When industrial villains Kearson DeWitt and the Marrs twins seize control of Tony Stark's central nervous system, he finds himself paralyzed during a battle with the Living Laser.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
A good run in which Tony finds himself at the mercy of unknown enemies who literally manipulate him like a puppet. Good suspense, good management of the action and the narrative. And also a formidable RomitaJr/Wiacek duo in great form - even if JR Jr sometimes lets himself go too easy on the sets. Paul Becton's colouring was pretty good for the time.
I would make 2 main criticisms of these 9 issues: - Very, very bad villains - and therefore very cartoonish villains. - the use of at least 1/3 of the page count to set up a subplot for the next run with the Mandarin and a surprise. Not that it's uninteresting or badly written, but it takes up too much space in relation to the main plot.
More 3.5* than 4 in the end but it deserves to be rounded up.
Tiene elementos de comic antiguo y elementos de comic nuevo. Aparte de eso, la historia es bastante chula, aunque se le dedican muchas viñetas a preparar la siguiente saga (que me pienso leer dentro de muy poco), lo que hace que esta se quede un poco corta. Se encuentra al villano de la historia casi al final y la lucha no es nada del otro mundo. La idea era muy buena, pero no está del todo bien ejecutada.
John Byrne and John Romita Jr had the greatest Iron Man run in the last 30 years. As Byrne forces Tony into dire straits with some aggressive corporate warfare, he sets up later arcs by following the Mandarin in his megalomaniacal pursuit of power in China.
What I love about this collection is the fact that Byrne takes Michellini's better ideas (which are hard to find since his Armor Wars issues are practically devoid of any memorable moments) and makes them into a proper story, complete with a newly powered Living Laser. Living Laser? F&@$ yes. With the proper writer, any villain can become an A-lister. Except Stilt-Man.
Having so many threads running through these issues, Byrne makes every page worth reading. He pulls us, lures us in, and weaves his magic around us. Instead of rolling our eyes like Michellini did, Byrne has a firm grasp of what it takes to write Iron Man.
As far as the art, I can't praise JRJR enough. It was like they bred him specifically to draw this book, to work on Iron Man. It's just brilliant. Every action scene is clear, every panel is perfection. I'd love to be able to see the pencils because the finished inks and colors are so dead on, I want to see what the undercarriage looked like.
La 2ª Guerra de las Armaduras es una compilación de los números 258 a 266 de El Invencible Iron Man, guionizada y dibujada por dos pesos pesados dentro de Marvel, John Byrne y John Romita Jr respectivamente. El título rinde homenaje a una de las sagas más queridas y memorables del personaje, Armor Wars o Stark Wars, que se serializó durante los ochenta y revitalizó totalmente al hombre de hierro. Pese al título, la historia no tiene mucho que ver con aquella, y nos presenta una historia completamente diferente.
A Tony Stark se le acumulan los problemas. Primero, porque ha vuelto un enemigo de su pasado que ahora es excepcionalmente poderoso: Laser-man, que clama venganza contra Iron Man y no va a detenerse hasta conseguirla. Segundo, la salud de Tony se está resintiendo. Tercero, otro de sus enemigos quiere hacerse con el control de Iron Man, solo que en vez de ir a por la armadura, han ido directamente a por el hombre: sustituyendo el sistema nervioso de Tony por el suyo propio, el cual pueden controlar a distancia.
Esta saga nos ofrece una trama interesante y llena de acción que te hace sufrir por Tony porque, ¿cómo diablos te vas a librar de algo así?, y que vale la pena sobre todo por las ingeniosas soluciones que va encontrando Tony sobre la marcha con la ayuda del siempre maravilloso Rhodey. El dibujo de Romita es muy bueno, aunque no soy muy fan de cómo dibuja a Tony, pero por suerte este no sale mucho sin la armadura. Al contrario que la saga a la que rinde homenaje y otras aventuras del hombre de hierro, no ahonda tanto en el aspecto psicológico del propio Tony Stark, más allá de algunas menciones a su alcoholismo y de cómo sus excesos físicos le están pasando factura. Tal vez por eso, aunque disfruté mucho la aventura en sí, se me quedó un poco corto, porque me gusta más Tony cuando no es únicamente un héroe de acción.
Por otro lado, el final es un poco anticlimático, porque tampoco te explican mucho las motivaciones de DeWitt ni el motivo por el que quería vengarse de Tony Stark. Eso es lo que no me gusta de los cómics de superhéroes y por lo que leo tan poco, porque para saberlo todo te tienes que leer mil cosas, y ni siquiera está todo dentro de la serie principal del personaje.
Además de eso el cómic incluye una subtrama en la que el Mandarín despierta a un dragón milenario de inconmensurable poder (llamado Fin Fang Foom, no pueden ser más rancios) para hacerse con el control de China. Es básicamente una introducción a un enfrentamiento que tendrá lugar en otra saga, por lo que por si sola tampoco aporta mucho.
La 2ª Guerra de las Armaduras es una aventura muy disfrutable con un dibujo fantástico y una trama con la que Tony las pasa canutas pero que, al centrarse tanto en la acción y con ese final un tanto vacío, se queda un pelín coja para los que preferimos a un Tony Stark más complejo y torturado.
Iron Man: Armor Wars II Written by John Byrne Pencils by John Romita Jr.
John Romita Jr. is one of my favorite super-hero artists. He co-created the book Kick-Ass, re-launched The Eternals with Neal Gaiman, and has had lengthy runs on many of Marvels most important books (currently drawing The Avengers). His characters are big, bulky, heavily shadowed, and textured; they were described by Brian Michael Bendis (currently plotter of the whole damn Marvel Universe) as looking like they were carved out of granite. His style gives his heroes (and villains) a visual gravitas that conveys imposing physical power, then counter poses their strength by showing them as little specks, dwarfed by some enormous machine, building, mountain, or giant green dragon named Fin Fang Foom. The contrast reminds the reader of humanity's (even super humanity's) relative vulnerability. His artwork is why I bought these comic books, this is why I like them. Most everything he does is worth reading for the art alone.
John Byrne's story in Armor Wars II has some good moments. Particularly the Rise of the Mandarin, his release of the aforementioned giant green dragon, and his mission to become the new emperor of China. Meanwhile Iron Man deals with an old enemy returned to destroy him, a nuclear meltdown at Tony Stark's own research facility, violent labor unrest at his various businesses, and the loss of control of his central nervous system (hijacked unbeknownst to him by some mysterious corporate enemies). Nothing revelatory here, just some fun destructive fights, and the best depiction of the Mandarin (and Fin Fang Foom) I've ever seen. Buy if you love J.R. jr. All 9 issues <$2 on mycomicshop.com or TPB ~$20 on amazon or mycomicshop.com
Reprints Iron Man (1) #258-266 (July 1990-March 1991). Someone has tapped into Tony Stark. He’s being monitored, controlled, and he doesn’t even know it. When Tony collapses during a battle with his enemy Living Laser, Tony realizes something is wrong with him…and he doesn’t know if he can continue to be Iron Man if he doesn’t find out what is wrong. Meanwhile as Tony seeks answers to his medical condition, one of Iron Man’s oldest villains is rising in China…the Mandarin has a new lease on life and could bring the world to its knees.
Written by John Byrne, Iron Man: Armor Wars II is a Marvel Comics superhero comic book collection. Featuring art by John Romita Jr., issues in the collection were also collected as part of Iron Man Epic Collection—Volume 17: War Games. In 2013, a four issue series numbered Iron Man (1) #258.1-258.4 was released by David Michelinie called Iron Man: Armored Vengeance.
Iron Man has never been one of my favorite Marvel heroes. I actually liked the movie a lot more than the comic in that sense. Armor Wars was a big run in the original Iron Man series and the follow-up Armor Wars II kicked off the 1990s…and feels like it falls somewhere between a 1990s comic and a 1980s style comic.
The first aspect of the story is that Armor Wars II is kind of in title only. The series doesn’t really have a tie to the original Armor Wars storyline, but simply has Tony fighting corruption from within…in this case literally. The Marrs Corporation (which plagued Namor at this time) is behind the initially takeover but it falls largely on a man named Kearson DeWitt who is running the project. DeWitt’s motives and actions aren’t really explained in the volume (Stark doesn’t recognize him) and he is supposed to be a mysterious figure…but it feels rather incomplete as “rounded story” in that sense.
What also is incomplete in the story is the story of the Mandarin which takes up a large portion of the collection. The Mandarin is restored to his former greatness (with the help of fan favorite Fin Fang Foom) and another mysterious player Chen Hsu who likewise isn’t explained. The Mandarin storyline runs parallel to Tony’s storyline but is set-up for the following issues. While this isn’t uncommon at the time, it feels a bit odd in today’s collections which revolve around rather ridged “collectible” storylines which fit nicely in trade paperback collections.
Iron Man: Armor Wars II has a few good moments, an appearance by some West Coast Avengers allies, and the Mandarin storyline isn’t bad, but overall, it feels a bit like a non-story. The plot and development of the run leads to the expected “big battle” between Iron Man and DeWitt, but it doesn’t have the gravitas of the previous Armor Wars story. Fortunately, it is buoyed by nice art by John Romita Jr. and decent scripting by Byrne…I just hoped for more in general.
Tony Stark se ve en jaque frente a un enemigo que desconoce y, sin embargo, controla al hombre tras el casco. Premisa sugerente narrada con oficio por John Byrne y que John Romita Jr dibuja con acierto, conformando una saga -o más bien media saga- que se lee gratamente gracias a su combinación de buenos diálogos y trazo dinámico. no está exenta de faltas, claro: al integrar un solo gran arco con el siguiente tramo (La Semilla del Dragón), no hay claridad respecto a los responsables de subyugar a Stark ni concluye la historia secundaria sobre El Mandarín, dejando la sensación de un final abierto y abrupto cuyo concepto redondeaba mucho mejor al pensar esta saga y su sucesora como un gran arco integral en vez de ligarla innecesariamente a Armor Wars. Pero ya está hecho.
Enjoyable Iron Man story that while is not exactly a sequel to the classic "Armor Wars" story, makes for a fun read. John Byrne doesn't quite explain how this is Armor Wars II, as its mostly about Tony Stark being taken over by the evil Marrs twins while his ancient enemy, the Mandarin, regathers his strength. The main appeal is John Romita Jr.'s art, in which he fully steps into his gritty style that would make him one of the best penciler's in the business, with some fantastic character designs and action sequences. All in all, not one of the best Iron Man stories but a nice showcase for Romita's art.
Really well done comic books by John Byrne (writer) and John Romita, Jr. (penciler). These issues still hold up 20 years after they were originally published. I think that when the Essential Iron Man line of black and white phone books hits the late 1970s then I will start picking them up. Everything that I have read from 1979-on (via trade paperback) has been extremely enjoyable.
Historia clásica del Vengador Dorado, que siendo una buena historia no recomiendo a gente que no sepa donde se mete. Es un comic clásico y como tal lo recomiendo a nostalgicos, completistas o gente que quiera experimentar pero sabiendo a lo que va.
If you're an Iron Man fan, especially one who followed the character back in the late `80s and early `90s, there was no bigger Iron Man storyline than the now classic Iron Man: Armor Wars saga. That was a game changing event for the character, and remains one of the best-loved Iron Man stories all these years later. When Marvel announced that there would be a sequel, and that the Armor Wars II saga would be written by John Byrne and illustrated by John Romita Jr. - both of whom were high profile names at the time - expectations were understandably high. Unfortunately, the Armor Wars II saga, which ran in Iron Man #258-266, was not the armored epic fans were hoping for.
John Byrne is rightly considered a comics legend, especially for his Marvel work in the `80s. This, however, is not one of his better stories. It's not really a full "storyline" at all. You get a couple of issues devoted to the Living Laser, a Mandarin sub-plot that has more to do with later Iron Man stories than this one, and a villain we never really come to know or understand. And calling this story Armor Wars II is false advertising almost any way you look at it. There are almost no parallels to the original Armor Wars story, very little in armored hero vs. villain fighting, and nothing that really qualifies as a major event. Byrne's overuse of massive thought bubble recaps nearly every issue also takes away from the story's effectiveness.
The artwork was the real reason I picked up this trade paperback. I loved John Romita Jr.'s artwork back in the day, especially his progress from Uncanny X-Men to Daredevil, and he brought a fresh new look to the Iron Man title. This was before his blocky "ugly Lego people" phase, and now that the color on these pages has been "remastered" and the paper upgraded to bright, glossy stock, the artwork just pops.
As much as I enjoyed the artwork, in the end the story was just not impressive enough that I ever expected to see it collected in a trade paperback. It was worth it to me just to see the cleaned up artwork, but the Armor Wars II collection is not one that will be taken off the shelf for repeat reads.
Story-quality-wise, this probably only deserves 3 stars. The title is a misnomer, the main plot thru-line less "armor war" than "body war" waged directly on tony stark. The subplot, focusing on the Mandarin & Fin Fang Foom, shows a lot of potential but apparently doesn't bloom until the next story arc. The conventions of a time when comics were written for serialization, not trade, and which disappoints largely because the next arc is not penciled by JRJR.
John Romita Jr.'s art in these issues is deliriously good. All those angled lasers and kirby dots, titanium ghosts & scaly dragons. I had one issue (#259) of this as a kid that I was fascinated by, dazzled by the Living Laser, though curiously I never sought out the rest. Which is a shame because JRJR's Fin Fang Foom is sublime.
This was one of the better collections I've read so far. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with John Byrne's writing, partly his take on the Living Laser. The whole book moves quicker than any other Iron Man story I've read. But John Romitia Jr. art is the real selling point. Armor Wars II It may be early in his career, but he wasn't playing around back then. The scenes with the Living Laser going full power are incredible, full of dynamic action and color. I wish more Iron Man comics looked like this.
DeWitt is back, and finds a way to control Tony Stark's body. This is further complicated when a foe from the past decides to kill Iron Man. Meanwhile the Mandarin is gaining his power back. I think the idea that Tony Stark is restricted and can only move with the power of his mind is clever. It's not quite like the first armor wars, as there's not really another armor that he is fighting. Though you do wonder about the amount of pain they have been putting him through in this run. A good read.
La prima guerra delle armature fu quasi un capolavoro, questa seconda è solo una bella storia. Merita, per carità, sia per i disegni di JR jr sia (ma meno) per i testi di Byrne. Peccato che col tempo abbia iniziato a diventare una moda.