How do you read Invincible Iron Man?

[Static-Pulse]

Let me get two things out of the way here: first, I'm cross-posting this from my blog. Second, I'm pretty sure at least one poster here will gladly reply to this thread and tell me I'm brain damaged for not falling down in worshipful awe of Matt Fraction's Iron Man...and I will promptly ignore this person. This post is made to address one specific aspect of Invincible Iron Man because I'm curious how people, here and elsewhere, who I consider to have firm grasps on reality are able to get past something that bothers me and go on to enjoy the book.

I cannot promise that insight will make me like the book any better, but I would appreciate a point-of-view outside of myself in case there's something I'm missing. Anyway, here I go...

Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man is supposed to be read as a serial story. One issue continues to the next, and the next, and the next, etc. Why is it then that, from what I can tell, the only way to enjoy his stories is to forget what you already read by him?

Example One: During "The Five Nightmares" arc, one of Tony's nightmares is that his Iron Man technology will fall into the hands of people other than him. This makes a certain sense, given his history. However, when trying to track down Ezekial in later chapters, his plan to find Stane is by putting authentic Iron Man technology on the market. His plan is not to lure in buyers or use a decoy, he puts actual armor tech up for sale.

Example Two: After Pepper Potts is injured, she comes to Tony and tells him she would rather be an invalid that to have her life spared by his technology which has blood on it. Once Tony assures her it's someone else's technology, she immediately relaxes and enjoys being able to float. Several issues later, Pepper Potts has no qualms at all about donning a version of the Iron Man armor which, by virtue of everything we learned in "The Five Nightmares" arc, is undoubtedly made with the same blood-soaked technology as the Arc Reator and other armors.

Example Three: We learn that, thanks to the Skrull Virus, Tony Stark no longer has access to his Extremis powers which help him fly his Extremis armor. However, in the very next issue, we learn that thanks to Extremis, Tony's brain can be plugged into a computer and erased bits by bits. All speculation is pointing to a similar computer-like metaphor being used to reload his intelligence at the end of the "Most Wanted" arc.

Example Four: Tony Stark can no longer fly his modern armors due to memory loss, so he's resorting to using older and older armors, which require modified interfaces. However, specifically because Pepper Potts has no real experience flying the Rescue armor, it comes pre-loaded with a JARVIS to help her out.

Four glaring contradictions: Tony wants no one to have his armor, so it puts it on the black market; Pepper doesn't like the idea of StarkTech pacemaker in her because it was created by weapon's research, but she gladly dons a StarkTech weapon; Tony lost his abilities to mentally interface with computers, so he has to mentally interface with computers; and finally, because Tony can't fly modern armors with built-in automatic pilots, has to resort to older armors which require him to build simplified controls.

For the time being, let's ignore characterization. Right now, I just want to know how people currently reading IIM able to reconcile these kinds of glaring contradictions that seem to be major plot elements. If the stories were one-offs, ala Marvel Adventures Iron Man, I'd be more forgiving, because each story would be self contained. From what I can tell, Fraction's stories build on previous stories by design, but from what I can see of his designs, he's got square pegs seamlessly plugging into round holes.

What kind of reading system am I supposed to use to enjoy this kind of linear progressing unreality?

Thanks in advance.

[Grendel]

The Warren Ellis arc in which he created Extremis is the best Iron Man story I ever read. I wish he was still on the book. He put his tech on the Black Market confident that Stane would buy it, concluding he had no other way to track him. I had no problem with it. Tony was not going to let Pepper die no matter what and her "Rescue" armor has no offensive weapons. I'm OK with that. But if Extremis is no more because of the Skrull virus then how is it the hero files are still in his head uncorrupted? This whole erasing his mind to erase them doesn't work for me. It will end with a download to restore his intellect. OK he still has an Extremis input in his head but I'm still not crazy about this arc. His first story was tighter. Most wanted, already up to part 8 seems a bit decompressed.

[Grendel]

Maybe it will be a better read in one sitting. When every part of "Most Wanted" is out.

[DarkKnightJared]

We learn that, thanks to the Skrull Virus, Tony Stark no longer has access to his Extremis powers which help him fly his Extremis armor. However, in the very next issue, we learn that thanks to Extremis, Tony's brain can be plugged into a computer and erased bits by bits.

To be fair, just because the virus destroyed his Extremis powers, doesn't mean Extremis isn't still a part of him. To continue the computer metaphor, it's the difference between having files deleted in his hard drive to having files corrupted in his hard drive.

[Fysh]

I'll be honest, I dropped IIM after 5 Nightmares because I figured that something like this would happen once it got tied into Secret Invasion & Dark Reign.

The problem with Iron Man in the context of the Marvel universe is the same as the problem with Reed Richards or any of the other great intellects - there's no way you could have a world with such people in it without their technological or scientific breakthroughs changing that world beyond all recognition. The only way to avoid this is to hamstring the characters such that they periodically behave like utter retards or inexplicably decide that potential misuse of some bit of their technology means that all other benevolent uses must also be forfeited.

I read the preview of part 7 for Worlds Most Wanted, and it didn't do anything to suggest I should get back to reading it. It should be a really bleeding-edge sci-fi book with constantly-evolving tech that affects the wider population, not a superhero book with armour instead of spandex.

[Glen Newman]

Example One: During "The Five Nightmares" arc, one of Tony's nightmares is that his Iron Man technology will fall into the hands of people other than him. This makes a certain sense, given his history. However, when trying to track down Ezekial in later chapters, his plan to find Stane is by putting authentic Iron Man technology on the market. His plan is not to lure in buyers or use a decoy, he puts actual armor tech up for sale.

It's made quite clear in the story that Tony does not want to put his old armour on the black market but feels he has no other choice. Issue six ends with him saying that he now has a sixth nightmare, he now knows the kind of things he'll have to do to stop guys like Stane. Plus issue 7 has Iron Man & Spider-Man shutting down the black market chain that he used to distribute the armour.

Example Two: After Pepper Potts is injured, she comes to Tony and tells him she would rather be an invalid that to have her life spared by his technology which has blood on it. Once Tony assures her it's someone else's technology, she immediately relaxes and enjoys being able to float. Several issues later, Pepper Potts has no qualms at all about donning a version of the Iron Man armor which, by virtue of everything we learned in "The Five Nightmares" arc, is undoubtedly made with the same blood-soaked technology as the Arc Reator and other armors.

Her "Rescue" armour has no weapons and is designed solely for search and rescue purposes. Her internal monolouge also states her reservations in using the armour but, like Tony, she's backed into a corner.

Example Three: We learn that, thanks to the Skrull Virus, Tony Stark no longer has access to his Extremis powers which help him fly his Extremis armor. However, in the very next issue, we learn that thanks to Extremis, Tony's brain can be plugged into a computer and erased bits by bits. All speculation is pointing to a similar computer-like metaphor being used to reload his intelligence at the end of the "Most Wanted" arc.

What DarkKnightJared said

Example Four: Tony Stark can no longer fly his modern armors due to memory loss, so he's resorting to using older and older armors, which require modified interfaces. However, specifically because Pepper Potts has no real experience flying the Rescue armor, it comes pre-loaded with a JARVIS to help her out.

The use of a system like JARVIS would make it easier for Tony to be tracked. Part of his plan is to use obselete armour parts as the tracking systems for said armour would now also be obselete.

As for the length, I'm not having a problem with it. The book has been following 3 characters paths (Tony, Pepper & Maria Hill) so I don't feel it's decompressed. And besides what's wrong with a book having an "epic" type story every now and again?

[Grendel]

Nothing is wrong with a long story. But the premise that he has to make himself retarded to protect the unregistered heroes? Is a dumb Tony Stark interesting? Not if he is kept that way. Though his intellect will probably be restored before the end. I like how Pepper and Maria Hill are being used.

[Peter J Poole]

#1 is like cops using real drugs or real money in an undercover sting operation. Reward justifies risk.

#2 would be like the Red Cross refusing to fly mercy missions in a helicopter that's the same model as a helicopter gunship. She's principled, not stupid.

#3 & #4 - Rats. I need to re-read the books... Ah'll be back!

Cheers.

[Glen Newman]

Nothing is wrong with a long story. But the premise that he has to make himself retarded to protect the unregistered heroes? Is a dumb Tony Stark interesting? Not if he is kept that way. Though his intellect will probably be restored before the end. I like how Pepper and Maria Hill are being used.

This is a story where Tony is stripped of the one thing that makes him unique, his intellect. How does a hero cope without the very essence of his being? Is is he more or less of a hero? Will he able to make the right decision when the time comes? Is his guilt over recent events in the Marvel U causing him to take the wrong course of action?

I do find these themes interesting. I have no doubt that he'll be returned to a pre-Extremis status but for now that's the Tony Stark I want to read about.

[_OM_]

...Well, all these comments have been well and good, but how I read Fraction's Iron Man is to hold the copy by its spine with the left hand, and turn the pages in a left-to-right sequence as I finish each page, with the speed of the page turn depending on whether the page contains actual content, or some bullshit unreadable ad for chewing gum, gym shoes manufactured in a slave pit, or a bowling ball with "IYDGFOADMOFO!" or something unintelligible like that.

Is there any other method to read a physical comic book?