Iron Muslim #1
Reviewed by David O' Leary
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Story by: Rich Johnston
Art by: Bryan Turner
Colours by: Space Goat Productions & Cirque Studios
Letters by: Steve Wands
Cover by: Mark Stafford
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Price: $3.99
Of the series of one shots that Rich Johnston has coming from BOOM! Over the next few weeks that are spoofs of Marvels Avengers main players this one was the issue that I was most intrigued about. The reason being was in the title. I was curious to see how the book would be received considering the one dimensional image that the Muslim faith has received over the last decade. To be perfectly honest this book hardly does much to alleviate any such stereotypes that have become so common.
It's obvious that the book is comedy heavy but Johnston's script suffers as the narrative jumps from one joke to the next with breathtaking ferocity leaving little time for any punch line to settle instead it keeps the reader's eye moving and the book suffers as a result. To the books credit there is one great scene where Stark is meeting his agent Brisket and the joke where Brisket asks if Robert ever met a terrorist actually lands with laugh. But is was the exception as the book races from one scene to the next. To give the book a one line review; Johnston appeared to have too much to say in too short a space.
One question I have to ask of the book and I don't ask it often of a comic book, is it offensive? A previous work of Johnston's from several years ago, another Marvel spoof, Civil Wardrobe, came real close to crossing the boundary line of taste so I was expecting perhaps something similar. As I am not an American, I wasn't expecting myself personally to be turned off by its contents and I don't think that the book is as scathing as it could be but I don't know if will gather many friends with its content.
Spare a thought for artist Bryan Turner who is largely anonymous, his name didn't even make the cover. His art is largely serviceable and even good looking in spots but at times it appears loose. It gives the issue an uneven look to it. The main character Al Stark to be blunt is just ugly, but Turner at times uses the visual of Stark in the armor to good comedic effect. The variant cover take on the Demon in the Bottle cover is probably the best visual in the book.
This issue represents the first of a series of books from BOOM! over the next few weeks that are part of Johnston's Avengers themed spoof books and if this is any indication as to what is to come, then the rest of this series looks to be in trouble.
Story: 2/5
Art: 2/5
Overall: 4/10
Reviewer Bio
Name: David O' Leary
Email: idwfan@yahoo.co.uk
Bio: David has been with CR since June 2008 and started out as a reviewer and has expanded to do a couple of columns for the site also; starting with 28 Words Later with artist Declan Shalvey and later 5 Minutes With... where he talks with the industries best and brightest from Kubert to Moore.
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