Marvel Comics is getting the year started off in grand style with the launch of a brand new Iron Man series and a powerhouse creative team at the helm. With a team that includes Joshua Williamson, Carmen Carnero, Nolan Woodard, and Joe Caramagna on one of Marvel’s marquee heroes, expectations are understandably high, and I can happily report that the big series debut not only meets those expectations but soars past them.
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Iron Man wastes no time in establishing its premise, and it reverberates throughout the rest of the issue in compelling ways. While A.I.M. has targeted Tony Stark at various times over the years, Madame Masque’s leadership brings a different perspective, and she shifts their goalposts from copying Stark’s inventions to finding a Stark to call their own. It’s a pivot from simply trying to catch up and react to proactively finding someone who can innovate and set the standard for decades, and for an organization like A.I.M., it makes all the sense in the world. Those sorts of meaningful character shifts are what make Williamson’s Superman run so rewarding over time, and that’s already starting to happen with Iron Man in the very first issue.
Rating: 5 out of 5
| PROS | CONS |
| Tony Stark is the perfect lovable jerk with a heart of gold | Hoping to see Pepper’s role expanded in future issues |
| Carnero and Woodard’s artwork and colors are out of this world | |
| A.I.M. feels fresh for the first time in a while |
That shift in A.I.M’s approach affects everything and everyone as the issue moves forward, but the layers of Stark’s role in Masque’s plot and A.I.M’s motivations also continue to evolve in some truly unexpected ways. In fact, that might be the biggest surprise of the issue, and it’s Tony’s embracing of the threat and the role he had in it that immediately puts you in his corner.
When it’s time to armor up, I don’t know if there’s a more perfectly suited team for Iron Man than Carnero and Woodard. For proof, one needs look no further than the absolutely stunning splash page of the armor soaring across the sky after transforming from a hover bike. The armor feels like a work of art in their talented hands, popping with color and style but still feeling like it packs a hell of a punch in a throwdown.
It’s not just the armor that steals the show though, and a lot of work has also gone into establishing Tony’s supporting cast. Williamson brings in Pepper and Melinda for major roles, and Tony is all the better for their interactions. Pepper brings out the more vulnerable and human side of Tony, while Melinda allows Tony to be the sarcastic and egotistical brat that he’s established as part of his reputation. Every character brings out something unique from Tony, and it will be interesting to see how the series plays with that among his other relationships as the series moves forward.
Iron Man #1 is everything I was hoping for, and the future couldn’t be brighter for one of Marvel’s premier heroes.
- Published By: Marvel Comics
- Written By: Joshua Williamson
- Art By: Carmen Carnero
- Colors By: Nolan Woodard
- Letters By: Joe Caramagna
Iron Man #1 is in comic stores now.
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Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme -
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