Invincible Iron Man #9

   There's a convention in comics that I've never cared for - but it's obviously not going away.

   I can accept the usual tropes - magic, super-science, cosmic threats - but I don't like the idea of putting children in harm's way.

   Riri Williams isn't exactly a child (she's a teenager), but it still disturbing to see her taking a beating (even in her armor) at the hands of an army of killer robots.

   Even though she's the Invincible Iron Man (whoops, I mean Ironheart), Riri is impulsive - and this issue finds her invading Latveria to stop the powerful Lucia Von Bardas.

   She quickly finds herself in serious trouble - and her advisor (an artificial intelligence version of Tony Stark) seems to be struggling.

   I know, kids in comics are not going away. Look at The Champions, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, the Teen Titans, the original X-Men - kids and teens having been fighting the bad guys almost since the beginning of comics, and it's not going away anytime soon.

   And yes, I know - they're comic book characters, not real-world children, so it's not like actual kids are in danger.

   Call me old fashioned or overprotective, but I'd feel better about it if Riri (or any of those other characters) were at least 21 years old.

Grade: B

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