I always loved Iron Man's classic gold and red armor, but there was one artist that really put it over the top for me. Whether he was on full art duties or only as an inker, Bob Layton gave Tony Stark's armor an ultra shiny gloss that really made it look modern and hi-tech to my young eyes. It was the first time I has seen such effects depicting metallic surfaces, and it helped Iron Man to stand out among other heroes.
My favorite was the nose on the helmet. And the jet skates!
ReplyDeleteI never read hardwire, but the helmet always looked like something Jack Kirby would draw. I imagine if I read it the art style would be completely different than Kirbys.
ReplyDeleteWhich company is Hardware from; Image?
ReplyDeleteMilestone Comics, as the label indicates.
ReplyDelete@Cary: Hardware was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denis Cowan, along with Static and Icon and the "Dakotaverse". Milestone was eventually folded into DC and the universes were merged in between Final Crisis and Flashpoint. Hardware appeared in a couple of team ups with the Vixen / Doctor Light JLA. These days he's a mostly a mentor and hardware provider for Static.
ReplyDeleteBob Layton's work on Iron Man set a standard for the armor that is rarely equaled. The misplaced practice of making Tony's armor more and more complex has ruined the simple charm of the suit's first 25 years or so.
ReplyDeleteThank, Jay. You, too, Ross! :-)
ReplyDeleteDear Ross: in the immortal words of Kim Possible's mother?
ReplyDelete"Shame on you. You know labels don't mean anything!" ;-)
Bob Layton was the best artist ever for Iron Man.
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