Comic Related - If It's Comic Related, You'll Find It Here!

Bill Gladman on the issue

I've got to say I love it when an old school Marvel book like Iron Man becomes as hot as this book has become in these last few months. I find the character much more deserving of the following that has slowly been developing since the latest relaunch.. Much more so than the following generated by other "flavor of the month" characters that pop up on the comic shelves and some how find their way over to the cash register over and over again.

In recent months Iron Man has become one of the three hottest books at our store in Springfield Ohio...the other two being Thor and one of those books with that with that mouthy red and black guy in it, I can't remember which one. And I have to come clean and admit I'm not a big Iron Man fan or Thor for that matter. I have about 100 issues of each title in the collection and honestly think I already have the best stuff. I don't buy either book. As far as Iron Man goes I read my brother's copies.

But talking about the books that came out this week that I read, Iron Man was in a word, Invincible.

Matt Fraction has been at his best on this title, building it up slowly since issue #1 (again not a big Matt Fraction fan). But this stuff has been pretty impressive. The last 6 issues of this title has been some of the best spot on story telling available to the comic buyer consumer today with a solid mix of story and art that almost feels cinematic. With this issue Fraction concludes the "Stark Disassembled" story very nicely and in award winning fashion. This story shows us exactly what it would take for Tony Stark and Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson to become friends and allies once more.

And it made sense.

Nobody punched the walls of space and time, nobody made a deal with the Devil. This was just a good story that was well thought out and executed just right. Something that long time readers could buy into because it felt so right, so in character. And at the same time...if you have only recently been reading Iron Man the pay off is there as well.

Fraction gets extra coolness points for issue #24 for really writing very strong stuff involving a throw down with Dr. Strange and the Ghost. I'll add those to the coolness points he's already earned by making me really like and care about the characters of Maria Hill and Pepper Potts.

Say what you will about Marvel comics in general but I believe that Iron Man is one of the books that if you took the time to read...no matter what you're a fan of...you couldn't book the book down without saying.

"Wow, that was pretty damn good."

Try it yourself and see if I'm right.

Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca
Colors: Frank D'Armata
Letters: Jason Paz
Cover: Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel Comics

STARK: DISASSEMBLED comes to its conclusion! The Ghost vs. Maria Hill and Pepper Potts, alone inside an empty middle school! Tony Stark and Dr. Strange vs. the end of the world, alone inside the shattered recesses of Tony's once-great mind! After what might as well have been the entirety of the Marvel Universe coming together to get Iron Man back on his feet, can Tony himself run the last mile alone?What's left of a man after you take him apart? Rated A

PRICE: $2.99
IN STORES: March 3, 2010