REVIEW: Invincible Iron Man #5

Invincible Iron Man # 5 sees Riri Williams and Pepper Potts team up to take on the Techno Golem, Tomoe and a band of Biohack ninjas. We also find out if Riri will be recruited as a trainee of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This book has great dialog with some genuinely funny moments. It’s amazing how well Bendis can mix action with character beats in delivering such a fun story. Riri Williams is a strong, likable character who is a wonderful take on a modern hero. Despite the tragedies that have occurred throughout her life, she forges on in her quest to be a better person and hero. Despite being a ‘Super-Genius’, she still comes across as grounded and relatable.

The highlight of the book was the dynamic between Riri and her mother. We are shown some great scenes early in the story with Riri’s mother wrestling with her feelings about her daughter being a hero (and facing danger), but knowing she needs to support her. The way she describes her daughter is touching and is also a nod to the audience of how proud she is of Riri.

The cover is good, but misleading and only a thread of what is on the cover is contained in the book. Taken on its own, it is a fun cover. I suppose you can’t fault Marvel for wanting a plethora of popular heroes on the cover, but I prefer the covers from previous issues that showcased our hero.

Riri is drawn to be very expressive. She has a very animated face that is used to convey a wide range of emotions. Her fight, without her armor, against Tomoe, complete with a brief light sword battle, showcases this to great effect. Stefano Caselli’s art is superb overall. My only criticism would be that the background art and background details can be sparse in some panels. I also felt it odd that Riri’s Mom is always in track suits.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. This title is a gem, with a fun hero, well-written characters, and great art. If you are new to this series, issue 5 isn’t a bad place to start, but I highly recommend picking up the previous issues.

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Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Stefano Caselli
Published by Marvel