The Invincible Iron Man #521 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (writer), Salvador Larroca (art), Frank D’Armata (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story:  Tony Stark is imprisoned as slave labour for the Mandarin; Rhodey continues his adventures as the mysterious new Iron Man; Resilient delivers a wicked Power Point presentation.

The Review:  First thing to get off my chest:  how does Salvador Larroca do it?  Seriously, the man has drawn every single issue of Fraction’s run on the book.  Now, with Marvel’s, in my opinion lamentable, double-shipping policy that has seen Invincible Iron Man basically become a bi-weekly title, Larroca somehow STILL manages to draw every single issue without any form of assistance or relief.  Not only that, but his work remains ridiculously consistent regardless.  I’m starting to wonder if “Salvador Larroca” is actually a pseudonym for an entire art studio.  For one man to pump out art of this quality and consistency with such speed is utter insanity.  Larroca must have decided, with the advent of double-shipping, to give up sleep in favour of 16 hour work days.

The Invincible Iron Man #518 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Salvador Larroca (artist), Frank D’Armata (colorist), and Joe Caramagna (letterer)

The Story: Rhodey takes the new suit out on a villain-bashing test-drive; Cabe defends Stark Resilient from the homicidal Spymaster.

The Review:  This is basically a continuation of a lot of the more thrilling elements of last month’s issue.  Case in point is Spymaster’s rampage in the Stark Resilient offices.  It was fun last issue and it’s just as fun this issue.  Fraction and Larroca make this plot an edge of your seat read, action-packed but with a tinge of horror, as Cabe and an injured Wyche are prey to Spymaster’s predator.  There’s something chilling watching Spymaster’s acrobatics and seeing him stalk the offices implacably, undeterred by security measures or lockdown.  The red hazard lights also make for a really intense, nail-biting environment.  Fraction also imbues Cabe with a lot of charisma, as usual, making her an easy character to root for.  The ending of this plot, and the ultimate fate of Spymaster, was also pure perfection; a definitive conclusion, but also great surprise that’ll get a laugh and have you cheer for these innately likable characters.

There are some shorter scenes that standout as well.  The manner in which Fraction and Larroca depict the fight between Detroit Steel and Sasha Hammer was brilliant, alternating panels between the fight itself (at night) and the aftermath (the broken apartment in the daylight).  It created almost a police procedural, detective feel that also served to make the whole thing a bit haunting and unsettling, which is great given how creepy “Detroit Steel” already is.  The other short scene that stands out is the end, which sees Mandarin facing down a possible insurrection.  There’s not much to it yet, but it leads to yet another GREAT cliffhanger for Invincible Iron Man.  It also suggests yet another turn in Ezekial Stane’s gradual shift from dastardly villain to almost anti-hero.

The one downside to this issue is that a lot of time is spent with Rhody and his new suit.  Don’t get me wrong, Larroca draws great tech and machinery and action scenes involving new suits and new technology are a hallmark of this series.  There’s nothing terribly wrong with any of these scenes, it’s just that it’s far less interesting than all of the other stuff that this issue offers.  When the book cuts to Rhodey, it’s almost irritating; I found myself looking forward to getting through the latest action scene just so I could get back to Bethany Cabe and Stark Resilient.  In other words, it’s not that this extended action scene with Rhodey is BAD, it’s just not as good as the rest of the issue.  I think part of the problem is that we’re not at all invested in the villain and, with his new suit, we know he doesn’t stand a chance against Rhodes.

The Invincible Iron Man #516 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (writer), Salvador Larroca (art), Frank D’Armata (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story:  Hammer makes being Iron Man impossible; Stane finds himself trapped with his back against the wall; the mole within Stark Resilient is revealed.

The Review:  The sudden resurgence of Matt Fraction’s Invincible Iron Man after Fear Itself has been one of the best things to happen at Marvel.  With the book quietly having returned to its position among the very best books Marvel is currently putting out, I’m glad to see that Fraction’s run will be (likely) ending just as strong as it started.

Once again, when in trouble, we see Tony continue to isolate himself, pushing others away.  In other words, Fraction again manages to make Tony act like a dick while simultaneously having us support him and sympathize.  Much like last month, Fraction again makes Stark look truly helpless when Hammer cuts the cord on the Iron Man; his superheroics are cut short with the glory stolen from him (and he himself powerless to do anything about it), while Cap makes him look like a chump.  Fraction manages to give us a Tony Stark that is vulnerable, losing control of his ability to be a superhero.

Iron Man 2.0 #3 – Review

by Nick Spencer (writer), Barry Kitson & Carmine Di Giandomenico (art), Kano (art & colors), Matthew Wilson & Frank Martin (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: As the mystery deepens, Rhodey gets a very special present from Tony Stark.

The Review:  After a fantastic first issue, it seems that Iron Man 2.0 continues to struggle to find its feet.

I think a major reason for this is a sense that the series is treading water.  Plot progression is certainly on the slower side, with few questions answered regarding Palmer Addley.  Yet, while things are moving slowly, I don’t think it’s fair to say that nothing’s happens this month.  Rhodey gets a cool new suit that emphasizes a change in War Machine’s modus operandi and there’s a development in just who Palmer Addley was.  That said, this latter development is pretty small and not all that surprising.  Hence, the story seems to be spinning its wheels a bit, with still no clearly defined enemy or conflict.  What makes this more frustrating is that Nick Spencer’s writing is really quite solid, it’s just the pacing that’s off.

Also off is the artwork.  While it’s worked surprisingly well over the first two issues, the division of duties between three artists is really starting to tell, with their styles feeling increasingly disparate.  Not helping is the fact that all three also have different colorists.  Kitson’s art remains strong, but some of the other work here is too muddy and, at times, kind of ugly.   There are a few particularly gruesome character close-ups.  Suffice it to say, the sooner Kitson can pull off a full issue, the better.

Iron Man 2.0 #1 – Review

by Nick Spencer (writer), Barry Kitson & Carmine di Giandomenico (art), Kano (art & colors), Matt Wilson (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: James Rhodes takes on a new assignment, one that challenges the limits of War Machine, as he is faced with a man who no longer exists.

The Review: It’s a rare thing, but I truly love it when I’m able to come into a book with high expectations and have those expectations be completely fulfilled.  Iron Man 2.0 is exactly what it says it is: a high-tech Iron Man-franchise title by Nick Spencer.  It has the witty dialogue that got the writer props in Forgetless and Morning Glories along with the trippy concepts a la Existence 2.0/3.0.  But let’s back up a bit and go into a bit more detail about what exactly Spencer gets right.

The issue opens with a team-up action scene between War Machine and Iron Man and an old school villain, Blizzard.  The dialogue shows Spencer’s depth perfectly.  The banter and conversation between Rhodey and Tony is comfortable and pretty damned funny overall.  The sense of camaraderie is well done.  This is balanced against Blizzard, who spouts the same ominous, surreal line in repetition (perhaps hinting at Fear Itself?  I’m not sure).  It’s a weird dynamic, but one that’s a lot of fun to read.  It’s also worth mentioning that Spencer writes a really fun Tony Stark.

Similarly strong is Spencer’s fleshing out of Rhodey’s direct superior, General Babbage, who we’ve been seeing lately in Invincible Iron Man.  Spencer quickly creates an enjoyable, blistering dynamic where the two men prod one another constantly, one overtly and the other covertly.  It’s really fun and I’m happy in that it looks to be a continuing dynamic throughout the series.

But that’s not even touching about the story itself.  Put simply, the story-arc/conflict that Spencer introduces is trippy, demented, and perfect for a high-tech series.  It’s hard to discuss without spoilers, but essentially, Rhodey is charged with tracking down a super genius that is dispersing his super projects to terrorist groups.  Except that he’s apparently doing it from beyond the grave, having committed suicide.  That alone is a great plot-line, one that hints at possible cyber-crime and high-tech hijinks that challenge the limits of Rhodey’s straightforward approach in that it’s not a threat he can fight.

Invincible Iron Man #33 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Salvador Larroca (art), Frank D’Armata (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Tony takes the Resilient on a test drive as he tries to escape Detroit Steel and his horde of drones.

What’s Good: I realize that a lot of people have complained regarding the pace of this arc.  While I can’t say that they’ll be entirely relieved by this issue, this was an exciting installment and one that had a big, big development in the story that was a real shocker.  It’s a major development that adds a whole new depth to this arc as a whole.  Not only is a big jump in terms of story progression, but it also may give unsatisfied readers the scope that they want.  Basically, we see the interesting return of one old Iron Man villain and the absolutely shocking return of another.  It’s good stuff that has me excited.

Oh, and there’s a big, Iron Man-powered car chase that’s a heck of a lot of fun.  There’s not much more to it than that.  Watching Tony drive his car with Detroit Steel and co. in tow is a blast to read and full of cinematic flair.  All of this is buoyed by Matt Fraction’s confidence; his comfort and consequent ease with Tony makes the book flow all the better and make everything feel natural.

Beyond that, the issue, and the back-up story in particular, once again highlight Fraction’s obsession with near-future/present-day technology.  From the Detroit Steel cell-phone app to the smartphone based back-up, the issue feels incredibly modern, sleek, and relevant.  It’s a comic that could only come in 2010.

On art, this is an action-based comic featuring tons of machines, robots, cars, etc blowing the crap out of Seattle.  In other words, it’s Salvador Larroca in his element and doing what he does best.  The end result is a very pretty looking issue.