Nothing revelatory here, just some fun destructive fights, and the best depiction of the Mandarin (and Fin Fang Foom) I've ever seen. Meanwhile Iron Man deals with an old enemy returned to destroy him, a nuclear meltdown at Tony Stark's own research facility, violent labor unrest at his various businesses, and the loss of control of his central nervous system (hijacked unbeknownst to him by some mysterious corporate enemies). Particularly the Rise of the Mandarin, his release of the aforementioned giant green dragon, and his mission to become the new emperor of China. John Byrne's story in Armor Wars II has some good moments. Most everything he does is worth reading for the art alone. His artwork is why I bought these comic books, this is why I like them. The contrast reminds the reader of humanity's (even super humanity's) relative vulnerability. His style gives his heroes (and villains) a visual gravitas that conveys imposing physical power, then counter poses their strength by showing them as little specks, dwarfed by some enormous machine, building, mountain, or giant green dragon named Fin Fang Foom. His characters are big, bulky, heavily shadowed, and textured they were described by Brian Michael Bendis (currently plotter of the whole damn Marvel Universe) as looking like they were carved out of granite. He co-created the book Kick-Ass, re-launched The Eternals with Neal Gaiman, and has had lengthy runs on many of Marvels most important books (currently drawing The Avengers). is one of my favorite super-hero artists. I'd love to be able to see the pencils because the finished inks and colors are so dead on, I want to see what the undercarriage looked like. Every action scene is clear, every panel is perfection. It was like they bred him specifically to draw this book, to work on Iron Man.

Instead of rolling our eyes like Michellini did, Byrne has a firm grasp of what it takes to write Iron Man.Īs far as the art, I can't praise JRJR enough. He pulls us, lures us in, and weaves his magic around us. Having so many threads running through these issues, Byrne makes every page worth reading. With the proper writer, any villain can become an A-lister. What I love about this collection is the fact that Byrne takes Michellini's better ideas (which are hard to find since his Armor Wars issues are practically devoid of any memorable moments) and makes them into a proper story, complete with a newly powered Living Laser.

As Byrne forces Tony into dire straits with some aggressive corporate warfare, he sets up later arcs by following the Mandarin in his megalomaniacal pursuit of power in China. In any case, the MCU will feature more of Riri Williams, not just in Ironheart, but also potentially in Armor Wars and Phase 6's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.John Byrne and John Romita Jr had the greatest Iron Man run in the last 30 years. Shuri and Riri's partnership is somewhat comparable to Stark and Steve Rogers' relationship prior to Captain America: Civil War. With the MCU's Riri Williams having connections to Wakanda, she may be much more closely linked with the Black Panther franchise moving forward. Ironheart's Mark II armor being visually distinct from any cinematic Iron Man suit reflects how the MCU's Ironheart will be very different from her Marvel Comics counterpart. While Marvel Comics' Riri makes her second armor specifically to continue Tony's legacy, in the MCU, Riri's Mark II armor is a necessity in Wakanda's fight against Namor. Apart from her mentor, another key difference between Ironheart in Marvel Comics and the MCU is that her Mark II armor was made with Wakandan vibranium. Instead of Tony Stark, Ironheart is mentored by Shuri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, T'Challa's sister who herself becomes the MCU's new Black Panther.

Iron wars 2