The cover may say #25, but Marvel Comics wants to celebrate SIX-HUNDRED-FIFTY issues of Tony Stark’s alter ego. Your Major Spoilers review of Iron Man #25 from Marvel Comics awaits!

IRON MAN #25

Writer: Christopher Cantwell/Kurt Busiek/Murewa Ayodele/Gerry Duggan
Artist: Angel Unzueta/Benjamin Dewey/Dotun Akande/Juan Frigeri
Colorist: Frank D’Armata/Bryan Valenza
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: November 16, 2022

Previously in Iron Man: It’s IRON MAN DAY in New York City, but not everyone is ready to celebrate the ongoing legacy of Tony Stark – least of all him. But a sudden crisis will once again test Tony’s heroism and challenge his commitment to the role he has assumed for himself.

Must there be an Iron Man?

IRON MAN DAY!

After finally dismantling Source Control (and faking another coma), Tony Stark is back in action. He’s even been given a day of tribute by the city of New York, though he’s not sure how he feels about it. Rather than attend his ceremony, he takes a few laps around New York, while we see Ironheart (who has the rings of the Mandarin) and War Machine (who, along with Bethany Cabe, is dealing with a WAREHOUSE full of dangerous and illegal technology). Tony ends up finding a heart attack victim in the subway, missing his celebration in order to perform CPR and deliver the man to the hospital. It ends up being the most important thing he could have done with his day, but he spends hours in the hospital waiting room. As Iron Man day ends, he returns home to find Hellcat waiting for him, promising a surprise: Some of his closest friends are waiting for him at Avengers Mansion, a celebration that he actually feels he deserves.

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

This issue also features a chapter of a Thor/Iron Man story set during Thor’s time as the Unworthy Odinson, a retelling of Tales of Suspense #126 by Busiek and Dewey that’s just delightful, and a quick Coming Attractions trailer from the new team of Gerry Duggan and Juan Frigeri. That amount of entertainment makes for a well-rounded package, but one that is a bit overpriced at $5.99. With both I Am Iron Man and Invincible Iron Man coming soon and previewed in these pages, it could have felt like nothing but a series of trailers. Instead, we get a very personal, introspective Tony Stark trying to deal with his own failings, some fun family moments, the end of a relationship, and another era wherein Tony goes broke. Unzueta’s art is really attractive in the first tale, conveying drama without cheating on the details of Iron Man’s metal face, and even the Alex Ross cover looks really great (which hasn’t always been true of this volume’s covers.)

BOTTOM LINE: PRETTY SOLID FOR AN ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

In short, Iron Man #25 and/or #650 is a well-written issue across the board, with several varying art styles that all have their own thing going on, and closure that feels a little anticlimactic but also more realistic than most, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. Marvel could easily have priced this book at $4.99 and made me a little happier, but I like this ending and the shape of things to come.

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IRON MAN #25

67%

67%

A Nice Ending

Cantwell's run comes to an end with an appropriate closure, while the backup tales give us classic Iron Man and a taste of what's to come. A solid issue.

• Writing

  6
• Art

  7
• Coloring

  7
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