Post by goldenfist on Oct 17, 2008 15:46:11 GMT -5
Here is a review of Iron Man: Director of Shield #34 from Ign.com
I think it's safe to say the current and final arc of Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. accomplishes its primary goal. Namely, it reminds readers that James Rhodes is still a compelling character and one quite capable of supporting an ongoing series. It's just as well the ongoing will be handled by a different creative team, though. Though this issue certainly has its moments, it's much more of an interlude than the beginning of a compelling new chapter in Rhodey's life.
I'm sure many of us have reached our limit with Secret Invasion tie-ins now. The remaining tie-in issues really need to offer something above and beyond heroes punching Super-Skrulls for me to hold interest. Unfortunately, this arc isn't going out of its way to buck the trend.
Following last issue, where War Machine blasted Super-Skrulls on his way to a hidden satellite, this issue shows the satellite become a gigantic suit of armor with which War Machine can blast many Skrulls at once. The sequence loses its appeal after a few panels, and it's fortunate Christos Gage doesn't linger with it too long. Far more compelling than the numerous fight scenes are the flashback sequences where Gage attempts to delve into the mindset of Rhodey. We see him deal with racism and social alienation and how that guides him to become the man he is today. I thought Gage handled this portion of the story exceptionally well, and it helps compensate for the fact that much of the rest of the issue is pretty bland.
These sequences stand out even more because Sean Chen is so obviously suited to drawing them. Chen is able to wrest a lot of emotion out of these sequences. By comparison, his pages with Rhodey in full armor are just bland, neither impressively detailed nor particularly well laid out. Maybe I'm just missing The Crew again, but I wouldn't mind seeing a lot less of Rhodey in his armor and a lot more of his human side.
Speaking of which, it appear as if this arc will be delving into the mystery of Rhodey's cybernetic body parts before it ends. I'd say that's as good a reason as any to follow this story until the end. The arc falls flat as a Secret Invasion tie-in, but as a primer for what should hopefully be a strongly character-driven solo series, it's not half bad.
Review Score: 7.2 Decent
I think it's safe to say the current and final arc of Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. accomplishes its primary goal. Namely, it reminds readers that James Rhodes is still a compelling character and one quite capable of supporting an ongoing series. It's just as well the ongoing will be handled by a different creative team, though. Though this issue certainly has its moments, it's much more of an interlude than the beginning of a compelling new chapter in Rhodey's life.
I'm sure many of us have reached our limit with Secret Invasion tie-ins now. The remaining tie-in issues really need to offer something above and beyond heroes punching Super-Skrulls for me to hold interest. Unfortunately, this arc isn't going out of its way to buck the trend.
Following last issue, where War Machine blasted Super-Skrulls on his way to a hidden satellite, this issue shows the satellite become a gigantic suit of armor with which War Machine can blast many Skrulls at once. The sequence loses its appeal after a few panels, and it's fortunate Christos Gage doesn't linger with it too long. Far more compelling than the numerous fight scenes are the flashback sequences where Gage attempts to delve into the mindset of Rhodey. We see him deal with racism and social alienation and how that guides him to become the man he is today. I thought Gage handled this portion of the story exceptionally well, and it helps compensate for the fact that much of the rest of the issue is pretty bland.
These sequences stand out even more because Sean Chen is so obviously suited to drawing them. Chen is able to wrest a lot of emotion out of these sequences. By comparison, his pages with Rhodey in full armor are just bland, neither impressively detailed nor particularly well laid out. Maybe I'm just missing The Crew again, but I wouldn't mind seeing a lot less of Rhodey in his armor and a lot more of his human side.
Speaking of which, it appear as if this arc will be delving into the mystery of Rhodey's cybernetic body parts before it ends. I'd say that's as good a reason as any to follow this story until the end. The arc falls flat as a Secret Invasion tie-in, but as a primer for what should hopefully be a strongly character-driven solo series, it's not half bad.
Review Score: 7.2 Decent