The Invincible Iron Man #1 Review

Written by: Gerry Duggan
Art by: Juan Frigeri
Colors by: Bryan Valenza
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Kael Ngu
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: December 14, 2022

The Invincible Iron Man #1 kicks off a new phase in Tony Stark’s increasingly downtrodden life. With fewer friends, no home, and dwindling finances, what’s an Iron Man to do when an assassin comes calling?

Is It Good?

Well, okay. The Invincible Iron Man #1 is fine. After Christopher Cantwell’s abysmal run, it’s good to get a palette cleanser, so Gerry Duggan goes back to basics (perhaps a little too basic) for a new series. Is this issue worth your hard-earned time and dollars? To Be Determined.

When we catch up with Tony Stark, he’s living in a NY brownstone and working on his last remaining set of armor, the Mark 70. The first few pages spend an odd amount of time covering all the properties he used to own or live in that he no longer owns. Duggan’s narration tone is mildly lighthearted but presents as Tony Stark engaging in self-deprecation to mask the pain he feels over approaching what (for him) feels like “being poor.”

The beaten-down version of Tony Stark is an easy, basic trope to kick off a new series, but it is well-trodden territory, so readers may feel like Duggan’s take on Stark is almost a cliché. That said, the basic approach makes this issue a good jumping-on point for new readers.

Well, Tony’s brownstone suddenly blows up, innocent neighbors die, and Tony’s already-low status sinks even lower when the explosion is blamed on instability in his on-site generator.

Again, Duggan is pushing Tony lower and lower to get you to react. However, it’s not clear if Duggan intended for readers to feel sympathy or pity, but you’re left with a generally unpleasant feeling about Tony’s position.

Of course, a faceless individual in an armor suit attacks Tony, and we find out Tony’s recent woes are part of a coordinated attack, and Riri Williams is involved… somehow.

As a first issue, this is fine. Duggan maintains even pacing, he successfully gets you to see Tony Stark hitting rock bottom, and Duggan builds a healthy bit of intrigue about Tony’s new enemy. Is this the most creative and dramatic start to an Iron Man run? No, but it’s serviceable enough to keep going.

Regarding the art, Frigeri and Valenza turn in a darn fine set of visuals. Frigeri makes excellent use of unique camera angles in the panel composition to generate visual interest. The character designs are solid, and the detailed linework is excellent. Likewise, Valenza’s coloring technique is outstanding.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Bits and Pieces

The Invincible Iron Man #1 is a serviceable start to a new run starring Marvel’s quintessential playboy after he’s fallen on hard times. The pacing, plot progression, and dialog are excellent, and the art team delivers a gorgeous set of visuals. However, kicking off a new run with Tony Stark hitting rock bottom feels like too-familiar territory, so it remains to be seen if this series is worth continuing.