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

This is... The King Of Fighters Movie?!

There will be a King Of Fighters Movie next year, and yes, it will feature Kyo, Iori, Mai, and Terry... but will it do any good? Judging from this trailer, I think we may end up in a world more far fetched than the one established over the years by the folks at SNK Playmore.



Ok... this is more sci-fi than epic fighting game madness. Honestly I never expected the KOF live action movie to work wonders. With fighting game movies like Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li "setting an example", it leaves me wondering how the future of videogame based movies will fare with films like these rolling and disapponting its hardcore fanbase. For the benefit of the doubt, I'll probably go see it for fun, but I wish the flick stuck more to its roots.

Super Street Fighter IV Update: The "New Warriors" In Full Pose!

After the big announcement that three Alpha/ Zero veterans are making their way to the 4 universe, Capcom has released more images of Cody, Guy, and Adon from Super Street Fighter IV! More images can be viewed via Kotaku, but here they are drawn in the Brush Art way!


Cody


Guy



Adon

And wait! Here's The new trailer!XD



The new warriors look primed and ready! Super Street Fighter IV hits on February Next Year! Can't wait!

Comic Review: Blackest Night # 5

Blackest Night has reached the point of no return.

As we start whittling down toward the concluding issues, Blackest Night has become the rollercoaster ride of the end of the decade. It's too enjoyable to ignore, and everything happening in the story justifies my resolve to see the event to its conclusion, where all hell's going to break loose before it gets better once everything's said and done. With hardly breaking a sweat, Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis present the book where all points come to head. This issue has all of the main stars of the show come center stage, and as tension builds as the war continues to escalate, new developments occur that make the outlook of the heroes' situation as bleak as they come. Are the Black Lanterns gaining the upper hand? Better read on and find out how epic all of this is, comic wise.

Blackest Night #5
Written By: Geoff Johns
Illustrated By: Ivan Reis

The Blackest Night has arrived, and in the farthest region of outer space known as Sector 666, seven colors of light shine brightly to deal with the dark prophecy foretold in the Book of OA eons ago. Gathered together by the two ex-Guardians Ganthet and Sayd, Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Atrocitus, Saint Walker, Larfleeze, Carol Danvers, and Indigo-1 investigate the source of the Black Lantern power battery, only to find their point of search utterly empty. The unholy corps of death have already begun their frontal assault on Earth, beginning with the resurrection of Coast City, and the appearance of Nekron, lord of the Black Lantern Corps. As Earth's heroes struggle to hold down the undead until the power ring cavalry arrives, Nekron unleashes an unexpected attack on Green Lantern and his allies, one that will reveal the true nature of death itself.

For the record, readers will NEED to pick up Green Lantern #48 to catch up on what events took place before Hal Jordan and his ring colored posse arrive at Space Sector 666. This issue can definitely stand on its own two feet without reading the other issue, but it helps fuel the importance and symmetry that Blackest Night has already established since it launched months ago. The tie-ins help to bridge events happening in and around the same time the main book is progressing, so it's a lot of information to draw in. Geoff Johns and the rest of the DC writing crew have taken special care to make continuity a priority, so if you can't catch up with all the numerous books under the label, wait for the trade to collect everything in a few months time.

Now onto to the book itself... what can I say? THIS EVENT IS AWESOME. Geoff Johns establishes himself as the driving force behind many of today's best DC comic book stories, and he utilizes every character, note, and history so well with less efficiency that he's deserved the title and awards he's won for his work and contributions so far. With five issues out and three more to go until it wraps up, it can be said that Blackest Night was well worth the two year wait since the Sinestro Corps War saga ended. Every detail and nitpick addressed in the DC Universe concerning death is fully addressed in the soon to be classic crossover, and praise such as this is not given for exaggeration, it's a fact. When you read the book as a veteran who's come across comic book death so many times, questions that come to mind are "How do these characters come back" and "What is Death in comics, really"? As far as the DC Universe was concerned, there were many deaths, significant or otherwise, and Johns has readily tapped himself into that well, emerging with a story so brilliant, so convincing, it's hard to let go of the book after being drawn into what will be an Epic saga. I've reviewed the past four issues, and each and everyone of them has contributed a wow and a clap from readers, but this one... it literally takes the cake. Anyone who wanted a good reason to jump in or stay with Blackest Night until its conclusion have all the cards are all laid out here. I won't be spoiling what happened or what Nekron did, but let's just say it will make fans go nuts about the entire DCU all over again.

As far as the characters in this book go, they're a dime a dozen, and since this doesn't rely on the Green Lantern property alone, expect to see favorites from the Teen Titans and Justice League make an appearance to lend a helping hand to our favorite Space Cowboy Hal. Last issue, Geoff gave the spotlight to Barry Allen, a character that the writer's also working on in Flash: Rebirth, and he played the ever reliable friend to rally up the forces of good while the emerald warrior was away for the entirety of the previous issue. Even with Hal back on Earth, Barry's still a key player readers will be rooting for, as well his allies in the form of Bart and Wally assist him, with the latter sporting a "new" uniform that really suits the character in my opinion. Being secondary heroes for the longest time, The Flash and GL finally get to be the heroes we need to count on to save the world because of what occurs in Blackest Night, and while I may be a Batman fan through and through, these two are also personal favorites who happen to be great personalities, and I'm glad Johns has given them the recognition they deserve. He also gives the villains some time to "shine", most notably Black Hand and Scar, the evil Guardian. While the latter's fate is resolved in this issue, it's the former and right hand man of Nekron we have to watch out for. Maybe in the last few issues, we'll see something big happen to the herald, but his words in the supplemental "Book Of Black" co-feature continue to echo how disturbing and focused his undead mind is, and that provides more exposition on his character and nature from behind the scenes.

Art direction has been pretty stellar, and Ivan Reis handles it so well that anyone will deem it big shot comic book material for proper reading. The way he draws is similar to Johns' dedication to the book, with so much commitment and effort that one cannot coexist without the other's involvement. If you thought drawing several lantern colors was hard, wait til you see the rest of the heroes (and undead) in action. This issue in particular taps into all the penciling talent Reis' has got in him, and along with the stellar coloring and inking contributions by the rest of the BN team, the results are breathtaking and simply fantastic. Previous issues have had their epic spreads and one sheet pages, but this one just one ups every single one of them, especially towards the end of the book, where the real meat of the story's jaw dropping visuals are unveiled. Pick up the book to know what the hell I'm talking about, it's a real doozy.

If there were any doubts on your mind to how big Blackest Night would be, then rest assured, IT IS BIGGER THAN EVER. The scope of this event is so huge alone that we're getting more tie-ins coming in on the next few months, and while collecting each and everyone of them may be too much to bare, this month's incentive collector's power ring fuels hope, willpower, fear, love, avarice, rage, and compassion into all the readers out there. Death has arrived on the DC Universe's doorstep, and with its grip growing so tight and unpredictable, there's no telling how everything will end soon. Time will tell, so brace yourselves and expect more awesomeness.

Score - 10/10

Rise Of The "SHIELD"!

Marvel's Mystery project with writer Jonathan Hickman has been named, and it will tell the origins of what is probably the world's best global defense network against earth-based and extraterrestrial threats - SHIELD! Yes, it's the same SHIELD Agency that's been hounding, patrolling, and most of the time assisting the heroes in their battle against the forces of evil, and it's better known as the group led by that slick, eye-patch wearing son of a gun, Nick Fury. However, this new ongoing series will explore the unknown origins and beginnings of the group, way before Fury's time and predating WWII. Together with artist Dustin Weaver, Hickman's going to take Marvel fans for a ride, with new characters appearing left and right as well as familiar names who would serve as the forefathers and ancestors of the heroes we know today! More info on this series can be read up via ComicBookResources, so click 'em and check 'em, peeps!

A New Mystery Marvel Project?

Via Marvel.com and Newsarama, The House Of Ideas is teasing a new and mysterious project by Jonathan Hickman, current writer of the Secret Warriors and the Fantastic Four. Everything in the pic looks like a crossover waiting to happen (again), and the only recognizable item in the artwork above is the sketch of the devourer of worlds, Galactus, done "Vitruvian Man" style. The lines "They've been around since the dawn of time" must hint something big, and it'll be revealed in the next episode of G4TV's Attack Of The Show. Here's hoping the Power Cosmic comes and we have another Annihilation or Infinity War saga coming, LOL.XD

Super Street Fighter IV Update: More New Challengers Arrive

News Flash for the patient and waiting. Three new challengers arrive for Super Street Fighter IV, and courtesy of the latest issue of Famitsu and Kotaku, here's the fighters revealed in full!




More Street Fighter Zero/ Alpha veterans return! It's Cody and Guy from Final Fight, and Sagat's Muay Thai apprentice, Adon! I was really expecting the latter to return since he was seen in Sagat's SFIV animated intro, but Guy and Cody are simply WOW! It also appears that my favorite SF III female fighter Ibuki may be added, but there's no official word yet. Right now, this is some big news for SF IV fans, and I'm looking forward to this game soon!

P.S - I forgot to mention that Dudley is not real and is again an unconfirmed rumor. Here's hoping he is coming back though.