The Good
Ever since Jonathan Hickman jumped his sci-fi epic tale of the Illuminati forward in time, it’s been a bumpy road. While the quality of storytelling has been top-notch, things like character investment and comprehension of exactly what’s going on was low, making it a plot that was interesting, but rang hollow. One of the biggest unanswered questions was the fate of Tony Stark, a question this issue not only answers, but delves deeply into while even giving us glimpses of how everything came to be as it is. Hickman’s focus isn’t solely on Stark, far from it, but he definitely takes up the most panel time of anyone. The glimpse we get of Valeria delivering a similar ultimatum as she did her father to her erstwhile Uncle Doom is used as an excuse to check in on those characters, but it also gives a greater idea as to what Doom’s plan is. In typical Hickman fashion, it looks like it’s going to be a doozy. We also get to Stark and at first, he’s in typical form in spite of his new living situation: cocky, brash, self-assured, the whole nine. But by issue’s end we see an entirely different side emerge. A much, much uglier and altogether more unsettling side that his currently inverted self could only DREAM of becoming. Between the machinations of Doom and the breakdown of Stark, there’s a lot going on in this issue, and it all comes off amazingly.
This is an issue that is almost entirely bereft of action, except for a page or two, but it’s hardly a boring or uneventful one and a large part of what makes it so interesting is the linework of Kev Walker, with an assist from Scott Hanna. This is an issue that derives its impact, and there is plenty to be had, from its emotional beats and moments and, at long last, emotions are unleashed as tempers fray and remorse for lies to loved ones are expressed through the only portal they can be: the eyes. Walker’s always been phenomenal at emotions and his angular, jagged style lends itself well to the extreme feelings splashing across the pages and panels. Frank Martin and Dono Sanchez Almara handle colors, and while there are plenty to handle, they all look gorgeous. From the Latverian laboratory to Tony’s nearly empty location to the lush jungles of Wakanda, everything looks realized and pulses with life.
The Bad
We finally get some glimpses of what brought the world to this point but the drip delivery system wears more and more thin with every issue. This one was good enough to have a solid core to steady it, and I'm hoping that, whether or not we eventually learn everything, the characters remain this powerful.
The Verdict
I’m not sure we’ll ever get either an info-dump or an issue (or two) that fully explains how it came to this, but even enough pieces to put together a cohesive puzzle would be sufficient at this point. This book typifies the kind of thing that will almost certainly read better in trade, but this issue is the strongest one in awhile, with an amazing creative team using great characters in extremely interesting ways. It’s good to see that amidst all these grand, giant ideas that people are still what makes this story tick.
