About Heroes

Author: Matt Fraction
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colors: Stephane Peru & Frank D’Armata

It’s been a long time since we’ve reviewed an Iron Man book here at Aboutheroes. Even though the Knauf brother’s storylines have been really good, for some reason we just talked about the book on the podcast. I really didn’t think there was a need for another Iron Man title, considering the ongoing doesn’t fly off the shelves. But, with a number 1 movie in the world, I figured it would happen sooner or later. This book happens to be Stephane Peru’s last interior colors before he shockingly passed away of a heart attack at the age of 26.

It seems that Tony’s has five nightmares and some are coming to life: 1) Drinking alcohol again after six years of sobriety. 2) The Iron Man armor becoming replicable. 3) Someone other than him or Rhodey will operate the Iron Man. 4) The Iron Man becoming disposable. 5) Someone else other than him making Iron Man 2.0. The issue also focuses on Obadiah Stane’s son Ezekiel, who seems to be a new kind of threat to Stark Enterprises.

Since taken over SHIELD and leading the Mighty Avengers it seems that Iron Man has become more of an authoritarian figure in the Marvel universe, but in this book we get to see more of the lighter side of Tony’s qualities. I love how anyone can just pick up this book and enjoy it. Fraction does an amazing job of touching all the important aspects of Tony’s life from SHIELD to booze and women. Instead of following the main title storyline, the book really does its own thing. This is the Tony Stark that I used to like in my childhood. Not the poorly written piece of evil dictator that Mark Millar wrote him to be. I love the use of Pepper Potts, just the way she was intended to be used in the shortly lived, but great series The Order.

I have been a fan of Larroca’s artworks for years. To me his best work is still in X-treme X-men when he didn’t have an inker and the colors were done right on top of his pencils. He is a very fast and talented artist and has a complete understanding on the way the human body/muscles work. Which brings me to the next point….is it just me or does he seem like he is pulling a Greg Land on some of these pictures and using a light-box? Some of his panels have that photographic style that Land is notorious for over-using and it doesn’t seem like the usual Larroca stuff. I put a page on the left hand side as an example of his possible use of light-boxing. However, the Iron Man armor and action sequences are completely Larroca. The colors are completely amazing and D’Armata does a perfect job finishing Peru’s pages.

Overall, a great first issue for long time readers and a good jumping on point for new readers that are interested in the character. Even though I don’t see the need for another Iron Man series, it’s one that I will be reading monthly. A