Iron Man #17 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Carlo Pagulayan

This series has a whole has been rather disappointing, with this story being much the same. It has however had some great moments along the way, but the bad ones have overshadowed them and all that I can hope is that this conclusion is amazing.

Plot

Tony Stark's true origin is revealed!

Review

This was a brilliant issue and easily the best issue in the series so far. Kieron Gillen showed in this issue that he can be a brilliant writer, as although this issue makes the story up until now feel slightly irrelevant, it doesn't take away from the brilliant dramatic tone of this issue. Gillen would also do a great job of tying up some of the loose ends from previous issues, and answering some of the questions, like why Tony couldn't work the Godkiller. The pacing of this issue was also fantastic, with the build-up to the big reveal being very suspenseful. On top of all that I loved the narration of this issue, and how a recording from Howard Stark would set the tone and mood of this issue.

The artwork on this issue would once again be amazing with Carlo Pagulayan doing a fantastic job. The detail of Pagulayan's artwork is simply outstanding, with it being consistently perfect throughout. The best part of Pagulayan's artwork in this issue however had to be the way he showed the characters emotions, as with no action whatsoever the drama, intensity and suspense that he added would help to give a lot of depth and tone to the issue, setting a brilliant atmosphere throughout. Besides this the layout of Pagulayan's artwork was also amazing, as although it wasn't as unique or spectacular as some artist, it did it's job adding a lot of depth and tone to the issue, also making the emotions even more intense.

Everything that you thought you knew about this story would be turned on it's head in this issue, and most of this would result from a sequence showing Howard and Martha Stark deciding whether to trust 451 or not. Now I won't go into any details about what happened as to avoid spoilers, but I will say that I enjoyed seeing Martha and Howard again, as well as the fact that they didn't fully trust 451. I also enjoyed seeing what Howard got up to after this sequence, and it would set-up the revelation of their secret brilliantly, also being very emotion throughout.

The secret itself however was easily the most exciting thing about this issue, as you'd expect. Once again I won't go into much detail as to avoid spoiling this. What I enjoyed most about this revelation was how it changed everything that we thought we learned from the story so far, creating something completely different. It would however make the story up till now slightly irrelevant, though that wasn't a bad thing, as it was a brilliant surprise, being much more realistic. I also enjoyed that it wouldn't just be one surprise, but rather two, and it will be interesting to see just how big an effect it will have on the world of Iron Man going forward. 

Tony's reaction to the revelation would also be extremely interesting, as well as very emotional, adding a lot of drama and intensity to the issue. Now once again I won't go into any details, but there would be an interaction between Tony and a certain character that would be extremely interesting, showing the ramifications of this revelation in a very interesting and emotional way. What I liked most about this interaction was Tony's attitude, as it would show how much this has affected him, and although he says that he "doesn't feel any different," towards his parents, it is clear that this isn't a good thing for Tony.

Final Verdict

Although the Secret Origin of Tony Stark hasn't been one of the better Iron Man stories, this conclusion was amazing, being very emotional, showing just how good a writer Kieron Gillen can be. It also flowed smoothly, and although there wasn't a single bit of action, the depth and intensity of the story made it very exciting and entertaining. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, as although it is probably more enjoyable to people who have read the rest of the story, it is still enjoyable on it's own, being much better than the rest of the story.

Rating: 8/10

Iron Man #16 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Carlo Pagulayan

This has been a very inconsistent series since it started, and although this story was heading in the same direction it has since started to show that there is hope in this series, and with only a couple of issues in this story remaining, I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Plot

As 451 tries to erase himself from existence, taking Iron Man (Tony Stark) with him, Iron Man must find a way of escaping the Godkiller.

Review

This was a good issue, but I was still disappointed in it, as after the amazing transformation the series has made, going from mediocre to very good has been nice, and it's sad to see it take a step back in that direction. Kieron Gillen did however do a brilliant job of finishing up Tony's time on the Godkiller, and setting up the finale part of this story. It was however this set-up that made the issue feel very slow, with the overall pace being all over the place. Gillen did however show some brilliant writing skills in the first half of this issue, as it was very suspenseful and dramatic, but it was the lack of any enemy along with the uneven pace that let it down.

The artwork was however once again amazing, and Carlo Pagulayan showed the same brilliant talent that he did on the last issue. The detail in Pagulayan's art was simply outstanding, as everything looked simply perfect. I also really enjoyed the emotion that Pagulayan showed on Tony's face throughout this issue, as he showed the threat that possibly dying had on Tony perfectly. The layouts were also once again spectacular, adding a lot of depth to the issue, as well as being very dynamic. I also really liked some of the backgrounds that Pagulayan drew in this issue, as although some were plain, there were also some really detailed and interesting ones as well, and I so wish he could have done the next issue as well.

This issue started with a monologue from 451, showing how he realised his mistakes, and how he planned to fix them by erasing himself from existence. This may have only been a very short part of this issue, but it was probably the most interesting, as it showed that 451 actually cares. I say this as over the story 451 has been a bit of an enigma, seeming both good and bad at certain times, whereas this shows that his intentions were good, even if his actions weren't. I also felt that this did a great job of setting up the tension for the rest of the issue.

This sequence would be quickly followed by a mad attempt by Tony to escape the Godkiller with 451, thus preventing either from being erased from time. I really enjoyed this sequence, and the interaction between Tony and P.E.P.P.E.R. throughout was very entertaining. I also enjoyed seeing the dread in Tony, and how his emotions showed a man who was in a frantic state. I did however feel that the sequence could have been a bit more exciting, and would have preferred that it lasted slightly longer to do so. It was however still very exciting and bar the start of the issue the best part. 

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD!

Now I don't like giving away spoilers, and although this isn't a proper spoiler, the things I talk about will spoil the outcome of prior sequences. Now it was rather obvious that Tony would survive (the solicitations of future issues for starters), but after doing so Tony would return to Earth where he'd be greeted by his long time friend Pepper Pots. Now I won't go into any more details, but this was an interesting change to the style that the series has gone in as of late. At the same time it also felt rather unnecessary, as some of it could have waited till after the current story.

Final Verdict

This was a good continuation of the Secret Origin of Tony Stark story, but it was slightly slow, focusing too much on setting up the finale. It did however have some very intense and suspenseful moments, but unfortunately they were slightly overshadowed by the uneven pace of the issue. I would however recommend this to anyone who's been following the story so far, but otherwise it may be best to wait for the trade to come out.

Rating: 6/10

Iron Man #15 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Carlo Pagulayan

Overall this series has been fairly poor, as although it's had a few good moments, with the last issue being a considerable improvement, it all seems too little too late. There however is still hope in for the series, and if Kieron Gillen can do the same kind of stories he was prior to Marvel NOW!, now he can turn this series around easily.

Plot

Iron Man (Tony Stark) is finally rid of 451's control, but now he has to try and stop the Godkiller from destroying the Earth.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and quite possibly the best issue that the series has seen, let alone the story. This issue showed exactly what kind of comics Kieron Gillen can produce when he wants to, and following the fantastic last issue there may be hope for this series after all. I really enjoyed the energy that Gillen added to this issue, as most of this story has been extremely dull, having a very slow pace. I also loved the excitement in this issue, and how Gillen managed to get extremely creative, showing Tony in his glory with all the tech around him. This issue would also have some emotion to it, as well as plenty of suspense, and drama, and if Gillen keeps this up throughout the remainder of this story I may keep getting it.

The art in this issue was also the best of the series, as although both Greg Land, and Dale Eaglesham have done amazing work, Carlo Pagulayan's art on this issue was out of this world. The detail in Pagulayan's art is simply wonderful, and the fact that he has a slightly similar style to Land helps keep a bit of continuity to the series. I also felt that Pagulayan's layouts were very dynamic, adding a lot of depth to the issue. I also loved how Pagulayan handled Tony's emotions in this issue as it really helped make the story feel more alive, and realistic. The best part of Pagulayan's art however had to be the action, and the suits of armour, which looked phenomenal, adding a lot of excitement.

This issue would see Tony going to what appears to be a mini flight capsule that is his armoury. Now I didn't read this series when he first headed into space, so I don't know if it was shown before, but I felt this was a good addition, though if it wasn't added earlier it's a weird coincidence that he all of a sudden has one. I loved how it interacted the same way as all his tech does, and seeing him change from one suit of armour to another was amazing. I also loved how we got to see his other sets of armour in use throughout the issue as well, and overall the armoury added a lot of excitement to this issue.

This issue would give us what we've been waiting for since the start of the story, Iron Man squaring off against 451. Now it may have taken an awful long time to happen, but it was excellent, and almost worth the wait, with the only problem being just how long it took to happen. The interaction between Tony, and 451 during the fight was also extremely interesting, showing that Gillen is a good writer when he puts his mind to it, as it managed to be exciting, as well as fun without being too much in your face.

The main goal for Tony in this issue would be to save the Earth. Now I'm not going to reveal whether he does this in this issue or not, as although it's rather obvious that he will, whether this issue or a later, I still want to avoid spoilers. Last issue saw Tony very frantic, running around the Godkiller, looking for a way off. It was however much more interesting to see him a bit cooler, and taking everything one step at a time, whilst him still reminding everyone that there is a deadline.

Final Verdict

This was an outstanding issue, and easily the best the series has produced so far. It had everything from light humour, to amazing action, being exciting, and dramatic the whole way through. It also had a lot of suspense as well, as well as some interesting dialogue. Individually I'd easily recommend this issue, but as it's part of a story that is already on it's seventh part, with most of the previous parts being poor I'd only really recommend it to anyone that's already been reading it, as otherwise it's better to wait till this story's finished, and hope that the next one starts as this one is now.

Rating: 8/10

The Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk

Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Carlo Pagulayan, Aaron Lopresti & Gary Frank

Hulk has been one of my top rated characters since I was young and I loved this big giant unpredictable character who deep down is just a very misunderstood character and not the monster he was made out to be. Greg Pak has done an amazing job with Hulk over the years and both this book and World War Hulk were what got me into reading Hulk comics when I started collecting.

Plot

This story starts with Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Black Bolt sending Hulk to a planet where there is no intelligent life form that Hulk can harm or be bothered by. However Hulk's ship goes through a portal which takes him to the planet Sakaar were he is made a gladiator. He angers the Red King when he tries to kill him and is put in the Maw. There he becomes Warbound with Miek , Korg, Hiroim, Elloe, and No-name of the Brood. Hulk plans to escape his slavery and kill the Red King and during his journey it is asked whether he is the Sakaarson who is prophesied to bring life and piece back to the planet or the Worldbreaker who is prophesied to destroy the planet.

Review

This was a brilliant book and probably the best Hulk story ever told (in my opinion). Pak has done an amazing job in this book and I don't think it could have been any better than it was. This book has tones of great things about it but the thing I probably loved most about it was the emotion. It was nice to see the transformation in the Hulk's feelings throughout this book and it was also nice to see him have proper friends for a change. I also liked how we see some traits form the Hulk's past shown and that due to him being betrayed by friends in the past he is wary whether to fully trust his new friends.

The art throughout this book was amazing and think Pagulaya, Lopresti, and Frank were brilliant on this story. Pagulayan's art in particular was very nice and he did an excellent job of drawing all these different characters, whilst keeping detail in the backgrounds. Although I like Frank's work in general I don't think his contribution to this story suited the story itself, and that his line shading art is very different to Pagulaya or Lopresti's art. I also loved Jose Ladrönn's covers throughout this book and he did an amazing job at showing the events in the issue without spoiling it.

I also thought it was great to see all these new characters be introduced and although Hulk has had a brilliant cast of allies and villains in the past it was nice to see something fresh. I also thought Pak did a great job writing these new characters and was happy that he went into detail about there background and didn't just chuck them into the story without explaining where they're from or what's happened to them. The two new characters I especially liked were Miek and Korg. I liked Korg because he was the soul of the team providing encouragement to the group. He also is a very good companion for Hulk as both are brutish characters with tones of strength. I enjoyed the Miek character because he added humour to the story and character wise is a lot different to Hulk, as he's weak and naturally a coward but with Hulk as a friend becomes braver whilst finding strength within.

The fights throughout this book were amazing and I loved how Hulk was made a gladiator. I did however feel that some of the fights were a bit short and although Hulk can defeat most things easily it would have been nicer for them to have longer. Ending some of the early fights quickly story wise was probably a good thing as not only does it add surprise (as in you'd expect a huge fight for it to end in seconds) whilst showing from an early point that Hulk is extremely powerful and possibly the strongest being to ever set foot on planet Sakaar.

The addition of Silver Surfer during this story and although he wasn't in it long it was nice to see someone Hulk knew on Sakaar. The fight between Hulk and Surfer was immense and possibly the best fight in the book. I also liked how Hulk recognises Surfer as a friend and the pain he shows when Surfer attacks him due to the obedience disc. I also enjoyed that even though the other members of Hulk's Warbound tried to fight the Surfer that the fight was mainly focused on Hulk and Surfer. I also liked how you can see that Surfer doesn't really want to fight Hulk but that due to the obedience disc in his chest he has no option but. I also thought it was a very smart idea to have Surfer use his board as a shield during the fight.

The Red King was a brilliant villain and loved how like a true villain he only cared about himself and would do anything to get what he wanted. I also loved his reaction towards the Hulk throughout this story as before and during Hulk's arrival the Red King has dictated over Sakaar with no one questioning him living and that now Hulk is here there is actually someone that can pose a threat to his reign.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing story and will probably be one of my favourite Hulk stories for years to come. I would highly recommend this book as Pak has done an excellent job, and it has tones of violence, emotion and unpredictability. Also if you are a new to the Hulk character this is a brilliant story as you don't need any prior knowledge of the character to enjoy it.

Rating: 5/5