Review: Iron Man #33
- Rick Moore
- Dec 5
- 7 min read
Introduction
“Good morning, Spymaster. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate and destroy Stark Industries' NY facility, as well as capture CEO Tony Stark. In addition, part of your mission is to increase the sales on Iron Man. Assisting you will be an artist whose talents do not lend themselves well to stories of this style. As always, should you or any of your Espionage Elite be caught or killed, the Publisher will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Spymaster.”
Good luck, indeed! Not only are you a new villain, Spymaster, but you've been tasked with returning readers to a title that's been through a ringer of six straight issues of dull one-issue stories - several of which that didn't even have an actual supervillain.
As for the rest of us, it's my guess that we've reached the time when Marvel rescinded their moratorium on continued stories. I also wonder if some other hands weren’t starting to offer stronger guidance to the inexperienced writer, Allyn Brodsky, about expanding the pallet of his stories, bringing in something more consistent with Tony Stark and his armored alter ego. I say that because this is the first issue of Brodsky’s tenure where we have references to previous stories and supporting characters, including the return of Jasper Sitwell.
If you’re unfamiliar with Sitwell, think of him as a “nerd’s nerd” doubling as SHIELD’s liaison to Stark Industries. Introduced a few years back in Strange Tales #144, he served essentially as comedy relief. Though competent, his poly-syllabic dialogue either brought amusement or quickly wore thin. Unfortunately, I fell into the latter camp.
Moving back to the comic book itself, both the story and actual writing are a step up for Brodsky.
Unfortunately, we’re back to Don Heck on the art. I say that because this is a story of intrigue, betrayals, espionage and several good explosions. None of which falls under Heck’s stylistic wheelhouse. His already dated style immediately diminishes the writer’s bold attempt to swing for the fences.
I think you’ll see what I mean as we find out about “Their Mission: Destroy Stark Industries.”
Synopsis.
Thanks to Sal Buscema's three-paneled cover, we already know we're in for a busy 19 pages. Still, after detailed introduction to the Spymaster and the Espionage Elite, it surprising to have our rather ungracious host eat up several pages with recaps, introspections and being a bit of "Debbie Downer."
That also includes lamenting Janice Cord - a lovely fellow CEO who lost her life over a year earlier and hasn't come up in months.
Fortunately, our hero wakes up on the right side of the bed the following morning. I say that because the Impossible Missions Force - I mean, Espionage Elite were busy beavers while he was crying in his soaps, setting the Spymaster’s Evil Plan in motion. It’s clear they mean to fulfill the title of this story.
As for Tony, he gets to chew out new cast member Kevin O’Brien for interrupting him during an important call. I don't want to be one to say it, but it wasn't me who transferred that annoying Irish guy from that Pacific island of arguing white people two issues back.
Anyway, no sooner than the newbie’s put in his place, Tony’s interrupted again. This time by SHIELD Director Nick Fury. (We’re talking about the old guy - not the uber cool Samuel L. Jackson one.). Seems Fury’s warning Stark about the Espionage Elite's planned attack. Of course, he can't spare any agents to help, completely forgetting or totally dissing Jasper Sitwell, the guy he's assigned to SI. But Fury can share a file later that evening with Tony Stark. (Wow. Life really was much more difficult when you couldn't just email those documents.)
Speaking of said SHIELD Agent, Tony then comes across a disheartened Jasper, who’s down on himself because Iron Man seems to take care of any problems at Stark Industries. Not to pile on the poor guy, but hey, the book isn’t called “The Invincible Jasper Sitwell." However, our guy's fully prepared for this moment, activating a conveniently prerecorded tape with Iron Man appearing on a monitor to tell both that he’s done fixing Stark’s problems. This not only restarts that fire in Jasper’s belly but also fulfills one of the three panels from that cover.
From there, it’s more action as O'Brien, clearly upset for not being in the previous issue, blows up his lab. This earns a tongue-lashing from an angry Iron Man which opens a brand-new plot line with O’Brien noting how both Stark and Iron Man sound the same when they’re angry. Yep. That’s gonna guarantee more screen time for him down the road.
As the enigmatic Elite continues their dubious deeds, Tony drives along darkened roads for his rendezvous with Fury. Instead of wondering why Fury can’t cough up any agents or didn’t reference Jasper at all, Tony muses about Whitney Frost, causing any newcomers to the book to wonder why a playboy would be remotely interested in a woman who wears a face mask like Dr. Doom.
Not that those readers would have much time to wonder about that because it’s then that the bombs planted by the Spymaster and his band of evildoers go off, creating all manner of chaos. Their insidious plan is going off without a hitch. That is until one of the Elite encounters … you guessed it. Kevin O’Brien! Making a third appearance! Clearly his agent is working overtime.
Unfortunately - or fortunately (depending on how feel about the chatty Irishman) - he's easily dispatched by Agent 5, letting us return our attention to Tony Stark who has finally arrived at his clandestine meeting with the SHIELD Director. Instead of a file, Tony Stark receives a blast from a ray gun, completing all obligations from that eye-catching cover. The issue ends our guy now the prisoner of Agent 3 who’d been disguised as Nick Fury and that he can do nothing to stop them from destroying Stark Industries!
Ratings
Story
This fast-paced issue is not only a step in the right direction. Frankly, it’s a leap in quality over the previous issues from Allyn Brodsky. Sure he's borrowing heavily from TV's "Mission Impossible." Still, industrial espionage goes along with Iron Man like biscuits with gravy. Although the Spymaster doesn’t do much this issue, he does enough to have us ready to watch when he and Iron Man cross swords in the next one.
But that doesn’t mean there weren’t flaws with the writing and story. Every issue is a first issue for someone. Particularly an issue such as this that was widely promoted with house ads throughout Marvel comics that month. Wouldn’t those readers have benefitted from knowing just a smidgen about Janice Cord, Whitney Frost and Jasper Sitwell?
Speaking of Jasper (and excusing the really silly notion of prerecorded tapes of Iron Man), wouldn’t a guy as sharp as Tony Stark wonder what was up if Fury’s calling him about a threat while the agent he’s assigned to that same company has no clue about it?
Still, an overall engaging story. 5/10
Art
Oh my. While this issue represents perhaps the best of the writer, it puts on full display every weakness of the artist. On top of some truly dreadful panels, the overall art barely achieves competence. Perhaps deadlines played a role, but for a comic that features so many moving parts, there are simply too many panels marred by uninspired pencils that the art pulls this story down. Put it another way. How would this story have come across had it been drawn by either John or Sal Buscema? Gene Colan? John Romita? Or George Tuska?
I shouldn’t do this, but I simply cannot ignore two particularly awful panels. One with about the most awkward depiction of the Avengers that I’ve ever seen - and Don Heck used to draw that book. Then the topper is the panel with several Avengers villains. I certainly get including Dr. Doom. But Sons of the Serpent? And the Minotaur? Ouch! Did Immortus, Baron Zemo and Loki forbid Heck from penciling their images?
Don Heck deserves respect for his role in Iron Man’s early issues. But even in 1971, this is art that simply is a bad fit for this series. And I’m not sure at that point, what series would best serve his strengths. 2/10
Wimp Factor
No fair! Iron Man’s only real appearance had him chewing out Kevin O’Brien. Not exactly a test of his powers. Oh well, there’s always next issue. 0/10
Villain Rating
Sure, they’re swiped from television, but the Espionage Elite are fun. At least enough to give them a 5/10 for doing what they’re meant to do. As for the main heavy, we didn’t get to see much of the Spymaster this issue, but based on what we did see, I’m awarding him a 6/10.
Overall Rating
Like I said, a decent story marred by bad art. 4/10
Additional Nuts & Bolts:
Sales figures took much longer at that time to be noted than today. An example is that the X-Men became a reprint after it was cancelled with #66 because the Thomas-Adams issues did increase sales more than initially noted. I'm guessing that the promotion of this issue with that house ad below was an attempt to boost sagging sales on this series. I'm also guessing it didn't hurt since it would be nearly a year before this book fell to bi-monthly sales.
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