If there’s one thing that’s defined Tony Stark’s tenure as Iron Man – other than being a self-proclaimed “genius billionaire playboy philanthropist” – it’s his desire to atone for past sins. Tony became Iron Man due to the damage his weapons caused. He’s fought off alcoholism. And now, in Iron Man #5, the shadows of his allegiance with S.H.I.E.L.D. come to roost as he battles Latveria’s former prime minister Lucia Von Bardas.
To be fair, Tony has never really fought von Bardas. Ironheart, who guest stars in the issue, has crossed paths with her; so has S.H.I.E.L.D. when Nick Fury launched an offensive against her all the way back in the Secret War miniseries. But as von Bardas reveals, Iron Man did participate in her downfall: he built tools that S.H.I.E.L.D. utilized in its campaign against her. “When it comes to the machinery of order, the best weapons don’t shoot. They capture, they store, they assimilate,” she says when pummeling Iron Man with a variety of weapons.
This doesn’t just provide a great title drop for the current story arc, but it also underlines a good point, which Spencer Ackerman might be the first to consider. All of Tony’s technology has been utilized by others, not just his previous weapons work or even his armor, and he bears some responsibility in that. It’s this character insight that’s made Ackerman’s run on Iron Man stand out, and I hope it continues in future issues (especially since the title is set to tie into One World Under Doom, which makes Von Bardas’ appearance here all the more fitting.)
Marvel
Javier Pina also deserves his flowers for delivering plenty of action sequences, which go hand in hand with the more philosophical underpinnings. The biggest figure in the book, fittingly enough, is Von Bardas. Entire pages are dedicated to her cutting through the sky like a knife, or delivering a variety of energy-based attacks that overwhelm Iron Man’s armor. Pina also pulls close on her face, which starts peeling apart to reveal the cybernetic machinery beneath – making for a Terminator-esque nightmare. Equally as big is the presence of a giant Stark Sentinel, and Ironheart’s plan to dismantle it.
What makes these pages feel so big is the spectacular use of color by Alex Sinclair. Whole panels fill up with bright red energy or crackling blue light, and it helps separate hero from villain – Von Bardas”s powers are red to match her glowing eyes, while Iron Man’s bright blue energy courses through his Improvised Armor and his Repulsword. (Yes, we finally have names for his jury-rigged armor and big-ass sword and they’re awesome.)
Iron Man #5 balances blockbuster fight scenes with character deconstruction, resulting in a unique mix. Five issues in, it’s clear that Spencer Ackerman is aiming to build a different kind of Iron Man, and I’m liking the results.
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