The Good
If there's one thing to love about this plot it's the fact that each new location calls for a different brand of armor to show off. It's almost like a video game in the sense that Tony Stark is given his objective and location and then picks the weapon best suited for the operation at hand. You're not going to bring a rocket launcher on a stealth mission, and in this issue he's forced into a confined space against a lot of enemies. Naturally, this calls for something similar to the Hulkbuster armor and thankfully it looks fearsome. Truth be told, I'd say seeing the new armors is the biggest appeal of this Marvel NOW! title.Kieron Gillen does a solid job with Tony's personality. In his hands, the Avenger truly is a "genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist" as he provides snappy quips about women and the work he's created. Even when nothing is really happening, Gillen still manages to make Tony breathe life into the scene. Additionally, the "teenage" A.I. amuses me.
For the most part, this issue looks remarkable. Greg Land's work with Tony's armor its weaponry is incredibly easy on the eyes. I was particularly impressed when Tony uses a laser to carve the environment around him and we're treated to the aftermath of his work. Just a moment or so after we have a more depressing moment for Tony and I thought the focus on his closed eyes was an extremely effective way to compliment Gillen's dialogue.
The Bad
While Stark is written in an amusing manner and there are a few somewhat heartfelt scenes, nothing feels as powerful as it should. None of Iron Man's remarks will make you burst into laughter and none of the emotional sequences will firmly grasp your heartstrings. The reading experience never fully pulled me into the fictional world and sadly makes me question if the next issue is worth picking up.I feel like I'm a loop when talking about Land's art. Long story short, his women look too glammed up. Also, I wasn't the biggest fan of how he handled the demise of those creatures. The aftermath of numerous heads being blasted off looked shockingly clean. And I must say, if that armor is good enough to take on a Hulk, I'm pretty let down with it's display of power.