War Machine vol. 2

[sufirjp]

I noticed that there doesn't seem to be a lot of discussion about Greg Pak's War Machine, which is a shame because (despite reviews of the first arc) the book was one of the most interesting book published by Marvel in recent history.

Not only was this a high-octone action/espionage thriller that came on like a hurricane, it also managed to deliver interesting political commentary and bring back a number of important Iron Man supporting cast members that had fallen by the wayside (such as Bethany Cabe) and even give life to those that perhaps didn't deserve it (such as Cybermancer).

Further, the dynamic between War Machine and Ares was phenomenal. I only wish this had survived to become a regular series, but like Nova, has had great writing awarded with the cancellation of their book.

Thoughts?

[Doctor Bong]

Apr 28, 2010 19:34:40 GMT -5 sufirjp said:

I noticed that there doesn't seem to be a lot of discussion about Greg Pak's War Machine, which is a shame because (despite reviews of the first arc) the book was one of the most interesting book published by Marvel in recent history.

Not only was this a high-octone action/espionage thriller that came on like a hurricane, it also managed to deliver interesting political commentary and bring back a number of important Iron Man supporting cast members that had fallen by the wayside (such as Bethany Cabe) and even give life to those that perhaps didn't deserve it (such as Cybermancer).

Further, the dynamic between War Machine and Ares was phenomenal. I only wish this had survived to become a regular series, but like Nova, has had great writing awarded with the cancellation of their book.

Thoughts?

Rhodey and Bethany Cabe are 2 of my favorite IM support characters, but I would have prefered seeing them back in IM.
I always thought Bethany was THE woman for Tony. She was quite fearless and would often hold her own even against some supervillians (without the benefit of superpowers), while Pepper, without being a coward, was much more "normal" in that sense. Bethany was seldom the stereotypical "damsel in distress". In fact, if I'm remembering correctly, at least a couple of times she was instrumental in saving IM's own life and helping him to defeat his enemies.
I also loved the fact that Michelinie had the sense to have Bethany, a smart woman, realize that Tony and IM were one and the same without anyone having to tell her. It's so rare in comics to see the hero's paramour come to that realization!
And while we're discussing IM supporting characters, Marvel, it's about time you bring Mrs. Arbogast back...!

[sufirjp]

I'm actually reading Michelinie's initial run currently, and have been generally impressed by the series. While (by #150) Rhodey relies upon a series of unfortunate stereotypes to stand in for a "character", at least he's less patently offensive than "Snap" Wilson, and would obviously grow into a real person. He's just not there yet.

Bethany is certainly one of my favorite leading ladies for IM, and she does play a pivotal role in the 2-part Caribbean Connection, taking on the hijackers single-handedly and getting Stark his briefcase before he was even aware of the danger. While certainly one of the weakest arcs in the run so far, it did a good job to prove that Bethany had the right stuff to act as a professional bodyguard, which may have been in question before this point. However, so far she does seem a bit wooden when compared to Rumiko, as her only trait is "strong woman". I like the character's competency, as well a certain sense of ruthlessness that they hint at, but I want more depth. Perhaps that'll be provided with the ex-husband plot they've been seeding for the last few months.

Mrs. Arbogast strikes me as a one-note "disapproving secretary to a high school principal" stereotype, but maybe she's developed further down the road.

Also, I have to say I'd rather have Bethany and Rhodey in Greg Pak's capable hands than in the over-hyped Matt Fraction Iron Man. While Fraction's Iron Fist breathed new life into a character that has suffered through a lot of poorly-plotted comics over the last couple decades, his Iron Man seems like a watered-down version of Adam Warren's Iron Man: Hypervelocity, which may be the best Iron Man book of the last decade, but was generally ignored since it didn't tie in well with the then-current crossover continuity.

Also, I have to say that I felt that War Machine tickled me in a few different ways:

1. Racial diversity: Wow. A comic with a cast that was not majority Caucasian. A rarity in Marvel comics, although an enforced reality thanks to historically low sales across the board for non-white superhero comics. I'll refrain from commenting on why I think that is.

2. Fulfilling a promise: The initial War Machine book has a truly engaging premise which was poorly executed, in my mind. Like Gruenwald's masterful Squadron Supreme, the question raised is, "What happens when an individual with the power to have an impact on the political landscape and the idealism to believe they can make a difference decides to act?"

The potential for drama in such a struggle is truly heroic, but the underwhelming results of the original series certainly left something to be desired. While I felt Pak could have developed these concepts much further, given the constraints of a 12-issue series he did a bang-up job in my mind, and scratched what has been an eighteen-year itch for me.

3. Pacing: Perhaps I was spoiled by Iron Man: Hypervelocity, but Iron Man-related books seem to be at their most gripping when they move at break-neck speeds. The stakes are raised, the senses are overloaded, and the gravity of the situation is magnified when we, as an audience, are barely able to keep up with everything that's going on. We get a feeling that this is truly the cutting edge, where one misstep can have disastrous consequences, and Tony and Rhodey are sprinting through a technological minefield with the singularity fast approaching. Pak understands this, and uses a compressed storytelling style to clearly lay out the untenable position of a single man who decides to face off against a corrupt yet unbelievably powerful bureaucracy.

At least Fred Van Lente is stepping into a second Iron Man series. Let's hope it manages to retain a sense of continuity (by incorporating a larger supporting cast than just Pepper) and yet delivers innovative, engaging stories, something that Fraction has yet to manage.