Invincible Iron Man (2008) #5, p.13

Clearly the 2nd panel is the money shot! Very nice and cklean lines throughout. I can't help but mention too, that I believe you're the first person I've ever heard say that their all time favourite Iron Man run is one from such recent times. That's saying something! I haven't read Iron Man since the early 90's myself, but I'll take your word for it that it's really good!

Thanks, Ruben.  Favorite run?  Yeah, man - I'll go there!!  If anything, it makes for some potentially exciting conversation (you know that old comic book chestnut: "Who's stronger?  Fraction's run or Micheline's?"), and I do believe I'm correct in this case.  (Being an opinion, it does take some of the pressure off, too :) ). It sounds like I need to make you a care package, Ruben: Busiek / Perez 'Avengers' and Fraction / Larroca 'Invincible Iron Man'...  Anything else?  Thanks for the comments, Ruben and everyone!

It's crazy to think that Larroca has been producing great art for Marvel for almost three decades now.  The quality of his work combined with his prolific output is just astonishing.  Congrats on this awesome page by him!

I stopped following Larroca some years ago due to his art looking colder and colder to me (unless he was paired with a must read writer). But what I perceived as a defect was actually perfect for Iron Man. I agree that it was a great run (though not my own fav' on the character).

I can't help but notice that's another great page with a strong writer ;)

And oh, my fav panel is the last one with the blasting foe. I like the fact that the hands/fingers are a bit awkwardly positioned here which, even though Larroca could have gone with a more dynamic rendition, make for a more realistic shot.

Thanks, F M - I do love that last panel as well.  Just as much detail as in Iron Man's panel 2, but a great POV with the hands and fingers splayed about...  I really like looking at it.

And, yes - guilty as charged about the writer.  Again. :)

An odd tangent to your "colder and colder" comment was that Matt Fraction once told me at a con that Salvador always insisted upon doing the coloring of all the characters' faces, to get the right feel for them.  Everything else would be left to Frank D'Armata, but Salvador colored the peoples' faces.  Always thought that was cool.

Thanks, F M (and all) for the comments!

This page hits the mark!  It has the cool and sleek robotic action of Iron Man looking like mecha.  Larroca give it more realism with each pose and frame done to show off personality and character traits. 

There's almost a "mecha" feel here to Iron Man, especially the legs and arms -- Evangelion-esque in this respect, imbuing him with a certain grace.  Love how his look has changed with the times!

Right?  It seems like there as a time in the early 2000s as Marvel was reincarnating under Joe Quesada and there was a real excitement about things snapping back on track, that every artist on Iron Man was introducing a new armor design (which, let's face it, is one of the coolest aspects of Tony and his Tin Man).  Warren Ellis's and Adi Granov's 'Extremis' seemed to set an armor template that editorial mandated Tony wear, and it was really fun seeing how different artists represented that cool design (case in point, Mr. Larroca here).  Thanks (as always) for the great comment, Steve (and all)!

Dummy? Whoa. Getting nasty.

When iron suits square up for battle, we all win. Man, is this a clean page! The pencils are razor sharp, and the inks are where they need to be for emphasis. I specially like the light source work from the blast in that last panel. Sweet score, Jason. Congrats!

Big congrats, Jason!  You know I'm right there with you in terms of loving this initial arc to the Fraction/Larroca IM series, and a lot of that had to do with the intro of Ezediel Stane and the subsequent battles with Stark.  Primo example of that here, bud!  Stark with the upper hand, but it doesn't appear it'll be for long :)

Solid Iron Man page! A clean, crisp page like this must be a playground for a colorist! 

Congrats!