INFAMOUS IRON MAN #2
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler : Alex Maleev
Colorist : Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer : VC’s Clayton Cowles
Release Date : 11/16/16
Price : #3.99
Plot
Victor Von Doom is not exactly the best person in the world in every sense of the word, but he is trying. He wants to make a difference in the world to prove that he deserves this chance at life. However if you know Doctor Doom he never does anything conventionally, and everyone’s favorite lovable pile of rocks doesn’t believe Victor for a second so I’m sure you guys know what time it is.
Story
I wanna start off by saying I love Ben Grimm as a character. He is always so much fun to watch and Bendis has proven with Guardians Of The Galaxy that he has Ben’s voice down. Ben does not care what he has to do or break he just needs to see Victor Von Doom. It had a very visit from your parole office vibe. This could definitely provide an interesting dynamic between these two characters that classic Fantastic Four fans would not expect. The Thing and Dr. Doom frenemies forever.
Ben doesn’t manage to find Victor because just like in issue one he’s busy dealing with another villain, and by dealing with of course I mean harassing and intimidating another villain. This time it’s the d list super genius The Mad Thinker. When Victor first approaches the Mad Thinker he doesn’t recognize him, but he makes sure to give the Mad Thinker a quick reminder of exactly who he’s messing with. The Mad Thinker then confronts Victor about the rumors of the once great Doom going hero being true. He then proceeds to call Victor soft and then attacks him. That goes about as well as you’d expect when dealing with Doctor Doom. Maybe this is just me being a big Dr. Doom fan but I love these showdowns that Bendis is throwing at us. It shows just how capable Doctor Doom is, and I must say seeing his armor in action is badass as hell. The cape gives it that classic Doctor Doom touch that just ties the whole thing together.
If there’s one thing that I can consistently is Bendis’s biggest strength it’s his ability to build and utilize a strong supporting cast. This series is no exception. The scenes with Victor and Amara were the strongest moments of the issue in my opinion. In those moments we get to see another more vulnerable side to Dr. Dr. Doom that we rarely get to see. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Victor have a real friend that he truly respects, and Amara is one of a very select few that sees Victor as more than just a villain. Even though she hasn’t said it I think that deep down she believes Victor has changed and can become a hero in his own right. I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops. Let’s just hope they don’t go the cliche love interest route because Victor may be no stranger to breaking the law but I think even Dr. Doom wouldn’t break bro code. Before any of you try to counter that point by bringing up Sue Richards let me just say she doesn’t count. Victor and Reed aren’t exactly what I would call bros anymore. He’s said on a few occasions that he actually likes Tony. Therefore they’re bros, so if he tries to make a move on Amara without at least waiting three months that’s a major bro code violation.
Art
As I said in my review of the first issue Alex Maleev’s art fit this series like a vibranium glove. My opinion hasn’t changed in that regard. If anything I think it’s getting better with each issue, especially the more we see of Doom in his new armor. The action scenes are a treat to see. They’re well paced and great to watch unfold. Another highlight in terms of the art department is the coloring. Matt Holingsworth does a fantastic job. The darker to tones and use of shading fit this series so well, and they can be used to enhance the characters facial expressions during Bendis’ trademark talking heads scenes. All in all there’s not much more I can say. It’s a good looking book.
Verdict
Maybe it’s because I loved the first issue but personally I didn’t like this issue as much as issue one. Does that mean I didn’t like it? No not at all. I actually really enjoyed this issue. My main problem with it was the pacing. I didn’t like that it wasn’t until the very end that we got to see the clash between The Thing and Doom. Don’t get me wrong it makes for a good cliffhanger but I felt like they dragged that out a bit. I’m a big fan of Bendis and I know that most of his best works are slow burns, but I can’t help that it bugs me even though I’m sure in the end there will be a nice payoff. Overall I really enjoyed this issue. Though I don’t think it’s quite as strong as the first one was I can clearly see that Bendis, Maleev, and the rest of the creative team are building a solid foundation for what is quickly becoming one of my favorite current Marvel Now titles right up there with Champions and Jessica Jones. I highly recommend that you pick up Infamous Iron Man #2. This series looks to be one hell of a ride and trust me you don’t wanna miss out on this Dr. Doom hype train. CHOO CHOO!!!
