Having convinced Tony Stark to re-insert the repulsor technology in her chest so she can once again become the armored hero known as Rescue, Pepper Potts awakens in a hospital bed and is greeted by Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark and Maria Hill. Meanwhile, in Nevada, the heirs to the Hammer legacy train a team of drooling nerds in the use of a remote controlled weapon to compliment their Detroit Steel tech. Tony’s team of scientists and engineers rush to ready a car powered by repulsor technology and Rhodey gets chewed out by some cranky general. Then Tony puts on a hideous red tux. Thank god for those two pages in which Pepper puts her armor on, or else there would be nothing in this book resembling a superhero, armored or otherwise.
Credit where credit is due: Matt Fraction is telling a really interesting, futuristic story about resourceful entrepreneurs building toward the future from the ground up. He’s telling a great tale about deceitful weapons dealers and the conniving military men who do business with them. He can handle dialogue just as easily as he can handle bleeding edge technology that doesn’t really exist in the real world and if you’re looking for any of those things, you will enjoy this book. If you are looking for superheroes, however, we suggest that you stay as far away from this title as you possibly can.
Salvador Larroca? The man can draw some pretty sweet armor and teamed with colorist Frank D’Armata, they have a very unique and believable style when it comes to the technological masterpieces that are being depicted in the story. But if you’re one of those folks who criticizes the way he draws human beings (and I know there are plenty of you out there), then you might want to put this book back before you hit the cash register, as he doesn’t draw any armored characters save for the two pages in which Pepper puts her armor on.
Yes, you read that right. No fighting, no repulsor blasts, no… anything. We get a shot of Pepper looking at the armor, a brief glimpse of that big machine from the movie putting the armor on her and then a faraway shot of Rescue flying away. When the team of Hammer-employed nerds utilize their smartphones to control the remote weaponry, we barely even see the damn things flying around blasting stuff. Now, if this were the first issue to do this, it would be fine – but it’s something like the ninth. Yeah, that last arc that took place inside Tony’s head that went about 3 issues too long? The slow pace and lack of armored hero worked just fine for that story, despite the fact that it dragged on for months longer than it needed to. But to follow that story up with another one in which the only chances we ever get to actually see the Iron Man armor are either shots of Tony flying or standing still is pretty lame.
I’m sorry… I hate to put restrictions on comics or art. I hate to be the guy who says “A superhero comic must be this” because I don’t like to put limitations on art. Breaking from tradition and breaking the rules is what art is all about. But of course, every time I make a statement like that, you know I’m going to immediately contradict it, so here it goes: Hey Matt, how about putting some F#$&-ing superheroes in your superhero book?!?! You’re not writing Ex Machina, you’re writing Iron Man. You’re writing a comic that borrows heavily from the film version of Iron Man, a couple of movies known for … well, you know, actually featuring a man in a suit of armor fighting evildoers. The most action we’ve seen in the pages of Iron Man over the past 12 months is an advertisement for Secret Avengers #4 featuring Steve Rogers putting Nova’s helmet on his head. Seriously. Beyond that, it’s taking WAY too long for this story to play out. I feel like we’re just rehashing the same story elements over and over and scenes that could be over and done in four panels are taking two pages.
There seems to be some talk about Marvel grooming Matt Fraction to be the next Brian Bendis. It’s true that they are both very talented writers with a knack for thinking outside the box and coming up with some very compelling characters and amazing dialogue. But by now, it’s also true that they both have the reputation of stretching stories out far too long, writing for the trade and telling tales of supposedly superpowered folk standing around talking. Again, I don’t want to tell you what a superhero comic should be; but I think that maybe, just maybe it should feature a superhero at least once over the course of a story arc. Just a hunch.
Again, I won’t take anything away from Matt Fraction’s ability as a storyteller and if you like your books about costumed heroes fighting evil to feature dudes in wrinkled suits talking about the latest imaginary tech, this is your book and he handles it well. But if you like your books about costumed heroes fighting evil to feature costumed heroes fighting evil, you’ll find that Iron Man sucks.
What do you mean there's no superhero stuff? Did you miss the page where Tony uses his enhanced vision to read a message on a radio tower really far away? That's super! But actually this is a good story with good art and it seems to be going somewhere.
Now if you want to read a real piece of crap, check out Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors. Who thought it was a good idea to give Guy Gardner his own book? And "Emerald Warriors" is a terrible title.
Oh, look! Oko's bitching again!
I don't know what Guy Gardner has to do with an Iron Man review but I'm pretty i'll get it someday.
Yeah, I complain a lot but it's only because I care so much! Bringing Gardner into this was a bit of a stretch but the connection is that a book like that probably has enough action and super-heroics to satisfy anyone who's looking for only that but it doesn't make it a good book.
Also, nobody has mentioned that "Emerald Warriors" sounds like a comic for little girls so I wanted to work that in somehow. Because it needs to be said. I can't be the only one who thinks so. When you hear that title, don't you think it must be a Rainbow Brite spinoff or something? Maybe the Care Bears are involved.
*Yawn* What? You can't believe that Guy Gardner is in a title currently keeping with Iron man and you think his own title wouldn't work?
Shows how much you know about marketing. You wanna talk bad marketing decisions you should've brought up Magog. Now that was a bad decision!
. You’re writing a comic that borrows heavily from the film version of Iron Man, a couple of movies known for … well, you know, actually featuring a man in a suit of armor fighting evildoers.
Besides, give Chad some credit. This is the same reason I dropped the title also.
When you hear that title, don't you think it must be a Rainbow Brite spinoff or something? Maybe the Care Bears are involved.
I don't know, when I see 300 versions of the hulk running around with different colors I start think peppermint or cinamon gum...
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Couldn't disagree more... This has been a great story. Not much action, but a great read. There are a lot of crappy stories out there that are loaded with action. I am sure there will be action in the pay-off. In the mean time, I am enjoying this a ton.