An Open Letter to the Creative Team of Invincible Iron Man (Final Draft?)

[The IronJedi]

Thought I'd share my (in progress) letter to the Iron Man Letter Column. Hope to have it finished before the weekend. Comments welcome-

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve written to the Marvel Offices but after much thought, a great deal of tolerance and the publication of issue # 503, I’ve been provoked to offer a dissenting opinion about what’s been happening in Invincible Iron Man the last 33 plus issues. And before being dismissed as a lone, disgruntled voice crying in the wilderness, know that there is a cadre of dedicated Ferrophiles who have been overcome to a point of indifference by the ennui that has come to typify the title.

The first issue I’d like to address is the glacial pacing. I’m all for drama and “character development” but seriously, when a majority of each issue is dedicated to panel after page of exposition and talking heads, it leaves something to be desired. Yes, I could draw comparisons to other Marvel titles whose writers manage to deftly balance character development and action- (I’m looking at you Gage, Bendis and Slott), but since you edit other titles, I’d like to challenge you to examine how much time the main character in other books appear “in costume” over an issue or story-arc compared to the ratio of Iron Man to Tony Stark. Maybe we don’t need an Iron Man 2.0 (which has been marvelous btw) but a title change to Tony Stark- remember the book is called Invincible Iron Man.

This leads me to my next observation, or I should say question: where the heck is the scientifically brilliant, urbane, complex and, at times, unorthodox and brash Tony Stark? (Not to mention his bleeding-edge armor that does more than magically appear, fly and sprout lenses all over itself?) Again, there are other titles in which he appears (regularly or otherwise) where the writers demonstrate a more complete and nuanced understanding of Tony. I’m all for the growth and progression of the character. I see the role of futurist he currently occupies in the Marvel Universe as an evolution, but the continuous diet of crow and humble pie that the character has been forced to endure has lead to not only a deconstruction and disassembly, but also a disturbing regression. It is my understanding that futurists are visionary, expressive and daring- not inarticulate, craven and tentative- and I’d argue we’ve seen more of the latter (vs. the former).

Over the past 30 plus issues, readers have been witness to a horrendous and drawn out character assassination. With a wink and a nudge, under the guise of deconstructing and redefining the character for a new generation of readers, a blade has been slipped between the metaphorical ribs of the character and essence of Tony Stark and “the Iron Man.” I’d even go so far as to assert we’ve seen a slow evisceration of the character. Tony Stark is no longer portrayed as a character of scientific acumen, humanistic bravado and tactical brilliance. Instead, we get Tony the milquetoast milksop groveling and fawning on his knees before Dr. Octopus- a Tony Stark bamboozled by and unable to outthink Otto.


Stay tuned. More to follow...

[IronManKyle]

Nicely done there I.J.
I Personally think it's too nice but..     --  It is tho, to the point and really sums up a lot of what i've seen said on these forums.
Hope it get's out there and even printed!

[Roger A Ott II]

Well done!

Perhaps you should make this a monthly event.

[Chaos]

Very good so far. I would add in that both writer and artist are completely half assing their respective work. This reminds me a bit of an open letter I did a few years ago on my now defunct blog (link below). Its kind of funny to reread my rant now because that was during Extremis, and Fraction is far worse. If you want to take anything from there feel free to.

http://chaosmarvelblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/open-letter-to-marvel-re-iron-man.html

[Roger A Ott II]

There are a couple good points in your letter, Chaos, but to be honest they're overshadowed by comments such as, "But I know sorting things out isn’t your way. It takes thought and time and neither of those are things you can afford to use", which come across as snarky and juvenile.  Passionate remarks are one thing, but when you resort to tactics like that, you won't be taken seriously and your letter will get relegated to the circular file before it even leaves the mail room.

Jedi is on the right track.  He's expressing an opinion, but doing so in a professional and courteous manner.  It may not get everyone at Marvel to stand up and take notice, but I can guarantee it'll at least make it to an editor's desk.

[The IronJedi]

Here's the final draft, barring further constructive criticism. Thanks for the props btw, Rog.

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve written to the Marvel Offices but after much thought, a great deal of tolerance and the publication of issue # 503, I’ve been provoked to offer a dissenting opinion about what’s been happening in Invincible Iron Man the last 33 plus issues. And before being dismissed as a lone, disgruntled voice crying in the wilderness, know that there is a cadre of dedicated Ferrophiles who have been overcome to a point of indifference by the ennui that has come to typify the title.

The first issue I’d like to address is the glacial pacing. I’m all for drama and “character development” but seriously, when a majority of each issue is dedicated to panel after page of exposition and talking heads, it leaves something to be desired. Yes, I could draw comparisons to other Marvel titles whose writers manage to deftly balance character development and action- (I’m looking at you Gage, Bendis and Slott), but since you edit other titles, I’d like to challenge you to examine how much time the main character in other books appear “in costume” over an issue or story-arc compared to the ratio of Iron Man to Tony Stark. Maybe we don’t need an Iron Man 2.0 (which has been marvelous btw) but a title change to Tony Stark- remember the book is called Invincible Iron Man.

This leads me to my next observation, or I should say question: where the heck is the scientifically brilliant, urbane, complex and, at times, unorthodox and brash Tony Stark? (Not to mention his bleeding-edge armor that does more than magically appear, fly and sprout lenses all over itself?) Again, there are other titles in which he appears (regularly or otherwise) where the writers demonstrate a more complete and nuanced understanding of Tony. I’m all for the growth and progression of the character. I see the role of futurist he currently occupies in the Marvel Universe as an evolution, but the continuous diet of crow and humble pie that the character has been forced to endure has lead to not only a deconstruction and disassembly, but also a disturbing regression. It is my understanding that futurists are visionary, expressive and daring- not inarticulate, craven and tentative- and I’d argue we’ve seen more of the latter (vs. the former).

Over the past 30 plus issues, readers have been witness to a horrendous and drawn out character assassination. With a wink and a nudge, under the guise of deconstructing and redefining the character for a new generation of readers, a blade has been slipped between the metaphorical ribs of the character and essence of Tony Stark and “the Iron Man.” I’d even go so far as to assert we’ve seen a slow evisceration of the character. Tony Stark is no longer portrayed as a character of scientific acumen, humanistic bravado and tactical brilliance. Instead, we get Tony the milquetoast milksop groveling and fawning on his knees before Dr. Octopus- Really? The creator and designer of ARC technology and “the Iron Man” unable to distinguish the difference between a “device” and a bomb?! Tony Stark, one of the seven most intelligent people in the Marvel Universe bamboozled by and unable to outthink Otto Octavius?  Remember, when Tony Stark was created by Stan Lee, the challenge was to take someone who was meant to be an unsympathetic and unrelatable character (re. a billionaire playboy, a corporate military-industrialist, etc.) and make him interesting and exciting to the average joe.

Where is the (editorial) coherence? Are editors not also the vigilant caretakers of the characters they oversee? Or is Marvel just franchising their stable out to creative teams and offering only perfunctory oversight? (I bet this part gets redacted if this missive sees print.)

Finally, in regards to the art: the clean draftsmanship of Larocca is a boon to the book; a necessity for a title that is (supposed to be) technologically one step removed from bleeding-edge science. But again, with little armored action, it’s grown stagnant and flat. When it was announced that Larocca would be handling the art, I immediately flashed to his incredible work on X-Treme X-Men, unfortunately, it almost seems Invincible Iron Man is drawn as graphic design rather than graphic-storytelling. Further, D’Armata’s choice of a color palette based on water-color pastels gives the characters an almost mannequin–like appearance and contributes to the overall monotony of the story-telling.

If I haven’t overstated my case and overstayed my welcome, may I please offer some suggestions? Christos Gage, Charles and Daniel Knauf and Joe Casey have all demonstrated an affinity for Tony Stark; acknowledging his past, yet bringing something fresh in their stories of Tony Stark and his armored alter-ego. Gage especially, left me wanting more after his brilliant Iron Man: Director of SHIELD Annual.

Please, see this missive as a passionate defense of a beloved character and cornerstone of the Marvel Universe, not a personal attack on the creative team or longtime fan carrying an axe-to-grind and who can’t move on. Take a minute to step back, weigh the issues raised and consider it constructive criticism.

Sincerely

Chris Frye
AKA: The IronJedi
Contributor and Moderator: www.advancediron.org

[mindcrime]

That about says it all i think. Good job Jedi

[Alexandre Juliao]

You really hit the point Iron Jedi. Let's hope im wrong and there is someone at Marvel who are willing to hear a different opinion. Especially now that there is a new EIC running things.

[Chaos]

While it is a good letter and certainly worth the time to read, I am afraid it will fall on deaf ears. Honestly, when is the last time Marvel ever listened to the fans?

[IMJ]

Great job, IJ. Hopefully they read it... I'd write one too if I cared enough about the book anymore to put the effort in...

[Iron Mark]

Does anyone think the films are partly responsible for the not so great direction?

[Brian]

I don't think the films have been a problem.

If anything, I kinda hoped they followed the RDJ character.

Tony Stark is one of the smartest men on the planet. He knows it and isn't bothered that you know it too. He's also fascinated by the thought of Knights of the Round table. He hates to lose. In a chess game, he's 10 moves ahead. He's action oriented.

I remember a spoof someone did in IM: Extremis, where they wrote over the bubbles in a few scenes. In one of the scenes, Tony Stark hold up the Stark Beam 01 and says "Am I going to spend the entire issue talking about this phone or do I ever get into the Iron Man suit?"

That's the way I feel here.

[Chaos]

I think the only thing that has suffered from the films is the arc reactor being thrown in his chest. There seems to be more emphasis on Pepper since then, but she has been a long time supporting character so her re-inclusion in the book didn't exactly stir the pot. I do hate when they bring the movie into the book, especially since it has yet to result in anything good for the titles.

[Ironstark]

Great job. Totally agree with all you've said. Lets hope it does make into print (all of it) and at the very least, give the Marvel crew pause for thought.
A note on the films, where would we all be as shellhead fans without them?
They have been the only real "heart" left in the character for us for some time. Thank the gods for Favs and RDJ.
Yes he has had some great moments in other titles in the last few years (even in the last issue of "Thunderstrike". Iron Man of old juicing up his armor on a power cable he s pulled up from the ground to take down a big bad with his uin beam) but for the character as a stand alone, the films have been the only real game in town since Fraction et al took over the title.
On a selfish personal note I wouldn't have the centerpiece of my collection without the films either. I accept and agree that the Arc reactor being pushed in the books is a little annoying and unnecessary, but its a small price to pay for a great film franchise I've waited most of my life to see.

[IronManKyle]

looking good Iron Jedi (the letter)    It is a great idea and I think some more fans should do the same personally.  I should actually serch to see where to send an email too, -in the very near future- because i am kinda inspired to write one as well, altho, a bit shorter but still covering a key point or 2.