Iron Man #10

(w) Kieron Gillen     (a) Dale Eaglesham

Kieron Gillen is no stranger to long-form narrative. Just take a look at his run on Journey Into Mystery and how each arc grew from the last and influenced the next, like a novel with it's many chapters. One would think this is how most comic books are written, but it tends to be a lot more difficult than it sounds. Iron Man didn't start out as strong as everyone hoped it would, but six issues in, Gillen upped the ante by sending Tony Stark into deep space where he faced the consequences of his attempt at destroying the Phoenix Force in Avengers vs. X-Men.

"The Secret Origin of Tony Stark" doesn't aim to retell Iron Man's origins. Quite the contrary, in fact. Working inside the strict parameters of comic book universe continuity seems to be Gillen's inspirational constraint. It's one of the elements of the comic book industry that makes it so amazing, that a creator 40 years removed from the character's origin can still add something to said origin, have it make sense, and make it totally awesome.


** SPOILERS AHEAD **


Iron Man #10 plays out like a 60s spy thriller as Howard Stark assembles a team to steal the one thing all his power, money, resources, connections, and intelligence can't get him: hope for his already dying prenatal child. If it seems a bit dark, then Gillen has done his job. Tony's always had a medically spotty history, but this pushes that concept to a whole new level. The fact that alien technology plays a part in this plan means Tony's life was influenced by technology before he ever left his mother's womb. I really like the team Howard assembles, but I wonder just how Gillen plans on using them as the story moves forward.

Overall, I found Iron Man #10 to be intriguing. It's the first official part of "Secret Origin", and it reveals quite a bit about the story leading up to Tony's birth, but nothing is intersecting yet. It's like one of those new puzzles without edges that are just that much harder to start piecing together, but are so much more satisfying when completed.

GRADE

8/10

Iron Man #9

(w) Kieron Gillen     (a) Dale Eaglesham

This, ladies and gentlemen, is how a comic book is done.

From beginning to end, Iron Man #9 is one of the best single issues I've read in quite a while. It's a fantastic 'jumping on' point that really does the phrase justice, the artwork is leaps and bounds better than the previous eight issues under Greg Land's airbrushing hands, and Death's Head might just be one of my new favorite tertiary characters.

Though this issue is technically a prologue to "The Secret Origin of Tony Stark", Kieron Gillen does an amazing job summarizing the last arc through Tony's conversation with Death's Head, a freelance bounty hunter whose written to sound like he's from the Old Country. It's a tactile way to rehash past events, and it doesn't come off as an overbearing information dump. Gillen's organic dialogue feels way more fluid than what most other writers in the industry are producing today. Basically, Iron Man #9 is an extended conversation between Tony and Death's Head that takes three huge turns in the very last pages that beautifully set up the forthcoming look back at Tony's origin.

I first took notice of Dale Eaglesham when he illustrated Villains United for DC as part of the "Countdown to Infinite Crisis" event. Since then, I've only come to enjoy his work more. The pages of Iron Man #9 are a testament to the man's talent and some of the best work I've ever seen from him. There's a subtle depth to his facial expressions as well as backgrounds and crowd scenes. All around, Eaglesham knocks this one out of the park.

Simply put, Iron Man #9 is a triumph. Rarely does a single issue so intuitively cater to both the dedicated fan and the new reader. We need more writing like this in the comic book industry. Sure, it's still about Iron Man zipping around the galaxy with a giant robotic bounty hunter looking for another robot who orchestrated genocide, but somehow, it feels incredibly relatable and down to earth.

GRADE

9.5/10

Crisis Update: Villains United

Crisis Update
Volume I, Entry 5


Villains United
Gail Simone - Writer
Dale Eaglesham - Pencils

Gail Simone is a pretty hit-or-miss writer. Sometimes, she flubs it pretty hard (like with the new 52's Batgirl, which hasn't really gone anywhere in five issues), but on some occasions, she knocks it out of the park. Villains United is one such case.

***SPOILERS***
What is essentially a rebellion story, Lex Luthor has created a secret Society and is recruiting villains from across the world. From the lowliest of cat burglars to the likes of Deathstroke, Black Adam and Dr. Psycho, Luthor invites all but six villains to join his cause against the superheroes of the world. These are the six villains that the title focus on.

In a double entendre, Villains United eludes not only to the unification of villains under the Society led by Luthor, but also the rogue group of six that come together to combat Luthor's stranglehold on the villains of Earth. Made to participate by blackmailing them, the mysterious Mockingbird finds Deadshot, the man who never misses; Cheshire, lethal assassin; Parademon, solider from Apokolips stranded on Earth; Rag Doll II, disowned nephew of the original Ragdoll; Scandal, daughter of Vandal Savage; and Catman, one of the most forgettable of Batman's adversaries. While the revamped Catman gets the star treatment throughout the series, most of the 'Secret Six' get a lot of panel time and, eventually, have good chemistry during fights and operations.


Villains United was a way for DC to show readers a more relatable side of some of it's villains. Though each is made to work for Mockingbird against their will, the members of the Secret Six begin to develop their own personal moral objections to Luthor's tactics with his Society. And this is the real value from a story such as this; being able to see villains acting in a less-than-evil way is exhilarating. Of course, Cheshire betrays the group in a moment of deceit that would have been missed if it wasn't included, and Parademon dies at the end, giving way for new member - and Scandal's lover - Knockout.

Gail Simone's character-driven story was, by far, my favorite of the 'Countdown to Infinite Crisis' mini-series. The series told a story without being overbearing while also giving readers valuable information about the coming crisis. It felt the most coherent and the most satisfactory at the end.

Grade: A