Gird your loins! It's New Iron Man Day.

So what do I think of this particular issue? Uh. Well. The art remains top-notch (and is the reason why I'm buying these at this point), and the story does dial back somewhat on the obnoxiously overt political commentary, so -- that's a marginal improvement, I guess? On the whole, though, it still isn't what I'm looking for. It still feels like Cantwell, at best, only partially groks Tony on a fundamental level.

I think part of the problem here is that, for some scenes, I often can't work out Cantwell's precise intent. Take that page my social media peeps and I previewed on Twitter the other day:

There are two possible interpretations of this moment. We could say this is meant to be a dig at modern American education and its over-emphasis on "structure" (because of course, if Tony had been permitted to stay with these school children, their learning would've been enhanced, not impeded) -- in which case, this bit is actually clever and delightful. But it's also possible - and, unfortunately, probably more likely given issue two and the authorly tittering here over Tony's discomfort in economy class - that I'm supposed to read this as a dig at Tony and his supposed exploitation of the common man for the sake of his own self-regard -- in which case, I'll once again have to invite Cantwell to do anatomically uncomfortable things with a ghost-pepper-coated cactus because ego puffery is 100% not why Tony would show up at a playground.

There's also the matter of Tony's internal -- complaining I think is the best word. I can buy Tony feeling ground down, under-appreciated, and on a hare trigger temper-wise because that's definitely happened before. But I honestly don't recall him ever directing his frustrations at the general public and mentally begging for their emotional validation like he does in this comic. Actually, canonically, he's more likely to externalize the Iron Man identity and focus all his resentments there, perhaps by throwing his armor across the room and blaming it for all of his problems (which happens so many times in volume 1 that I quickly lost count). 

And as for the "I'm better than you" train of thought that weaves through the pages discussed above? Tony does have a very high (and not entirely unearned) estimation of his own competence to control the winds of fate (so to speak), but that does not translate into an overall feeling of superiority over the rabble. On the contrary, Tony thinks he's an absolute garbage human being who's only saving grace is Iron Man. (See also: this post.) So nope. Nope, nope, nope. Cantwell's got him wrong there.

Anyway -- from the above, the issue meanders to a scene in which Tony and Patsy are flying to meet what turns out to be Korvac, which, as I briefly mentioned before, features some tiresome mockery of Tony's lack of familiarity with ordinary commercial air travel and a little more of Patsy being an out-of-character judgy bitch. Now on the latter, Cantwell attempts a half-assed explanation: that Patsy is dealing with her own psychological issues. But I still don't think there's much excuse for this:

Come the eff on. Everyone and his mother in the 616 knows that Tony is a recovering alcoholic and a self-loathing depressive who has tried to destroy himself on multiple occasions. Hell, right now, Tony's not sleeping, he's growing the beginnings of a hobo beard, and he literally told you one issue ago that he was looking for a way to die. So yes, Miss Priss: Tony does know what it's like "to constantly hear something dark in your head" -- and he should've been allowed to say so.

And finally, one other persistent problem: why is Patsy here? Where is Tony's usual supporting cast? For God's sake, Tony almost pulps the Melter here in a fit of pique -- a sign, for Tony, of severe emotional strain. By all rights, this issue should've contained a page on which Rhodey or Pepper or one of Tony's other long-time friends stops by for a poorly-veiled welfare check. ("Tony, what the hell's going on with you? You look like shit. Take a shower and go to sleep, dude!") The fact that such a scene is absent is beyond irritating. Indeed, it brings to mind the prime reason why I intensely despise Tom Taylor's Superior Iron Man run (a topic for a future post).

That all being said, I did like the way this issue ends after the battle with Korvac:

"It's all my fault" is classic Tony Stark through-and-through -- which means Cantwell's not completely clueless. Dare I hope for something better in the future? Is Cantwell actually building to something that will eventually redeem what we've seen so far?

I guess we'll have to see.

(Edit: Click here for my video follow-up -- and click here for a stream with Marm!)

On to the next issue!