Tag Archives: Marvel Legacy

Invincible Iron Man #593 Review

18 Wednesday Oct 2017

Posted by in All, Marvel Comics

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Invincible Iron Man #593

Review by Paul Bowler

A startling new era for Marvel’s armored Avenger begins in Invincible Iron Man #593 as Marvel Legacy gets under way. The comatose body of Tony Stark has vanished! Now it falls to Stark’s friends and foes, those who have overseen his business interests and assumed the mantel of Iron Man since his battle with Captain Marvel during Civil War II left Tony in a medically unexplainable coma, to finally decide who will succeed him as the Invincible Iron Man!

Well, now that we’ve got all the hoo-ha with Secret Empire out of the way, Marvel can concentrate on getting things back on track with Legacy. To be honest, this is bit of a quirky issue of Invincible Iron Man, there is a sense of getting back to basics and core elements of the character, which I guess is what Legacy is meant to be all about, and the return to the series’ original numbering – along with a great cover by Adi Granov – gives you a real sense that you are witnessing the start of something with great potential here.

The issue is positively bursting with insightful character moments and exposition, and writer Brian Michael Bendis keeps Invincible Iron Man #593 on an even keel as he skilfully juggles the numerous plot threads. Tony’s AI, Friday is every present throughout, quickly brining us up to speed with current events: with Tony’s condition in stasis at a Stark Facility, Riri Williams role as Iron heart (whose Armor is run by an AI downloaded from Stark’s consciousness), and Victor Von Doom’s self-proclaimed path to redemption as the Infamous Iron Man.

The Star Expo that opens the issue, overseen by Stark’s Mother, Amanda, and Mary Jane Watson, is a poignant affair tinged with both sadness and hope; despite the dour board of directors resolve to spoil the party. Throw in the mystery of Tony Stark’s body going missing and a tense face-off between the Thing and Victor Von Doom after an incident at Riker’s Island, and you have an issue that poses as many questions as it does answers.

Featuring the work of artists Stefano Caselli and Alex Maleey, with Color Artists Marte Gracia and Alex Maleev, Invincible Iron Man #593 ticks all the boxes visually and stylistically, and the transition between artists and color artists doesn’t impede the overall enjoymenty of reading the issue. The panel layouts are straightforward, nothing fancy, the characters and location are well realized, and there’s a nice jaunt around the Marvel Universe as everyone concerned ponders who ya gonna call when Tony Stark goes missing!?! Although there’s probably enough story in this issue for a couple of issues, for me though, the standout scene was between Victor and The Thing, where some especially scathing home truths are finally aired – and about time too!

Ok, now I’m a big fan of Iron Man / Tony Stark. However, I wasn’t impressed with his fate at the end of Civil War II, Riri Williams was ok as Ironheart, but I didn’t really warm to Doom being the Infamous Iron Man that much, and having skipped Secret Empire completely I’m hoping that The Search For Tony Stark Part 1 sets things up for Tony’s return as the one, true, Iron Man. The question is, is that what’s happening here in this issue?

That’s something this issues surprise ending will certainly leave us guessing about for now. While the story is adequate enough, I was hoping the art would be a bit more spectacular, but it’s still a fairly good issue for fans and newcomers alike. Suffice to say; if Marvel Legacy is all about getting back to the core mechanics, ethos, and distinctive look of Marvel’s most iconic characters, then Invincible Iron Man #593 is definitely a step in the right direction.

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Artist: Stefano Caselli & Alex Maleev

Color Artists: Marte Gracia & Alex Maleev / Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowls

Cover: Adi Granov

Amazing Spider-Man #31 Review

14 Monday Aug 2017

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Amazing Spider-Man #31

Review by Paul Bowler

Spider-Man faces the fight of his life in Amazing Spider-Man #31 as the Superior Octopus, under orders from Captain America and backed by Hydra, returns to reclaim the company Otto Octavius believes is rightfully his. Spider-Man mustered a squad of Spider-Mobiles to make a final stand at the Shanghai branch of Parker Industries, but the Superior Ock managed to override their systems and turned the Spider-Mobiles against Spider-Man!

Dan Slott continues to keep the curve balls coming thick and fast with this issues Secret Empire tie-in. Otto may have built what became Parker Industries way back when he was the Superior Spider-Man, but Peter isn’t going to give up that easily, even though the New York, London, and San Francisco offices of his company have fallen and Otto has programmed Spider-Man’s fleet of Spider-Mobiles to attack him. As you’d expect, the web-spinning action comes at a fast, furious, and ingeniously staged pace by Slott as Spidey and his allies rally themselves against Superior Ock’s underhand scheme to wrest back control and prevent him from getting his grubby Hydra funded tentacles on everything stored inside the Parker Industries mainframe.

Yes, I know I said I wasn’t bothering with ANY big comic book events or tie-in issues this year, but as I read Amazing Spider-Man regularly anyway there’s no avoiding this Secret Empire thing for me with this one really. To be honest, I had been considering dropping this title from my pull-list. Recent storylines hadn’t exactly rocked my boat, and the thought of these Secret Empire tie-in issues didn’t garner much enthusiasm from me either. I have to eat my words a bit though, as this issue has certainly rekindled my interests in all things Spider-Man again.

The fact you don’t need to have bothered with Secret Empire or cared one jot about it, was a big plus in my book. Few tie-in’s mange this, and for that I must applaud Dan Slott’s superior scripting of this issue. Otto’s journey from Superior Spider-Man, to disembodied consciousness inside a robot, and eventual rebirth as the Superior Octopus comes full circle with Amazing Spider-Man #31, it also rounds off one of the most compellingly innovative Spider-Man storylines in years, and in many ways Otto’s arc has at times proved more compelling in some ways than Peter’s own resurrection and ongoing success story with Parker Industries.

The pedal to the metal – or perhaps that should that be to side of the building – action is all stylishly brought to life by Stuart Immonen’s impeccably detailed artwork, the inks by Wade von Grawbader complement Immonen’s work perfectly, and together with colorist Marte Gracia this issue of Amazing Spider-Man looks every bit as rich and vibrant as the exciting plot threads Dan Slott has effortlessly spun into a web of high-drama and adventure. From the vertigo inducing clash with the Spider-Mobiles, to the interludes with Aunt May observing events from street level, right up to Peter’s final solution to repel Otto’s hostile takeover, and Spider-Man‘s battle with the Superior Octopus this issue is a dazzling example of a creative team pulling out all the stops to realize the epic scope, scale and implications of the fallout these events will ultimately have on Peter’s life.

Peter Parker has essentially been an everyman’s Tony Stark for a while now, which has been all well and good, but that concept quickly began to feel a bit of a wrong fit for the character. The battle between Spidey and the Superior Ock is the big highlight of the issue, and in many respects – even though the odds are impossibly stacked against him – it almost feels like Peter has finally managed to double down on that old Parker luck of his and come up trumps for once.

It didn’t make me want to check out Secret Empire, but I love how Amazing Spider-Man #31 effectively frees Peter of all that corporate paraphernalia and puts him back in the traditional red and the blue so to speak – stunning cover by Alex Ross this issue as well! I’ve also enjoyed the recent developments between Spidey and Mockingbird in this series, Peter and Bobbi are so good together – lets hope it lasts. Dan Slott is onto a sure fire winner here, the resolution of this issue and no doubt Marvel’s impending Legacy thingymajig is a great opportunity to really get back to the core essence of what makes the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man such a wonderful character. Fingers crossed it gets our Spider-Senses tingling in all the right ways again!

Publisher: Marvel

Writer: Dan Slott / Penciler: Stuart Immonen

Inks: Wade von Grawbadger / Colourist: Marte Gracia

Letters: VC’s Joe Caramanga / Cover: Alex Ross