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Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle by Carmine Infantino, Bob Layton, David Michelinie, John Romita Jr.
madelinerossell's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not really one for comics made before 2000 as I found the quality of storytelling, dialogue, and artwork went up drastically in the new millennium. That being said the subplot of his addiction brought this story up to 3 star from a 2.
alacy52's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
solariscrescent's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
daileyxplanet's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not the right age, and this isn't the right year for me to read this. Last issue is important, though.
ericbuscemi's review
4.0
This collection of comics from the late 70s features Iron Man's origin story, his rivalry with Justin Hammer, a fight with Whiplash and two other villains, Tony Stark's downward spiral into alcoholism, and guest spots with Namor and The Avengers. It really does have everything you need to get into the Iron Man character -- as long as you can accept that Tony Stark is drawn to look exactly like Charles Bronson, and swallow the campiness of Marvel's plot-lines of that comic era.
stealingyoursunbeams's review against another edition
2.0
Demon in a Bottle is a piece of comic canon that depicts a significant event in Tony Stark's life: his battle with alcoholism.
Alcoholism, really? There was barely any of it in here. Instead, it is issue after issue of Tony dealing with other problems (Namor the Sub-Mariner, Justin Hammer tampering with the Iron Man suit to cause the death of an international delegate, SHIELD having a controlling interest in Stark International) after which he'll get cozy with the said demon in a bottle. In fact, his alcoholism doesn't carry much weight in the plot until near the end of the arc, where it was acknowledged, struggled with, and then resolved within a few pages.
I also have issue with the descriptive dialogue the characters say, something along the lines of "My heightened refractory coating is a match for your cold beam!" Then again, perhaps comics were really written that way in the 70's.
Not to mention all the cheesy second-rate villains he has to face. I mean, Man-Killer? Seriously?
Still, I can't say this didn't help shape Tony Stark's character. His battle with alcoholism, no matter how briefly it was dealt with, created a lasting impact on the way Iron Man was written.
Alcoholism, really? There was barely any of it in here. Instead, it is issue after issue of Tony dealing with other problems (Namor the Sub-Mariner, Justin Hammer tampering with the Iron Man suit to cause the death of an international delegate, SHIELD having a controlling interest in Stark International) after which he'll get cozy with the said demon in a bottle. In fact, his alcoholism doesn't carry much weight in the plot until near the end of the arc, where it was acknowledged, struggled with, and then resolved within a few pages.
I also have issue with the descriptive dialogue the characters say, something along the lines of "My heightened refractory coating is a match for your cold beam!" Then again, perhaps comics were really written that way in the 70's.
Not to mention all the cheesy second-rate villains he has to face. I mean, Man-Killer? Seriously?
Still, I can't say this didn't help shape Tony Stark's character. His battle with alcoholism, no matter how briefly it was dealt with, created a lasting impact on the way Iron Man was written.
sam_antics's review
3.0
Some dated references, but overall the writing was good. Great for a look into Iron Man's history.
themtj's review against another edition
5.0
This book really impressed me. It has been heralded as one of the best Iron Man stories of all-time. That being said, I frequently find comics from this era to be a bit cringe worthy and thought this was a particular risk with a character like Tony Stark.
The titular issue actually the last issue in this collection. Tony's dependence on alcohol is the common thread in each issue and what seemed to be the main story was resolved in the penultimate issue. Only in the last issue do we realize that the real story all along was Tony against Tony. It packs quite a punch.
The titular issue actually the last issue in this collection. Tony's dependence on alcohol is the common thread in each issue and what seemed to be the main story was resolved in the penultimate issue. Only in the last issue do we realize that the real story all along was Tony against Tony. It packs quite a punch.
rsvnxorion's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
devinr's review against another edition
3.0
A classic in the Marvel canon, but I'd never read it until a month ago. The most surprising thing to me was that John Romita Jr. did the pencils for almost the whole story until after I'd finished the first issue. After reading him on books like Daredevil and the more recent World War Hulk, I can't see what I've come to identify as JRJR's style in here ANYWHERE. It's amazing to see the change, although I have a feeling that quite a bit of the visual style comes from Bob Layton's inks: if pencils by John Romita Jr. and Carmine Infantino look almost identical, then the inker definitely has a very strong style. This is one of the rare books that I liked the art and story much more than the dialogue or plot: Layton, JRJR, and Infantino are all great artists and I like their take on Iron Man (and his crew). I can see why the story was so important 30 years ago, and I'm glad I read it, but it's not as compelling as it once was.