Iron Man #19

[arbre_rieur]

"If you’re a superhero mainstream fan, you may think of a riff on a certain major comics property, and you’d be correct. I’ll maybe talk about this more down the line, as there’s much to reveal. While I play up to it in certain places in the story (as here), we’ll be downplaying it elsewhere." -- Kieron Gillen, touching on the similarity between his new Iron Man villains and a certain hot DC property.











Later, Tony's ready to make a big speech in front of news cameras about his project to turn Mandarin City into a city of the future.

Comments

[freezer]

So which cliche are we going with WRT Abigail Burns: "Crusading journalist/activist is a..."

A) Naive dupe?
B) Complete hypocrite?

[filthysize]

She's based on Laurie Penny, who's a somewhat notorious and controversial feminist left-wing blogger. Gillen's good friends with her (and probably politically similar), so it might be a fair portrayal.

[rainspirit]

Not the first time that Laurie Penny has gotten her own comic book expy, either...

[morwen]

Out of interest, what was the first?

[rainspirit]

Yelena Rossini, from Transmetropolitan, the "filthy assistant" of the protagonist who later becomes his predecessor. Though now that I do research, I see it's more she adopted the character after reading and the author put his stamp of approval after the fact.

[beoweasel]

You mean successor. :P

[rainspirit]

Shh. <_< (I always get those two mixed up.)

[lyricalswagger]

Yeah, Laurie Penny was 11 when Transmet started in 1997 and 16 when it ended in 2002 ...

[althechi]

Is the position of the ring supposed to correspond with its number?

Palms down, the right index finger is 7th from the left.
Palms up, the right thumb is the 1st from the right.

Or maybe it isn't and I'm reading waayyy too much into this...

[icon_uk]

Also depends whether you start from left to right or right to left.

[althechi]

That's what I meant by "from the left" and "from the right". Sorry if that wasn't clear. I guess we'll know if more "Mandarins" turn up.

[thosefew]

Holographic
Environmental
Logistics
Electronic
Network?

[lieut_kettch]

Hey Tony, why don't you ask Hank Pym how creating an A.I. based on your ex's personality turned out?

[mrstatham]

Except Ultron did that, didn't he? Ultron basing Jocasta on Jan and Alkhema on.. Mockingbird, I want to say?

[doctor_spanky]

I like Kieron Gillen's writing, but his comments make him come off as just incredibly pretentious. He's clearly an intelligent guy and a talented writer, but pointing out how you're "riffing on mainstream comics" just seems like showboating. Do, don't tell

It was especially apparent in his comments about "Uber," which he seemed to think challenged genre portrayals of Nazism (which, let's face it, is not a particularly relevant issue to address), but was really just "what if WWII had superheroes!??!?!"

I enjoy when graphic novels have some intellectual aspirations, but they're also comic books. They're inherently and intentionally very silly, and the most artistically successful stories lean into that (even books Watchmen and Maus)

[sadoeuphemist]

He's saying that the Mandarin rings seeking out wearers is a riff on Green Lantern. How is that pretentious?

Also, comic books are a medium, words + pictures. I don't think they're any more inherently silly than any other medium.

[mrstatham]

Well, Gillen was asked these questions, and the OP for this thread chose to post them. You could simply enjoy the comic on it's own merits and just avoid interviews with him or commentary, but some people want the commentary, and if it sounds pretentious, that's just the way he is. His commentary about YA sounded similar, but it still made sense. Pointing out that he's riffing on GL is hardly showboating, either, but more making the link clear for people who might not get it. I'd not actually considered the idea that the Mandarin Rings finding their own wears is a riff on GL, so it isn't really pretentious at all, it's helpful.

[doctor_spanky]

@sadoeuphamist
I guess I was referring less to comic books as a whole and more to the super-hero genre - which is decidedly, inherently silly (grimdark stuff never takes into account the ridiculousness of the genre, which Gillen's "Uber" was definitely guilty of)

@mrstatham
I didn't read the source interview, so maybe in context it wasn't pretentious. I still find a lot of Gillen's comments (and writing) make him seem more interested in showing off his wit than communicating with clarity
(for example take this almost interminable piece he wrote when he used to review video games):
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_darwinia_pc

I balk when writers toot their own artistic horn and assert the profundity or "importance" of their work - when they're writing an Iron Man comic (or something like that). Not that an Iron Man comic can't have depth or artistic value, but it's primary function is to garner profit from a primarily kid-driven market, and I think to forget that is real-life silly (as opposed to the intentional silliness of comics)

It's an attitude that I dislike, although I guess my own attitude is pretty confrontational. #unsolicitedsoapbox

[sadoeuphemist]

How is Maus even remotely in the superhero genre

Also I still don't understand how saying that the Mandarin rings are a riff on Green Lantern is supposed to be pretentious at all.

[dc2houseofmystery]

Love seeing Joe Bennett get work. Always been a fan of his and he's come a long way since working during the Clone Saga. His art during the Palmiotti / Gray Hawkman still holds up as one of my all-time favourite runs on a book.

[glprime]

Call me shallow and without taste, but I like Abigail's hair.

[morwen]

very nearly replied "thanks" to that.