“Extremis: Part 3 of 6”
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Adi Granov
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot: Billionaire industrialist and Iron Man alter-ego Tony Stark continues to race against the clock in an effort to track down a deadly new biological weapon known as Extremis. But when a former love interest and government researcher named Maya reveals that Extremis is an experimental version of the infamous super-soldier serum, Tony once again adopts the mantle of Iron Man and must battle a superhuman nightmare unlike anything he’s ever faced before.
Comments: They say that in life some things are better late than never. That certainly seems to be the case with Warren Ellis’ reinvention of Marvel’s iron-clad Avenger in The Invincible Iron Man #3. Weeks behind schedule and after a disappointingly mediocre last issue, the third installment has finally hit shelves. Fortunately this issue seems to have made some noted improvements over its predecessor, and while it might not necessarily be the most punctual of comics, it more than makes up for its tardiness with an abundance of over the top action and a fast passed narrative.
The story picks up with Tony Stark and his former-fling Maya, on a private Stark aircraft struggling to piece together the circumstances concerning the creation of the Extremis biological weapons system. It is here that Maya, who previously worked as a government researcher on the project, reveals that Extremis is in reality an updated version of a super-soldier serum and when injected into a normal human’s blood-stream essentially rewrites the body's genetic pattern creating a seemingly invincible killing machine. The hypothetical goal, Maya reveals in a classic bit of Ellis dialogue, “was to build a three-man team who could take Fallujah on their own.” To make matters worse Tony discovers that Maya’s former colleague on the project sold an injection of Extremis to a shady American militia-group shortly before taking his own life.
Determined to stop the home-grown domestic terrorists at the source, Tony once again assumes the identity of Iron Man and rushes to track down the suspects. What follows is essentially an entirely action-oriented issue with Iron Man jumping into the thick of things. Given the plodding and occasionally unfocused narrative of the previous issue this sudden infusion of over the top super hero antics is precisely what the series needed. It may be shameless and perhaps catering to the lowest common denominator (particularly given that Ellis is clearly trying to put a character-driven, political spin on the Iron Man story) but damned if it isn’t entertaining. Of course this is due almost entirely to Adi Granov’s cinematic style of artwork rather than Ellis script work. In Granov’s capable hands (and undoubtedly with the help of a little digital manipulation) Iron Man positively leaps off the page as he goes head to head with the Extremis infused militia-man. Ellis adds in a brief flash-back offering some explanation for the previously unknown antagonist’s motivations but for the most part, it is the visuals that propel the story. There is something truly awe-inspiring about Granov’s work, and the issue reads more like a movie than a comic book with explosions, car crashes and super powered upper-cuts. While some fans may quibble over Granov’s ultra-realistic approach to comic books they are a refreshing change from the parodied style of art that seems to be frequenting the Marvel bullpen as of late.
In the end The Invincible Iron Man #3 is worth picking up, if for no other reason than to indulge in Adi Granov’s larger than life visuals. In terms of Ellis’ writing it is not nearly on par with much of his previous work, but the script is still entertaining and relatively satisfying. Ultimately, The Invincible Iron Man #3 finally gets around to doing what it should have done from the very beginning: having a super hero who actually acts like a super hero.
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