Marvel Releases New Invincible Iron Man Comics Launch Trailer

 

This coming December, Marvel Comics is relaunching Tony Stark's adventures as an industrialist and armored adventurer, as the brand new volume of Invincible Iron Man launches - with Gerry Duggan on writing duties while Juan Frigeri handles the interior artwork.

In the new relaunched series of Ol' Shellhead, someone is out to kill Tony Stark - and Iron Man's got to find a way to save his civilian identity from being silenced for good.

The Invincible Iron Man #1 launches on December 2022.

Meet the New Invincible Iron Man - Riri Williams

When Marvel relaunches things (again) with Marvel NOW! later this year, Tony Stark will be stepping out of his familiar armored identity as the "Invincible Iron Man" and a new character will be taking his place - an MIT student and 15 year old African American girl named Riri Williams.

Created by "Invincible Iron Man" writer Brian Michael Bendis, Riri is the latest diversity character to step up in the game and be added as the new "hero in the block" to assume the identity of a prominent superhero. Bendis also created Miles Morales - the other Spider-Man who came from the Ultimate Universe, and currently Sam Wilson serves as "Captain America" alongside Steve Rogers. There's plenty of stories to tell in the Marvel Universe, and the House of Ideas is taking the big step forward. For more on the story - read TIME's scoop on their website.

Catch Riri Williams as Iron Man when she debuts this fall 2016.

Marvel: Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez take on "Invincible Iron Man" post Secret Wars

Straight from the special edition NYC convention and reported by Newsarama, Marvel has revealed during their "Marvel Next Big Thing" panel that Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez are the minds behind the brand new "Invincible Iron Man" series following the events of Secret Wars.

Known for his stints in the Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers books, and most recently the X-Men titles, this will be Bendis' first foray in handling Ol' Shellhead's solo title, which will lead the pack of the "All-new, All-Different" Marvel relaunch that will happen this fall.

For more on the story, visit the source post at Newsarama.

Marvel and Sony announce Iron Man: Rise of Technovore

Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced that Iron Man will be returning to anime form, in a new animated movie called "Iron Man: Rise of Technovore"! With animation by Madhouse and directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki, the new feature-length film will see Tony Stark and his alter ego take on Ezekiel Stane, son of his old archnemesis Obadiah Stane, aka the Iron Monger. With Ezekiel unleashing terrorist attacks set across the globe and Tony being framed for it, Tony must evade S.H.I.E.L.D personel and do whatever it takes to clear his name and stop Stane and his new bio-technology.

With the story of the film by Brian Auman, "Rise of Technovore" looks to be a loose adaptation of "The Five Nightmares" storyline from the 2008 Invincible Iron Man series penned by Matt Fraction and drawn by Salvador Larocca, where the character of Ezekiel Stane first appeared. The animated film is set for a Spring 2013 release, with other heroes like War Machine, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury, and The Punisher appearing in it as well! Stay tuned for more related announcements during this year's New York Comic-Con, and for more info and details visit the source post at Marvel.com.

NYCC 2010: The Invincible Iron Man becomes 500 this January!

Announced during Marvel's Avengers Assemble panel in the New York Comic Con, former billionaire industrialist and Avenger founding member Iron Man will see his series return to its original numbering this coming January 2011, with the announcement and revelation of covers for The Invincible Iron Man #500! To celebrate such a milestone release, multiple covers will be released alongside the one above drawn by series regular Salvador Larroca, including this impressive spread drawn by Marko Djurdjevic!

Naturally, it wouldn't be Iron Man without a good armor schematic cover, and here's one analyzing the ins and outs of Tony's new "Bleeding Edge" armor!

For more info, as well as the announcement of the new series "Iron Man 2.0" starring James "Rhodey" Rhodes/ War Machine, check out the source post over at Newsarama!

Comic Book Review: The Invincible Iron Man #25

Iron Man 2 hit internationally last week, and news is already circling that the film earned $100.2M in just five days of its release! The Jon Favreau directed sequel doesn't hit the U.S til May 7, but with those numbers on the tally overseas, there's no doubt that the impact is going to be high on the states as well.

That being said, how do things fare for our armored hero in the comic continuity? Pretty good if you ask me. Like Marvel pitched in the solicits, it's the perfect jumping in point for readers who are unfamiliar and have wanted to catch up on Iron Man's adventures. It's a new beginning for Tony Stark, and a new direction that will lead him to new adventures and challenges ahead. Before we get to that, however, I must explain what transpired before.. and what changed Tony Stark's life from better to worse to better once more. This won't be your average summary, but rather a recap of the events that transpired in Tony's life. I haven't reviewed the previous issues of IIM, so this is the next best thing. Take it away and read.

The Invincible Iron Man #25
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Salvador Larroca

Once at the top of the hill as director of S.H.I.E.L.D and The Initiative, Tony Stark was removed disgracefully after failing to anticipate and being compromised by the Skrull's Secret Invasion. After this, he went through a markedly difficult journey in World's Most Wanted that cost him his mind and almost his life. Making the ultimate sacrifice, Tony Stark became a shell of his former self when he expunged the most powerful weapon he ever had, his intellect, in order to prevent Norman Osborn from getting his hands on the superhero registration act database. With Stark's body shutdown, the only way to bring him back to former self was to undergo a very risky and absolutely untested contingency plan that required the help of his closest allies, namely Pepper Potts, Maria Hill, Captain America, Thor, and Dr. Strange.

Chronicled in "Stark: Disassembled", the process required embedding Tony's body with the same Repulsor Tech chest plate that he once gave to Pepper, allowing his body the means to function once more. His mind, however, was a different story, and everything that he once knew was totally erased, leaving him a vegetable. Here enters the mysterious hard drive he tasked Maria Hill to find and deliver to Captain America - which was a literal "back-up copy" Stark made of his own mind. Following the process and using the power of Thor and Captain America's shield as a conduit to resuscitate him, the heroes hoped Stark would revive right away... but his mind was still lost inside of him. Calling on the services of Dr. Strange, the former Sorcerer Supreme ventures into Stark's subconscious, hoping to lead the former brilliant industrialist back to life. Unfortunately, several obstacles block their path; On the real world, femme fatale villain Madame Masque contracts the wraith like saboteur known as "Ghost" to find and kill Tony, and his job is made easier when he finds that the man behind Iron Man is at a helpless state.

Meanwhile inside Stark's head, constructs form within his mind to setup a reality that constantly repeats itself, with machines attacking while he's searching for a mysterious artifact with his parents in tow. Strange is able to locate Tony and help him rediscover himself, successfully bringing the latter back to reality and thwart the Ghost's assassination attempt. Tony Stark is whole once more... but he's not the same man he once was. The reset point of the backup data he stored was just before the Civil War, and Tony Stark has no memory of what transpired during and after those events.

Back to the issue at hand, Tony Stark is a new man with fresh start. He's got a clean slate to work with, and he's decided to start by making a name for himself as a hero and inventor... again. This storyline is called "Resilient" for many reasons, both figuratively and literally. We touched on the fact that he's a new man on a mission, and like the way Robert Downey Jr. portrayed the character on the comics, Tony begins his change by reconciling with friends he betrayed and by being a "resilient figure" against weapons manufacturing. In other words, Stark has abandoned his former company and the former job he took to make weapons, using the opportunity instead to build a new company from the ground up, called "Stark Resilient", and use his ideas to create technology that benefits the people and the world we live in. Consequently, he'll have pressure from the Government for abandoning his "calling", and the legacy of an old adversary lives on with the arrival of a new threat adamant at taking Stark off the face of the earth. Yes, it's pretty much like the Iron Man movie plot itself, only set within the Earth-616 continuity and after the smoke that was the Dark Reign. Writer Matt Fraction's approach to create a Tony Stark that everyone can relate to has been successful. Even with the downtrodden path and sufferings the character had to endure for the past 18 or so issues, he comes out smelling like roses and has a new chance at life he can grasp and take advantage of. However, with a clean slate comes a clean bank account, and Tony has empty pockets to show for it.

With all of his equipment and finances taken away from him, Stark has nothing but his restored intellect to rely on, and that's the only asset he needs to get his groove back on. This issue primarily deals with Tony learning to cope and make the most out of his situation despite the gap in his memory. Despite that, he's still the flamboyant playboy and risk-taking inventor we all know and remember, and he's got a lot of ideas going inside his super brain that's ready to explode and become a reality. Of course, I'm talking about the new Iron Man armor... and this issue marks its long awaited debut after getting teased for months now since appearing as an exclusive image on Marvel.com. The new suit has been referred to by many nicknames, from "disco armor" to the more humorous "EVA plugsuit armor". But now we can officially call it the "Bleeding Edge" armor, and there's a reason why its called that in the first place.

What many people should remember, after all, is that Tony's body was super-enhanced by a fictional virus called "Extremis", and that gave birth to the armor that's arguably the most recognized suit by fans of Iron Man in the 21st century. However, that armor was unceremoniously made obsolete thanks to the Skrulls tampering, and as a result, Tony's Extremis powers went in remission, forcing him to don older versions of his armor, especially due to the fact that his intelligence was diminishing while he was escaping from Osborn's clutches. Now that he's back and given a new lease on life, Tony Stark went on to create a new armor based on an improved Extremis concept, and this issue tackles how he goes about doing so with the help of the Fantastic Four's leader and resident genius, Reed Richards. Tony creates his new "costume", and only goes to display it at the end of the issue. It still comes out as an undersheath suit from the bones in his body, but the twist is that unlike the Extremis, the suit actually "materializes" and forms around Tony, similar to the symbiote suit Spider-Man wore ages ago. It could be a new form of nanotechnology enhanced with Repulsor and Extremis powers, but the end result looks awesome. It may puzzle some to see that the Iron Man armor is back to the circular chest look since it made the transition to the "V" shaped look with the Mark VI in Iron Man 2, but that's hardly something to worry about other than for cosmetic purposes. Bottomline, I'm liking the look of this suit, and I can't wait to see it in action.

With all the hype going on for Iron Man 2, I'm still glad I can look back and read the comic stories even after the movie's time has come and passed. Amazing writing by Matt Fraction has only been one part of the entertaining package I get from this book. The rest comes from the enjoyable artwork delivered by Salvador Larroca, who has stuck with Fraction since this title relaunched back in July 2008! Larroca's art just brings the dynamic storytelling and smooth transitions to life in an A-Class way, and there's no other artist I know who can make a dramatic and epic scene involving Iron Man feel so exciting the first time you see it, like the aforementioned debut of the Bleeding Edge armor in the one page shot it takes off from the helipad.

Capping this review off, the one question everyone will ask: "Is Invincible Iron Man worth reading"? ABSOLUTELY. If you enjoy seeing tech, smarts, action, and witty dialogue altogether, this is the book for you. For longtime Iron Man fans like myself, it's a new direction that's not only meant to bring Tony Stark new fortunes on the other side, but for us readers as well who need a refreshing take on the armored avenger himself. Despite the powers the suit grants him, Tony is as flawed as the rest of humanity, and that's what makes the character endearing to most of us. We sit back and enjoy his adventures, because through the trials, obstacles, and lessons he learns through the course of his career, he has proven time and again that "He is Iron Man", inside and outside of the suit.

Rating - 10/10

Dessert In A Bottle: Food Tasting In Cocktales!

Yesterday happened to be a holiday, and with that free time came a nice, luxurious stroll around one of the malls I so happen to frequent now and then - Megamall. I met up with my buddies Billy and Mark, and together with a new friend named Miko, we went around the shops and arcades to check out new stuff and play some games. Eventually, Billy had to leave us for work, but soon the rest of us joined up with Azrael and the Blogger community over at the Atrium section of the mall to participate in a special food testing/ blogging session of a nice little dessert place called "Cocktales".


Cocktales, from the same people who made the Fruitas chain of fruit drink stops around the metro, is a restaurant that introduces new kinds of dessert selections that people can truly love and dip their hearts into. It's also promoted as an alternate haven for the health and gym conscious crowd, with choices that would really fit into their workout routines and lifestyle.

Aside from serving desserts, the place even has nice cool drinks to serve and food selections that could pass as a meal for the day if you're truly starving. With its first branch located at the 5th floor at the Atrium Level of the SM Megamall, it's surely a place one has to try for certain tastes and delight.

With the bloggers digging in and enjoying the different exquisite selections such as the Mango Bananarama and Mango Cosmo, Mark, Miko, and I had a good time mixing the yummy tastes with some fun discussions about Iron Man 2 and the comic series! Bringing along some of his custom figures for Mark to use in his photoshoot, Miko has crafted some of the best looking IM Custom armors I have seen to date, and among them include representations of the Silver Centurion Armor, Norman Osborn's Iron patriot Armor, and even the unnamed Heroic Age armor, which is still making its debut in "Invincible Iron Man #25" later this month! With Tony Stark's history as an alcoholic on the mind, we played with some photo ideas and took shots of the figs together with the desserts we were having, just to add some "Dessert In The Bottle", hehe!

Overall, that was such an awesome experience, and one I have to thank Cocktales and the Bloggers for inviting me too. It was a Tasty Experience!

Revisting Iron Man: Extremis!

In January 2005, Writer extraordinaire Warren Ellis and a then up and coming art talent named Adi Granov teamed together and reinvented one of Marvel's flagship superheroes for the 21st century.

That hero was none other than Tony Stark, aka the Invincible Iron Man.

In the wake of Avengers Disassembled, the armored avenger's own flagship title was relaunched to coincide with the new beginning and direction the House Of Ideas was aiming for its top titles at the time. Of course, this meant introducing Iron Man to a whole new audience by concurrently reestablishing the character's origin and redefining the hero for the modern age. Thus, the "Extremis" storyline was conceptualized - a six part tale that depicts Tony Stark fighting a foe empowered by a nanotechnology super soldier serum known as Extremis, forcing the tech wonder to dive into the process itself, thereby giving him new powers and an upgraded suit of armor. The story also retcons Tony's past, portraying him as an arms dealer, and updating his origin by establishing his beginnings as Iron Man in Afghanistan instead of Vietnam. "Extremis" was received pretty well by fans and readers alike, and I enjoyed the heck out of it, especially with Warren Ellis' superb writing and Adi Granov's fantastic 3D lifelike artstyle. In fact, elements of the story, as well as Granov's art designs, were incorporated into the Iron Man film franchise, most notably with the first film in 2008.

Now, More than five years after its launch, Extremis is coming back better than ever, and just in time for the new Iron Man 2 movie's debut this May! The six part tale will be rereleased as a Director's Cut series for fans to catch up this April! Not only that, a new edition of the tale will be released digitally, with a Motion Comic adaptation under the Marvel Knights Animation banner, done and produced by the House Of Ideas themselves! As noted in a post in their website, the Iron Man Extremis Motion Comic will debut in April 16, with six episodes slated to be released on a bi-weekly basis until June! It will be available for download at iTunes, Zune, and Xbox, each episode costing $1.99, or for a whole season package price of $9.99! More details at Marvel.com itself, so click and read up! If you're not convinced yet, check out the trailer to this groundbreaking rerelease of a classic below!

Iron Man: Extremis Motion Comic Teaser Trailer!
Excited yet? Iron Man Extremis gets Extreme this summer! Watch out for superior tech!

Iron Man 2 Update: New Images Abound!

Iron Man 2 fever has reignited itself after the debut of that spectacular new trailer yesterday! Courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios, new images have popped out displaying the two lead protagonists of the movie, namely Tony Stark/ Iron Man himself, and his best bud and sidekick James Rhodes, who now wears the armor of War Machine!

Tony Stark powers up with his latest armor, the Mark VI! Go Red and Gold!

Tony's friend and buddy, James Rhodes, arms himself with a variant armor design, becoming War Machine!

Things are just getting hotter by the minute! Iron Man 2 flies out to big screens for a summer release!

It's An Iron Man Summer!

This coming March and April, Marvel is exploding with new material to promote Tony Stark's return to the big screen and to the Marvel Universe as one of the greatest heroes the world has ever known! Check out some of these upcoming titles and collections to salivate over if you want in on all things Iron Man!

Iron Man Extremis Hard Cover
The one that started it all for Iron Man in the new age! Prior to the Civil War, find out how Ol' Shellhead recreated himself for the 21st century, as penned by master writer Warren Ellis and drawn by super slick artist Adi Granov!


Siege #4 Iron Man Variant Cover
A variant cover that ushers in the Heroic Age! The Siege will draw to a close, and the Marvel Universe will change when all is said and done between the heroes, Asgard, and Norman Osborn! Story written by Brian Michael Bendis and pencils/ cover by Olivier Coipel, with the variant cover above by Gabriele Dell'Otto portrays a great shot of Tony Stark donning the armor!

Invincible Iron Man #25 Cover
Called the perfect jumping in point for readers, this double sized issue marks the beginning of a new age and armor for Tony Stark/ Iron Man, and is the start of a new story arc, Resilient, by the award winning team of Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca

Iron Manual Mark 3 #1 Cover
Get all the info and data on Tony Stark, the Iron Man armor, and all of the tech and allies within his universe in this once in a lifetime handbook, with contributed by various writers, illustrations by Mario Gully, and a fantastic cover by Eric Nguyen!

Awesome stuff, noh? And just enough to get the hype up for Iron Man 2 this summer! Check for more Iron Man and Marvel Comic April solicits via Newsarama!

Comic Review: The Invincible Iron Man #22

The Iron Man madness never stops, and I wouldn't have it any other way! First off, a big congratulations to Robert Downey Jr., who won the Golden Globe Award For Best Comedy Performance in his film Sherlock Holmes. Truth be told, I found the film to be a decent and fresh type of adaptation from the mind of director Guy Ritchie, but I think RDJ's performance as Holmes was exceptional, as well as that of Jude Law, who played Sherlock's brother-at-arms, Dr. Watson. Upon receiving the award, Downey gave a speech that's just sums up why he's the man to play Tony Stark. Check it out.



Heh, that's Iron Man for ya! Now that we're done diverging from the topic at hand, let's head on to the comic review!



The Invincible Iron Man #22
Written By: Matt Fraction
Illustrated By: Salvador Larraca

Tony Stark, aka the Invincible Iron Man, is not out of the woods yet. Even with his comrades by his side and utilizing the combined power of Captain America's shield and Thor's hammer, the once brilliant industrialist remains comatose, unresponsive to the "shock treatment" that he himself formulated beforehand. With all options seemingly exhausted, Donald Blake decides to turn to the one man whose expertise could bring Tony back from the brink - the former sorcerer supreme, Dr. Stephen Strange. However, time is running short for Tony and his friends, as the transparent villain known as the Ghost arrives and prepares to strike the crippled hero at his weakest. Journeying inside the mind of a broken man, can Dr. Strange find Stark, and if he does, is Tony willing to come back?

By all counts, Tony Stark is in worse shit than he has been all his life, and I'm liking the pacing as we're continuing this megatonic and fantastic series by writer Matt Fraction and artist Salvador Larraca. Last issue showed that Tony Stark thinks of everything when the situation gets grim, and he even had a back up plan prepared for his friends to enact should he fall into a state of brain death, which he did during the events of World's Most Wanted. Despite all the careful planning and smarts, however, Tony Stark is still a human being - 50% of the recovery relies on outside and medical assistance, while the remaining percentage relies on his determination and sheer willpower to pull through, and that my friends is the question indeed. Two issues ago, Fraction began a parallel segment that details a parallel segment in Stark's mind, in which the guy is seemingly lost and confused in a desert excavation world full of robot monstrosities and avatars of his parents that represent courage and reason. Tony's fragmented state of mind leads one to consider how a man such as he can possibly get out of this and go back to the way he was. On the real world, Mjolnir's lightning has failed to revive him, placing all hopes on Dr. Strange to pay a visit to Tony's head and help him get "back online". Like I said, the pacing is great, and Fraction's right on his A-game with Iron Man here.

The art also plays an important role in conveying emotion, intensity, and action through all pages of the issue. There would be no consistency is Matt Fraction didn't have Salvador Larraca onboard as artist, and he plays well into delivering those awesome segments that show just how much of an asset he is to the Invincible Iron Man series, especially Star Disassembled. When it comes to human figures, he can draw them pretty well, especially the female characters involved. I find no reason to question Laracca's art, and his armor based drawings go so far as to show great outline and detailing from head to toe. I wouldn't mind seeing these two stick around with the book for some time to come, and they work out pretty mean stories to boot.

At this point, if you haven't come around to reading Invincible Iron Man and Stark: Disassembled, do a little backtracking and pick up the first few books to get a full grasp of the situation before breezing through this issue. It's already proving to be a bestselling title among Marvel's numbers, and with the build up coming to Iron Man 2 in theaters and the Heroic Age in comics, I see no other comic to read if you're looking for all things about ol' shellhead. There are two more issues to go before everything wraps up, and how Tony Stark comes out of this we won't know til the end. All I know is he's getting a brand new armor, and the Iron Man legacy will enter a new stage after all this and Siege is said and done.

Score - 10/10

Behold: The New Iron Man Armor...

Marvel.com has revealed the new look of Iron Man, which Billionaire playboy Tony Stark will wear and ride into "Siege". With "Stark: Disassembled" running its course and chronicling Tony's return from the abyss that is his lost mind, this armor design is a fitting "rebirth" of sorts for the brilliant industrialist, and according to writer Matt Fraction, its design is said to be based on an "ergonomic and aerodynamic" standpoint - an Iron Man that is "leaner, sleeker, and tougher" combined. It's an interesting armor design, and one that bares a closer resemblance to the Mark III design used in the Iron Man movies, save for the additional and prominent gold outlines. Set to debut on "Invincible Iron Man #25", Stark's new look symbolizes the return of his prominence as a hero, and together with Captain America and Thor, reunite the world's mightiest heroes as they face Norman Osborn and his lackeys amidst the siege of Asgard.

Comic Review: The Invincible Iron Man #21

With Iron Man 2 getting more publicity and press thanks to the new badass posters rolling off the mill, it's safe to say things are going well for Tony Stark and crew. However, I can't say the same for his comic book counterpart, who's facing a lot more problems than his head can handle... literally. Right now, Stark: Disassembled may be the hottest thing to get all the details on when it comes to all things Iron Man (and beyond), because it will determine the fate of golden avenger, and what comes after that. Matt Fraction has laid down all the cards, and all we readers have to do is hop on and follow.


The Invincible Iron Man #20
Written By: Matt Fraction
Illustrated By: Salvador Larraca

Fractured and lost within the deep recesses of his own mind, Tony Stark is helpless to help himself. As he continues to make sense of his current plight, his body fights and continues to hang on to life by a thread in the real world. Left with a holographic message recorded by Stark prior to his brain deletion, everyone close to Tony ponder on whether or not they are willing to restore the brilliant industrialist to normalcy. Conflicted and frustrated, Pepper Potts is unsure of her role to help her former boss, but the timely arrival of dear old comrades convinces her otherwise. With the procedure a go and under the watchful eye of Dr. Donald Blake, Tony's friends and allies get to work and hope for the best. Unaware to them, or Norman Osborn for that matter, is that Madam Masque wants Stark dead... and she's hired the Ghost to do the dirty work.

Alright, now that the summary has been noted, I have to say - HOT DAMN, this issue rocks!

Given everything Tony Stark has done to himself over the past year, Stark: Disassembled is the next step into putting Iron Man back in the map and creating a new legacy in which he is ensured a fruitful, if not fine, future ahead of the character in the Marvel Universe. Like I said, writer Matt Fraction has laid down all the cards in this story, and in this particular issue, we get to a see all the players and all of the elements put to work into making sure Tony Stark returns in one piece. The question is: will he return in one piece? Despite the pre-recorded message and all the best laid out plans, it's still Tony who's going to do the work from the inside and find a way to come back. That's going to be easier said than done, since we have a vegetable and a body unwilling to cooperate, let alone able to breathe on its own. I like the way Fraction demonstrates how Helpless Tony is at this point, and how his friends all gather to lend him a helping hand despite all the differences and conflicts each and everyone of them had with him in the past. On one hand, you have Pepper Potts, who has had her share of losses and pain that is indirectly Tony's fault, yet she runs to him in his time of need, willing to help him and providing him with the ultimate tool to help him get back on his feet. On another, you have his comrades and friends he's fought with for years, and the appearances of a big "sights for sore eyes" fills this book with more awesomeness than ever before. Lastly, you have the thorns willing to prick and give Tony a run for his life, and God knows what's going to happen in the next few issues. I'm certainly not going to spoil what happens, but one of the variant covers already did give out who's here, and all I can say is that is that it involves a mighty hammer and a mighty shield. 'Nuff said.

Illustrating Stark's darkest hour could have been the most difficult task yet for artist Salvador Larraca, but he pencils the job so well that you can really see the realism and emotion flying through the faces of every character front and center. In terms of detail, Larraca has illustrated the best Invincible Iron Man has to offer, and certainly this is one colorful issue ripe with all the drawings and big cheeses a Marvel fan could love and adore. Being a mainstay presence alongside Fraction since the series started, I wouldn't mind seeing this power duo linger on for as long as they can. They deliver quality and strength - great and aspiring attributes that fit in with the character of Iron Man so well.

As far as star power and appeal goes, Invincible Iron Man has it all, and despite the hype being presented by the upcoming Iron Man sequel, this is one story and book that's an entity of its own that powers up more curiosity and praise from readers. If you want something with enough drama and action, this is the book fopr you. With two issues down and three more to go, let's hope Stark: Disassembled goes well for Tony Stark right down til the end.

Score - 10/10

Comic Review: The Invincible Iron Man #20

The last time I checked on Tony Stark, he has hit bad times. In the days since he became director of S.H.I.EL.D and donned the Extremis armor, I thought Tony had everything under control. Unfortunately, the Skrull Invasion and Norman Osborn exposed chinks in his armor that were readily exploited, and with the bad times rolling high, Tony had little choice but to do the unthinkable to himself and become the anti-thesis of his brilliance - a vegetable. As sad and pathetic as it may sound, this scenario makes the Invincible Iron Man one of the most compelling books of this decade, and as we turn towards a new chapter in the life of the golden avenger, the question remains: will he ever be the same again?



The Invincible Iron Man #20
Written By: Matt Fraction
Illustrated By: Salvador Larraca

Tony Stark, the man who was the Invincible Iron Man, is a shell of his former self. As a result of his own actions to prevent Norman Osborn from acquiring his knowledge, Stark embarked on a personal crusade to abolish all traces of his technology and the Super Human Registration Act files. As a result. Tony "deleted" his own brain, leaving himself in a bed ridden and vegetative state. Leaving a message to his friends and allies via the armor he created for Pepper Potts, Stark's salvation and hope to return to normalcy rests on their hands. Meanwhile, deep in the recesses of his shattered mind, Tony finds himself in a place that seems out of place yet so familiar...

Hot damn, this book is hot, and with good reason too. Of course, it's great to see Iron Man again, but it's not a pleasant sight to see him at this vulnerable a state. Matt Fraction, the man responsible for bringing Tony to the worst condition ever in his life, clearly knows Stark from head to toe, and will tell a story so sad it almost makes everyone forget what the armored avenger did a few years ago during the Civil War, which drew lines in the hero community and indirectly led to the death of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. Fans unanimously agree he can be a hard assed jerk, so why is he still well liked by some? Fraction leaves food for thought for the fans. Tony's a hero, yes, but he's also human, and people make mistakes. Being a futurist, he knew the cards he played, and his latest venture brought him to the brain dead scenario. With that, he leaves his fate at the hands of his friends... those who have mixed feelings about bringing the guy back and giving him a chance at absolution. One scene involving Pepper illustrates a good point - why does Tony Stark always get to be saved while those around him suffer and get worse? The answer should be obvious - he's Iron Man, that's why, and Tony's got a luck streak so high that he lives up to his namesake through and through. Even after preventing Osborn from getting info out of him, he's not out of the woods yet, and even with his allies by his side, things are bound to get worse before they get better.

It may sound like a thrownback cliche, but Stark: Disassembled sounds like an appropriate title to this arc. It's not so much about the character's fragmented state, but rather seeing the man in areas that were less likely explored over his long heroic and illustrious career. The holographic message Tony records prior to his downfall in particular reflects how human he is despite his intellectual background. Tony is quick to point out the mistakes he's made with sincerity and justification, and allows his friends the opportunity to judge and decide what to do with him. The mind sequences also show a side to Tony that's apparently confusing at this point, but will probably shed some light over his "comeback routine" as we progress with the story. It'll be interesting to see where everything leads, and how the good guys help and what the bad guys do to take advantage of the situation. Speaking of the bad guys, Normie's hubris is shown and Madame Masque makes her move, with help from an old rogue of shellhead who's probably going to be a hitmaker in the coming issues ahead.

No doubt about it, Invincible Iron Man is a great title. It may be hard to swallow if you're new to ol' shellhead, but veterans will definitely be pleased. I'm liking the direction Fraction is going with this book, and how he handled everything since World's Most Wanted is simply genius. Couple that with fantastic pencils by Salvador Larraca, and you got a top notch Marvel book to read, especially if you're an Iron Man fan. If you've just jumped on board, fear not, as Marvel has supplied a supplementary "Iron Man Saga" guide to bring readers up to speed with all things Tony and Stark. If you wanted to know more about the man before the next movie hits in 2010, this is your comic to read.

Score - 9/10

Iron Man Spotlight: What Are Friends For?

Marvel.com has released an image of the variant wrap around cover to Invincible Iron Man #21, depicting a scene where two of Tony Stark's closest allies return to aide him in his time of need.


Alright, I was a little puzzled by the look of this cover. First of all, why is Thor channeling lightning to Captain America's shield and using it as a conduit to filter in energy to Stark? Last time we saw Ol' Shellhead, he was literally brain dead after going through the painful task of literally deleting his brain of the Super Hero Registration Act files. The last thing Tony needs is an electric charge to jump start his brain... but that might actually work come to think of it. Anything can happen in the Marvel Universe, and this is the power of Thor we're talking about, so trust on the Thunder God and your friends, right? We'll find out how Tony makes it on the road to recovery when Stark: Disassembled begins later this month.

Iron Man Spotlight: The Diminishing Intellect...

A few days ago, I posted a little update on the current status of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in today's Dark Reign infested Marvel Universe. Once a brilliant and calculating force in the superhero community, Tony's now on the run and his genius intellect has been reduced to a pathetic state. His woes have only intensified as of late due to his inability to control complex machinery, forcing him to constantly downgrade his armor, with his current model being the classic Red and Gold. For all the lowdown on his pitiful situation, you can refer to my previous Iron Man Spotlight Post: the Rise and Fall of Tony Stark.

Cover to Invincible Iron Man #17. Stark's days are surely numbered...
For this post, I decided to focus on just how dire the consequences of Stark's actions were after deciding he decided delete the information contained in his brain and prevent it from falling into Norman Osborn's hands. The process in the past few issues has been a handful for Stark, and now, we see the full effects of the devastating mind deleting process come to fruition. Newsarama provided a peek into the latest issue of IM due next week, Invincible Iron Man #17. It is with this next page that makes Tony's plight all the more grieving:

Using an internet cafe in the middle of Russia, Tony Stark tries to send a simple email to Maria Hill, although with great difficulty. His grammar is obviously suffering at this point as he has difficulty composing words into his message. How the mighty have fallen.
This, and the last two issues of World's Most Wanted, will finally see how disassembled Tony's gonna get when he encounters Norman once and for all (I think). What will his fate be in the next chapter, Stark: Disassembled? Let's hope for the best that he'll pull through as he always does. After all, he is Iron Man... right?

Iron Man Spotlight: The Rise and Fall of Tony Stark...

The Invincible Iron Man soars high.
Iron Man. Love him or hate him, we all know he's coming back to the Big Screen next year... but what's happening to armor clad hero in the comics nowadays? I'll bring you guys up to speed with what I know so far, and trust me, Tony Stark's life isn't all fun and games now.

As one of the most iconic heroes in the Marvel Universe, The Invincible Iron Man has endured a lot of pain and sadness in his life that many would have considered torture to go through. He's fought the good fight for the sake of humanity as a armored adventurer, and used his genius and intellect to construct powerful suits of armor to aid him in his crusade. That power, however, came at a price, and he's always been forced to make decisions that compromised his beliefs and friendships over the years. Recent events have led him to do what many readers would see as "The Ultimate Sacrifice", but will his actions be the death of him? It sure looks that way with the way writer Matt Fraction is handling things.

Things go south for Tony Stark... Literally
With the ongoing storyline World's Most Wanted, Iron Man's life has turned upside down. If there was any way to describe Tony Stark today, the word "Pitiful" comes to mind. In the last few years of his superhero career, he's literally become a man who had everything... and then nothing. Rising to the top of the hill as a figurehead of the Super Hero Registration Act during Civil War, IM won the fight and became Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, changing the landscape of the Marvel Universe and dividing the superhero community altogether.

After the events of Civil War, Cap perishes in a hit perpetrated by the Red Skull. This scene takes place in the pages of Civil War: The Confession, in which a tearful Tony regrets his actions which led to the loss of a dear friend and fellow Avenger.
His actions indirectly led to the death of Captain America, his long time comrade and fellow member of the Avengers. While he continued to promote peace and goodwill through registration, he failed to intercept a secret invasion by the alien Skrull race that quickly took him and the world by surprise. With the help of his fellow heroes, Stark managed to turn the tide and win back Earth, yet he was still held accountable for his mistakes. He literally fell down in disgrace when he was booted out and replaced by Norman Osborn after being blamed for not intercepting the alien threat right away. Not wanting his tech and data ending up in the wrong hands, Stark uploaded the SHRA database into his mind, and had the other remaining copies infected with a virus, much to Norman's chagrin. With the assistance of Pepper Potts and Maria Hill, he makes a run from the organization he led once, now reformatted and renamed as H.A.M.M.E.R.

Iron Man is losing his marbles... And Tony can't do a damn thing about it.
Adding to Tony's problems is he's systematically deleting the information he has stored in his brain, which is in turn affecting his intelligence and causing him to downgrade his armor... until he eventually becomes a far cry of his brilliant self. In short, Tony Stark was a made man... and now he's a wanted fugitive, trying to evade Osborn and his H.A.M.M.E.R. agents every step of the way.

A preview of the wraparound cover to Invincible Iron Man #20, which begins the Stark: Disassembled Arc. The Mighty Thor looks on at a shattered Tony Stark; a scene that eerily parallels Iron Man's private "conversation" to the body of the fallen Captain America in the pages of Civil War: The Confession. Pic from Marvel.com
Now, all that Tony has done has come crumbling down. In a sense, karma has come back to bite him so hard that he will barely get out of his predicament alive. While the storyline has a few more issues to go before it ends, we're already previewing the next chapter in what could be the end of Iron Man as we know him. Stark: Disassembled will chronicle what happens to Tony after the events of World's Most Wanted... and will he ever be the same again? Time will tell. For now, that cover from Marvel.com looks mighty familiar... An ironic reverse of what Tony did before everything hit rock bottom.