Review- IRON MAN 2020

IRON MAN 2020 (Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Amazing Spider-Man Annual #20, Astonishing Tales: Iron Man 2020 #1-6 webcomic, Death's Head #10, Iron Man 2020 #1, Machine Man #1-4, and the Iron Man 2020 story from What If... #53 (cover dates October, 1984- May 13, 2009)

Writers: Fred Schiller, Ken McDonald, Tom DeFalco, Simon Furman, Walt Simonson, and Daniel Merlin Goodbrey with Barry Windsor-Smith and Bob Wiaceck

Artists: Mark Beachum, Herb Trimpe, Barry Windsor-Smith, Btryan Hitch, Bob Wiaceck, William Rosado, Lou Kang, Manny Galan, Craig Yeung, and Jim Amash

The Iron Man of 2020 is Arno Stark, the cousin of Tony Stark from the far flung future of 2020. This seems amusing to me here in the future present of 2019, but back when I first encountered the character in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #20 in late July of 1986 I figured that we would be living on the moon by 2020. Then-13 year old me sat there and wondered what I would be like in the year 2020. Would I be married? Have kids? Would Judas Priest still be around? Turns out the answers are divorced, yes, and, most surprisingly, yes.

Even 13 year old me thought that the artwork in ASM Annual #20 sucked.

Aside from the four issue mini-series by Tom DeFalco with Herb Trimpe and Barry Windsor-Smith, this is all pretty forgettable stuff . A lot of this book is just this middle of the road, mediocre stuff which began to plague comics circa 1986. This seemed to be around the time when Marvel began stretching themselves thin with the New Universe and endless mini-series.

This is one of those collected editions which, on the surface, seem like a hodge-podge scattershot of issues compiled between two covers. Once you read it, though, you realize that it is indeed a seamless story, albeit one which was published over two dozen odd years. It's worth a read but won't change your life.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Linework and Color restoration: Very good linework restoration and a color palette faithful to the original issues.

Paper stock: The same matte coated stock found in softcover Masterworks, Epic, and Classic lines. This is my favorite paper stock in the world.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.