Iron Infiniti Series
I was going through my emails when I realized I bought this sometime last year. I didn’t talk about it? Wow! What was I thinking? I really missed out on something. Or did I???
It’s a Shonen style graphic novel with the usual high school protagonist, but the setting’s a bit different than the usual story. Set 4-5 years after a failed alien invasion, C-Jay finds a sentient alien weapons system in his garbage can. Together they team up to fight crime…no, they don’t! As C-Jay learns to live with this snarky alien weapons platform, ostensibly with the goal to get it home, they encounter anti-alien forces and a mysterious man called the Scavenger. The key to the recent mystery that ensnared Elz in the city revolves around Renisha, a local kid who somehow wound up with electrical powers. You’ll have to read it to find out how.
Will you want to read it? The art’s kinda…webtoony, to be honest. The angles and action scenes look better than expected, even with the less polished feel. This is no Miles Morales or Niobe, and it feels more character-driven than art-focused. Honestly, it reads more like an western-style Soul Eater, especially with the jokey relaxed conversations between C. Jay and Elz. I think fans of Soul Eater or Were-Spider might dig into it. I’m certainly happy to read it, and look forward to expected improvements in the next volume.
Iron Infiniti Vol 2
Here's a series I wasn't sure would get a sequel. I felt the art was a little too pedestrian to warrent a sequel. The storyline was a little cliched as you can tell in my review of vol. 1 but I felt there was enough to maintain reader interest. Apparently there was enough, since Mindless Designs made this sequel as well as a few others.
In this volume, the alien-human suit team of CJ and Elz spent time training under Scavenger the eye-patched mentor (not a stereotype, trust me) but isn't at his full potential. Renisha returns as Ms. Makeshift, having gone through training herself in the time-skip. Together they learn about the threat posed by the King of Aces, the gang leader using alien tech to dominate the streets. But another threat appears- literally, she's on the cover. What does she have to do with the King of Aces, or does she portend another alien threat coming for the Earth? Tune in and find out!
Improvements in the art and paneling were obvious. More manga-styled work appeared in this issue (like running with arms out for balance) which I considered appropriate and helpful. But some of the art seemed unpolished.
Overall, a good sequel with a decent storyline and lead-up to an intense finale. Or so it seems? I hope they stick with the series. It's a bit YA in some ways but hey it's comics not Shakespeare. I give Iron Infiniti 2 a 4.0 out of 5 stars. You can pick it up here.