Comic book reviews for Invincible Iron Man #516, Invincible Iron Man #517, and Invincible Iron Man #518 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca
Average rating: 3.6/5 stars
Invincible Iron Man #516 by Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca
OMG, they just killed Tim. And worse, Pim is actually Spymaster. You know, seriously disappointed with this dead, gay, and evil tropeage going on. And since they’re minor characters — Spymaster’s been a ton of different people — it doesn’t really matter in the greater scheme of things if they stay dead and evil. Additionally, we haven’t seen the two of them for a while, so it’s not a big emotional twist.
I’m really not understanding Tony’s motivations here. Why did he tell Carol and Steve off? That’s not like him. Especially since we just heard his big AA speech about how he needs help and needs to ask for it. So this issue starts off with him needing help badly when his armor’s turned off and then telling superheroes to go away. Including punching Steve. Which is always a bad idea.
I’m hoping this arc gets more cohesive as I read it. Maybe I just don’t get Fraction’s interpretation of Tony as much as I thought I did. You’d think after all these issues that I would.
Invincible Iron Man #517 by Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca
I started caring again. I love when I start caring about this title because I do actually enjoy it. I just feel like it was so off-track of the story I’m looking for as Tony slid back into the bottle.
Still upset about Pim as Spymaster. But I’m super thrilled that Bethany took him down. Because she’s super awesome like that.
Figures that they’d have to bring Mister Fantastic in to clean up after the Hammers and Babbage. Seems a little late though for Tony to go around declaring to be his own man. Also I don’t believe for a second that he’s fully given up Iron Man in any way. We all know that Tony doesn’t like to lose.
I kind of only half-cared about Ezekiel. I do like how Fraction sets him up as being more similar to Tony than he’d like to admit and vice versa.
Invincible Iron Man #518 by Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca
Okay, there’s hope again in my heart that Tim may have been brutally stabbed — but not on any major organs and he was somehow brought to a hospital. This makes me feel a lot better.
What doesn’t make me feel better is that Bethany didn’t keep Spymaster down. She should’ve known to kill him or to keep him better incapacitated than that. Especially since he shot Wyche. I love that Mrs. Arbogast was the one who took down Spymaster. After Bethany went after him with a fire axe. Because she’s that cool.
I don’t know how I feel about the whole Detroit Steel plot. On one hand, the Hammers deserve their own monsters coming back for them. On the other, the kidnapping of Sasha reads a little too much out of a horror/slasher film where Sasha put up some fight, but she was quickly taken down and dragged off. It was a bit gross, especially given that he has brain damage.
Ezekiel should’ve run off. Far away from the Mandarin. That would’ve been a smarter move.
Read for yourself and buy Invincible Iron Man (Vol 10): Long Way Down.