THIRD EYE SERIES SPOTLIGHT: INVINCIBLE IRON MAN by FRACTION & LAROCCA

THIRD EYE SPOTLIGHT

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN (ongoing series, MAY 2008-Present)

By Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca

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Good comics should be read. In fact, we want you to read good comics. We want your friends to read good comics. We want EVERYBODY to read good comics, because that means only one thing: more good comics will get made. At the end of the day, it's the readers who decide what succeeds, and what doesn't, and we feel, as your self-appointed comic missionaries, it's our duty to call attention to just plain ol' good comics.

Nothing stands out as a more shining example of this than the incredible run Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca have had on INVINCIBLE IRON MAN. Issue #22 just arrived this week, and it proves that this series just continues to get better with every issue. The funny thing is, two or three years ago, I was not an Iron Man fan. I tried to get into the book, I really did, but I just couldn't get into the character. The Layton/Michelini stuff was before my time, and while Kurt Busiek's run was solid, I still couldn't get the character to click for me. I did really dig the Iron Man EXTREMIS storyline by Ellis, but again, that was short-lived. Now, maybe you could chalk this up to the incredible timing of releasing INVINCIBLE IRON MAN alongside the killer IRON MAN movie, but this book hooked me from issue 1. In fact, I think that INVINCIBLE IRON MAN, as a series, is a perfect example of Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios achieving a rare, synergy of perfection. The Iron Man movie reminded everyone why Iron Man was cool, and then Fraction and Larocca picked up the ball, and ran with it, and showed everyone why Iron Man comics were cool.

The series kicks off with an accessible storyline that anyone, whether you've followed Iron Man regularly, or you've never read him before, can enjoy. The use of Ezekiel Stane (Obadiah Stane's son) is a great gateway bridging what you're familiar with from the movie into the world of the comics. The trick though, is they're able to make this happen without it being a heavy-handed "we're trying to link the comics up to the movie" approach. It feels very natural, and organic. The first story arc serves as a way to re-introduce us to Iron Man, bring us up to speed quick on the character, and then kicks off into a high-octane arc where Ezekiel Stane is trying to destroy Stark Industries. From there on, we see classic Iron Man villains, and supporting cast re-introduced to readers, leading up to the next story arc featuring a Tony Stark that's on the run, and a Pepper Potts that's donned the "Iron Woman" armor.

The sublime fusion of Fraction's stellar fast-paced storytelling, and Larocca's realistic art makes the book a really enjoyable read. Fraction is able to play up the high concept technology idea of Iron Man, while grounding it in reality enough to keep the story from feeling like a technical manual. Of course, what makes any comic good is the level of characterization, and that's one thing Fraction nails from the get go, as you can almost hear Robert Downy Jr saying some of the lines that Tony Stark uses in Invincible Iron Man. He manages to make the villains believable, the supporting cast important, and most importantly, emphasize the huMAN part of IRON MAN. It's this kind of characterization that helps us as readers believe, and care about characters that're hidden behind iron masks, and cybernetic technology. There's also a very cool, yet subtle futurist bent to Fraction's writing, where a lot of the technology and ideas are things that you could actually visualize happening in the future. Balance this out with bigger than life Marvel magic, and some over-the-top supervillains, and you have the perfect recipe for a great technology-driven superhero title.

We can't forget about Larocca's artwork either though, which is fine-tuned to a science now. He manages to deliver some of the most gorgeous, realistic looking art on this series, yet when it comes to the fight sequences, and big action moments, he knows how to turn it up a notch or two, so you can almost hear the sounds of metal crunching, and smell the burning air surrounding a repulsor blast. Larocca's art is the best kind, as it's so good at what it does, that you barely notice it. What I'm saying is that it doesn't distract from the story, or pull you out of the fine tale that Fraction's weaving, and then when you actually see those bigger than life moments, you actually stop and say WOW.

Invincible Iron Man is currently an ongoing series, with no signs of the current creative team (Fraction and Larocca) leaving anytime soon. It is 22 issues in, and there are three collections available so far, collecting the run up to issue 19. If you're looking to get caught up on the series, here's a look at what you'd need to start:

• INVINCIBLE IRON MAN Volume 1: THE FIVE NIGHTMARES TRADE PAPERBACK (collecting issues 1-6), only $19.99, and now in stock here at Third Eye!


• INVINCIBLE IRON MAN Volume 2: WORLD'S MOST WANTED BOOK ONE TRADE PAPERBACK (collecting issues 8-13), only $14.99, and now in stock here at Third Eye!


• INVINCIBLE IRON MAN Volume 3: WORLD'S MOST WANTED BOOK TWO HARDCOVER *softcover coming soon* (collecting issues 14-19), only $19.99, and now in stock here at Third Eye!


• INVINCIBLE IRON MAN Back Issues - We currently have nearly all the back issues of this run going all the way back to issue #1, all in stock, and available!


• INVINCIBLE IRON MAN: STARK DISASSEMBLED Parts 1,2,3 - Want to jump onto the current story arc? Invincible Iron Man #20 is the beginning of STARK DISASSEMBLED, and then we have up to the most recent (#22), all available.

Other Killer Iron Man Reads

IRON MAN: EXTREMIS by WARREN ELLIS AND ADI GRANOV - A stellar six issue reinvention of the Armored Avenger, and his powers. Very cool, very sci-fi. Available now at Third Eye!

IRON MAN: DEMON IN A BOTTLE Hardcover by BOB LAYTON, DAVID MICHELINIE and JOHN ROMITA JR, CARMINE INFANTINO (collecting IRON MAN 120-128) - A true classic, this was a story that defined Iron Man for years to come. The Armored Avenger may be able to defeat Justin Hammer and his army of supervillains, but can he defeat his own alcoholism? Only $24.99, and now available at Third Eye!

IRON MAN: ARMOR WARS Trade Paperback (collecting IRON MAN 225-232) - Another classic story from the Layton/Michelinie, this one featuring Stark's Iron Man tech falling into the hands of several deadly super-villains, and showing just how far he's willing to go to get it out of their reach. Available now at Third Eye for $19.99.

Other Great Books by Matt Fraction

THOR: AGES OF THUNDER TRADE PAPERBACK (collecting AGES OF THUNDER one-shot, REIGN OF BLOOD one-shot, MAN OF WAR one-shot, and GOD-SIZED one-shot) - Fraction will be taking over on the regular ongoing THOR series this summer, and we're stoked for that. Why? Because of this awesome series of themed one-shots where Thor is being humbled by Odin! Some of the best THOR stuff we've read, we highly recommend checking it out. Only $19.99, and available now at Third Eye!

FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE TRADE PAPERBACK - Steampunk awesomeness, you can't go wrong. Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, and Bertha von Suttner are on a mission to bring world peace... by any means necessary. A very Lovecraftian skyscraper that's caused many a mysterious death seems to be just one of the results of a dark collaboration between secret society members like Edison, Carnegie, and Morgan. A great alternate history story, and a true hidden gem. Only $12.99, and available now here at Third Eye!

CASANOVA v.1 LUXURIA HARDCOVER - Fraction's series that was published in the slimline format similar to Fell (less pages, no ads, lower cover price) features a renowned thief named Casanova Quinn who's been blackmailed into being a double-agent in a deadly game of global espionage. A very cool, sci-fi/fantasy story that's got a great street-level appeal while still keeping that high sense of wonder. Features the incredible artwork of DAYTRIPPER co-creator GABRIEL BA. Only $24.99, and available now here at Third Eye.

THE ORDER volume 1: THE NEXT RIGHT THING TRADE PAPERBACK (collecting THE ORDER 1-7) - This one's an often overlooked favorite of mine that many have not heard of. I originally was intrigued by this because of Barry Kitson's art when it first launched, but it was Fraction's solid writing that kept me interested. The Order is an off-shoot of the Defenders, and is the official superhero team of CALIFORNIA in the post-CIVIL WAR 50-State Initiative Marvel-era. Imagine a dysfunctional super-team, where half the members are more concerned with their P.R than they are saving lives. Led by Tony Stark's body double from the old days, the Order was a fresh, and different look at the post-modern super-team in the Marvel Universe. Really cool stuff. Only $16.99, and available now at Third Eye!