So 70s, but a classic arc nonetheless. ( )

This is the famous story arc that deals with Tony Stark's alcohol abuse, as the danger of losing control of his business finally pushes him over the edge. Meanwhile, corporate crime boss Justin Hammer is enacting a plan to ruin Iron Man's (and by extension Stark Enterprises') reputation. The treatment of alcoholism is maybe a bit heavy-handed by today's standards, but one must remember that it was a different era, and that the average comic book reader at the time was quite young. (I was ten myself when I would start reading the series almost a year later.) It's a good start to a classic run, but both the writing and art would soon improve as Dave Michelinie would get a better feel for the characters and Bob Layton would take over the art (here he provides finishes over John Romita Jr.'s pencils.) ( )

The original issues, back when. Clichéd in spots, for example I remember "a good kind of tired" at the end. Still, it was a great story thread for its time. I haven't read the issues lately, but I expect they've aged well. ( )

I've been wanting to read the comic where Tony Stark has a drinking problem for quite some time. Ok, that sounds kind of weird, but it's true. This is the volume that includes the classic "Demon in a Bottle" comic.

What I didn't realize is that it's mainly the one issue (the last in this collection) that deals with it. The first 7 issues show Tony having occasional drinks but he doesn't really hit rock bottom until the issue before the eponymous #128. The storyline up to that point focuses on Justin Hammer messing with Iron Man's suit. It's a fun but not totally absorbing superhero adventure, and I felt a bit bored at times. So, if you're just reading this for the drinking problem stuff, you might be better off buying digital single issues of #127 and #128.

That said, that last issue is pretty great. It's pretty interesting to see a comic take on an issue like drinking and do it in a way that feels organic to the plot. Even more commendable is that the guy with the problem here is Iron Man himself! I've seen a lot of comics address addiction issues through sidekicks and friends of sidekicks, so it's great to see Marvel had the guts to use one of their biggest stars. ( )

Iron Man's alcoholic arc. Interesting, but not amazing.