Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Artist: Stefano Caselli / Marvel Comics
As I said before, Riri Williams is going to be a fan favorite. Gotta give Bendis credit where he deserves it, Riri is resourceful, funny, quirky and lovable. For better or for worse, she’s a character that will be able to carry a story, a book, and an event and I look forward to her being center stage for years to come. In the present day, we’re still getting to know Riri and her motivations, which I wasn’t sure were completely necessary. I understand the impulse to flesh out a backstory for Riri in making her as well rounded as possible, but we got a prolonged look at her trauma from the shooting in issue 1 and it didn’t seem to add anything to her arc.
Which isn’t to say that that particular part of the story was bad, it’s that the other segments of the book are so good that time away spent with Riri’s (Black) pain wasn’t always welcome. Still, the panels with Riri spending time with her friend Natalie before the shooting and her training with the new Stark A.I. in present day were more than enough to carry this book into a good place. And it looks like Riri may have her first bonafide villain, so the series may start in earnest next issue.
Caselli makes a beautiful looking book and this title deserves it. [Monthly reminder that Riri’s hair still needs some consistency, but back to your regularly scheduled review.] He balances the action and the exposition so well that the story feels compelling, bouncing between the time periods.
Invincible Iron Man has a few flaws in its armor, but the book still has a good start with a promising future. Riri is what a hero looks like in today’s comic book and I look forward to seeing what she does next.
Looking to follow along with our reviews of Riri Williams’ Ironman? You can read all of our reviews at this one handy link.
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