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  1. #1
    Kinky Lil' Canine Snoop Dogg's Avatar
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    Default Rate it: Iron Man by Bendis

    The first arc is pretty fun and beautiful. Great show of what the character is about. The second arc is too long and has the problems with lots of Brian stuff. I think the Civil War II tie-ins are very interesting and have their sad moments. I actually really enjoy Riri's year on the book. Just good comic bookin'. The last year of the run was a disaster, though. Just a boring slog for issue after issue to hit #600, with all these major things dropped towards the end with no time to breathe. It leaves the big finale as kind of a mess. Although, I do cut Brian slack since some of that stuff happened when he almost died.

    So, adding the first arc, the CWII arc, and Riri's year vs Infamous, the second arc, and Search For Tony Stark, I really like half the book and don't like half of it. Don't really feel so split about anything else.
    I don't blind date I make the direct market vibrate

  2. #2
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    It's not as good as Fraction's even if it takes a similar approach, i.e. make it about Tony's supporting cast more than Tony himself.

    My favorite bit is the retcon'd in flashback showing Mary Jane meeting Tony during her early days:

    Tony Stark: Do you like your dad?
    MJ: Not particularly.
    Tony Stark: Y'have a mean dad?
    MJ: Yeah.
    Tony Stark: Me too. He was soooo mad at the world. And my general existence wasn't helping him get over it. He sees you standing there and instead of seeing legacy...all he sees are missed opportunities. @#$% you, Howard.
    MJ (pause): I left home the second I could.
    Tony Stark: So did I.
    MJ: Yeah, but you did with a big duffel bag full of cash.
    — Invincible Iron Man #11, (2016), written by Brian Michael Bendis

  3. #3
    "Comic Book Reviewer" InformationGeek's Avatar
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    Good first arc but it went downhill.

    Civil War 2: Electric Boogaloo arc wasn't interesting and had awful art and coloring. Riri takes over and it's sort of interesting, though very undercooked. Not helped that it ended up just dealing with Tony's leftovers and storylines instead of building Riri and her personal stuff.

    Just not very good as a whole. It does make me remember when Marvel declared that this comic would make Tony the center of the comics again. That didn't work out well.

  4. #4

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    his run was garbage. his handling of Madame Masque was sexist. the villainess he created was entirely forgettable. not even sure that she was given a name. and Tony Stark might as well have been missing.

  5. #5
    Astonishing Member Inversed's Avatar
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    I second what alot of others had to say, thought the first arc was really excellent. It was extremely fun, great use of varied character reactions, took influence on some of the history of Iron Man, while working in all the new stuff, and Marquez' art was fantastic. The second arc I thought was a bit underwhelming and dragged on for a bit too long, and personally didn't care for the art, looked like they were trying to ape Maleev and Gaydos' style but it didn't really work. The CWII tie-ins had their moments, like Tony and Carol at the AA meeting and Tony capturing Doom, but its overall hard to judge it as its own arc due to being so short.

    International Iron Man I thought was kind of weird, I enjoyed both of the flashback stories, the one with young Tony and then the one with his real parents, but the present day stuff and how it intertwined back and forth just didn't seem to mesh well.

    I really loved Infamous Iron Man, the exploration and characterization of Doom was great, Maleev's art was his usual greatness, and it was both interesting and really fun. Like another poster mentioned, the last minute twist kind of removed some things, because the initial reveals seemed more interesting, but overall didn't think it completely ruined it. Riri's Iron Man book I thought had its moments, and really like Caselli's art, but it felt like the story and characterization was being dragged out for a conclusion that never happened.

    And then I will also agree that the final Search For Tony Stark arc is really a mess. Dragging their feet for 8 issues for what amounts to a mostly nonsensical conclusion, with 3 or 4 completely different plot lines juggling for screen time, all really as just an excuse to pay up or set up status quos that don't actually mean anything.

    I will say Bendis' Iron Man run is about the same as his Guardians and Spider-Man runs going at the same time. When it's good, it's truly great, when it's not it's a mess.

  6. #6
    IRON MAN Tony Stark's Avatar
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    Just reread the first 14 issues. The first storyline was good and I actually liked his Whitney. The second arc did go on a little bit, but Bendis was on point with the CWII arc. With the AA meetings and Tony dealing with Rhodey's death(Even though Tony should have went to the funeral imo) was Bendis's wheel house. He just got it in my opinion.
    Last edited by Tony Stark; 04-20-2019 at 11:13 PM.
    "We live in a world of cowards. We live in a world full of small minds who are afraid. We are ruled by those who refuse to risk anything of their own. Who guard their over bloated paucities of power with money. With false reasoning. With measured hesitance. With prideful, recalcitrant inaction. With hateful invective. With weapons. F@#K these selfish fools and their prevailing world order." Tony Stark

  7. #7
    Kinky Lil' Canine Snoop Dogg's Avatar
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    tony missing his best friend's funeral is some of the saddest shit I have ever read
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  8. #8
    Wily Veteran cc008's Avatar
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    Promising after the first arc. Poor to very poor from then on out.

  9. #9
    Extraordinary Member MichaelC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cc008 View Post
    Promising after the first arc. Poor to very poor from then on out.
    This^
    I liked the first arc. After that it fizzled fast.

  10. #10
    Ultimate Member jackolover's Avatar
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    You do have to wonder why Doom would focus on Tony Stark when Victor re-entered society? Victor could have picked anyone, so why is Stark so special to Doom? Why not try to redeem himself to Namor, Thor, or to Black Panther, for instance?

    Bendis avoiding characters Doom has attacked in the past stands out to me, in that Doom doesn’t try to redeem his sins, but chooses some Industrialist entrepreneur, over busted gods from Asgard, and Wakanda without vibranium. And Doom disrespected his life-long accomplis, Namor, when Submariner came to ask help for Incursions.
    Last edited by jackolover; 04-20-2019 at 06:23 PM.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by jackolover View Post
    You do have to wonder why Doom would focus on Tony Stark when Victor re-entered society? Victor could have picked anyone, so why is Stark so special to Doom? Why not try to redeem himself to Namor, Thor, or to Black Panther, for instance?

    Bendis avoiding characters Doom has attacked in the past stands out to me, in that Doom doesn’t try to redeem his sins, but chooses some Industrialist entrepreneur, over busted gods from Asgard, and Wakanda without vibranium. And Doom disrespected his life-long accomplis, Namor, when Submariner came to ask help for Incursions.
    Maybe Doom sees himself in Stark, an arms dealer trying to atone for his past and the abuse of his genius? The other answer is that Bendis was writing Iron Man. Not Black Panther, not Namor and he called dibs on using Doom.

  12. #12
    Astonishing Member Inversed's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Revolutionary_Jack View Post
    Maybe Doom sees himself in Stark, an arms dealer trying to atone for his past and the abuse of his genius? The other answer is that Bendis was writing Iron Man. Not Black Panther, not Namor and he called dibs on using Doom.
    Also I could see how he may think it would be easier to come clean to someone more flexible and open like Stark, compared to the reserved and controlled T'Challa or Namor.

    (And technically Namor was still dead at this point)

  13. #13
    IRON MAN Tony Stark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by InformationGeek View Post
    It does make me remember when Marvel declared that this comic would make Tony the center of the comics again. That didn't work out well.
    Yeah. I remember when they said this to. If that's what they call putting Tony at the center of the MU again. Then please leave him alone and don't try that again.
    "We live in a world of cowards. We live in a world full of small minds who are afraid. We are ruled by those who refuse to risk anything of their own. Who guard their over bloated paucities of power with money. With false reasoning. With measured hesitance. With prideful, recalcitrant inaction. With hateful invective. With weapons. F@#K these selfish fools and their prevailing world order." Tony Stark

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Watkins View Post
    Tony Stark might as well have been missing.
    And indeed he was lol. For most of it anyway.

  15. #15
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    I surprisingly liked it. I even liked riri.

    Don't care about CWII. It doesn't exist.

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