Ultimate Iron Man 1

Such a tragic story. Make sure you all grab your hankies before you pick up this book because it will have you crying like Fumanchu when he can’t find Kevin Smith at a convention. But, all your whimpering and boo-hooing will be worth it. Trust me, this is a great book.

When I listened to Christian Bale talk about Batman Begins, he said that the story is so focused on the character of Batman/Bruce Wayne that you won’t see Bats for quite a long time in the film. In this same vein, Orson Scott Card has taken us back to before Tony Stark’s birth to unfold the sad tale of how he came into this world, and to give us a dose of family history. In fact, other than his brief embryonic appearance, Toney doesn’t even appear in the issue, but this does not detract from the book, and in fact shows the confidence of the staff in their new project.

While I don’t want to reveal any of the story to you, let me say that no reader of comics, fan of the Ultimate Universe, or fan of Iron Man (with an understanding that this is an alternate universe) will be able to dislike or disapprove of this book. I say that with the idea in mind that none of you are Communists and that you have taste in literature.

The art in this book by master, Andy Kubert, is superb, flowing, and realistic. I enjoy it because it lacks the cartoony ridiculousness and hyperbolic proportions which so many current books seem to suffer from. At the same time, it is in no way akin to the overly realistic attempts of the Valiant artists of the 80’s and 90’s. It is a perfect rendering of characters, time period, movement, and presence-weighting. Kubert, you are superb.

I would recommend this book to anyone despite their leaning toward superhero or anti hero comics. A great read, with unfortunately multiple covers, this book is more than a gimmicky throw away riding the coattails of the Ultimate Line’s fame. It is a great book, in and of it’s own, and one well deserving of the attention of readers, art fans, Iron Man lovers, and collectors alike.