IRON FROST #3 – The Ultimate Sacrifice

Creative Team – Cavan Scott, Ruairi Coleman, Yen Nitro, VC’s Ariana Maher

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up with Iron Frost #2 here!

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The Story

This comic will be reviewed by Nerd Initiative’s very own Derek and Megan!

Megan – The Iron King will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even if they destroy everyone around him. That rang true in Iron Frost #2 when The Iron King destroyed Rhodey, father figure to Landslide and best friend to Tony. Now, in Iron Frost #3, we see how truly unhinged The Iron King is when it comes to handling things his way.

Before Rhodey died, his electronic pulses weakened the stasis fields, bringing in rogue test subjects that only have one plan in their mind, to attack. With Landslide devastated and enraged, Emma, who’s confused and disheartened, and The Iron King, who doesn’t care about the other two, have to fight off the test subjects while staying alive. It seems the only person who would be able to help is Tony, but he’s gone, isn’t he? Maybe, maybe not.

Cavan Scott brought an emotional and action heavy ending to this excellent miniseries in Iron Frost #3. We see so many different tonal changes, especially from Emma, that brings so much depth to the already exciting story. What I loved about this story is that you truly have no idea what’s going to happen next. I definitely didn’t expect the ending, but it ended on a huge note that felt larger than life. Hats off to Cavan Scott for making his mark in the Age of Revelation in the biggest of ways.

Derek – This emotional gut punch of this issue could not have been more expertly written. Following the last issue, seeing the thing that was once Tony Stark obliterating his best friend without remorse, Cavan Scott ramped up the despair and heartbreak. Each page in this issue is dripping with sadness and the impossible task set before the characters. Scott does a wonderful job of making the reader care about these relationships, and that is not always an easy thing to do in the middle of a larger event.

The Art

Derek – This artwork is exciting and incredibly engaging. While the script had to convey the depth of the relationship between Tony and Emma, the art had to show the urgency and impossibility of the task at hand. The detail and intense, overwhelming odds that the characters are faced with are perfectly encapsulated by this excellent art team.

Megan – The artwork of Iron Frost #3 was as exciting as the storyline was, and that’s saying a lot. Thanks to Ruairi Coleman, Iron Frost #3 was full of thrilling action panels, excellently detailed pages, and a perfect portrayal of the heightened emotions throughout the comic. Yen Nitro, the colorist of the comic, brings so much depth to the pages with the beautiful array of juxtaposing colors that make the characters practically pop off the page. Ariana Maher goes over and beyond with their work in the lettering, making you feel the coldness of The Iron King or the devastation from Landslide. Together, the artists truly deserve all their flowers for the amazing work they’ve done!

Final Thoughts

Derek – 9/10 – Iron & Frost is a beautiful story of loss and sacrifice that pulls at the heartstrings, especially if you are familiar with Iron Man and Emma Frost’s history. The art and script blend to deliver a wonderful story. However, the lack of a definitive end to that story keeps this just shy of being a perfect issue.

Megan – 9/10. Iron Frost was beautiful in the saddest of ways, showing the true devastation of the X-Virus. Cavan Scott and the creative team knocked it out of the park consistently throughout the miniseries.

Overall Grade – 9/10

Let us know in the comments what you think of Iron Frost #3!

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