Broken Frontier

The much delayed third issue of Warren Ellis and Adi Granov’s Iron Man is finally released. But was it worth the wait?

There’s a new terrorist group on the loose. Only this one has stolen something very important from a government facility and used it to turn one of their own into a bit of a monster. Meanwhile Tony Stark has been dealing with having his secret identity back, as well as meeting up with an old friend. Sadly for him, the meeting with his friend has ended up more business than pleasure as she works for the facility that was vandalized. In this issue she explains to Tony what exactly was stolen and he sets off to stop it.

Warren Ellis can sometimes take a while to tell a story. He often builds his stories slowly. But the only thing moving slowly about this "Extremis" arc is the release schedule. Without having to build up character history with extensive explanations, Ellis has turned himself loose. Normally a man to save his action sequences for later in a story, he blesses the audience with a pretty good one in this issue (and it even involves Iron Man). He gives us a simple and concise explanation of the storyline’s main antagonist without forcing the reader to deal with a lot of techno-babble. Then he gives the story some humor in a funny segment that sees Tony Stark talking to himself, before actually staying mostly quiet and letting the action speak for itself. Because of the relatively silent action sequence, the book moves at a fairly brisk pace, making it a quick and enjoyable read. If Ellis is still building to his crescendo, then I can’t wait for the payoff.

If Ellis’ sometimes silent script can make the book a fast read, Adi Granov’s artwork is enough to keep someone looking at the page long after they’ve read all the words. Granov’s computerized style is almost perfect for Iron Man. He creates a world that is vivid and feels technologically advanced. The initial pencils that he works with can be considered simple, however it is the work he does to it with his computer that add depth and subtle changes that make everything work. The use of his computer allows him to add things like a reflection in a computer screen and keep it looking clean. It also helps with the authenticity of the panels when the reader gets to see what Tony Stark sees in his Iron Man costume. And speaking of the costume, the shine on it has never looked better. If Granov has finally worked out the kinks in his schedule and can produce work on a monthly basis that looks this good, he will really have earned his place amongst the Marvel Young Guns.

With a delay seen on this book, there are normally two fears a reader will have in terms of continuing to pick it up: 1) that it will be delayed again and 2) that it will be hard to get back into the storyline. Well, Marvel is claiming that the first problem is fixed and I am here to tell you that the second one is also a non-issue. This book is good. And as long as it comes out on time, I will gladly continue to pick it up and see where this creative team is taking me. It’s been a fun ride so far.

-Sam Moyerman