{"id":27566,"date":"2023-02-16T09:00:47","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T09:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=27566"},"modified":"2023-02-14T18:34:18","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T18:34:18","slug":"marvel-adventures-iron-man-volume-1-heart-of-steel-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2023\/02\/16\/marvel-adventures-iron-man-volume-1-heart-of-steel-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Marvel Adventures Iron Man volume 1: Heart of Steel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Fred Van Lente<\/strong>, James Cordeiro<\/strong>, Ronan Cliquet<\/strong>, Scott Koblish<\/strong>, Amilton Santos<\/strong>, Gary Erskine<\/strong> & various (Marvel)
\nISBN: 978-0-7851-2644-7 (Digest PB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

In 2003 the always-experimenting House of Ideas instituted the Marvel Age<\/strong> line: an imprint updating classic original tales and characters for a newer, younger readership. The enterprise was tweaked in 2005, with core titles morphing into Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four<\/strong> and Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man<\/strong>. The tone was very much that of the company\u2019s burgeoning TV cartoon franchises, in delivery if not name.<\/p>\n

Supplemental series included Super Heroes<\/strong>, The Avengers<\/strong>, Hulk<\/strong> and Iron Man<\/strong>. These all chuntered along merrily until 2010 when they were cancelled and replaced by new volumes of Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes<\/strong> and Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Most of the re-imagined tales were collected in gleefully inviting digest-sized compilations and digitised: thus was the case with this engaging ensemble featuring the first four forays starring the gadget-laden Golden Avenger.<\/p>\n

In original mainstream continuity, supreme survivor Tony Stark <\/em>has changed his profile many times since his 1963 debut when, as a VIP visitor in Vietnam observing the efficacy of weaponry he\u2019d designed, the arch-technocrat w\u00fcnderkind was critically wounded and captured by a local warlord.<\/p>\n

Put to work with the spurious promise of medical assistance upon completion, Stark instead built an electronic suit to keep his heart beating and deliver him from his oppressors. From there, it was a small jump to a second career as a high-tech hero in Shining Super-Armour\u2026<\/p>\n

Conceived in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis, at a time when the economy was booming and \u201cCommie-bashing\u201d was America\u2019s favourite national pastime, the emergence of a suave new Edison using Yankee ingenuity, wealth and invention to safeguard the Land of the Free and better the World seemed an obvious development.<\/p>\n

Combining the era\u2019s sacrosanct tenet that technology and business in unison could solve any problem with the universally enthralling imagery of noble paladins battling evil, Invincible Iron Man <\/strong>proved an infallibly successful proposition.<\/p>\n

Over subsequent decades Stark has been depicted as a liberal capitalist, eco-warrior, space pioneer, civil servant, statesman, and even spymaster: Director of Earth\u2019s most scientifically advanced spy agency – the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For most of that period his best friend and frequent stand-in was James Rhodes<\/em>, a former military man who acted as pilot, bodyguard, advisor, co-conspirator and occasional necessary conscience. \u201cRhodey\u201d even replaced Iron Man when Stark succumbed to alcoholism and eventually carved out his own chequered career as remorseless mechanised warrior and weapon of last resort War Machine<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n

Here Rhodey is reduced to a technical support role and joined by a supporting cast member of a much earlier vintage. Secretary and hyper-efficient factotum Pepper Potts<\/em> has been in the picture since the seventh IM adventure (way back in October 1963): evolving from love-struck typist into a businesswoman and hero in her own right. Here a middle ground is struck and she\u2019s Stark\u2019s trusted Executive Administrator, confidante and general dogsbody\u2026<\/p>\n

Culled from Marvel Adventures Iron Man<\/strong> #1-4 (July-October 2007) this machine-tooled tranche of explosive yarns is written throughout by Fred Van Lente, with colours from Studio F\u2019s Martegod Gracia and lettered by Blambot\u2019s Nate Piekos. It also serves up a \u2018Cover Gallery<\/em>\u2019<\/em> by comics legend Michael Golden.<\/p>\n

As ever, these stories are intended to bring newcomers up to speed on key points and characterisation whilst updating the material and opens with \u2018Heart of Steel\u2019 –<\/em> winningly illustrated by James Cordeiro & Scott Koblish – which once again modifies the technological wizard\u2019s origin in tune with modern sensibilities\u2026<\/p>\n

When a huge robotic monster attacks Manhattan, Stark suits up in his latest miracle-armour to tackle the terror. The clash sends his mind racing back six months to the moment when the spoiled multi-billionaire idol and (non-superhero) smug brat was publicly challenged by esteemed scientist Gia-Bao Yinsen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

That venerable sage accused Stark of selling war-weapons to anybody with enough money, thereby letting them be used to destroy the island of Madripoor<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Upset by the confrontation, the young genius shrugged it off until summarily abducted by techno-terrorists Advanced Idea Mechanics<\/em>. They wanted him to build more death-toys for them and were pretty sure he would cooperate. Tony\u2019s heart was grievously damaged in their attack and only AIM\u2019s doctors could keep him alive\u2026<\/p>\n

Locked in a top-of the line lab\/workshop, Tony found old Yinsen was also a prisoner and together they devised mobile, weaponised life-support units to fight their way to freedom. Ultimately, Yinsen didn\u2019t make it, but his final words changed Stark\u2019s life forever\u2026<\/p>\n

As also illustrated by Cordeiro & Scott Koblish, Iron Man\u2019s greatest enemy is then reintroduced in \u2018Enter the Dragon\u2019<\/em>. When Stark\u2019s Chinese factory is suddenly depleted of its entire workforce, he charges to the rescue, clashing with supreme mech-genius the Mandarin<\/em>. He is a direct descendent of Genghis Khan<\/em> who intends topping his ancestor in the world-conquest stakes\u2026<\/p>\n

Employing his monumental mechanical wyrm to attack the Great Wall, the maniac makes a pretty good start until Iron Man gets heavy\u2026<\/p>\n

Potts takes centre-stage in \u2018The Creeping Doom\u2019 <\/em>(illustrated by Ronan Cliquet & Amilton Santos) as the Stark jet touches down in a desert wilderness to interview genetic engineer and botanist Samuel Smithers<\/em>. The recluse has a few radical ideas about revolutionising global Agribusiness, but sadly, by the time they arrive, he\u2019s moved beyond the need for investors, having merged with his verdant creations to become a marauding Plantman<\/em> intent on seizing the world for the floral kingdom.<\/p>\n

The only use he has for meaty organic matter is as mulch and compost, but underestimates the sheer animal cunning of his adversaries\u2026<\/p>\n

Wrapping up the mechanical marvels is \u2018Hostile Takeover\u2019 <\/em>(with Cordeiro & Gary Erskine making the pictures) wherein Stark Board member Justin Hammer<\/em> tries to maliciously manipulate stock and gain control of the company.<\/p>\n

His method is flawless. Hire the infallible Spymaster<\/em> to hack Iron Man\u2019s armour, sending Tony\u2019s \u201cbodyguard\u201d on a destructive rampage through the city – with Stark helpless inside it – and just watch the stock price fall until it\u2019s time to make his killing.<\/p>\n

Hammer\u2019s big mistake was assuming Pepper and Rhodey are the sort of servile flunkies he preferred to hire for Hammer Industries\u2026<\/p>\n

Rocket-paced, spectacularly exciting and enthralling with plenty of sharp wit to counterpoint the drama and suspense; these riotous super-sagas are a splendid example of Iron Man\u2019s versatility to delight Fights \u2018n\u2019 Tights fans of all ages and vintage.
\n\u00a9 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Fred Van Lente, James Cordeiro, Ronan Cliquet, Scott Koblish, Amilton Santos, Gary Erskine & various (Marvel) ISBN: 978-0-7851-2644-7 (Digest PB\/Digital edition) In 2003 the always-experimenting House of Ideas instituted the Marvel Age line: an imprint updating classic original tales and characters for a newer, younger readership. The enterprise was tweaked in 2005, with core … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Marvel Adventures Iron Man volume 1: Heart of Steel”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[120,97,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-iron-man","category-kids-all-ages","category-marvel-superheroes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-7aC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27566"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27568,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27566\/revisions\/27568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}