Iron Man Noir

Meh. Underwhelming., 14 Nov 2011

First off, THIS IS NOT NOIR. This is very clearly 1930s-esque pulp, an enjoyable, albeit highly predictable, romp. Anyone expecting a steampunky, dark version of Iron Man will be sorely disappointed. I read Wolverine Noir just after this and it’s by far the superior title – and is actually noir!

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Indiana Stark, 11 Mar 2012

By 

Sam Quixote –

  

Early 1939 and Tony Stark, adventurer and hero of “Marvels Comics: Adventures for Men”, sets out on a quest for the fabled city of Atlantis. Aided by his trusty engineer Jarvis, companion Jim Rhodes, and chronicler Pepper Potts, he sets off on a race against the Nazis to find the city and recover the all-powerful Trident of Atlantis, whose power would spell disaster if placed in the wrong hands.

Scott Snyder breaks with the “Noir” label of this series – a good thing as I was getting tired of trench-coats and shadowy cityscapes – to give us an Indiana Jones style adventure with Tony Stark in the driving seat. From the jungles of South America to the stormy seas of the Atlantic to the remote countryside of Eastern Europe, this feels as far from Noir as you’d expect.

Of course the “Iron Man” suit isn’t going to be as brilliant as the 21st century version but even so it’s quite impressive (despite impossible for its time) though a lot bulkier, a concession to the early stages of the tech. There are a few sly nods as well to the larger Marvel universe for fans to spot, a certain prickly sea captain and a Scandinavian with a penchant for hammers, but otherwise even if you’re not a fan this is a great adventure read.

Snyder writes a fantastic addition to the Noir series, one of the best in fact, packing in the adventure and action into the four issues with wit and fine writing. His take in this book is that of the pulpy serials of the time which, in a post-modern twist, is also what Stark does for a living in the book. Manuel Garcia does a great job as well, his artwork looks great throughout and his take on the Iron Man suit is pretty cool.

Overall, this is a great comic book reimagining one of Marvel’s best characters in a different age. Snyder hints at the end of another book forthcoming which would be welcomed but given the surging popularity of his work on Batman, I wouldn’t expect it anytime soon. Nevertheless, this book remains, and is definitely worth a look.

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