Friends and readers, welcome to Threefer Madness! This week we’ve got a combination of a new #1, the end of one writer’s tenure, and some heckin’ space adventures. Join writers Vishal Gullapalli and Tony Thornley as we delve into this comics in our traditional conversation Marvel Files Fashion!
Iron Man 2020 #1
Arno Stark is IRON MAN in the armored Avenger’s massive 2020 event by Dan Slott, Cris Gage, Pete Woods and Joe Caramagna!
VG: I enjoyed Slott’s portions of Incoming! more than most have seemed to, but I’ll be the first to say that the conclusion of Tony Stark: Iron Man was really frustrating. The book had a strong start and began to collapse once Slott needed cowriters to get it in on time. Iron Man 2020 seems to start off on the same sour note the last series ended on, with Christos Gage cowriting just like he did the last few issues. There were a lot of neat ideas throughout this issue, but the actual writing really didn’t live up to them at all.
TT: I have to agree. Conceptually, I loved this issue. Arno Stark is prepping for a doomsday AI! Howard and Maria are back but are basically hostages of Arno and Sunset Bain! AI’s are fighting for their rights! However, the execution is just so flat and bland that I struggled to actually read it. I think a big problem with it is that Arno is just a total cipher [Ed. Note: With gear shoulders!], and this issue does nothing to make us sympathize with him. Know what I did like though? That art! It’s been so long since I’ve read anything Pete Woods has done and I really enjoyed it!
VG: You’re totally right – Woods is awesome here. I love the coloring especially. I have to think that Gage’s scripting is what took the issue down. This story also continues a lot of the threads of similarity between Slott’s Iron Man and HoXPoX! There’s already the debate happening within the readership about whether an artificial body with backup memories can be considered the same person, and everything involving Tony’s sense of identity in this book says no.
TT: Okay, Tony’s sense of identity is one of the things that hasn’t sat right with me from the beginning of the series. This issue doesn’t help, because we don’t get the sense that Tony truly is what he’s saying and feeling. There’s probably something there for a plot about body dysphoria, but I doubt we’ll get it.
VG: There’s also the AI apocalypse coming up, which to me read a lot like the Phalanx from X3. While I doubt Slott has this important a hand in the events of the X-line, these parallels are really interesting to me. I just wish the writing was more enjoyable.
TT: I really agree about the parallels. It’s so interesting and I can’t think they’re coincidences… I think there’s a lot of potential here, and there’s just enough that I’ll check out the next issue. But I didn’t love it.
Avengers #29
It’s the penultimate chapter of the Avengers’ big space adventure as the Avengers fight the Heralds of Galactus and the new Starbrand stands revealed by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Paco Medina, Jason Keith and Cory Petit!
TT: I’ve been reading Jason Aaron’s Avengers run since the beginning. I’ve generally enjoyed it, some arcs more than others, but not as much as some of his more well regarded stuff like Thor. However, I think he’s getting into the groove with this arc. One of the big things that’s helped (besides some of the absolutely bonkers concepts he writes and McGuinness and Medina bring to life) is that this arc finally feels like there’s a direction that the series was lacking. What did you think Vishal?
VG: I have the total opposite opinion, honestly. I’ve been hot and cold on Aaron’s Avengers since it started. While I really enjoyed the issues with the international super-teams and the Vampires arc, I thought the first arc was really weak, the Avengers B.C. stuff was dull [Ed. Note: Even Ghost Rider Mammoth?], and the more recent Ghost Rider and cosmic arcs have been a chore. This arc especially has been a challenge for me. I do agree that this issue has finally made sense of the poor in media res beginning to the story, but I don’t enjoy Aaron’s voice for Natasha at all. That being said, Ed McGuinness is adding a really strong 90s Howard Porter vibe to this book, which is enjoyable in its own way. The ending also surprised me, I’m interested in where Aaron takes it.
TT: I am so torn about that ending. It was such a shock revealing that the new Starbrand is a pregnant Earth woman but I don’t know if it has legs beyond the shock value. Are we supposed to know who she is?
VG: I didn’t recognize her – I think the shock was just supposed to be that she’s pregnant. I’m curious what’ll happen with the baby, and if Aaron’s going to use “Child born to the Starbrand” as his new superhero/supervillain concept, but honestly I’m also a bit ready for him to hop off of the book. Speaking of hopping off books, though, this week also had us say goodbye to a really great writer on a really great book.
Jane Foster: Valkyrie #7
Jane Foster and her team of superhuman doctors try to heal Death before there are dire consequences from Jason Aaron, Al Ewing, Pere Perez, Jesus Aburtov and Joe Sabino!
VG: This is Al Ewing’s last issue on Valkyrie, and while I’m really looking forward to Torunn Grønbekk’s tenure on the book, I’ll miss him. This was a fantastic coda to his short stint though, wouldn’t you agree?
TT: I do! This arc felt like Ewing was in the driver’s seat. There was a lot of fantastic concepts (especially the name drop of Cancerverse), and great character moments especially addressing one of the biggest Jane plot threads from her past. Each hero gets a fantastic moment to shine too, which goes a long way to helping the guest stars (even Manikin!) feel significant!
VG: I felt genuinely anxious when Jane saw the big death orb above Manikin, and was legitimately upset when that Chekhov’s gun fired. It says a lot about the quality of the writing when a character I didn’t know existed until last month gave me that strong of a reaction.
TT: Oh no kidding! Manikin went from “who’s that weird dude from Alpha Flight” to “I want to know more!” over the course of these issues. I also love that Jane had the ability to stop death by allowing Death to die, but her entire lifetime prepared her for knowing how wrong of a decision that is. Seriously, Jane Foster being a kickass doctor and cancer survivor saved the 616 from becoming another Cancerverse!
VG: The decision to have the big threat of the arc be the Cancerverse was inspired and one of the many awesome things Ewing has brought to the book in his 7 issues [Ed. Note: The man does good cosmic]. This status quo for Jane has been a blast since War of the Realms ended and I’m really happy we got this book at the end of it. I feel like I should also shout out Pere Pérez here, whose art has been incredible on this arc. This was really just an all around well-made issue.
Vishal Gullapalli is a comics enthusiast studying computer science to enable his media consumption. He’s currently reading through the entirety of DC’s New 52 (for some reason) and logging his experience.
Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist, and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble.
Vishal Gullapalli is highly opinionated and reads way too much.
Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist, and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble.
