Review: Ironheart #2

As the story arcs in Marvel“s Riri Williams/Ironheart continue to unfold; one theme is becoming clear. Ironheart is more descendant than derivative in terms of the character“s relationship to the Ironman franchise. And, Riri Williams is one of the most interesting heroes/heroines in the entire Marvel Universe. Much of this refreshing energy around a character whose stories have been previously mishandled must be credited to writer, Eve Ewing. Professor Ewing“s naysayers were wrong. Ironheart is the most exciting Ironman/Ironman-related comic (maybe ever), but certainly right now.

The Black girl genius trope has become a thing in comics. From Miranda Mercury to Image Comics“ Genius and Marvel“s Moongirl, Black girls have been depicted in comics with extraordinary, intellectual super powers. Riri Williams now joins this exclusive group of characters, but Ewing“s Ironheart is as invested in Riri“s heart as it is in her mind. Riri Williams has more heart than your favorite super hero and it gets across on almost every page of Ewing“s script. Even though the stories here are serious ”“ violent crime, the military industrial complex, and the abduction of children ”“ Ironheart still finds a way to be light-hearted, humorous and informative.

Splitting time between inner city Chicago and her own super-funded lab at MIT, Riri“s genius almost always appears to be a backdrop to other important aspects of her character. Her tragic experiences with gun violence in Chicago are beginning to haunt her in Ironheart #2 as flashbacks disrupt her concentration in the midst of a battle with her enigmatic enemies. For now, it appears that someone or some entity is abducting and manipulating the youth of Chicago with nefarious purposes in mind. It may seem odd that a genius superhero with an MIT lab isn“t simply in her lab gazing at gizmos and contemplating cosmic foes to fight. Ironheart isn“t that kind of hero.

As a superhero moniker, Ironheart bears almost no relation to Ironman. Riri“s heart isn“t made out of the metallic materials of an Ironman suit. Yet, her heart is as sturdy as they come. Even though MIT represents a unique opportunity for her to “transcend” her circumstances, she keeps the people of Chicago in mind constantly and works to establish her heroics in the hood from which she hails without much fanfare or overwrought reflexivity. One of the masterstrokes of this Ironheart arc is that Riri tends to focus on systems over situations and she tends to think about social structures more than individual bad behavior. In short, she is the kind of hero our real world needs right now. Riri cares about Chicago and in the world of Ironheart that makes her more of a hero than any of the super suit tech that she designs and invents for herself. 4.5/5

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(W) Eve Ewing (A) Luciano Vecchio (CA) Amy Reeder