Okay: now that two issues of the Iron Man relaunch have been released, it's time for some more extensive commentary on Christopher Cantwell's so-called "back-to-basics" take. And as I said yesterday on Twitter:

At any rate, buckle up for some ranting in re: Tony and the most annoying discourse in the world.

— The Right Geek (@TheRightGeek) October 21, 2020

Honestly, the fact that issue two royally honked me off is an absolute tragedy because this new run - despite the rage-inducing bull I'm about to discuss - brings quite a lot to the table. 

First of all, the Alex Ross covers...

... are absolutely gorgeous. Just incredible! Indeed, I want prints of these to put in my Iron Man cave.

Secondly, the armor redesign (also by Alex Ross) does have an attractive "retro" feel, and the interior art by CAFU and Frank D'Armata... 

... is (in my opinion, of course) pretty, pretty eye candy. The example captures above are quite representative of what you're going to see if you buy these books -- and that's good because, as Our Boi Zack often emphasizes, comics is a visual medium. 

BLATE: Overall, artistically, this new team is really banging on all cylinders. A+

The problem - the big problem - I'm having right now is with Christopher Cantwell's writing.

I will give Cantwell one thing: As I've already remarked on social media, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with his basic mid-life crisis premise. For Tony, at least, it actually fits. Tony has always had an unstable self-concept -- not to mention one hell of a depressive streak. Fundamental to his established personality is a creeping worry that, at his core, he has nothing real to offer. That beneath the armors and facades, there is only emptiness. That, for reasons of self protection, he has cut himself off from human intimacy so completely that he is now incapable/unworthy of love. (Which is so, so not true -- but let's not get sidetracked, RG.)

Iron Man #36

Consequently, moments of crisis and radical "reinvention" have actually happened in Iron Man canon more than once as Tony has struggled to fill that aching hole he perceives. Sometimes, stressed and tired, he has tried to quit the Iron Man gig. Other times, he's completely retooled his business. Hell, we can even argue that his many, many armors are yet one more manifestation of said reinvention motif. But whether we're talking about his armors or his lifestyle, Tony has wondered over and over and over again who he actually is and what he actually wants to achieve and has thus kept himself in a constant - almost manic - state of flux.

Iron Man #36

Iron Man #50

The upshot? The fact that, in Cantwell's first issue, Tony essentially decides to screw everything, move to a simpler home in NYC, and buy a new car -- didn't really bother me. The execution was a little boring and dreary, true -- but the underlying idea is not out-of-character.

Stuff like this, from the first issue, feels right. Yes, Patsy then hectors Tony about his use of the word "man" for no real reason at all, but I was willing to ignore that. I really was. My desperation for good Tony content right now makes me quite forgiving -- but not infinitely so.

And to be fair, there's also some really good stuff in issue two. This sequence, for example, actually elicited genuine laughter:

Granted, I can see why some other readers out there might find a guided meditation scene hipsterish and lame, but to me, this feels very true to Tony. Yes, he's easily distracted. Yes, he just can't shut his brain off. For me, this works.

I also loved this moment of Stark-brand self-doubt:

 And I was so, so excited when Tony proceeded to pull this stunt:

There's nothing so quintessentially Tony Stark than a gratuitous act of self-sacrifice. Right here, I was ready to fully buy in because O.M.G. But then...

... then this shit happened:

(Record screech.)

No. NO. And also, fuck you. With a ghost-pepper-coated cactus.

Yes, Tony does fit the actual, non-ideological definition of privilege. He comes from old money and hasn't really wanted for anything. But here's the thing: he knows that. He's always known that. You're talking about the guy who was out there entertaining orphaned children literally two-freakin'-seconds after becoming Iron Man:

Tales of Suspense #41

You're talking about the guy who has a charity foundation:

Iron Man #82

You're talking about a guy who met a suffering kid in Vietnam and cried because he felt his military work might've contributed to that suffering:

Iron Man #78

You're talking about a guy who freely spends money on others' utopian projects:

Iron Man Annual #3

You're talking about a guy who goes out there and stumps for rational environmental conservation:

Iron Man #31

In short, you're talking about a guy who's been "looking past his privilege" his entire superheroic life. Noblesse oblige, as I've previously observed, is as fundamental to Tony Stark as his alcoholism, his technological genius, and his aforementioned feelings of worthlessness. 

(And by the way, I could've marshaled a lot more evidence here. I've got a Google Drive chock full of this stuff. You're lucky I have at least some self control.)

So if Cantwell thinks Patsy's scolding Tony for being a typical rich white guy with a "God complex" has hit the nail on the head here, he is profoundly, profoundly mistaken. Tony, ever scrupulous, has been trying to expiate what he believes are his sins through his activities as Iron Man. But he's not doing it for a statue in Central Park. He's not doing it to buff his own ego. His yearning for redemption and his dreams for a better world - a better future - have always been absolutely, 100% sincere. 

Cantwell: was your goal to inspire the urge to smack Patsy in the face? Because for me, that's what you did. Tony's not a perfect guy, God knows, but this particular criticism is something he manifestly doesn't deserve. You clearly didn't base it on a deep knowledge of this character; on the contrary, you were running on pure, thought-terminating ideology. 

Congratulations for bouncing me out of your story, you tool.

ETA: There's now a part two. And a YouTube video.

On to the next issue!