IRON MAN vol. 3 #50 (395)
(Mar. 2002) "Tin Man."
Cover art: Greg Horn.
Script: Mike Grell.
Art: Michael Ryan/Sean Parsons.
New creative team! Iron Man #50! Should we care? Well, yes, but not on this supposed anniversary issue. Didn't we just see this story in this year's Annual? Tony Stark -- alone in a foreign land with the foreign government having something to do with his armor and/or designs. This time it's "Milos Radanovich" -- a more-than-thinly veiled reference to Slobadan Milosovich -- who is interested in utilizing old Stark weaponry to fulfill his dream of an ethnically cleansed nation (how "original!"). Stark is informed of Milos' bad ways by the Black Widow, and after being shot down by anti-Milos forces, Stark befriends these same rebels (a "hardened" woman most inclusively....sound like the Annual yet?) and discovers the rebs have old Stark tech too! They possess a personal exoskeleton system that seems taken directly from the pages of the Aliens: Berserker series: the system drugs the suit's wearer enabling them to fight for extended periods and even feel no pain. Milos' forces eventually confront the rebels, resulting in Radanovich's death as well as the female interest (her name: Ayisha). Question: did Grell get this idea direct from the somewhat lame Dennis Quaid movie "Savior?" (Check out the synopsis of this flick online via your fave search engine -- you'll see what I mean.)
Grell's dialogue is clumsy and stiff, especially when Tony and Ayisha get to know one another better. It's not at all what I was expecting based on pre-IM #50 hype. Ryan's art hasn't changed since my review of this year's Annual, and that is because Parsons is inking him here, too. The art ain't bad, but it ain't as good as Ryan's "Heroes Reborn" stuff. Certainly, the half double-page shot of the new armor was very cool, but other than that, the pictures are merely so-so. For a #50, we deserved better.
Hube's Recommendation: 2 repulsors!
Fan Reaction: I agree that the plot is the same as the 2001 Iron Man Annual. But I was disappointed that #50 didn't pick up where #49 left off. If Mike Grell is going to show less of Iron Man and more of Tony Stark, then I'm also disappointed, because the genius of Tony Stark is the most important part of the character along with the armor. Speaking of armor. When will we see what led Stark to make the new armor? -- Michael W. Farinha
Fan Reaction 2: Couldn't agree with your assessment of IM #50 more, which is surprising since my tastes seemingly run polar opposite of yours in matters concerning Shellhead. The dialogue is stilted and preachy, and are you sure Ryan has STOPPED drawing the "Heroes Reborn" series? Because it sure looks like if you slapped a couple exhaust pipes on this "new" armor we would have a suspiciously familiar IM. Unoriginal from top to bottom, and you're right, we deserved more from an isuue #50. Keep up the good work. -- Aukwaboy
Fan Reaction 3: Hube, I have to disagree with you on this one. I found this issue to be highly enjoyable for the great art (I did a quick comparison between his and Keron Grant's art and I had to smile), and I found the story to be a little cliché but good none the less. I also like Tony Stark looking tougher (he looks like Sylvester Stallone) instead of the mild mannered Clark Kent. The armor is my favorite since the Prometheus. The only thing I would have liked to see in this issue is maybe it be two part. --
Fan Reaction 4: I know this is a bit late but this bit REALLY bugged me with number 50 and no one else seemed to mention it. Tony lifts up his face mask in a crowd of rebels thus revealing his identity. For someone who recently made everyone forget he was IM (except a select few of course), this seemed the most unnatural concept in 50. Yeah, it would seem a thinly veiled secret to the rebels that IM "suddenly showed up," but we've lived with that before. Now I'm worried with every page that Tony's going to turn to the person next to him and say, "Oh, by the way, I'm Iron Man." Ech. -- Dan Fogarty II
