Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Valerio Schiti
Colors: Edgar Delgado
Letters: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Fun. That is the best description I can come up with to describe Tony Stark: Iron Man #1. After the extended Bendis run of Iron Man title’s that put Tony through a roller coaster of emotions and for a time even removed him from the world by placing him in a coma it was a nice and refreshing change to read Tony Stark: Iron Man #1. Dan Slott and Valerio Schitti’s arrival on Iron Man is a wonderful change of pace and a return to form for Iron Man.
The Bendis era of Iron Man is not forgotten or looked over but Slott looks to be moving past it. The nice thing that Bendis did do was put all the toys back in the box before he left and Slott seems set (thankfully) on using all of those toys. Tony Stark is back and in charge of not only Stark Unlimited but is using its subsidiary Stark Solutions to advance technology to help better that world and to do this he needs to surround himself with the best and brightest. Beginning with a flashback to Tony’s youth and then a present day adventure for team Iron Man as they take on of all crises, an attack by Fin Fang Foom. Buried between these two events we get a look at the inner workings of Stark Solutions and a return of some classic characters, principle among them Jocasta Pym, head of the robotics division. The new armor(s) are very cool and I can’t wait to see what other tech is going to be introduced in the coming months.
Although titled Self-Made Man Part One Tony Stark: Iron Man #1 reads as a one off tale rather than the beginning of a multi-part story, a classic one and done issue straight out of the ‘80s with a modern interpretation. I think this is why Dan Slott was the perfect choice to take over Iron Man in the wake of Bendis. Slott having recently wrapped his extended run on Spider Man has a track record of being able to use Marvel’s character’s rich histories to craft new and unique takes on them. While Valerio Schiti has been around for a few years his artwork her is stunning. It’s cartoony with a manga influence, which really shows up with the tech and the armors. Add in the bright and vibrant colors by Edgar Delgado to this mix and you get a delightful comic book and an incredible new take on the classic Marvel Avenger.
Verdict:Tony Stark: Iron Man #1is a wonderful relaunch of the classic Marvel hero. Under the care of Dan Slott and Valerio Schiti it is an impressive first issue and in my opinion a must read for any fan of the shell head or anyone looking to jump into the world of Iron Man.
