The Good
Kieron Gillen has given this title exactly what it needs: a different and original story (it's just too bad it technically links to AvX, an event I'm not fond of). The biggest problem with the first five issues was that it was retreading familiar territory (Extremis) while not bringing anything fresh or better to the table. They were just short stories that showcased new armors (which I will confess is always good fun) and slowly inched towards an overall conclusion. Nothing about it really left much of an impression, but now Tony Stark is heading to space and it's the switch up this title desperately needed.Artist Greg Land and colorist Guru Efx do a stellar job with Tony's armor. It's sleek, powerful and always has a nice polish to it. Seeing Stark blasting what totally appears to be Star Destroyers is good fun, even if it's brief and shots at a distance lack detail. The close-ups compensate for that and the smooth look of this armor definitely gives the impression that it's one of his best in his extensive gallery of armors. The short action sequence in the end also looks solid, particularly when explosions clash against the armor's shield technology.
The crux of the new tale won't kick in until the final pages, so the primary focus of this book is simply Tony trying to get in a pretty alien's space pants. As you'd expect, this is a lighthearted adventure as the two clearly have nothing in common, seeing as they stem from entirely different cultures. Trekkies are sure to enjoy a brief blurb of the convo and the burden of keeping us amused falls on Stark's thankfully capable shoulders. His romantic interest is there for some mandatory exposition about this area of space and a very solid laugh near the conclusion. Better luck next time, Tony.
Fans of the '90s, Death's Head makes an appearance! I sincerely hope Gillen isn't teasing us with his cameo and will have the classic dude serve a greater purpose in this three part story. Death's Head vs. Iron Man? Make it happen!
The Bad
Do we really need a blatant shot of Tony checking out the alien's chest? The Stark Trek dialogue was great, but for me the super pervy moment totally ruined the conversation. Stark's smoother than that and there are far more subtle ways to show off how attractive she is.I feel like I should just copy and paste my complaints about Greg Land's art because they're always the same. His female faces all look alike and they feel as though they're glammed up and even airbrushed. Also, Tony Stark's face suffers from some severe fluctuations. There's an image of him on the last page that doesn't even look like him because of how drastically different the eyes are.
After the final moments in the last issue, I was hoping P.E.P.P.E.R. would bring more levity to the issue but her role was very limited. Hopefully that'll change!