sunburst

This post was not intended and I can't seem to delete it. So to add to what I have written below...

The villain of the piece, Ezekiel Stane, grabs the reader's attention. He has all the qualities of a psychopath but does not come across as 2-dimensional. He has quirky humour, a sharp intelligence, insecurities, and egomania. He also demonstrates a real sense of menace. Human life is beneath him. You get a sense that there is no atrocity he would not commit in order to achieve his goals. And that makes him a worthy adversary of Tony Stark. One to watch.

Six variant covers? Really? That's just overkill. Still it's nice to see Quesada do some awesome cover work. And that's the one I went for.

Inside was good looking too. My only quibble was that the colours were slightly off - a little bit too dark and muddy. This approach works very well in Captain America where murky colours match murky intrigue. But here it just doesn't quite work and D'Armata needs to brighten things up a bit.

That aside, the story is excellent. Matt Fraction is currently one of Marvel's best writers. He and Brubaker, along with DC's Morrison and Johns, are the giants of the modern comic industry for very good reason. They write exciting comic books. And this first issue of the Invincible Iron Man is no exception. Fraction makes Stark the narrator of his own book and allows him to tell a story about his five greatest nightmares. This inner monologue gives the story a backbone, and when Stark gets to his last nightmare it converges with the events of the story to chilling effect. It's a great start and I'm likely to come back for more.

I am not a great fan of those comics which focus on team building. They usually play out in a fairly similar fashion with a tired sense of deja vu hanging over them. But to give Bendis some credit, he is a master of dialogue, even if his characters sometimes tend to have the same voice. So we get some entertaining dialogue as Nick Fury's recruitment officer goes about her business picking up inexperienced young heroes in various parts of the world to participate in Fury's Skrull-busting venture. And that's it really.

Bendis is taking his time in Mighty Avengers and won't be rushed. We can only hope that his leisurely stroll in the park is going to have a massive pay-off. I live in hope.

The resurrection of the cosmic corner of the Marvel universe by DnA has been nothing short of genius. These guys really know how to write space stories and Nova in particular. This issue is one of their best so far and a great jumping-on point for new readers. There is a lot going on here but it is never confusing.

What I like the most about this story is that instead of the hero seeking to prevent Galactus from lunching on some populated planet, here we have a story where the hero knows he can't realistically put a stop to the cosmic behemoth's ugly feeding habit. This simple stroke of genius allows the writers to come up with some fascinating moral dilemmas, psychological interplays, and physical challenges which all play out in well-constructed fashion as our hero attempts to prioritise what he needs to do in order to save as many lives as possible. I particularly enjoyed the bitter clashes between Nova and the dying planet's ruler. Although DnA bestow these two characters with very polar views, the reader is allowed to see the merits in both of their arguments (even if we know that Nova is right). This is intelligent comic book writing.

On the side of the art, Wellinton Alves returns with a splash. The visuals are suitably lush and alien with plenty to enjoy. The last few off-world pages, including the last cliffhanger panel, are particulary outstanding.

All I can say is that this book just keeps getting better.

This event has been pitch-perfect so far. It's unfolding like a great action movie. Where the first issue was solid set-up, this second issue gives us an intense battle in the Savage Land, and it offers some of the best eye candy I have ever seen in a comic. The last time I remember experiencing this kind of rush was when reading Civil War #7. Several 2-page splashes are used to wonderful effect throughout this book. The pace of this event also feels just right, and it's a marked improvement on Bendis' previous effort "House of M" (which I also nevertheless enjoyed).

On another note, I have read some negative reviews about this issue which has been dismissed in some quarters as "mere fill-in". Sheesh! There's just no pleasing some people. One minute Bendis is accused of ruining an issue with a tendency to be slow and wordy, the next he is accused of wasting an entire issue on a mindless fight. People are entitled to their opinion, but in my view Bendis is entirely right to give us a glorious punch up early in the event. The same critics would whine about the lack of action, or delayed action, in an action movie. A superhero book no less requires great action, and Bendis and Yu do not fail here. This event is delivering 5-star entertainment and I am hoping it stays that way.