Fear Itself's best tie-in so far
Tony Stark becomes embroiled in Fear Itself, we get to see him take on a hammer-infused Grey Gargoyle, but not without great casualties.
The Good
This issue is depressing. Sombre. Granite.
But not in a bad way. Showing Grey Gargoyle's powers amplified to the point that he has petrified everyone in Paris just sets a chilling scene. This is made worse when Gargoyle starts throwing Stark through the bodies, and Tony realizes what's happening. His thoughts at the end and the lack of hope that's present really gave me the first taste of "fear" in Fear Itself. It put me inside Iron Man's head and made me think "Oh God, there's no reversing someone being broken apart while they're made of stone. A lot of people died this issue in a way that wasn't totally gratuitous, and still was emotionally effective.
In this issue, I felt fear.
The Bad
The beginning is a little out of place, considering the weight of the last two thirds. Having Pepper and Tony bicker while not-quite-flirting while discussing Stark Resilient hiring policies just felt a little tired. I'm impatient with the "will they, won't they?" game they're playing, especially when there's bigger things on the horizon. I did, however, like Pepper calling Tony out on "just wanting another redhead to serve him". As a fellow redhead fan, I applaud Pep for not putting up with any crap.
The Verdict
This is the best issue of Fear Itself to come out so far, bar none. For a writer to actually get the entire point of the crossover across in a tactful and subtle way takes talent. Even if you decide to avoid Fear Itself entirely, forget about Grey Gargoyle transforming and just picture him as a new villain. You'll get the same experience without the crossover confusion, and be able to enjoy this amazing issue.
