Bendis Iron Man

Invincible Iron Man 1-11

It was around issue four that I caught myself thinking, “I love this so much.”  Riri Williams is an absolute delight, and one of Brian Michael Bendis’ finest creations, alongside Miles Morales.  This series is about as fun as it gets, Bendis at his almost-best.  Amanda Armstrong, Mary Jane Watson, and Friday the AI make for a top notch supporting cast.  Really, the action is all secondary to the characters and the things they say to each other.  This is even better than I remember.

Stefano Caselli’s art is equally amazing.  He’s the perfect artist for Riri.  

He's like a fairy godmother.

Another cliche tragedy to motivate our hero, but Bendis makes it work.

This is pure, hysterical grief.  I feel it.

Awesome moment for Amanda.

"Fe-male" made laugh harder than I have in a long time in a comic.

Still a sucker for a good silhouette.

Love this scene.  Pepper and Riri forever.

Not the only time Friday jokes about evil AI...

I don't care, I love that name.

Like Rhodes in the previous series, no way Pepper survives a ninja fight.  I don't buy it.

Bendis is amazing at inserting little character beats like this.

I could write for a hundred years and never come up with this line.

She makes the best Queen of Latveria.

Long may she reign!

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy  (Nice for issue 11.)

Generations: Iron Man and Ironheart 1

Riri travels to the far future, meets Tony Stark, Sorcerer Supreme, and is inspired by all the tech she sees to keep on inventing in the present.  Entirely filler, but Bendis keeps it from the cut pile.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

Invincible Iron Man 593-600

It’s amazing how quickly Bendis plummets from some of his best work to some of his worst.  This is a complete waste of time, as Tony Stark comes back to life and wastes numerous issues lying in a fetal position on the ground.  The Hood shows up at his most annoying, Doctor Doom’s redemption comes to a confusing, anti-climactic ending, Riri joins a half-baked Iron Man squad, and Bendis’ final issue at Marvel ends with a confusing scene in this potential future that he’s periodically visited but never fleshed out across the various titles he’d written over the years.  Oh, and Leonardo da Vinci shows up in a true what the serious fuck moment.

I’d totally cut this if it didn’t link to the Ironheart series.  And it feels wrong to cut the last bit of an otherwise excellent run.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Boring