Ultimate Iron Man #2 Review

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Writer : Orson Scott Card
Pencils : Andy Kubert
Inks : Danny Miki
Colors : Richard Isanove
Letters : Chris Eliopoulos
Editor : Nick Lowe

This further attempt by Marvel to have an author / creator from outside the realm of comics work on a high-profile title can only be described (thus-far) as a success.

Card is best-known for his highly-successful ‘Ender’ series of novels, commencing with the (justly) praised ‘Ender’s Game’. For those who haven’t read it, do so.

At any rate, Card was off to what some have called a shaky start with the initial installment of ‘Ultimate Iron Man’. Although the pseudo-science was certainly fascinating, the series suffered from a certain black-and-white morality (the villains were almost caricatures, sniggering at their evil plans) and lack of narrative drive.

This issue though is fantastic. Stane’s takeover of Stark Industries doesn’t go anywhere near as smoothly as he hoped, and the alliance of ‘evil’ characters begins to fall apart.

After Howard Stark takes ‘custody’ of his son, the scientific process making him so special has its own unique problems.

Much of the emphasis in this issue is on the pseudo-science of Tony Stark’s existence and powers. Much effort is given to setting out the quasi-scientific principles underpinning the realities of Tony’s existence. One almost grows nostalgic for the old-style three-panel ‘exposure to radiation’ story-telling device which provided the simple rationalization for these magnificent powers.

At any rate, a further conflict between Howard and his enemies conjures some real drama in the second half of the issue, and the issue of a former assistant, now in a vegetable state, provides some real uncertainty as to the outcome.

The art, by Andy Kubert, is as always, crisp and clear. Never to be mistaken for photo-realistic, the art renders sometimes-complex scenes easy to digest and manageable. Good job.

Very interesting, particularly for the attempts to make ‘Iron Man’ science logically palatable.