Stillanerd Reviews: Generations: The Iron (Iron Man and Ironheart) #1 review

Riri Williams sees the future of Iron Man, where Tony Stark gives a magical mystery tour of an insufferably dull world of tomorrow.

Generations: The Iron #1

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

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Pencilers: Marco Rudy, Szymon Kudranski, and Nico Leon

Inkers: Szymon Kudranski, Will Sliney, Scott Koblish, and Nico Leon

Color Artists: Macro Rudy, Dean White, and Paul Mounts

Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Covers: Skan; Marco Ruby; Olivier Coipel and Laura Martin; Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, and Paul Mounts, with Joe Frontirre

Every issue of Generations celebrates Marvel. Good or bad, each one-shot reminds readers why they love these superheroes as they champion the new heroes as worthy successors. It’s no coincidence either each issue sends the new hero into a classic era, or into a time when the new heroes predecessors were in their prime. All these characters, Generations argues, are part of a proud tradition, a “Legacy” you might say.

And then there’s Brian Michael Bendis’ Generations: The Iron #1 which does none of this. Oh, it may think it does, but in truth, this comic is less about celebrating Marvel’s past than it is puffing up oneself like a peacock. An all style, no substance, and shockingly vapid peacock at that.

Credit: Marco Rudy, Szymon Kudranski, Nico Leon, Will Sliney, Scott Koblish, Dean White, and Paul Mounts (Marvel Comics); from Generations: The Iron (Iron Man and Ironheart) #1

[Generations: The Iron #1 has] no plot, no suspense, no rising or falling action, and almost no conflict.

The “story,” for lack of better word, involves Riri Williams sent by Kobik, the living cosmic cube, into the “far-flung future.” There, she meets the Next Avengers and a much older Tony Stark, who has become Earth’s new Sorcerer Supreme. Stark then acts as Riri’s tour guide, showing her how Earth has become a utopia where pollution, war, crime, poverty, disease, paper currency, and the internet are no more…all because of her.

That’s it. There’s no plot, no suspense, no rising or falling action, and almost no conflict. The one villain who suddenly does shows up leaves just as quickly leaves after literally being told, “Go and do not come back.” It’s just page after page after page of characters saying variations of, “Tony Stark is awesome, science is awesome, the future is awesome, and Riri Williams is the most awesome of all.”

Credit: Szymon Kudranski, Will Sliney, Scott Koblish,Dean White, and Paul Mounts (Marvel Comics); from Generations: The Iron (Iron Man and Ironheart) #1

Granted, the previous Generations one-shots also did their fair share of aggrandizement. Yet no matter what you may have thought of the legacy characters in those issues, they at least did something. Here, Riri is entirely passive. All she does is follow Tony around like a lost puppy, while everyone she meets gushes over how wonderful, beautiful, or smart she is. We’re supposed to take it on faith that she’s great only because Bendis tells us she is while having her do next to nothing.

Now I do applaud Bendis from straying away from Generations‘ prior formula in having the modern-day hero travel to the past. Also, in a genre full of post-apocalyptic and dystopian societies, it’s nice having a science fiction setting that’s more optimistic and hopeful about humanity’s future. But do you know why there are so few stories set in perfect “Heaven on Earth” civilizations? It’s because they’re boring, and Bendis’ future paradise is one of the most boring I’ve ever seen.

This would be tolerable if Bendis’ penchant for naturalistic dialogue was still present. Generations: The Iron #1, unfortunately, achieves whole new levels of “Bendis Speak.” Not only do we get an abundance of back-and-forth repetitive phrases and faux-teen slang expressions, there’s clunky exposition galore. Just reading the opening pages is enough to tax one’s patience. That is if the art hasn’t made them convulse into epileptic seizures beforehand.

Credit: Marco Rudy, Will Sliney, and Scott Koblish (Marvel Comics); from Generations: The Iron (Iron Man and Ironheart) #1

I can’t see why Riri, or anyone for that matter, would be inspired by this Tony Stark. I’ll take the smart-alack alcoholic genius over this Doctor Strange, Willy Wonka poser, thank you very much

It’s not that the art is bad, per see. All the pencil and ink work appears solid enough. What ruins it is the coloring. Combined with its unconventional panel separations, every scene looks over-saturated, dizzying, and gaudy. I can only guess that, given Riri’s disorientation from time traveling, Stark’s use of magic, and the alien flora and architecture, the creators wanted to create a psychedelic effect. All it succeeds in doing is create a comic that’s hard to look at.

On top of this, there are seven different artists credited, including three pencilers. No matter how much they try to disguise it, the shifts between Marco Rudy, Szymon Kudranski, and Nico Leon are abrupt as they are glaring. They’re not even logical tonal shifts, since the events, more or less, occur during the same time and place. When you consider how many months in advance Marvel announced Generations, and how the other nine issues have a single person on pencils, it’s a mystery why this one-shot still required fill-in artists.

Most disappointing of all, Generations: The Iron #1 is a poor representation of who Iron Man is and what he represents. As much as the previous issues spotlighted the new characters, they still captured the heart and soul of the original Marvel superheroes. They made an effort showing why the new heroes revere them to the point of carrying on their namesakes. I can’t see why Riri, or anyone for that matter, would be inspired by this Tony Stark. I’ll take the smart-alack alcoholic genius over this Doctor Strange, Willy Wonka poser, thank you very much.

Stillanerd’s Score: 1.5 out of 5

Stillanerd’s Nerdy Nitpicks (possible spoilers)

Credit: Szymon Kudranski, Will Sliney, Scott Koblish,Dean White, and Paul Mounts (Marvel Comics); from Generations: The Iron (Iron Man and Ironheart) #1

• Congratulations, editors Alanna Smith and Tom Brevoort. You listed all the artists for the variant covers, yet neglected to include the main cover artist in the credits page. If I was Skan, I think I’d be more than a tad upset.
• Riri, if you have “no cameras,” “no sensory enhancements,” and doesn’t respond to vocal commands, then I doubt it can still record your broadcast.
• In case you haven’t seen Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, the “Mighty Avengers” are James Rogers, the son of Captain America Steve Rogers and Black Widow; Torunn, the daughter of Thor and Sif; Henry Pym Jr., the son of Hank Pym and Wasp; Azari, the son of Black Panther and Storm; and Francis Barton, son of Hawkeye and Mockingbird. They’re also part of an entirely different possible future, too.
• Wait? First Riri feels “energized” by the clear air because it “tastes good.” Then she complains it “tastes funny?” Also, If Riri has a history of passing out under stress, then why is she piloting a high tech suit of armor again?
• Tony, your joke referencing Futurama only works, Tony, if “Black Panther Jr.” travels back in time with Riri…I think?
• “World Energy Shield©” This means Tony said “copyright” after saying “World Energy Shield” doesn’t it?
• “What’s a Thanos?” Are you kidding me?! Didn’t Riri make an intensive study of Tony’s past exploits? If so, she should darn well know who Thanos is.
• Okay, the “nickel” joke made me chuckle, at least.
• And thanks to your “goal,” Tony, us readers are denied a potentially awesome fight with a dragon riding Morgan le Fey and her army of Mindless Ones and Doombots. Spoil sport.
• Oh, it looks like Franklin Richards will one day stop tweaking the “All-New, All-Different” Marvel Universe like he and his family have been doing since Secret Wars. Wonder if he got an earful for the the things he didn’t fix?
• If Riri, like the other legacy heroes, was in originally in Washington D.C. before traveling through time, why did the Vanishing Point send her back to Chicago instead of D.C.?

Next: Stillanerd Reviews: Generations: The Archers (Hawkeye and Hawkeye) #1 review

What did you think of this latest Generations?