Iron Man [2020] #19 - Marvel Comics

IRON MAN No. 19, June 2022

Billed by “Marvel Worldwide” as “the stunning conclusion of the Books of Korvac”, this twenty-page periodical’s plot must surely have disappointed many a fan of the Golden Avenger considering that it contains nothing more than the titular character simply talking to both his so-called arch-nemesis and Patsy Walker. Sure, an unarmoured and distinctly unwell Tony Stark does initially take something of a beating from his “human cyborg turned deity” opponent, but a few panels depicting an enraged Michael smacking a highly vulnerable, semi-conscious billionaire around is arguably hardly the sense-shattering finale this ongoing series’ readers were anticipating for the end to a nineteen-issue narrative.

Frustratingly however, that is precisely what Christopher Cantwell gives his audience in “The Last Midnight”, as the two former cosmically enhanced super-beings strangely decide to simply go ‘mano-a-mano’ as mortal beings in New York City’s Central Park. This surreal situation debatably denies any semblance of logic considering just how much hatred ‘Adam IV’ clearly has for the wealthy industrialist, especially when Korvac begins the encounter at the peak of his abilities, and on the verge of bringing the Universe the lethal “harmony” he has been planning since this title’s very first instalment was published approximately eighteen months earlier; “You will be destroyed by my hand. And then my hand will destroy every other single thing in this godforsaken universe.”

Quite astonishingly though, having somehow been convinced by Stark to give up the incomprehensibly formidable power he’s worked so desperately hard to attain simply because he’s supposedly scared of losing without always having an unfair advantage, Korvac is next shown to physically carry a dying Tony to a local hospital in order to save his detested foe’s life. This demonstration of compassion seemingly comes completely out of the blue, and then takes an even more bizarre twist when Michael calmly climbs up a ladder to a tower block’s rooftop and suicidally steps off…

Perhaps therefore this publication’s sole highlight lies within the layouts of Carlos Alberto Fernandez Urbano, which do as good a job as can probably be expected of such a sedentary scenario. Indeed, the Madrid-born artist’s pencilling carries much of this book’s storytelling upon his shoulders, courtesy of several scenes containing little to no dialogue or lettering whatsoever.

The regular cover art of "IRON MAN" #19 by Alex Ross