Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares (v. 1) [Hardcover]

Matt Fraction (Author), Salvador Larroca (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: 4 and up

Tony Stark - Iron Man, billionaire industrialist, and director of S.H.I.E.L.D. - faces the most overwhelming challenge of his life. Ezekiel Stane, the son of Tony's late business rival and archenemy Obadiah, has set his sights, his genius, and his considerable fortune on the task of destroying Tony Stark and Iron Man. What's worse, he's got Iron Man tech, and he's every bit Iron Man's equal and opposite - except younger, faster, smarter, and immeasurably evil! Rising-star writer Matt Fraction (Immortal Iron Fist) and superstar artist Salvador Larroca (Uncanny X-Men) join forces to repulsor-ray your comic books to a cinder! Collects Invincible Iron Man #1-6.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (December 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785134611
• ISBN-13: 978-0785134602
• ASIN: 0785134603
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #650,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Before joining Marvel Comics, writer Matt Fraction had already established his reputation as an emerging new talent with his work on Last of the Independents. Fraction's tale of a bank robbery gone wrong earned him a coveted "A" grade from Entertainment Weekly, as well as interest from Marvel. After taking on a short story assignment in the anthology title X-Men Unlimited, Fraction was handpicked to launch two of Marvel's biggest projects for 2006: Punisher War Journal with artist Ariel Olivetti, and Immortal Iron Fist, with co-writer Ed Brubaker and artist David Aja. Both series met with overwhelming critical and fan acclaim, selling out their respective first issues within days of release. This led to two even bigger projects: The launching of Invincible Iron Man, a high-profile first issue premiering the same month as the blockbuster film; and Uncanny X-Men, written in tandem with Immortal Iron Fist partner Brubaker. In addition to his Marvel work, Fraction writes Casanova, an off-beat series illustrated by Gabriel Bá which recently moved to Marvel's Icon imprint. He is also a talented filmmaker and graphic designer, heading up the MK12 firm with a worldwide client base that includes Adidas, MTV and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Fraction remains one of Marvel's most popular writers; other credits include The Order and Thor: Ages of Thunder.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a Marvel Comic Accessible to New and Old Fans Alike, March 4, 2009

By 

Andrew Shaffer "Author, Blogger" (Iowa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares (v. 1) (Hardcover)

Matt Fraction stated that his goal with this series was to make it accessible to new fans (from the movie) while maintaining hardened fanboys' interests. Mission accomplished.

While the Extremis-powered armor may be different, the book reads as a descendent of the movie. (How cool would it be to see an Extremis upgrade in "Iron Man II"?) Pepper Potts, Rhodey, and an evil Stane are all onhand. Spider-Man even swings by for a done-in-one chapter, where Fraction provides ample evidence that single-issue comics aren't dead. This entire book has emotional weight, which is something that had been sorely missing from the now-defunct "Iron Man" series.

The only complaint, already mentioned by another reviewer, is that the Joe Quesada cover pales in comparison to the interior art and original serialized covers. Quesada may be Marvel's best editor-in-chief since Jim Shooter, but isn't there someone on staff who could have vetoed this ugly cover?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining and fun Iron Man yarn, February 4, 2009

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares (v. 1) (Hardcover)

Iron Man gets another starring title with Invincible Iron Man; a title that is more akin to the old, fun loving, pre-Civil War character we all know and love. The Five Nightmares finds Tony Stark's life as Iron Man having more havoc wreaked upon it, this time by Ezekiel Stane, the son of Tony's old rival Obadiah, the Iron Monger. Ezekiel is brilliant in his own right, and has his own tech that may even surpass Tony's, leading to the inevitable smackdown. Written by rising star Matt Fraction (Immortal Iron Fist, Punisher: War Journal), Invincible Iron Man: The Five Nightmares is a thoroughly entertaining and fun ride while it lasts. There's a number of odes to Iron Man mythology and the smash hit film as well (the fans of which this is obviously geared towards), and there's solid artwork from longtime X-Men artist Salvador Larroca. All in all, Invincible Iron Man gets off to a very good start, and if you're an Iron Man fan in the least, The Five Nightmares is definitely worth your time.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable tip of the hat to the movie., January 17, 2009

By 

Obviously "stark1039" (PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares (v. 1) (Hardcover)

Iron Man has been getting battered around a lot lately in the Marvel universe and Matt Fraction was given the helm of a new Iron Man book to deliver a high-action atmosphere in the vein of the movie. Though not completely successful since Fraction has been forced to hang onto the foibles that Marvel has placed on the Golden Avenger's shoulders his first story arc is an interesting romp that adds elements to ease movie fans into Iron Man comics.

The story faces Iron Man off against Ezekial Stane, the son of former business rival Obidiah Stane, the super villain later known as Iron Monger who is defeated in the classic Iron Man Vol 1. #200 and the movie's star bad guy. Using Stark's stolen technology he arms a new generation of terrorists and transforms himself into a sort of living Iron Man, a sort of Iron Monger 2.0. He makes a great, if not mildly generic villain (I'm getting sick of terrorists, I know you're trying to be topical and everything Marvel but give us some good old super villains without making them as lame as you have been recently). The old Armor Wars stolen technology yarn may be classic but it's getting a little tired, and the ending is a bit of a cop-out with a few logic gaps.

The subject matter is a bit heavy with violent terrorist attacks and a high body count so it might be wiser for parents to look into the Marvel Adventures Iron Man trade paperbacks if you want to get something for the little ones who are newly into Iron Man.

Pepper Potts also plays a dramatic role and grows closer to Tony than ever before in another obvious nod to the movie. Fraction's Tony Stark rectifies some of the problems I've personally been having with Iron Man recently and the epilogue hints at a Tony that's turning back into his old self. It's not quite a classic Iron Man arc but it's a good one, especially if you're a fan of the movie and a neophyte when it comes to the comics though I would recommend reading "Extremis" first.

Another complaint is that they chose Quesada's lousy art for the cover (gee I wonder why) instead of some of the completely awesome covers they could have used.