Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Iron Man #1 promised a bold new era — instead it delivered a bland, MCU-style reboot that misses what made Tony Stark great.
Marvel Comics brought in Josh Williamson and Carmen Carnero to relaunch Iron Man with big expectations coming off Williamson’s strong work on G.I. Joe, Flash, and Superman. This was supposed to be a fresh start for Tony Stark — a real status-quo shift for one of Marvel’s most important characters. Instead, what we got feels ripped straight from the movies, not the comics.
In this review, Wes breaks down why Iron Man #1 falls flat: Tony Stark written like Robert Downey Jr. instead of the classic Howard Hughes-style inventor, awkward story logic involving Madame Mask and AIM, forced MCU synergy with Melinda May, ignored continuity with Pepper Potts, questionable art choices, and a baffling new Illuminati reveal that makes little sense. There are ideas here — but they’re buried under bland execution, safe storytelling, and a version of Iron Man that doesn’t reflect the character longtime readers actually care about.
This isn’t a total disaster — but it’s also not a book that inspires confidence in Marvel’s direction. If Marvel needed this relaunch to hit, Iron Man #1 simply doesn’t get the job done.
🎧 Want the FULL, unedited conversation?
Listen to the entire Dok Unfiltered Podcast right now on Thinking Critical Patreon and Channel Memberships, where Wes and Dok go deeper on Iron Man #1 and Marvel’s future.
Back Thinking Critical on Channel Memberships
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Support Thinking Critical on Patreon for Exclusive Content
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Covered in this Video
* Iron Man #1 review by Josh Williamson and Carmen Carnero
* MCU-style Tony Stark vs classic comic Iron Man
* Madame Mask and AIM plot breakdown
* Pepper Potts continuity issues
* Melinda May and forced MCU synergy
* Carmen Carnero’s art and tech design
* The new Illuminati reveal
* Why this relaunch feels bland instead of bold
* Final score and whether Iron Man #1 is worth reading
Follow the Channel
📱 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thinking_critical
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thinkingcrit
📘 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1368359010382132
💬 Discord: discord.gg/uHM3Z68
🎮 Twitch: twitch.tv/thinking_critical_yt
Contact Wes
🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/Wes_from_TC
📧 Email: wesdigscomic@gmail.com
🔊 Automatic Dubbing Disclaimer
This video includes YouTube’s automatic dubbing feature for non-English speakers. Translations may contain minor errors and do not always reflect tone or expression. You can switch back to the original English track in the settings if needed.
Iron Man #1 promised a bold new era — instead it delivered a bland, MCU-style reboot that misses what made Tony Stark great.
Marvel Comics brought in Josh Williamson and Carmen Carnero to relaunch Iron Man with big expectations coming off Williamson’s strong work on G.I. Joe, Flash, and Superman. This was supposed to be a fresh start for Tony Stark — a real status-quo shift for one of Marvel’s most important characters. Instead, what we got feels ripped straight from the movies, not the comics.
In this review, Wes breaks down why Iron Man #1 falls flat: Tony Stark written like Robert Downey Jr. instead of the classic Howard Hughes-style inventor, awkward story logic involving Madame Mask and AIM, forced MCU synergy with Melinda May, ignored continuity with Pepper Potts, questionable art choices, and a baffling new Illuminati reveal that makes little sense. There are ideas here — but they’re buried under bland execution, safe storytelling, and a version of Iron Man that doesn’t reflect the character longtime readers actually care about.
This isn’t a total disaster — but it’s also not a book that inspires confidence in Marvel’s direction. If Marvel needed this relaunch to hit, Iron Man #1 simply doesn’t get the job done.
🎧 Want the FULL, unedited conversation?
Listen to the entire Dok Unfiltered Podcast right now on Thinking Critical Patreon and Channel Memberships, where Wes and Dok go deeper on Iron Man #1 and Marvel’s future.
Back Thinking Critical on Channel Memberships
🔗 youtube.com/@Wes_From_TC/join
Support Thinking Critical on Patreon for Exclusive Content
🔗 patreon.com/thinkingcritical
🛒 Official Thinking Critical Merch
🔗 redbubble.com/people/T-Critical/shop?asc=u
Covered in this Video
* Iron Man #1 review by Josh Williamson and Carmen Carnero
* MCU-style Tony Stark vs classic comic Iron Man
* Madame Mask and AIM plot breakdown
* Pepper Potts continuity issues
* Melinda May and forced MCU synergy
* Carmen Carnero’s art and tech design
* The new Illuminati reveal
* Why this relaunch feels bland instead of bold
* Final score and whether Iron Man #1 is worth reading
Follow the Channel
📱 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thinking_critical
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thinkingcrit
📘 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1368359010382132
💬 Discord: discord.gg/uHM3Z68
🎮 Twitch: twitch.tv/thinking_critical_yt
Contact Wes
🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/Wes_from_TC
📧 Email: wesdigscomic@gmail.com
🔊 Automatic Dubbing Disclaimer
This video includes YouTube’s automatic dubbing feature for non-English speakers. Translations may contain minor errors and do not always reflect tone or expression. You can switch back to the original English track in the settings if needed.
