REVIEW: Iron Man #2

Once again we are seeing a new take on a classic comic book character. This time Christopher Cantwell is putting his fingerprints on Tony Stark. It is easy to underestimate the challenge of taking on heroes like this. Considering the sporadic nature of comic fans they tend to have desires that are diametrically opposed to one another. They want things to remain the same but remain fresh while sticking to expectations enough to surprise you.Â

To complicate matters further a character like Tony Stark has greatly changed over the years do due to influences from the film. You cannot blame Marvel for trying to make the character on the page like the character on the screen. At the same time, that desire has led to a character who feels inauthentic. He has been this caricature of a real-life actor rather than his own full character. Enter this series to try to fix those wrongs.Â

Two issues in and there are a few things evident already. For one this is not the voice of Robert Downey Jr. through the lens of Christopher Cantwell. This is more akin to who Tony was prior to 2008 and the leader of the MCU. Secondly, this is a series that is digging deep and may require some patience some comic fans are not currently accustomed to with modern comics. Some writers like to come out with big and bold moves to grab immediate attention. Here a more cerebral approach is taken.Â

There is this mixture of old school pacing with modern character deconstruction. One and done stories are not all that commonplace but so far two issues in that is what we are getting with this series. Clearly, there is some connecting tissue as we get an opening that hints at a grander threat, but the main conflict within this story is resolved by the end of the issue. Ever rarer is allowing story to happen off-screen. Akin to a James Bond cold opening the issue drops in the middle of a conversation with Arcade prior to getting into the main conflict if this specific narrative. This jumping from one main plot thread to the next keeps the pace moving despite some of the hefty material.Â

Cardiac makes a rare appearance as he kidnaps pharmaceutical scientists to prove the evils of the Health Care industry. Iron Man apparently has his hands in everything including health care. Whether it is serendipitous or a purposeful point to today“s social atmosphere Tony Stark“s privilege is a target for all comers. Not just from these classic foes but also his new partner in superheroing Patsy Walker Hellcat. As the kids say, she is the first person to ”˜check his privilege“ to make Tony aware of how aloof he can be from normal society, and how acts of heroism may not be as selfless as may believe. Stark is open to this criticism as he undergoing his ownself reflection due to recent events including being killed.

Now there is some exciting action within to evaluation of the character of Tony Stark. Cafu is rising in the ranks of Marvel artists and placing him on a important relaunch like this is no mistake. He has a very cinematic style that gives each action beat a major punch. His staging is superb as displayed within the climax. From the speed to the power to the impact you understand and feel it all. Cafu skill all comes down to executing the key fundamentals. Make panel flow is easy to read and never allow your choices to become stale.Â

Colorist Frank D“Armanta uses a more muted color palette compared to recent Iron Man series. Considering this is a more slow down version dealing with deeper issues that choice makes a lot of sense. Similar to Cafu, D“Armanta is too sound with the fundamentals. Highlighting what is important to empathize where your eye should go. Hellcat“s costume is a good example as that as she jumps off the page with her yellow leotard.Â

Overall this is one of the deeper dives we have seen on a primary superhero character since the start of Tom King“s Batman run. How the narratives are not born primarily out of a hero reacting to a new villain threat. Instead, they are designed to examine the psychological nature of their titular hero to see who they are beyond the iconic tropes.Â Â

Similar to that run some may not click with a book that has these types of aspirational goals. Character studies allow for significant character growth but could limit the bigger action moments people are accustomed to especially within the Marvel universe. The lingering threat linking these issues does need some work as so far it is rather lackluster. Still, the work being done here does bold well for the future.Â

Overall Score: 3.5/5

(W) Christopher Cantwell (A) CAFU (CA) Alex Ross

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Daniel Clark

A fan of all things comics. Growing up on a healthy diet of 90's Batman and X-Men cartoon series ignited a love for the medium that remains strong today.