The most recent series where they made Tony Stark (essentially) a villain just amazed me in its wrongheadedness (if that's a word).
The perfect template for Tony can be found in the performance of Robert Downey, Jr. in the Iron Man and Avengers films - he's fast, funny, the smartest guy in the room, flirts with all the ladies, and able to deal with any problem. Why not use that?
So here's a fresh version of Iron Man, as written by Brian Michael Bendis, and I'm happy to say he's writing the character as the movie version.
Incredibly successful, Tony has just finished a new suit of armor (another great tradition for the character is that he's always re-inventing himself). Stark Industries is back to being a world leader and he's a multi-billionaire. So of course, he's using his vast wealth and armor... to impress a beautiful, intelligent woman. As you'd expect in a Bendis book, the dialogue crackles, a great mix of humor and insight.
Yep, things are as they should be.
Throw in a mystery involving Madam Masque - and a certain super-villain from Europe - and you have a crackling start to the series and the perfect jumping-on point.
I really like David Marquez's artwork - his character designs are fresh and vibrant, and his environments are lush and larger than life. My only complaint - and it's a tiny one - is that I struggled with some of his page layouts. Some look like single-page gatherings of panels, but they're actually double-page spreads (using the panels on the facing page). I wasn't always sure which way to go next - but again, that's a small thing, easily sorted.
So, it's a strong new start to a classic character who's back to his proper self.
As a long-time fan of the series, this book makes me happy!
Grade: A-
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