3 out of 5

Hey, remember that straight-to-video crap you loved in the 90s?  They made a comic out of it!  Complete with poor special effects (artist Garry Brown’s limited style) and that one random element that gives it artistic credence (colorist Jim Charalampidis).

The good news is that I’m done exploring Ales Kot’s mainstream work.  Think I’ll just stick to his indies from now on.  Iron Patriot is better than the spastic Secret Avengers ongoing Kot’s writing, as its smaller cast lends itself to better character development and we’re also on a pretty straight path for the arc, but it’s also pretty silly when you step back from it and realize how little our main ‘hero’ – James Rhodes – is involved.  Though to be fair, the book is named after the suit and not the person wearing it, and maybe la dee da commentary.  I’ll allow it.

So Rhodes – as the Patriot – lets America know that he’s their man; he shan’t be workin’ for no foreign powers, excepting emergencies.  A little later, an unnamed villain – former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent – in another techy suit hi-jacks Rhodes’ armor and tells him that they’re going to kill the ex-president or else James’ family is dead.  Why?  ‘Cause politics is bad?  Seriously, this is where that straight-to-vid thing comes from.  The suit hi-jacking, fine, but Rhodey is out of his suit – in which the villain can keep him hostage – at the end of issue 3 (post hi-jacking), then back in it at the beginning of issue 4.  Yes, threat of dead-family, but it’s a funny transition and reeks of either assumptive writing or editing out a scene that couldn’t be fit in.  Similarly, we get a couple of random “look at this” moments – look at this eject button – that are obvious setup for use later on.  Are these tricks never used in good comics or good movies?  No, of course they are.  But when you slide down the scale in perceived ‘quality,’ you’ll find there’s less concern with dressing these tricks up, and that’s how it felt here as well.  Lastly, as mentioned, Rhodey ends up hardly being involved in the resolution things.  Tony Stark even shows up and is like “dang, wish I was here” (except we don’t actually get to “hear” him say it because, again with the cheapie comparison, it’s like they couldn’t afford a speaking role for Tony) and it’s sorta’ a backhanded reminder (moreso than usual with comics) that any given Avenger could’ve stepped in and solved Rhodes’ problem pretty quick.  But I guess the operation was SO CLANDESTINE…

Garry Brown can drawn better than I can.  His art is also incredibly boring.  Look – I find Romita Jr. boring because he always draws the same way.  But his panels are professional; they are dynamic.  Brown adapts Romita’s quick, dashed-line style, but simplifies it even further with an overuse of blacks and then isn’t as skilled as translating motion to the page.  Which is why colorist Charalampidis stuck out so much – for a book of such greys and browns and flat backgrounds, he somehow got a lot of texture and depth in there.  Interestingly, there’s not all that much blending going on with the colors, Jim’s only using a couple of shades, but its the very practical application of these shades that makes the panels work.

All in all, let’s say I was collecting Iron Patriot appearances: I wouldn’t be upset by this run.  It’s entertaining, it moves.  There’s action; the dialogue isn’t stupid; the pacing is alright; it doesn’t do the character any injustice.  But it’s also sorta’ formless – just an action movie shaped to fit a gap in the publishing schedule.