Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Phantom Stranger? Phantom Zone

      Keith Dallas
      February 15, 2006
      Comic Effect
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Collecting Profile: Stan Lee

      Keith Dallas
      November 9, 2019
      Big Two, Collectibles, Marvel Comics, Miscellaneous Comic Book Content
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Glitterbomb & Helter Skelter: Studying Image From Without & Within

      Keith Dallas
      September 7, 2016
      Image, Indie, Manga, Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.0

      Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past

      Stephen Cook
      March 3, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 3.0

      Coyote v2

      Keith Dallas
      February 15, 2006
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Video Interview: Howie Noel from Tara Normal

      Keith Dallas
      February 21, 2015
      Interviews, Video Interview
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Keith Dallas
      February 15, 2019
      Classic Comics, Fantagraphics, News, Press Release
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • This Week in Boom!: Mermaids!!

      Keith Dallas
      September 16, 2015
      Boom! Studios, Indie, News, This Week in BOOM!
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Kickstarter for the Independent Creator: A Practical and Informative Guide To Crowdfunding'

      Keith Dallas
      September 14, 2015
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Big Two
Big Two Reviews

Slugfest Special – Iron Man: The Inevitable #1

Keith Dallas
December 29, 2005
Big Two Reviews, Marvel Comics, Reviews, Slugfest
Slugfest Special - Iron Man: The Inevitable #1
3.5Overall Score
Reader Rating: (0 Votes)

Kelvin Green

What drew me to this book was the art, which is somewhat unusual for me as I’m usually far more interested in the writing side of things. But I’ve been a fan of Frazer Irving’s distinctive style since his early 2000AD days, and while I was skeptical of Marvel’s decision to put him on an Iron Man series, I’m enough of a fan of Irving’s work to check out at least the first issue.

And while it still strikes me as an odd fit, Irving’s work here is as excellent as ever, with his usual great sense of storytelling and use of colour and shade, and he does draw a great Iron Man. Apart from a couple of neat moments, such as the Living Laser’s strange predicament, Joe Casey’s script is a bit bland and generic, but he does seem to know how to play to Irving’s artistic strengths and give him cool stuff to draw.

This is a solid but rather unremarkable comic, perhaps made to seem more so by Marvel’s decision to publish it as a separate title; as a mini-series event, The Inevitable doesn’t make much of a splash, but as a storyline in the ongoing and perpetually late Iron Man title, it would stand out much more. That said, the art is the star here, and this is a good Marvel debut for Irving.


Jacob Malewitz

Iron Man is popular these days. The fourth series for the Avenger was recently launched and is now supported by the new Ultimate Iron Man series written by Orson Scott Card (a major science fiction novelist). Add Iron Man: The Inevitable to that and you’ve got three Marvel series on Iron Man currently running. But remember, Iron Man: The Inevitable is a limited series, so jump on soon.

Issue #1 of the six part series opens with Stark buying a laser off of the black market. Iron Man then battles the same people from whom Tony Stark had just purchased a laser. Stark had planned from the beginning to trace them back to their hideout. Casey uses the rest of the story to foreshadow events in the future by introducing three of Iron Man’s old foes: Spymaster, the Ghost, and The Living Laser. The main plotlines revolve around Iron Man’s battle with the black marketers, Spymaster’s calculating plan to exact vengeance upon Iron Man, the reemergence of the Ghost, and the Living Laser’s tenuous grasp on life. While Spymaster and the Ghost are both fully capable of causing trouble the Living Laser is in a different predicament—he has become a sentient form of energy locked in stasis.

Written by Joe Casey (Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes) and drawn by Frazer Irving (Seven Soldiers: Klarion) Iron Man: The Inevitable is a good read, especially for the true Iron Man fan. The main positive in the comic is Irving’s rendition of Iron Man’s armor. While we only see a few glimpses of the classic red and gold armor it’s as good—and should be as popular—as the old red and silver type. The imagery used shows that Irving has an understanding of how a rich billionaire should look: charismatic but regal, dark but easy to approach.

Casey’s sentences are succinct. His dialogue is revealing. He uses dialogue to convey to the reader the majority of the story, letting Irving use imagery for the rest. There is obviously a connection between the writer and the illustrator in this issue, and will likely work its way into the other issues of the series as well. The pacing is perfect—though bear in mind there isn’t much action in this issue—and the colors and backgrounds suit the issues critical moments.

Highlights of Iron Man: The Inevitable include Casey’s style and Irving’s Iron Man armor. This is Irving’s first Marvel comic, and in each page he shows why he deserves your attention. Casey, on the other hand, is a Marvel veteran, having written the Avengers in the past. Combine them both and you get what looks to be a successful series for Marvel.

Issue #1 of Iron Man: The Inevitable isn’t a major event in comics, but it’s still a worthwhile read for any major Iron Man fan. It not only brings out some of the cooler Iron Man foes, but also will likely be a breakout series for illustrator Frazer Irving.


Jason Sacks

What happened to Iron Man? He used to be one of those solid mid-line performers in the Marvel Universe, like Thor and Captain America. Recently, though, the character has been drifting. He’s had a ridiculous number of new approaches in his series over the last few years, and his current series is absurdly, hideously late. Maybe the answer is that, like Thor, Iron Man has just fallen out of fashion. In this era where technology is ubiquitous, the idea of the best-armored and best-connected guy feels a little bit like a relic.

Joe Casey is a good writer, though, and he seems to have a nice approach to the character here. He makes a nice choice by presenting Tony Stark as a little bit like Bruce Wayne, a gallivanting playboy with a company to run. The big different between Tony and Bruce is that Tony’s a geek, and it’s also fun to see him take on the bizarre reconstruction of a villain called the Living Laser who has somehow become literally a living laser. Casey has a nice idea in also pushing the technology window in several scenes, presenting ideas that are just slightly outlandish while still maintaining internal consistency.

Fraser Irving’s art isn’t nearly as compelling as it was in Seven Solders: Klarion. In that book, his lush style helped add an air off odd unreality to Klarion’s strange world. Here, though, working in the real world, his style feels a bit more awkward, like he’s typing to break free but is held back by the story. There are a few scenes that have nice touches – there’s a party scene that’s a lot of fun, for instance – but I’m not sure that this is the best book for him.

I suppose by the end of the series, we’ll find out where the “Inevitable” tag comes from, but at this point it doesn’t make much sense yet. Overall this is an interesting first issue, competently done, but there’s still not quite enough to make Iron Man especially compelling.

 

Frazer IrvingJacob MalewitzJason SacksJoe CaseyKeith DallasKelvin GreenMarvel Comics

Share On:
Tweet
Showcase Presents: Metamorpho
Slugfest Special – Infinite Crisis #3

About The Author

Keith Dallas
Keith Dallas

Keith Dallas is a writer for Comics Bulletin

Related Posts

  • 4.5

    Review: X-MEN #1 – The Good Times are Here

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    October 17, 2019
  • House of X #5: Death and Resurrection Is The Latest Fashion

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    September 19, 2019

Support Us!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Friends of the Site

  • SOLRAD
  • Your Chicken Enemy
  • Psycho Drive-In
  • Women Write About Comics
  • The Beat
  • Loser City
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders