With the exception of the last issue, “Invincible Iron Man” has been one of the few impressive “Fear Itself” tie-ins. They’ve been a well-rounded mix of solid writing and really strong art. Some of what made this book so good is the supporting cast and the interesting relationships, both good and bad, that Matt Fraction explores. The last issue got away from that, spending too much time on the rather ridiculous dwarfs of Svartalfheim and accentuating their over-the-top foul language and heavy drinking. Issue #507 tones it down and gives us the dwarfs in moderation while giving us more of Pepper, Hammer, Grey Gargoyle, and Paris.

Fraction does a nice job making this an important and relevent story. While Fear Itself has been overall underwhelming, this issue actually opens some potentially game changing doors. What I really liked is Fraction’s careful balance of the two stories. It’s mostly well written and it flows very well from story to story. My biggest problem is with Tony’s drunkeness and his suppossed sacrifice of his sobriety for the sake of creating weapons capable of defeating The Serpent. I’m just not buying into it. I feels a little forced and out of left field.

But what I’ve really loved about this series is the consistently strong art work by Salvador Larroca. This issue is no different. Larroca shines especially in the amazing action sequences in Paris. I still feel he draws the best suits of armor and this is evident in the battle between Rescue, the Hammer Mech Corps, and the Grey Gargoyle. The pages in Svartalfheim aren’t near as strong. While they certainly aren’t terrible, they don’t really highlight Larroca’s skills like the action panels do.

I almost skipped this issue after the lackluster previous book. And even though not everything works, this issue does get back to what makes this series good. Larroca’s art is strong and there’s an ending that may have a serious impact on the Fear Itself storyline. The dwarfs may get on my nerves but the awesome action and cliffhanger ending make this a fun read.