Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D

Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the first Iron Man to take place in the post-Civil War Marvel Universe, and while Iron Man and his faction of heroes might have been the winners of that conflict, the aftermath is anything but glorious. Tony Stark is still reeling from the loss of his pal Happy Hogan, and is now under increased scrutiny as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., replacing the irreplaceable Nick Fury. This volume, which collects Iron Man #15-18 as well as some extras (which I'll address later), finds Stark trying to put his brand of corporate culture onto America's premiere spy agency while tracking down dangerous terrorists who appear to be arming various militant groups with highly sophisticated biotechnology weapons. And behind the scenes a long absent Iron Man foe is pulling the strings in preparation for his return to glory. Daniel and Charlie Knauf continue to craft a thoroughly compelling Iron Man saga that is both relevant and respectful of the character's history. I've been an Iron Man fan for ages, but haven't been this excited about the title since the late 80's. New series artist Roberto De La Torre is a great addition to the book. His style is equal parts Neal Adams and Travis Charest, if you can imagine that! His action scenes are dynamic, and his faces show a wide array of emotions. If we can't have Adi Granov's painted artwork on every Iron Man issue, De La Torre is the next best thing. It doesn't hurt that Granov provides covers for these issues, including a fantastic Steranko tribute for the front cover. My only gripe about this volume is the "bonus material" that Marvel tacked on to the original issues. In addition to a 6-page interview with the Knaufs (which was a good addition), you get a 1965 Nick Fury story from Strange Tales and a 1979 Iron Man issue. Both are included presumably because they show some early connections between Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D., but I have to wonder if they were included to pad the cover price of this book. I'm all for reprinting classic issues (and would love to have nice full color reprints of the first 250 or so Iron Man issues), but it shouldn't be as afterthoughts to current storylines.

So I don't know where the other guys are reading, but there's no clone of Steve Rodgers. This is just a new vision for the Iron Man story. Turns out, good ol' Tony Stark becomes the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and I have to say it was a perfect match. Basically, after the Civil War, Tony is given "the keys to the kingdom" and the readers get to see how Stark handles the new responsibilities. With Stark having being exposed to the Extremis virus and able to control every computer system in the globe, this made him a perfect fit control the S.H.I.E.L.D. Plus we get to see the rise of an old enemy. This book is full of action, but I do have to say the dialogue is a bit choppy. There this one moment, during the last climatic battle, where Stark has this "revelation" which didn't fit. However the story is still good. And the artwork is amazing!!! So if you are a fan of Iron Man, get this book...it's worth the read.