IRON MAN #5 (MARVEL COMICS)
Welcome to the world of Advanced Iron Man!
Madame Masque and A.I.M. have gone to great lengths to find the next Tony Stark. This has meant kidnapping top entrants in Stark’s awards for the brightest minds. Adam Ware was the winner of the competition. His prize was being tortured and forced to find a way to be the heir apparent.
Stark has found his way onto A.I.M.’s ship for the rescue. His luck has run out with Ware gravely injured and the Fixer assuming the mantle of A.I.M.’s armored assailant.
IRON MAN #5 by Joshua Williamson, Jan Bazaldua, Carmen Carnero, Nolan Woodard, & Joe Caramagna (MARVEL COMICS) concludes its’ thrilling opening arc.
Let’s take a deeper dive into Stark’s latest challenge.
IRON MAN #5 by Joshua Williamson, Jan Bazaldua, Carmen Carnero, Nolan Woodard, & Joe Caramagna (MARVEL COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Williamson lets loose on the action for this last stand. Fixer’s monologue is pure villainy. It allows Stark to counter in the only manner he knows. The writing sees him taunting Fixer with his own style and wits. It’s a natural Stark reaction as he has no armor. This allows a new side of the hero to peak out. The moment reminds readers there actually is a man underneath the iron.
Seeing Stark admit this grounds the hero to connect with. This allows for a turning point in the conflict. Williamson sets this moment up perfectly. It allows the story to shift without losing momentum. Readers watch as one more face-off comes to surface. Its’ conclusion is a bit more puzzling looking at the overall schemes. This moves events to a solid finish. Events wrap but not before being upstaged by a superb epilogue. This changes everything leading into a future uncertain. Excellent work.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
Carnero & Woodard hit readers with a brief recap before diving head first into the deep end. A storng near full shot welcomes the new Iron warrior into battle. The first strike feels larger than life. It leads to Stark’s determined look to carry onward. Watching Tony stare back into his own helmet adds before his noble distraction.
The flashback sequences hit the bullseye due to Woodard’s coloring. It gives support to Tony’s wild plan. This spins into a fast-moving pace to wrap up one conflict. Another becomes more personal. The expressions shown tell a story of their own. Readers watch as a full shot of Iron Man in the air caps off the last showdown. The fallout leads to quieter panels before ushering in a solid two page splash finish.
Bazaldua takes over for the surprise epilogue. Images are very bold as a new threat presents itself. A full page attack makes a loud statement before closing events with an exclamation point!
FINAL GRADE: 9.3
Tony Stark must find the man inside the armor to defeat A.I.M.’s latest challenge. Williamson delivers on a thrilling finish to the arc. The art teams gift readers with superb work to close out events with. Buckle in for an instant classic run of the Armored Avenger!
Let me know your thoughts on IRON MAN #4 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
