Iron Man: Extremis

Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, is possibly the most hated man in comics right now. Following the fan-incensing Marvel universe shakeup of Civil War, many have called for Stark's head on a platter for his excesses against Captain America's resistance - and message boards buzz with anticipation for his comeuppance at hands of the Hulk in this summer's "World War Hulk" crossover. But whether you love Iron Man or hate him (I personally fall into the former category, perhaps now more than ever), Warren Ellis' relaunch of the character stands as one of the best in recent Marvel history. Ellis tells a tale both deep and deceptively simple: a murderous domestic terrorist takes an eerie, 21st century version of the Super Soldier serum, and Iron Man is forced to go to new extremes (ha, ha) to stop him. Ellis' trademark futurism and formidable knowledge is in full effect here - he's really a natural writer for Stark, and the story is unsettlingly believable at times (a great touch is Stark's discussion of his company's latest model cell phone). Adi Granov's artwork matches Ellis' narrative blow for blow. His ultra-realistic and forceful style is absolutely arresting, especially during the battle scenes: the showdown(s) between the terrorist Mallen and Iron Man are conducted without any over-the-top sound effects or obtrusive splashes, delivering a riveting sense of realism and raw intensity. I found myself flipping pages with abandon during the fight scenes, racing ahead with eyes wide. This is also a particularly grisly Iron Man story. Victims get decapitated, Stark gets viciously battered and broken, and the Iron Man Mark 1 mercilessly incinerates terrorists - Mallen's initial rampage is especially horrifying. But the tone is absolutely appropriate, especially since the moral compromise of Stark's arms development provides a constant undertone to the story. In short, "Extremis" is a must-read. It's much more than just a prelude to Civil War. Iron Man may not be very popular at the moment, but this arc shows how thrilling and engaging the character can be. The real tragedy is that the Ellis/Granov team didn't last beyond these issues - I have a feeling they could've provided a run as definitive and rewarding as Bendis/Maleev's on Daredevil.

After Brian Michael Bendis disassembled the Avengers, a few titles got new starts. There was Bendis' New Avengers, along with Ed Brubaker's relaunch of Captain America, and Warren Ellis' eagerly awaited (and frequently delayed) relaunch of Iron Man. Attempting to break away from any sort of continuity, Ellis (Planetary, Orbiter, Ultimate Galactus) makes a new start for Tony Stark, as the multi-billionaire embarks on a desire to break away from the mistakes he's made in his personal life as well as his business. Things take a downward slide however when a synthetic and powerful concoction called Extremis falls into the hands of a violent and vengeful criminal, leading to a shocker of a showdown. Like he has so many times before with science fiction stories, Ellis takes what would otherwise be unbelievable and makes it believable, thanks to his vast knowledge and research. This is made all the better by the CGI-esque art of Adi Granov; giving Iron Man the best look he's had, well, maybe ever. This ended up being Ellis' only storyarc on the relaunch of Iron Man, which is disappointing, but Extremis is a masterwork regardless, and is undoubtedly the best Iron Man story in years.

Ever since I started reading comics, Iron Man has been my favorite Marvel character. Unfortunately, since the 1980s, good Iron Man stories have been few and far between. Joe Quesada's Iron Man: The Mask in the Iron Man tale was the last Iron Man storyline that I really enjoyed, and that one is already 5 years gone. Enter Warren Ellis, Adi Granov, and Extremis - the volume you're checking out right now. Extremis is the best Iron Man story to come along in ages. Essentially, this story is what a big budget Iron Man movie starring Tom Cruise would look like. It's absolutely breathtaking. Warren Ellis, whose work on Stormwatch, the Authority, and Planetary I credit with changing the way I look at comic books, delivers the perfect Iron Man story. Marvel continuity has not been kind to Iron Man, so Ellis takes this opportunity to reintroduce the character and start almost from scratch. We're introduced to a Tony Stark who is haunted by the harm his military inventions have caused and is trying to make amends in the only way he knows how - by donning the Iron Man suit. There's a nice recap of his origin, adapted slightly to modernize the character, an interesting look at Tony's fellow "mad scientists", and confrontation with an extremely powerful villain who forces Tony to make a drastic decision. I won't give it away here, but it should have major implications for the character going forward. Ellis is firing on all cylinders here. The plot, characters, dialogue, and pacing are all flawless. This is what the Ultimate Iron Man, Vol. 1 story should have been. Adi Granov's painted artwork is nothing short of phenomenal. It is stylized while at the same time extremely realistic. He captures an incredible amount of emotion on each character's face, and his action scenes almost (but not quite) match Bryan Hitch's for sheer cinematic quality. And if he didn't intentionally use Tom Cruise as the model for Tony Stark, the coincidence is just too eerie. Granov's painted work is the perfect complement to Ellis's story, and helps make Extremis that much more effective. The end result is a near perfect Iron Man story, and one that should rank alongside Iron Man: Armor Wars and Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle (Marvel Premiere Classic) as one of the best Iron Man tales ever. I highly recommend this volume, especially in Marvel's high quality hardcover format, which is perfect for a story of this caliber.

Warren Ellis' Extremis storyline is a great Iron Man story that works equally well for people who have never read an Iron Man story before and for people who know every detail of the armored Avenger's story. Cleverly drawing parallels between the origins of Iron Man and the story, Ellis is able to convey a great story that will resonate with everyone. Tony Stark, the man who fills the iron armor, has hit a bit of a rough patch. The public is beginning to turn on Stark Industries due to accusations that Stark is nothing more than an arms dealer. Stark is becoming disillusioned with Iron Man, and he can barely look himself in the mirror anymore. Meanwhile, Maya Hansen, an expert biologist with ties to Stark's past, is horrified to learn that one of her colleagues stole a top secret weapon, sold it to someone, then committed suicide. The weapon is codenamed "Extremis", and it is a form of super-soldier serum, updated for the 20th century. It turns its subject into a nearly indestructable living weapon. When a white supremicist who feels that the government let his family down when he was a child gets injected with Extremis, Maya is forced to call Tony and ask him for help. She doesn't know that Stark is Iron Man; she wants his expertise but she readily accepts when he says that he can contact Iron Man for help. The Extremis-infused terrorist proves a worthy challenge, and Stark realizes that times have changed since he became Iron Man, and his plan of attack must reflect that. In addition to the great story, Adi Granov's art is fantastic. With maybe the exception of one panel (the scared look on some people's faces is laughable), all of the art is both beautiful and expressive. As I said at the beginning of the review, this is a story that anyone can pick up and enjoy. For long time fans, the flashbacks will be an interesting way to compare the past and present, and they will educate newcomers on Iron Man's origins.

As someone only slightly familiar with the Iron Man/Tony Stark character and not steeped in his history, this book was a fantastic way to start reading about him. Ellis gives a modern update to a character based in technology while also going back to show newcomers the character's origin. Iron Man has a new status quo by the end of the story, and we get a better look at a man with different motivation than most other comic book superheroes. Adi Granov provides gorgeous art that's the closest thing to cinematic visuals until his character design hits theaters in the Iron Man film. A must-buy for those looking to try out the character or fans wanting to see him retooled for the 21st century.