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Brian Michael Bendis, Invincible Iron Man #1, Invincible Iron Man #1 Marvel Now, Invincible Iron Man #1 Review, Iron Man, Ironheart, Marvel Comics, Marvel Now, Riri Williams, Stefano Caselli, Tony Stark
Invincible Iron Man #1
Review by Paul Bowler
An exciting new era begins in Marvel Now’s Invincible Iron Man #1 as Riri Williams steps up to become the worlds newest armored superhero! Kitted out in her homemade Iron Man armor, former M.I.T student Riri is ready to rise to the challenges of the Marvel Universe, but the young genius has some pretty big armored boots to fill – especially now that a certain billionaire mega-genius isn’t exactly around much these days…
Yes, there’s a new armored hero on the block in Invincible Iron Man #1, and her name is Riri Williams! Marvel Now continues apace in the wake of Marvel’s Civil War II as Brian Michael Bendis, Stefano Caselli, and Marte Gracia bring us the adventures of Riri Williams, Marvel’s new hero from Chicago, Ironheart!
Having a new character stepping into the role once held by a long-standing character is nothing new in comics. Invincible Iron Man #1 marks the beginning of a new era with Riri Williams taking centre stage after writer Brian Michael Bendis had already firmly established her character in the previous volume of Invincible Iron Man. It is this cleverly constructed groundwork that has made Riri‘s, as well as Victor‘s, gradual integration into Tony Stark’s life, seem all the more believable, and not just another change for change’s sake scenario as the Iron-Mantles are effectively passed to Riri Williams and Doctor Doom respectively.
From the opening video-blogger style credit page opening, Brian Michael Bendis gives us an insightful and moving glimpse into the life and times of Riri Williams. The battle with the rogue monster-spawning mutant Animax fills the prerequisite action quota for Invincible Iron Man #1, with our rookie super genius Iron-heroine quickly realizing the limitations of her cobbled together armor, sans a properly efficient AI, but it is the fascinating glimpse into Riri’s formative years that really forms the backbone of the issue.
Bendis skilfully intercuts the present-day events with some especially moving flashbacks to drive the narrative, highlighting some of the stark parallels and difficulties associated with being a super genius, while the more powerful themes and their heartbreaking aftermath resonates strongly on every level. Even though we’ve known Riri Williams for a while now, this issue really expands our knowledge of the character in ways that few could’ve predicted, and it makes Riri’s debut here feel all the more impressive as she sets out to make her presence felt in the Marvel Universe!
Stefano Caselli’s artwork conveys the finer nuances of Bendis’ script beautifully. Page layouts are keenly structured to match the emotional beats of the story and the characters are all defined in the highest detail. The scene between the young Riri and her new friend Natalie are wonderfully staged. There’s tragedy and heartbreak for Riri too, and Caselli’s art makes you feel like you are there with Riri every step of the way as her life unfolds before you. The fight with Animax is also good, but it is what transpires directly afterwards that probably resonates the most – with its gun crushing finality grittily polarizing the impact of the flashbacks in our minds eye. Color artist Marte Gracia employs bright, vibrant palette of colors throughout, nicely complementing Stefano Caselli’s artwork with a blend of rich shades and tones to bring added highlights to virtually every scene.
The issue rounds off with a great scene between Riri and her mother that effectively brings Riri’s story full circle. As for Tony Stark..? Well, he might not be around anymore, but you know Tony, he has a knack of thinking of contingencies for everything!
I must admit, as much as I love the character of Riri Williams, I was a little sceptical about her taking over as the lead character in Invincible Iron Man. I’m pleased to say that Brian Michael Bendis has won me over once again with his superb storytelling and characterization skills. One thing that shines through is the sheer hope and optimism Riri Williams brings to the title, which considering the events in those flashbacks, shows just what strong and delightfully positive character traits Riri Williams will bring to the Marvel Universe.
Invincible Iron Man #1 revamps the status quo and provides a confident start to Riri’s brand new adventures. Even though I’m sure Tony Stark will return as Iron Man eventually, we can rest assured that the legacy of Iron Man is in safe hands, so here’s hoping that Riri Williams will be around for a long time to come.
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Art: Stefano Caselli
Color Artist Marte Gracia / VC’s Clayton Cowles Letterer
Sci-Fi Jubilee 
Can’t say I’m sold on either this character or this series, but I’ve only seen Riri’s small cameo in Civil War II 6 so far. That said, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I like the character. Yes, she had a cameo in that issue as well, and featured a lot in the previous volume of Invincible Iron Man. I thought this new issue was a good introduction to the character for new readers, and I like how it sets up a new direction for the series.
I was a little underwhelmed by this issue. Perhaps because she is such a new character and they are forcing her down our collective throats just like they did with Nick Fury Jr. and Nadia Pym, the new Wasp among others. Or maybe it is simply the fact that Marvel is unable to introduce a new original hero and instead continue to resort to these newfound legacy characters.
Still, the origin was good to see, the story was well told and drawn well, but it also lacked impact as we have no idea what has happened to Tony thanks to Civil War II being so late. Good review as always Paul and I’ll probably continue to read, but I am getting a little tired of these ‘new’ heroes.
I enjoyed the issue, I think Riri is one of the better new legacy characters Marvel have done so far. The delay with the end of Civil War II is a problem though, as obviously there are a lot of unanswered questions. In the light of that, I still think this was a good introduction for new readers to Riri. You make some very valid points though, we do seem to be getting so many crossover events and new character right now, its getting nearly impossible to keep up with it all.
It’ll take some adjusting not having Tony Stark.. but I think your thoughts here are presented well and show optimism for Riri!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the review. I will miss Tony Stark as Iron Man as well, but I think Riri will do a good job too. I like the character, lots of potential here for the future 🙂
Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed by this first outing. Maybe it’s because we’ve yet to see the conclusion of Civil War II but something just felt missing…plus as a lifelong Iron Man reader it’s going to be hard for me not to see Tony put on the armour.
Still, I like the idea of Riri Williams and those flashback scenes certainly help build a rich and dramatic backstory for the character and I look forward to more (I hope they team her up with Miles Morales at some point, it’ll be fun given they’re in the same age group) but at the moment I feel that Infamous Iron Man is going to be the more interesting title.
I enjoyed this issue, although it was a little more low key than expected. It was still a good introduction for new readers to the character of Riri. Of course, we still don’t know how Civil War II ends and what happens to Tony, so that makes things a bit problematic narrative wise. I hope they team Riri up with Miles as well, they’d make a great team! I’m a big fan of Iron Man as well, so seeing a new character take over such an iconic role to become Ironheart is a big move, but I’m confident Riri is a strong enough character to make her own mark on the Marvel Universe. I’m sure Tony will be back eventually though, and it’ll be interesting to see how this titles works in conjunction with events over in Infamous Iron Man. Cheers for commenting, been great to hear what everyone though about Riri’s first issue.
Yeah, I trust Bendis and no doubt he’s got great plans for Iron Man!
I agree, Bendis is a great writer, and I’m sure there are big plans in store for Iron Man 🙂