Review by Robert Tacopina
 

Stark Disassembled Chapter 3 “Is It Safe?”

Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colorist: Frank D’Armata
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Covers: Salvador Larroca & Rian Hughes / Patrick Zircher
Assistant Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Executive Producer: Alan Fine
Published by Marvel Comics

Who would have ever expected that a title named the Invincible Iron Man could be so good without the Invincible Iron Man? After essentially killing himself to prevent all the secrets that he has accumulated over the years from falling into the wrong hands, and using his immense foresight, Tony is now in the process of attempting to reassemble his being.

After conventional medicines fail and Tony’s own theory involving Captain America and Thor as the conductors that will enable his return fail to work, Cap decides that Doctor Strange may be the key to bringing Iron Man back. As the heroes depart for various reasons the villain Ghost, who is totally awesome by the way, makes his entrance. The scenes playing out in Tony’s psyche are still fun yet strange. One of the reoccurring themes is Tony and the armor which unbeknownst to him is the Iron Man armor.  He is oddly drawn to it yet reluctant to interact with it.

One of the things that I enjoyed most was the appearance of Doctor Strange. Nothing against Doctor Voodoo but Strange is and always will be the sorcerer supreme. Using his magics Strange enters Tony's mind to help him.  I already mentioned my affection for Ghost and I hope that this baddie will continue to play an important and relevant role in Iron Man and the Marvel Universe as a whole. He is just ripe with potential and just feels like a character that can do so much when used properly.

Matt Fraction continues to dazzle on this title. His take on Iron Man and his supporting cast has been nothing short of stellar and he continues to raise the bar on Iron Man tales. He is even involved with the much awaited Iron Man 2 film in a supervising capacity which just shows that others realize the man is on his game. I did kind of sour on the Salvador Larroca art. Actually I just think he would benefit from the inclusion of an inker on his work to add some elements that are otherwise lacking. However that is a mere matter of opinion.

Invincible Iron Man is a continual awesome read and one of those rare books that you await with anxious anticipation. In the grand scheme of things this run may go down as one of the essential readings for Iron Man enthusiasts.

Overall Rating: 9 out of 10 (Excellent)