Invincible Iron Man #20 recap and discussion post

[heworedecadence.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the delay, kids. Holiday Hell delayed my recapping this week. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

Particularly with this issue... let's keep the comments focused on the recap and productive discussion rather than Fraction hate, please. :D

That said...


http://starkoholic.blogspot.com/

Comments

I just want you to know...

[jazzypom.livejournal.com]

That paragraph with the symbolism of IM and his armour really left me admiring of your thought processes. Very clear and sharp, and have never thought about it that way.

You're a twinkle twinkle star, you are. :D

[stormseye.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recap, I had not time to go to the comic shop this week.

[valtyr]

Well, I've said before I don't hate Fraction, because I assume he's working from editorial mandate that acknowledging Stark's actions were wrong is not allowed.

But the people present in that room are not really the people who decide whether he's forgiven or not - Bucky, Pepper, Maria and Natasha have all more or less reached accommodation with him. Don/Thor has been personally violated by him, and in a way Tony should be able to understand - Tony has had several arcs devoted to how he feels about his name and abilities being used to purposes he disapproves of. I really don't see how there can be any question about him (and Reed) owing Thor an apology, but that's one specific incident.

The larger issue about whether multiple people can forgive him for varying stuff he's done and move on is for each of those people to decide, so I think bringing it up in the comic at all was a mistake. The whole thing sits very awkwardly with me. I'm also irritated at Tony deciding to predict the future again. I wish Marvel would drop the futurist/psychohistory thing, as it doesn't work.

Really, this issue felt very filler-y to me. Basically one decision was made, and I think all the readers already knew what that decision would be.

Oh well. Hopefully next year will be better. Thanks for recapping. :)

[cosmicbiscuit.livejournal.com]

::applauds the ending line::

[marinarusalka.livejournal.com]

I've commented on this elsewhere, but my own take on Tony's message is that while yes, Tony has made some shitty decisions for which he needs to take responsibility and make amends, a recording from beyond the grave (or beyond the coma, as the case might be) isn't the right way to do it. That recording was Tony's last act as director of SHIELD. His focus there was (as it darn well should've been) on dealing with Osborne. Once the US has someone not-insane and not-supervillainy in charge of national security again, maybe Tony will have the opportunity to express his regrets and make his peace with the people he's wronged. I hope he does, because it's the right thing to do, and Tony's willingness to atone and amend when he's fucked up has always been one of his most admirable features in the past.

But I'm okay with him not having done it yet. There's bigger things on the board right now.

[storm-petrel.livejournal.com]

Hi, just a little note to let you know that I enjoy your recaps and interpretations that accompany them. I hope you continue them :)

[arileo.livejournal.com]

Tony giving up being Iron Man? I hope not. Partly because I'm afraid they might get a replacement Iron Man. Replacement Ironmen tend to have worse luck than the original, and the LAST thing Stark needs right now is another tragedy to blame himself for. Also, Tony's attempts to give up the armor never last very long. Either he jumps back into the fray to save the day, or he gets dragged back kicking and screaming.

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

Racing to catch up to the weekend. :D Thank you for the recap!

All I have to say on the Goodbye Message is that muccamukk did it better. *sigh* Why is fanfic outstripping canon? This is so wrong...

"...I don't know how to say this. Captain America and Thor were... whatever sense of a higher power I've ever had in this life came from them. From you. And from who you thought I could be. Whenever I looked up you were who I was looking at. For guidance, for leadership... and now absolution."

This may be the only line out of that whole monologue that makes any sense to me, and honestly? It could have been said better. (throws up hands)

Pepper's characterization gets a big old what the hell? No, seriously, what the hell! That's not Pepper! That's a pod-Pepper! That's a Skrull, or it's an LMD, but that is not the Pepper Potts I know. It just doesn't stand up against the way she was behaving just an issue or so ago. Behaving all lovey-dovey one minute and then whining that he doesn't get his plug pulled the next? UM.

Why is Tony on a brain-loop? I thought he didn't have any brain left to loop. o.O It would be one thing if he were in a usual vegetative state, but the way I understand the Brain Deletey, he shouldn't even be able to manage this much. Artistic license?

I just don't even know what to say about this issue. (headdesk) It looked so promising a month ago!

Call me crazy, but it feels like they're trying to write off a large chunk of Tony's more problematic characterization. Where's the depression and self-worth issues we know and love? I mean, okay, don't apologize for doing what you know was the right thing, I can buy that. But the collateral damage? If we're mentioning apologies, that needs one ASAP, and I think Tony would normally have included it. Instead it's like they're wiping out the character traits that make him eminently redeemable and leaving us with the Iron Asshole.

(wanders back to the land of Denial, where Steve is sunbathing in a thong, Tony is not a veggie, and everyone is well characterized)