Iron Man Appreciation: Welcome to the Iron Age

[Marvell2100]

I'd accept that. I really hated that character and everytime she'd whine "My Boy!"

I don't know of anyone who's interested in this plot point so why bother to continue.

I think they'll ultimately reveal that she is not his mother.

[Danvidar]

What? No one cares!

Just go ahead and reveal that she was an actress hired to pretend to be his mother and move on.

I would be completely fine with this. She is one of the more unlikable\annoying recent additions to a comic mythos I can recall.

[Danileriver23]

I hope they keep Schiti on this book as long as possible. Marvel has a really bad habit of starting a book off with a great artists and then dumping them 3-4 issues in and bringing in someone else or just rotating to someone new every couple of issues. I get that art takes a long time and Marvel likes to pump their books out fast but there are ways around it. You could put 2 artists on a rtating issues or arcs, or have them split issues up, etc. But Schiti is such a HUGE asset to this book and I am loving the designs I'm seeing from him. is armor from issue one was probably one of, if not my favorite iron man suits ever (im a fan of the 'wing' like designs).

marvels really been turning it around with their series recently. Maybe fresh start will be the one that gets it right.

[Tony Stark]

Count me in as someone not looking forward to more punk rock mom. Seriously, that can go to Hell cause its trying way too hard.
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On a happier note on my end though, my figures finally arrived. My Model Prime figure (or Invincible Iron man as Marvel Legends calls it) arrived finally. I had to battle Amazon to get it though which is weird because it came directly from their own warehouse. Someone in charge of taking inventory or something of the incoming packages marked it as delivered when it was nowhere near my residence was kind of hilarious and awful. So calling up customer service and they said they'll correct the error and send it over. Sometime later it never shows and I call again, they never sent it and have no idea where the package even is. So they replace it free of charge and send it over and combine it with my other order, Infinity War Iron man.
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So I'm thankful to say it arrived..., finally. Teaches me to have some spending money.
The Infinity War figure is good but I'll say that I wish there was more stuff to it considering the price tag. Though I got it on sale, there could be more for a 20 dollar figure. These figures have been known to have arm blaster attachments and Tony actually uses one in the movies (I wonder if the toy-lines influenced that?) so that would've been perfect to have on the figure. The film costume even had a set of wings that would've given the figure a lot more personality because as is it's just a film version of the Heroic age figure released back in 2013. That's also indicative of a bigger problem as it's also bigger than past releases. The Iron man 2 figures are actually smaller than than this, and the Mark 42-43 figure (they're the same figure) is even smaller. The movie suit while still bulky is actually small enough that it's as large as Steve Rogers is swol. Hasbro isn't beholden to size relativity especially on figures they released almost 8 years ago, but it makes the lineup look better when it's consistent as up until now it was (that being said I don't know about the Civil War and Homecoming figures as I haven't purchased them yet). It's not very flexible and if we had additional items it would make it a bit better. Repulsor blast hands are cool for posing but considering all the source material could do and how it's long established Hasbro pushes those items with other figures, it's weird they're left out here. Also all figures I've seen have this weird plastic cracking on the chest. Be careful when buying as some figures have it worse than others (mine is subtle but others have actual cracks).

Overall score: B-, it could be lower, but it is consistent with past releases enough I can't fault it too much. It just could be better for what it's representing.

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The Model prime

This is by my favorite figure out of all purchases. I don't normally talk about paint application given the nature of the business but this one is really good. It almost leaps off the page and the addition of a gloss coat actually gives a sort of metal look which is missing from the Infinity War figure which seems to have been cast in red plastic, whereas this one feels painted. Maybe it's just a better application, but the figure looks great. The reactor glow would add to it but it's simply a flat blue which is disappointing. While this suit can do an awful lot (which make me surprised Iron man doesn't have his own build a figure wave for just this), I like that they stuck to one thing Iron man was consistently depicted with during the Bendis era which was the arm canon. It's appropriate to have in toy form here and I like the sculpt as it's detailed enough but not distracting that I feel it's incomplete without it. As for possibility if I had any major problems it would be its inability to bend forward. It genuinely confuses me why a joint would even be present it wasn't supposed to move. Otherwise the limbs move well and aren't stiff or too loose (looking at you War Machine). The shoulders however impede movement and might've been better served as sitting above the socket like the Iron man 2 wave. Otherwise the figure is well made with enough done right to justify the price tag.

Overall score: B+, nothing really has hit that sweat spot for possibility, detail, and paint application that it gets an A grade "must buy", but the figure does a lot right that I find its one of the top-tier figure. If only the source material was that good.

Really glad to hear you got and are enjoying your figures. Also it's cool to hear your are into getting them. I always keep and couple of dollars to the side when I know they are coming out with an Iron Man figure I like.

I hope they keep Schiti on this book as long as possible. Marvel has a really bad habit of starting a book off with a great artists and then dumping them 3-4 issues in and bringing in someone else or just rotating to someone new every couple of issues. I get that art takes a long time and Marvel likes to pump their books out fast but there are ways around it. You could put 2 artists on a rtating issues or arcs, or have them split issues up, etc. But Schiti is such a HUGE asset to this book and I am loving the designs I'm seeing from him. is armor from issue one was probably one of, if not my favorite iron man suits ever (im a fan of the 'wing' like designs).

marvels really been turning it around with their series recently. Maybe fresh start will be the one that gets it right.

I am really digging Schiti's art. This is my first time getting a dose of it in a full book. I have a variant that he did, but that's not really the same thing. I'm thrilled to see him showing his other ideas for different armors. It just show's how excited him and Slott are to be doing Tony Stark: Iron Man.

[Marvell2100]

I hope they keep Schiti on this book as long as possible. Marvel has a really bad habit of starting a book off with a great artists and then dumping them 3-4 issues in and bringing in someone else or just rotating to someone new every couple of issues. I get that art takes a long time and Marvel likes to pump their books out fast but there are ways around it. You could put 2 artists on a rtating issues or arcs, or have them split issues up, etc. But Schiti is such a HUGE asset to this book and I am loving the designs I'm seeing from him. is armor from issue one was probably one of, if not my favorite iron man suits ever (im a fan of the 'wing' like designs).

marvels really been turning it around with their series recently. Maybe fresh start will be the one that gets it right.

Yeah then definitely need to keep Schiti on IM for as long as they can. His art fits the tone perfect.

If they do rotate, who would you want to see?

[Marvell2100]

I really digging Schiti's art. This is my first time getting a dose of it in a full book. I have a variant that he did, but that's not really the same thing. I thrilled to see him showing his other ideas for different armors. Ijust show's how excited him and Slott are to be doing Tony Stark: Iron Man.

Me too bro. I look forward to a new Iron Man issue coming out now instead of waiting for it to be over.

[Tony Stark]

I'd accept that. I really hated that character and everytime she'd whine "My Boy!"

I don't know of anyone who's interested in this plot point so why bother to continue.

I think they'll ultimately reveal that she is not his mother.

I would be completely fine with this. She is one of the more unlikable\annoying recent additions to a comic mythos I can recall.

Could not agree more with you guys. She adds absolutely nothing to the Iron Man mythos. It would just be better if they forgot about her IMO.

[Tony Stark]

Me too bro. I look forward to a new Iron Man issue coming out now instead of waiting for it to be over.

I right there with you brother. It is so much better now that we are excited looking forward to the next issue of Iron Man instead of dreading it and wanting it to just finish.

[SuperiorIronman]

It's a shame because it really didn't have to be that way but there is such a laundry list of things wrong with this and I might as well break it down.

What does Tony want?
He wants to at least know why his birth parents gave him up. Est.Gillen's Iron man

What does Tony need?
Closure on his parents
*Except he doesn't get any in the story. Arno had closure in that Tony discovered he had a long lost brother whom his parents favored over him, and Tony accepts that his parents are in the past but his family is here and now. So finding out the specifics of the adoption is only relevant to Tony in regards to his wants. His needs are settled back in Gillen's run and therefore both his wants and needs can't conflict.

How does the conflict affect the outside world?
*There is no conflict between wants and needs but as in Tony looking for his parents, it doesn't. Hydra is settled before Tony was ever aware of it, it did not affect him. When his mother does enter his life, it changes nothing because Tony hand waves it. His mother being in the picture doesn't affect the company either because Stark was hemorrhaging money from the Superior incident and Tony leaving for space. The board was coming after him had his mother been in the picture or not.

How does this affect the other characters
*It doesn't.

How does the characters change from the conflict and how does it affect the resolution?
Tony satisfies a want but his needs are already fulfilled. *Tony's coma resolution is only applicable to Civil War 2 and is an extension of that and thus is not aware of much of the events taking place in the later half of the run.
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See what I'm saying? His mother story-arc is half-baked. The need was resolved years prior both in and out of universe, nobody questioning this has any say in the matter, and Tony isn't even present for much of it. Why is she here? A fundamental aspect of story telling is for us to view the most interesting part of our character's life and if we aren't, why are we looking at it? Tony isn't present for much of this and for what he is was resolved in another book.

I'm just saying, maybe Dan shouln't use her due to the fact that the setup doesn't work. It's easy to say it was the fault of a supervillain and that you can come back around later and get it to work. She isn't Riri Williams who can be good in the hands of capable writers. At the end of the day, all Riri is is somebody inspired by Iron man. Taking Tony out of that and she works just fine as a character. But his mother is entirely predicated on Tony and his world being affected by her and really only Tony is. She only exists to serve Tony's story-arc but otherwise she has no reason to exist. He just found his mom and I guess that means she's a supporting character now.

[Marvell2100]

Simply put, she isn't bringing anything exciting to Tony's story and is an unnecessary plot point that none of the fans are interested in pursuing.

[Tony Stark]

It's a shame because it really didn't have to be that way but there is such a laundry list of things wrong with this and I might as well break it down.

What does Tony want?
He wants to at least know why his birth parents gave him up. Est.Gillen's Iron man

What does Tony need?
Closure on his parents
*Except he doesn't get any in the story. Arno had closure in that Tony discovered he had a long lost brother whom his parents favored over him, and Tony accepts that his parents are in the past but his family is here and now. So finding out the specifics of the adoption is only relevant to Tony in regards to his wants. His needs are settled back in Gillen's run and therefore both his wants and needs can't conflict.

How does the conflict affect the outside world?
*There is no conflict between wants and needs but as in Tony looking for his parents, it doesn't. Hydra is settled before Tony was ever aware of it, it did not affect him. When his mother does enter his life, it changes nothing because Tony hand waves it. His mother being in the picture doesn't affect the company either because Stark was hemorrhaging money from the Superior incident and Tony leaving for space. The board was coming after him had his mother been in the picture or not.

How does this affect the other characters
*It doesn't.

How does the characters change from the conflict and how does it affect the resolution?
Tony satisfies a want but his needs are already fulfilled. *Tony's coma resolution is only applicable to Civil War 2 and is an extension of that and thus is not aware of much of the events taking place in the later half of the run.
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See what I'm saying? His mother story-arc is half-baked. The need was resolved years prior both in and out of universe, nobody questioning this has any say in the matter, and Tony isn't even present for much of it. Why is she here? A fundamental aspect of story telling is for us to view the most interesting part of our character's life and if we aren't, why are we looking at it? Tony isn't present for much of this and for what he is was resolved in another book.

I'm just saying, maybe Dan shouln't use her due to the fact that the setup doesn't work. It's easy to say it was the fault of a supervillain and that you can come back around later and get it to work. She isn't Riri Williams who can be good in the hands of capable writers. At the end of the day, all Riri is is somebody inspired by Iron man. Taking Tony out of that and she works just fine as a character. But his mother is entirely predicated on Tony and his world being affected by her and really only Tony is. She only exists to serve Tony's story-arc but otherwise she has no reason to exist. He just found his mom and I guess that means she's a supporting character now.

Astute points and very well put. It's like we've been saying. She brings nothing into the history of Iron Man and his dad is alive now and he gets arrested for being in hydra?!?! His father doesn't bring anything to the table.

[Marvell2100]

Astute points and very well put. It's like we've been saying. She brings nothing into the history of Iron Man and his dad is alive now and he gets arrested for being in hydra?!?! His father doesn't bring anything to the table.

Neither Amanda nor HYDRA Dad bring move the needle.

Having Howard Stark be apart of Leonardo DaVinci's SHIELD was something to give Tony to explore and does he inherit his father's position.

And we know very little about Maria. Lot's to explore.

[Michael Watkins]

Maria Stark was really thrown under the bus with this retcon. Her name was given to the foundation that bankrolled the Avengers.

[Marvell2100]

Maria Stark was really thrown under the bus with this retcon. Her name was given to the foundation that bankrolled the Avengers.

She was. Tony was really close to Maria so to toss her aside like snotty rag is crap.

[John Keyt]

Me too bro. I look forward to a new Iron Man issue coming out now instead of waiting for it to be over.

I totally agree with you Marvell 2100 and Tony Stark . It's a nice change looking forward to the next issue instead of dreaded buying a book just so collection is complete .