By Marc Guggenheim, Brannon Bragga, Briones & Steve Mutti (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-84653-460-8
In the mainstream Marvel universe the citizenry are recovering from an interminable series of major catastrophes such as the Civil War and a Secret Invasion by shape-shifting Skrulls. In this heady age of confusion technical wizard and billionaire weapon-smith Tony Stark has been revealed to the world as the armour-clad superhero Iron Man.
After a similarly-armoured invader destroys a village full of Russian dissidents in a high-tech bloodbath captured on Stark-constructed satellites and seen around the world, the bewildered inventor finds himself on trial for crimes against humanity. Accused of acting as a mercenary for the Russian government Stark has been perfectly framed. Found guilty, he is to be interned for life when lucky disaster strikes.
The village of Volstok was full of discredited scientists and anti-Putin agitators when the Iron assassin struck, and one of them managed to fatally damage the attacker. This survivor used the fragments to create his own armoured energy weapons, and crazed by a need for revenge, goes after Stark as the deadly Whiplash.
In prison, Stark has been busy. Knowing he can’t prove his innocence from behind bars he has constructed a ramshackle suit of armour from odds and ends he has scrounged or stolen. When the vengeance hungry Whiplash attacks, Stark seizes his chance and escapes after an inconclusive clash with the Russian.
With his faithful assistant Pepper in tow Stark goes on the run, ferreting out the hideous secret of the men who destroyed his reputation, but even cleared of the crime he has made an implacable enemy in Whiplash, who holds his inventions, if not his actions, as responsible as the Russian government for the Volstok massacre.
This simple, uncomplicated action-yarn is a palatable piece of eye-candy, capably concocted by scripters Marc Guggenheim and TV writer/producer Brannon Braga (Star Trek, Threshold, 24, Flash Forward), enticingly realised by artists Phillippe Briones & Andrea Muti and colourist Matt Milla. Originally released as a four-issue miniseries, this book happily falls into a category of accessibility that will please fans of the film franchise who don’t want or need to bone up on Iron Man’s near fifty year publishing history.
Fast and furious fun and frolics with an iron-clad satisfaction guarantee…
™ and © 2010 Marvel Entertainment LCC and its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. A British edition released by Panini UK Ltd.