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Iron Man Epic Collection
Iron Man Epic Collection, Vol. 11: Duel of Iron
Is the world big enough for two Iron Men? While Tony Stark battles the bottle, James Rhodes soars to ever greater heights in the red and gold! He'll test himself against deadly foes Radioactive Man and the Mandarin, then become a West Coast Avenger after proving his mettle alongside Marvel's greatest heroes in the original Secret Wars! But Rhodey's homecoming won't be easy. On top of building his own rogues' gallery - the Brothers Grimm, Vibro and the Termite - one of Rhodey's biggest headaches is the armor itself! COLLECTING: IRON MAN (1968) 178-195, IRON MAN ANNUAL 6-7 (IRON MAN EPIC COLLECTION VOL. 11)
504 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2016
5 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Dennis O'Neil
1,758 books276 followers
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil
was a comic book writer and editor best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retirement.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 30, 2019
There's one thing that you should probably know before picking up this book: it's incomplete. Marvel wedged as many issues as they could physically fit in a trade paperback, and this arc covers Iron Man #178-195. So if you read the previous Epic Collection (The Enemy Within) and you're excited to see Tony Stark take back his company from the villainous Obadiah Stane... well, that bit doesn't happen here. That bit happens in #200, which is only collected a currently out-of-print trade called Iron Man: Iron Monger. As I write this, Marvel has not yet announced plans to reprint that part of this run in the Epic Collection line.
But a lot of good stuff still happens in this book, even if this one doesn't take you all the way to the triumphant finale. In #182, which is probably my favorite Iron Man issue ever, Tony finally hits rock-bottom, as he pawns his coat to get a bottle of liquor, sits down in a blizzard, and waits to die. And while he's waiting, a fellow homeless woman who he's befriended goes into labor, and Tony realizes as he delivers her baby that he too deserves to live, and he vows to get sober. And he does. My description doesn't really do it justice, but if you care about Tony Stark as a character, you owe it to yourself to read this issue. Please.
After that, the rest of the book is Tony on the way up, with Tony and his friends the Erwins -- and Rhodey, of course -- putting their new lives together in California with their new electronics business, Circuits Maximus. I really like the Erwins but I could have done without the plot where Rhodey becomes irrationally angry at the thought that Tony might want to be Iron Man again. I mean, I understand why they went there and it makes sense, but I just don't like it. This of course culminates in Tony suiting up again -- albeit temporarily -- and fighting Rhodey until he sees sense. A lot of interpersonal dynamics going on in this one.
There's not a lot of bonus material here other than the annuals and a brief interview with Denny O'Neil (that nonetheless I enjoyed reading). Given that the plot links up with the first West Coast Avengers miniseries that was coming out at the time -- Tony and his friends run into the WCA, and Rhodey actually joins -- it would have been nice if they'd added the WCA issues, if they'd had room. But, hey, I guess we can always buy that Epic Collection separately.
Anyway, yes, this is definitely worth reading, as part of my personal favorite Iron Man arc -- and maybe someday soon they'll reprint the rest of it!
But a lot of good stuff still happens in this book, even if this one doesn't take you all the way to the triumphant finale. In #182, which is probably my favorite Iron Man issue ever, Tony finally hits rock-bottom, as he pawns his coat to get a bottle of liquor, sits down in a blizzard, and waits to die. And while he's waiting, a fellow homeless woman who he's befriended goes into labor, and Tony realizes as he delivers her baby that he too deserves to live, and he vows to get sober. And he does. My description doesn't really do it justice, but if you care about Tony Stark as a character, you owe it to yourself to read this issue. Please.
After that, the rest of the book is Tony on the way up, with Tony and his friends the Erwins -- and Rhodey, of course -- putting their new lives together in California with their new electronics business, Circuits Maximus. I really like the Erwins but I could have done without the plot where Rhodey becomes irrationally angry at the thought that Tony might want to be Iron Man again. I mean, I understand why they went there and it makes sense, but I just don't like it. This of course culminates in Tony suiting up again -- albeit temporarily -- and fighting Rhodey until he sees sense. A lot of interpersonal dynamics going on in this one.
There's not a lot of bonus material here other than the annuals and a brief interview with Denny O'Neil (that nonetheless I enjoyed reading). Given that the plot links up with the first West Coast Avengers miniseries that was coming out at the time -- Tony and his friends run into the WCA, and Rhodey actually joins -- it would have been nice if they'd added the WCA issues, if they'd had room. But, hey, I guess we can always buy that Epic Collection separately.
Anyway, yes, this is definitely worth reading, as part of my personal favorite Iron Man arc -- and maybe someday soon they'll reprint the rest of it!
April 16, 2022
I would actually probably rate this closer to 4.5 than 5 stars but rounded up because this is some of the best Iron Man comics I’ve ever read. I’ve been going through the entire Iron Man series and this has been an amazing block of books. For all the credit the first “demon in the bottle” story gets this is the actual Tony hitting rock bottom storyline. I’m shocked how dark this book got with Tony trying to overcome his alcoholism and I appreciate they’re not just doing a one issue and he’s all better. It wouldn’t be an easy road back and this series is showcasing that. I also really enjoy the James Rhodes as Iron Man and the conflicts he has with that. It’s a big deal to be Iron Man and it would be difficult to deal with feeling like an imposter while the guy who created the suit is still around. Overall this is a fantastic book and would absolutely recommend it to any Iron Man fan.
September 17, 2021
MINOR SPOILERS
The last collection was a strong start, and in this one it gets better!
This is the saddest part of Tony’s relapse, he’s living on the street, and spends every waking minute just getting his next drink. Dennis O’Neil writes a level of sincerity to how the alcoholism is shown, not just from Tony’s perspective and how his loved ones see him, but also from everyday people that he meets while homeless. Keeping with what I said in my review of the last collection, I’m still blown away by what O’Neil was able to do in this run. It gets really dark.
While this is happening with Tony, Rhodey, along with a former Stark International employee, Morley Erwin, and his Sister Clytemnestra (Dennis really did choose unique names in his stories) decide to form a start up company, with Rhodey taking work for hire jobs as Iron Man.
Issues 182, besides having one of my favorite Iron Man covers, is where Tony’s relapse comes to a head. A woman he’s been living on the streets with is going to have a baby, and as fate would have it, it’s during the worst snow storm New York has had in years, and Tony has to deliver it.
At this point Tony’s guilt has convinced him that if he was weak enough to relapse this bad, his life must not be worth saving, and is ready to freeze to death, but in helping bring a baby into the world and keep it safe from the cold, he rediscovers the inherent innocence in all life, and the importance in preserving it. He’s not ready to be Iron Man again, far from it, but he’s ready to get back on the road to recovery.
A word of caution, issue 178 is a pretty campy childish story about a bunch of kids that dress as the Avengers. It’s dumb, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a little fun with it. The book straight up tells you it was written because they swapped editors for an issue, but really, it is kind of a breath of fresh air between the sad parts.
Other than that, it’s damn good
The last collection was a strong start, and in this one it gets better!
This is the saddest part of Tony’s relapse, he’s living on the street, and spends every waking minute just getting his next drink. Dennis O’Neil writes a level of sincerity to how the alcoholism is shown, not just from Tony’s perspective and how his loved ones see him, but also from everyday people that he meets while homeless. Keeping with what I said in my review of the last collection, I’m still blown away by what O’Neil was able to do in this run. It gets really dark.
While this is happening with Tony, Rhodey, along with a former Stark International employee, Morley Erwin, and his Sister Clytemnestra (Dennis really did choose unique names in his stories) decide to form a start up company, with Rhodey taking work for hire jobs as Iron Man.
Issues 182, besides having one of my favorite Iron Man covers, is where Tony’s relapse comes to a head. A woman he’s been living on the streets with is going to have a baby, and as fate would have it, it’s during the worst snow storm New York has had in years, and Tony has to deliver it.
At this point Tony’s guilt has convinced him that if he was weak enough to relapse this bad, his life must not be worth saving, and is ready to freeze to death, but in helping bring a baby into the world and keep it safe from the cold, he rediscovers the inherent innocence in all life, and the importance in preserving it. He’s not ready to be Iron Man again, far from it, but he’s ready to get back on the road to recovery.
A word of caution, issue 178 is a pretty campy childish story about a bunch of kids that dress as the Avengers. It’s dumb, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a little fun with it. The book straight up tells you it was written because they swapped editors for an issue, but really, it is kind of a breath of fresh air between the sad parts.
Other than that, it’s damn good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2024
While a healthy dose of nostalgia doesn't hurt my score for this volume, there really is some great stuff in here.
Rhodey struggling to figure out how to be a superhero and poor Tony just struggling through the days.
A solid batch of stories.
Rhodey struggling to figure out how to be a superhero and poor Tony just struggling through the days.
A solid batch of stories.
March 22, 2023
Duel of Iron is at times, frustrating, goofy and annoying, but its overall tale of two men of which Iron Man means so much to them and the struggle it takes to live up to the mantle accompanied by personal expectations and self doubt is mostly strong in its delivery.
Tony Stark
Anyone who knows me, knows that Iron Man isn't a character I care for normally, and Tony Stark is a huge cause of this, often I find the way he's written is downright poor, and most of the time its hard for me to like the character. His struggle with being an alcoholic these past few years have been some of the most compelling. During this run, Tony has hit rock bottom, he's lost everything. What follows is a story of redemption and a reclaim of ones self, there is a monologue from Tony in this that admittedly is a bit preachy, but I do think the message his important for its time which talks about being an alcoholic and the shame and depression and such that comes with it.
James Rhodes
Rhodey has several issues going on, trying to live up to the Iron Man mantle while also trying to support Tony even though a part of him is guilty because he's glad he gets to be the hero wanted to be. It consumes him to the point where he has a serious health issue because of it and it causes him to lash out at Tony, his best friend. He gets angry and jealous and this leads to a confrontation with Tony.
Duel of Iron
This leads to really the main point, which is both men crave something from the suit of armor, however but are afraid of what it does to their souls, Tony blames the suit partially for the path he took for being Iron Man, drinking being his only relief from it even though he loves every aspect of it. James wanted nothing more than to be a hero, he wanted to prove that someone with his skin color can be something incredible and to inspire kids, however he never felt like he truly earned it, and never got a chance to find his inner self.
Overall
This was certainly on the better arcs that Iron Man has had, that being said aspects of the story outside of what I talked about did have its faults. A lot of the villains never felt threatening themselves so much as James was dealing with this inner turmoil that caused lack in judgement and erratic behavior, in some issues they were flat out over the top. Mixing that with goofy side plots and villains and the resolutions to certain problems happening a bit too quick is what brought this down for me.
Tony Stark
Anyone who knows me, knows that Iron Man isn't a character I care for normally, and Tony Stark is a huge cause of this, often I find the way he's written is downright poor, and most of the time its hard for me to like the character. His struggle with being an alcoholic these past few years have been some of the most compelling. During this run, Tony has hit rock bottom, he's lost everything. What follows is a story of redemption and a reclaim of ones self, there is a monologue from Tony in this that admittedly is a bit preachy, but I do think the message his important for its time which talks about being an alcoholic and the shame and depression and such that comes with it.
James Rhodes
Rhodey has several issues going on, trying to live up to the Iron Man mantle while also trying to support Tony even though a part of him is guilty because he's glad he gets to be the hero wanted to be. It consumes him to the point where he has a serious health issue because of it and it causes him to lash out at Tony, his best friend. He gets angry and jealous and this leads to a confrontation with Tony.
Duel of Iron
This leads to really the main point, which is both men crave something from the suit of armor, however but are afraid of what it does to their souls, Tony blames the suit partially for the path he took for being Iron Man, drinking being his only relief from it even though he loves every aspect of it. James wanted nothing more than to be a hero, he wanted to prove that someone with his skin color can be something incredible and to inspire kids, however he never felt like he truly earned it, and never got a chance to find his inner self.
Overall
This was certainly on the better arcs that Iron Man has had, that being said aspects of the story outside of what I talked about did have its faults. A lot of the villains never felt threatening themselves so much as James was dealing with this inner turmoil that caused lack in judgement and erratic behavior, in some issues they were flat out over the top. Mixing that with goofy side plots and villains and the resolutions to certain problems happening a bit too quick is what brought this down for me.
June 12, 2025
My favourite run on the character. I haven't read much of Denny o'Neil prior to this, but I understand his impact. John Stewart; returning Batman to his original moody aesthetic.
As someone whose dad was an alcoholic, this was such a personal read. My dad was a lawman who simply couldn't handle the crime scenes, and spiralled into alcoholism. I'd like to think that, if he knew the anguish he caused his family, he could've found himself again, as did Tony Stark. In much the same way O'Neil redefined James Rhodes (choosing to take on the mantle of Iron Man), my mum began seeing another man, who has made a greater, more positive impact on my life. Even if he has his own life and family, this has taught me not to take things for granted in it's own way.
It's a pity that the suit that reinvigorated Stark wasn't seen much afterwards. It was literally built by Stark himself to curb his addiction.
Obadiah Stane really is one of Iron Man's most evil villains. The character has such a hold on those around him. I adore how he has Rhodes (as Iron Man) find Stark to get him off his addiction, just to gain complete control of Stark: he just isn't content on overlooking Stark Industries.
Overall, a fantastic rise and fall and rise again tale about a man struggling with his demons
As someone whose dad was an alcoholic, this was such a personal read. My dad was a lawman who simply couldn't handle the crime scenes, and spiralled into alcoholism. I'd like to think that, if he knew the anguish he caused his family, he could've found himself again, as did Tony Stark. In much the same way O'Neil redefined James Rhodes (choosing to take on the mantle of Iron Man), my mum began seeing another man, who has made a greater, more positive impact on my life. Even if he has his own life and family, this has taught me not to take things for granted in it's own way.
It's a pity that the suit that reinvigorated Stark wasn't seen much afterwards. It was literally built by Stark himself to curb his addiction.
Obadiah Stane really is one of Iron Man's most evil villains. The character has such a hold on those around him. I adore how he has Rhodes (as Iron Man) find Stark to get him off his addiction, just to gain complete control of Stark: he just isn't content on overlooking Stark Industries.
Overall, a fantastic rise and fall and rise again tale about a man struggling with his demons
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2019
Rhodey's time with the Iron Man armor continues and Tony finds himself being forced back to wearing the armor once more. The collection features one of the most intense stories of redemption as Tony hits his lowest moment as he suffers through overcoming his alcoholism.
October 28, 2017
Pretty much the same quality as the comics before this. They're certainly not bad, but they're not great.
October 19, 2019
Wraps up the arcs from the previous Epic collection. These two collections really should be considered one long story. I really enjoyed both.
July 22, 2020
As much as I like the author and characters this batch of issues felt very stagnant. When the story did start to pick up, I found it to be exhausting. I understand the Tony/Rhodey rivalry here, but that doesn't mean it was interesting.
We discussed further in a special episode of Comic Book Coffee Break: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObFZE...
We discussed further in a special episode of Comic Book Coffee Break: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObFZE...
December 10, 2021
Not a bad collection, though some of the characterisations were a little over the top.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews