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

Iron Man #14 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Greg Land

This has been a very poor series, as although it was poor prior to first dropping the series following issue 5, it hasn't been much better since, and this storyline has been a bit disappointing. This second half does however look to have more promise, but it may be to little, to late.

Plot

Iron Man (Tony Stark) has temporarily escaped from 451, but 451 uses Death's Head to track Tony down.

Review

This was a terrific issue, and probably the best in the series so far, definitely being the best in this storyline so far. Kieron Gillen did a great job on this issue, reminding me why I used to consider him as a good writer, as this has probably been the best work he's done since the start of Marvel NOW! It was very suspenseful, and dramatic, having tons of drama, and atmosphere, having become the kind of series I'd hoped it would've been by now. It didn't however have any proper action in it, though the tone of the issue, as well as the suspense made up for that. The dialogue was also great, adding depth to the story, as well as more drama, and tone.

I've had mixed feelings about Greg Land's art over the course of this series, as although there have been quite a few poor moments, he has shown that he can produce marvellous art. He once again showed this during this issue, as it would appear that with the lack off female characters there isn't much he can disappoint me with (as I dislike how every female character he draws looks like a glamour model). I loved the way Land handled the character emotions, with them feeling very natural, and realistic, with even 451, and Death's Head showing some emotion. I also enjoyed the dynamic feel of Land's art, but he did slightly disappoint by going back to the awkward smiles that he usually draws on people.

For most of this story Tony has been anchored by 451, being unable to get away. He however managed to escape last issue, and during this issue he found a way of making sure that 451 can no longer control him. I won't go into any details, as although it happened near the start of the issue, it's still a nicer if it's a surprise. I will however say that I found it to be very clever, even though slightly obvious, and I'm glad that Tony is finally able to do something about 451, as I feel his lack of movement hasn't helped this story.

Death's Head once again made an appearance in this issue, as due to the actions of Tony, 451 must rely on Death's Head to track him down. The chase between Tony, and Death's Head during this issue was very exciting, and entertaining, being also very suspenseful. I also enjoyed the dialogue throughout, and loved how Death's Head commented on how he disliked being controlled. There was also some very shocking things during this sequence, giving more depth, and drama.

Throughout this story it has been questionable whether 451 is a villain, or a hero, but this issue would show him to be more of a villain, as some of his actions during it were very questionable. I found this very interesting, and I've loved how so far 451 has been very emotionless, making it hard to tell whether he's truly good, or evil. This issue however he showed plenty of emotion, having a manacle look about him, and I hope that we finally see him square off against Tony, as that would be amazing to see.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing issue, and finally the series is starting to be a bit more entertaining, instead of being poor, and slow. It also had a lot of suspense, and drama, with some shocking moments throughout. Cause of all this I'd recommend this issue, especially to people who have been reading this series, and aren't sure whether to continue or not. I would however probably recommend against it otherwise, as although it was amazing, you really need the rest of the story to understand what's going on, which isn't really worth it unless you get it in trade at a later date.

Rating: 8/10

Iron Man #13 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Greg Land

I dropped this series following the opening story arc, which was pretty poor, but have since decided to give it another shot as I didn't want to miss this Secret Origin. It has however been a bit disappointing so far, even with last issue being good, and I seriously hope the story starts to get better soon.

Plot

As 451 continues to tell Iron Man (Tony Stark) about the Godkiller outfit, Death's Head sets his sight on them, hoping to bag a huge bounty.

Review

This was another mediocre issue, and with last issue being good I hoped that the story/series would continue that way. It wasn't all bad though, and Kieron Gillen did a decent job, as there were still some very interesting points to this story. The thing that does bother me though is the fact that most of this story has been very slowly paced, and after one issue with a faster pace it slows right back down again, which was really disappointing. There was however some interesting set-ups, but I won't judge them till they pay off, as there have been some brilliant set-ups in previous issues, with only a few paying off. Gillen did however add some excitement, just not a lot, and next to no action, which was disappointing.

Greg Land returned as artist for this issue, and although I've been preferring Dale Eaglesham's art I have to say that Land did a very good job on this issue, and it's some of the best art I've seen from him in a long time. With there not being many reasons for smiling, as well as no female character's it eliminates the reasons I usually dislike Land's art, as there's no glamorous women, and no awkward smiles. Besides this Land did a great job at showing the character's expressions, and especially with Death's Head, who isn't easy to show emotion on. The detail was also brilliantly handled, with terrific backgrounds, and a dynamic layout, with Land overall really showing improvement.

Last issue saw 451 reveal the Godkiller outfit, and how Tony is destined to pilot it. Now the developments in this issue were very interesting, as although it slowed the issue down it gave brilliant set-up, which I hope pays off in the next issue or two. I am however not entirely sure whether or not I like the design of the outfit, as although I like the connection to the Celestials, it doesn't feel like an Iron Man suit, though I may change my mind in the next few issues.

Besides the Godkiller suit we also saw yet again the continued relationship between 451, and Tony, and how they disagree. It is however 451's actions that still puzzle me, as he's a real conundrum, seeming to be good, whilst having a bad vibe about him, at times seeming very selfish. The interaction between 451, and Tony also continued to show the dislike that Tony has for 451, and if this doesn't eventually end with the two fighting I'll probably be very disappointed.

This issue would also see the return of Death's Head, which was nice, adding yet more variables to the future of this story. Now although most of Death's Head's appearance in this issue was set-up, he did have some action, eventually finding 451, and Tony, showing bad intentions. It also had some explosive points, and if this is a sign of things to come, this story may be very interesting in the next few issues, but we'll wait and see. I also look forward to seeing exactly what role Death's Head will play in the rest of this story, and whether this is a short return or not.

Final Verdict

This issue was slightly disappointing, with the story returning to a slow pace. It did however have some interesting plot set-ups, as well as some interesting developments. I also had a bit of excitement, but little action, as well as some decent dialogue. I would only recommend this to anyone who's got the story/series so far, as you might as well to see where the story goes, but otherwise I'd recommend leaving this, and if the story gets better getting it in trade.

Rating: 3/5

Iron Man #12 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Dale Eaglesham

After initially dropping this series following the first story arc I am back for at least this story, as I couldn't miss an origin story. So far it's been interesting, but nothing startling, and I seriously hope that it improves soon.

Plot

As Tony Stark is being born his father Howard Stark has to go off with 451 and take care of the grey aliens, who know Tony's secret.

Review

This was probably the best issue I've read in this series, and certainly the best in this storyline so far. Kieron Gillen did a good job on this issue, giving us a very entertaining, and exciting comic, and although I wouldn't necessarily class it as a great Iron Man issue, especially considering Iron Man barley appears, it was still exciting, with interesting developments. I personally love how Gillen has been handling Howard, and how he's managed to cope through all of this, doing what's best for his family. There was also some good action, and interesting dialogue, and Gillen keeps making me more and more intrigued with this 451 character, who I originally disliked, as although I still don't like him, he is becoming a very interesting character, and I love how it's questionable whether he's a hero, or a villain.

The art from Dale Eaglesham continues to amaze me, and I have been loving his work on this story. The detail is fabulous, with next to no imperfections, and although his art isn't necessarily the best in the world, it is very smooth, and consistent, and overall is better than previous artist Greg Land's art. Land did however once again produce a great cover for this issue, which had brilliant colours from Guru Efx. Eaglesham's layouts were also brilliant, adding more depth, and drama to the issue, helping the story flow smoother. Eaglesham also handled the facial expressions perfectly, showing the character's emotions perfectly. The action was also handled perfectly, adding more excitement, and suspense to the issue, though I did question where Howard found the shotgun that he gave 451, as it appeared from nowhere.

As I said earlier the development of 451 has been one of the most interesting things about this story, and although the action was still probably the best thing about the issue, it was 451's development that interested me the most. In the sequences with Howard 451 seems like the most friendliest robot ever, with Howard thanking him, and kind of classing him as a friend. On the other hand with Tony he seems like a right dictator, and villain, using Tony for his own means, which shows a different light, and questions what type of character 451 really is, and I look forward to find out.

There was plenty of action in this issue, with Howard's team returning. I really enjoyed seeing the likes of Dum Dum Dugan, and Thunderbolt Ross in issue 10, but this time they were also used better, as although they didn't speak much, they were doing the tasks that they should be doing. I also loved seeing Nessa the Kitten, and The Bear in action, with the Bear being very entertaining, and exciting. The art from Eagleshham was probably what really helped with this though, as the character expressions really added more drama, and the action was very dynamic.

Whilst all this is going on the grey aliens are taking in the significance of what they've learned, whilst ultimately being off guard when Howard, and his gang arrive. Now the grey aliens aren't really that interesting, and their novelty wore off after the first issue they appeared in. It was however still interesting to see how they reacted to the news, as well as how they reacted to Howard, and his gang arriving to take them out. To be honest if it wasn't for the fact they were grey, and alien like they are very similar to most casino workers/owners, being very greedy, and power hungry, which was interesting as well.

Final Verdict

This was the best issue of the story so far, and probably the best in the series, and if not certainly one of them. It was however still not that good of an Iron Man issue, but it had plenty of action, and questions to make up for that, and the question over 451's character was probably the most interesting thing in the issue. I'd probably recommend this issue, especially to people who have been following the series, but to people looking for a great Iron Man story I'd advice caution.

Rating: 4/5

Iron Man #11 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Dale Eaglesham

This series has been far from brilliant, with a opening story that was that bad that it forced me to drop the series. I couldn't however miss this story though, even if it's poor, as being an Iron Man fan, I have to see what this secret origin is, and although the secret origin hasn't been brilliant so far, it does show promise.

Plot

Still not wanting to believe 451, Iron Man (Tony Stark) has to help save the spaceship that they're on. Also 451 helps Howard, and Maria Stark save the unborn Tony.

Review

This was yet another mediocre issue, and although the story so far isn't terrible, it's still to do anything to amaze me, and is very average. After reading the prelude issue I had faith that this may be a good story, and as although it was far from brilliant itself, the prelude did show some promise, and grabbed my interest. I do however have to give Kieron Gillen props for doing something different, and risky, it's just that I so hoped that the story would be much better by this stage, and although it's only two issues in, it feels like it's going to continue to progress at a snails pace. Gillen did however do a better job of some of the dialogue in this issue, making it much more natural, and when necessary funny, whereas there have been times in the last couple of issues were it's felt slightly generic, and predictable. Like what's been the case with most Iron Man issues I've reviewed, when I have one positive thing to say about an issue, there's at least one negative thing to counteract that. This is no different, as despite the slow pace, there wasn't a great deal happening in this issue, and although Gillen tackled the key development stage of the story, he didn't spend a lot of time developing anything else, which was a bit disappointing, and made the issue less exciting, and dynamic.

The art in this issue was once again great, with Dale Eaglesham doing an excellent job. To be honest Eaglesham being the artist on this storyline has probably been the best thing, as although Greg Land's art wasn't terrible, it had quite a few flaws, whereas Eaglesham's is much more natural looking, and all overall much better.The detail in Eaglesham's art was once again brilliant, and everything from the character's to the background looked perfect. The thing about Eaglesham's art that I probably love the most is his layouts. I've been enjoying them over the last few issues, but I think that it's the familiarity that makes it look better in this issue, as it really suits the tone of the story, giving a great retro feel, whilst also being modern. I've also loved how he's drawn the character's, and especially Tony, and Howard, as although you can clearly tell that they're different character's, you can also tell that they're related, which is essential, and Eaglesham shows this perfectly. Now the only piece of artwork in this issue that I wasn't sure on was when Land's cover was repeated half way through the issue. Now I'm not saying it was a bad cover, it's just that I don't really like it when the exact same image is repeated later in the issue, especially when it's a different artist than the one that's doing the interiors. In saying that it did suit the sequence, and was different, but I'll talk more on that a bit later.

Like the last issue in this storyline, this issue started with Tony talking with 451, and yet again not wanting to believe what he's saying. In fact this time round Tony has to help 451, by helping save the spaceship from an attack. Now as I said earlier, the dialogue was much better this time round, and although Gillen's gradually been showing the friction between Tony, and 451, you really got to see these two interact in a brilliant way, with some surprisingly amazing dialogue. What I probably liked most about this sequence was that you got to see that 451 was a deeper character than he's appeared so far, and although I'm still not won over to liking this character, he is becoming more interesting. There was also a brilliant reference in this when Tony says that 451 has a Commodore 64 for a brain, which was amusing.

We also got to see Tony interact with his A.I., P.E.P.P.E.R. Now P.E.P.P.E.R. was one of the few things that I loved about the series when I originally read it, and I was so hoping for the funny interactions it had with Tony. It does however look like the A.I. has grown up since I stopped reading, and the conversation was a bit dull, and predictable. I did however like that it was similar to what a conversation would be between Tony, and the real Pepper if she did something that would upset him as much as the A.I. has.

451 had a much bigger role in this issue than the last, as in the past he helps Howard save his unborn son. Now this was something that everyone probably saw coming, so it was no surprise, and I'm sure that this will have upset a lot of Iron Man fans. I'm more open to new things, and this small change in Tony's origin isn't enough for me to hate the story yet, but what I did find more interesting was the change in 451's attitude. Now in the last issue I said that his characteristics in the past were slightly different from how he's been acting in the present. Well this appears to change, and in this issue he seems much more like his current self, being much more pushy, and demanding, even if he does seem to want to help. Overall I actually liked this, and although it wasn't enough for me to rate this issue higher, I am looking forward to seeing this progressed throughout the story.

As I said earlier there was a double page spread of Land's cover showing the development of Tony now that 451's helping his development. Now as I said I wasn't sure if I was happy about the art being added, but I did love seeing the progression with the alien language next to it. Now I do know that this will probably upset fans, and it may still turn out to upset me, but this actually had me intrigued in the idea that Gillen is developing in this story, and although it's still miles of from being brilliant, it is something unique, and I look forward to seeing how Gillen develops this.

Final Verdict

Like the previous issues in this storyline, this issue was far from great, and was actually rather slow. The events that happened in the issue were interesting, and different, but the pacing problems really hurt the overall quality of the issue, and if the story continues to develop at this slow pace it won't be good. Like last issue I would recommend this to anyone already getting the series, or people who like origin stories, but otherwise I'd recommend waiting to see if the story picks up, as so far it's been very average.

Rating: 3/5

Iron Man #10 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Dale Eaglesham

I originally had high hopes for this series, but the first story, Believe was very poor, and I dropped the series. I have however decided to give this Secret Origins story a chance, and although the prelude wasn't brilliant, the story does have has potential.

Plot

After being immobilised by a mechanism called 451, Iron Man (Tony Stark) is forced to hear the story of how his father, Howard Stark, along with a group of friends went on a mission to save the unborn Tony.

Review

This wasn't a bad issue, and in fact is one of the better issues I've read in this series, but like all of Kieron Gillen's work on this series, it has it's flaws, and is far from brilliant. This issue was all over the place, and although there were good bit's, the start was a bit too rushed, which took away from it's tone, and pace. Gillen did however show some promise for the future of this storyline, as although it could still be a disaster, there are a lot of ways he can go which would make this a brilliant story. One of the main things I liked about Gillen's writing in this issue was that he stepped back on the humour, as although this hasn't been a humour based comic, there have been some references, and jokes that have just felt forced, so it was nice that this issue didn't have any of that. It also allowed for Gillen to add more emotion to the issue which was nice, as with the story centring around a father trying to save his unborn child, it was bound to have a lot of emotion in it, and although GIllen could have handled it better, he did do a decent job of it. Gillen also did a half decent job of making this issue dramatic at times, as although the pace at the start was all over the place, the rest of the issue was at times very dramatic, and exciting, and hopefully Gillen will manage to turn this into a good story.

The art from Dale Eaglesham was once again brilliant, and I'm very happy that he's doing the art on this story. As I've said in my previous reviews, the previous artist Greg Land's art wasn't terrible, and there were things I liked about it, but there are things that I hate about his art (way he draws women, and smiles mainly). Eaglesham's art, although not quite as nice looking is however much more consistent, which makes it much more appealing than Land's. The detail in Eaglesham's art is also something that put's his above Land's, as although Land's has some decent detail, it's not detailed to the level of Eaglesham's, which isn't far of perfect. The thing about Eaglesham's art that I loved the most however had to be the way he drew both the past, and the present, as although there wasn't a great deal of difference between the two, they had very different tone's, showing the time periods that they were in, which was perfect. I also loved the Eaglesham's layouts, and especially in the past sequences, as they were very unique, and made the story that much more dynamic. Eaglesham also drew both the character's, and the facial expressions perfectly as well, as you could really see what they were feeling by their expressions.

Following the video that 451 showed Tony at the end of the last issue, Tony is very shocked by what he's seen, not wanting to believe that 451 knew his father. I loved the emotion in this sequence, but it's not necessarily a great jumping on point for new readers, as there are a lot of people that may have missed the prelude that are opening this issue up, automatically getting confused, which is never a good thing about a comic. I did however enjoy the interaction between Tony, and 451, and although I'm still not fond of this new character, he is unique, and by the looks of things very powerful, which could be interesting in the future of the story.

When the story jumps to the past we see Howard, and Maria Stark having trouble trying to have a child, with their doctor saying that it's probably for the best. As I said earlier in my review, the way this started was a all over the place, which didn't give me as a reader the chance to have any feelings over these panels, and although you could see the emotion, and determination in Howard, it would have been so much better if it was either the amount of activities was shortened, or the sequence was slightly expanded. I also liked how Howard was willing to travel all over the place to find the answer to saving his son, and although I slightly questioned how he knew about places like the Eternal City, or of people like the High Evolutionary, I just settled for the assumption that he has connections.

During his quest to find the answers that will save his unborn child's life, Howard is pointed in the direction of a person in Nevada, who turns out to be a grey alien named Rollo, who looks like your stereotypical alien, that uses a image inducer to make him look human. The only thing I really questioned about this addition was whether Howard already knew that Rollo was an alien, as his change into alien form was very sudden, and Howard didn't seem too be all that shocked (although the first panel you only see the back of Howard so he may be shocked then). Besides all that I found Rollo very humorous, and in a good way, as although I said there wasn't much humour in this issue, this is the exception, and the humour was very appropriate for the sequence. The best thing about Rollo, and his involvement was however the fact that he worked as a casino named Area 52, which was a nice touch that I appreciated.

Although it was already established at the end of the last issue that 451 possibly knew Howard, this issue would continue this by showing them interact. I won't go into to much details on what happened as although it wasn't much, it would spoil the issue, I will say some of my thoughts. As I said I'm still not a fan of 451 as a character, so I didn't feel much of the character in this sequence. I did however notice that he seemed slightly different than before which was interesting, and I look forward to seeing if this is the case. I also question what involvement 451 will have in the birth of Tony, and if 451 has a bigger connection that he originally appeared to have. I look forward to seeing how this is developed, and hope Gillen produces something good.

The thing that interested me the most about this issue was when Howard had to bring a group together to help him complete heist. This just reminded me of Ocean's Eleven, which is probably what it was meant to do. Now I wasn't entirely sure if I loved the reference, as although I liked it, there was a small part of me that felt it was slightly cheesy. I did however love the team that Howard put together, especially considering some of the names that he enlisted. As it's been announced already in previous articles, I don't think it would be spoiling to mention the people involved, who are, Jimmy Woo, The Bear, Nessa the Kitten, Dum Dum Dugan, Thunderbolt Ross, and obviously Rollo. Now the big names that stuck out were Dum Dum, and Thunderbolt, but it was also nice to see the likes of Jimmy Woo added into the mix, which was nice. I also liked seeing the younger versions of Dum Dum, and Thunderbolt, and am looking forward to seeing them work with Howard in the future issues of this story.

Final Verdict

Although this wasn't a brilliant issue, it wasn't terrible, and was a half decent start to the series. The issue started at a weird pace, but following that it became very interesting, setting-up some interesting pieces which I personally look forward to seeing developed. I would recommend this to anyone who's getting the series, or like origin stories, but would air on the side of caution, as although it shows promise, it's not great yet, and could land up being a terrible story. Basically, if you're in no rush to get this I'd probably recommend waiting to see if the story gets any better.

Rating: 3/5

Iron Man #9 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Dale Eaglesham

Before this series started I had high hopes as Kieron Gillen did a brilliant job on Journey into Mystery, and a decent job on Uncanny X-Men, but since Marvel NOW! has seen him on new series, his work has became very poor, and I actually dropped this series after issue 5, and have only given it another shot sue to the story line (couldn't miss an Iron Man origin story, even if it turns out to be bad).

Plot

Iron Man (Tony Stark) hires an alien bounty hunter named Death's Head to track down a mechanism called 451, who he holds responsible for many deaths.

Review

This wasn't a bad issue, but it wasn't great either, and no better than the series was when I dropped it. The main reason I think this issue didn't appeal to me too much was that although being the start of a new story, it appears to continue from the previous story, which confused me at the start. I did however get into the issue, and kind of understood what I needed, so that doesn't really spoil the issue too much, but what did was the pacing. The entire first half of the issue was slow, and dull, and when I was wanting to open the issue, and get thrown right into a story that was either interesting, or exciting, or better both, I got none, and was thinking if this was a wise decision to get this issue. The second half was however exciting, and interesting, and the perfect prologue, to what I still hope is an amazing story. I also found the issue humorous at times, but some of the humour was just plain painful, and made me question why it was added, but I'll talk more on that later. Gillen did however somehow manage to add a bit of drama, as although the better part of this issue was dull, and slow, when it picked up, it was surprisingly very suspenseful, and dramatic, with a brilliant ending, which gives me hope for the story in the long run.

This issue sees the first time Greg Land hasn't worked on the series, as Dale Eaglesham's taking over artwork for at least this story. Now although there were things about Land's art that were horrifically painful (way he draws women, and smiles mainly) I didn't hate his art, but putting that aside, I do much prefer Eaglesham's art, and was glad to see him on this story. The detail in Eaglesham's art was amazing, as everything looked so perfect, and neat, whether small details, or large details. The only thing about Eaglesham's art that isn't better than Land's is that it's not as beautiful, but at the same time, it's also minus the annoying awkward expressions that come with that, and overall although not necessarily as pretty looking, it was still awesome, and I'd take that with the non-awkward facial expressions any day. Eaglesham's also did a fantastic job on both the scenery, and layout, as the layout added so much drama, and dynamic to the issue, whereas the scenery made it feel like the perfect sci-fi story, reminding me of the brilliant classic sci-fi movies from the 80's. I also loved how Eaglesham handled the facial expressions, as you could really see what the character's was feeling, seeing anger on Tony at one point, and even mischief from the mechanism 451 as well, which was wonderful, making the issue feel more alive, as well as more suspenseful, and dramatic.

Star-Lord from the Guardians of the Galaxy made an appearance in this issue, and to be honest I wasn't sure if this was a good thing, or a bad thing. Now as far as I'm aware this is the first appearance from any of the Guardians in this series, and although I've been loving the Guardians of the Galaxy series, which Brian Michael Bendis has been doing an amazing job on, I don't think it was the best idea to include them the now. Don't get me wrong I'd have loved to have said that this was an epic appearance, and that it was the right thing, as it's a good idea to show that Iron Man is part of the Guardians, it's just that I felt that this Star-Lord felt a bit different from the one Bendis has been writing, and that if this is anything to show of how Gillen would handle the Guardians I wouldn't ever want him working on the series. Although I'd still like the Guardians to make a decent cameo, or prolonged appearance in this series, but only if done right, and not forced, like this was.

In this issue Iron Man hires a bounty hunter named Death's Hand to track down a mechanism named 451. Now I don't know much about Death's Hand apart from the fact that he was created for the UK series, The Transformers. Now I actually didn't mind Death's Hand, and although he didn't do a great lot in this issue, he seemed very interesting, and at times humorous. There was however a bad bit of humour that was added as when Death's Hand asks if Iron Man code for killing doesn't include robots, Tony replies saying that some of his best friends are robots, and asks if that sounds robot racist. Now after initially thinking what, and why this was added I saw that it was an interesting addition, and that it probably will get some chuckles from the right audience, but I still overall found it painful, and couldn't get over the fact it was added in the first place.

Now The character that Death's Hand was hired to find was as I said a mechanism called, 451. Now I haven't read the last few issues, but by the looks of it 451 did something really bad in one of them issues, causing the deaths of innocents, which upset Iron Man. Now to be fair I can't really judge too much on 451 as a character as I haven't seen him prior to this issue, and he doesn't appear much in this issue, but I will say what I thought from this issue. Now 451 seemed like your typical robot/A.I. villain, but at the same time he seemed very unique, and interesting, and the interaction between him and Tony in this issue was entertaining, and although nothing special, it was dramatic. I also liked how 451 hacked Tony's suit, controlling his A.I. P.E.P.P.E.R., which made him seem more like a villain, and overall I look forward to seeing more of 451, and how he plays into this story.

When the issue finally got into the Secret Origin of Tony Stark I was hooked, and then disappointed that it only lasted a few pages, with not much to show. In saying that, this was probably what was so good about this, as with it being only a prologue you don't want it giving too much away, as anyone that skips this issue, getting the story from next would be mighty disappointed if the main story had actually started. I also think that giving little information, whilst still giving something makes for the perfect cliffhanger, as it has readers (me at least) hooked, and eager to read the next issue, which is what a prologue should really do.

Final Verdict

Although this series doesn't seem to have changed much since I dropped it, the set-up for the Secret Origin of Tony Stark story was very interesting, and although I'd have liked more of it, it was probably the right thing to give less. Besides this however the issue was very slow, and dull, with some good humour, and some terrible humour, and if it wasn't for the ending I wouldn't be optimistic for this storyline. I'd only recommend this to anyone that's either already getting this series, or likes are like me, and likes to get prologues to stories, as besides that it's better just to wait till the proper start in next issue, which I'm hoping will be amazing.

Rating: 3/5