Swipe Right or Nah? Tony Stark: Iron Man #4 Review

Writer: Dan Slott / Artist: Valerio Schiti / Marvel Every now and again human civilization stumbles across something miraculous. These moments often have a deep impact on popular culture. Tony Stark: Iron Man #4 has boldly gone where no Marvel comic has gone before: dating apps! The Tony Stark: Iron Man arc is a return to form for a staple character in the Marvel mythology. Slott is resurrecting the Tony Stark that Robert Downey Jr. built the MCU on. It’s not something I knew I even wanted until three issues in, and it’s growing on me. What better way to bring back the swashbuckling armored avenger than to reintroduce Janet Van Dyne to his daily life?

Mind you, there are a bunch of other things happening in this issue: robot warfare, cyber espionage, Cabe still not knowing who she is (a robot!), Andy Bhang on a date – so much! All of it pales in comparison to seeing a fully functional, only slightly egocentric futurist on a chill day with The Wasp. Also, Vespa Armor Mk. I!

TS:IM #4 is humanizing and modernizing Iron Man and Team Stark in one fell swoop. The book is really fun and surprisingly light-hearted, despite presenting a formulaic approach (comedic plot device -> disastrous consequence -> science is the key -> cool, new, quirky Iron Man suit -> roll credits). This ain’t the ‘Demon In A Bottle’ Tony Stark, not by a long shot, and that’s the strength of this series. It has very smoothly taken Tony, and everyone he is connected to, into the 21st century. The…