoo where Stark is hosting a party to celebrate some scientific breakthrough by his companies. Amid lightning bolts, punches, and lion attacks (!), writer Denny O’Neil finds time to set up some subplots that will become the main storylines in subsequent issues. As usual, someone is after Stark International’s technology, Tony’s alcoholism is still a major factor, and so on.
Ditko’s more caricature-style art isn’t for everyone, and it may not be what some readers expect from an Iron Man comic. I like and recommend it, for the expressiveness and clarity with which the story is told. Iron Man #160 is yet another example of good entertainment from Marvel’s ’80s era. It’s worth checking out!
