This week, Marvel’s got a new ongoing series for the armored avenger! The all-new Iron Man #1 finds Tony Stark making some pretty significant life changes, shedding the trappings of previous runs and donning a brand-new suit of armor. Does the debut of the new series make this non-Iron Man fan a true believer?
We’ve got a review of Iron Man #1, along with a Rapid Rundown of other big titles from the House of Ideas, all ahead in this week’s installment of The Marvel Rundown!
Iron Man #1
Written by Christopher Cantwell
Illustrated by CAFU
Colored by Frank D’Armata
Lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover and Iron Man armor design by Alex Ross
The lead-up to the latest relaunch of Marvel’s Iron Man ongoing series has promised a ‘back to basics’ approach for the character. The question that’s lingered since the announcement, though, has been what ‘back to basics’ looks like for Tony Stark. With the first issue of the series in-hand, that picture has become a bit clearer, and it’s a thrilling direction for the character.
Writer Christopher Cantwell, who’s already writing one megalomaniac for Marvel in the Doctor Doom ongoing, takes over the reins for Tony Stark with an issue that finds him at something of a crossroads. Cantwell briefly addresses lingering elements from the previous Iron Man run before clearing the board efficiently and making some huge changes in Tony’s life in fairly rapid succession. His Tony is a man conflicted about his place in the world, and set on an unconventional path to finding it. The focus is much more on the Man than the Iron, and Cantwell balances the two elements expertly.
Artists CAFU and Frank D’Armata present all of these events in style, with dynamic action and skillful storytelling. A series of spectacular splash pages introduce readers to the new, Alex Ross-designed Iron Man suit, a perfect throwback to Tony’s classic red-and-gold armor, and take him into action alongside a longtime ally.
A great hook for the character, combined with top-notch visuals, make Iron Man #1 a strong debut issue from a skilled creative team. It’s a perfect jumping-on point for new readers, and it’s even made this reviewer, who’s never been much of an Iron Man fan, want to come back and read more. Tony Stark is in good hands.
Final Verdict: BUY.
Rapid Rundown!
- Giant-Size X-Men: Storm #1
- This Giant-Size series of books has certainly been interesting visually, but narratively I’m left unimpressed and kind of underwhelmed. Things certainly started off strong with Russell Dauterman’s first issue focusing on Jean Grey and Emma Frost, but by the time I finished this issue I was left wondering, “What was the point?” Sure, Jonathan Hickman got to work with a whole slew of incredible storytellers, but the focus here seemed to be on stories they planned to tell in the future rather than these comics. This was gorgeous and very fun to look at, but very quickly forgotten. —HW
- Thor #7
- After issues #6’s bombshell of an ending and the ominous vision of the future, this issue is a nice pivot for the next stage in writer Donny Cates’s current run. This issue furthers the problem Thor is having with Mjolnir with an interesting experiment for discovering a way to fix it by reintroducing the town of Broxton. While this issue doesn’t have any real action, it does have a nice mix of tense situations and humor, including a nice callback joke with Iron Man. If you haven’t read the previous issues you might be a bit lost with the current status quo, but it still finds a way to be accessible if you’re a new reader. —GC3
- X-Men: Marvels Snapshot #1
- Most of the Marvels Snapshot one-shots up to this point have followed brand-new characters during and after specific events in Marvel history. The latest entry in the series, though, instead focuses on Scott Summers in the months and years before he made his way to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Writer and Cyclops superfan Jay Edidin and artist Tom Reilly present a powerful story about a young man trying to find his place in the world, and taking inspiration from the newly-emerged superheroes of the Marvel Universe. It’s a fantastic comic that’s well worth your time and money whether you’re an X-Men fan or not. —JG
Next week, the long-awaited X-crossover X of Swords begins!
