Word Balloons: Iron Man' movie boosts comic's sales

The success of "Iron Man” the motion picture is translating into sales in comic shops as Marvel reported sellouts at the distributor level of "Invincible Iron Man” No. 1, by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca, and "Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas” No. 1, by Jon Favreau and Adi Granov.

Favreau directed the "Iron Man” movie, and was approached by Marvel to write a comic book featuring the character.

"It's a four-part series with Adi Granov, with all the stuff you can't do in the movie because you don't have the freedom,” Favreau said at the recent "Iron Man” press day in New York. "He and I had met each other through working on this film, and he helped design the suit, and we based the suit design on his drawings.”

"Invincible Iron Man” features Tony Stark facing off against Ezekiel Stane, the son of Obadiah Stane, the original Iron Monger, played in the film by Jeff Bridges. Fraction told Marvel.com about his take on Tony Stark, aka Iron Man.

"Tony Stark is equal parts James Bond and Chuck Yeager — a pioneer, a test pilot, an engineer, an adrenaline junkie visionary,” Fraction said. "Iron Man is the ultimate achievement in what we, as humans, can become. He's not the product of cosmic rays or a radioactive spider. He is the triumph of human ingenuity over the frailty of the human form.”

The second issues of "Viva Las Vegas” and "Invincible Iron Man” are set to ship June 4. Second printings of "Viva Las Vegas” No. 1 and "Invincible Iron Man” No. 1 are scheduled to be in comic book stores on June 11.

Copies of first printings of the comics may still be available at the retail level.