Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The Invincible Iron Man #12

This just keeps getting better and better.

I'm not a huge fan of the whole Dark Reign thing, probably because I don't like the idea of the bad guys winning, but at least in this issue of The Invincible Iron Man we see a hero fighting back against the plans of Norman Osborn.

For those who came in late, Tony Stark has been declared a fugitive, so everyone's looking for him - both good guys and the bad guys who work for (or with) Osborn.

That leaves Tony on the run, moving from one hidden lair to another, and generally having to fight every step of the way.

This issue features a great matchup, as Iron Man fights Namor the Sub-Mariner. Over the decades these two have had some entertaining knock-down drag-out fights, and this one joins the ranks.

They match up well - raw physical power versus mechanical ingenuity - and they're both on the pompous side, so it's fun to see their egos collide.

While all that's going on, we also see Pepper Potts learning to use Tony's gift - a new suit of "Iron Maiden" armor.

The art is fantastic, and Salvador Larroca seems to get better with each issue. The same is true for writer Matt Fraction, who hasn't hit a sour note yet.

If only the rest of the Dark Reign books would follow suit!

Grade: A-

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