IRON MAN #48
"The Frankenstein Syndrome, Part Three"
Neutral (4/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Omar Dogan
Colors: Udon
Letters: Sharpefont
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
Tieri brings another story arc to a close, and again, there are some great concepts at play. Unfortunately, they don't quite gel, as has been the case in the past. The story's basis in far too many continuity points makes it inaccessible. On the plus side, though, the art, handled entirely by the Udon studio, is much cleaner than other recent efforts on the book.
Ultron stands revealed as the true host of the sentient Iron Man armor, and thanks to his link to Tony Stark's S.K.I.N. technology, he also controls the followers and considerable resources of the Sons of Yinsen, a once-peaceful technological cult. Believing Iron Man and his ally, Sun Tao, to be out of the equation, Ultron resumes his mission: to replace all life on Earth with synthetic lifeforms like himself. Fortunately, Iron Man has an ace up his metallic sleeve, and its name is Jocasta.
Udon's computer-generated art is a good fit with this title character, and the muted colors at play here suit the tone of the story. However, the number of characters and concepts in the script are mirrored in the number of figures in the art, and it makes for a chaotic and mildly confusing read. It's not the Udon's artists' fault, mind you; the cluttered plot unfortunately calls for cluttered art. It doesn't help that a number of characters are dressed exactly alike.
Last month, Tieri brought a smile to my face with the revelation that Ultron was behind the shift in the Sons of Yinsen. I also found the notion of Jocasta feeling victimized by the sentient armor to be quite intelligent and original. Tieri's got some great ideas... ideas that just need to be a little more focused.
The biggest problem with this issue is its heavy reliance on the reader's knowledge of past stories. Tieri not only bases a lot of this plot on concepts from earlier on in his run, but he incorporates elements from Avengers stories... and not just recent ones. There's not enough exposition, and what is provided is not woven seamlessly into the script.
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