Iron Man #11 Review

I'm starting to miss the days when Kieron Gillen's Iron Man series shipped more or less biweekly. Back then, the series was a weak spot in the Marvel NOW lineup, but lately the series has received a massive boost now that Tony has ventured into space and confronted the previously unknown truths about his past. I want more of this revisionist origin story, and the month-long waits are getting increasingly tough to deal with.

This third chapter sheds more light on what changes Gillen is instituting without completely showing his hand. Issue #10 pointed towards Tony having partial alien DNA or something along those lines, but it seems the truth is a bit more complicated. Some might find these changes controversial or insulting. I see it as an effective way of cementing Tony's place within the Marvel U and making him a more relevant player on the cosmic level. Suddenly, his role as a Guardian of the Galaxy feels less random.

Another novel trait with this arc is the shift in focus from Tony himself to his parents. Gillen does a good job of capturing their troubled but loving dynamic and their desperate struggle to ensure their unborn son's survival. Even the villainous 451 comes across well in these issues, leaving readers to wonder what his true endgame is.

Dale Eaglesham is a great fit for this arc, providing the series with the strong visual foundation it had been lacking until now. Between the character designs and frequent flashbacks to the 1960's, there's a strong Jack Kirby vibe to this story. Eaglesham is the rare sort of artist who can channel Kirby in terms of his energy, imagination, and powerful figures without directly aping Kirby's style.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com