The
Masked Bookwyrm's Graphic Novel (& TPB) Reviews
Iron Man Graphic Novel and TPB Reviews ~ Page 2
"When industrialist Tony Stark, inventor extraordinaire, garbs himself in solar-charged, steel mesh armor, he becomes the world's greatest human fighting machine..."
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Iron Man published by Marvel Comics
Iron
Man: The Books of Korvac II - Overclock
(2021) 136 pgs.
Written by Christopher Cantwell. Illustrated by Cafu, Angel Unzueta.
Colours: Frank D'Armata. Letters: VC's Joe Caramagna.
Reprinting: Iron Man (2020 series) #6-11 - plus covers
Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Review post: May 2024
This is the middle of three volumes collecting an epic saga wherein Iron Man (and various allies) battle the returning Michael Korvac, a being with God-like powers intent on reshaping the universe into his idea of Utopia. (Although the first volume, titled Big Iron, doesn't identify itself as the Books of Korvac I).
I had picked up the trilogy of books on a whim because they were on sale and I had read some good reviews. But despite having some definite strengths, I had actually found the first volume a touch underwhelming.
One thing worth addressing up front is how, well, un-welcoming so many modern comics are to the casual reader (in terms of recapping info). I read the first volume just a few weeks earlier and even I had trouble getting back into the story, remembering what happened and who the characters were!
Anyway this picks up at the end of the last story, where Iron Man and his allies were trounced by Korvac. So badly trounced that Tony's neck is broken and the only thing keeping him alive and functioning is his Iron Man armour. But because Korvac is such an immediate threat he and his allies have to soldier on. His allies include Hellcat (established as a co-star and love interest in the previous volume), familiar pal, Jim Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine, and an ad hoc of second string heroes: Misty Knight, Gargoyle, Frog-Man, Scarlet Spider (apparently a literal clone of Spider-Man) and a guy named Halcyon, introduced in the previous volume. It's meant to be a quirky B-team (though the explanation for why they are tasked with saving the universe as opposed to summoning the Avengers is dubious, but I guess that's a staple of super hero comics -- the heavy hitters out of town so the second-grade hero has to stand up).
They head off into space after Korvac and his allies (a team of Iron Man's B-level villains) where Korvac intends to hijack the world ship of Galactus to implement his universe re-making plan. And there's some Star Wars/Star Trek space action as the heroes' and villains' ships shoot at each other in space.
But then a whole secondary plot intrudes when Iron Man vanishes from the scene and finds himself mysteriously on a bucolic planet populated by other displaced beings from across the universe, including a couple of fellow earthmen he knows. One is a Canadian with his own armoured-suit (that Tony apparently met once in another story, and who speaks in a very idiosyncratically Canadian way) and the other is the villain, Stilt Man, who seems to have turned over a new leaf and is the benevolent head of the community. But aside from the mystery of how Tony got here (or where here is) there are other dark secrets to be uncovered.
It's an interlude inserted into the greater Korvac arc. Occupying a few issues and resolving here, I suppose it at least gives this collection a story with a beginning and end even as the greater Korvac plot is still "to be continued."
And my feelings continue to be mixed.
It's one of those things where I actually read the whole book over the course of a day or two, a testament to its eminent readability. But equally, sometimes such binge-ing is because I'm not enjoying it that much and am hurrying through it. Or not even "not enjoying" but just not finding it sticks with me or makes me want to take my time and savour it.
The art is supplied by two artists: Cafu, the artist from the previous volume, and Angel Unzueta. The two have sufficiently similar style that the switch isn't especially distracting. And both have similiar strengths and weaknesses. More strengths than weakness, perhaps, in that they present attractive, realist art, and draw a cool Iron Man. But there can be a certain stiffness, a kind of genericness to faces and facial expressions. And colourist Frank D'Armata continues to favour a subdued colour palette that kind of saps the energy out of the images with even scenes set under a bright sun (like Iron Man's sojourn on the mysterious planet) looking perpetually overcast. (Or mayhap it's a problem with the colour processing on the comics).
I'm not sure what to say about writer Cantwell because some of my ambivalence is just a general attitude toward the modern style of a lot of comics. A feeling that he's trying so hard to make it seem like he's writing a profound story that he forgets to let it pulse with flesh and blood. He wants to delve into Tony's character, but often in a heavy handed way, where it's just articulated in conversations between him and Hellcat rather than subtly conveyed through the interactions.
A thread is that, because of his neck injury, Iron Man has a morphine drip feed in his suit. Because of Tony's issues with addiction (remember, Iron Man famously first did an alcoholism storyline in the 1970s), Tony's hyper aware he'll probably start abusing it. And indeed, later we are told he is overdoing it -- even referring to being high. But funnily enough -- it's not really portrayed in his actions. Not do we explore what an addictive personality might be like, what leads him to hitting the morphine more than he should.
It's almost like Cantwell feels as long as he refers to the addiction, he's done his job and the comic will seem smart and adult. Just as in the previous volume the characters talked about white male privilege. It can almost feel like a checklist of topical phrases he's checking off rather than things he's truly diving into.
And my point about "flesh and blood" is just that for all his interest in talking about characterization -- his actual attention to exploring characters seems weaker. As mentioned, a team of misfits is assembled to help Tony. But, honestly, I still don't have much sense of who they are or felt scenes were being filtered through their perspectives.
Perhaps an example of that is how in one issue Korvac goes to a planet where the original Human Torch is living in seclusion (more on that aspect in a sec). Part of the point is that Korvac feels a kinship with the android hero and wants to recruit him for his divine crusade partly because he wants someone who is more than an underling (unlike his other aides). The problem is: we never really got any hint of that character-stuff, or of Korvac feeling lonely, in the previous issues.
And the problem with a focus on "character exploration" versus actual characterization, or character development, is the character's aren't really that deep. Korvac thinks he's acting for a greater good, but almost immediately the heroes say he's just an egotist and, yeah, that's about all there is so far. Or there's an entire sequence where Hellcat has this dream/psychic odyssey taking her back to her youth. But by the end of it -- I'll be darned if I understood the point. It's like we took a deep dive into the character -- only to find it was a wading pool.
And the thing about the Human Torch appearance is another, maybe minor, issue with this saga. I'd say Cantwell clearly knows and loves his Marvel lore but, come to think of it, I've read a lot of similiar-style comic book sagas so maybe it's editorial pressure to insert as much lore and references and cameos as possible in a saga. But the saga is chock full of dropping in familiar characters and references to the point where most of the surprise twists are just revealing some character the reader is already supposed to know, from the Human Torch, to the Stilt Man, to Galactus, to Ultimo robots. Viewed a certain way it's a love letter to Iron Man (and Marvel) lore. But viewed another way, a lot of the scenes and moments will lack impact or resonance if you don't know who these people are, or the events being referenced -- and even if you do.
Sometimes comics can create grand, fun sagas by drawing upon the vast lore, the story seeming bigger and more epic because it draws upon past stories. But that often only works if there is some recapping and flashbacking to get the uninitiated up to speed, so they understand those references. Or, even better, if the writer can slyly foreshadow things. Want the original Human Torch to enter the story? Work in some earlier scene where characters casually reference the Human Torch so that when he appears, it can feel organic.
As it is, even recognizing some of the references and characters it still just made the story seem choppy, gimmicky, and not appropriately self-contained.
At this point, I'm not expecting any big change in my opinion with the next volume (but we'll see). I'm not hating the Books of Korvac saga -- I'm turning the pages and it's holding my interest just enough. But it's not really exciting me. The plotting isn't really offering any big twists or surprises (even the plot set on the bucolic planet) and as I say, I just have a different view, and preference, to how characterization should be conveyed.
Iron
Man: The Books of Korvac III - Cosmic Iron Man
(2022) 185 pgs.
Written by Christopher Cantwell. Illustrated by Cafu, Angel Unzueta, Ibraim Roberson, Julius Ohta, Lan Medina.
Colours: Frank D'Armata. Letters: VC's Joe Caramagna.
Reprinting: Iron Man (2020) #12-19 - with covers and alternate covers
Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Review post: May 2024
The third -- and final -- volume collecting an epic storyline wherein Iron Man is trying to stop Korvac from attaining near Godhood and remaking the entire universe in his singular idea of Utopia. To do this Korvac and his henchmen (a collection of old Iron Man villains) have set off into space to locate the space ship of Galactus (recurring Marvel cosmic being) and access its supply of cosmic power.
So at this point it's worth stopping and saying, yeah, I'm not sure the plot makes any sense on a literal level. I don't think we're told why Galactus isn't home or how the Cosmic power can really turn people into Gods -- since even Galactus never evinced the sort of power to remake the entire universe. But I suppose the answer is: it's a comic book. Just go with it.
The problem with a lackadaisical attitude, that it's all in service of gee whiz fun...is that Cantwell's entire run has been pretty self-important and pretentious and gets moreso as this plot reaches it's denouement. So the two impulses clash.
Anyway, taking the plot as it's given: Korvac and his henchmen want the Cosmic power, Iron Man and his equally motley misfit team of semi-heroes (assembled previously) want to stop him.
The first few issues are full of slam bam action as the two groups get into a big fight (which, if you hadn't read the previous issues, might seem an odd way to begin a collection).
And then the story takes a wild turn as Iron Man decides the best way to thwart Korvac's plan...is to take the power for himself and turn himself into a god! Hence the collection's sub-sub-title: Cosmic Iron Man.
And once he's a god he returns to earth and, power corrupting and all that, decides to do what Korvac wanted to do -- create Utopia. So as a trial experiment he raises the intelligence of everyone in New York to his level, making everyone from a garbage collector to a stock broker a genius. But what of free will? That's what his former team mates, and his quasi-girlfriend Patsy Walker (a.k.a. Hellcat), wonder and they set themselves against him.
And...I dunno. I'll admit, by this point Cantwell has sort of lost me as a reader. I had read the first two volumes (buying the trilogy when they were on sale) with some ambivalence -- liking aspects, not so much others. So by this point nothing here has successfully turned me around.
The problem I have with Cantwell's run, and I freely admit I have this trouble with a lot of modern comics (and some other narrative mediums) is he so clearly wants to write something deep and meaningful and profound -- and I just didn't feel he pulled it off. He wants to write a deep, probing insight into Tony Stark's character -- but more in a telling rather than showing way. Lots of long-winded talking scenes explaining character and motivation -- and too little of creating living, breathing characters.
Tony and Patsy became lovers back in the first volume and yet I never believed in their relationship. Or that Cantwell believed in, or cared about, their relationship himself. He assembles a misfit team around Iron Man -- and I'm not sure why, or why he chose these characters, he ends up doing so little with them, most contributing so little to the story. Other than maybe to assemble an ad hoc group of "friends" to make the final conflict more personal. (Indeed, he even seems to forget about them -- and Korvac's team -- midway through, only to suddenly show them back in New York for the latter part).
The character stuff all feels cerebral and abstract rather than human and empathetic.
This also applies to the action stuff which often just seems glib and like roughhousing rather than something trying to generate tension, suspense, or drive the plot. (Reading some Bronze Age Iron Man around this time, those old comics seemed to put more effort into treating fights as actual struggles to be overcome). There's even a secondary character's death that is treated as momentarily sad -- and then never referenced again!
Which brings us to the central conceit of the saga -- the attempt to kind of pull the rug out from under us by seeming to bench Korvac (the supposed main villain) and turn Tony into the villain of his own story. A kind of Dark Phoenix Saga (that's an X-Men reference, in case ya didn't know). And again, it's all meant to be very character focused and exploratory (we know this because of the seeming endless scenes talking about Tony's character).
And it is mostly Tony's character. For a 19 issue saga most of the other characters never become more than peripheral. Even Hellcat. Heck, I mentioned wa-ay back in the first volume that there was no real exploration of why the villains had joined up with Korvac, adopting him as a kind of cult leader-Messiah. And they just disappear from the story once we shift to the Tony-as-God plot.
And this is why I say -- I dunno.
It just didn't work for me. Part of the problem I have with such stories is there's no subtlety, no nuance, no ambiguity. To me, if your story wants to have the hero do something bad, it should still feel reasonably justified (since he is the hero) so we understand why he makes the choice he does, and so we, the reader, can grapple with the moral complexity of the dilemma. But there's none of that here. Tony is so obviously wrong from the get go that nothing that follows is the least bit surprising or unexpected. And it makes him look like doofus for not seeing it. Which is ironic given the whole point is he's supposed to be super smart.
Oh -- and let's take a moment to talk about the whole problem with portraying a character as "super smart." Surely what life has taught us is that there are very few (read: no) super smart people. There are people who have aptitudes, who are smart in specific disciplines. But the idea that Tony could raise everyone to his level (itself a problematic idea, especially when Cantwell alludes to I.Q. -- a dubious metric at best) and that means they're suddenly great bio-chemists or urban planners is, well, is very comic book-y.
Either Cantwell has problematic views on human intelligence or, more likely, we get back to my earlier point about the Cosmic Power: it's a comic book. Indeed, there does seem like there's a satirical aspect to this idea of raising intelligence, like Cantwell is trying to juggle tones: a whimsical look at the pitfalls of everyone having super intelligence (or specifically Tony's intelligence: The Fantastic Four's Reed Richards, in a cameo, comments he may actually have got dumber!) with a very serious investigation of Tony's character.
And what is Tony's character? That's the rub. Because maybe the fault lies with me. Because maybe I'm just too hung up on the Tony of a few generations ago (as a slightly conceited but well-rounded human being) and not as up on the current Tony (a super-arrogant Futurist convinced he knows best).
But again, it just feels -- I dunno. Abstract. Like the way modern writers write Batman as a super-obsessive. The themes drive the characters who become avatars for narrow personality traits rather than fleshed out human beings.
Or maybe it's that the character stuff here expects and requires too much pre-knowledge of Tony rather than feeling the saga stands as a story on its own. But in this 19 issue saga I didn't feel enough groundwork was laid in the earlier issues for the stuff in the final Act. Which is ironic given I complained that in vol. 1 there were too many scenes of Tony and Patsy discussing his character (but maybe I'd have to re-read them: knowing now where the story is headed I might pick up on foreshadowing better).
And speaking of pre-knowledge: there's so much reliance on Marvel lore, and throwing in surprise appearances and guest stars it's a bit distracting. In a way it reminds me of all those writers in the 1980s (Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, etc.) who both seemed to want to write adult stories -- and seemed obsessed with comic book continuity.
My attitude toward the art remains the same mostly as in the previous volumes. Despite a variety of artists on board, the art is mostly of a kind (with a few notable exceptions). Almost photo-realist in some ways, but with a certain stiffness, a certain blandness to faces and facial expressions. Given how talky the saga can be -- and I realize it can be hard to draw scenes that are just characters standing around talking -- the visuals can be a bit inexpressive. Often better in the more dynamic or bombastic scenes.
And the colouring remains (as I've lamented) maddeningly dull -- or at least dull tones and subdued hues (though it's possible there's a reproduction problem when I read it as an e-book). At one point a character comments on someone's "colourful" costume and, like, it isn't.
So my final assessment of the whole Books of Korvac saga? After one reading (and I freely acknowledge that a second reading -- particularly of such a long saga, where I might have forgotten or missed subtle nuances) it's one of these comic book sagas that clearly wants to be deep and profound but tends to put the cart ahead of the horse. The desire to write deep thematic and character analysis taking precedence over telling a story with people; and where the themes are, themselves, not exactly subtle or always handled with great insight (I'm particularly thinking of the stuff dealing with Tony's addiction problems).
The problem with saying maybe it'll benefit from a second reading is I have to enjoy it enough the first time (or it has to be short enough) that I'm willing to dive into it again. I didn't hate the saga, nor do I want to undersell Cantwell's strengths (some witty dialogue, and clearly a desire to write something ambitious) but it might be a while before I have the gumption to re-visit it.
Iron
Man: Crash
1988 (SC GN) 72 pgs.
Written, illustrated, lettered, coloured by Mike Saenz.
Additional notes: Tabloid sized, published under the banner of Marvel's imprint line, Epic. Supposedly the first graphic novel entirely drawn, lettered and colored by computer. Features a "behind the scenes" commentary by creator Mike Saenz.
Rating: * * (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Though billed as the "first computer generated graphic novel", that's not quite the landmark it might seem. Creator Mike Saenz had previously done the computer generated comicbook, Shatter.
Sidestepping the technology for a moment, the story can be seen as either Marvel's modest attempt to emulate DC's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, or as actually anticipating DC's Elseworld line, in that it isn't meant to reflect normal continuity.
It takes place in the future. Iron Man's alter ego, industrialist Tony Stark, sells the designs to his armour to a Japanese company, hoping to bring the benefits of his technology to the world. But the world is locked in a kind of technological cold war and everyone, including superspy Nick Fury (brought out of retirement) advises him against it, fearing the technology will end up in the wrong hands. A few double crosses and assassination attempts later, and Tony has to don his moth-balled Iron Man suit to stop the bad guys.
At its best focusing on Tony Stark and the brooding espionage plot, the story remains interesting for the first half, seeming complex in its obliqueness, even throwing in a possible romance with a Japanese aide (that never goes anywhere). It's when Iron Man goes into action that things fall apart with mindless shoot 'em ups, simplistic resolutions, lapses in logic and even confusing aspects. I'm still not sure how a technocratic cult fit into the machinations! And in the last pages there's a completely new story idea that comes out of nowhere and just leaves you going, "huh?"
When staying with the characters, Saenz does O.K., but his love of techno-speak eventually overwhelms the narrative. Even the computer jargon title ("Crash") isn't relevant to the story. Some readers might understand passages like: "My SCV secondary material body protective shielding is formed of titanium beryllium goedesic alloy doped with nickel iron mylar superstrate and interlaced microcrystalline quartz fiber and synthetic rubber endoform and ectoform substrate layer." Some readers may even care...but not many, I'll wager. There's no "Try a blast of my repulsor rays, ugly!" and leave it at that. In fact, Saez dumps Iron Man's traditional gadgets for machine guns and a canon that (implausibly) Iron Man seems to be able to pull out of nowhere. There's nothing in the story to justify Iron Man's use of lethal force, either, so I have to assume Saenz is one of those "Guns & Ammo"-types who bristles at the more liberal conventions of the superhero genre -- even if a brutal Iron Man detracts from the narrative (since it's out of character).
Now, about the whole "computer generated" aspect. Reviewed all these years later, history has eloquently said all that I could. Computers have become a part of modern comics, it's true -- used to augment art by creating effects, helping in the separation of colours, and used by letterers. But as for wholely computer generated comics? It doesn't seem to have happened. All the technology in the world can't replace a talented man or woman with pencil and ink brush in hand. Here Saez shows a nice eye for panel composition, and the use of computer enchanced textures is interesting, and faces inparticular can have a soft, 3-D effect...even as they tend to be limited in expressions. But the overall artwork is crude and clumsy. I'm not completely dismissing the art -- it's certainly atmospheric in spots -- but it's problematic.
It's the story, though, that ultimately undermines the thing by the end, not the experiment with the art.
This was published under Marvel's imprint Epic. Yup, just as Marvel largely pioneered the graphic novel format (among mainstream American companies) but DC has emerged as the main user of the format, Marvel came up with an imprint banner (named after a magazine Marvel tried in the early '80s) that specialized in less superhero, more SF/fantasy works, usually with a mature readers spin just like DC later did with Vertigo. The only deference paid to the "mature readers" idea, here, other than (maybe) the violence in the climax, is a scene where Tony shares a (platonic) hot tub with a pretty gal.
Ultimately, this starts out a moody, SF espionage story...but falls apart before the end. USA.
Iron
Man: Demon in a Bottle
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was first released as The Power of Iron Man and is reviewed here
