Suspended Animation Review
Marvel Adventures Iron Man, Volumes 2 and 3; Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, Hulk & Iron Man, Volume 1, published by Marvel Publishing, Inc., 96 pages, $7.99 and $9.99, respectively.
Having reviewed volume 1 of Marvel Adventures Iron Man a few weeks ago, and found it worthy of fans' attention, I decided to hunt down a few more of Marvel's digests, as much for the reading enjoyment of my children and myself as for review purposes.
Volumes 2 and 3 of M.A. Iron Man were, if anything, even better than the initial volume. As before, characterization does not take a back seat to superhero action. One of the departures this series takes from the classic Iron Man canon is to make a hero out of a classic villain in volume 2. My only question is why writer Fred Van Lente decided to make him a villain again in volume 3.
Both volumes also provide something most Iron Man fans want: various suits of armor which are visually distinctive, and possess interesting features. Volume 2 boasts one of the most entertaining tales, as Stark dons a recreation of the fan-favorite stealth armor (referred to here as "ghost" armor).
The art in both Iron Man volumes is more than competent, providing exciting, action-oriented visuals.
M.A. Spider-Man, Hulk & Iron Man, while not anything fans haven't seen before, is a fine source of entertainment for kids, or adults who want superhero tales which are clean-cut and straightforward, albeit a bit "goofy" here and there; i.e., fighting "Meteor Men" who talk like surfers, and encouraging long-time villain Klaw in his new career as a (*cough*) country and western singer.
Since the association is never explained, readers are left to assume that, in this case, the three heroes are a known team, ala The Defenders, The Avengers, etc. Kudos to writer Paul Tobin and artist Alvin Lee for the fun-to-read, all-ages-appropriate fare.
Marvel Adventures titles are highly recommended, especially for children.
Review by Mark Allen
