11.05.08 Reviews

Invincible Iron Man #7 (Marvel): Matt “Mr. Readability” Fraction keeps this title chugging right along with a street-level, real world look into the aftermath of Ezekiel Stane’s attacks and the emotional toll they’ve taken on Tony. I’m a little unclear on why Tony wouldn’t just arrest Spider-Man on sight, since he is an unregistered superhero. Professional courtesy? And what does unmasking have to do with it? Tony already knows that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, right? They worked together closely during Civil War, he already unmasked right at a Stark press conference. Did I miss something? Was that version of Tony a Skrull? Even if he was, wouldn't he now be aware of the unmasking anyway? It’s also really hard to believe that the high tech pinnacle that is the Iron Man armor wouldn’t be able to detect a spider tracer. Larroca’s photo-referencing of celebutard’s like Paris Hilton is still a bit distracting, but I do really enjoy his portrayal of Spider-Man, he looks sleek, the colors aren’t garish, and his softer kinetic lines are a nice counterpoint to the militaristic rigidity of Tony’s armor. All those quibbles aside, this was a great team up and between this and Fraction’s Uncanny X-Men, he truly is creating some of the most readable flagship properties in years. Grade A.

Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Sketchbook (Marvel): This was a free pick up from Eric Shanower and Skottie Young, which for free, really delivered. It was a nice fascinating look into Young’s designs and Shanower’s general take and familiarity with the property. I have a passive interest in all things Oz at best, but this has certainly made me aware of the pending book and I might now give it the casual flip test at the LCS when it comes out. Grade A.

I also picked up;

Alan’s War (First Second): I’m pretty excited to read this biographical account of a soldier’s war time experiences. Emmanuel Guibert simply doesn’t disappoint as a creator. The art looks sparse and beautiful, with some larger text pieces sprinkled throughout.