Iron Man [2020] #13 - Marvel Comics

IRON MAN No. 13, December 2021

Presented by “Marvel Worldwide” as an “epic showdown between Iron Man and his allies and Korvac and his cohort”, Christopher Cantwell’s narrative for “The Great I-M” must certainly have enthralled the vast majority of its audience due to its sense-shattering series of pulse-pounding punch-ups. Indeed, the American author even manages to pen Frog Man momentarily duking it out against this title’s central antagonist by having Eugene Patilio’s alter-ego literally getting a double-footed drop on the “human cyborg turned deity” before being badly blasted at point-blank range.

Admittedly, such an action-packed assault upon the readers’ senses could ultimately prove a little laborious if an endless chain of jaw-breaking thumps and crackling energy beams was all Issue Thirteen of “Iron Man” had to offer. But rather enjoyably, the television showrunner also uses these frantic skirmishes as a means of illustrating just how close to universal disaster Shell-head’s “Space Friends” actually are, whilst also presenting the odd glimmer of humour to an otherwise deeply dark storyline involving the Power Cosmic; “What’s up, my Little Pony?”

In addition, this twenty-page periodical’s plot provides Patsy Walker with plenty of spotlight to show just why the former Defender is still very much a fighting force to be reckoned with even when facing the formidable potential of “a power-crazed god”. Hellcat’s burgeoning partnership with Isaac Christians is particularly well-written, and really helps establish the super-hero’s fighting savvy when she arranges for the Gargoyle to hurl her into battle after spotting that the original Human Torch is actually being manipulated by one of Basil Sandhurst’s mind control discs.

Helping add loads of dynamism to this comic’s antics is Carlos Alberto Fernandez Urbano (Cafu), whose ability to bring so many ferocious fist-fights to blistering life cannot arguably be over-stated. The Spanish artist’s panels showing Iron Man’s maniacally mad hatred for Michael Korvac really help make Stark’s almost unhinged raw fury highly believable, especially when it becomes clear that despite all the billionaire’s best efforts to physically pummel the sentient machine to dust, it still might not be enough from stopping the utterly insane android from altering the course of human existence forever…

The regular cover art of "IRON MAN" #13 by Alex Ross