by Nick Spencer (writer), Barry Kitson & Carmine Di Giandomenico (art), Kano (art & colors), Matthew Wilson & Frank Martin (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)
The Story: As the mystery deepens, Rhodey gets a very special present from Tony Stark.
The Review: After a fantastic first issue, it seems that Iron Man 2.0 continues to struggle to find its feet.
I think a major reason for this is a sense that the series is treading water. Plot progression is certainly on the slower side, with few questions answered regarding Palmer Addley. Yet, while things are moving slowly, I don’t think it’s fair to say that nothing’s happens this month. Rhodey gets a cool new suit that emphasizes a change in War Machine’s modus operandi and there’s a development in just who Palmer Addley was. That said, this latter development is pretty small and not all that surprising. Hence, the story seems to be spinning its wheels a bit, with still no clearly defined enemy or conflict. What makes this more frustrating is that Nick Spencer’s writing is really quite solid, it’s just the pacing that’s off.
Also off is the artwork. While it’s worked surprisingly well over the first two issues, the division of duties between three artists is really starting to tell, with their styles feeling increasingly disparate. Not helping is the fact that all three also have different colorists. Kitson’s art remains strong, but some of the other work here is too muddy and, at times, kind of ugly. There are a few particularly gruesome character close-ups. Suffice it to say, the sooner Kitson can pull off a full issue, the better.
Of course, that’s not to say it’s all bad this month. We get another importance from Tony Stark and, as was the case in the first issue, Spencer writes a fantastic Tony. He lights up the comic and his dynamic with Rhodey is a joy to read. There’s a real sense of purpose and vitality when Tony shows up that makes this portion of the issue quite a lot of fun, especially since it segues into a cool introduction of the new suit.
Still, the strongest point for this issue is the sense of great potential it carries, even in this second somewhat underwhelming installment. There’s still a high probability that this series will be fantastic once Spencer gets the narrative really going and takes off the training wheels, and once Kitson comes back full-time on art duties. Spencer has the tone down and the comic, particularly with its dirty bombs and military politics, feels very current and 2011, which is exactly how an Iron Man-related comic should feel. The book has a great atmosphere of the present, which is, at least, a foundation for a very good War Machine comic.
Conclusion: A middling comic, but one that still glows with potential. I feel like I said the same thing last month, but that doesn’t make this any less enjoyable of a read. At the very least, this month is better insofar as it doesn’t have any real head-scratcher moments.
Grade: C+
-Alex Evans
Grade
Conclusion