I didn't buy this comic. But don't worry, your pal Chuck didn't steal it. When I was a mere lad, the guys in my neighborhood would trade comic books, just like baseball cards and even toys.
We'd scoop up the comics we were willing to trade, ride our bicycles to a friend's house, and then spread our comics out on the lawn or the driveway, and the wheeling and dealing would commence.
I don't remember the details of the trade or which friend had the comic originally, but this issue of Tales of Suspense, cover dated January 1963, is the first adventure of Iron Man I remember reading.
I was probably interested as much for the appearance by The Angel as anything. I was an X-Men fan almost from the beginning, and I especially liked the winged X-Man, even though his only power was that he could fly. There was something fascinating about how The Angel took so much joy in his ability.
Anyway, this is one of the early examples of the Marvel formula: two heroes meet, there's some kind of misunderstanding, and they fight. In this case, The Angel is accidentally exposed to an atomic blast (!) and he becomes evil.
Of course, The Angel should be no match for a powerhouse like Iron Man - but in his early adventures, Tony Stark's armor held a charge about as long as my last cell phone (we're talking 10 minutes, tops), so The Angel is able to use his agility to good advantage.
The resolution is somewhat difficult to swallow, but what the hey. You get a Kirby cover, classic Stan Lee dialogue and interior art by Steve Ditko - it's difficult to complain.
And if that's not enough, the issue also features a back-up story narrated by The Watcher, in which he introduces an alien race called the Sneepers, who are also watching us. Don't these characters own a TV?
At any rate, while this effort isn't the strongest by any of those involved, it's a comic I still remember and cherish. And you can't beat the price!
Grade: B+
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