Invincible Iron Man

Invincible Iron Man 8-24

I know this is a good comic when I stop taking notes and just want to keep reading and reading.  Man, does Matt Fraction deliver an amazing, gripping story here.  After Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn’s usurped Tony’s position as Director of SHIELD (now HAMMER).  In order to keep vital secrets out of Osborn’s greedy clutches, Tony embarks on a quest to systematically erase his mind.  At the same time, he sends Maria Hill and Pepper Potts on equally insane tasks of their own.  It’s the three of them against the world, and Fraction does a spectacular job of depicting the sense of hopelessness and desperation that drives them.  Excellent stuff.

His inevitable return in the Stark: Disassembled arc is less good only because of the boring “Tony’s subconscious is telling metaphoric dreams that he needs to interpret in order to come back spiritually” half of the comic that is completely detrimental to what is otherwise a just-as-good-as-the-previous-arc story.

Salvador Larroca’s art is wonderful the whole time, and I’m unreasonably impressed that he’s gone two full years without a fill-in artist.  (It’s not a knock on him as much as an indictment of most other comic artists.) 

And this is where Pepper Potts as Rescue debuts! An absolutely brilliant idea, though I wish Larroca hadn't gone with the armored boobs look or the weird-ass frowny face.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good (Pretty good for the last 5 issues)