Iron Man #2: Matters of the Heart

After such a thrilling first issue, Iron Man #2 slows down as it begins threading in some core themes and character relationships with a better sense of depth than the first issue had room for. For readers who may be jumping into this character for the first time or may have gaps in their history, there’s a really fluid approach to exposition and flashbacks here that will catch you up without losing steam. That being said, Williamson is the kind of writer who likes to throw everything he knows about a particular property into the pot, and for better or worse with this title, it has already led to a bit of tonal discordance.

For the most part, this issue still continues to carry forward what made its debut last month so thrilling. It continues to be driven by great pop art, thoughtful ties to current Marvel continuity, and a fantastic approach to pacing that keeps each issue feeling full of substance, even if it isn’t blazing through its plot at the speed of sound. Williamson keeps the energy high with poster-esque shots of action that are well illustrated and paced across an eclectic mix of layouts from Carmen Carnero, while also slotting in a decent amount of thematic establishment in Tony’s relationships with others. Williamson has a great voice and understanding of every character here, and he keeps romance—and its relation to Tony’s individualistic nature—at the forefront of the conflict between Madame Masque and himself.

Williamson has a very generalized approach to the Marvel Universe that allows this book to slot itself well into current continuity whilst still telling the story he wants to; however, the mix of over-the-top comedy tends to butt heads with a rather serious story involving mass abduction, Tony’s paranoia being rooted in his own self-disgust, and his rather irresponsible approach to romance. Scenes of M.O.D.O.K. lounging in a European bathhouse and being fed grapes are so outlandish against the rest of this issue that they did rip me out of it, but the minute character work that surrounds them does help in keeping me invested.