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The Autobiography of Tony Stark Chapters 1 and 2
The current run of Invincible Iron Man has started off with a bang!
After losing his fortune buying dangerous weapons and taking them off of the black market, Tony Stark is left with just one suit of armor and an small apartment building in New York. A mysterious explosion that destroyed his building, injured his tenants, and left him facing the blame, as well as, the financial burden has sent Tony on a path of discovery and self reflection. After being poisoned at an Alcoholic’s Anonymous meeting and being attacked by The Living Laser, Tony, with the help of Iron Heart, realizes that someone has been impersonating Tony Stark and has been behind the mayhem of the last few days. With this revelation, Tony rushes to an old friend, a Stark International board member that Tony had in place as a failsafe should anyone in his company decide to start selling weapons again. However, Tony is too late and his friend is found dead of a suspicious suicide…
The Autobiography of Tony Stark Chapter 3
Issue 3 picks up at the scene of the crime and immediately jumps into a flashback, one in which Tony Stark is sporting his signature pencil thin mustache and ’80’s mullet. One of the things I’m loving about this series so far is that it is playing out like a love letter to 1980’s Iron Man stories. The flashback in this issue takes the reader to the days of Armor Wars with Iron Man being referred to as Tony Stark’s body guard, Rhodey in a War Machine inspired helicopter, and of course the inclusion of The Raiders, a forgettable group of armor clad adversaries from the era.
In the present Iron Man teams up with War Machine to dig deeper into the mystery of who is impersonating Tony Stark, an investigation that leads to an impressive action sequence and leaves the reader on a satisfying cliff hanger and the wish that the next issued was already in hand!
Writing and Artwork
Gerry Duggan is showing, with each issue, that he has an understanding of Tony Stark. Not only in his excellent flashbacks, but in Tony’s inner monologue, Duggan’s writing is top notch. On top of a firm grip on the character of Tony Stark/Iron Man, the mystery that is being laid out for the reader is one that would keep me coming back each month even if I weren’t an avid Iron Man fanboy! Juan Frigeri’s art mixed with Bryan Valenza’s colors make this book a treat to behold and Kael Ngu’s visceral and gritty covers draw the eye of even those who would never normally pick up an Iron Man comic!
Final Thoughts
While this series is a continuation of the previous run, it is a great jumping on point for new readers. With an easy to follow narrative and a heavy emphasis on Iron Man’s past, this is a great way to familiarize yourself with Iron Man from Marvel Comics. One flaw in previous Iron Man books of the last fifteen years is that, in an effort to cater to new fans, the comics have emulated the portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man from the MCU. While Robert Downey Jr.’s performace was legendary, new readers were missing out on decades of history and character development. I’m happy to see the comics swinging back towards the Tony Stark of old in recent years and I’m hopeful that readers, new and veteran, will enjoy this series as much as I have been.
So far, The Invincible Iron Man has been a great addition to the Iron Man legacy and I cannot wait to see what Duggan and Co have in store for the rest of this series!
