IRON MAN EPIC COLLECTION: THE FURY OF THE FIREBRAND Paperback – August 25, 2020

back to my past.

Package was bad and also package was opened while Delivery. Top cover is gum is sticky to book cover.

Fine stories, with great art by 2 underrated artist DON HECK and GEORGE TUSKA, people always talks about Kirby, Buscema , Romita and Ditko, but somehow always forget about Heck and Tuska, two artist who deserve more recognitions.

Volume 4 of the Iron Man Epics takes us from 1970 through to 1972; ol' Shellhead had been graced with his own title for a couple of years by this point, so by all rights should have been settling in to a solid rhythm of armored adventures. Sadly, during this period he seems to stall out instead; there are a few moments of interest, but this certainly isn't his finest hour.Writer Archie Goodwin gives way to Allyn Brodsky, then to Gerry Conway, then to Gary Friedrich, via a few fill-ins, and likewise artist Don Heck is succeeded by Herb Trimpe and George Tuska. It doesn't help with leaving this whole stretch of issues feeling slightly directionless. There are a few appearances from existing villains like the Controller and the Collector, some new foes including Firebrand and Spymaster, and the move toward more social issue-related plots that typified seventies Marvel. The latter is a pretty good fit for industrialist weapons-designer Tony Stark, even if the takes on environmentalism and student protests are typically over-the-top.There is also a rather confusing shared storyline with Daredevil involving mysterious nemesis Mr. Kline (and you'll have to check out the last Daredevil Epic if you want to read the conclusion to that one), and a rather sudden storyline regarding the transformation of Tony's ally Kevin O'Brien (introduced here) into the equally armoured Guardsman and Stark's new (and psychic) love interest Marianne Rodgers. The book chugs along well enough, but there's nothing particularly inspiring or exceptional here.Extras include two annual covers, three house ads and four pages of original art by Marie Severin, Sal Buscema and George Tuska. As ever, I can't fault the presentation of the ever-excellent Epic Collection line, but as for the material itself? One for completists only.

A right mix of stories in this collection but it was one that I had to collect as I am aiming for all the 70s epics (as well as 60s) but the stories were superb in place and dire in others. The stories are all protest / eco / Stark industries under attack etc. Great art nearly all the way through out except for a dire 'Trimpe' one but I am not sure if that was just the inking or the restoration (some of the line work is pretty poor). The villains are all pretty poor in this volume such as Slasher, Ramrod (yet another robot) etc but still the stories had a charm and were reasonably fun to read even if they were weak in places. OK selection of bonus material