Poco material esta saliendo por ahora de esta esperadísima secuela, fotos, alguna que otra visita al set de rodaje, mas fotos, mas visitas al set, y mas fotos.

Hoy nos llega lo que será la próxima portada de la revista Empire, que tiene al Hombre de Hierro como principal reclamo.

Recupero un par de imágenes que tenia por aquí guardadas sin haber publicado, en la que podemos ver a Stark en una cafetería con la armadura de Iron Man y varios pics de lo que será una línea de juguetes del film para ir haciéndonos una ligera idea de cómo será, por ejemplo, Don Cheadle como Maquina de Guerra.

Os dejo también un video piratón del footage mostrado en la pasada Comic Con de San Diego, cuyos últimos minutos son para mear y no echar gota, cuando salga en buena calidad no quiero ni imaginármelo…Maquina de Guerra va a repartir de lo lindo.

Empire magazine is featuring Iron Man 2 as the main article in their forthcoming January issue. Today they unveiled the cover for this new issue complete with the man of iron himself. I must say it looks amazing.

The movie from director Jon Favreau sees Robert Downey Jr. back as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow back as his lovely assistant Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle replace as Terrence Howard as Lt. Col. James Rhodes/War Machine. There are also some new characters including Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson, Justin Hammer played by Sam Rockwell and Ivan Vanko/Whiplash played by Mickey Rourke.

It’s in cinemas from May 5th, 2010 and is sure to be one of my favourite movies of next year.

New article up on Cracked in which I help you to loathe rich people even more than you already do by showcase extravagant cat weddings, $12,000 erotic massages…for your car and a half million dollar dog house with retinal scanner security and 50-inch plasma TV. You’re welcome, collapse of society.

Digg it.

Stumble it.

Peter Benjamin Parker

Identidad secreta: SPIDER MAN
Ocupación: Fotógrafo “Freelance”
Ciudadano: Americano
Lugar de nacimiento: Forest Hills, New York
Poderes: Peter puede trepar por todo tipo de superficies, tiene una fuerza sobrenatural (es capaz de levantar 10 toneladas de peso) y es 15 veces más ágil que cualquier otro ser humano. Por tanto, aparte de sus acrobacias, el increíble Spiderman cuenta con un sentido arácnido que le advierte del peligro, permitiéndole evitar cualquier tipo de daño gracias a sus reflejos automáticos.

SPIDER MAN en el cine:
Spider Man 1
Sipder Man 2
Spider Man 3

Steven “Steve” Rogers

Identidad secreta: CAPITÁN AMERICA
Ocupación: Aventurero, soldado, oficial de policía, profesor, ilustrador “Freelance”, Operativo Especial S.H.I.E.L.D.
Ciudadano: Americano
Lugar de nacimiento: New York, New York
Poderes: Capitán America representa el pináculo de la perfección física humana. El Capitán America tiene un nivel de inteligencia muy alto, así como de agilidad, fuerza, velocidad, resistencia y capacidad de reacción superior a cualquier atleta olímpico que jamás haya competido. Como dato curioso, cabe destacar que su cuerpo elimina el desarrollo excesivo de venenos que producen fatiga en sus músculos, concediéndole una resistencia excepcional.

Anthony Edward “Tony” Stark

Identidad secreta: IRON MAN
Ocupación: Aventurero, presidente emérito de Industrias Duro, fundador de María Stark Fundación; antiguo Secretario estadounidense de Defensa; antiguo técnico para Torcido Electrónica; antiguo Director de S.H.I.E.L.D.
Ciudadano: Americano
Lugar de nacimiento: Long Island, New York
Poderes: Anteriormente ninguno, pero después de ser seriamente dañado durante una batalla con Mallen Extremis-realzado (Extremis-mejorado) Stark inyectó su sistema nervioso con un virus modificado tecno-orgánico para salvar su propia vida. Esto fundió la armadura de Stark a su cuerpo. Es también capaz de, remotamente, unirse a sistemas de comunicaciones externos como satélites, teléfonos celulares, y ordenadores en todo el mundo. Como el sistema operativo de la armadura está ahora directamente conectado al sistema nervioso de Stark, su tiempo de respuesta ha mejorado considerablemente. La armadura Extremis le concede reacciones de supervelocidad y es capaz de cultivar de nuevo órganos enteros.

IRON MAN en el cine

Edward Charles Brock

Identidad secreta: Venom
Ocupación: Vigilante; antiguo periodista para el “Daily Globe”
Ciudadano: Americano, con antecedentes penales
Lugar de nacimiento: New York City, New York
Poderes: Anteriormente, el traje alien, que se había injertado al sistema nervioso de Eddie Brock, de algún modo había absorbido los poderes de Trepador durante su breve relación simbiótica con él. Estos poderes fueron transferidos a Brock mientras que llevó el traje. Antes de entrar en contacto con el traje, Brock ya se había entrenado para levantar casi 700 libras. Ahora, en su cuerpo afectado por el cáncer, posee la fuerza mínima. Una vez que se combinó con el traje, fue capaz de levantar casi 11 toneladas. El traje alien también reprodujo la capacidad del Trepador de adherirse a las paredes.

Venom en el cine: Eddie Brock se convierte en Venom

Nombre no revelado

Identidad secreta: Magneto
Ocupación: Conquistador, profesor, director, agente secreto, camillero
Ciudadano: No revelado
Lugar de nacimiento: No revelado
Poderes: Magneto posee el poder de controlar cualquier tipo de magentismo. Puede manipular cualquier campo magnético, ya sea natural o artificial.

Magneto en el cine

Norman Osborn

Identidad secreta: El Duende VerdeOcupación: Agente de gobierno; antiguo criminal profesional; líder de la Orden del Trasgo / Conspiración de Scrier; hombre de negocios
Ciudadano: Americano
Lugar de nacimiento: Hartford, Connecticut
Poderes: Debido a la “Fórmula del Trasgo “, Norman posee una fuerza sobrehumana (el levantamiento de 9 toneladas en condiciones óptimas), la velocidad aumentada, reflejos, resistencia… Aunque mucho más despacio que Wolverine, puede regenerar el tejido dañado y órganos. Su inteligencia ha sido mejorada a niveles altos, aunque a coste de su salud. Cuando no se encuentra perjudicado por la enfermedad mental, Osborn es un hombre de negocios astuto, el estratega imperioso (magistral), y sumamente experto en la electrónica, la mecánica, y la química.

El Duende Verde en el cine:

SPIDER MAN vs. Goblin: SPIDER MAN

SPIDERMAN vs. Goblin: SPIDER MAN 3

Identidad secreta: X-MEN
Base de operaciones: en San Francisco, California
Miembros: Angel (Warren Worthington III), Armor (Hisako Ichiki), Beast (Henry McCoy), Cannonball (Sam Guthrie), Colossus (Piotr Rasputin), Cyclops (Scott Summers), Dazzler (Alison Blaire), Emma Frost, Iceman (Robert Drake), Karma (Xi’an Coy Manh), Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner), Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier), Pixie, Psylocke (Elisabeth Braddock), Rogue (Anna Marie), Storm (Ororo Munroe), Wolverine (James Howlett).

X-MEN en el cine:

X-MEN

X-MEN 2

X-MEN 3

Identidad secreta: Los 4 FantásticosBase de operaciones: Baxter Building, Nueva York, Nueva York. Anteriormente Cuatro Libertades Plaza; Laboratorio Antártico; Muelle de embarque 4
Miembros: Antorcha Humana, Mujer Invisible, Señor Fantástico, la Cosa

Los 4 Fantásticos en el cine:

Los 4 Fantásticos

Los 4 Fantásticos y Silver Surfer

THEY’RE BAAAACK!! This week on the Mild Mannered Podcast, special guests Aaron Gold and Andrew Durso make a comeback (and then some) as the guys deliver a review of Mark Millar and Brian Hitch’s Ultimates Vol. I, and as expected, there will be plenty of jokes and tomfoolery going on! There will be praises, outbursts of insults, and much, much more this week on The Mild Mannered Podcast!

Como sigue la moda de los disfraces en esta época, les presento 2 más que me fascinaron, para que vean que aún se puede ser creativo con pocos recursos:

El perro Hulk… hasta la correa le combina.

Tony Stark, sólo necesitas un buen traje, barba de candado y un foco en el pecho… de LED para que no queme jaja.

Lets face it.  We all want to be Tony Stark…and after we saw his house in Iron Man….we all wanted his amazing HUD like displays in every piece of glass we’ve ever come in contact with.

Now we’re in luck, thanks to LG:

This stunning piece of concept glory was featured at FPD 2009 in Japan, but didn’t come with much in the area of details because this is about all we know.  It is 15 inches and in full color.  Other than needing to tape a sheet of paper behind it so you can see whats actually on the screen, this thing makes our dreams of becoming Tony Stark that much closer to being a reality.

[via Endgadget.com]

Download This Movie For Totally Free: (Click Here)

Enjoy

by Matt Fraction (writer), Salvador Larroca (art), Frank D’Armata (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: World’s Most Wanted comes to an end as Hill, Pepper, and Black Widow try to escape HAMMER and Stark tries to survive the Iron Patriot.

What’s Good: The best thing I can say about this book is that it feels like the giant finale of a 12-part arc.  As far as scope, scale, action, and closure, there’s nothing underwhelming.  This issue truly does feel like a high-budget, high-stakes blockbuster summer movie.  Everything reads and looks very cinematic.

The fight between Osborn and Stark feels highly personal despite the  two metal suits scrapping.  Stark’s last words are fantastic, the definition of bittersweet.  It’s tragic, but impossible not to smile at in a way only Tony Stark could make you smile.  Similarly, the image of the Iron Patriot after the battle with Stark is truly one of the most memorable panels you’ll find in any Marvel comic this year.

Norman Osborn, as the cover suggests, is the real centerpiece of this issue and Fraction writes what is perhaps the definitive Dark Reign Norman.  Arrogant and professional with that cackling villain always seeping through, Norman continually straddles the line between asshole and lunatic.  With all his evil and menace, he eats up every page he appears on and he was an absolute joy to read.

As far as Larroca’s art goes, that cinematic flare wouldn’t be possible without him.  All of those memorable images stand alongside continually impressive displays of destruction, technology, and flight.  Rescue in particularly is rendered gorgeously.  If there were such a thing as a high-def comic, this would be it.

Finally, I should mention that the cliffhanger ending is made of pure, hair-raising awesome.  If gut reactions are anything to go by, Marvel’s going to have a good 2010.

What’s Not So Good: Larroca’s art epitomizes both his strengths and weaknesses.  While his depictions of machines and the Iron Men look absolutely stunning, his faces often leave something to be desired, particularly when it comes to our three female stars, whose facial structures and features seem to change throughout the issue.  In particular, Larroca seems to really struggle to separate Widow and Pepper and the result is some truly bizarre work on Ms. Potts.

Also, while the resolution of Stark and Osborn’s battle made sense and felt good, I can’t help but see it as being nearly identical to how Fraction resolved the recent Utopia crossover.  The unfortunate thing is that it was actually done here far better than it was in Utopia, but Utopia came out first.  That being said, this doesn’t change the fact that Rescue/JARVIS felt a little bit too convenient as a plot device.

Similarly, Maria Hill’s final escape tactic was also bit easy and familiar.  She essentially gets out by doing what Nick Fury has been doing since the beginning of Dark Reign.  The result, which should feel like impactful characterization, borders on being a little contrived.  It’s also not entirely believable that HAMMER soldiers would have her back, given how they treated her when she was fired at the beginning of World’s Most Wanted.

Conclusion: Overall, it’s satisfying. That said, it’s the Michael Bay movie of comic books: epic, explosive, pretty, with some awesome moments, but not without narrative corner-cutting.

Grade: B

-Alex Evans

I recently began a night shift job, which has left me a bit out of touch with the goings ons of the internet (thus my lack of posting of late).  I was so much out of touch that I didn’t even realize that I was one of the finalists in 1UP.com’s Whose Side Are You On? Contest!

Suffice it to say, I didn’t actually win.  But, just getting noticed as a finalist is still pretty cool if you ask me!  So, just in case you’re interested, here was my contest entry.  The mission was to write an essay about whose side you would be on in Marvel’s Civil War.

My Contest Entry

     The fire department showed up just in time to save the building.  Fortunately, Iron Man and I had already saved all the people.  I’d known he was going to show up there, likely before even he did, but I still found it strange to be standing next to him like that.

     “You do good work.”  he said, lifting his face mask and smiling.

     “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”  I admit it.  I was a little awestruck.

     “Please, call me Tony.” We shook hands and I already knew what was coming next, “You know, someone with your talents is going to be a huge asset to the Avengers Initiative that we’re setting up.  Of course, we may be able to teach you a thing or two ourselves.”

     I had to hand it to him, the guy was a natural salesman.  He didn’t ask whether or not I was going to register.  He just took it for granted that I would and thus try to make it harder for me to say I wouldn’t.  Perhaps if I didn’t know what was coming next, it would have worked.  Against my better judgment, I tried to talk to him about it.

     “I … didn’t you … never mind.”  Of course I chickened out!  I was standing right in front of a founding Avenger!

     “What’s on your mind?”

     I sighed and tried again.

     “Didn’t you oppose the registration act?”

His smile only disappeared for a moment.

     “I did.  At the time, I wasn’t certain that those in charge had thought through all of the consequences of such an act.  I wasn’t sure the benefits outweighed the possible risks.  I don’t have that fear now.”

     “What changed?”

     Stark stared me down.

     “612 people died in Stamford, Connecticut.  60 of those were school children.  All because the ‘heroes’ on site weren’t properly trained.  It could have been prevented.”

     I tried to think of what to say next, which will seem ridiculous in a moment.  Regardless of what I thought I should say next or even of what I wanted to say next, I knew for certain what I would say next.  It’s a cliché, but it’s true: my power is both a gift and a curse.

     “You …  don’t know me.” I started, “I’ve kept myself, pretty much, to my own neighborhood.  I don’t go out and face Dr. Doom or anything like that.  But, I have a legacy I’m living up to.  A power.  I can see things I wasn’t there for.  I can see things that haven’t even happened yet.  I’m a descendant of Cassandra of Troy.”  I could tell that Stark was having great difficulty not rolling his eyes.

     “I’d always thought that story was apocryphal.”

     “I’m sorry, but you’ve fought alongside both Hercules and Thor and you have a hard time believing in Cassandra?” I asked.  Stark seemed to ignore me, so I pressed on, “You know what’s going to happen right?  You know what comes next?”

     I could tell he was tiring of this conversation, but I also knew he wasn’t going to fly away just yet.

     “Whatever it is, we can handle it.” he replied.

     “I’m not sure you can.  You’re talking about going to war, you just don’t know it yet.  And, when it comes to a war, do you really want to be on the opposite side of Captain America?  Think of the list of Cap’s opponents!  Baron Zemo, the Red Skull, Adolf Hitler, just to name a few.  Does that sound like a list you want to be on?”

     “I just need more time to convince him.” he said, “Steve will see that I’m right.  He’ll back down.”

     “Tony, please, let me ask you something.  You’ve known Captain America a long time.  You and the Avengers were the ones who found him frozen in that block of ice.  In your life, have you ever known him to back down, even an inch, when he was so thoroughly convinced that he was right?” Stark didn’t seem to have an answer for that, so I asked him another one, “What was wrong with the old way?”

     “Super heroes policing their own?”

     “Why not?  You’ve done it for Daredevil, for the Human Torch, for Ms. Marvel.  Hell, for the Hulk more times than I can count.  In fact, unless I’m mistaken, it was also done for you, once or twice.” Stark looked abashed, if only for a moment, “If they go too far, you stand in their way.  You stop them.  If they cross a line, you bring them in just like any other criminal.  But what you’re talking about now would mean bringing them in, even when they’re just doing their job.  You’d be arresting them for saving lives.”

     “The can be registered and save lives.  That’s it’s purpose!”

     “But, can you protect their families?  In a world with the Leader, and A.I.M. and M.O.D.O.K. and Dr. Doom and God knows how many other genius villains out there?  How long until one of them hacks into your systems and sells off the information to the highest bidder?”

     Stark smiled, not just a little smugly.

     “We’ve got some pretty smart people on our side too.  Reed Richards, Hank Pym … we’ve got it covered.  People will be safe.  I’m swearing my life to it.”

     “It’s not your life I’m concerned with.  Do you think, for a second, that those who oppose registration are just going to stop trying to save lives?  Then you’ll have committed yourself to bringing them in.  But, they won’t come quietly, so you’ll have to fight and there it is.  A new civil war.  In the last one we lost more American lives then any other war, because that’s what happens when you fight yourselves!  Only this time we won’t be so lucky because this time the soldiers will have powers.  We’re talking destruction.  We’re talking death.  Innocent lives lost, not to mention those of friends of yours.  I’ve already seen it.  Good friends of yours are going to die.”

     Tony stood there, looking at the smoking building across the way from us.  The fire was almost completely out, now.  I could tell that he was thinking things through, but I also knew it didn’t matter.  It was the nature of my ability.  After I left, he’d start thinking about what I said and decide “He’s just a kid, what does he know?”  Or worse, “Well, now that I’ve been warned, I can still go ahead.  Just, cautiously.”  I knew that telling him the future wouldn’t change anything.  But, I also couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try.  If this were the one time that it worked, the one time that things changed, then it would all be worth it.

     “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Stark said, finally.

     “Abraham Lincoln,” I replied, “Though he was quoting the Bible.”  Tony nodded.

     “Tell me, since you’ve seen the future.  Who wins?”

     “It’s a civil war,” I said, “Nobody wins.  Spider-man will lose more than you’ll ever know.  More, even, then he’ll ever know.  All of the Avengers, in fact, will find themselves losing something.  You’ll lose as much as any of those still living, in the long run.  You’ll find yourself working alongside enemies and fighting against friends.  And then there’s Captain America.  He’ll lose…” I almost told him.  Perhaps things would have been better if I had.  Still, though I had seen it happening in the future, I somehow held out hope that maybe if I didn’t give words to it, it would never come to pass, “He’ll lose.” is all I said, finally.

     Tony sighed and looked up at the sky.  Our conversation was about to come to an end.

     “The wheels are already in motion,” he told me, “If I switched sides now, it honestly wouldn’t matter.  If it’s not me in charge, then it’ll just be somebody else.  And, frankly, I’d rather it was me.  Because, I swear to God, right now?  I don’t trust anybody else to do it.”

     “You can’t trust somebody to do a job that shouldn’t be done.” I told him, and held out my hand.  He took it, “It was an honor meeting you, Tony.  You’ve done great things in the past.  Saved the world time and again.  But, the fact is, you’re wrong on this one.  Nothing that turns brother against brother can be good.  No law that would imprison those who are just trying to help can be just.”

     I turned to walk away, and Tony didn’t try to stop me.

     “I won’t sign the registration act, Tony.  But, I’m also not going to fight you.  I’m just going to keep saving lives where I can.  You can try and come to arrest me, but I know you won’t.  I’ve already seen it.”

     I disappeared, then, into the night, leaving Tony Stark alone with his thoughts.

หลังจากดูคลิปสัมภาษณ์และเบื้องหลังเล็กๆ น้อยๆ ของนักแสดงนำไปแต่ละคน และคลิปฟุตเตจ 5 นาที ไปกันแล้ว คราวนี้มาดูคลิปเบื้องหลัง แบบอัดแน่นไปเต็มๆ 7 นาทีครับ โดยที่ทางรายการไปบุกกองถ่ายฉากที่ทำงานของ โทนี่ สตาร์ค และก็มีการสัมภาษณ์เล็กๆ น้อยๆ ของผู้กำกับจอน เฟฟโีร และโรเบิร์ต ดาวนี่ย์ จูเนียร์ ครับ ซึ่งรายการเป็นของทางฝรั่งเศสครับผม

ในคลิปเบื้องนี้นั้น จะเผยฉากมากมาย ในห้องทำงานของโทนี่ ซึ่งจะมีบางส่วนที่เหมือนเดิม และบางส่วนที่ปรับเปลี่ยนไป เช่น ในส่วนของชั้นวางเกราะทั้งสามแบบ ไม่ไว้โชว์ ก็ไว้ใส่ล่ะครับ และก็เห็นฉากห้องรับแขก ที่โทนี่ ไปหม้อใส่นาตาชา(สการ์เล็ต โจแฮนส์สัน), ฉากสนามแข่งรถ(ที่คุ้นเคย), ห้องซ้อมมวย และก็แผนการสร้าง Stark Expo ครับ ยิ่งดูคลิปที่ถูกปล่อยออกมาเท่าไหร่ ก็ยิ่งเรียกน้ำลายให้ไหลเป็นทาง ถ้าตัวอย่างมา ผมจะรีบลงทันทีครับ ตอนนั้น ต่อมน้ำลายคงทำงานหนัก

Welcome to part 2 of Scaretober, MUAHAHAHAHAHA! This week the boys trade opinions over Marvel Zombies, as in the entire concept (including the Army of Darkness Spin-off), can you survive? There will be blood, and heads will roll, and <insert cliche’ horror tagline> as they also discuss the Horror Genre in books and film, as well as the rise of the Zombie genre. Plus,  Alex hints at a possible European invasion, Sam and Mike discuss their favorite manga (a potential episode?????), and all your usual rants, jokes, and culturally incorrect jabberings! It’s everything you enjoy about the Mild Mannered podcast, plus ZOMBIES! Listen Now!

BUT WAIT! Don’t miss the special MONSTERPIECE Comic Book Theatre straight from Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. II, WARNING: NOT FOR THE FEINT OF HEART!!!

So in 2010 we will get an Iron Man 2. From what I’ve gathered it takes place close to a year after the scene in the first movie where Tony Stark told the press he is Iron Man. What’s interesting about this is that they will venture into Tony’s dependency on alcohol, something they tapped into and danced around in the first movie. Yes if you watch the first Iron Man you’ll notice before he does the air chase scene, homie has a glass in his hand. Now word has it Iron Man 2 won’t go full Demon in the Bottle, but hopefully it will tap on a few of the pieces of the comic series. Sources say it will however deal with Tony going through a mid-life crisis and personal problems such as dealing with Pepper having a boyfriend. I figure it will be a great movie and may have a darker tone to it.

This is why I love Marvel, they tackle a lot of real shit. I think Iron Man was the first hero to have real problems, face them, beat them, fall off and the cycle continues, like many real people face all the time. Iron Man was never my personal favorite dude, I was an X-Men dude on the real, but I did come to see him as more of a person then a hero. It’s one of the coolest things about Tony Stark that I think Robert Downey Jr. brings out on camera, the complexity of life. I hope Iron Man 2 turns out good as the first one but with a more of a plot. Yeah I know the first one was an origin movie, but it still could have a bit more punch to it with the plot.

Auf der diesjährigen Comic-Con wurde eine Szene von “Iron Man 2″ gezeigt, wo Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) und Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) sich in einem Donut Laden treffen, auf diesem Bild sieht man leider nur Tony Stark.

Nun, da die ganze Welt weiß, dass Milliardär und Erfinder Tony Stark der gepanzerte Superheld Iron Man ist, wird er von Regierung, Presse und der Öffentlichkeit dazu gedrängt, seine Technologie militärischen Zwecken zur Verfügung zu stellen. Stark befürchtet jedoch, sie könnte in die falschen Hände geraten und weigert sich, die Geheimnisse seiner Iron Man-Rüstung zu enthüllen. Mit Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) und James „Rhodey“ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) an seiner Seite formt Stark neue Bündnisse und tritt fremden, mächtigen Kräften entgegen, die den Frieden und die Stabilität der Welt gefährden.

Kinostart: 06.05.2010

E al quarto appuntamento con la collaboratio collaborationis Latverians/dISPENSER, scatta il primo ritardo. Ma d’altra parte la nostra vita da regaz diversamente cool, fatta di fumetti, films e birrini in amicizia, ogni tanto prende il sopravvento, e non è che possiamo stare qui a spaccare il capello in quattro, oh? Cosa credi? Che sia facile? Ma io non lo so…
A leggere la nostra scheda, come sempre, quell’illuminante faro di giustezza che è il Costantino della Gherardesca che dopo queste performances pare sia stato chiamato all’Imperiale a fare lo speaker al posto di Franchino…

EDWIN JARVIS

Cliccare per ascoltare in streaming

Se James Brown era conosciuto “the hardest working man in show business”, possiamo tranquillamente definire Edwin Jarvis come “il più instancabile lavoratore di tutto l’universo Marvel”. È infatti fin dalla sua prima apparizione – datata 1964 – che lavora come maggiordomo per i Vendicatori. E accudire la dimora dei più potenti uomini della Terra, non dev’essere di certo una delle occupazione più rilassanti che si possano immaginare. Di umili origini, Jarvis si fa le ossa nella RAF, l’Aereonautiuca Militare del Regno Unito, diventando anche un imbattutto campione di boxe per ben tre anni. Una volta terminata la Guerra, appenderà i guantoni al chiodo per diventare il maggiordomo di Howard e Maria Stark, i genitori del futuro Iron Man, Tony Stark. E saranno proprio quelle mura a diventare il primo quartier generale dei potenti Vendicatori; da un momento all’altro quest’uomo dall’invidiabile aplomb, solitamente alle prese con la perfetta disposzione delle posate a tavola, si trova a doversi occupare dei bisogni – e a condividere le preoccupazioni – di Ant-Man, Wasp, Thor e Capitan America. E se ricoprire questo ruolo può avere i suoi vantaggi, come essere considerato una sorta di zio putativo da personaggi temuti e rispettati in tutto il globo, o come possedere sfiziosi gadgets come lo Scrigno degli Antichi Inverni, la sua vita non è tutto rose e fiori: più volte, l’imperturbabile Jarvis, è finito nel mirino di cattivi senza pietà o morale. Picchiato dai robot del Dottor Destino, minacciato da macchine indemoniate, malmenato dai Signori del Male… Quando non è impegnato a lavare il costume di Capitan America o a rimproverare Wolverine per la sua pessima educazione a tavola, passa il suo tempo pensando romanticamente alla sua ultima fiamma: May Parker, la vecchia zia dell’Uomo Ragno.

Forget about all the fantastic action. Dismiss the disarmingly smart, wry screenplay, and ignore the phenomenal supporting cast. Feel free to overlook the dozen components that make Iron Man the most uniquely entertaining superhero movie in a long time … I’ve got the one main reason that this flick is worthy of your two hours and ten bucks right here, and that reason is named Robert Downey Jr. Like many movie fans , I consider Downey to be sort of an old friend. We all wept when Jami Gertz noticed his odd demise in Less Than Zero, we loved watching his evolution in films like True Believer and Chaplin, and we all felt pretty great when the guy finally kicked his well-publicized drug addiction.

Downey is a survivor, no doubt, and he’s also a refreshingly engaging actor to watch — and boy was I thrilled when Marvel announced that this would be the guy to portray Tony Stark. To those who don’t know the Stark character from the comic books, let me just make it clear: Downey is the perfect guy to play a smug yet charming, sarcastic yet likable, and perpetually womanizing multi-billionaire mega-genius with a bum ticker. We all know the guy can play sly, snarky, smart characters, so much of Iron Man’s early stuff is light lifting for the actor — but when he starts getting angry? Noble? Heroic? The guy is aces across the board. Bottom Line: Downey has paid his dues, he’s been through a lot of hell, and now he’s a freakin’ superhero who delivers the best popcorn flick performance since Johnny Depp first played pirate. Sometimes Hollywood actually works.

So there’s two full paragraphs on the lead actor. As far as Iron Man as a whole … I’ll put it in terms that the superhero movie geeks will understand: It’s almost as good as Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2 and Batman Begins. Yeah, it’s that kind of quality. Only Iron Man is a pretty unique entry in its own right. It’s got some violence, some edge, and some seriously snarky attitude. But then it also has a little something to say about the nature of a society that allows itself to be governed by its own high-tech weaponry — which means that not only is Iron Man a very fun, very slick, and very consistently clever movie; it also has some sort of a social conscience. The flick says “Hey, if the best X-Men flicks can tackle some real-life issues, then why can’t Iron Man make a comment or two on a world that sometimes seems to value money and guns above all else?”

OK, now I’m making Iron Man sound like a preachy affair, which it most certainly is not. As is often the case in “first” flicks (and trust me, there will be more), Iron Man is an origin story. It tells the tale of how a brilliant multi-billionaire industrialist named Tony Stark is abducted by terrorists after showing off his latest (mega-deadly) rocket to the U.S. military, how the guy manages to escape (in rather dazzling fashion), and how he returns home to create his technological masterpiece: A stunningly flashy suit of armor that’s got jet-packs on the feet, rockets in the arms, pulse laser thingies in the hands, and the world’s smartest computer in the helmet. Frankly you could make nine movies and not get into all the awesome things that Stark’s suit can do — but for now we’ll just deal with Part One.

Upon arriving back in America, Tony proposes (publicly!) that his company should stop making weapons and perhaps focus on something a bit more user-friendly — but now I’m just rambling about a fairly simple story, and obviously you’ll want to discover all this stuff for yourself. Suffice to say that Iron Man capably blends a fairly typical origin story with a satisfyingly kinetic action story — and boy is it a whole lot of fun. Lots of times when you’re dealing with movies like this, the “talky stuff” is the material you struggle through just to get to the “fun stuff,” but thanks to Downey (and a stellar supporting cast that includes Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Clark Gregg, and Leslie Bibb) the “in-between” material is actually quite compelling! Like the best superhero movies, Iron Man boasts a screenplay that takes a whole bunch of wild spectacle and (somehow) infuses it with a lot of wit, humanity, warmth, and intelligence.

Truth be told, I could devote extra paragraphs to the flick’s excellent musical score, its quick yet unrushed pace, its special effects and action bits … but really, you already know by now if you’re going to see Iron Man. I’ll just simply say that I think it’s easily one of the most entertaining superhero movies ever constructed, and that it kicks off the 2008 summer movie season in very classy and crowd-pleasing style. Everyone on board deserves a pat on the back for their work on this flick, but it’s especially cool for both Downey and Favreau. This inevitable blockbuster represents a big leap forward for both filmmakers, and I’m thrilled to see them cook up something so damn cool together.

Bring on the sequel please. I’m waiting for it..

While it still isn’t clear exactly what will change with the recent Disney-ification of Marvel Entertainment, here’s hoping that they keep on with storylines like the one ongoing with Iron Man.  I’ve always been an Iron Man fan.  His was the first comic book I ever bought, way back when I was just fascinated with the idea of a man in armor.  But he’s gone through a lot of changes and adjustments, which kept me away from reading a lot of his books.  I’ve always liked the character, however.

The current storyline, called World’s Most Wanted, sees Tony Stark, one of the world’s (their world, anyway) smartest men, intentionally erasing his mind, gradually, to prevent current overall villain Norman Osborn, or the Green Goblin, from getting his hands on the info Tony so cleverly downloaded into his head.  It’s related directly with Civil War and Secret Invasion, as Tony decides the safest place for the secret identities of nearly every superhero in the world to be his mind.  And since his mind is what Osborn will eventually be going for, Tony’s erasing that to ensure no one gets the information.  It doesn’t help that his technology was infiltrated and rendered useless by the skrulls in their little invasion (which, sadly, was not very well done).  His company’s shut down (again) and he must destroy all his armories while erasing his mind in the process to keep them from Osborn.

It’s a bit… much if you read the synopsis above.  But Matt Fraction is doing a really good job of making it a believable and readable.  You actually root for Tony, who can be a sanctimonius prick, as he downgrades armors to keep up with his deteriorating mind.  FYI, it’s about gone now, so it’ll get interesting in a bit.  Also, the story is oddly poignant, rather than high-tech.  Yes, there’s the action sequences, yes, there are babes (and Tony scores…again), and there are still high-tech suits.  But the central tale of Tony’s mind gradually going is sad and reminds me of  ”Flowers for Algernon”, if Algernon had a much larger ego.

It also has smatterings of the Iron Man movie (the portrayals of the characters inside the suits), and of James Bond of all things.  It keeps me waiting for the next issue, which is always a good sign.  It also bodes well for comics in general when there are writers who can write stories that have genuine legs to stand on.  Hope it continues with Mickey in charge.

From the latest issue. Note the armor.

In any case, the story of Iron Man now is emphasizing the man, not the iron.  And, surprisingly, it’s working for me.

This post originally appeared on For The Love of Comics November 5, 2007

I suck.

I had this reasonably good review of Powers #26 written up. I had a nice breakdown about the story so far, why it was necessary to have a recap because of the months between issues, and all that. I was smart, witty, concise… I was awesome, people.

And then I somehow deleted it. Then I cried. Then I decided I did not have the energy to do it again, so now you just get my argument for why Hulk is totally justified in killing the entire Illuminati. I hope you’ll survive the disappointment.

Iron Man and his cronies decide that, through accidents and collateral damage, The Hulk is responsible for far too many deaths. They then formulate a plan to trick the Hulk into getting into a spacecraft and then sending him, against his will, to another planet.

Transporting a person against their will is known as kidnapping, by the way.

When the Hulk arrives on the – admittedly wrong – planet, he is beaten, enslaved, and forced to engage in fights to the death. Through skill, cunning, and exemplary leadership, the Hulk escapes his slavery and leads an army of former slaves to overthrow a tyrannical dictatorship and unite an entire planet in peace.

At the moment Hulk has finally attained the peace that he has sought his entire existence, the ship that the Illuminati used to abduct him explodes, not only killing his wife and unborn child, not only the residents of the city around him, but killing the ENTIRE PLANET.

Let me repeat that. They didn’t blow up a town the size of… I don’t know, let’s say Stamford, CT. They ANNHILATED AN ENTIRE PLANET!

The Hulk may have been responsible for alot of deaths, but I’m fairly certain he never destroyed an entire planet.

That’s not mass genocide, people. There’s not even a word for the scale of massacre for which Tony Stark is responsible.

Considering what was done to the Hulk because of the deaths he caused, considering the regulations that have been put on the entire superhuman community as a result of Stamford, is it even possible to go “too far” to punish the people that have done this to the Hulk and his people?

I’ve heard the argument that the Illuminati didn’t intend for the Hulk to end up on that planet or for the ship to blow up. The Hulk didn’t intend the deaths he caused. Robbie Baldwin and the New Warriors didn’t intend for the children in Stamford to die.

In fact, let me give you a scenario here. A bank robber is leaving the scene of a crime and hits a woman and her baby, killing both. Is that bank robber responsible for those deaths? I think we’d all agree that he is. So why would the Illuminati be any less responsible for the deaths caused by their kidnapping of the Hulk?

They’re not.

The Hulk may be unreasonable, he may even be a monster, but he admits that.

Tony Stark is an even bigger monster who tries to hide behind “The Public Good.”

Just another Lex Luthor who needs a beat down.