By Matt Fraction (Writer), Salvador Larocca (Art), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)
Some Thoughts Before The Review: The seventh chapter of “World’s Most Wanted” showed that Fraction’s lengthy arc has yet to run out of any steam. That’s quite an accomplishment for Matt Fraction considering that some stories start feeling stretched thin after only two or three issues.
The Story: Tony and Pepper share a moment that Madame Masque sees as an opportunity. Meanwhile, Mariah Hill tries to get Black Widow to help her find Captain America (Bucky).
What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: The latest chapter of “World’s Most Wanted” is a bit slower than most, but it’s loaded with the type of character work that has made The Invincible Iron Man such a success. Now I know I’ve said it many times before, but I will say it again: Matt Fraction writes one hell of a Tony Stark. In particular, Fraction writes one hell of a Tony Stark that isn’t quite the Tony Stark that we are all familiar with– a “normal” Stark, if you will. In addition to the great Stark stuff, Fraction also scores with pretty much every other character in the book. Mariah Hill is suitably desperate, Pepper is put to great use as she brings out Stark’s humanity, and Madame Masque is a compelling mix of disturbed, sexy, and villainous.
Now I know I’ve said a lot of negative things about Salvador Larocca’s art in the past, but his work in the latest Invincible Iron Man has a cinematic feel to it that adds a lot to Fraction’s script. While some of the action looks silly and Tony Stark doesn’t exactly look consistent, Larocca hits far more than he misses, especially during the slower panels (which are plentiful). Also, I’ve got to mention that Madame Masque is a character that Larocca does really well.
Conclusion: Fraction once again delivers the goods as “World’s Most Wanted” continues to be one of the best things to come out of the Dark Reign period.
Grade: B+
-Kyle Posluszny