The Mandarin is a collection of lies, stories, myths, and legends. But two things are true: He wears, upon each finger, an alien weapon of unimaginable power…and he's going to kill Tony Stark. Is he a violent street crook born in a brothel? The scion of an aristocratic dynasty? Was his father was a petty criminal or an ambassador? Was his mother a British noblewoman, or maybe a dragon-chasing wastrel lost in the underbelly of the world? He's a murderer, a businessman, an artist, a terrorist, a hero. And this is the story of his life. Rated A
At $4.99 for 80 pages of superlative story, this is the best value you're likely to get out of any comic from the big two. Buy this now, either off the shelf or online. I can think of no better book to kick-off Marvel's simultaneous delivery model. This had the complexity of a novel. It pulled off the mesmerizing trick of both transcending its background in a long-serialized title while still remaining true to its roots. This is a portrait of charming, petty and capricious evil that deserves marks of distinction on its own merits. It may be too early to say, but I think this will be looked back on in years to come as one of the seminal Iron Man stories. If you need your faith in these characters and this universe restored, then read this book. Now! Read Full Review
Either way that you take this issue in I think it's pretty good value. It's 3 issue's worth of content for the price of one and a half issues, roughly. That's pretty good and not only is it quantity but it is also a pretty high standard of quality. I hope Di Giandomenico continues to get plenty of work as I always seem to love his style. And I hope people enjoy the redefinition of the Mandarin for this new age. This one time of a floppy can be your one stop shop for the definitive history of the man with the rings. And much like a good movie, I think this'll work for repeated viewings. Read Full Review
This dark tale does that very well indeed. I wouldn't recommend this issue to young readers, but adult fans will be riveted. Read Full Review
This is a satisfying Annual which stands well on its own, partly thanks to the art, that helps us remember that this is not an issue from the monthly title, but a special one. And, hey, its always good news to know that a big one like the Mandarin is coming back, to help cloud this sunny Heroic Age. Read Full Review
A very solid grounding for one of Iron Man's classic villains. I doubt Marvel will need to do another “origin of the Mandarin” for a LONG time. Bonus points that you can fend off muggers with this weighty tome! Read Full Review
There's no "continued from" or "previously" page...there's no "to be continued..." blurb, either. The credits page--situated as the last page of the issue--informs us that the Mandarin will return in the pages of the ongoing title. But other than that...this is a completely self-contained tale, worthy of longtime/lapsed readers or newer readers discovering the Mandarin for the first time. If you can suffer the $4.99 cover price for the print edition of this 68-content-pages issue and have any interest in the Mandarin, I highly recommend it. (For folks going digital, I understand the price is basically $6...which is still well worthwhile, especially if you have a specific interest in this rather than "just checking it out"). Read Full Review
All in all, this annual did a good job of really hammering home just how much Mandarin hates Tony Stark, and that even when he isn't actively pestering Stark, the Mandarin is ALWAYS obsessing over Iron Man. Read Full Review
At 80 pages, it's hard to say Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 doesn't justify the cover price. Even the unfortunately higher-priced digital version isn't a bad deal. Sadly, a few major caveats keep this issue from meeting the standard set by Fraction's work on the main series. I'm not sold on his interpretation of Mandarin yet. With the villain due to appear again in the near future, I hope that will eventually change. Read Full Review
Tony doesn’t even appear and I still love it
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