I was going to complement Fraction on having the greatest pacing of a comic book ever this issue… then realized it was oversized.

Still, it’s hard not to be impressed with how much Fraction does this issue. Since it’s Invincible Iron Man and it has some relation to the movies, whether it’s acknowledged or not, here Fraction gets Tony out of the weapons business (like in the first movie).

But he’s also got time to introduce Tony’s adversaries… Justin Hammer’s daughter and granddaughter. It’s an industrial conflict. Very nice.

Fraction gives Maria Hill and Rhodey some kind of send-off from the series. It’s nice, totally unnecessary and exactly what’s great about this issue. Like Tony and Reed Richards bickering. Not necessary, but great.

And Tony and Thor? Very nice stuff there too.

It does mean, however, Larroca’s doing a talking heads book. He does okay. Not good but okay.

Larroca’s inspiration for illustrating Captain America appears to be Chris Bachalo. Yuck.

Here’s where Tony comes back and saves everyone from the Ghost. Should have happened two issues ago. Anyway, some big problems–the injuries. The Ghost attacks Rhodey and Dr. Strange. It looks like, from the amount of blood, he does real damage.

Apparently not.

More problems–Tony’s adventures in slumberland come to a conclusion, with all the people whose deaths he feels responsible for (Happy Hogan gets a cameo, no Steve Rogers). More inexplicably, it turns out Tony’s hard drive is pre-Civil War. Guess he found a way not to make a deal with Mephisto.

Fraction’s metaphysical conclusion is pretty dumb–Tony abandoning his parents who live in a kingdom of blood (it’s about arms manufacturing, right?).

But Fraction also skips any resolution with Pepper or Maria; kind of makes all the Pepper and Tony stuff moot.

What’s that smell? Oh, it’s Fraction inserting the Ghost into this narrative and messing it up.

This issue features Pepper and Maria finding out Tony slept with both of them. It features little Tony’s adventures in slumberland finally paying off narratively–oh, I think Howard is supposed to be Howard Stark, not Howard Hughes. It was a lot more interesting my way.

Anyway, then the Ghost shows up and it’s bad. It’s almost indescribable how pedestrian the whole issue becomes.

Because before, it was also Pepper dealing with no longer being amped up on the repulsor technology, which was a really good scene.

Then she gets punched out by the Ghost or something. Not a good scene.

And Larroca’s doing his inconsistent face thing again here. Dr. Strange starts changing features between panels.

I think the problem’s the pacing. Fraction’s dragging this story out, it should have been three issues.

Yeah, this issue sort of realizes all my issues with a supervillain threatening Tony’s recovery. After Pepper finds out Tony’s not back–which is an effective scene, but it also depresses (Pepper certainly seemed like she would have made an interesting superhero only to have it plucked out of her as it were). Then Maria finds out the Ghost is around so she has to get everybody to hide out, since Captain America, Steve Rogers, Rhodey and Thor are all gone.

Because that scurrying makes sense. I mean, if Norman Osborn found out Tony could be rebooted, it’s not like he’d be upset. Let’s leave him unguarded.

Then Dr. Strange shows up (with Bucky) to get Tony out of his unconscious or whatever.

But bringing Dr. Strange in ruins the awesome scene of Tony powering up in his unconscious and coming back in time to save everyone from the Ghost.

This issue might be one of Fraction’s best. Well, it’s one of his best in being this really big, but really thoughtful superhero issue. Rhodey brings in Steve Rogers to convince Pepper to bring Tony back–nice how it all fits, timeline wise (was Reborn even done at this point though?).

It then proceeds to have Tony–via recording–tell them how to resurrect him. To tug on the heartstrings, it requires Thor and Captain America (well, the shield) to do it–thank goodness there’s no real technology in the world as good as going MacGyver with the Avengers’ gadgets.

Unfortunately, there’s Madame Masque. I’m giving Fraction the slack of having Tony stuck in his head, but Madame Masque and the Ghost (I think it’s the Ghost) figuring out how to kill Tony via telephone wiring….

It adds this rather unnecessary supervillain nonsense, ignoring the humanity of the issue’s events.

I think it would have been a lot bolder if Fraction hadn’t included Tony Stark on the ethereal plane with Howard Hughes.

Especially given the big development of Pepper Potts not being sure Tony gets to come back from the dead (thanks to the hard drive backup Fraction made obvious last story arc). Pepper was just getting busy with Tony the last twelve issues and she’s not sure he should get to come back from the dead?

Fraction writes a great Tony monologue for the beginning, gets in the drama with Madame Masque deciding she’s going to kill Tony against Norman Osborn’s wishes and has that Pepper Potts thing.

So does having Tony digging through a wasteland of his mind ruin it?

No.

But it does make the comic pretty traditional. I guess it makes sense it’s traditional, but I wish Fraction could have come up with a subversive device.

Fraction finally gets himself a great cliffhanger… too bad it’s in the “last” issue of the arc.

Apparently, Fraction learned a lot when he was working with Brubaker, including how to make one arc lead directly into the next, to the point the only reason it’s an arc is because you’re calling it an arc. In some ways, if it weren’t for the… ahem… gradual pacing, these Marvel books would be just regular seventies and eighties comics. One leads to the next.

Only, they make a big deal out of the trade branding.

Anyway, it’s an amusing issue. Tony’s real smart–knowing Pepper will succeed (she finds Black Widow wherever Fraction misplaced her) and J.A.R.V.I.S. will call the media to interrupt Tony’s inevitable fight with Norman. He also knows Norman will respect U.S. law and not pull the plug on his respirator.

And the important hard drive? Obviously, a backup.

Okay, I was off… Pepper hid Madame Masque in the Crimson Dynamo armor, which means she wasn’t exactly worried about her dying in the explosion.

I think Fraction was trying to make Black Widow funny in her appearances this issue–she disappears while at H.A.M.M.E.R. (don’t hurt ‘em) but I imagine she’ll be okay. Incidentally, the humor fails. He doesn’t explain enough to make it funny.

Tony ends up in Afghanistan again this issue–for his completely modified origin (I would have thought first Gulf War made more sense as a place for him to create the Iron Man armor, but I guess they’re really keen to fit the movie). He has a drawn out scene with some armed kids. He punches one.

He’s smarter this issue than last, which doesn’t make sense.

Pepper is Luke Skywalker at the end, she’s there to rescue Maria.

Fraction really likes Star Wars.

Tony gets real stupid this issue. Maybe too stupid. I’m not sure how Fraction’s going to bring this off at the end and keep the character. He might just have Tony restore a backup or something.

Anyway, the issue opens with Pepper Potts in Madame Masque’s outfit. Fraction is apparently saving that reveal for next issue, but it’s pretty obvious. It’s also implied Pepper managed to lock Madame Masque in the Rescue armor.

Some more lazy Larroca faces–this time, as usual, Norman Osborn. Larroca’s back to relying on the colorist for shading. It doesn’t work well.

Maria Hill and Black Widow get captured and Captain America has a one page cameo. Oh, Tony might have lost so much of his memory he thinks Steve Rogers is still alive. Or maybe he just knew Steve was trapped in time all along.

At this point, Maria Hill stuff is beyond tiresome.

If the Marvel movie guys are reading Fraction’s Iron Man and liking it, I hope they’re telling Gwyneth Paltrow to start working out. Besides turning Maria Hill into a really boring character who PTSD (over the Controller incident, which Fraction resolved in maybe two pages so he’s just filling with her) and making Tony forgetful, he’s also turning Pepper Potts into this really thoughtfully written female superhero.

There’s some silly stuff this issue–Madame Masque babbles sweet nothings to Tony for like three pages (and then just babbles in general) and I’m wondering if Fraction’s trying to bring in Iron Man’s rogue’s gallery throughout this arc. I’d never heard of the Controller, who’s an Iron Man villain, and I guess Madame Masque is too. I hope however created her sued the pants off “G.I. Joe.”

Anyway, it’s a good issue, no forced cliffhangers… it even survives too much Black Widow.