Tony Stark’s low-fi hot streak continues in Iron Man Annual #1. Turned onto the trail of some Science-Crime by Spider-Man, Miles Morales, Iron Man takes it to the streets…and comes face-to-face with the core trauma that made him the Armored Avenger! Written by Jed McKay. Drawn by Ibraim Roberson. Colored by Rachelle Rosenberg. Lettered by Joe Caramagna.
While some might beg to differ *kaff*kaff*Zachary Jenkins*kaff*kaff* Iron Man Annual #1 further strengthens my argument that this volume of Iron Man secretly rips.
Written by the guy currently making Black Cat appointment reading, Jed McKay, Iron Man Annual #1 is advertised as one thing, opens as another, but ultimately stands as something else entirely different. And that something else is a truly wonderful one-and-done Tony Stark adventure.
Kicking off this summer’s crop of Annuals, loosely tied together as the “Infinite Destinies” (tales designed around the recent personifications of the Infinity Gems), Iron Man Annual #1 finds Tony in an unlikely opening team-up. A group of Moloids is wreaking a low-key sort of havoc on New York and Miles Morales is having a time trying to cool their frenzy. Luckily Tony was in the area and quickly renders an unconventional assist. One that involves a fleet of food trucks and NYC TV bus tours.
It’s a breezy opening, but one that displays that McKay has a pretty firm grip on how fun Tony (and Miles) can be. He’s aloof, but not uncaring. Pragmatic, but genuinely invested in Miles and his career (which McKay even further seeds through some constant affecting inner-narration that carries through the Annual). But when Miles tells Tony about some recent developments in his own solo title, specifically his torment and “study” at the hands of villain Assessor, a switch flips in the Armored Avenger and we are taken on a driving, gnarly, and consistently cool Iron Man one-shot.
While the plot overall gets a bit gummed up in the “Infinite Destinies” trappings connecting this new batch of Annuals, writer Jed McKay and the art team really make this one worth the investment. Somewhat gilded by McKay’s engaging narration and snappy dialogue for Tony, this Annual cuts to the bone of why Tony does what he does. A thread that is welcomely carried over from the current Christopher Cantwell-helmed main title.
It isn’t just that the Assessor is a “tech-criminal” and therefore falls under Tony’s purview. It isn’t even that he’s operating in the greater New York area; Tony’s “home turf”. It’s because he stole someone, just like Tony was stolen, and forced to “dance” with the threat of death over them. Not only is this a wonderful take from McKay on the core trauma of Tony, but it’s a thunderously entertaining application of it as well! One that McKay cleanly, affectionately walks us through in the narration and dialogue. Everything that Tony does in this Annual matters because you feel like it genuinely matters to HIM, the weight of every action and the personal stakes of the whole affair just radiating off the page.
And while Jed McKay does a great job emoting that from the script, Iron Man Annual #1 wouldn’t shine nearly as brightly without Ibriam Roberson and Rachelle Rosenberg. Graced with a gleam thanks to Rosenberg’s liquid-smooth colors, Roberson really seems to vibe with McKay’s take on Ol’ Shellhead. Even the “static” shots of Tony in armor are always posed with an eye toward kineticism, which really makes the opening team-up between him and Miles pop as Miles’ body blocking as well really leaps off the page (if you’ll forgive the terrible pun). But even beyond that, each set piece is so clear and highly cool just as single images; images that even further heighten once seen in full narrative sequence, scaffolded emotionally with McKay’s impressive script.
It all stacks up to a truly striking Annual reading experience. While readers could probably do without the “Infinite Destinies” trappings the story skirts around, Iron Man Annual #1 does more than make Tony look cool and badass. It makes him look (and read) like an actual character; one that can sustain his own emotionally driven stories without the bells, whistles, and constantly toyetic cosmetics. If you were looking for a new in-road on Tony, or even maybe something to remind you why you mained him in Marvel Vs. Capcom in the first place Iron Man Annual #1 is the book you want.
*I’m just kidding, I think Zachary actually really liked this issue.
Zachary Jenkins runs ComicsXF and is a co-host on the podcast “Battle of the Atom.” Shocking everyone, he has a full and vibrant life outside of all this.
