Invincible Iron Man #5 builds new threats for both Iron Man and Mutants
I’ve written before on my personal Tumblr how Invincible Iron Man by Gerry Duggan and Juan Frigeri opened to a somewhat rocky start. However, the last couple of issues have only improved in quality. Invincible Iron Man #5 continues that trend with flying colors. Tony Stark has lost his company to his new mutant-hating nemesis, Feilong. With his back against the wall, he goes to the enemy of his enemy, asking for the aid of Krakoa’s one and only Emma Frost!
The cover of Invincible Iron Man #5 prominently features Emma Frost, but that’s a bit misleading (as covers often are). Emma does feature in the issue, but her page time, while sweet, is brief. That’s not the only reason X fans might want to check out the issue though. Feilong debuted in Duggan’s X-Men series and has ties to the anti-mutant organization Orchis. The issue continues to build the threat of Feilong in interesting and compelling ways while also laying seeds for the upcoming X-Men Hellfire Gala 2023.
A complaint I had with the last issue was the fight between Tony and Feilong. The fight felt pretty one-sided. For a new threat, Feilong got rocked by Tony. It failed to set him up as a good physical threat to Tony. Luckily in this issue, it’s rectified. The action sets Feilong up as much more of a threat not only physically but in terms of mechanical power as well!
Frigeri’s art aided by colorist Bryan Valenza and letterer Joe Caramagna continues to shine when the action hits. One of the best parts of the art is how it depicts the mechanic structure of Stark technology. There is a tactile sense from the images on display that elevates the scenes. The art isn’t out of this world but it shines where it counts.
Invincible Iron Man continues to walk a fine line of working as a standalone book while also being part of a larger story Duggan is telling across his books. The issue does a good job filling in readers on the relevant events from X-Men and it never feels like you need to have read the book, but it certainly improves both if you have.
Story: Gerry Duggan Art: Juan Frigeri
Color: Bryan Valenza Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
