This series is true to the source material. But infinitely more important, it is true to the spirit, heart and drive of the source material. This enables it to change, twist, to even every so often go beyond what the great pioneers of comics achieved before it.
It is undoubtedly comic-accurate, in the most important aspect of any story: the characters. Although Tony Stark comes off initially as a full-blown impression of what Robert Downey Jr and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have achieved, he is very much his own character and very much stands on his own two feet. The best example of this is the indomitable season one finale, where even comic readers found ourselves surprised and thrilled and cheering for our heroes in a way that few other shows have achieved.
The animation quality is top-notch and more than enough to rival the legendary DC Comics series (of which I am a big admirer). It is fantastic. It is very very grounded in relatable reality in way that many DC animations are lacking, yet it, dare I say, manages to enhance the iconic work of Jack 'The King' Kirby, with his unforgettable, distinct style and a equally strong colouring. The achievement of the animation here makes the cartoons' subsequent decline, in shows such as Avengers Assemble which was frankly at best a compliment to the MCU for toddlers, all the more painful.
The stories, as I have said, have managed to capture a great deal of the essence of the comics. They remain true to the characters, and rarely rush a narrative. Characters are mostly placed well and serve a clear function in the plot. With the library of storylines at their fingertips, my hat is off to the writers. They have, in my opinion, not only chosen the right plots to adapt, merge and hint at, but they have also paced and directed the flow of the series very successfully. While some pacing issues and jarring gaps were cause of a great deal of pain to me, it was because of how invested I was in the story and the characters that made my pain as severe as it was.
The series finale feels rather soon, with many many awesome introductions and short stories leading up to it. It feels rushed, yet undeniably extremely entertaining. They manage to come up with new solutions to problems that have been solved so many times over in comics.
Ultimately, this series is between fantastic adaptation and great series, but the quality of the story and sub-plots and the characters and the phenomenal animation and character design make the series an extremely enjoying one, and one that I am happy to have invested myself in.
