Larroca is a great artist as usual and I like how he draws the dwarves. His work is splendid as usual. One thing important has to be said about his work. He has successfully delivered almost all issues of Iron Man since the 2008 almost always on time and still continues to work on the series while not missing deadlines. This is not very common these days. Read Full Review

On the topic of Tony hitting the bottle again… I actually like the idea. No, I don't wish alcoholism on anyone, but Tony is in a position as a character that this is his next challenge. He was the top cop, lost that, chased by Osborn, regained his freedom, built a new company, seen a bunch of really horrific stuff happen, and now what? The guy's had a busy life. I'd dare think any recovering alcoholic would likely fall off that wagon if they had Tony Stark's life. Bring it on, Mr. Fraction! I want to see what you've got in store for us post-Fear Itself! Read Full Review

One failed joke, even if it drags on through the whole issue, isn't quite enough to snuff out strong character work. Read Full Review

As crossover issues go, this one has a lot more character and depth that I expected (although, since this is the primary book of the main writer of 'Fear Itself', that probably shouldn't be a surprise) and the use of Tony Stark in Asgard really hammers home (no pun intended) the consequences of this battle. It's good to see him out of his element, and as uncomfortable as it is to have Tony fall off the wagon, it's probably about time for a relapse, from both a character and a tie-in perspective. (That Avengers movie needs some sort of subplot, right?) The issue bogs down a bit with all the rubbernecking (Iron Man watches Odin, Pepper watches television, Ms. Arbogast watches Pepper, Justine watches Paris, et al) and the character bits at Stark Resilient really don't work to the story's favor, oddly enough. The main thrust of things is good, though, and Pepper is quickly turning into a hero as nuanced as Iron Man himself. Salvador Larocca's work is good here (though the close-up of a sho Read Full Review

The issue is admittedly slow unlike the previous issue which was entirely made up of Tony fighting the Grey Gargoyle and getting his ass handed to him while at it. The art by Salvador Larroca is not too bad while Matt Frictions writing was pretty good. The only thing that really saved this issue were the dwarfs the rest is forgettable. Its a great tie in issue into the Fear Itself story line. Read Full Review

The role of tie-in books during events is a tricky one. Some are left with large gaps that can be filled, while others are constrained by the mechanics of the event. What's sadder is when there's the potential in a comic to fill some of those big gaps and, instead, it spends an issue mostly treading water, running out the clock until it's able to pull the trigger on a 'big moment.' Read Full Review