Showing posts with label iron man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iron man. Show all posts

Saturday, May 03, 2008

What Does Iron Man Mean To Me?

Yeah, the film was pretty neat. Lots of stuff for the fanboys, esp. the SHIELD references, the computer named Jarvis, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan etc. These films need to be faster, more like Hong Kong action films or the last Bourne thing. Less exposition and logic would be preferable. But the total 1960's Marvel irreverence was finally expressed with Robert fucking Downey Jr. ad-libbing his way through it in a way that is as joyful as Adam West.

Yeah, purists may disagree with me on this, but my gold standard is still Batman 1966, for the pure pleasure of being a human comic book. I can see RDJ saying "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb" and that is pretty cool.

Later: One reason that this film has a Marvel level of insouciance is that the script came after the art, in the old Marvel style. Favreau was smart to get this, so that after all the elaborate effects, the actors and dialogue are fresh and smartypants. (Well except for the B movie terrorist types.)

Friday, April 25, 2008

I am Iron Man... Or I am Monty

Dial B for BLOG, a great comics blog, has a series dedicated to Iron Man in advance of the film opening.


I wound up using Iron Man as an icon in some paintings 10 years ago as a stand in for myself for various reasons which I may write about at some point. I will post some of these when I can dig them up. It was the Don Heck version of the character that I somehow connected to in doing those things, and the way the black eye slits and blocks of color slipped so easily into the way that I was working.

It is a strange moment in the culture when these pulpy obsessions get exposed to the light of the mainstream. At the same time, I have more hope that this time they will get it right somehow. Favreau and Downey + Black Sabbath? Nerdcore, man.

No doubt it will all feel just right for at least the runtime of the film in the front row, I go for complete suspension of disbelief for at least the duration of the actual experience.

In other comics news, keep reading Monty! Jim Meddick has just hit his stride: