Written by: Kieron Gillen
Illustrations: Joe Bennet, Scott Hanna, Luke Ross, Rick Magyar, Cliff Richards, Derlis Santacruz
Coloring: GURU eFX
Publisher: Standaard Uitgeverij
Iron Man #009 – Comic Book Review
It seems like yesterday since we started with the translated editions of eight different Marvel series, which are being bundled by the Standaard Uitgeverij, a local publisher. Most of said series are coming to an end, at least their Dutch versions, seeing these series have already ended some time ago when they were originally released in their original format. Only the Superior Spider-Man and Wolverine will continue past the ninth issue, while Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy already ended with issue eight. That being said, the Stark brother still had a score to settle with Malekith, who is in possession of several of the Mandarin rings, and thus poses a potential threat to Earth, if not the entire universe.
Tony tracked down who has been stealing Mandarin rings, and he has found out that Malekith, the wicked dark elf, is behind all of the deaths of the different Mandarins, to simply steal their powerful items. Of course, Tony knows that the more rings the elf will connect, the more dangerous he will become and thus pose a giant threat to the future of the world. Now he finds him amidst hordes of elves trying to kill him, but the element of surprise has played in his favor, and of course his iron suit helps a lot as well. Now he simply has to retrieve the four rings, before the other Mandarins might impose on the killing party.
Kieron Gillen does a great job at building up the suspense for this final stretch of this Iron Man series. Not only does he do a proper buildup to go out with a neatly drawn bang, he adds a few interesting twists along the way, mostly involving Arno, and what he is up to, to make up for the time he has spent in the hospital.
Illustrations haven’t shifted that much since the previous bundle, as this arc is being brought with rather dark color tones, and very serious looking characters, thus stepping away from the somewhat lighter styles other Marvel series tend to use from time to time. Seeing this ending to the Mandarin arc is rather dark and grim, the usage of colors and facial expressions is rather important and they are placed on the foreground, to properly show Tony’s rage, Malekith’s vile plotting and of course the different Mandarins discussing their course of action, or at least their hosts.
Conclusion
Iron Man #009 brings forth a proper ending to an equally interesting series, which revolved mainly around Tony’s lost family member and who he actually is. The Mandarin arc proved to be an explosive ending piece for the series, with more than enough action, a steppingstone for Arno, who has lived his life inside an iron lung, and of course Tony Stark’s new contraptions and plans. If you loved the earlier issues, you’ll love this flashy end piece.
Iron Man #009 – Comic Book Review,
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