Tony Stark is one of the most complicated heroes in Marvel history, and he works best when the team behind him embraces his nuances and flaws. Thankfully, the team behind I Am Iron Man #1 — Murewa Ayodele, Dotun Akande, and VC’s Joe Caramagna — loves this character and wants to explore him, flaws and all. Unfortunately, the first issue of this mini-series does not go as hard as it should, nor does it set up enough intrigue for the future of the story.
In honor of Iron Man’s 60th anniversary, I Am Iron Man plans to explore never before seen stories of Tony Stark. While the mini-series promises big things ahead, the first issue has the daunting task of explaining how Tony Stark will revisit these eras, and the answer is time travel via bass.
The concept may sound wild, but it’s a joy to see comics lean into the absurdity of the medium. Ayodele has a genius way of incorporating time travel via the power of heavy metal. At least, readers assume it’s heavy metal or rock-n-roll, as the story does not pull a lot in from these genres of music outside of some badass poses from the villain.
The concept might have been more clear if Akande had leaned more into the metal genre when it comes to the art. The few poses of the villain create a memorable but short-lived performance. Plus, with metal albums having some of the most dynamic covers, it’s a surprise Akande did not lean more into these extremes. Instead, this feels like standard superhero fare. But Akande’s work is still entertaining. Some innovative takedowns from Iron Man toward the end get fans closer to what the series’ premise should aspire for. Akande seems to be having the most fun illustrating the villain and these fights.
Akande uses muted hues to compliment the nostalgia of I Am Iron Man. However, this makes the art feel flat and takes away from the dynamic metal concept. In the softer moments, Akande’s slick yet somber approach matches Tony’s internal conflict, but this is a story about Tony Stark time-traveling with the power of rock-n-roll. With a premise like that, readers are left wanting a more vibrant palette.
Meanwhile, some of the softer moments capture the complexities of Iron Man. Akande highlights how Tony can be cold and calculating for what he considers the greater good, but that side of him is also in contrast to his humanity and selfish desires.
Ayodele demonstrates a keen understanding of the iconic hero, but that character exploration takes a back seat to exposition in I am Iron Man #1. There’s a lot of information that needs to be conveyed to readers in this issue. Delivering it through a dense conversation between two characters who already know what is going on feels like a villain monologuing for the sake of the audience. This contrived approach takes the reader out of the moment. So much is covered in Issue #1 that it takes away the mystery from future issues, especially when it seems Tony already knows what’s going to happen. Caramagna struggles to bring clarity to Ayodele’s dialogue-heavy pages. Several pages feel overwhelmed by speech bubbles and dense dialogue, leaving little room for the art.
The premise for I Am Iron Man is compelling, and the creative team has the potential to deliver on it. Issue #1 moves a little slowly, but it introduces all the elements needed for a truly metal mini-series.
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