Bendis Iron Man

International Iron Man 1-7

Where Tony Stark searches for his biological parents (I still don’t know what that’s all about.  I looked it up, and this is a retcon that’s stuck around even to today.), flashes back to his first love, meets her in the present day (she’s a weapons dealer), and finally meets his mother.  We also find out who his father is.  It’s another testament to Brian Michael Bendis and his storytelling skills.  This flew by, and he manages, in the last two issues, to get me totally invested in the life and future of someone I’d never heard of before.  I’m not sure why this couldn’t have fit into the main title, except that Bendis is just writing too darn fast and needs a parallel title to tell all of his stories.  I’m not complaining, especially if it gets me Alex Maleev art as well.  

Fair point about the bathroom.

Yeah, way to kill a conversation.

Hate the continuity - If he had stealth armor on, no way there's that much contact between body parts.

Maleev draws a fricking adorable baby.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Infamous Iron Man 1-12

Doctor Doom continuing that weird-ass time when he was a good guy and nobody believed him.  Here, his mother shows up, the bad guy turns out to be Mephisto, and Doom continues to ruin the life of Dr Amara Perera in what seems like a completely pointless storyline until she ends up pregnant on the very last page.  It all feels pretty aimless, and Bendis finally goes too far with an interminable four page Mephisto monologue that defies all patience and necessity.  Still, the rest of the script (and Maleev art) elevate it a notch.    

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good