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Iron Man by Joe Quesada #1
Iron Man: The Mask in the Iron Man
Tony Stark's life turns into a nightmare after he has a heart attack, his identity as Iron Man is exposed, and the suit of Iron Man armor he created with artificial intelligence decides that it would like the world better if Tony were dead.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Joe Quesada
479 books45 followersJoseph "Joe" Quesada (born January 12, 1962)is an American comic book editor, writer and artist.
He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom.
He later worked on numerous books for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, such as Batman: Sword of Azrael and X-Factor, before forming his own company, Event Comics, where he published his creator-owned character, Ash.
He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom.
He later worked on numerous books for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, such as Batman: Sword of Azrael and X-Factor, before forming his own company, Event Comics, where he published his creator-owned character, Ash.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 11, 2020
A combination of Tony not making his suit Y2K compliant and being struck by lightning causes the armor to become sentient. Could anything be more dated or goofy in that not putting four digit years in your code would cause your armor to gain consciousness? Besides that, it's actually a solid story with the armor deciding to take out the bad guys permanently. Sean Chen's art is crisp and clean. I've always been a fan since his days at Valiant.
January 3, 2018
I have to say that I didn't like it. And that's it.
September 3, 2017
Years of hard partying, being a superhero, and the stress of losing Stark Industries results in Tony Stark suffering from a massive heart attack. In order to keep the world without an Iron Man, Stark creates an artificial intelligence inside of one of his suits in order to fill the role. But when the Ai becomes sentient (and like went doesn't an Ai do such a thing in comic books), it seeks to rid the world of Tony Stark.
The world of Iron Man is one of those sections of the Marvel Universe where I know the basics and that's about it. If it wasn't for Robert Downey Jr's portrayal of the billionaire playboy Avenger, I probably wouldn't even like Iron Man. He's smug, pretentious, and kinda gets on my nerves how he keeps losing his business and then gets it back like a man might throw a boomerang repeatedly.
As you could probably tell from my earlier comments, I feel like the Ai wanting to be a real person story has been to death. But I enjoyed this book as though the plot has gotten old, the storytelling itself was rather good. Having Tony stranded on deserted island and be forced to survive like Oliver Queen had to prior to becoming Green Arrow was actually a pretty interesting plot twist. And wouldn't you know that the genius behind all this is Joe Q himself, Joe Quesada who wrote this story?!
Quesada is one of those figures that though I couldn't stand him as the editor of Marvel, the man's got talent and he seems to know his fan base way better than his replacement Axel Alonso ever has. I can't believe I am going to say this but Come Back Joe! Marvel needs you! We need you!
As for the art. Eh... It's very much in that dated late 90s Rob Liefeld clone model. Sean Chen and Alitha Martinez are really winning me over with the artwork. But I actually think that the pencil thin inking and washed out colors are really what makes this book not so visually appealing.
An interesting story that could have been nothing more than a cliche. Thankfully, Joe Q. keeps it from getting stale. It's not the worst Iron Man story I've ever read but it's not one of the best drawn either.
The world of Iron Man is one of those sections of the Marvel Universe where I know the basics and that's about it. If it wasn't for Robert Downey Jr's portrayal of the billionaire playboy Avenger, I probably wouldn't even like Iron Man. He's smug, pretentious, and kinda gets on my nerves how he keeps losing his business and then gets it back like a man might throw a boomerang repeatedly.
As you could probably tell from my earlier comments, I feel like the Ai wanting to be a real person story has been to death. But I enjoyed this book as though the plot has gotten old, the storytelling itself was rather good. Having Tony stranded on deserted island and be forced to survive like Oliver Queen had to prior to becoming Green Arrow was actually a pretty interesting plot twist. And wouldn't you know that the genius behind all this is Joe Q himself, Joe Quesada who wrote this story?!
Quesada is one of those figures that though I couldn't stand him as the editor of Marvel, the man's got talent and he seems to know his fan base way better than his replacement Axel Alonso ever has. I can't believe I am going to say this but Come Back Joe! Marvel needs you! We need you!
As for the art. Eh... It's very much in that dated late 90s Rob Liefeld clone model. Sean Chen and Alitha Martinez are really winning me over with the artwork. But I actually think that the pencil thin inking and washed out colors are really what makes this book not so visually appealing.
An interesting story that could have been nothing more than a cliche. Thankfully, Joe Q. keeps it from getting stale. It's not the worst Iron Man story I've ever read but it's not one of the best drawn either.
May 6, 2024
Not an iron man fan at all. Picked this up blindly, just because. It actually turned out to be a fun read, albeit clichéd and sometimes a bit ridiculous.
In a nutshell, it is about the latest iron man suit gaining a mind of its own because it was not Y2K compatible (yes, meh, right?) Then The conclusion isn't great in my opinion, but it was entertaining in a corny emo kind of way. One thing I found interesting about the writing is how the first page of each of the 5 issues uses the exact same text boxes, but in a different context each time. Neat little trick (I don't know if it's original or not - doesn't matter).
Loved the art, especially Alitha Martinez's (who drew one or two issues only).
Ultimately, however, this gets only two stars because it is not a book to seek out, not a masterpiece by a long shot, and not at all essential. But if you chance upon it and you're not losing much, you could certainly give it a read, even if you're not a fan.
In a nutshell, it is about the latest iron man suit gaining a mind of its own because it was not Y2K compatible (yes, meh, right?) Then The conclusion isn't great in my opinion, but it was entertaining in a corny emo kind of way. One thing I found interesting about the writing is how the first page of each of the 5 issues uses the exact same text boxes, but in a different context each time. Neat little trick (I don't know if it's original or not - doesn't matter).
Loved the art, especially Alitha Martinez's (who drew one or two issues only).
Ultimately, however, this gets only two stars because it is not a book to seek out, not a masterpiece by a long shot, and not at all essential. But if you chance upon it and you're not losing much, you could certainly give it a read, even if you're not a fan.
March 19, 2018
E niente, potrete scrivere fanfiction o anche scrivere per la Marvel, ma non raggiungere mai i livelli di Trash meraviglioso di questo volume. Quesada, al tempo che fu - stiamo parlando di una serie che quest'anno diventa maggiorenne, ormai un classico a tutti gli effetti - ha avuto il coraggio di fare una delle cose che probabilmente tutti i fan di Iron Man volevano fare dagli anni '60: l'armatura che si anima, si innamora di Tony e dichiara che se lei non può averlo nessuno l'avrà! Molto Lady Hawk, sì.
Non gli do 5 stelline perché onestamente la traduzione non è fantastica, certe cose sono tradotte troppo alla lettera o viceversa non abbastanza, facendo suonare le battute molto forzate. Resta il fatto però che la storia in sé è un capolavoro.
Non gli do 5 stelline perché onestamente la traduzione non è fantastica, certe cose sono tradotte troppo alla lettera o viceversa non abbastanza, facendo suonare le battute molto forzate. Resta il fatto però che la storia in sé è un capolavoro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2023
Aunque auspiciosa en su despegue, la etapa de Joe Quesada en los guiones de la colección (a quien se suma posteriormente Frank Tieri como apoyo y eventual relevo) no logra cuajar su propuesta. Si "The Mask in the Iron Man" malgasta un giro interesante a los habituales conflictos internos de Stark con un deslenlace torpe, "Los Hijos de Yinsen" acude a la recurrida revelación sobre un episodio pasado que - por regla general - entorpece más que aporta a la biografía del personaje. La inclusión de la miniserie "Bad Blood" por el clásico equipo Micheline-Layton destaca por lejos en el volumen con una solidez argumental y gráfica que - aún en una historia sin pretensiones - hace añorar sus tiempos a cargo de la serie regular.
June 21, 2019
I enjoyed this book a lot. At first I was a bit distracted by the strange paper quality, but who cares for that when the story is good, right? The story was well paced and full of surprises, only the end felt a bit rushed, but for some reason that's often the case with such paperbacks. I really liked how each chapter began with the same words twisted to the situation. Matt Fraction lent from that a couple of years later with the five nightmares - love that. My favorite part of the whole story was the last part on he island - very intense.
Too bad the next comic single issues are not published as paperbacks. I would love to know how Tony's relationship with Rumiko continues.
Too bad the next comic single issues are not published as paperbacks. I would love to know how Tony's relationship with Rumiko continues.
October 18, 2025
Buenísima historia sobre el efecto 2000, inteligencia artificial, ciberseguridad, moralidad, alcoholismo y... amor! (en muchos sentidos), como bien lo comenta en el prólogo Eduardo López .
Lo tiene todo para ser un peliculón! Y el dibujo, sobre todo en los números finales de Alitha Martínez, muy acorde también.
Lo tiene todo para ser un peliculón! Y el dibujo, sobre todo en los números finales de Alitha Martínez, muy acorde también.
May 25, 2020
De vegades oblido que no m'agraden els còmics de la Marvel dels 90-principis-dels-00 i passen aquestes coses.
La premissa no està malament: l'armadura d'Iron Man cobra consciència, entre altres coses, per culpa del efecte 2000 (lol). L'art és terrible, molt propi de la seva època. I el que hagués pogut ser una exploració mig interessant del què vol dir tenir consciència, estar viu, com s'adquireix la moral... queda en gairebé res.
La premissa no està malament: l'armadura d'Iron Man cobra consciència, entre altres coses, per culpa del efecte 2000 (lol). L'art és terrible, molt propi de la seva època. I el que hagués pogut ser una exploració mig interessant del què vol dir tenir consciència, estar viu, com s'adquireix la moral... queda en gairebé res.
December 9, 2017
Niezobowiązujące czytadło o tym jak zbroja Starka chce przejąć kontrolę nad Avengerem. Na sobotnie popołudnie może być.
June 30, 2019
Dreamy and ethereal. Knocks the wind right out of you. So full of grief and longing it's painful to read. Still worth it.
November 25, 2016
Mask in the Iron Man, by Joe Quesada, Sean Chen and Alitha Martinez, was the first Iron Man tale in quite some time that managed to impress me. I started reading comics in 1989, and after a single issue (#246 in case you were wondering) Iron Man became my favorite Marvel character. Unfortunately I arrived just as the last truly great Iron Man run was ending. Since that point there have been a few good moments, such as John Romita's Armor Wars II and the ill-fated Heroes Reborn series, but for the most part the Iron Man series had been mediocre at best.
The Heroes Return relaunch put the series on a better footing, and with an artist (Chen) who was truly capable of handling the character. Two years into the series, Marvel head honcho Joe Quesada stepped in to handle the writing chores for the issues collected in this trade paperback. The basic premise is this: what would happen if Iron Man's armor gained sentience?
Never mind that the method it gained sentience is borderline absurd (bad Y2K software plus a lightning strike), it was still a fascinating concept. What kind of personality would the world's most technologically advanced weapon have? What would it want? What would it do? And could Tony Stark stop it if he needed to?
Apparently the armor is not unlike a surly adolescent. It wants attention and it is extremely jealous. It proceeds in pure stalker fashion to wreck Tony's life, destroy his relationship, and even kills one of his enemies. This is fascinating stuff, and for the most part Quesada handles the story quite well. Without giving too much away, the ending stretches belief, even by comic book standards. Quite frankly, there's no way the Iron Man suit is even remotely affected by Tony's "Survivor" tricks.
The artwork by Chen and Martinez is first rate. Both artists have a very similar style, and have the ability to inject energy into mundane conversation scenes as much as they do with the fight scenes. I would have much rather seen Joe Quesada provide the artwork for these issues as well (his cover art just made me want more), but I have no real complaints.
It's not perfect, but the series is by far the best Iron Man story I have read since the original Iron Man: Armor Wars saga. My only real complaint is that the Wizard send-away ½ issue, which was part of the story, wasn't included.
The Heroes Return relaunch put the series on a better footing, and with an artist (Chen) who was truly capable of handling the character. Two years into the series, Marvel head honcho Joe Quesada stepped in to handle the writing chores for the issues collected in this trade paperback. The basic premise is this: what would happen if Iron Man's armor gained sentience?
Never mind that the method it gained sentience is borderline absurd (bad Y2K software plus a lightning strike), it was still a fascinating concept. What kind of personality would the world's most technologically advanced weapon have? What would it want? What would it do? And could Tony Stark stop it if he needed to?
Apparently the armor is not unlike a surly adolescent. It wants attention and it is extremely jealous. It proceeds in pure stalker fashion to wreck Tony's life, destroy his relationship, and even kills one of his enemies. This is fascinating stuff, and for the most part Quesada handles the story quite well. Without giving too much away, the ending stretches belief, even by comic book standards. Quite frankly, there's no way the Iron Man suit is even remotely affected by Tony's "Survivor" tricks.
The artwork by Chen and Martinez is first rate. Both artists have a very similar style, and have the ability to inject energy into mundane conversation scenes as much as they do with the fight scenes. I would have much rather seen Joe Quesada provide the artwork for these issues as well (his cover art just made me want more), but I have no real complaints.
It's not perfect, but the series is by far the best Iron Man story I have read since the original Iron Man: Armor Wars saga. My only real complaint is that the Wizard send-away ½ issue, which was part of the story, wasn't included.
October 7, 2020
I'd heard many references to this story and finally sat down to read it. In this arc, Tony basically falls into an abusive relationship with the Iron Man armor. It doesn't seem that like that should work, but it weirdly does. The final showdown is great.
I interviewed artist Alitha Martinez for the All the Books Show. You can find it here: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
I interviewed artist Alitha Martinez for the All the Books Show. You can find it here: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
April 22, 2015
Good story and art. I picked this up on a whim at a used book store yesterday and enjoyed reading it. Out of curiosity, I tried to figure what trade reprinted the next set of issues only to discover that there isn't one. Instead I discovered Iron Man by Joe Quesada, which apparently includes everything in this compilation, plus the follow up issues. Wish I'd found that one instead of this one.
March 24, 2012
The Iron Man armour gains sentience and then acts like an abusive spouse towards Tony Stark. Could have done with being a bit longer, and some parts seemed rushed, so the reader never really cares what happens to the sentient armour, leaving it's last action and Tony's response seem somewhat hollow. Some nice repetition throughout the issues, and good art for the most part.
September 17, 2012
Interesting. It's a quick tale of Iron Man's armor becoming sentient and wanting to prove its love to Stark. The dialog is great and the action gets intense, even when the art is messy and cluttered. I liked the armor's rational for love and devotion, along with its complete belief in being a hero even when failing at the job. The end was surprisingly emotional.
September 8, 2014
La armadura gana conciencia y declara su amor por iron man...si, la historia tiene sus momentos pero a parte de la confrontación con Whiplash , no hay nada que destaque al comic sobre el resto, además el arte de Sean Chen no es que sea la gran maravilla, mucho mejor, las increíbles portadas de Joe Quesada.
April 27, 2016
Tony Stark is seriously dating a woman, and he's not sure what to do. Meanwhile, his iron man suits are getting better and better. Perhaps too good, as smart suits may start to think for themselves. This is a really good story, character based, and looks at Iron Man's weaknesses. The inclusion of Jocasta as a therapist is well done. A really good read.
August 20, 2009
What happens when Iron Man's Armour develops sentience. What happens to his foes? What happens to Iron Man?
Interesting, bit short and not very detailed, fun.
Interesting, bit short and not very detailed, fun.
February 16, 2011
A cool idea--what if the armor became self-aware? But the execution was sloppy and sprawling, with too much front end and a lame climax.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews