REVIEW: ‘Iron Man,’ Issue #15

Iron Man #15 is a sci-fi comic published by Marvel. The issue is written by Christopher Cantwell with art by Cafu. The colourist is Frank D’Armarta with letters by Joe Caramagna.

Iron Man has been chasing a reborn Michael Korvac through the universe, as the would-be god wants to hijack Galactus’ worldship to become an actual god. With a small group of heroes and several misadventures, a weak and vulnerable Tony Stark followed Korvac into the Power Cosmic. They are both remade with unbelievable power. The only thing left standing in their way is each other.

In this issue, the battle between Iron Man and Korvac has reached another level. Each of them has the Power Cosmic and has the ability to decimate solar systems. Their battle is unflinching, and don’t think that others won’t notice. 

The way that Cantwell approaches the plot for Iron Man #15 is genius. There are two points of view in this comic; one of which details the slugfest between Stark and his enemy. This is an absolutely enormous fight, demolishing planets with a swing of a fist. The scale is almost unimaginable. So Cantwell makes an adjustment, and through a side-plot shows what the consequences of their actions are. A civilisation is put at great risk. It adds emotion to a story where at its core is two demigods finishing a grudge match. The pace is incredibly quick and the fight lasts the entirety of the issue. And the ending may leave readers feeling both awe and deep despair.

Iron Man’s character arc under Cantwell has been mesmerising to see progress. Over 15 issues, Stark has gone from possibly his lowest point to being at a similar power level to Galactus. At the start of this run, he went back to basics with a streamlined suit of amour and just Hellcat as an ally. Now he is punching Michael Korvac whilst towering over planets. And in a way, the damage to Tony’s ego is still affecting him now, leading him to make rash and very dangerous decisions. At the moment, he is Icarus, and with Stark, there is always a crash soon to come. But the journey has been utterly fantastic to witness.

The art is simply stunning. Cafu has been tasked with putting the fate of a universe on a comic page and has succeeded fantastically. Applying the sense of scale by using the citizens of the planet makes the battle even more intense. All of the “little planets” are incredibly detailed, including the one that is there to appear insignificant to Korvac. Putting expressions of despair and fear on the faces of alien characters puts powerful emotions into this epic tale that can change perceptions in an instant. The new design for Iron Man’s cosmic armour is very different, but fascinating too. It is like the suit has become skin to him, with musculature visible underneath.

The colours are as majestic as the line art. Many of the details are brought into creation by D’Armata. The portrayal of energy is bright and vibrant whilst also paying some homage to Jack Kirby. Korvac has reverted back to his original cosmic form, radiating purple and orange. The little ripples across what has become his skin is jaw-dropping in their specificity. This is equally important for the shiny finish on Iron Man, almost describing the texture to the reader. The lettering is also exciting and well done. However, the letters in Iron Man’s new font may be difficult to read.

Iron Man #15 has elevated this series to unbelievable levels. Cantwell’s storytelling excels over a long period of time. With fifteen issues, the true trajectory of the plot is awe-inspiring. Stark has been ripped apart, defeated, broken, reborn, and ascended all in one cacophonic arc. And all against a villain that seemed impossible to defeat. And the phenomenal art team has created a visual epic.

Iron Man #15 is available where comics are sold.