Hi? Iron Man 500?

[fictivore.livejournal.com]

Umm.... So since there isn't really a Tony Stark community out there and I really really need some input on this. Help, guys?

I just read Invincible Iron Man #500 and apparently it's gone into reprint and everyone is really pleased with it. Umm, what did you think of it? Did you think he got Tony was right in what he would or would not do? Do you know anything about Fraction's future plans with Tony and what are your opinions about them?

Because I just read the issue, and... I can't get over it. I don't want to lead witness or whatever in the post so I'll put my opinions in the comments, but please, I really really need to get this off my chest. Thanks.

Comments

[fictivore.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is 'beautiful'! Thanks for the info... DD:

It's like I could actually sort of see the point of Extremis. Okay, actually I got in with extremis but once I'd read the back canon, I could still sort of see it. I put that storyline as just after Avengers Disassembled, as in everything goes boom including Rumiko, Tony faces it for a while then Pep ad Hap leave for their own life and Tony fails to cope spectacularly and goes into his garage for 'six weeks'... And everytime Tony is seriously down in a funk, its almost SOP for him to try to kill himself/ do something insanely dangerous and then re-invent himself for a new start. And considering the technological advances, nano-tech seems like the obvious next direction. (I would have VASTLY preferred it if he'd had more to do with the Extremis itself, instead of basically just hijacking another scientist's work, but oh well... )

And Civil War, if they hadn't completely bungled it, with losing control over how the side-comics/titles were showing him and hadn't gone the easy way of 'Opposing Cap = Villain' if was a good character eveloping thing, if taken in its spirit.

All of IIM has just been about beating him down, beating him hard without any reprieve and all the while his characterization's gone right back to what it was when he'd JUST BECOME IRON MAN! That's like a whole decade worth of lessons and hardships learnt down the drain! WTF?! I mean, the guy who at first didn;t even notice Pepper and then when he did, was totally emo about how he couldn't be with her and spent his time matchmaking between Happy and Pepper? This guy, apparently fired someone just because they had casual hots for Miss Potts?! When was this supposed to be!

/eh, sorry... I think I'm very ranty right now.... ¬_¬;

[jane-says.livejournal.com]

Don't be sorry. I completely understand the need for a good rant. ^_^

I call Extremis the jumping off point into the era of Tony we have now. We had that conversation before about Extremis being the ultimate enabler. The first 14 issues volume 4; Extremis, Execute Program and the 2 issues of Civil War tie-in; are really the last push forward (and a fairly good one at that). But after Civil War I had to walk away from Marvel and comics and a lot of fandom in general, due more to the fans than the fandoms themselves … which is a long story worthy of a comic book itself where I had to accept certain sad truths about humankind and their interpretations of fiction reflecting it.

Back to #500 before I digress more. I think I've accepted that this is going to be the Iron Man we have until there is a restructuring of writer/art/direction not only in this title but Marvel overall or they acknowledge this is the low moment and we get that rebuilding momentum again. Tony has always been a character that when laid low gives some of the best opportunities to do something different.

Having only been a wee little fan-girl when IM #200 ended the Obidiah Stane arc I would have loved to experience it as it was happening over the course of the THREE YEARS it took to tell the story. I can only hope that if we ever get rebuilding it's half as good as those issues.

Looking back at the previous 100s issues I kind of want to do a retrospective post but I'm not really sure the best way to go about it.