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Iron Man by Denny O’Neil: Self-Destruction and Rebirth

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WARNING: References to addiction. If you are struggling with addiction, call the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP.

For generations, superheroes have been held up as an inspirational ideal, symbols of our own ability to transcend our limitations and realize our fullest potential. But for every moment of hope, there is one of doubt; a personal crisis that tears our self-image away and leaves us to face our own inner darkness. For many, this struggle is unending. It may break us. But it also gives us the opportunity to rise up, stronger than ever before.

In 1980, legendary writer Dennis “Denny” O’Neil returned to Marvel comics after a decade of revitalizing characters like Batman and Green Arrow for DC. The author would take on a number of assignments while at Marvel, including work on the Amazing Spider-Man and picking up Frank Miller’s Daredevil, but one of his most impactful works for the company would be his four-year stint on The Invincible Iron Man alongside artist Luke McDonnell. Drawing from his experiences with addiction and recovery, O’Neil’s run would fundamentally transform the armored avenger, having the hero wage his greatest battle yet, and turn his inner resilience into his greatest strength.

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A Perfect Spider-Man Story: Unscheduled Stop

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What makes a perfect Spider-Man story?

There are the epic adventures, the character-redefining runs, and the incredible team-ups that have become permanently intertwined with the character. But some of my all-time favorite Spider-Man comics are single issues or two-issue arcs. Of course, there’s tons of awesome long Spider-Man runs out there, but these little bite-sized Spidey stories often drill down into what makes the character amazing. No need to get bogged down in lore or larger plot points or mysterious villains peeking from the shadows. Instead, we get Peter Parker, his friends, his enemies, or even just an internal struggle given center stage.

There’s classics like “Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut” by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr. Silly adventures like “When Cometh The Commuter” by Peter David and Bob McLeod. The mental anguish of “No One Dies” by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin. But of all of these, my favorite, and what I think is a truly perfect Spider-Man story, is “Unscheduled Stop.”

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Hickmania #7: Secret (W/ Open Mike Eagle!)

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Hello and welcome to Comic Book Herald’s Hickmania, a series running through 2022 where we’ll be reading and analyzing the creator-owned works of writer Jonathan Hickman, from his debut The Nightly News through to his most recent output. We’ll be reading one creator-owned work a month through 2022, and each month I’ll release a new analysis with a new guest discussing the comic!

Today we’re talking Secret and I’m joined by Open Mike Eagle! We’ll analyze the work in depth, so expect spoilers! In its brief 7 issues, Secret is a tale of modern corporate espionage that balloons into full Cold War secrets known only to a select few intelligence operatives.

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The Best Marvel Comics of 2022!

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I put together the initial looks at DC and Marvel’s best comics of 2022 around the same time, and the biggest thing that stood out to me was DC’s fragmented line of imprints and miniseries made it a lot easier to fill out a list of at least 10 recommended reads. Marvel’s on less solid ground this year, although certainly there are still good to great comics in the lineup. Let’s take a look at the best of the best! [Read more…] about The Best Marvel Comics of 2022!