Invincible Iron Man #16

You know I can’t help but feel that it would be nice to read an Iron Man comic that didn’t leave me so depressed by the end that I feel like killing myself. Ok I admit I’m exaggerating (no really?) a little for effect (but only a little) but it is just that it feels like the Most Wanted storyline has been going on forever. Oh wait I just realized that it started in issue #8 and is not going to end until issue #19. 12 issues. 12 issues of a beloved Marvel character slowly but systematically destroying himself in every possible way imaginable. Oy. Look I’m not dumb. I get it. This is one of those stories in which the hero is taken to his very absolute bottom in order that he may rise triumphantly from the ashes stronger and better than ever before. I guess I’m just questioning if the fall really needed to take THIS long. Technically speaking there is nothing wrong with this issue but if you aren’t already reading the book already this is hardly an ideal jumping on points. The sad truth is that after a strong opening arc and a terrific one in done story featuring Spider-Man, Matt Fraction’s run has fallen prey to the most dreaded of all shared universe, mainstream superhero beasts: editorially mandated storytelling. The only thing that keeps this book from being completely unrelenting bleak is Fraction’s continuing excellent portrayal of Pepper Potts and her new armored persona Rescue. Honestly when I first heard about this idea I was terrified that Pepper was about to be ruined in the same way Rodney was when he became War Machine (seriously in the comics Rodney was meant to be the fairly ordinary everyman supporting character there to help anchor the pie in the sky lead. When you give such a character [unnecessarily 90’s “extreme] armor of his own and make him a superhero you have completely lost the point) but instead it has worked wonderfully. Whenever Marvel wants to cancel the dreck that is War Machine and replace it with a Rescue ongoing I will be there for all twelve issues before the finically mandated cancellation kicks in. Meanwhile I will continue to trudge through the admittedly well done misery that is currently Invincible Iron Man and hope for better days.

Not Recommended.