Marvel NOW! Iron Man God Killer & Secret Origin of Tony Stark

As I said on my May 8th post, I'm back on the Marvel NOW! run of Iron Man, picking up with what I missed cutting off at issue five, and loving it! I saw Iron Man III last weekend, and though it I was mildly annoyed by the "Operation Clean Slate" and all's-well-that-ends-well conclusion, I enjoyed myself. I thought the twist with Mandarin was clever & unexpected, and Tony Stark's character was deepened by Robt. Downey Jr.'s comical and sometimes vulnerable performance. I'm really enjoying Iron Man's joining the Guardians of the Galaxy in their new Marvel NOW! title, and it's my hope that the character will be included in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, currently slated for a summer 2014 release. A quick look at issues 6 through 8, The God Killer, and #9, The Secret Origin of Tony Stark...

Issue #6
After defending the Voldi's ancient artificial world from mechanoid space pirates, Iron Man relaxes in the lounge of their citadel, enjoying his birthday in the adoring company of Veritina, one of the many princesses of the gentile civilization. After spotting Death's Head at the bar, Tony suggests they take it back to her place...

Upon removing his faceplate, Veritina vomits at the sight of Tony's facial hair, comically sending the playboy space knight away in disgust!

Leaving Veritina's chamber dejected, Iron Man is attacked by drones who accuse the hero of deicide. Believing there has been a mistake, Tony goes to clear things up and realizes that it's the Phoenix he dispatched in the recent Avengers/X-Men conflict that is the "god" they speak of. In defending Earth from this threat, Iron Man inadvertently hurt the Voldi spiritually and economically, who silently harvested it's energy Voldi Tear.

Issue #7
Prior to the Supreme Justicar's judgment of Iron Man as a "god killer", the same service automaton that served drinks while Tony was trying to make time with the beautiful Veritina shows up with a plan to help Tony escape. A rogue Regellian recorder, 451 had never had his data wiped, and evolved a consciousness of sorts...

451 recommends Tony demand the rite of  Shay-Tah Run, involving a gladiator-styled series of battles to prove his innocence. The recorder argues that Tony should be able to hold off the amateur fighters long enough for 451 to find and awaken  P.E.P.P.E.R. to go rescue him.

Tony holds his own against the less skilled Voldi warriors, but just as he's growing weary, mercenary Death's Head shows up to throw the hopelessly outmatched hero around...

Issue #8

Iron Man's new space armor, enhanced with P.E.P.P.E.R. artificial intelligence, comes to the rescue, awakened by 451 after the scheming robot has snatched the Voldi Heart while everyone's distracted. P.E.P.P.E.R. zaps Death's Head and snatches Tony up in the nick of time...! 

The Voldi Heart is a sophisticated cloaking device however, which once removed draws the attention of the nearby Celestials, who zap the Voldi people like a nest of mosquitoes once noticed.  Already swiftly escaping, Tony sees the  drones chasing him lose power and races back to witness the genocide of the Voldi unfolding before his very eyes...

Realizing all is lost, 451 confesses to the crime and his manipulation of Iron Man to steal the heart, knowing all along the Voldi would pay with their own lives and civilization. The scheming robot claims a higher purpose of saving more in the end by sacrificing whoever necessary to achieve his ends, but Tony vows to make him pay...

Issue #9
Tony ignores the advice of Guardians team mate Peter Quill, who warns Tony about the rising price for Tony's head after the theft of the Voldi heart and it's people's destruction, heading off to hunt down 451.

In a strange twist, Tony hires Death's Head to help him find 451, but the rogue recorder has beat him to the punch, and the bounty hunter double-crosses Stark. Releasing Iron Man to 451, Death's Head explains that it's only business, leaving an enraged Tony trapped in his own suit of armor, P.E.P.P.E.R. under the control of  451. 

The recorder sits Tony & P.E.P.P.E.R. down before a reel-to-reel film, unbelievably revealing a plan hatched long ago, using none other than Howard Stark, Toy's industrialist father, to set up his own son...! 451 appears in the frame next to Howard Stark at the end of the film, proof that 451 has manipulated the hero long before he ever had a hope of doing anything about it...

The defeated Tony can only sit, mouth agape, incredulous of such a long term plan of his undoing! This is great stuff- author Kieron Gillen has been delivering since issue #1, and artist Dale Eaglesham took over seamlessly where Greg Land left off at the conclusion of issue #8. I'm really glad I picked this title back up from where I left off, and look forward to issue #10, released today!

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Mattel Movie Masters Man of Steel

I found a ton of new Man of Steel toys at Wal-Mart last week, most of which I found pretty disappointing, save for this very cool 6" Movie Masters Superman, only two of which were left on the pegs. There's been an uproar over the altering of Superman's outfit since Jim Lee redesigned it for the New 52 reboot, and while that took me a minute to digest, I'm a fan of variant costumes on my favorite heroes in general, and the Man of Steel's uniform is essentially the same. The packaging looks outstanding, and the figure inside surprised me with it's great detail and quality! Mattel released a Jor-El and General Zod in this line, which I have yet to see, though I was only interested in Kal-El for my Superman collection.

The sculpt is very realistic on this figure, more proportionately correct than the Mattel DCUCs, and slightly shorter. The Man of Steel's suit is finely textured throughout, just like in the promotional photography and trailers for this summer's forthcoming motion picture- it reminds me of the texture of the Amazing Spider-Man's outfit, finely scaled/webbed throughout, which seems to be the popular trend in superhero outfits as of late. Superman's paint looks pretty good, black washing throughout to bring out surface detail, but it came off a little splotchy across the top of the cape's back. There's also some really great shading around the jawline, almost a five o' clock shadow affect that really adds dimension to the face, the evident likeness of Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill.

The Movie Masters figures Mattel have produced have articulation similar to the DC Universe Classics line, minus the abdominal hinge- Superman has a ball-jointed head that snaps locked into 2 positions, hinged elbows, ankles and knees, hinge/swivel shoulders, swivel biceps, waist, wrists and thighs, and those unique DCUC hinge/swivel hips. I don't miss the abdominal hinge, which would have interrupted his nicely sculpted torso.

The Man of Steel's cape is pretty long, pegged in the back to stand away from the body as though rippling in the breeze. There's no "S" shield across the back like we are used to, but the sculpt is artfully done and it's length adds support to the figure. The dark silver piping around the torso meets in an almost diving bird pattern on Superman's back, under his cape.

It was nice to get a base with this figure, during a period in action figures when we seem to be denied time and again, Mattel and Hasbro now notoriously stingy with the once standard accessory. It also looks fantastic!  The Man of Steel doesn't need it to stand, but looks beautiful in it's matching gold/dark red deco.

The movie's costume designers obviously took cues from the New 52 Superman, but removed the "S" shield usually found on the back of the hero's cape, and added dark silver cuffs at the wrists, and piping down the torso and legs. The boot tops are split at the top like classic Superman's, a design element not used in the comics New 52 Superman. This outfit looks really good, especially the dark gold behind the "S" on Superman's chest insignia.

In spite of the criticism Superman Returns received, it's my belief that Superman's outfit rendered in shaded tones came out of the 2006 film. Yes, we saw that in Superman III (1983) when Superman confronted his "evil twin", born of the hero's exposure to synthetic Kryptonite, but actor Brandon Routh wore the darker colors well in the later film. Mattel Movie Masters Man of Steel with Brave & The Bold Superman and DC Direct New Frontier Superman...

The omission of Superman's red shorts in his New 52 redesign is a hot topic, but while I'm a fan of the former design element, I'm accustomed to it now, and really like the red belt on the comics version. Mattel Movie Masters Man of Steel pictured on the left with Mattel 5" Justice League Superman and DC Collectibles 7" Justice League Superman and pictured on the right with DCUC Superman.

This figure was a nice addition to my Superman figure collection, one that I predict will be hard to get later due to the high anticipation of this summer's forthcoming film. He looks even better in person. Regardless of any misgivings one may have about the new suit, I'd highly recommend him for his singularity in aesthetic, high quality and great color.

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Marvel NOW! Calender: May Iron Man

I just wanted to share this image from the month of May in my 2013 Marvel NOW! calender- Iron Man by penciler Greg Land, inker Jay Leisten, and colors by Guru eFX. Taken from the cover of issue #1, Jan. 2013, this may be is the first single issue Iron Man comic I've bought in my life. I loved the art and dialogue in the " Demons & Genies" story arc spanning those first five issues, and in spite of the criticism of Marvel's renumbering of the title for the Marvel NOW! reboot, it made me a real Iron Man fan. The hero's redesigned armor, in black & gold with red repulsors just jumped off the page, and  when Tony's arrogant/cool demeanor is undone, humor & humility are often revealed.

No doubt the revitalization of this Marvel character is due to the success of the Robert Downey Jr. motion picture franchise, and though I've yet to see Iron Man III, I look forward to the experience. Iron Man continues his upward momentum in the public conscious, and I was thrilled to see him join the Guardians of the Galaxy in their new Marvel NOW! title recently. While I miss the short-lived black & gold armor, Iron Man's new space armor, enhanced with P.E.P.P.E.R. artificial intelligence has really grown on me. I stopped reading Iron Man after issue #5 to try some other books out, but recently got caught up on the Armored Avenger's solo title, and can reaffirm that it's a great read. More on that later...

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Stealth Strike Bow Shot & Radioactive Armor Batman

I got these in an Amazon haul about a month ago, and while I passed them up in retail quite awhile ago, for under thirteen bucks together shipped, I went ahead & picked them up. My fascination with the 5" Mattel Brave and The Bold series goes way back to March of 2011, when JBoy sent me the Bwana Beast. My obsession was more recently aroused when finding the new 5" Justice League figures, though I missed the interchangeable accessories the line was originally known for. Re-branded under the Stealth Strike banner following the animated TV show's cancellation, the line had faded away after a couple waves, which featured several Batmen, including these two bizarre incarnations.

Radioactive Batman is a must-have from this line, with a wild color scheme and cool plug-in accessories. I love the big bat symbol on his chest, and helmet with it's clear green visor. I'm a big fan of translucent action figures, and the blue looks great on the wide buck of this armored Batman.

Radioactive Batman's helmet snaps securely onto his armor, as does his back-loading "atomic extractor", the pincer end of which can be removed and plugged into the hexagonal slots throughout the figure's body. One can engage the pincers manually, but no spring loaded mechanism is present. He's big, chunky, and fun to play with. with an exciting color scheme.    

Total Destruction Batman has a larger body like Radioactive Batman, and Covert Attack Batman has a similar back-loading launcher, both non-functioning. I'm not against a static accessory, but a firing projectile in my preference. 

Bow Shot Batman is a nice compliment to Radioactive Batman, with his bright, contrasting color and translucent buck. I knew they'd photograph well together, and while I have about twenty Batmen from the line, these together were irresistible to me. 

At first I was less than enthusiastic about the plastic cape on this Bow Shot Batman, but it's silver color made  the photography fun. There are a few of these with different plastic capes, notably the Knight Battle Batman from this series, whose cape was cut from a translucent red material. In fact, my initial impression of the figure when released into retail was underwhelming in general, but at such a great price I had to get him for the Batmobile I also picked up from this series, which sports the similarly odd color scheme of yellow and silver. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but among my extensive collection of these, he'll be unique. Like the Batman the Animated line, the Brave & The Bold/Stealth Strike line, the collection is full of absurdly variant Batmen- that used to make me cringe, but now I'm somehow fascinated with it. But I'm like that about collecting, gathering several versions and differently scaled action figures of one character.

Bow Shot Batman shares a lot of parts with Green Arrow, like many of these Mattel B&TB figures do, including his crossbow projectile accessory. Mattel even gave us a quiver to plug in his back. It crumbles his plastic cape unfortunately, and has a "G" stamped on the back, the latter quibble just a reminder that Mattel sold something you already had, but I guess he needs a quiver. I like the color scheme of the figure, though its choice seem dubious, unless Mattel intended us to want him with the yellow & silver Stealth Jet Batmobile (which I did).

I enjoy the action feature accessory on this one a great deal, the arrow projectile engaged by pressing a small button atop the crossbow. The peg on the underside fits plugs into the hexagonal accessory holes throughout the body, but the crossbow can also be assembled as freestanding missile launcher. Fun!

I like both of these, but together they are most attractive for their color, translucence, and variant buck. Their parts interchangeable, Bow Shot Batman's hazmat-looking mask fits well into Radioactive Batman's atomic aesthetic, both the figures sharing grey and yellow. And Bow Shot Batman could easily double as Radioactive Batman with an accessory switch for that matter. I'm partial to the Radioactive Batman, but Bow Shot Batman has the functioning accessory- they make a great pair!

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Marvel NOW! Guardians of the Galaxy

I'd already been into several Marvel NOW! titles, but when Guardians of the Galaxy came out, I was really jazzed. I loved the Guardians of the Galaxy: War of Kings (2009-2010) and Legacy (2008) books, and was surprised at my own enthusiasm for the cosmic stories of Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, and the rest of this eccentric team of space warriors.  In issue # 0.1 we are introduced to Star Lord as a young Peter Quill, the love child of his earthly mother and a stranded visitor from Spartax. When his ship is finally repaired, Meredith Quill is left alone to raise Peter, the visitor unwilling to expose her to the dangerous war going on with the Badoon. When they showed up to kill peter and his mother a decade later, Peter discovered his true lineage, the son of Spartax royalty! 

Iron Man joins the Guardian's ranks as their newest member in an effort to expand his knowledge on other threats to his home planet. I was surprised and delighted by this development to no end. Killer! I really liked those first six issues of Marvel NOW! Iron Man, and though I miss the black & gold armor deco he only recently received, I was happy to see Tony show up in the mix- great idea!

Issue #0.1 was a great start, with some excellent artwork by penciller Steve McNiven, inker John Dell, and colorist Justin Ponsor, who followed up spectacularly on #1. Perhaps it was the stellar setting, but it reminded me a little of Battle of the Planets, with the angular space helmets and intense highlights.

In issue #1, we are introduced to Peter's father, King of the Spartax, who forbids Peter to return to Earth, claiming he is only trying to protect it. But the rebellious young Star Lord doesn't want to hear his father's disapproval of the Guardians, Peter's "broken friends".

Intercepting a Badoon ship headed for Earth, Tony Stark laments not having left the Avengers and Stark Industries behind sooner to seek his next fortune. I wasn't one hundred percent sure about Tony's new space armor at first, now enhanced with artificial intelligence named P.E.P.P.E.R., but it's really grown on me.

The Guardians of the Galaxy, in defiance of Peter's king father, show up to head off the Badoon's course for Earth, and Iron Man is knocked unconscious during the battle. Quill gathers him and the rest of the team up and follows the enemy to Earth, where Gamora hypothesizes his father actually intended him to go, a ploy to damn his quarrelsome offspring and his home planet! Riveting! I picked up issue #2 tonight, and to say the least, I'm pretty excited about it...!

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