The Invincible Iron Man #522 – Review

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

The Story:  Mandarin sends out the goons to collect Tony’s parts; Tony performs surgery on Stane; Iron Man vs. Detroit Steel Corps vs. Iron Man rogues in a triple threat mech battle.

The Review:  In dealing with this new status quo he’s set up for his cast, Matt Fraction puts a lot on our plates here and, hence, a lot to love.

A fair chunk of the issue is spent in a wild mech battle between Rhodey, Hammer, and Mandarin’s goons.  Larroca’s mechs look great, as always, and the action is solid.  What makes the scene really shine, however, is the continuing dynamic between Pepper and the disguised Rhodey.  It’s a lot of fun and the dialogue is a nice little wink-and-nudge game with the reader.  The battle itself was also interesting in that, unbeknownst to them, Rhodey and Pepper are in many ways working against Tony in preventing the goons from getting the materials he needs to complete the titanomech.  It’s nice, subtle layer to Tony’s working for the bad guys.

Fraction also puts his own twist on Mandarin’s origins this month, delving a bit into the nature of the rings.  It ends up being a pretty cool idea; it’s definitely too early to judge, but thus far, I like the suddenly cosmic, weird twist to a series that has largely been based on comics science.  It adds an entirely different element to a series that has been about repulsors and machinery and the result is a power, and a character, that feels even more ominous and alien.  Great ideas meet big, lingering questions.

Overall, however, I’ll admit that this issue does fall prey to “second issue” syndrome.  It’s clearly a transitional issue and, honestly, there isn’t a huge amount of plot progression.  By itself, as a standalone, it’s not the densest or most meaningful issue.  While it’s always fun hanging out with Fraction’s cast, and while it is a page-turner, the fact is that in itself, this issue doesn’t seem the most eventful.

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.

Invincible Iron Man #511 – Review

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

The Story: Tony Stark comes clean to his employees before finding himself in a fight for his life against the Living Laser.

The Review:  After the underwhelming Fear Itself, it seems that Matt Fraction is fast replacing Bendis as the new whipping boy for vocal internet comics fans.  What said readers seem to gloss over is that Invincible Iron Man is still a really strong comic and that Fraction has an incredible grasp of Tony Stark’s voice and personality.

While it has been a rather slow year for the book, what we get this month is a bit of everything that makes this series great.  For starters, the character work is superb.  As always, Fraction’s knack for Tony’s gift of understatement and wit really animates what otherwise could’ve been an extended scene of talking heads.

More impressive, however, is Fraction’s writing of the tense relationship between Potts and Cabe.  It’s quite nuanced and has a good amount of emotion and subtlety.  However, what will definitely grab the attention this month is the absolute BOMBSHELL that Cabe drops on Pepper.  It’s a big reveal that makes for a gripping conversation between the two and serves as a foundation for a very interesting dynamic between the two characters.  It also serves to humble Pepper a bit, while also showing her to not be quite so squeaky-clean herself.  It’s really great stuff.

One of the main areas of criticism that Fraction has had this year with respect to this series has been the relatively slower pace as far as narrative progression.  Not so this month, as a lot of stuff happened, certainly enough to make you feel you got your money’s worth.  Along with that big reveal and the character-work, there’s also a healthy amount of Iron Man action scenes.  Frankly, I love seeing Fraction use some older villains.  This month, we get the Living Laser and Spymaster to go along with Mandarin.

Invincible Iron Man #507 – Review

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

The Story: Tony discovers unexpected problems while Pepper finds herself faced by both Sasha Hammer’s Hammer Corps and the Worthy-fied Grey Gargoyle.

What’s Good:  Pepper Potts to the rescue!  Really, were it not for her, this would’ve been a pretty drab issue.  But instead, we get lots of Pepper Potts in her Rescue suit playing the superhero, which is always fun.

While seeing her rumble with the Grey Gargoyle and the Hammer Corps would be fun either way, Sasha Hammer’s presence makes it all the juicier.  Matt Fraction does well in drawing upon the history these two have from way back in the very first arc of Invincible Iron Man, reminding us of the fact that Sasha is a big reason why Pepper has a repulsor in her chest to begin with.  Naturally, the two have bad blood with one another and seeing them clash like this is a lot of fun.  Better still is that Fraction looks like he’s going to force the two to team up out of necessity.  It’s an awesome dynamic and it’s always great to see writers make good use of previous material.

On Tony’s end, the strongest element is the lingering spectre of his alcoholism, as he quietly falls deeper down the well.  The last page is haunting stuff that promises dark things to come, as the booze begins to take effect on Tony’s intellect.  Suffice it to say, it appears that we’re moving past the humorous part of drunken Tony.

But really, Pepper is the star of the show here, and if you’re a fan of her (as I imagine everyone reading Fraction’s Invincible Iron Man is), you get some really good stuff here.  Her fight scenes are great and I love how Fraction is turning Sasha into her own personal nemesis.

Oh, and hey, Rescue fighting the Hammer Corps also means that Salvador Larroca gets to do a lot of what he’s best at: drawing robots/machines blowing shit up and beating the piss out of each other.

Invincible Iron Man #506 – Review

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

The Story: Tony makes a deal with Odin that finds him playing Snow White.

What’s Good:  While I was fairly positive of it in my review in Fear Itself, I’ve become somewhat divided on Tony sacrificing his sobriety to Odin.  On the one hand, it seems sort of cheesy.  It also seems unbelievable that after one night off the wagon, Tony’ll be back to his hard-drinking ways.  That said, while I have mixed feelings about this stunt in general, I can’t argue with Matt Fraction’s subsequent portrayal of Tony this month and the accompanying, drunken dialogue.

On the one hand, there’s no denying that drunken Tony is pretty funny to watch.  Sure, there’s a constant lingering sense that we shouldn’t be laughing, but it’s hard not to smile at Tony’s drunken buffoonery and certainly, Fraction writes a nice, happy drunk.  However, it’s not that simple.  Later in the issue, we see suggestions of the nastier side of drunken Tony and all the good-humoured guffaws end up taking a more ominous tone.  It’s nothing overly heavy, but that little hint of darkness is a nice touch.  Fraction is riding a line here and doing it well.  He’s not allowing drunk Tony to become a comedy act, nor is he yelling outright that the sky is falling.

It’s also a good month for Pepper Potts, as she suits up to do her part.  Of course, once again, Fraction has Pepper questioning just what that part is and whether or not she really is a superhero, or whether she even wants to be one.  I’ve always enjoyed this part of Pepper in Fraction’s comic, as she really does occupy a kind of liminal position.  She has a super-powered Stark-powered suit, but she’s a far cry from being an Avenger or anything like that.  Yet certainly, she is capable of heroism.  It’s always great to watch, and that’s no different here.  Her vulnerability and self-doubt are well-balanced with her sense of responsibility.

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.

Rescue #1 – Review

By: Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer), Andrea Mutti (art), Jose Villarrubia (art) & Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Pepper Potts gets to play around in her Rescue armor and has a nice, long chat with her dead husband.

What’s Good: This is a nice little story that hits on a lot of the high-notes of what makes Pepper Potts an important character in world of Iron Man.  If I had to think of two words to describe Pepper, it would be “helper” and “competent”.  That really comes across in this issue as we see her flashing back to saving a bunch of folks from a burning building in her newer Rescue armor.

Of course, Pepper also has a lot of self-doubt and kind of idolizes Tony Stark, so she is beating herself up over not being able to finish the rescue job (which Tony would have pulled off) and this doubt manifests itself by seeing her dead husband: Happy Hogan.  This whole sequence is really nicely written.

Invincible Iron Man #21 – Review

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

The Story: The surgery to restore Tony Stark takes place.

What’s Good: The strange desert scenes within Tony’s mind were my high point in this month’s issue.  Last issue, I found these scenes a little too weird and obscure, but this month the meaning and moral lesson are said overtly and are more resonant as a result.  Despite this, the feeling of strangeness and repetition are maintained.  Essentially, Fraction walks the line between weird and meaningful quite a bit better this month, despite these scenes actually having fewer pages.

Much of this issue reads like a “step by step” instructional on how to revive Tony, and it really is fairly cool in this regard.  It’s almost a narrated montage, as we see various heroes following Stark’s recorded manual.  You really get the feel of our assembled party putting Stark back together piece by piece, moving forward one careful step at a time.   It helps that Fraction has always been great when it comes to writing Stark and his voice remains strong and, at times, humorous and the operation is just the right mixture of medical science and ridiculous superheroics.

Beyond that, Pepper’s strange dissent last issue on reviving Tony is fleshed out a little this month.  While her reasoning still seems a bit stretched, the fact she herself recognizes this does help.  While some might say that Pepper’s explaining this through writing a letter, presented on page, is a bit clichéd, Fraction manages to make it work through including Pepper’s bevy of crossouts in the narrative captions, which helps to show Pepper’s state of mind through an authorial tool that is usually guilty of purely telling.

Larroca generally puts in a much stronger performance than he did last month.  The faces are much more acceptable, the desert scenes remain gorgeous, and there’s one particular Thor spread that is simply awesome.

Invincible Iron Man #19 – Review

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

The Story: World’s Most Wanted comes to an end as Hill, Pepper, and Black Widow try to escape HAMMER and Stark tries to survive the Iron Patriot.

What’s Good: The best thing I can say about this book is that it feels like the giant finale of a 12-part arc.  As far as scope, scale, action, and closure, there’s nothing underwhelming.  This issue truly does feel like a high-budget, high-stakes blockbuster summer movie.  Everything reads and looks very cinematic.

The fight between Osborn and Stark feels highly personal despite the  two metal suits scrapping.  Stark’s last words are fantastic, the definition of bittersweet.  It’s tragic, but impossible not to smile at in a way only Tony Stark could make you smile.  Similarly, the image of the Iron Patriot after the battle with Stark is truly one of the most memorable panels you’ll find in any Marvel comic this year.

Norman Osborn, as the cover suggests, is the real centerpiece of this issue and Fraction writes what is perhaps the definitive Dark Reign Norman.  Arrogant and professional with that cackling villain always seeping through, Norman continually straddles the line between asshole and lunatic.  With all his evil and menace, he eats up every page he appears on and he was an absolute joy to read.

As far as Larroca’s art goes, that cinematic flare wouldn’t be possible without him.  All of those memorable images stand alongside continually impressive displays of destruction, technology, and flight.  Rescue in particularly is rendered gorgeously.  If there were such a thing as a high-def comic, this would be it.

Finally, I should mention that the cliffhanger ending is made of pure, hair-raising awesome.  If gut reactions are anything to go by, Marvel’s going to have a good 2010.

What’s Not So Good: Larroca’s art epitomizes both his strengths and weaknesses.  While his depictions of machines and the Iron Men look absolutely stunning, his faces often leave something to be desired, particularly when it comes to our three female stars, whose facial structures and features seem to change throughout the issue.  In particular, Larroca seems to really struggle to separate Widow and Pepper and the result is some truly bizarre work on Ms. Potts.

Also, while the resolution of Stark and Osborn’s battle made sense and felt good, I can’t help but see it as being nearly identical to how Fraction resolved the recent Utopia crossover.  The unfortunate thing is that it was actually done here far better than it was in Utopia, but Utopia came out first.  That being said, this doesn’t change the fact that Rescue/JARVIS felt a little bit too convenient as a plot device.

Similarly, Maria Hill’s final escape tactic was also bit easy and familiar.  She essentially gets out by doing what Nick Fury has been doing since the beginning of Dark Reign.  The result, which should feel like impactful characterization, borders on being a little contrived.  It’s also not entirely believable that HAMMER soldiers would have her back, given how they treated her when she was fired at the beginning of World’s Most Wanted.

Conclusion: Overall, it’s satisfying. That said, it’s the Michael Bay movie of comic books: epic, explosive, pretty, with some awesome moments, but not without narrative corner-cutting.

Grade: B

-Alex Evans

Invincible Iron Man #16 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Salvador Larocca (Artist), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Anyone tired of the “World’s Most Wanted” arc yet? I know I’m not.  It’s refreshing to see a Marvel comic that’s breaking the common “six-issue” rule.

The Story: Madame Masque talks to her “lover” Tony Stark as a captive Pepper Potts awaits her torture. Meanwhile, Black Widow deals with Mariah Hill’s breakdown.

What’s Good: You know what? I really don’t have a whole lot to say about Invincible Iron Man #16. Now normally, that would be a bad thing or a sign that the issue is very “meh.” In this case though, it’s actually a rather good thing because it means that chapter nine of “World’s Most Wanted” maintains (in some ways surpasses) a sort of status quo that the series seems to be comfortable with. The current plot hums along at a pace that feels just right for the character-driven story being told. Matt Fraction’s dialogue and character work is as revealing as ever (I love the exchanges between Tony and Madame Masque). And best of all, Salvador Larocca’s character work looks the best it’s ever looked (it’s about time that Tony Stark looks like the same person in every panel).

What’s Not So Good: My only real complaint about the latest issue of Invincible Iron Man is that the bits with Black Widow and Mariah Hill left me a bit cold. While Hill’s breakdown is understandable and well-written, it seems to come out of nowhere. Hill goes from being a person desperate to get the job done to someone who just completely falls apart in a very short amount of time. Now I understand spontaneous breakdowns are part of human nature, but it seems a little bit out of character considering how hardened and well-trained Mariah Hill is. There is one major saving grace to the whole thing though: Black Widow’s reaction to Hill is a bit similar to mine….

Conclusion: If you like what Matt Fraction is doing, then you are going to find quite a bit to like about Invincible Iron Man #16. If you’re against the whole “World’s Most Wanted” thing, then I suggest sitting out until Fraction’s through telling his entire story.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny