Initially, I approached the revival of the Ultimate Universe with skepticism. While the modernized titles did bring in new readers and allowed writers to craft stories untethered by the decades of canon, I found the arcs trended towards dark and moody versions of iconic characters, something that is rarely my cup of tea. However, when the new Ultimates line was recently revealed, I was surprised with the variety and tonal playfulness present in many titles. Thus, Ultimate Black Panther found a noteworthy way to give T’Challa and Wakanda a reworking, exploring contemporary themes around faith within its first few issues. It’s a skillful first arc in Bryan Hill’s Black Panther narrative, although too similar to other versions of the character to make it stand out. 

The Ultimate Black Panther trade compiles issues #1-6, establishing this reimagined tale of T’Challa and Wakanda in the Ultimate Universe. As Khonshu and Ra—known collectively as Moon Knight—seek to extend their dominion over Africa, Wakanda stands as the solitary barrier against their expansion. Following an assault on their nation, King T’Challa joins forces with Shuri and the Dora Milaje to address the external threat and uncover a surprising betrayal within their own ranks. The emergence of characters like Killmonger and Storm adds further complexity to the escalating conflict.

Marvel Comics

The narrative explores themes of faith, trust, and the influence of religion. Writer Bryan Hill depicts Khonshu leveraging a mysterious mineral to perform acts that inspire devotion, such as healing the sick and revitalizing barren lands. This manipulation of faith not only bolsters his following but also poses a significant threat to Wakanda due to the zealotry it fosters. Internal dynamics, particularly the differing perspectives between T’Challa and Shuri on trusting outsiders, add depth to the story. While the artwork varies in consistency, the series sets the stage for an impending war, leaving readers intrigued about how these elements will unfold in future arcs.

Hill’s writing is punchy and enjoyable, and the art by Stefano Caselli and Carlos Nieto is understandably sturdy, but there are places where it feels rushed and feebly assembled. However, my biggest problem with this version of Black Panther is that it isn’t radically different than the mainstream 616 version. When compared to the truly radical version of the X-Men found in Peach Momoko’s Ultimate title, this book simply feels like a slightly different version of his contemporary. Hopefully Hill will take this title in some new and interesting directions as he begins to develop the direction for this title in future arcs. 

Marvel Comics

Fans of Black Panther who want to see a slightly different version of the iconic character should find something to appreciate in this first collection of the Ultimates version, even if it doesn’t differ radically from the 616 T’Challa. However, the exploration of faith and religion opens many interesting opportunities for this title, and hopefully they the book will continue to explore those themes in future volumes. 

‘Ultimate Black Panther by Bryan Hill Vol. 1: Peace and War’ review

Ultimate Black Panther by Bryan Hill Vol. 1: Peace and War

Fans of Black Panther who want to see a slightly different version of the iconic character should find something to appreciate in this first collection of the Ultimates version, even if it doesn’t differ radically from the 616 T'Challa. However, the exploration of faith and religion opens many interesting opportunities for this title, and hopefully they the book will continue to explore those themes in future volumes. 

Reader Rating0 Votes

0

A reimagined Black Panther that isn't that far removed from the 616 version, unencumbered by decades of lore.

Some interesting contemporary themes around faith in this title, which could be ripe for future storylines.

Some inconsistent art at points.

Compared to other Ultimates books, this book feels very safe.

7

Good

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The debut issue of Ultraman X Avengers was everything I wanted, both as a Marvel fan and an Ultraman fan. But the real question is: does Ultraman X Avengers #2 live up to that high standard? The answer is yes – not only does the action continue to hit hard, but the creative team of Kyle Higgins, Mat Groom, Francesco Manna, Matt Milla and Ariana Maher have fun exploring the connections between the Avengers and the Ultra Squad.

Those connections are forged during the mission to gather resources to hold off Galactus. Captain America leads a group to raid the USP, but encounters its malevolent director, Moreheim. Captain Marvel and Ultraman fight off a pair of kaiju terrorizing Tokyo. Iron Man and Kiki bond while upgrading the J.A.C.K. for combat. It’s here where Higgins and Groom’s script sign, as they find unique bonds between these characters.

Captain Marvel relates to Ultraman because she’s a half-alien/half-human as well. Captain America gives an inspiring speech to the world, telling Shin Hayata that one day he’ll rise up to the occasion as well, proving that Sam Wilson’s true superpower is inspiring others. Kiki feels that since she doesn’t have superpowers, she can’t add much to the anti-Galactus plan, but Iron Man – being the resident genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist who whipped up his own robot suit – encourages her otherwise. It’s this kind of character work that’s made Higgins and Groom some of my favorite writers, and I’m glad it permeates their work on Ultraman like it does with the Massiveverse. (They also have the perfect handle on Peter Parker.)

Manna’s artwork continues to be the perfect fit for this crossover. Once again, he delivers a cinematic heft to Ultraman throwing down with Kaiju, and even pulls off a cool combo with Captain Marvel. Really, if your heroes aren’t pulling off cool combo attacks, are you even doing a Toku story right? But Manna doesn’t just excel with the big but also the small; the battle between Moreheim and Captain America is a great example of this. Not only does he repel her alien powers with his shield, but he’s able to hold his own in hand to hand combat.

Marvel

Finally, I have to point out how Milla’s colors and Maher’s letters add to the universe-spanning scope of this crossover. Maher gives each character a distinct voice; Iron Man has an electronically-filtered voice, Ultraman’s remains the same booming red-and-white, Galactus’ is royal purple. When Galactus finally appears and confronts Ultraman, the page is bathed in glowing blue with the only standouts being the Devourer of Worlds’ purple armor and Ultraman’s signature red/white frame. It’s awe-inspiring to behold.

Ultraman X Avengers #2 keeps up the momentum of its debut issue, thanks to strong character work and blockbuster-level artwork. This year has been ripe with crossovers, but this one is definitely at the top of the pack.

‘Ultraman X Avengers’ #2 thrives on connections between characters (and giant monster fights)

Ultraman X Avengers #2

Ultraman X Avengers #2 keeps up the momentum of its debut issue, thanks to strong character work and blockbuster-level artwork.

Reader Rating1 Votes

8.5

Higgins and Groom do stellar character work, finding bonds between the Avengers and Ultra Guard that keep me invested in the story.

Manna's artwork continues to be blockbuster level, whether it's hand to hand fights or kaiju battles.

Milla and Maher's colors and letters give each character - especially Galactus and Ultraman - their own distinct voice.

Top of the pack when it comes to crossovers this year.

9

Great

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“It’s why you read comics. Watch superhero movies and TV. Because for the hour you indulge in your sad little panacea, you can imagine you are the chosen one.”

DC All In has finally begun, and among the first round of books to drop in this initiative is Shazam! #16, which boasts a fantastic main cover by Gleb Melkinov to usher in the new era. Kneel Before Zod artist Dan McDaid joins Josie Campbell and Trish Mulvihill for the first issue of a brand new arc that sees Billy in a budding rivalry with his brother Freddy, who recently acquired brand new Shazam powers that, to be honest, are making him just a tad bit of a jerk.

Get your head in the game, Billy. There are robots to fight and neighbor girls to ask out. And a Society of…something lurking in the shadows. They even have business cards.

Right off the bat, McDaid makes an impression on the character with his exaggerated proportions and a particularly distinct facial style that fully leans into the series’ cartoonish nature while effectively balancing large and small scale — with an added dash of body horror and some dread. The way in which the Captain in particular is drawn has a charming simplicity that really channels the Fawcett Comics of old, thus making it far more akin to Jeff Smith’s Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil than other modern Shazam! books in how traditional the look is. This is also of course aided by Mulvihill’s coloring, which feels most effective in how it complements this style compared to the ones in previous issues.

DC

In terms of story, the crux of this issue is establishing how things have changed for the Shazamily and how the powerless siblings have retreated in the wake of such things. Particularly of note in that regard is Freddy’s emergence as Philly’s new hero, the Commander, protecting the city while Billy and Mary work with the Justice League. Other plots such as the Captain becoming wiser have settled nicely amongst everything and allows for more interaction with newer immediate plotlines, such as the ongoing contesting of the kids’ adoption case because of Billy’s biological mom, an arc that is so far defining Campbell’s run as writer. Though the issue does very little in terms of narrative beyond exposition setup for the new arc, it does so very effectively by honing in on the new tone set by the new creative team.

What really impresses me about this book overall is how it has retained a certain amount of whimsy since the beginning, but it’s not hard to admit that McDaid’s art has enhanced the potential for said whimsy in comparison to Dan Mora’s high action focus and Emanuela Lupacchino’s frequent psychedelic imagery. As previously said, this issue makes the book feel more traditional than it has in a while and that bodes excellently with the timing of the All In initiative. And with the return of  New 52 aesthetics thanks to the Absolute universe, one might say that the book is also somewhat recapturing the feel of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Shazam without losing track of the character maturity or the intended comedy that’s usually associated with the Big Red Cheese.

All in all (get it?), Shazam! #16 presents us with an excellent jumping on point for the series as it gets comfortable with all the development there’s been over the past year, using it as a springboard for a brand new direction that feels organic to what has been built up while still taking advantage of the new initiative. Campbell continues to impress and McDaid breathes new life into this modern take on our Captain, promising an uncertain future as the focus shifts to darker looming threats.

‘Shazam!’ #16 gets big, red, and cheesy

Shazam! #16

Campbell continues to impress and McDaid breathes new life into this modern take on our Captain, promising an uncertain future as the focus shifts to darker looming threats.

Reader Rating1 Votes

8.8

McDaid's art channels classic Fawcett and Smith's Monster Society of Evil successfully, giving a visual feel that has felt missing from the character.

Campbell's narration specifically shines in the script, inviting a feeling of dread that the book from the antagonists that hasn't been present up to now aside from Billy's recent internal conflict.

Mulvihill's colors pop and very much complement the simplicity in McDaid's interpretation of the characters and the world around them.

Billy and the Captain's new coexistence feels natural and well deserved.

There is potential for the Billy and Mary on the Justice League plot element that could benefit from more focus in the future aside from how it uplifts Freddy.

9

Great

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When reading an interview with David Dastmalchian, there was a moment that made me laugh. Dastmalchian was about to tell James Gunn, who’s one of his close friends, that he was writing DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos…only for Gunn to tell him about the upcoming Creature Commandos animated series! While both projects are different, DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos #1 is definitely a great intro to the titular team of monsters.

Dastmalchian stays true to the origins of the Creature Commandos: they’re a black-ops unit formed under “Project M” to participate in secret missions. Where it differs from the upcoming animated series and the original comics is the roster: there’s gorgon Mina Rhodes, vampire Vincent Velcro (the comic itself will probably beat you to the jokes), werewolf Wanda and a Frankenstein soldier named Lucky. It’s a very eclectic bunch, with Dastmalchaian giving them all their own unique character traits. Vincent, being a vampire, is rather cocky while Lucky has a bit of a tragic streak.

Bringing the new Commandos to life is Jesus Hervas, whose artwork is a perfect fit for a horror-oriented titled. Hervas does not shy away from the fact that these guys are monsters: he makes sure to draw detail to the stitches running across Lucky’s body, to the writhing mass of snakes that is Mina’s hair, to the fur covering Wanda’s body. This is a deep contrast to the heroic figures of the DC Universe, but it’s one that works for this book – especially when the moody colors of Alex Guimares are added.

DC Comics

Another advantage that Creature Commandos #1 has is that it can show off blood and have its characters swear, but thankfully, the creative team uses that as an embellishment, rather than a “oh look how cool and mature I am” trap that most comic creators want to run headlong into. Dastmalchian, Hervas, and Guimaraes understand that the trick to good horror is anticipation – by the end of this issue, I was definitely anticipating more.

DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos #1 is the right kind of synergy between comic and (upcoming) adaptation: its timing is perfect – especially since October is Halloween – and it manages to stand apart from the upcoming series while still presenting the core concept in a way that’ll draw in new fans. Other publishers, take note.

‘DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos’ #1 brings a human element to its monster-filled tale

DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos #1

DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos #1 is the right kind of synergy between comic and (upcoming) adaptation: its timing is perfect – especially since October is Halloween – and it manages to stand apart from the upcoming series while still presenting the core concept in a way that'll draw in new fans.

Reader Rating0 Votes

0

Dastmalchian cooks up a unique cast of creatures that I wouldn't mind spending more time with.

Hervas's artwork leans fully into the horror angle.

Stands apart from the upcoming animated series, but still manages to hook people who are interested in the Creature Commandos.

Uses its gore sparingly, building up suspense – like the best horror.

8.5

Great

Buy Now

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Announced back in August, Marvel Comics has released an unlettered preview of Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds #1.

So what’s Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds #1 about?

The Mohawk warrior Kahhori fell into Sky World and into our hearts from her first appearance fighting invaders to her home. She’s already helped save all of reality from a demented Doctor Strange and secured peace in her own world… So what NOW? Award-winning storyteller Ryan Little launches Kahhori into the 616! Chasing a threat out of Sky World, she lands in the fiery streets of Hell’s Kitchen! But culture shock’s gonna be the least of her problems as her strange adversary tears through NYC. Featuring exciting guest stars and the comics debuts of some extraordinary creators, Marvel’s Voices brings you an extra-special anthology celebrating Indigenous heritage and one of the most exciting characters to emerge from the MCU!

New York, NY— October 2, 2024 — Marvel Comics’ annual celebration of Native American Heritage Month will be extra special this year with KAHHORI: RESHAPER OF WORLDS #1, a new Marvel’s Voices one-shot that introduces Kahhori, the breakout hero from the second season of Marvel Animation’s anthology Disney+ series What If…?, to the Marvel Comics universe.

Kahhori’s highly-anticipated debut is written and drawn by an array of extraordinary talent: What If…? writer Ryan Little, Marvel Studios artist Todd Harris, Indigenous writers Arihhonni “Honni” David and Kelly Lynne D’Angelo in their Marvel Comics debuts, and acclaimed Marvel artists David Cutler and Jim Terry!

The Mohawk warrior Kahhori fell into Sky World and into our hearts from her first appearance fighting invaders to her home. She’s already helped save all of reality from a demented Doctor Strange and secured peace in her own world… So what NOW?

Chasing a threat out of Sky World, Kahhori lands in the fiery streets of Hell’s Kitchen! But culture shock’s gonna be the least of her problems as her strange adversary tears through time and space. Featuring exciting guest stars like Daredevil, Echo, and Moon Knight, don’t miss this action-packed saga of one of the most exciting characters to emerge from the MCU!

Check out all three covers, including stunning pieces by artists Afua Richardson and Maria Wolf and a variant cover showcasing original concept art by Marvel Studios’ Head of Visual Development, Ryan Meinerding, along with never-before-seen interior artwork. Preorder KAHHORI: RESHAPHER OF WOLRDS #1 at your local comic shop today! For more information, visit Marvel.com.

Courtesy of WEBTOON, AIPT can share the cover to Lumine Vol 3, out July 1, 2025! Created by Emma Krogell, her WEBTOON has had over 370 million reads featuring a runaway werewolf Lumine, who meets a witch boy named Kody and is hired to work as his bodyguard. As Kody recovers from a kidnapping and magical battle, Lumine’s status as a werewolf puts the two in grave danger.

This volume collects episodes 30 to 58 of the enchanting WEBTOON comic. You can preorder it wherever books are sold.

Check out the cover and solicitation for volume 3 below!

For fans of werewolves and the supernatural, this hit WEBTOON comic with over 370 million reads features a runaway werewolf Lumine, who meets a witch boy named Kody and is hired to work as his bodyguard. As Kody recovers from a kidnapping and magical battle, Lumine’s status as a werewolf puts the two in grave danger.

A lot of people will do anything to get their hands on one of your kind.

In a world where weredogs, witches, and humans live side by side, Lumine was a down-on-his-luck weredog with nowhere to turn…until he met Kody.

Kody and Lumine barely survived being kidnapped by witch hunters. Thankfully, the witch kid and his bodyguard are safe, for now. Kody’s father, Aiden, still wants Lumine to protect his son, and even more so, be his friend. Lumine might be the one who can finally bring the lonely, troubled Kody out of his shell.

Things are also looking brighter because Calla, Kody’s friend turned bully, has realized the error of her ways. As thanks for Kody and Lumine saving her life, she persuades all the witch kids at school to leave Kody alone.

But trouble still looms. Lumine is actually a werewolf, a rare and powerful type of magical being thought to be extinct. It’s dangerous to be a werewolf in this world, and someone is hunting him.

Lumine Volume 3

Author: Emma Krogell
ISBN: 9781998854707
Release Date: 7/1/2025

It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means: AEW Dynamite is live tonight from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA! Tonight marks five years since the first-ever edition of Dynamite, and AEW is celebrating in a big way. Bryan Danielson will take on Kazuchika Okada in a Title vs. Title match (though Okada’s Continental Championship is only on the line for the first 20 minutes). Let’s take a look at everything announced for tonight’s 5 year anniversary episode of AEW Dynamite:

AEW Dynamite 5 Year Anniversary card: October 2, 2024

• Hangman Adam Page vs. Juice Robinson
• Will Ospreay (c) vs. Ricochet for the AEW International Championship
• Serena Deeb vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
• Bryan Danielson (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada (c) for the AEW World Championship and AEW Continental Championship (Continental Championship is only at stake for the first 20 minutes)

In a farewell letter at the end of Invincible Iron Man by Gerry Duggan Vol. 3: Iron & Diamonds, writer Gerry Duggan briefly discusses initial fan concerns that, due to his commitments over in the Krakoa X-Office, Iron Man would be cast as an X-Men support character. Duggan’s stance is that he and the rest of the Iron Man team avoided that pitfall, relying more on narrative similarities to the classic Armor Wars.

I hate to disagree with him – I am staunchly pro-Duggan – but the comics collected in Iron & Diamonds are 100% X-Men support comics.

Marvel Comics

Throughout the 20 issues of this volume of the book, Tony Stark’s primary concerns are the same concerns of Krakoa. Our Big Bad of the series, the supergenius, anti-mutant fanatic Feilong, debuted in Duggan’s own X-Men #1, and though the Armor Wars parallels are strong, Tony’s stolen technology results in the most X-Men of consequences: mutant-hunting Sentinels.

This is a Hellfire Club book, an arms race to save the mutant population, and a book about Tony Stark’s terror of being smooshed in his armor by the wave of Magneto’s hand. It is very much an X-Men title.

Marvel Comics

Luckily, Duggan and crew never lose sight of Tony Stark himself. These may be X-Men concerns, but it’s Tony’s insufferable insecurity that drives our narrative. Tony’s solutions are always big, patently ridiculous, and unwieldy; in Iron & Diamonds that solution is a giant mech suit crafted in outer space by cosmic dwarves. His solution to big, angry robots is a big, angry robot. Only Tony Stark would result to such an over-the-top Hail Mary; only Tony Stark would succeed in such an over-the-top endeavor.

Marvel Comics

One great aspect of Iron Man comics is watching the Iron Man suit grow and change, the technical aspects as much inspired by the sleek designs as the story’s narrative. The giant robot issue, illustrated in massive, full-page panels by Creees Lee, is a non-stop barrage of amazing Iron Man imagery, a constant spotlight of those Iron evolutions. Our giant – the Sentinel-buster, or Mark 73 – is bombarded by the classically-influenced Iron Sentinels, and also by Feilong’s personal Sentinel-sized War Machine armor. The issue is a Marvel Legends wish list catalog.

And for all the X-Men supporting cast (Emma Frost at her most arch badassery, Forge, Magneto himself), Iron & Diamonds doesn’t skimp on the Iron Man classics. Rhodey’s here in his classic War Machine armor, as is Riri Williams (in space, forging giant robot armor). One of our key backup characters is – delightfully and ridiculously – the Living Laser.

All of this is to say that it doesn’t matter that Iron Man was, briefly, an X-Men book. It’s a book full of big action and a true love for the classic Bronze Age stories, and it succeeds in hitting all the hallmarks of a Tony Stark spectacular.

‘Invincible Iron Man by Gerry Duggan Vol. 3: Iron & Diamonds’ delivers the Iron on top of the X-Men

Invincible Iron Man by Gerry Duggan Vol. 3: Iron & Diamonds

For all its X-Men concerns, Iron & Diamonds maintains all the big action and a bevy of armors necessary for a classic Iron Man story.

Reader Rating1 Votes

7.7

A series of great artists deliver a pile of new and classic tech.

Duggan bolsters his X-Men concerns without losing sight of Tony Stark.

Solves a major Riri Williams plot with absolutely no conflict.

8

Good

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With Storm #1 launched today–read our review–Marvel Comics has released a trailer to celebrate.

The epic trailer gives fans a whirlwind look at Storm’s new status quo from her stunning new costume to the Sanctuary, her new base of operations in Atlanta. In a grand opening worthy of this iconic character, STORM #1 pits Storm against the first in a series of Omega-level threats as she flies headfirst into a potential nuclear meltdown. As she cements her role as the world’s prime protector, her actions and decisions will impact the greater Marvel Universe and draw the attention (and admiration) of omnipotent cosmic forces like Oblivion as well as supervillains that match her standing such as Doctor Doom!

Watch the trailer below!

New York, NY— October 2, 2024 — The day has finally arrived! STORM #1, one of the most anticipated comic launches of the year, hit stands today! In the new ongoing series, acclaimed writer Murewa Ayodele and superstar artist Lucas Werneck take STORM to new heights as a solo super hero. See why Ororo Munroe is Earth’s Mightiest Mutant in an all-new STORM #1 launch trailer, featuring never-before-seen artwork from the debut issue.

The epic trailer gives fans a whirlwind look at Storm’s new status quo from her stunning new costume to the Sanctuary, her new base of operations in Atlanta. In a grand opening worthy of this iconic character, STORM #1 pits Storm against the first in a series of Omega-level threats as she flies headfirst into a potential nuclear meltdown. As she cements her role as the world’s prime protector, her actions and decisions will impact the greater Marvel Universe and draw the attention (and admiration) of omnipotent cosmic forces like Oblivion as well as supervillains that match her standing such as Doctor Doom!

“Storm taking on the responsibility of being Earth’s protector is a natural progression, not only as a result of the Krakoan Era, but the as a result of her entire publication history,” Ayodele told ComicBook.com in a recent interview. “And with the fall of Krakoa hitting the mutants so hard and putting her homeworld at great risk, Storm is determined to not let that happen again.”

Check out the trailer and pick up STORM #1 at your local comic shop or digitally today!

For the most part, every volume of Marvel’s Epic Collection is easily read on its own without troubling yourself with tracking down the previous volume (if the said volume has even been released yet). The project’s editors have gone to great lengths to find natural starting and stopping points for each volume, so while there will be dangling plot threads or unexplained context throughout the twenty or so issues, the central narratives stand up on their own.

Iron Man Epic Collection: Age of Innocence fails in that simple endeavor due to the unwieldy nature of Marvel Comics in the mid-1990s. The first third of Age of Innocence contains the final steps of an Avengers/Force Works/Iron Man/War Machine crossover so rambling and disorganized that it couldn’t be contained in one volume.

Oh, good, Century is here.
Marvel Comics

That crossover, beginning with The Crossing and including Time Slide, occurred at the peak of Marvel’s financial struggles of the decade – the comics in Age of Innocence were published in 1996, the same year the company declared bankruptcy. It’s an event that exhibits not only financial desperation but also a creative collapse.

Marvel Comics

With most top-billed talent shuffled to their more solvent books – the X-Men line and, to a lesser extent, Spider-Man titles – the Avengers titles were relegated to untested and wildly inconsistent artists, while less flashy but reliable old-hand writers like Bob Harras, Terry Kavanagh steered the ship. These were creators who weren’t drawing readers by name in an era where creators had cultivated individual fame and fandoms.

The tragedy is that the issues of Iron Man between The Crossing and Heroes Reborn were promising. A young Jim Cheung had taken over pencils, making the book more visually appealing than it had been in years. Though the story had grown convoluted – the whole of The Crossing sees Tony Stark manipulated to evil by Kang and replaced by his teenage self – the narrative facelift had provided a somewhat clean slate. The setup was rocky, but the ground was narratively fertile. For roughly six issues, Iron Man seemed like it could right its ship without the help of crossover sales.

Marvel Comics

While Old Tony’s supporting cast provides a nice throughline, concerning themselves with all of Tony’s financial holdings, the book introduces new cast members, each with their own interesting complications – Tony finds himself the time-displaced student of his now older ex-girlfriend, and the student body of his college includes several new love interests. A crew of frat-bros introduces the dangers of Tony’s propensity toward alcoholism as he walks the tightrope of underage binge drinking.

It wasn’t meant to last, however, and six issues was all the room those supporting cast members had to stretch out. Ultimately, the franchise was handed to those flashy and famous Image Comics creators for the line-rebooting Heroes Reborn; Age of Innocence ends with the massive and Universe-shifting Onslaught: Marvel Universe, which shows our brave (non-mutant, non-spider) heroes sacrifice themselves to save the world.

Iron Man Epic Collection: The Age of Innocence begins confusingly and unbearably, moves through a brief moment of promise, and then self-destructs; it is, therefore, the perfect illustration for the mid-’90s collapse going on at the center of Marvel Comics at the time.

‘Iron Man Epic Collection: The Age of Innocence’ illustrates the creative collapse of mid-’90s Marvel Comics

Iron Man Epic Collection: The Age of Innocence

Though largely sloppy and barely contained, Age of Innocence does contain a brief moment of ingenuity before the collapse into Heroes Reborn.

Reader Rating0 Votes

0

Not as self-contained as most Epic Collections.

A whirlwind of disparate styles, disconnected plotlines, and convoluted conflicts.

Rushes the only promising narrative to a conclusion in order to reboot the line.

Early Jim Cheung artwork presages a superstar to be.

3.5

Meh

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