What do you think?
Rate this book
Iron Man: The Inevitable #1-6
Iron Man: The Inevitable
It was only a matter of time before Iron Man's longtime enemies re-emerged to confront him once again. And now, they've got more than revenge on their minds. An all-new, action-packed story spotlighting the return of classic villains like the Living Laser and the Spymaster (to name but two)! Collects Iron Inevitable #1-6.
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2006
54 people want to read
About the author
Joe Casey
971 books86 followersLibrarian note: there is more than one author with this name
Joe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite among others. As part of the comics creator group Man of Action Studios, Casey is one of the creators of the animated series Ben 10.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Casey
Joe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite among others. As part of the comics creator group Man of Action Studios, Casey is one of the creators of the animated series Ben 10.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Casey
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 21, 2025
I've been an Iron Man fan since I was 6; my first ever comic book was Iron Man 250, in 1989. I've read all the classic runs, and most of the not-so-classic runs. And yet, in all that time, Iron Man: The Inevitable is the only Iron Man story that has made me say, "Damn, I wish I'd written that myself."
March 31, 2022
I'm not entirely certain whether I liked this.
This is a 2006 miniseries with words by Joe Casey and art by Frazer Irving. It's set during the Extremis era of Iron Man, which I also have mixed feelings about, but I enjoy explorations of transhumanism, and this definitely has that; in a way, it feels like a spiritual continuation of the Execute Program arc. The plot involves two of Tony's longtime villains -- Ghost and the Spymaster -- teaming up to steal the Living Laser from Tony, because the Living Laser is trapped in, um, a laser, and Tony would like to free him. I actually really enjoyed the villains here. I usually enjoy Ghost and the Spymaster whenever they show up, because they both have different grudges with Tony that nonetheless feel intensely personal. It's a cut above wanting to turn people into dinosaurs. There's also a lot of very interesting transhumanism here, and a focus on Tony's technology as well as his life as Tony Stark, Charitable Benefactor, that make the comic feel really anchored in place, time, and character. I'm glad I read it.
I'm still not sure I like it, though.
For one thing, the art is... memorably different, and I never quite warmed to it. And, for another, I don't think the book successfully answers a lot of the big questions about who Tony is, including the transhumanism. This is set right before Civil War, so in terms of his secret identity, Tony is not publicly out as Iron Man, but a lot of people know and a lot of other people guess. The thing is, it's not always clear who knows what, and Tony sometimes denies it and sometimes doesn't, and I feel like in a comic about Who Is Tony Stark I should be real clear on who knows who Tony is and it's... messy.
Also, I could have done without the fridging.
Still, it's an interesting look at Iron Man and the unique position the character was in at this point in time. Worth reading if you like that sort of thing. I mostly just wish it had had less experimental art, and I know this is what a miniseries like this is for, but. Still.
This is a 2006 miniseries with words by Joe Casey and art by Frazer Irving. It's set during the Extremis era of Iron Man, which I also have mixed feelings about, but I enjoy explorations of transhumanism, and this definitely has that; in a way, it feels like a spiritual continuation of the Execute Program arc. The plot involves two of Tony's longtime villains -- Ghost and the Spymaster -- teaming up to steal the Living Laser from Tony, because the Living Laser is trapped in, um, a laser, and Tony would like to free him. I actually really enjoyed the villains here. I usually enjoy Ghost and the Spymaster whenever they show up, because they both have different grudges with Tony that nonetheless feel intensely personal. It's a cut above wanting to turn people into dinosaurs. There's also a lot of very interesting transhumanism here, and a focus on Tony's technology as well as his life as Tony Stark, Charitable Benefactor, that make the comic feel really anchored in place, time, and character. I'm glad I read it.
I'm still not sure I like it, though.
For one thing, the art is... memorably different, and I never quite warmed to it. And, for another, I don't think the book successfully answers a lot of the big questions about who Tony is, including the transhumanism. This is set right before Civil War, so in terms of his secret identity, Tony is not publicly out as Iron Man, but a lot of people know and a lot of other people guess. The thing is, it's not always clear who knows what, and Tony sometimes denies it and sometimes doesn't, and I feel like in a comic about Who Is Tony Stark I should be real clear on who knows who Tony is and it's... messy.
Also, I could have done without the fridging.
Still, it's an interesting look at Iron Man and the unique position the character was in at this point in time. Worth reading if you like that sort of thing. I mostly just wish it had had less experimental art, and I know this is what a miniseries like this is for, but. Still.
March 29, 2021
I'm really only a fan of genre (particularly superheroes) when then the tropes are being subverted. Joe Casey claims (but its often just talk) that this is his MO when writing capes.
Iron Man was one of my favorite characters (before his rise in popularity from the films). But I'm relatively cold to Robert Downey Jr's portrayal. The character should be constantly reinventing himself and innovative, but the character has been relatively stagnant for decades.
It takes a writer perhaps, smarter than Stark himself (or the reader) to pull this off.
There are a few glimmers; Extremis, Hypervelocity, etc.
But this storyline is kind of about the inability of superheroes to escape the Us vs. Them paradigm. Why they are unable to actually change the world (Millar tackled this a bit with his Marvel Knighs Spider-Man run). They're never able to rise above, because pettiness always drags them down. The villians are jealous and insecure.
Not a perfect comic--but its certainly ambitious and jiggles the mold a bid.
Iron Man was one of my favorite characters (before his rise in popularity from the films). But I'm relatively cold to Robert Downey Jr's portrayal. The character should be constantly reinventing himself and innovative, but the character has been relatively stagnant for decades.
It takes a writer perhaps, smarter than Stark himself (or the reader) to pull this off.
There are a few glimmers; Extremis, Hypervelocity, etc.
But this storyline is kind of about the inability of superheroes to escape the Us vs. Them paradigm. Why they are unable to actually change the world (Millar tackled this a bit with his Marvel Knighs Spider-Man run). They're never able to rise above, because pettiness always drags them down. The villians are jealous and insecure.
Not a perfect comic--but its certainly ambitious and jiggles the mold a bid.
July 27, 2025
Had intended to read this particular IRON MAN mini series for a decade now, since I had one issue and more than anything the artwork was extremely eye-catching. Only a six issue mini series so a simple action/espionage/thriller story, good dialogue, layout and yes, fantastic bold visual design which is what I recommend most about this.
February 13, 2008
frazer irving's art emits light like tony stark's iron hands emit pulsar rays.
May 1, 2013
One of my favorite Marvel mini-series in years. Conjures up a lot of old-school shellhead vibes with just a splash of Richard Corben.
March 23, 2018
I liked the bits about Stark believing that he is the inevitable future and his belief that he should be beyond superhero grudge matches. I found the psychologist/Living Laser bits unclear. She was trying to reach him in some even lamer version of an astral plane conversation, then he explodes into his Lasery self, goes after Iron Man, gets whipped easily, the end. Weirdly anti-climatic after four issues of building up the return of the Laser.
The stuff with the Ghost and Spymaster was pretty decent, particularly the amusing way that they kept referring to him as "Stark" and he just as doggedly kept referring to "Mr. Stark" as a different person. However, it probably could've been an issue shorter and not lost any of what Casey wanted to get across.
I liked the mood and style of Irving's art, but his storytelling was very weak. Too many abstract color pattern backgrounds that made it hard to determine the spacial relationship between characters, and too many awkward or unclear panels. (Is that a closeup on IronMan's jetboot? What?)
Overall, a bit of a disappointment. After Casey's Earth's Mightiest Heroes became the first Avengers story that I've ever really enjoyed, I has marginal to high expectations for this one, but it really fell short. It's okay, but not worth going out of your way for.
The stuff with the Ghost and Spymaster was pretty decent, particularly the amusing way that they kept referring to him as "Stark" and he just as doggedly kept referring to "Mr. Stark" as a different person. However, it probably could've been an issue shorter and not lost any of what Casey wanted to get across.
I liked the mood and style of Irving's art, but his storytelling was very weak. Too many abstract color pattern backgrounds that made it hard to determine the spacial relationship between characters, and too many awkward or unclear panels. (Is that a closeup on IronMan's jetboot? What?)
Overall, a bit of a disappointment. After Casey's Earth's Mightiest Heroes became the first Avengers story that I've ever really enjoyed, I has marginal to high expectations for this one, but it really fell short. It's okay, but not worth going out of your way for.
November 25, 2016
Iron Man has always been my favorite Marvel character, but it had been a while since I read a really impressive Iron Man story. Then Warren Ellis and Adi Granov delivered their amazing Iron Man Vol. 1: Extremis story arc, which totally reignited my interest in the character. Coming hot on the heels of Extremis is Joe Casey and Frazer Irving's Iron Man: the Inevitable. How does it measure up? Read on.
With Inevitable, Casey brings back some of the better characters from Iron Man's rogues gallery, specifically Spymaster, the Living Laser, and the Ghost, who I always thought had the potential to be a truly great villain. These three villains, directly and indirectly, team up to tear down everything Tony Stark has built up. What they encounter is an angrier Iron Man who has lost his appetite for duking it out with every nut job in a fancy costume. I found Inevitable to be a very interesting tale. It's a great look at what drives a man like Tony Stark and what fuels the average super-villain's need for conflict. I was a bit frustrated that the major effect of the Extremis story wasn't explored in greater detail, but I guess that will come later.
Poor Frazer Irving had the unenviable task of following up Adi Granov's brilliant painted Iron Man artwork, but I think he did quite well. It's completely unlike anything you'd expect to see in an Iron Man book, instead looking like a Matt Wagner/Teddy Kristiansen Grendel series. Still, the very stylized artwork is a treat, and is far more enjoyable than what you'd typically see in a superhero book.
Overall, Casey and Irving deliver a solid Iron Man story that should please most Iron Man fans. Both creators have an obvious appreciation for Iron Man history, which is a big plus in my book. Some of Irving's "flashback" panels took me right back to those classic Bob Layton issues.
Inevitable may not be at the same caliber as Extremis, but it is definitely a worthy addition to the Iron Man saga.
With Inevitable, Casey brings back some of the better characters from Iron Man's rogues gallery, specifically Spymaster, the Living Laser, and the Ghost, who I always thought had the potential to be a truly great villain. These three villains, directly and indirectly, team up to tear down everything Tony Stark has built up. What they encounter is an angrier Iron Man who has lost his appetite for duking it out with every nut job in a fancy costume. I found Inevitable to be a very interesting tale. It's a great look at what drives a man like Tony Stark and what fuels the average super-villain's need for conflict. I was a bit frustrated that the major effect of the Extremis story wasn't explored in greater detail, but I guess that will come later.
Poor Frazer Irving had the unenviable task of following up Adi Granov's brilliant painted Iron Man artwork, but I think he did quite well. It's completely unlike anything you'd expect to see in an Iron Man book, instead looking like a Matt Wagner/Teddy Kristiansen Grendel series. Still, the very stylized artwork is a treat, and is far more enjoyable than what you'd typically see in a superhero book.
Overall, Casey and Irving deliver a solid Iron Man story that should please most Iron Man fans. Both creators have an obvious appreciation for Iron Man history, which is a big plus in my book. Some of Irving's "flashback" panels took me right back to those classic Bob Layton issues.
Inevitable may not be at the same caliber as Extremis, but it is definitely a worthy addition to the Iron Man saga.
January 22, 2013
Los guiones de Joe Casey me suelen parecer muy interesantes. Los dibujos de Frazer Irving, completamente macabros y cautivantes. Pero no hubo muy buena química en este tomo y me aburrió de principio a fin. Hay un par de ideas interesantes y un par de escenas bastante bien plasmadas, pero muy poco más. Supongo que sólo se lo recomendaría a los completistas de los autores o del personaje.
March 2, 2010
Decent little Iron Man story with good art. Nothing too spectacular though.
December 19, 2010
art sucked, but story was ok.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews