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IRON MAN 2001
Neutral (4/10)
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Marvel Comics
"Hunted"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Pencils: Michael Ryan
Inks: Sean Parsons
"Black and White"
Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Craig Wilson
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Sharpefont
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.99 US/$4.50 CAN |
Hunted: Claremont's plot stretches suspension of disbelief to the limit -- and beyond -- but the emotional tone he creates with the relationship between Tony Stark and a woman of equal engineering brilliance rang true. In the end, though, this was a rather ordinary story with ordinary art.
Iron Man is lured to the nation of Sarawak, where Tony and his armor are bombarded with a tapeworm virus that incapacitates the armor. Tony must make his way through a strange land with no resources while keeping his powerful technology hidden from those who would use it for nefarious purposes. His savior comes in the form of a brilliant young computer scientist, Anna Wei, and her son.
Claremont tries to reconcile Tony's status as a man lost in hostile territory, but the script comes off as rationalizing, not exposition or seamless dialogue by any means. The plot just doesn't make a lot of sense, so the fact that I was drawn into the Tony/Anna relationship later in the story speaks volumes of how well Claremont pulls it off. There's also a cool virtual-reality sequence in which Tony and Anna control the armor from afar.
Sadly, the art is far too busy. Each panel seems terribly cramped. To be fair, Ryan's style continues to evolve and improve. I see hints of new influences in his work; there seems to be a strong Todd (Young Justice) riff going on in his work now.
Black and White: Like the main story, this back-up feature has a poor premise as its foundation. But also like the first story, an element turns up toward the end that I found pleasantly surprising. Again, Tieri shows plenty of potential, but it's not fully realized.
Ty Stone sends Tony Stark a telegram, claiming the two rival billionaires never actually escaped the virtual reality of Stone's DreamVision months ago. Tony refuses to accept it, but he has to admit to himself that Stone's claims are a possibility. Rumiko Fujikawa, a former lover of both men, turns up, providing the answers Tony seeks.
Wilson's art is obviously heavily influenced by the work of Todd McFarlane. His style still seems a little rough around the edges, and he really doesn't make strong use of the black-and-white motif. His characters are also inconsistently illustrated.
I lost interest in the whole Stone/Stark conflict a while ago, so I wasn't too happy to see it turn up again here. Furthermore, accessibility is a problem, as new readers are bound to be confused by this follow-up tale. But Tieri impressed me by bucking tradition and having the protagonist refuse to help Stone. Tony is bitter here, and he's vindictive and petty. He lets Stone have it and Rumiko as well. In other words... he acts like a human being.
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