IRON MAN: DIRECTOR OF SHIELD # 23
Written by Daniel and Charlie Knauf
Art by Roberto de la Torre
I've been reading and enjoying Iron Man's solo series for a while now and it has really ramped up in quality over the past few months. The last few issues have focused on the death of the Omaha Initiative member Gadget and it has been some of the best work the Knauf's have done on this series.
I'll spare going into every little detail, but this issue was nearly perfect. The Mandarin plot has really kicked into high gear and it was awesome seeing him in action in this issue when Paragon tried to fight back after the death of his mother. It got me pumped with anticipation for the actual battle with Iron Man that we all know is eventually coming up.
On the other side of the equation, the way they handled the effects of the stress Tony's been under since Civil War and his taking over as Director of SHIELD was exceptionally well done. After Doc Samson's appearance in Thunderbolts last week, it was a pleasant surprise to see him again in this week's Iron Man. While there was no "SAMSON SMASH" scene this week, it was still a great to see his analysis of Tony's hiding behind the Iron Man armour.
Another great thing with this issue was how the Knauf's are picking up on the interconnected feel of the Marvel Universe post-Civil War with the use of Norman Osborn and the other Initiative teams that are not featured in any books at this time. It just makes it feel like Tony's job is actually as important as it is and seeing these things makes it feel like the stuff in Civil War actually affected the Marvel Universe while at the same time not requiring you to pick up other titles to understand or see these connections. It just reminds me of the way the Marvel Universe used to feel like it was connected in the old days when a guest appearance or mention of another hero didn't turn into an event or a 6 issue crossover between each characters' own book.
Verdict - Must Read. I usually describe this book as one that people should check out and see if it's for them. However, with this month's issue, I had to upgrade it to a Must Read. Everything is just clicking with it. With the Mandarin plot in full effect and all the Initiative related goodness with Tony as Director of SHIELD, you're missing out on a great comic if you pass book up.
I'll spare going into every little detail, but this issue was nearly perfect. The Mandarin plot has really kicked into high gear and it was awesome seeing him in action in this issue when Paragon tried to fight back after the death of his mother. It got me pumped with anticipation for the actual battle with Iron Man that we all know is eventually coming up.
On the other side of the equation, the way they handled the effects of the stress Tony's been under since Civil War and his taking over as Director of SHIELD was exceptionally well done. After Doc Samson's appearance in Thunderbolts last week, it was a pleasant surprise to see him again in this week's Iron Man. While there was no "SAMSON SMASH" scene this week, it was still a great to see his analysis of Tony's hiding behind the Iron Man armour.
Another great thing with this issue was how the Knauf's are picking up on the interconnected feel of the Marvel Universe post-Civil War with the use of Norman Osborn and the other Initiative teams that are not featured in any books at this time. It just makes it feel like Tony's job is actually as important as it is and seeing these things makes it feel like the stuff in Civil War actually affected the Marvel Universe while at the same time not requiring you to pick up other titles to understand or see these connections. It just reminds me of the way the Marvel Universe used to feel like it was connected in the old days when a guest appearance or mention of another hero didn't turn into an event or a 6 issue crossover between each characters' own book.
Verdict - Must Read. I usually describe this book as one that people should check out and see if it's for them. However, with this month's issue, I had to upgrade it to a Must Read. Everything is just clicking with it. With the Mandarin plot in full effect and all the Initiative related goodness with Tony as Director of SHIELD, you're missing out on a great comic if you pass book up.
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