“Invincible Iron Man #18”

The Iron Man saga continues with Tony Stark’s slow descent into self-induced dementia in Afghanistan while on his way to his first Iron Man lab. After making yet another mistake that reveals his location to H.A.M.M.E.R., Norman Osborn suits up in his Iron Patriot armor to personally take care of Stark, so expect a huge battle. This edition also finds Maria Hill and Natasha Romanoff in H.A.M.M.E.R. custody after failing to deliver Stark’s important package to Captain America. Following the “murder” of Pepper Potts by Madame Masque, Pepper’s armor is being analyzed by Osborn technicians in order to learn more about Stark technology.

Writer Matt Fraction’s run on this series has been nothing short of amazing; he’s put Tony Stark through a gauntlet and still manged to inject humor into a very personal story arc. The sudden loss of Stark’s company and reputation was explored in the first part of the “World’s Most Wanted” storyline, and this latest episode finds him struggling to contend with the loss of his intellect. Fraction’s writing style on the series has had many reviewers drawing comparisons to “Flowers for Algernon,” because it also deals with a character that slowly loses his intelligence. Readers are ultimately left engaged and wondering what Fraction is going to do with what’s left of the now carefully deconstructed character of Tony Stark.

“Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #3”

“Merc with a Mouth” may have a great storyline (think evil villains, strike teams and biological weapons) but that’s not the best thing about the series. Lately, the artwork, namely the covers, has been stealing the show. I’ve definitely appreciated the recent “Merc with a Mouth” cover art homages to the great movie posters of our time. The second series cover is obviously a salute to “Jaws,” but this third cover is my personal favorite as it clearly pays tribute to the greatest zombie movie of all time: George Romero’s “Dawn of The Dead”. “Merc with a Mouth” may have a wonderful storyline and the ability to convincingly mix the Marvel Zombies universe with the more mainstream Marvel world, but this time, it’s the covers that make this comic worthwhile.

“The Blackest Night #3”

As the resurrected undead heroes in the DC world destroy the universe, the Green Lanterns must find a way to stop their seemingly unstoppable foes. This might just seem like another zombie story but writer Geoff Johns is able to weave a real emotional depth into the characters. Plus it’s quite enjoyable to see characters’ reactions to the death of their current foes – foes who were previously close friends and allies. While a true fan might want to pick up all four or five “Blackest Night” books out there, this edition does a good job of summarizing what’s going on in the other books for the more casual reader.