Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artists: James Cordeiro(p), Gary Erskine(i), Martego Garcia(c)
Publisher: Marvel
Something has gone amiss on satellite Stark. This problem naturally calls for the head of Stark Security to investigate. Iron Man travels into “the final frontier,” and he finds an old enemy on board, but what happens next eschews the typical conflict between hero and villain.
Van Lente portrays Shell-Head as a hero, not as a Tin-Plated Tyrant who hunts down anybody who doesn’t fit in his worldview. His Iron Man is a thoughtful, caring individual who offers to help the villain of the piece as well as his employees. There’s also an underlying sense of fun to Van Lente’s characterization. Tony Stark wouldn’t miss traveling into space for the world, and everything he does as Iron Man is to partially enjoy himself.
Iron Man uses his powers admirably in the issue, but really it’s his intelligence that continues to be his main weapon. He must figure a means to defeat a science fiction menace as well as contend against an old enemy, who gets a slightly tweaked origin that’s simpler and a trigger for the building of depth. The dialogue and the actions of hero and villain craft genuine drama. In the end, you really feel for the villain in the story as you cheer Iron Man for being the consummate hero.
The artwork by Cordeiro and Erskine adds intricate detail to armor and examples of high tech, but it never looks busy. The artists instead use an economy of precise linework to denote Iron Man’s systems and Stark’s inovations. Though succumbing to a few outlandish expressions, for the most part, the artists assemble a collection of believable emotional moments for a surprisingly powerful story. Garcia's colors also must be appreciated, as his glowing effects generate a layer of visual depth.
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