Wake Up Iron Man

Lets face it, Nightmares can be scary. Walking up in cold sweats with chills running down your spine, there is nothing worse than feeling that fear that drenches your body, as you anxiously wait to take your next breath.

For Tony Stark, A.K.A Iron Man, Nightmares are a rarely-occurring theme in his life, but when he has to deal with five at once, it’s obvious the millionaire playboy has a problem.

“The Invincible Iron Man The Five Nightmares” involves Ezekiel Stane, who is fixated on avenging the death of his father, Obidiah. Stane, every bit as ruthless and cunning as his father, presents a huge problem for Stark. As a result, his five nightmares are rolled into one, and his version of Stark’s technology, which turns into a weapon, is capable of harming hundreds of innocent people at a time. As the clock begins to tick, the chess game begins and Iron Man must do his best to win or all hell will break loose.  Let the nightmares begin.

“The Five Nightmares” is full of action, excitement, and adventure all rolled into one. As you read, a great suspense takes over as you experience the same intensity that Stark does while trying to stop Stane and his maniacal ways. The great thing about this adventure is that it challenges Iron Man and keeps him on his toes. As a reader, you always want to root for the good guy, but what a way to root for a superhero by making him break several sweats. The challenge alone is pure fun.

Stane plays the genius and crazy villain who will stop at nothing to take Iron man down, even if it involves killing innocent people. There were several surprises that will catch the eye of the reader as the plot thickens making the read that much more fun. Stark is his cocky and arrogant self, making him that much more likeable. However, there are times when he is serious and gets down to business, knowing that he has some intense challenges and tasks ahead of him.

The dialogue in this book was very well-written. As a reader, you feel attached to the characters and are anxious to see what will happen next. Matt Fraction [“Thor: Man of War”] does a phenomenal job of creating a story line that is intense, making you feel a part of the action. What is also unique about this book is that it flowed all the way through. The story made sense and it was extremely readable.  Not to mention a special cameo spiced up the book towards the end that did not ruin the momentum the story had going.

The artwork in this graphic novel is also sensational. Superstar artist Salvador Larroca [“X-treme X-men”] shows why he one of the most talented artists in the business. The way he drew up the characters and the setting was how a graphic novel should look like; full of life and energy.  It shows when someone is dedicated and really cares about creating art that is purely imaginative, and with Larroca, it shows.

Although Iron Man is an extremely likeable character, in spite of recent endeavors in comic book lore, he will still be long-admired after this book is finished.  The first of six graphic novels in a series, the first tale is a great start.  Hopefully, the other books can live up this one and not become total nightmares.