Iron Man # 6 - Extremis, Part 6

I'm gonna miss this amazing story arc. Unlike the person who posted above me, I liked this conclusion. It was everything that I wanted this great arc to end... a big fight.

This entire issue was just one big fight brought to you by Tony Stark, the strongest drugged up super robotic human, Mallen, the nutty Extremis enhancle with fire breathing powers, Warren Ellis, the mastermind behind this story and Adi Granov, whose art is this story arc's strongest asset. To be completely honest, this story could completely suck and be made amazing with Granov's art. Fortunantally, Ellis happens to be a great story teller. (With the exception of a little "cornyness" to issue #5 where Iron Man hacks computers and phones with his mind). In the end, this story ended basically the way that you'd expect it to. No major plot twists. Those came in Issue #4.

Well, here we go with a new story. I'm just gonna sum up this arc real quickly.

Issue #1: Great artwork, good intro.
Issue #2: Good story of Tony's thoughts.
Issue #3: The best in the whole arc.
Issue #4: Offurs a major plot twist and is full of excitement, but the art gets less amazing and the plot doesn't move very fast.
Issue #5: Transformation paradox.
Issue #6: Great fight scene with slightly suprising twist at the end.

I read this series a long time ago but it's still fresh on my mind, like i had finished it just yesterday. I was frigging surprised while i was reading it, i mean, Iron Man has always been a cool character, but he absolutely had NO LUCK when it comes down to artwork, his costume looked, so, so lame. but that was just what Warren Ellis and Adi Granov came in for: CHANGE. His costume did look as an armor. Something practical, functional, robot-like... Some artists still make the same mistake with the Iron Man, they draw him like he has spandex all over his body. I think we just have to thank Adi Granov for that. Regarding Ellis' Scripture, well, hats off. This guy really knows how to write Hi-Tech epics (just read Anna Mercury, ya see what i mean) With a lot of major action sequences and hard-boiled quotes. When i finished the whole thing i was delighted, this 6-part arc felt a lot like it was the storyboard of a major motion picture with hell of a production team attached to it, Iron Man was finally on the 21st century and gues wha'? He was stronger than ever!

With Warren Eliis writing and Adi Granov adding his amazing art, it's hard not to think that this book should be knocking it out of the park (as you Americans like to say).  However, I must admit to being slightly disappointed with the conclusion to this story which is pretty much one big, huge fight between Iron Man and the Extremis adled Mallen.  Now, that's not to say that it isn't a good fight.  In fact, fans of good fights will probably like this issue a lot, especially the bit where Iron Man blows off... oops, that would be spoiling things!  Anyway, after about 20 pages of fighting (like I said, if you like fights...), there is a good pay off, where Tony confronts his scientist colleague, Maya Hansen and berates her for helping to create Mallen, due to the deaths he's caused.  Maya asks him what's the difference between them.  This is quite brilliant as Ellis has used the last issue to remind readers of Iron Man's origin, particularly emphasising Stark's slaughtering of his captors.  Tony tells her at least he can sleep at night, a quite wishy washy response, in my opinion, perhaps because Ellis wants to demonstrate how deluded Stark actually is.  This is an okay finish to an otherwise excellent story, Extremis really helping revitalising qutie a dull character.