Superior Iron Man #1
Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by: Yildiray Cinar
After the undeniable success of Superior Spider-Man, it was evident that Marvel wouldn’t dismiss the “Superior” adjective. Superior Iron Man begins the adjective’s second series and while the premises are similar (a hero acting with less of a conscience), this comic doesn’t feature a controversial mind swap. This is an egotistical, callous and even evil rendition of Tony Stark and it’s the perfect soft reboot for the armored avenger, following his lackluster title from 2012.
Tom Taylor is no stranger to showing the worst of superheroes, some would say he even has a penchant for it. This strength is in full effect here as Taylor makes Tony as hateable as possible. The writer had me shouting at Tony near the end of this comic like Hickman does with Namor in New Avengers (who is my favourite character in the series). I’ve always thought it takes talent for a writer to make you love a character and the same goes making you loathe one. Its impressive how much Taylor has made me despise a character that I normally really like in one issue. It’s a testament to how strong he is at writing villains which this series is essentially centered on.
Fortunately, Taylor does not fall into the pit of having no hope or no redeeming qualities to the protagonist’s (or antagonist’s?) nastiness. Pepper Pots and Daredevil appear as characters who rival Tony and who the readers can root for. Daredevil is portrayed with a darker touch than the current Mark Waid run, it resembles the likes Brian Michael Bendis portrayal of the character (which is my personal favourite). I’m eager to see the showdown between the two characters next issue simply due to Taylor’s great interpretation of both characters.
The plot is fairly simple with a tidbit of set-up for future plotlines (such as the upcoming Murdock showdown) but it doesn’t establish enough of a long-term arc. The redemption aspect of Superior Spider-Man brought a lot of depth to its central character but for now Tony isn’t being sent on a personal journey. I’ll be okay with this as long as when Tony reverts back to his more moral self he takes responsibility for his actions and attempts to atone for his sins. This would continue the theme of “Superior” in proper fashion and would add an extreme amount of depth to the series. I will hold Tom Taylor in high regard if he can make me completely abhor Tony and then sympathize with and even pity him. Only time will tell.
Yildiray Cinar covers the art in this issue. This is the first I’ve seen of his art and I’m very impressed. He does a great job of making a comic with a lot of talking heads look interesting. The facial expressions he draws are very diverse even though his pencils are rather simplistic. The Superior armor is also an awesome looking suit and a great change from the dull black and yellow movie-inspired armor.
Superior Iron Man #1 is a comic that will make you despise its main character. He’s an egotistical, supercilious and sordid man. What impresses me about this debut is the extent to which Tony has fallen. There is no lack of moral characters though, with Daredevil and Pepper Pots allowing Taylor to have some voice of reason. If you love to hate evil and nasty characters, this is a series for you!
Art by: Yildiray Cinar
After the undeniable success of Superior Spider-Man, it was evident that Marvel wouldn’t dismiss the “Superior” adjective. Superior Iron Man begins the adjective’s second series and while the premises are similar (a hero acting with less of a conscience), this comic doesn’t feature a controversial mind swap. This is an egotistical, callous and even evil rendition of Tony Stark and it’s the perfect soft reboot for the armored avenger, following his lackluster title from 2012.
Tom Taylor is no stranger to showing the worst of superheroes, some would say he even has a penchant for it. This strength is in full effect here as Taylor makes Tony as hateable as possible. The writer had me shouting at Tony near the end of this comic like Hickman does with Namor in New Avengers (who is my favourite character in the series). I’ve always thought it takes talent for a writer to make you love a character and the same goes making you loathe one. Its impressive how much Taylor has made me despise a character that I normally really like in one issue. It’s a testament to how strong he is at writing villains which this series is essentially centered on.
Fortunately, Taylor does not fall into the pit of having no hope or no redeeming qualities to the protagonist’s (or antagonist’s?) nastiness. Pepper Pots and Daredevil appear as characters who rival Tony and who the readers can root for. Daredevil is portrayed with a darker touch than the current Mark Waid run, it resembles the likes Brian Michael Bendis portrayal of the character (which is my personal favourite). I’m eager to see the showdown between the two characters next issue simply due to Taylor’s great interpretation of both characters.
The plot is fairly simple with a tidbit of set-up for future plotlines (such as the upcoming Murdock showdown) but it doesn’t establish enough of a long-term arc. The redemption aspect of Superior Spider-Man brought a lot of depth to its central character but for now Tony isn’t being sent on a personal journey. I’ll be okay with this as long as when Tony reverts back to his more moral self he takes responsibility for his actions and attempts to atone for his sins. This would continue the theme of “Superior” in proper fashion and would add an extreme amount of depth to the series. I will hold Tom Taylor in high regard if he can make me completely abhor Tony and then sympathize with and even pity him. Only time will tell.
Yildiray Cinar covers the art in this issue. This is the first I’ve seen of his art and I’m very impressed. He does a great job of making a comic with a lot of talking heads look interesting. The facial expressions he draws are very diverse even though his pencils are rather simplistic. The Superior armor is also an awesome looking suit and a great change from the dull black and yellow movie-inspired armor.
Superior Iron Man #1 is a comic that will make you despise its main character. He’s an egotistical, supercilious and sordid man. What impresses me about this debut is the extent to which Tony has fallen. There is no lack of moral characters though, with Daredevil and Pepper Pots allowing Taylor to have some voice of reason. If you love to hate evil and nasty characters, this is a series for you!
A Look Inside
