Wrapping up loose ends before Civil War II.
Even with Civil War II now two issues deep, it's not clear how this "Road to Civil War II" storyline is meant to set up Marvel's latest crossover event. Invincible Iron Man #11 finally brings the current arc to a stopping point. It offers some intriguing developments that will surely guide the series through the summer and into its impending relaunch, but ultimately the payoff doesn't justify the arc's plodding pace.
The main point of frustration is that Tony's feud with the techno-ninja cult hasn't really progressed from where it was at the end of the previous arc. This issue doesn't bring that conflict to a head so much as promise that big things lie in store down the road. Basically, these past five issues have been a glorified teaser for a bigger and hopefully faster-paced story down the road.
If the plot has basically stalled in the middle of the road, at least the characterization in this issue helps pick up the slack. Brian Bendis writes a number of memorable conversation scenes that serve a variety of purposes, including showcasing Mary Jane's new role in Tony's company, playing Tony's personality against the younger Avengers and offering one last look at the Tony/Rhodey dynamic leading up to the latter's death in Civil War II. Given that this story has hinged so heavily on Tony being cut off and isolated from his fellow heroes, there's a definite appeal in seeing him rekindle those bonds again. There's also an appeal is seeing Riri Williams in action for the first time. Given what we've learned about the character today, she's going to need to stay in the spotlight over the next several months.
Unfortunately, Mike Deodato's art isn't a great fit for such dialogue-heavy issue. The heavy shadows and Frank Martin's eerie hues do at least contribute to the generally somber tone of the story, but Deodato's figures are too static to bring much life to these scenes. The heavy reliance on computer-rendered figures and photo-referenced facial work really doesn't help, as it all creates a very static, uniform quality. Never has it been more painfully obvious that MJ and F.R.I.D.A.Y. are basically physical doppelgangers with different hairstyles.
The Verdict
This series has lost far too much of the polish and sense of fun it boasted in the early months of All-New, All-Different Marvel. This issue delivers too little payoff to an overly long storyline, coasting by mainly on the strength of the character interaction between Tony and his fellow Avengers. Can Civil War II give Invincible Iron Man the boost it needs?
Editors' Choice
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