COMICS101.COM SENDS A LOVE LETTER TO AXEL BRAUN’S IRON MAN XXX
Major Comic Site Applauds Braun’s Interpretation of The Mandarin in Adult Movie from Vivid
LOS ANGELES — 
In his article “Speaking Mandarin†for Comics 101,
editor Scott Tipton discusses the evolution of the Mandarin character portrayed recently in the summer blockbuster movie, “Iron Man 3.†But, Tipton believes, Axel Braun’s Mandarin adaptation in the adult movie parody “Iron Man XXX†from Vivid Entertainment comes the closest to the comic book.
Derrick Pierce as Mandarin in ‘Iron Man XXX.’ Image courtesy of vivid.com. ‘Iron Man XXX’ DVD cover courtesy of vivid.com.
“After being ever so lightly hinted at in the first Iron Man film (with the cleverly named ‘Ten Rings’ terrorist organization, a reference to the comic-book Mandarin’s ‘magic rings,’ the source of his powers), nearly everyone had expected the Mandarin to be the Big Bad in an Iron Man film sooner or later, and with the casting of Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin in ‘Iron Man 3,’ it looked as though that’s what we were getting. But although everyone expected the Mandarin…the Mandarin wasn’t really the Mandarin, instead just being a puppet for the world media…†says Tipton.
After reviewing earlier interpretations of the character, Tipton concludes: “Ironically, for the closest adaptation of the comic-book Mandarin, you’d have to go to porn director Axel Braun, whose willingness to recreate comics costumes and storylines in his line of best-selling ‘porn parodies’ is firmly established. However you may feel about porn, there’s no denying Braun’s geek cred. Take a look at Derrick Pierce as the Mandarin in Braun’s newest release from Vivid, ‘Iron Man XXX.’†Tipton’s complete article is available at http://www.comics101.com/comics101//?mode=project&action=view&project=Comics%20101&chapter=456.
“As a die-hard comic geek since childhood, I always strive to bring characters that I parody to life, the way I envisioned them as a kid,†said Braun. “The Mandarin is such an iconic, over-the-top, anachronistic villain that I simply could not imagine him without his scaled helmet and his rings. Don’t get me wrong, Ben Kingsley is a tremendous actor, and I understand the need for mainstream to have a different, modernized approach to superheroes in order to appeal to a broader audience. But I don’t need to have a $100 million opening weekend, and I am just thrilled that my adult parody has won accolades among fans like Scott Tipton.â€
Disclaimer: “Iron Man XXX: An Axel Braun Parody” is not sponsored, endorsed by or affiliated with Marvel Characters, Inc., Marvel Studios or any person or entity affiliated with them.
