What do you think?
Rate this book
The Invincible Iron Man (1998) #1-25
Iron Man by Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen Omnibus
It's a new beginning for Iron Man as Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen reinvent the Armored Avenger!
Tony Stark is back, with a new company, Stark Solutions...but the Mandarin plans to destroy Tony's dreams before they take shape! And if that's not enough, Iron Man must face Firebrand, Whiplash, MODOK, Controller, Fin Fang Foom, Count Nefaria, the Exemplars, Ultimo and the all-new War Machine - while romancing the beautiful Rumiko Fujikawa and protecting his secret identity!
Collecting: Iron Man 1-25, Annual 1999; Captain America 8; Quicksilver 10; Avengers 7; Iron Man & Captain America Annual 1998; Fantastic Four 15; Thor 17; Peter Parker: Spider -Man 11; Juggernaut: The Eighth Day; Iron Man: The Iron Age 1-2
Tony Stark is back, with a new company, Stark Solutions...but the Mandarin plans to destroy Tony's dreams before they take shape! And if that's not enough, Iron Man must face Firebrand, Whiplash, MODOK, Controller, Fin Fang Foom, Count Nefaria, the Exemplars, Ultimo and the all-new War Machine - while romancing the beautiful Rumiko Fujikawa and protecting his secret identity!
Collecting: Iron Man 1-25, Annual 1999; Captain America 8; Quicksilver 10; Avengers 7; Iron Man & Captain America Annual 1998; Fantastic Four 15; Thor 17; Peter Parker: Spider -Man 11; Juggernaut: The Eighth Day; Iron Man: The Iron Age 1-2
1024 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2013
9 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Busiek
1,858 books627 followersKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 11, 2018
People have been telling me for years that Busiek's Iron Man was one of the best IM runs, and I see why. The first issue basically nails Tony's characterization in a way that very few IM writers in the past twenty years have -- he's an actual hero, and sure, he has flaws, but he is trying so hard to do good in the world, which is a thing that often gets glossed over now that Marvel is just trying to make him into a billionaire playboy and basically nothing else. (The playboy thing used to be an act! An act, Marvel!)
He founds a new company (it's a new run, of course he does) and sends all the profits to his charitable foundation so he can help out underprivileged youth and build low-income housing and community centers! Why doesn't he do this now?
He has friends who genuinely support him. This run also has the introduction of Rumiko Fujikawa, the fandom favorite of Tony's girlfriends, and one of the few who doesn't try to kill him. Busiek clearly put a lot of effort into making her into a three-dimensional character, and their relationship problems (mostly, Tony's inability to commit due to having a bunch of superhero emergencies he can't tell her about) are depicted with a good amount of realism. And then there's my standout favorite, which is the arc about Carol Danvers and her alcoholism, which is just... very well done. I love Carol and I think this run developed her astonishingly well. It's probably my favorite Carol arc.
The actual villains aren't bad, but they're not what I'm reading the book for. Still, you've got the Mandarin, the Controller, Fin Fang Foom, Ultimo, Sunset Bain, and some of your other IM faves.
If this run has a fault, it's -- as other reviews point out -- that it basically just... wanders off. It does resolve Carol's drinking arc, for which I am grateful, but it leaves a lot of plot threads hanging. For example, the Mandarin claims responsibility for some but not all of the people trying to murder Tony, and unless I've missed something, we don't find out who the Arms Merchant is or who is behind the Deathsquad.
Still, this is a really, really solid run, worth reading if you're an IM fan, and I can see why people say volume three is the last good Iron Man run, because they sure don't write Tony like this anymore. (I mean, I like volume four/Director of SHIELD too, but it's basically Tony trying to function through grief and severe mental illness, which is not really the same.)
I read through the main portion of the run (#1-25) to write this; at some point I'm going to need to come back and read the extra issues.
He founds a new company (it's a new run, of course he does) and sends all the profits to his charitable foundation so he can help out underprivileged youth and build low-income housing and community centers! Why doesn't he do this now?
He has friends who genuinely support him. This run also has the introduction of Rumiko Fujikawa, the fandom favorite of Tony's girlfriends, and one of the few who doesn't try to kill him. Busiek clearly put a lot of effort into making her into a three-dimensional character, and their relationship problems (mostly, Tony's inability to commit due to having a bunch of superhero emergencies he can't tell her about) are depicted with a good amount of realism. And then there's my standout favorite, which is the arc about Carol Danvers and her alcoholism, which is just... very well done. I love Carol and I think this run developed her astonishingly well. It's probably my favorite Carol arc.
The actual villains aren't bad, but they're not what I'm reading the book for. Still, you've got the Mandarin, the Controller, Fin Fang Foom, Ultimo, Sunset Bain, and some of your other IM faves.
If this run has a fault, it's -- as other reviews point out -- that it basically just... wanders off. It does resolve Carol's drinking arc, for which I am grateful, but it leaves a lot of plot threads hanging. For example, the Mandarin claims responsibility for some but not all of the people trying to murder Tony, and unless I've missed something, we don't find out who the Arms Merchant is or who is behind the Deathsquad.
Still, this is a really, really solid run, worth reading if you're an IM fan, and I can see why people say volume three is the last good Iron Man run, because they sure don't write Tony like this anymore. (I mean, I like volume four/Director of SHIELD too, but it's basically Tony trying to function through grief and severe mental illness, which is not really the same.)
I read through the main portion of the run (#1-25) to write this; at some point I'm going to need to come back and read the extra issues.
March 4, 2025
Kurt Busiek is among my favorite comic book scripters, and Iron Man is one of the superheroes whose adventures I have really come to enjoy over the years. Given this, the combination of the two, especially during Busiek’s amazingly fruitful period during the late 1990s, would seem to be a slam-dunk of awesomeness. Yet the combination proved more a disappointment than anything else. Part of the explanation for this may be that Busiek was stretched too thin to give the relaunched series the attention it deserved, something which is suggested by his “co-plotter” status in most of the issues here. As capable as most of Busiek’s collaborators are, the overall quality does not measure up to the stature of the writers involved.
Whatever the explanation, Busiek’s inability to deliver the same caliber of stores as he was elsewhere at that time is especially disappointing considering what he was given. Coming in the wake of the “Heroes Reborn” event, Busiek had as clean of a slate as any writer could want. And much of what he does with this is refreshing. Having returned to Earth after being declared dead, Tony Stark does not contest the sale of his company to Fujikawa Industries, preferring instead to start a new firm, Stark Solutions, that offers troubleshooting services to the highest bidders. With everyone assuming the involvement of Stark’s bodyguard Iron Man (Stark’s identity as him still being a secret), Stark Solutions is often hired for situations in which the Golden Avenger has to step in.
It's a good premise, and Busiek uses it to draw in many of Iron Man’s rogues’ gallery. And while the single-issue or two-issue adventures are a refreshing change of pace from the multi-issue story arcs so common today, the threats themselves are where things fall flat. Perhaps the greatest disappointment is with the Mandarin, whose grand scheme involves of the sort of grandiose device one of Batman’s loonier opponents might employ. Other plots aren’t as silly, but the corporate machinations driving many of them lack the sort of tension that can be found in similar storylines in the series. But perhaps the greatest missed opportunity is with the integration of Carol Danvers into the issues, as Stark’s recurring efforts to help her with her alcoholism are often an awkward diversion rather than a seamless component of the stories. It all makes for a run that, while still enjoyable enough reading, doesn’t measure up to Busiek’s best work, making it feel more like a missed opportunity than anything else.
Whatever the explanation, Busiek’s inability to deliver the same caliber of stores as he was elsewhere at that time is especially disappointing considering what he was given. Coming in the wake of the “Heroes Reborn” event, Busiek had as clean of a slate as any writer could want. And much of what he does with this is refreshing. Having returned to Earth after being declared dead, Tony Stark does not contest the sale of his company to Fujikawa Industries, preferring instead to start a new firm, Stark Solutions, that offers troubleshooting services to the highest bidders. With everyone assuming the involvement of Stark’s bodyguard Iron Man (Stark’s identity as him still being a secret), Stark Solutions is often hired for situations in which the Golden Avenger has to step in.
It's a good premise, and Busiek uses it to draw in many of Iron Man’s rogues’ gallery. And while the single-issue or two-issue adventures are a refreshing change of pace from the multi-issue story arcs so common today, the threats themselves are where things fall flat. Perhaps the greatest disappointment is with the Mandarin, whose grand scheme involves of the sort of grandiose device one of Batman’s loonier opponents might employ. Other plots aren’t as silly, but the corporate machinations driving many of them lack the sort of tension that can be found in similar storylines in the series. But perhaps the greatest missed opportunity is with the integration of Carol Danvers into the issues, as Stark’s recurring efforts to help her with her alcoholism are often an awkward diversion rather than a seamless component of the stories. It all makes for a run that, while still enjoyable enough reading, doesn’t measure up to Busiek’s best work, making it feel more like a missed opportunity than anything else.
November 20, 2016
After a dreadful run of stories in the '90s, Iron Man got a much needed reboot in 1998 with a new series by Kurt Busiek (Astro City) and Sean Chen. Busiek and Chen took the book back to the classic Michelenie/Layton glory days in terms of story and art. We got a strong, inventive Tony Stark, a vibrant cast of supporting characters, plenty of armored adversaries and some fun crossovers to boot. Like the '80s Iron Man stories, this run can be a bit cheesy and dated, but after the Force Works/evil Stark/teenage future Stark/Heroes Reborn debacles, this series was a breath of fresh air for Iron Man fans.
This hefty Omnibus edition contains Iron Man #1-25 as well as the 2-issue The Iron Age limited series and a handful of crossover issues (Thor, Fantastic Four, Avengers, etc.). The paper quality is great, and the color appears to have been digitally touched up. It's very vibrant.
If you're a serious Iron Man fan, this Omnibus is a must-have. Personally, I'd rank this run just behind the Michelenie/Layton '80s run and Fraction and Larocca's more recent Invincible Iron Man series, which puts it in pretty good company.
This hefty Omnibus edition contains Iron Man #1-25 as well as the 2-issue The Iron Age limited series and a handful of crossover issues (Thor, Fantastic Four, Avengers, etc.). The paper quality is great, and the color appears to have been digitally touched up. It's very vibrant.
If you're a serious Iron Man fan, this Omnibus is a must-have. Personally, I'd rank this run just behind the Michelenie/Layton '80s run and Fraction and Larocca's more recent Invincible Iron Man series, which puts it in pretty good company.
September 25, 2018
Keď sa povie Tony Stark, všetkým určite napadne už zľudovené – génius, miliardár, playboy a filantrop. A presne takého Tonyho nám tento omnibus prináša. Starkovho génia máme možnosť sledovať pri klasických súbojoch so zlosynmi, ale zároveň aj v problémoch, ktoré priamo ohrozujú jeho zdravie a „kariéru“ ako Iron Mana. To, že je finančne zabezpečený, je evidentné prakticky neustále a taktiež to stále vie aj so ženami. Románikov, ktoré trvajú maximálne pár zošitov, niekedy len pár stránok, tu nájdeme hneď niekoľko. V niektorých prípadoch ale nejde len o tuctové modelky a dianie je aj v tejto sfére oveľa zaujímavejšie.
Ak by som mal ale vypichnúť jeden moment, ktorý ma na Starkovej osobnosti zaujal, bola to jeho interakcia s Carol Danvers. Jej alkoholizmus, ktorý spôsobil aj jej vylúčenie z Avengers, je prítomný vždy, keď sa týmto dvom postavám skrížia cesty. Tony sa tu stavia do pozície mentora, keďže sám je vyliečený alkoholik. Ale Carol je ťažký oriešok, nič sa nevyrieši lusknutím prsta a tento problém sa tak ťahá prakticky počas celého omnibusu.
Prehľad zlosynov, proti ktorým musel Tony stáť, je tiež zaujímavý. Oceňujem výskyt klasických oponentov ako Mandarin, Fin Fang Foom, Ronan alebo Whiplash. Zabavia ale aj menej známe postavy ako Controller alebo Firebrand. Vždy, keď hrozí, že by séria upadla do rutiny, príde crossover s inou sériou. Live Kree or Die považujem za jednu z najvydarenejších, či už kvôli spomínanej Carol, alebo rase Kree, ktorá bez problémov spácha masovú vraždu. Zaujímavé boli aj iné spolupráce a človek tak stretne celú plejádu postáv ako Thor, Black Widow, Juggernaut, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man a podobne.
Celkovo teda hodnotím tento omnibus veľmi pozitívne. Tony Stark je tu presne taký, ako si ho predstavuje aj väčšina laickej verejnosti. Je tu dostatok akcie, ale riešia sa tu aj vážnejšie témy, ako napríklad alkoholizmus. Tony si siahne až na dno, či už psychické, alebo fyzické, a miestami to fakt vyzerá tak, že to ako obrnený Avenger naozaj zabalí. Bez problémov by som tento titul odporučil aj začiatočníkom, keďže naskočenie nie je problém (záverečné dva zošity o Tonyho začiatkoch sú v tomto smere priam dokonalé) a čitateľ sa má možnosť zoznámiť s celou plejádou postáv a súvislostí. Takže neváhajte, ak tu bude šanca, určite sa do tohto vyše 1 000-stranového dobrodružstva pustite.
Ak by som mal ale vypichnúť jeden moment, ktorý ma na Starkovej osobnosti zaujal, bola to jeho interakcia s Carol Danvers. Jej alkoholizmus, ktorý spôsobil aj jej vylúčenie z Avengers, je prítomný vždy, keď sa týmto dvom postavám skrížia cesty. Tony sa tu stavia do pozície mentora, keďže sám je vyliečený alkoholik. Ale Carol je ťažký oriešok, nič sa nevyrieši lusknutím prsta a tento problém sa tak ťahá prakticky počas celého omnibusu.
Prehľad zlosynov, proti ktorým musel Tony stáť, je tiež zaujímavý. Oceňujem výskyt klasických oponentov ako Mandarin, Fin Fang Foom, Ronan alebo Whiplash. Zabavia ale aj menej známe postavy ako Controller alebo Firebrand. Vždy, keď hrozí, že by séria upadla do rutiny, príde crossover s inou sériou. Live Kree or Die považujem za jednu z najvydarenejších, či už kvôli spomínanej Carol, alebo rase Kree, ktorá bez problémov spácha masovú vraždu. Zaujímavé boli aj iné spolupráce a človek tak stretne celú plejádu postáv ako Thor, Black Widow, Juggernaut, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man a podobne.
Celkovo teda hodnotím tento omnibus veľmi pozitívne. Tony Stark je tu presne taký, ako si ho predstavuje aj väčšina laickej verejnosti. Je tu dostatok akcie, ale riešia sa tu aj vážnejšie témy, ako napríklad alkoholizmus. Tony si siahne až na dno, či už psychické, alebo fyzické, a miestami to fakt vyzerá tak, že to ako obrnený Avenger naozaj zabalí. Bez problémov by som tento titul odporučil aj začiatočníkom, keďže naskočenie nie je problém (záverečné dva zošity o Tonyho začiatkoch sú v tomto smere priam dokonalé) a čitateľ sa má možnosť zoznámiť s celou plejádou postáv a súvislostí. Takže neváhajte, ak tu bude šanca, určite sa do tohto vyše 1 000-stranového dobrodružstva pustite.
December 16, 2018
Iron Man was one the series that I immediately took a liking to when I first strayed to read comics back in the 80s. I specifically remember the first Armor Wars storyline.
This collection is all of Busiek’s Iron Man stories and for the most part they were all highly enjoyable. I especially liked the fact they didn’t feel like they were being published strictly to end up in a collection.
My only compliant is the all of the crossovers that were included that I could have dealt without. Just feel so unnecessary. (I was also reminded of my extreme dislike of Thor.)
This collection is all of Busiek’s Iron Man stories and for the most part they were all highly enjoyable. I especially liked the fact they didn’t feel like they were being published strictly to end up in a collection.
My only compliant is the all of the crossovers that were included that I could have dealt without. Just feel so unnecessary. (I was also reminded of my extreme dislike of Thor.)
December 28, 2023
Wow did this not hold up for me. There’s some interesting stuff here, from Iron Man moving to Seattle to his armor becoming more briefcase-sized to the mentoring of Warbird through her alcoholism.
But ultimately none of it stuck, and the changes in artist and constant crossovers make it feel pretty unfocused and unsatisfying as a big chunk of story.
But ultimately none of it stuck, and the changes in artist and constant crossovers make it feel pretty unfocused and unsatisfying as a big chunk of story.
September 27, 2019
1-6 ☆☆☆
Live Kree or Die ☆☆☆
Iron Age #1-2, ☆☆☆☆☆
8-10, Revenge of the Mandarin, ☆☆☆☆
Annual '98, ☆☆☆
11-14, ☆☆☆☆
15-17, ☆☆☆
18-20, Machinery of War, ☆☆☆☆
Annual '99, ☆☆☆
Eighth Day, ☆☆☆
23-25, Ultimo, ☆☆☆☆
Live Kree or Die ☆☆☆
Iron Age #1-2, ☆☆☆☆☆
8-10, Revenge of the Mandarin, ☆☆☆☆
Annual '98, ☆☆☆
11-14, ☆☆☆☆
15-17, ☆☆☆
18-20, Machinery of War, ☆☆☆☆
Annual '99, ☆☆☆
Eighth Day, ☆☆☆
23-25, Ultimo, ☆☆☆☆
January 12, 2020
only read 11-25 for the post-live kree or die event! eventually i’ll move this to ‘currently reading’ because i do want to finish this series... tony is so lovely. the writing is *chefs kiss*. a little blue eyed angel.
November 4, 2017
Busiek's Iron Man stories never wowed me the way much of his work does, but they were always solid, and backed up by very good art.
February 9, 2016
Tony Stark has been reborn. How? What happened to the teenager Tony Stark that existed before this new Tony Stark? It is never explained. And frankly, I believe that it doesn't need to be explained. Kurt Busiek gives the Golden Avenger a new start, and it is an excellent choice. This is the first full Iron Man run I've ever read, and it's a brilliant choice for anyone who is wanting to jump to the world of billionaire playboy Stark after seeing the films.
Tony Stark's adventures begin with a bunch of smaller villains, like Death Squad and Firebrand, trying to stop his businesses and defeat the armoured Avenger. These first issues are nice to read, but the Firebrand issues are a bit boring. After a few of these "enter villain - villain beats Iron Man - Iron Man finds the villain's weakness - Iron Man beats villain" issues, Kurt Busiek's run's strongest storyline is introduced; Stark goes to see Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Warbird, who is struggling with the very same problem as Stark was years earlier: alcoholism.
Then, they go together with Avengers fight some Kree villains known as Lunatic Legion, but the only point of the whole arc is to show how badly Carol is addicted to alcohol. The Legion is no match for the Avengers, and they have the exactly same problem as the other two multi-villain groups of the book, Death Squad and Spymaster's Espionage Elite – they could have so much more personality if they were either fought one by one or were completely replaced with only one villain. It's the same for Iron Man – he'll beat the enemies out cold in the span of two issues, wether there were one or twenty of them.
The Mandarin issues are really good, because I liked it how the old, classic bad guy was revived as Iron Man's main antagonist of the first story arcs. The vehicle he uses is also extremely cool. After that, a bunch of more or less useful stuff happens. The Fantastic Four issues, the Captain America collaboration annual and the War Machine's first appearance are not nearly as good as say, the excellent issue where Stark and his new love interest Rumiko Fujikawa fight the Controller.
The Fin Fang Foom issues were one of my favourites, because they had such massive scale and showed Iron Man doing some nice fighting. The War Machine issues that followed were better than the first ones, but I didn't like it how the War Machine was such unexplained character. He just decided to leave because reasons. It was a too miraculous save for Iron Man.
The '99 annual was great in the way that it tied the villains together and explained the motivation behind those villains that Mandarin hadn't hired. However, its biggest problem was that Iron Man beat every villain with basically the same way as he had before, although now he had to, say, add some little machine to the villain's chest that prevents him from executing what ever counter-measure he had come up with.
The Eighth Day isn't very good, if I'm being straight. It has some potential, but the whole "the fate of the world depends on our actions" deal kinda loses its menace when you realise that only four heroes arrived to "decide the fate of the world". The villains don't have much personality, but at least Juggernaut gets to shine a little. I think it was a bit odd that the Juggernaut was the center point of this story that features mainly Avengers.
The best part of the book is arguably the Ultimo issues and the Iron Age. The Ultimo issues are a really nice conclusion to the Warbird saga, and they wrap up everything nicely. The Iron Age is excellent, because it is told from the viewpoints of Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. It works better than you'd think.
Now that I've covered the issues, let's get to the main point of this book: the characters. Anyone who has read the book can agree with me on the matter that Kurt Busiek has written these issues mainly to expand on Tony Stark as a character. Even more so, this book is about the characters thinking. Tony Stark thinks about his addiction to the armor, Tony Stark thinks about his relationship to alcohol, Tony Stark thinks about his relationship to women, Happy Hogan thinks about his relationship to Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, Carol Danvers thinks about his relationship to alcohol... A lot of thinking is going on. The characters feel very lively and realistic, because they actually wonder their actions instead of just performing. The Tony Stark here is clearly the biggest basis of the Robert Downey Jr.'s Stark we see on the big screens.
Kurt Busiek's and Sean Chen's Iron Man is a wonderful book. Any fan of the movies, or Marvel in general, should take a look at it. It's not the best Omnibus ever (because Infinity Gauntlet is), but it is definitely in my top 5.
Tony Stark's adventures begin with a bunch of smaller villains, like Death Squad and Firebrand, trying to stop his businesses and defeat the armoured Avenger. These first issues are nice to read, but the Firebrand issues are a bit boring. After a few of these "enter villain - villain beats Iron Man - Iron Man finds the villain's weakness - Iron Man beats villain" issues, Kurt Busiek's run's strongest storyline is introduced; Stark goes to see Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Warbird, who is struggling with the very same problem as Stark was years earlier: alcoholism.
Then, they go together with Avengers fight some Kree villains known as Lunatic Legion, but the only point of the whole arc is to show how badly Carol is addicted to alcohol. The Legion is no match for the Avengers, and they have the exactly same problem as the other two multi-villain groups of the book, Death Squad and Spymaster's Espionage Elite – they could have so much more personality if they were either fought one by one or were completely replaced with only one villain. It's the same for Iron Man – he'll beat the enemies out cold in the span of two issues, wether there were one or twenty of them.
The Mandarin issues are really good, because I liked it how the old, classic bad guy was revived as Iron Man's main antagonist of the first story arcs. The vehicle he uses is also extremely cool. After that, a bunch of more or less useful stuff happens. The Fantastic Four issues, the Captain America collaboration annual and the War Machine's first appearance are not nearly as good as say, the excellent issue where Stark and his new love interest Rumiko Fujikawa fight the Controller.
The Fin Fang Foom issues were one of my favourites, because they had such massive scale and showed Iron Man doing some nice fighting. The War Machine issues that followed were better than the first ones, but I didn't like it how the War Machine was such unexplained character. He just decided to leave because reasons. It was a too miraculous save for Iron Man.
The '99 annual was great in the way that it tied the villains together and explained the motivation behind those villains that Mandarin hadn't hired. However, its biggest problem was that Iron Man beat every villain with basically the same way as he had before, although now he had to, say, add some little machine to the villain's chest that prevents him from executing what ever counter-measure he had come up with.
The Eighth Day isn't very good, if I'm being straight. It has some potential, but the whole "the fate of the world depends on our actions" deal kinda loses its menace when you realise that only four heroes arrived to "decide the fate of the world". The villains don't have much personality, but at least Juggernaut gets to shine a little. I think it was a bit odd that the Juggernaut was the center point of this story that features mainly Avengers.
The best part of the book is arguably the Ultimo issues and the Iron Age. The Ultimo issues are a really nice conclusion to the Warbird saga, and they wrap up everything nicely. The Iron Age is excellent, because it is told from the viewpoints of Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. It works better than you'd think.
Now that I've covered the issues, let's get to the main point of this book: the characters. Anyone who has read the book can agree with me on the matter that Kurt Busiek has written these issues mainly to expand on Tony Stark as a character. Even more so, this book is about the characters thinking. Tony Stark thinks about his addiction to the armor, Tony Stark thinks about his relationship to alcohol, Tony Stark thinks about his relationship to women, Happy Hogan thinks about his relationship to Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, Carol Danvers thinks about his relationship to alcohol... A lot of thinking is going on. The characters feel very lively and realistic, because they actually wonder their actions instead of just performing. The Tony Stark here is clearly the biggest basis of the Robert Downey Jr.'s Stark we see on the big screens.
Kurt Busiek's and Sean Chen's Iron Man is a wonderful book. Any fan of the movies, or Marvel in general, should take a look at it. It's not the best Omnibus ever (because Infinity Gauntlet is), but it is definitely in my top 5.
March 3, 2014
Heroes Reborn (1-6). A nice new start for Iron Man. I like the creation of Stark Solutions (though Stark forming a new company seems to have become obligatory in years since). I also appreciate the inclusion of Pepper in the supporting cast. Finally, the stories are exciting: I was impressed that Busiek even made a two-issue slugfest with Firebrand interesting [7/10].
Live Kree or Die (7+). This arc starts off strongly in Iron Man, primarily because of the great interactions between Tony and Carol [7/10]. However the rest of the story is much more “meh”: there’s too much action and not enough characterization or development. The constantly swapping characters and the undifferentiated Lunatic Legion don’t help [6/10].
The Mandarin (8-10). It's good to see the Mandarin revealed as the big bad of Busiek's first year … but his Mandarin just isn't as impressive as Matt Fraction's Mandarin many years later. He's too much of a super-villain, complete with giant dragon ship [6/10].
Annual ’98. A fine if somewhat forgettable story on the difference between Captain America and Iron Man. Waid’s scripting is strong [7/10].
War Machine (11-12). This is a nice call-back to the War Machine era, a good intro of yet another villain, and a nice climax to Tony’s health problems. All around, a good superhero story [7/10].
Dominator (13). A surprisingly strong done-in-one story, because it builds out of Tony’s current problems; the return of Rummiko also helps [7/10].
FF & Ronan (14+). This two-part crossover with the Fantastic Four is a real yawner. It unfortunately focuses on some of Claremont's fetishes and offers Iron Man almost no character time of his own [5/10].
Nitro & Fin Fang Foom (15-17). Unfortunately, Stern taking over as scripter and co-plotter doesn't seem to have done the comic any favors (at first). These issues are all entirely mediocre. There's some nice characterization of Happy … and that's about it [5/10].
Machinery of War (18-20). Fortunately, the next arc was a return to form, as we got a followup to the War Machine arc, more Bain, Jocasta, and lots of other great story elements. The writing isn't as sharp as when Busiek was doing it on his own, but it's still an interesting set of issues [7/10].
Annual ’99. A good follow-up to many of Busiek’s plotlines, with some nice scripting by Casey. Pity he never wrote an extended Iron Man arc, as his corporate superheroing is perfect Tony [7/10].
Burning Need (21). Another good story of Tony & Carol. I’m not sure they’re making any progress, but they’re interesting character pieces [7/10].
The Eighth Day (21-22). This big crossover is imminently skippable. It derails the plots of all three of the comics that it’s crossing over, undercuts the character of Juggernaut, and offers up a bunch of new villains who are entirely bland and dull [3/10].
Ultimo (23-25). A fine conclusion to Busiek's run. Ultimo makes a good final adversary, and it's nice to get some follow-up to the weird villains from #18, but the conclusion of the Carol Danvers arc is at least as good as the rest [7/10].
The Iron Age. And this is Busiek's best Iron Man. Not exactly an origin story, but instead an "Untold Tale". The best part of it is the narration by Happy and Pepper, which is very strong, but the story itself is also a fun one [8+/10].
Overall, I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by Busiek's Iron Man. I think it's the weakest of the longer runs that he's done. Despite that, it's a nice adjunct to his Avengers that's worth reading (especially the better parts of the run, which are largely the parts that don't cross-over). It's a pity that Busiek didn't do more Iron Man writing with the quality of The Iron Age.
Live Kree or Die (7+). This arc starts off strongly in Iron Man, primarily because of the great interactions between Tony and Carol [7/10]. However the rest of the story is much more “meh”: there’s too much action and not enough characterization or development. The constantly swapping characters and the undifferentiated Lunatic Legion don’t help [6/10].
The Mandarin (8-10). It's good to see the Mandarin revealed as the big bad of Busiek's first year … but his Mandarin just isn't as impressive as Matt Fraction's Mandarin many years later. He's too much of a super-villain, complete with giant dragon ship [6/10].
Annual ’98. A fine if somewhat forgettable story on the difference between Captain America and Iron Man. Waid’s scripting is strong [7/10].
War Machine (11-12). This is a nice call-back to the War Machine era, a good intro of yet another villain, and a nice climax to Tony’s health problems. All around, a good superhero story [7/10].
Dominator (13). A surprisingly strong done-in-one story, because it builds out of Tony’s current problems; the return of Rummiko also helps [7/10].
FF & Ronan (14+). This two-part crossover with the Fantastic Four is a real yawner. It unfortunately focuses on some of Claremont's fetishes and offers Iron Man almost no character time of his own [5/10].
Nitro & Fin Fang Foom (15-17). Unfortunately, Stern taking over as scripter and co-plotter doesn't seem to have done the comic any favors (at first). These issues are all entirely mediocre. There's some nice characterization of Happy … and that's about it [5/10].
Machinery of War (18-20). Fortunately, the next arc was a return to form, as we got a followup to the War Machine arc, more Bain, Jocasta, and lots of other great story elements. The writing isn't as sharp as when Busiek was doing it on his own, but it's still an interesting set of issues [7/10].
Annual ’99. A good follow-up to many of Busiek’s plotlines, with some nice scripting by Casey. Pity he never wrote an extended Iron Man arc, as his corporate superheroing is perfect Tony [7/10].
Burning Need (21). Another good story of Tony & Carol. I’m not sure they’re making any progress, but they’re interesting character pieces [7/10].
The Eighth Day (21-22). This big crossover is imminently skippable. It derails the plots of all three of the comics that it’s crossing over, undercuts the character of Juggernaut, and offers up a bunch of new villains who are entirely bland and dull [3/10].
Ultimo (23-25). A fine conclusion to Busiek's run. Ultimo makes a good final adversary, and it's nice to get some follow-up to the weird villains from #18, but the conclusion of the Carol Danvers arc is at least as good as the rest [7/10].
The Iron Age. And this is Busiek's best Iron Man. Not exactly an origin story, but instead an "Untold Tale". The best part of it is the narration by Happy and Pepper, which is very strong, but the story itself is also a fun one [8+/10].
Overall, I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by Busiek's Iron Man. I think it's the weakest of the longer runs that he's done. Despite that, it's a nice adjunct to his Avengers that's worth reading (especially the better parts of the run, which are largely the parts that don't cross-over). It's a pity that Busiek didn't do more Iron Man writing with the quality of The Iron Age.
January 10, 2017
This was a fun read; it moved at a decent pace. Most of the artwork was enjoyable / well-done [which is kinda funny to say, 'cuz even the worst artwork in the compilation was still worlds better than I could personally do hahahah. I just know what I like and what I don't like]. It held my interest throughout the entire collection, although some stories were assuredly 'better' [or 'stronger'] than others.
It starts off after the events of "Heroes Return" with Tony Stark having to decide what he is going to do with his life, now that he has 'returned from the dead' and been declared legally 'alive' by the US judicial system. Instead of fighting to take over his old company [that was bought out by Fujikawa] he decides to start up a new company, on that will allow him to help other people and help solve various problems [ideally, mostly technical in nature] that people and/or corporations are having trouble solving. He is trying to figure out his place in this 'brand, new world' that has been opened up to him with his 'death' and subsequent 'resurrection' from the dead. It is up to Tony Stark to figure out what he is going to do with his new-found second chance at life.
I have always enjoyed reading the Iron Man series, although not necessarily every story [or story arc] was a home run, and I cannot say I really cared for how Marvel made him into such an arrogant jerk over the past decade or so. This third volume [run] of the comics started out with a lot of fun, a lot of promise, and some different 'points-of-view' that were not in the original run. I have not read every comic in this third volume, but the third volume definitely took Tony Stark and Iron Man into different directions and explored more of Tony's life than the original iteration. So that was fun to read, the potential future implied in the beginning comics of this volume. It is a shame they were not able to keep the momentum going of the early issues of this run; at the same time, I am glad I read this omnibus as it helped fill in gaps in what I had been able to read and not been able to read.
Yes, it has its imperfections. Yes, it has horrible artwork. Yes, some of the stories and partial-arcs are weak. Yet, despite its imperfections, I am glad I read this book as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It may not be one of the 'best' or 'greatest' omnibuses on the market, but it was still fun to read.
It starts off after the events of "Heroes Return" with Tony Stark having to decide what he is going to do with his life, now that he has 'returned from the dead' and been declared legally 'alive' by the US judicial system. Instead of fighting to take over his old company [that was bought out by Fujikawa] he decides to start up a new company, on that will allow him to help other people and help solve various problems [ideally, mostly technical in nature] that people and/or corporations are having trouble solving. He is trying to figure out his place in this 'brand, new world' that has been opened up to him with his 'death' and subsequent 'resurrection' from the dead. It is up to Tony Stark to figure out what he is going to do with his new-found second chance at life.
I have always enjoyed reading the Iron Man series, although not necessarily every story [or story arc] was a home run, and I cannot say I really cared for how Marvel made him into such an arrogant jerk over the past decade or so. This third volume [run] of the comics started out with a lot of fun, a lot of promise, and some different 'points-of-view' that were not in the original run. I have not read every comic in this third volume, but the third volume definitely took Tony Stark and Iron Man into different directions and explored more of Tony's life than the original iteration. So that was fun to read, the potential future implied in the beginning comics of this volume. It is a shame they were not able to keep the momentum going of the early issues of this run; at the same time, I am glad I read this omnibus as it helped fill in gaps in what I had been able to read and not been able to read.
Yes, it has its imperfections. Yes, it has horrible artwork. Yes, some of the stories and partial-arcs are weak. Yet, despite its imperfections, I am glad I read this book as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It may not be one of the 'best' or 'greatest' omnibuses on the market, but it was still fun to read.
September 12, 2015
Marvel's been collecting many of Kurt Busiek's late 1990's Marvel work into Omnibus editions recently, so I've finally made the time to read them. The "Avengers" omnibus released earlier this year was stellar, so I jumped at the opportunity when a copy of his "Iron Man" run became available.
Unfortunately, of the 25-issues collected (+ crossovers not necessarily written by Busiek), maybe a quarter of them are worth writing home about. Those issues - mostly around the middle of the book - are captivating and fun. The rest isn't bad, but it feels largely in-distinguished. Thoroughly "good."
Busiek's Tony Stark is a version of the character who cannot exist in the post-Downey world (not a knock): a character who can be heroic, make mistakes, and act without the weight of a fictional universe on his shoulders. He faces a rogues gallery of villains who are more than just evil suits of armor. Fing Fang Foom, Mandarin, Controller; good stuff, strange stuff. He has a supporting cast with variety and weight, who actually *like* him.
One major cut against this edition, in particular, is that reading the run as a whole, completed work reveals a similar problem to most Marvel runs prior to the mid-2000's: it just sort of 'ends.' Several plot threads are left dangling completely by the end of the book. I hear a few are concluded properly in later "Avengers" issues (Omnibus 2 in November!), but that doesn't make this particular edition any more satisfying. That said, Tony & Carol Danvers both have some payoff, so the book isn't without some closure.
I haven't read many other Iron Man runs in full, so I can't fairly measure this against much else. I will say that it has a consistency that Matt Fraction's run lacks, although Fraction's run has much higher highs, and lower lows. Worth reading, at the very least, to see how the character was developing in the final decade before his role in the company was redefined, forever.
Unfortunately, of the 25-issues collected (+ crossovers not necessarily written by Busiek), maybe a quarter of them are worth writing home about. Those issues - mostly around the middle of the book - are captivating and fun. The rest isn't bad, but it feels largely in-distinguished. Thoroughly "good."
Busiek's Tony Stark is a version of the character who cannot exist in the post-Downey world (not a knock): a character who can be heroic, make mistakes, and act without the weight of a fictional universe on his shoulders. He faces a rogues gallery of villains who are more than just evil suits of armor. Fing Fang Foom, Mandarin, Controller; good stuff, strange stuff. He has a supporting cast with variety and weight, who actually *like* him.
One major cut against this edition, in particular, is that reading the run as a whole, completed work reveals a similar problem to most Marvel runs prior to the mid-2000's: it just sort of 'ends.' Several plot threads are left dangling completely by the end of the book. I hear a few are concluded properly in later "Avengers" issues (Omnibus 2 in November!), but that doesn't make this particular edition any more satisfying. That said, Tony & Carol Danvers both have some payoff, so the book isn't without some closure.
I haven't read many other Iron Man runs in full, so I can't fairly measure this against much else. I will say that it has a consistency that Matt Fraction's run lacks, although Fraction's run has much higher highs, and lower lows. Worth reading, at the very least, to see how the character was developing in the final decade before his role in the company was redefined, forever.
September 30, 2013
I thought much of the art was well done. The story had flashes of brilliance but sometimes I felt it was the standard one issue bring in a villain, set up a dangerous situation, and then Iron Man knocks the villain out of commission stuff. If you are a huge Iron Man fan or Sean Chen fan this is for you.
May 22, 2015
the boook's pretty darned good, but fades as one approaches the end. The Eighth Day story is particularly cliched, pointless, and painful. But generally, the story is entertaining, and Busiek does a great job with his primary chosen characters: Stark himself, Happy Hogan, and Pepper Potts. The rest is pretty darned good comics.
June 20, 2014
Way too horrible.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews