Iron Man, Vol. 4: Source Control

Iron Man (2020)

by Christopher Cantwell, Murewa Ayodele, Kurt Busiek

Tony Stark is ready to re-engage! With Korvac, the Power Cosmic and a nasty morphine addiction behind him, Tony re-enters the world. But things don't go exactly as planned, and Iron Man soon finds himself battling a hyper-intelligent gorilla through the streets of New York! Then, a trip to California leaves Tony stranded in the southwestern desert with malfunctioning armor - and things go downhill from there! Shellhead faces deadly new villain Switchback, classic foe the Titanium Man and a dangerous conspiracy involving the Mandarin's Rings! To track down these deadly weapons, he'll have to employ stealth mode! Christopher Cantwell concludes his thought-provoking run with a shocking question: Must there be an Iron Man?!

Collects Iron Man (2020) #20-25.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Superheroes, Science Fiction

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2023

Reviews

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

Well, one can’t say this run goes off with a bang. It somewhat closes the Stark’s hubris/downfall/redemption of the whole run and supposedly paves the way for the new series.

Overall Cantwell managed a good run. He always dealt with Tony Stark and never Iron Man. A more humane Tony Stark, confronting his fears and his vanity but ending somehow reconciled with himself, his flaws and addictions.

The other "plus" of the series is Patsy Walker- as herself more than as Hellcat- to the point that the rest of the cast- Rhodey included- is close to non-existent. She exists as a person, active, supportive, with a real voice.

I’m curious too see if Gerry Dugan will capitalize on Cantwell’s contribution to Tony Stark in the new ongoing series.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Such a down to earth book for Tony! Really loving the human side of him being so vulnerable.

Highlights:
- Patsy picks Tony up from rehab and during a meal together, he proposes marriage via a letter he wrote. After consideration, she turns him down.
- A Stark supercomputer goes up against Chet the Gorilla, a MENSA level IQ animal subject. It goes very much like you'd expect, except Chet is able to break the encryption on the Iron Man Suit and shuts him down
- While taking a commercial flight, Tony gets attacked by a Weapon X project named Switchback. The plane is able to land safely, but Tony has a hell of a fight.
- Tony and Rhodey's friend Vic has been murdered. He had been trying to call them for a while, having gotten involved with a weapons dealing company called Source Control, and purchasing the 10 Makluan rings of the Mandarin. Tony decides to buy out Source Control and destroy all their weapons, but he 1) Almost gets killed by Titanium Man; 2) Gets betrayed by Carl, an old friend who has an armor; and 3) Finds out that the rings were bought by Cobalt Man, who is secretly Riri Williams in disguise. She wants to use the rings for good, and Tony decides to trust her.
- The city decided to throw an Iron Man Day celebration, and Tony is supposed to be a part of it, but instead ends up helping an addict who OD'd, like the hero he is.

This Volume felt different than Iron Man has felt in a long time, and I really welcome the change of pace. Looks like the story that we'll start with in "Invincible Iron Man" will be a really great one!

Recommend. If you know anything about recent Iron Man storyline, you'll enjoy this.

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5 Star Rating, but I still haven't figured out how to use fractions on Goodreads. I read this in the single monthly issues that are collected in this volume.

I’m surprised by the changes that have occurred within this title 20+ issues from its’ beginnings. Having enjoyed Christopher Cantwell’s DOCTOR DOOM series, I picked up the debut issue of IRON MAN, expecting similar thrills, but just could not get excited by it.

I did like the new Tony Stark (his brain in a cloned body), giving up his chairmanship of Stark Unlimited, and a new commitment to doing good in a stripped-down version of the Iron Man armor without all the hi-tech. It was the chemistry between Tony and Patsy Walker/Hellcat that put me off. It seemed forced and didn’t seem genuine. I also did not like Tony gravitating between the usual egocentrism or just complaining about what his former rich, privileged self has now lost.

To be honest, despite being a pillar character in the Marvel Universe, I really haven’t been excited by any Iron Man title since the late 1970’s when I started reading it every month from 1978, about one year before the classic Demon In A Bottle storyline and then until about Issue #158 when I got bored with it all.

I never returned to Cantwell’s IRON MAN until recently, when I couldn’t pass up a story-arc set at a bargain price (Issues #20 - #25). Too bad it was the final story arc, just before Gerry Duggan took over with THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1.

Cantwell’s final storyline has drama, romance, sadness, and a real change of pace since that first issue. Tony has restored the tech to his newest armor and apparently has returned to an ownership position within Stark. He aims to use the vast resources and money behind Stark for good. In fact, he’s willing to spend it all in order to keep high-tech weaponry from reaching the wrong hands. An even bigger difference is that Tony is actually likable (but not perfect) and the relationship with Patsy seems more honest.

Without bogging this review down with details I’ll just share that there is quite a lot happening within these six issues. Not everything goes the way Tony wants it to, even in matters of the heart. Suffice to say that Cantwell slows the pace down enough to work in some character interaction/development, wraps up his storylines, and opens the door for the next re-boot, where I suspect Riri/Ironheart’s possession (for research purposes) of some of that high-tech weaponry will cause a stir. In fact, it has the potential to form the basis for another big Marvel epic/cross-over.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this rock bottom? He was basically a God and now.....not.

Time in rehab grounded Tony Stark....again. Cleared his head, gave him renewed focus, and made him face the truth. Now, it turns out that an old friend has happened upon something he probably shouldn't have. Stark wasn't there for his friend. He's got a LOT to make up for. Stark will have to put his money where his mouth (and heart) is.
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This is the end of Cantwell's run with 'Iron Man' and while I think it started with strength and potential, it feels like this is a patchwork end to it all. The Korvac story ended strong in the previous collection. This could best be described as a 'setup' for the next run. Don't get me wrong. The story is still interesting, but it too could have been its own multi volume run.

Bonus: Source Control is the new 'Armor Wars'...prove me wrong?
Bonus Bonus: Hellcat just doesn't fit. Even more apparent with Tony's post rehab letter to Patsy.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christopher Cantwell could have left it with the far superior final Books of Korvac volume. Instead, we get this limp adventure featuring Tony hunting down Source Control, an organization intent on selling world-destroying armaments to the highest bidder. Just like all the other organizations doing that exact same thing.

There are some nice character beats for Tony, especially in his interactions with Patsy/Hellcat. Otherwise, it's too many characters in suits of armor clanking at each other. Not much payoff - certainly not like the Books of Korvac, which were delightfully weird and intergalactic in their ambitions.

[Simon Zuberek · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better Iron Man runs out there. The artwork alone makes the series a worthwhile read. Weave in the leitmotif of the troubled hero on a journey towards redemption and reconciliation, and suddenly you are facing a position that is rather difficult to pass up. So why not five stars? After a terrific rollercoaster of a plot, the abrupt ending falls completely flat. I genuinely hope that we will see more of the Books of Korvac in the not too distant future.

[JCRD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y se acabó. Este último arco se siente un tanto aparte del resto por ser los tres primeros una saga y esto no tener demasiado que ver, aunque Cantwell trata las consecuencias de los últimos actos de Tony y lo mete en situaciones cuanto menos curiosas.

El último número en concreto sí que me ha resultado muy emotivo y un gran punto y aparte para el personaje. Ya sé alguna que otra cosa de lo nuevo de Duggan y me puedo imaginar por dónde van los tiros, pero ojalá le den un respiro al pobre Tony después de todo a lo que ha tenido que enfrentarse en esta etapa. Es un personaje muy humano por todos los fallos que comete y todas las veces que decide enmendar sus errores, y los guiones de Cantwell me han dado una nueva perspectiva de un personaje que nunca me ha dicho gran cosa en las viñetas.

¿Es una etapa redonda? Ni mucho menos, pero ojalá más autores partieran de la sensibilidad de Christopher Cantwell y se atrevieran a hacer este tipo de cosas.

[César Rodríguez Cuenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esto como reseña de toda la etapa de Cantwell. He leído reseñas por ahí y la mayoría dicen que se va por las ramas o noseque. Para mí esto es de lo mejor que he leído de iron man por varios motivos:
1) es divertido. Me he pasado dos año contándole a mi hermano cosas como "pues ahora iron man está en ..." Y alguna movida extraña porque este hombre tiene imaginación
2) aunque hay muchos personajes secundarios que no tenía ni idea de quién son, su papel es tan secundario que dam un poco igual
3) los 3 arcos que ocurren no habían ocurrido antes, es decir esto no es extremis 2, civil war 2, secret war 3, etc. Son premisas nuevas así que se pilla la serie con más ganas y sin expectativas previas
4) en 2 años y pico, no ha tenido cruce con ninguna otra serie. Parece que está en el mundo de Marvel pero aparte, y eso permite que la trama avance al ritmo que necesita, sin tener que hacer parones absurdos para meter el número del evento de mierda que haya hecho Marvel ese año.

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume was okay. Unfortunately it leaves behind some of the aspects I liked from previous volumes, like the "Space Friends" group of random misfits and the romance with Patsy Walker. (Well, Tony proposes to her immediately after getting out of rehab. She turns him down and is gone for the rest of the book.) Instead, it focuses on Tony and Rhodey trying to take down an illegal weapons selling marketplace by buying out the whole supply. Eventually their plan fails and Riri Williams saves them. The artwork is still pretty great.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75
This has been a solid title. But uneven. And now that the run is over, I am not feeling it's particularly memorable. It started strong but then really meandered for most of the run.

[Blindzider · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume wraps up Cantwell's run, which overall, I liked. He "resets" the character to someone a little more grounded, meaning he strips him down to his essential characteristics, sort of cleaning up past behavior, and focuses his supporting cast. Despite the very cosmic and somewhat over-the-top story of the last volume which I didn't really care for, this one has Tony taking out some arms dealers in rather "normal" (non Iron-Man) way, which was refreshing.

I'm on the fence about D'Armata's art. It reminds me a little of when Larocca was drawing the title. At times it looks decent and clean but still with some nice details. Other times it looks very simple, like old school 2D animation. The color palette takes me back to when Ellis and Granov were doing the Extremis story: a desaturated look, with mostly browns and greens. Not terrible, but also been done before. It helps to keep the tone to a level that isn't in your face and bombastic all the time.

I've said before that I never cared for Robert Downey's portrayal of Tony Stark. Don't care for the attitude and Cantwell's version brings him back to a more humble and palatable version. It'll be interesting to see if the next creative team continues with this version or goes a different route.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Cantwell's run on Iron Man comes to an explosive close as Tony and Rhodey set their sights on using all of Tony's considerable fortune to buy as much black market tech as they can to keep it out of the hands of criminals - including the Mandarin's rings.

Still recovering from the events of the Korvac stuff, Tony's not in a good place, which is when we get the best stories from him. Cantwell digs into Stark's troubled psyche easily, as well as giving us a good explanation of how and why he interacts with certain characters the way he does, even his friends. And it all comes to a big conclusion in an oversized final story that caps the run off neatly.

Angel Unzueta handles every issue here - I know there was a big to-do about CAFU drawing the series to begin with, but honestly, Unzueta has been the unsung hero of this run and deserves all the praise.

Iron Man is another book that can be a bit hit or miss, but Cantwell's Iron Man stands head and shoulders above most of the recent runs as the most cerebral look at Tony Stark and his demons since Matt Fraction.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ending Cantwell's run, by largely hitting the reset button on the character, plus putting a few balls in the air for the next writer. Perhaps most obvious is the huge amount of highly lethal tech Tony ends up with. This storyline kind of puzzled me. He gets all of this stuff by outright buying it all, supposedly totally draining his bank accounts entirely, from the highly shady Source Control. It's mostly the buying that concerns me, because at no point does anyone seem to be concerned about where all these billions of dollars are going or what will be done with them. Will this come back to bite Tony under another writer? Maybe, but I just didn't see where anyone cared in this book.

[Dillon Braeges · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid end to a solid run. Weirdly enough, I can't help but feel like this is what the run should have started with. This is the type of thing I was expecting when I was pitched a "back to basics" Iron Man. A few supervillain fights, a basic bad guy to take down, and plenty of character driven melodrama.

Oh well. Even if I found some of the pacing wonky, I still enjoyed my time with Christopher Cantwells Iron Man. Not enough to make me a die-hard for the character, but I'll certainly follow him into his Hellcat run after this.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cantwell has a good handle on a voice for Tony Stark - while the story feels very similar to many other Iron Man plots through the years, the story focuses more on Tony's reflections on himself and his legacy than on super-heroics. I also appreciated the familiarity Tony had with his rogues gallery in this story - it leaned heavily into the way Wally and Barry would be with the Flash's villains, that after many years they are on a first name basis now.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Collects Iron Man (2020) issues #20-25

I was a big fan of this series when it first started in 2020, but it got worse and worse, and by the end of this collection, I could barely justify using my time to read it. I skimmed the issues just to wrap this thing up. I would have never read this series if Scarlet Spider hadn't been featured in early issues.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still think Cantwell tried to do too much with the Korvac storyline, but the whole thing grew on me and I'm sorry that his time with this title is at an end. This is a good one, with Tony buying up all of the dangerous weapons being hawked by Source Control, while the Mandarin's rings end up in the possession of Riri Williams. Events here directly lead into Gerry Duggan's run. Art is decent.

[Chris Lins · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dint finsh. Boring.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 for me.

Brings an end to a run…with me wondering how the last bit really tied to the cosmic bit.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun Iron Man stories. Nice team up. Enjoyed it was a Secret Patsy Walker series.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. I am sad to see the writer go but it was a good series.

[Vic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not my favorite run.

[Amir Mohammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

really great book

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

More like Christopher CAN(write)well!!

Really enjoyed this whole run.