Tony Stark dons iron longjohns and fights evil.

January 10, 2000

ISSUE #25: Ultimate Devastation
(click on the cover image to see a larger version)
	REVIEW: I hoped and prayed that this month's Iron Man would be better than the last, and lo, my prayers were answered. Unlike the terminally ill Ages of Apocalypse, Busiek and Stern have managed to keep improving upon their storylines to the top-notch form they're in now. Just about every major storyline peaks in this issue -- the Pepper-Stark-Hogan triangle, Warbird's alcoholism, Sapper and Golden Blade's good guy/bad guy revelations, Tony Stark's ambivalence about the armor -- and all of it works great together. Of course, all the soap opry stuff would be useless without great action and art. Once again, Sean Chen's pencils are magnificent (the interludes drawn by other artists are tolerable), with stunning imagery. Somehow, only he can make a giant silver robot called Ultimo more menacing than Galactus. Definitely check this issue and the rest of the cycle out, because this is Marvel at its best. --Jeff Chen
	Recommendation:	BUY IT!

ISSUE #24: Ultimate Fury
(click on the cover image to see a larger version)
	REVIEW: "Ultimate Fury" is one of those issues that makes me happy I've stuck with Iron Man for so long. It's been one of the few Marvel comics, post-Heroes Reborn, that's managed to effectively build on top of its solid relaunch foundation. This issue effectively mixes three or four different story threads together in a way that shows how well Busiek and Stern understand Iron Man. As Ultimo breaks free of Stark-Fujikawa's control, former enemies turn out to be friends, former friends might become lovers, and Warbird finally comes head to head with the deadly consequences of her alcoholism. Busiek and Stern manage to fuse the elements together seamlessly, moving from Warbird to Ultimo to Pepper without any awkward pauses or unnecessary setup. Even the parallels drawn here between Tony Stark's alcoholism and Warbird's are obvious, but not annoyingly so. Sean Chen's pencils, as usual, are magnificent, and a perfect complement for the writing. And the best part? Next month's issue will be even better. --Jeff Chen
	Recommendation:	BUY IT!

ISSUE #18
	REVIEW: Tony Stark/Iron Man's life just continues to fall further and further apart. Rumiko Fujikawa, Stark's most promising serious relationship in years invites him over to Stark-Fujikawa's latest project, which happens to harnessing evil/destructive robot Ultimo's power source. Unfortunately, the facilities come under attack under two familiar villains, Sapper and Goldenblade, and their attack threatens to destroy not only Iron Man, but several of Stark's key relationships. Despite the action and the events, this isn't a very effective issue on its own. Every story thread is already in progress, and none are resolved in this issue. However, Captain Marvel's alcoholism, his burgeoning relationship with Pepper, his breakup with Rumiko, and the reason's behind Sapper and Goldenblade's attack are compelling storylines with great promise for future issues.
	Recommendation:	BORROW IT!

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