Tony Stark: Iron Man takes aim at some real-world issues fans and creators of content face today in the latest arc, and so far its off to a captivating start.
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Spoilers incoming for Tony Stark: Iron Man #6, so if you haven’t read the issue yet you’ve been warned.
For those not up to speed, Tony Stark has been obsessed lately with his newest project the eScape, which seeks to provide the most immersive virtual reality tech ever experience. In short, it’s like you’re really there, but while the technology may be more advanced than what we have right now, the reaction to the tech is instantly familiar.
Writers Dan Slott and Jeremy Whitley’s take on the fandom around the eScape is spot on, from the typical oversold descriptions of revolutionizing reality that come with new technology to the entitled problem children that think as long as their money is accepted behavior goes out the window. This may not be a positive for anyone who’s been in a lobby with an obnoxious twit, but there is some satisfaction to be gained from seeing them taken out in such a magnificent way.
Granted, many people are just looking to experience the new thing, but the fervor that comes with it can sometimes be all-encompassing, and again, Slott and Whitley convey that perfectly.
The eScape isn’t just used as a plot device either, as Slott and Whitley also use it to flesh out the cast of the series even more. Jocasta’s time in the book might be small, but it’s still immensely effective as an opportunity to explore her ideal life. Tony and Amanda are also beneficiaries of this world, which injects some imagination into their familial disagreement. Tony’s a jerk for starting a conversation with his mother with “I’ll deal with you later,” but seeing a big blocky penguin walk by him also injects the moment with enough surrealism to take the sting off and not focus on slapping him in the face.
It will be interesting to see how this story moves forward and what a certain villains’ motivations are for disrupting the eScape, as the why is certainly more interesting than the how. It seems very soon the inmates will be running the asylum without the knowledge that there will also be genuine consequences, and that sets up some intriguing storyline possibilities.
On the art side of things, Valerio Schiti and Edgar Delgado do some great work throughout the issue, especially when they are allowed to get creative in the eScape environment. Seeing two MODOK’s take on old-school Avengers is a delightful moment, and while the design of Arsenal is a bit on the curious side, he does still manage to look intimidating, so we’ve got to give kudos there. Plus, just seeing a Stealth Suit Iron Man in a Mario-esque fantasy world is the perfect amount of weird.
Tony Stark: Iron Man takes on a timely issue, and so far it is highlighting it while also developing its core characters along the way, and if that keeps up there’s not been a better time to give the series a try.
Published by Marvel Comics
On November 21, 2018
Written by Dan Slott and Jeremy Whitley
Drawn by Valerio Schiti
Colored by Edgar Delgado
Lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna
