Iron Man must stop Mandarin

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By Joseph Szadkowski

This chronic feature lets me review what's recently passed my bloodshot pupils. So pull up a chair, break out the sarcasm filter and welcome to:

Mr. Zad's Iron Man comic critique

Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin, Nos. 1 to 6 (Marvel Publishing, $2.99 each)

Joe Casey, famed writer of the X-Men universe and co-creator of Ben 10, offers his take on the first meeting of the Golden Avenger and his most formidable foe in a six-issue series soon available in trade paperback.

Taking its cue from the events in the early 1960s issues of Tales of Suspense, specifically Nos. 50 to 55, the story envelops and expands upon the original conflict between Iron Man and the Mandarin. It also offers the same Stan Lee style of villainous pomposity for the Mongolian megalomaniac that will make older readers grin from ear to ear.

In the action, Tony Stark is defined as the braniac playboy billionaire and his own bodyguard superhero when he's wearing the famed, nearly indestructible armor. Readers also quickly learn about the Mandarin, a descendant of Genghis Khan who finds 10 rings of extraterrestrial origin in the Valley of the Spirits that can give him the power to rule the planet.

Iron Man is first called in by S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division) to assess the Mandarin's strength, and he nearly dies in the process. The ensuing adventure puts the Mandarin's plans of world domination into effect, including an assassination attempt on Stark by the villain's son, no less, while Iron Man attempts to stop him.

Its fun to see characters such as Pepper Potts, Harold "Happy" Hogan, Anton Vanko and the Crimson Dynamo, but the best is watching Tony Stark in his classic early costume once again.

Mr. Casey gives the story a consistently solid pace. He always allows for plenty of exposition to build anticipation for the battles. He is also clearly thrilled to deliver a unending flow of corny diatribes ("I will wrap your corpse in the colors of your flag. Shame and desecration in one decisive gesture.") from the mouth of the evil egomaniac.

Unfortunately, Eric Canete's sketchy art style looks more at home on a Cartoon Network comic than in this intense mini-epic. His design of Iron Man's costume is great, but he presents a too-exaggerated style for the villain.