Irons - Volume 1 - The Engineer

by Tristan Roulot

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Irons: The Engineer through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Irons: The Engineer is an interesting read, it’s a lot of things at once. It’s a little bit of a thriller, a little bit of a perspective on human nature, a bit of a study on the world of bridge engineering, and of course it’s one hundred percent a graphic novel.
The graphic novel follows Jack Irons, a tough man who’s been through too much for one single person. Still, he’s made a life for himself out of his past, and is now an engineer with a specialty in understanding how a bridge or building fell apart. It’s quite amazing, actually. Here is one of what is surely many of his adventures.



I don’t think I’ve ever read a story quite like this one told through graphic novel form. I’ll admit that it made the story even more compelling, which I was grateful for. At times this story reminded me of the Mothman Prophecies, but that has more to do with the bridge elements and the tone than anything else that actually occurs within. Still, I liked basing the tone on that, it creeped me out right from the start.
Irons isn’t the easiest character to become fond of, and it’s clear he was written with that intent. Still, I couldn’t help but smile at his behavior from time to time. I did enjoy seeing the way he thought and how he perceived the world – that was fascinating.
Irons task was kind of an involuntary one, from the looks of things. He got stuck looking into a bridge accident that he would have preferred to avoid, probably because it appears he was on leave. Still, despite his lack of willingness it was exciting to see how he went about uncovering the truth of what caused the disaster.
The mystery of the bridge was a good one, and it tied in perfectly with the quick backstory we were given of the infamous Irons. Though it didn’t provide an explanation for the event that changed his life – perhaps that’ll be covered in another volume?
I’m not sure if this plot is intended to be standalone, or if they’re just testing the waters with this character. I could see it becoming something serial – the engineering version of James Bond or something similar. I can actually see a lot of potential with that idea.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks