Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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?

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.

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.

I was very pleased with this book. Just what was wanted. Delivered as stated to me. I will certainly use this vendor again!

Iron Man can be a tough character to write. While inside the suit it's too easy to forget about the man inside, and outside the suit it just doesn't feel like enough superhero action. After all, Tony Stark isn't James Bond. Clothes do make the hero. Many of Marvel Comics' most skilled writers have taken a run at the Golden Avenger at one time or another, but Matt Fraction seems to have stepped out of the wings and written the perfect Iron Man graphic novel in The Five Nightmares.

This graphic novel is the perfect blend of Tony Stark/Iron Man's world. It's a combination technological/cutting-edge science/political intrigue/human story that mixes all the elements of this superhero into a concoction I haven't seen in the comic in a long time. The way Fraction sets up the story feels like a thriller movie. It moves into high gear within the first few pages, and the story stakes continue to rise at a meteoric rate.

I loved the opening sequence and the introduction to Iron Man 2.0. Wonderful stuff, and it kept me on the edge of my seat as the backstory was laid out. Even more to the point, this new villain has seeds planted from an old one. Ezekiel Stane is the son of Obediah Stane, also known as the Iron Monger to the movie fans.

The book kind of compiles the comics world with the world created for the movie, and the hybrid offers the best of all worlds. The Director of SHIELD role plays extremely well in this story arc as well. Tony's shop looks a lot like the one in the movie, but Stark Industries has the techno-feel to it that comics fans are familiar with.

Ezekial Stane is a great antagonist. As Tony acknowledges, Ezekial is smarter, faster, younger, and lethally brilliant with everything he knows and can create. I felt the menace of this guy the first time he stepped onto the page, and his ability to create wanton destruction and recover is amazing.

I also liked the secondary characters in the story. Pepper Potts is Tony's perfect Girl Friday and even stands her ground when other women are looking down on her. The injury she suffers was interesting, as is Tony's reaction and solution to it. I enjoyed the byplay between Tony and his SHIELD counterpart, and the sterling explanation of why the Iron Man armor can't be mass-produced to outfit the United States military. It also ensures that Iron Man will be one of a kind for the foreseeable future, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I loved the story and the resolution, but I particularly enjoyed the stand-alone issue that shows up in the aftermath. Spider-Man and Iron Man cross paths as Tony's trying to put everything back to rights, and we get to see a side of both characters that ties into who they are when they're not busy being superheroes saving the world.

I'm kind of on the fence regarding Salvador Larroca's art. I think his layouts are brilliant but I don't think I'm a fan of the ultra realistic approach. The photographic aspect threw me out of the story a few times, but the action sequences are dead on and really lend to the thriller feel.

Overall, if you haven't read Iron Man in a while, this is a graphic novel to come home to. And if you're a new fan because of the movie, this is a great jumping on spot for those of you willing to read adventures while waiting for the next movie.

I'm starting to lose track of how many times the Iron Man series has been rebooted in recent years. The storyline collected in The Five Nightmares covers issues #1-7 of the 2008 Invincible Iron Man series, and is written by Matt Fraction with illustration by Salvador Larroca.

In The Five Nightmares, we're introduced to Ezekiel Stane, son of the deceased Obadiah Stane (a.k.a. Iron Monger). The younger Stane is the very definition of a twisted genius, and has embarked on a full-fledged "bleeding edge" technological campaign of terror aimed at, you guessed it, Tony Stark. For the first time since the classic Iron Man: Armor Wars saga, Iron Man has to deal with rogue Stark technology being used to harm and kill innocents.

This is the first story I've read by Matt Fraction (Uncanny X-Men, Punisher War Journal), but it won't be the last. He successfully weaves a story that acknowledges past Iron Man continuity as well as incorporating some of the elements that made the Iron Man movie so effective. The action is intense, and the pacing barely gives you a moment to catch your breath. Fraction's dialogue is sharp as well, borrowing a page from Warren Ellis.

The artwork is every bit as impressive as the writing, if not more so. I've been an admirer of Salvador Larroca's work for more than a decade, and he really outdid himself here, delivering the best-illustrated Iron Man arc since Adi Granov's painted pages. The digital coloring has a lot to do with that, I'm sure, but this might be Larroca's best work to date.

Between the fast-paced action, sharp dialogue and gorgeous artwork, The Five Nightmares is easily the best Iron Man collection since Iron Man Vol. 1: Extremis. It's a must-read for long time Iron Man fans, and is actually a pretty decent "jumping on" point for new readers as well.

This book presents Invencible Iron Man, the perfect new and fresh presentation of this hero, the come back of the Stane family, this is a must have.

I gained an interest in Iron Man after seeing the 2008 movie, around the same time my interest in comics was accelerating. By the time I got around to reading this ongoing series, the first arc was already done, and had quite a bit of buzz surrounding it. Heralded as a great companion for the movie, I was anxious to dig into this book, but did not get my hands on it until recently. I was quite disappointed.
The story, by Matt Fraction, is solid. I waited to get into this book after reading the Civil War and Secret Invasion events, just so I could get a firm background knowledge on all of the Marvel characters, specifically this one. Fortunately, for new fans, this is not necessary. All you have to know is that Tony Stark is the current director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (as opposed to the movie where S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't mentioned until the end.) Fraction does a great job of establishing the character of Tony Stark for this new series while not boring familiar fans with redundancies. The plot is exciting and all the characters are well rounded.
So why the disappointment?
The art is very inconsistent. Sal LaRocca renders the Iron Man suit effectively. When Iron Man is in flight (or a fight), it feels exciting and matches the quality action we saw the movie. D'Armata's coloring in these scenes is very well done also. The real problem I have with the art is the appearance of the human characters and settings. I can't tell if artist LaRocca or colorist D'Armata is to blame for this. It seems like the illustrations of people are based on photographs (Stark looks a lot like Sawyer from LOST.) But this doesn't work as well as it could (Tony Harris on Ex Machina really pulls this off) It seems that LaRocca under-details his drawings, leaving D'Armata to round out the portraits. Unfortunately, this means modeling the figures with muddy colors and excessive bright highlights on the faces that don't match the amount of light sources of the settings. Additionally, the characters tend to look inconsistent, and even the style of illustration seems to change from panel to panel. The backgrounds also seem to be photographs, which comes across as lazy, and causes awkward contrast with the ink lined figures.
It is a shame that Marvel chose Sal LaRocca for this series, and it seems like he is going to stick around for a while. I tried to like the art on this book, because this story (and the current ongoing arc "World's Most Wanted") is one worth telling. It's just too bad that it's so hard to look at.