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Don’t Miss This: “Tony Stark: Iron Man” by Dan Slott

By | November 20th, 2019
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There are a lot of comics out there, but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week we are looking at the sometimes charming, sometimes high concept sci-fi series that is “Tony Stark: Iron Man” by Dan Slott, Jim Zub, Christos Gage, Valerio Schiti, and Paco Medina.

Who is this by?

“Tony Stark: Iron Man” is headed up by long-time writer Dan Slott. You might best know Slott from his years and years as the writer on “Amazing Spider-Man,” a run that wasn’t a stranger to controversy. But go back and read it and I think you’ll find a dozen fantastic storylines and new characters, from “Superior Spider-Man” (which is even better than you remember) to the mad scientists at Horizon Labs to the now-video-game-famous Mister Negative. Slott’s run was filled with memorable heroes, supporting characters, gizmos, villains, and costume changes. He also wrote a fabulous run of “She-Hulk” and a widely acclaimed run on “Silver Surfer.”

Slott is occasionally joined on writing duties by Jim Zub and Christos Gage. Both are team players who have been collaborating on other Marvel books for years. Zub was part of the team that put together the rollicking “Avengers: No Surrender” and “Avengers: No Road Home.” Gage was Slott’s stalwart companion and fill-in writer for his whole decade on Spider-Man. He also wrote the best part of the original run of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” comics, episodes of the Daredevil TV show, and that Spider-Man PS4 game that we all loved. The one where Spidey looked like an expensive sneaker.

The first artist of “Tony Stark: Iron Man” is Valerio Schiti, who is quietly one of Marvel’s best artists. His work on “Guardians of the Galaxy?” Pretty good! But his work on “Journey Into Mystery,” “New Avengers” (the Hickman one), and “Might Thor” (the Jane Foster one)? Outstanding. He even did some issues of “Ms. Marvel,” a near perfect superhero comic. So yeah, Schiti is good. And then there’s Paco Medina. Medina is one of those guys with a zillion Marvel credits to his name. He gets in good work, and he gets it in on time. He does big, dynamic superhero work, which can often be utterly transformed by inks and colors. This makes him versatile, and the exact artist you want picking up your series halfway through.

What’s it all about?

You know, considering his box office dominance, there is rarely a universally beloved run of “Iron Man.” That’s probably a testament to Robert Downey Jr.’s acting ability over anything else. But in the modern era, numerous great writers have tried their hand at the Iron Avenger, and every run has its fans. Matt Fraction focused on Tony Stark the international businessman. Kieron Gillen took him out of his comfort zone, into space and magical dimensions. Brian Michael Bendis killed Tony and had various substitutes come in. So what’s Slott’s angle?

There are two different genres at play here, and they both compliment each other. The first one is a workplace sitcom. Stark’s company is full of colorful characters doing mad science and bouncing off of each other in amusing ways. But it’s a little bit like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Troubled people are making dreams come true, in a comically dangerous environment.

On top of that, it’s also a series about being, consciousness, and intelligence. Because when you get down to it, what Tony Stark builds are robots, and a lot of heady issues are raised in the process. A lot of his employees are robots. Tony Stark himself recently was killed, backed up to a computer, and then restored to an organic body (all in the Bendis run). Is he the same Tony Stark? Is he human at all? These heady ideas often lurk between the surface as the wacky scientists, ethicists, and security guards banter around the water cooler.

What makes it so great?

Well, I think that’s a pretty good elevator pitch. It sounds like a good Michael Schur show. Ragtag workplace builds impossible machines and contemplates existence. The Office meets The Good Place meets Star Trek. But that premise would mean nothing if it wasn’t backed up with enormous creativity, and that’s something the team brings in spades.

Continued below

When you read a lot of superhero comics, you look for creators who are additive, who bring memorable new elements into the story. You can kill off a member of the supporting cast, but that’s just for a little while. Good ideas stick around forever. Now, I can’t promise that every idea in “Tony Stark: Iron Man” is a good idea. But there sure are a lot of ideas. And sometimes that’s just as good. Like the Uncanny Valley, the weird bar in NYC where robots and artificial beings meet to hang out without being heckled by meatbags. Aaron Stack the Machine Man is often making trouble there, and I hope it’s a location we visit in other books. But then on the flip side you’ve got Tony Stark’s Vespa that turns into an Iron Man suit. Cool? Like, the opposite. But I gotta admit that I’ve never seen anything like it before.

The constant barrage of new and creative ideas is what makes the book fun. But what truly elevates it is the heady philosophy. Of the central cast of Marvel characters, Tony Stark is uniquely well situated to tell real Phillip K. Dick-style sci-fi stories. Not just space opera fantasy stuff, but the kind of sci-fi that asks weird questions, that makes you think about ethics and existence and epistemology. And again, I can’t promise that every question is answered, or even considered in a deep and impactful way. But there’s a lot of it, and that’s a very cool angle. I don’t think “Tony Stark: Iron Man” is likely to remembered as an essential classic, but I do think that those who bother to return to it will find a funny, thoughtful superhero adventure with unbelievable imagery.

How can you read it?

“Tony Stark: Iron Man” is about to be wrapped up and rebooted into a number of parallel “2020” books. That gives you a chance to catch up on this series! Issue #19 will be the last in this series, and it comes out in December. You can collect the issues, or the trade paperbacks, or read it on Marvel Unlimited. You can even grab some of it on Hoopla Digital, which I recommend. Support your local library!


//TAGS | Don't Miss This

Jaina Hill

Jaina is from New York. She currently lives in Ohio. Ask her, and she'll swear she's one of those people who loves both Star Wars and Star Trek equally. Say hi to her on twitter @Rambling_Moose!

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