From: apfelbrianje@bvc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics
Subject: Re: SHELL-HEAD art?
Date: 14 Apr 92 20:41:53 GMT
Organization: Buena Vista College, Storm Lake, IA

In item 12829, umyuen22@ccu.umanitoba.ca writes:

>What the hell is happening to the creative team of IRON MAN.  Ever since 
>Mark Bright left the title, the quality of the artwork has dramatically
>decreased.  Now they've got a nobody drawing one of Marvel's flagship titles, 
>what gives?  Bring back Mark Bright, or John Romita Jr., or John Byrne, don't
>let one of Marvel's longest running titles turn into the Marvel Try-Out Book, 
>for aspiring artists.


	I strongly agree with your sentiments on IRON MAN's creative team.  The
finest Shellhead issues I've ever read were written by Dave Michelinie and Bob
"The Master of Shellhead Art" Layton, drawn by Mark "techno-art demigod"
Bright, and inked by Bob Layton.  In fact, I think this is the only team that
the editors should have for the title.  IRON MAN has a long history of creative
team inconsistency, which is exactly what I fear our golden boy is beginning to
see.  If the aforementioned team is not possible, I'd like to see: 
Michelinie/Layton & Guice/Layton, Michelinie/Layton & Hitch/Layton(have you
seen Bryan Hitch's work on the old DEATH'S HEAD?), Michelinie/Layton &
Bingham/Layton, Michelinie/Layton & Perez/Layton, or even Michelinie/Layton &
McDonnell/Layton.  At least Luke McDonnell makes the armor look tough--AND
DESIGNED LIKE IT REALLY IS--, while also doing some neat perspectives and
special effects--for example see # 195.  The Denny O'Neil/Luke McDonnell era
had good stories and very good art...it was an approximately 40-issue period of
*sighhhh* consistency.  My biggest gripe about John Romita Jr. returning is
that he no longer draws the armor according to design.  The last time he drew
the title, he made the armor look kind of goofy--bulky and not very
advanced--it lacked that "super-high-tech" look that Bright and Layton give it. 
Basically it looked like a red-and-gold pile of tin cans.  It's a shame that
JRJR changed his style so radically since his stint in the 70's (although
nobody, but NOBODY draws a better Fin Fang Foom than JRJR).  I don't really
care for Paul Ryan and while Bob Wiacek is an OK inker, his style is wrong for
IRON MAN.  I also didn't care for the issue by Gene Colon (with Iron
Monger)--his skills have really degenerated since his TALES OF SUSPENSE days,
not to mention the Acts of Vengeance issues by Herb Trimpe--by the way, those
issues were a farce in that the 'Man can't be so easily damaged, but was.  I
take Iron Man's "invincibility" VEEEEEERRRRRRY seriously, and detest seeing
some writers' ignorance of just how devastatingly, awesomely powerful the armor
is.  Like Len Kaminski's use of the pulse bolts at point blank range against
Ronan the Accuser.  The bolts are less powerful than repulsors at that range,
but farther away they would've HURT Ronan BIGTIME--"hurt" at the very least. 
He should've cranked on the chest beam--maybe a thermal ray, laser, concussion
blast, electro-blast, or some kind of radiation.  The armor's weaponry should
not be underestimated by any foe, nor its invulnerability or raw strength.
Another "fill-in" issue whose art I didn't exactly love was the one with the
Crimson Dynamo and Tony Stark switching minds.  One major reason IRON MAN needs
great artistic consistency is that otherwise the S.E. campus and the armor and
characters are cheapened, not portrayed as well as they could.  
	I really hope Michelinie, Bright and Layton show up soon before the
only thing keeping me on the title is the main character himself.

--BJA