While I may have gotten to know Brian Michael Bendis through his writing of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, I’ve really grown to love him even more in these first five issues of Invincible Iron Man. These first five issues have been rock solid: the story is tight, Tony Stark’s wit is sharp and David Marquez’s art is some of the best to be seen in the All New, All Different Marvel.
Invincible Iron Man #5 begins where the previous issue left off, smack dab in the middle of Mary Jane Watson’s new Chicago club. Also, smack dab in the middle of a stand-off between a mystically empowered Madame Masque and the unlikely team of Iron Man and the recently unscarrified Victor Von Doom (if you haven’t read Secret Wars #9, check it out to find out more on that) who seems to truly be turning over an all new, all different leaf.
Mary Jane Watson is caught right in the middle of the action. Most of her dialogue in this title reflect the fact that no matter where she goes she seems to be unable to get away from super heroes and the destruction that inevitably follows them. She does, however, get a good lick in once the fighting starts, letting us now that she’s not going to take it standing idly by. Unfortunately for her, she’s the only one in the (evacuated) room that doesn’t have super-powers (or at least a super-
powered suit of armor). Luckly, said super-power-armor-suited billionaire playboy Tony Stark isn’t going to let a civilian get zapped by any super-villains today.
Readers also discover that Madame Masque isn’t just weilding the mystic energy from the ancient items she’s been gathering, she’s been possessed by a demon that has used her lack of knowledge of said mystic powers in an attempt to break into the “real” world. It’s up to Stark’s tech and Doom’s magic to prevent that at all costs. Marquez gives us some amazingly kinetic scenes throughout the fight. In this action-packed issue, there isn’t a wasted panel.
The issue ends with Stark offering Mary Jane a job as his… well, it kinda’ sounds like he wants her to be his new Pepper Potts. Readers of Iron Man titles, past and present, know that, like Wolverine, Tony has a thing for red heads. The conversation between Mary Jane and Tony seems to have quashed the idea that the two will be romantically linked and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. I have to admit that some part of me hopes that Peter and MJ will find a way to get together again, despite knowing that the likelihood of that event is rather slim.
Invicible Iron Man has been a consistantly great comic and it’s really made me appreciate what’s been done in the All-New All-Different Marvel Universe. Bendis does, in my opinion, for Iron Man here what he did for Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe and has breathed new life into the character. It’s obvious that Bendis and Marquez are a great team, having done some really stunning work together with Miles Morales, and I for one can’t wait to see what they have in store for Iron Man.
Comments