The New War Machine Title

We're three issues into the new War Machine title and it can be summer up with one word: bad. It's not the theme or art of the book that makes it bad, it's the character. Or, I should say, what's left of the character.

Rhodeynator as I have come to call him, is just bad. He seems driven for violence, and while Rhodey was always more aggressive than Tony, he seems to want to live up to his name o "War Machine." It's not a "I'm bitter cause I'm half robot"kind of thing, he's kind of driven like he was in the first arc of his original title, only Kaminski made it work a lot more. Plus it really seems like a rehash: Rhodey works for an organization trying to correct the wrongs of the world no one else can, and does so by donning the armor. Been there, done that.

They're taking the Rhodeynator concept way too far. He's able to merge himself with other machines, case in point end of issue two where after having his legs blown off (we'll get to that point in a second) he plops himself down on a tank with it's turret ripped off and uses it as his lower body. You know, this wouldnt be bad if it were say Deathlock, but War Machine? No. The cybernetics to Rhodey are what extremis was to Tony: ill suited for the character.

Now that blowing the legs off thing I mentioned. I hould also mention his arms got blown off too. Yes, that's right, it is easy to blow off his limbs. I find it funny that we saw in execute program as Tony's armor took tank rounds point blank without getting denting, yet Rhodey's losing limbs from small arms fire. Yes, troop weapons can blow his limbs off. So not only do the bullets go through the armor, but also his cybernetic parts too. What did they make them out of, cardboard? It's pretty aggravating to see the heroes limbs keep popping off.

In the first issue we find out how Rhodey was injured: combat. Not as War Machine, not on any spectacular mission or duking it out with a super villain, he just got shot up on a regular mission. Well, I think. The writers saw fit to not make it particularly clear what exactly he was doing. You see other dead troops and him torn to bits. SO the reason he's a cyborg isnt even a good one. On the bright side though the first issue also revealed that they've been making a new body for Rhodey, and I'm not talking mechanical. It seems to be a clone or some other organic body grown in a chamber. Unfortunately with Osborn taking over he was able to get his hands on it, which is bad cause aparently Rhodey is dying even with his cybernetics. So that will probably be the next arc, him trying to get his new body back. Of course, I must stress, that's if there IS a next arc cause right now this book isnt even holding the attention of long time Iron Man and War Machine fans.

The armor was conspicuously changed to the movie armor in it's design. There was never any reason given, I'm to assume his model based on Tony's extremis armor was made useless by the Skrull virus so he had to get another. Of course, it never says that anywhere. And it's not just stylic differences of the artists. It is a black and silver version of the movie and definitely not the extremis-based armor. I'd say I want to know why but honestly I dont particularly care.

Right now the only real positive of the book is the return of Bethany Cabe. Missing since I believe the Crossing, she makes her return still as the tough-as-nails friend who knows how to get things done.

If you havent picked this title up, I honestly wouldnt suggest it unless you like seeing Rhodey buchered in more ways than one. Its not that entertaining and seeing Rhodey as a cyborg just doesnt sit well. I dont see this series lasting past twelve issues, and I think that's even stretching it.