The Ship of Theseus is a standard philosophical exercise popularized by WandaVision. The experiment is a rather simple one: Imagine a ship. Then, replace every single piece of that ship with a new part over an extended period of time. Is the ship at the end of this timeline the same ship you first imagined? It’s also a debate pushed again to the forefront thanks to Marvel’s latest ongoing comic book series featuring the Invincible Iron Man, Tony Stark. How much can one character be reinvented until they’re no longer the same character?
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A-list Avengers like Iron Man have told countless stories across the many decades they’ve existed that, by now, each arc is derivative of something else from earlier. While Invincible Iron Man #1 falls into that trap, it makes exactly the right moves to craft this title into its own thing.
Writer Gerry Duggan is quick to address Stark’s sobriety, putting it center stage. Duggan crafts a surprisingly honest narrative that finds Stark penning an autobiography, giving fans the ultimate first-person glimpse into the character. Not only does the narrative structure help readers quickly empathize with the character, but it goes the distance in cementing Tony Stark’s role in the world: a self-absorbed narcissist who largely cares about himself.
The script takes a tremendous risk in keeping Stark out of his Iron Man suit for the majority of the issue, tackling the issues facing the fan within the suit. It’s a welcome change of pace as readers see Stark keel over and vomit on a sidewalk due to his alcoholism, only to turn the corner and see a surprisingly tense moment where an antagonist uses kidnapped people as human drones. Duggan and artist Juan Frigeri waste no time at all exploring a much darker side of the character than readers have seen recently.
Luckily, for fans of Tony Stark, Invincible Iron Man #1 from Duggan and Frigeri strikes the perfect balance between a complete reinvention and redundancy. The story is a fresh take on the beloved Avengers while staying true to his roots. The fact this creative team is able to balance the two ends in a flawless manner is stunning, making this one of the most impressive Iron Man debuts in recent memory.
Published by Marvel Comics
On December 14, 2022
Written by Gerry Duggan
Art by Juan Frigeri
Colors by Bryan Valenza
Letters by Joe Caramagna
Cover by Kael Ngu
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Image Credit: Marvel Studios -
Credit: Marvel Comics
