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captwinghead's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
This series is solid.
It's not particularly exciting or uninteresting. It's mostly character work and I'm a sucker for character work.
I really like James Rhodes. I'll admit, outside of his parts in Invincible Iron Man and his short lived solo series Dark Reign: War Machine, I haven't read a lot of him in the comics. The problem with solo War Machine series is that they're not particularly attention grabbing and I think that's why they don't last long. What I mean is, these series aren't bad, they're just not full of action and flashy, smart ass quips. So, they get passed over and that makes me sad.
Let's start with the good:
This series, much like the Dark Reign series has a diverse cast. I don't mean one black guy and a sea of white people. This series is about Rhodey, his brilliant niece Lila, and his father Terrence. Lila's mother (recently) died and Rhodey's become her guardian. I think? His father clearly helps but he seemed to expect more from Rhodey.
Lila is a genius! She makes upgrades and modifications to Rhodey's armor because she's just that smart. Rhodey's father was a boxer (?) and he taught Rhodey alt about sacrifice and protecting your fellow man. He's supportive of his son, even when he disagrees with Rhodey's choices.
The dichotomy between this family and other families with a superhero child is interesting. I always compare Rhodey's upbringing to Tony's so it's easy to see why Rhodey is so open and caring and Tony was more closed off.
Anyway, characters are good. Rhodey is great. He adheres to his own values and tries to bring others up to his level. He's a patriot and he's vowed to put America first for the time being which makes him unpopular with some at the moment. Rhodey is just trying to do the right thing and he's clearly willing to die for it.
The problem with this book is the villain is just there. I don't care about them and aside from wanting them gone because they threatened Rhodey's family, they're forgettable.
The climax of this book is the last fight with Rhodey's father and the Villain (I think their name was actually Villain???). I won't spoil the ending but it stuck with me.
Lila's impact on that fight was awesome! I hoped she'd meet Tony and she does! And they bond! I love that! I wish they'd bring Lila back for more in the future. I feel like she'd totally get along with Riri.
Anyway, I recommend this if you love Rhodey. There's not enough going on for me to rec it if you don't really care about Rhodey.
This series is solid.
It's not particularly exciting or uninteresting. It's mostly character work and I'm a sucker for character work.
I really like James Rhodes. I'll admit, outside of his parts in Invincible Iron Man and his short lived solo series Dark Reign: War Machine, I haven't read a lot of him in the comics. The problem with solo War Machine series is that they're not particularly attention grabbing and I think that's why they don't last long. What I mean is, these series aren't bad, they're just not full of action and flashy, smart ass quips. So, they get passed over and that makes me sad.
Let's start with the good:
This series, much like the Dark Reign series has a diverse cast. I don't mean one black guy and a sea of white people. This series is about Rhodey, his brilliant niece Lila, and his father Terrence. Lila's mother (recently) died and Rhodey's become her guardian. I think? His father clearly helps but he seemed to expect more from Rhodey.
Lila is a genius! She makes upgrades and modifications to Rhodey's armor because she's just that smart. Rhodey's father was a boxer (?) and he taught Rhodey alt about sacrifice and protecting your fellow man. He's supportive of his son, even when he disagrees with Rhodey's choices.
The dichotomy between this family and other families with a superhero child is interesting. I always compare Rhodey's upbringing to Tony's so it's easy to see why Rhodey is so open and caring and Tony was more closed off.
Anyway, characters are good. Rhodey is great. He adheres to his own values and tries to bring others up to his level. He's a patriot and he's vowed to put America first for the time being which makes him unpopular with some at the moment. Rhodey is just trying to do the right thing and he's clearly willing to die for it.
The problem with this book is the villain is just there. I don't care about them and aside from wanting them gone because they threatened Rhodey's family, they're forgettable.
The climax of this book is the last fight with Rhodey's father and the Villain (I think their name was actually Villain???). I won't spoil the ending but it stuck with me.
Lila's impact on that fight was awesome! I hoped she'd meet Tony and she does! And they bond! I love that! I wish they'd bring Lila back for more in the future. I feel like she'd totally get along with Riri.
Anyway, I recommend this if you love Rhodey. There's not enough going on for me to rec it if you don't really care about Rhodey.
harmony's review
3.0
I mostly enjoyed this story and the art is very good. There were some stereotypes that made me uncomfortable (the Black man who channels inner rage to beat a suit of armor into pieces with his bare hands; the Strong Black Men who can't express their feelings), but I loved the resourcefulness of Lila and the way this family unit was there for each other in every way. The way the suit is controlled speaks to a pretty universal fear of having our agency taken away, and it hints at a larger story.
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