Why Norman Osborn Is Peter Parker's Greatest Love

If this article seems hastily written, my apologies.  I'm perpetually short on time, and on deadline.

I recently read a pair of articles on ComicVine that make arguments for why Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy are each the best romantic interest for Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man).  The MJ article really pissed me off, as I could list off a multitude of reasons why I think she was a lousy match for Peter.  Needless to say, I'm none too pleased at the direction the comics are currently taking with them, as they seem to be angling to put them together post-One More Day travesty.  The Gwen Stacy article, while I have fewer issues with it, still seems a little too mired in the sentimentality of the past.

Still, the comments section of any article is either a source of great humor or angst, and in reading the replies to both articles, I was inspired by one of the commenters to respond with one of the more hilarious takes on this topic.  Namely, why Norman Osborn is Peter Parker's greatest love.

Don't believe me?  Step up to the stage, skeptic! :-P

Norman Osborn, in case any of you don't know, is the Green Goblin, one of Spider-Man's most iconic and long-standing foes.  It's easy to say that he's obsessed with Spider-Man, in much the same way the Joker is obsessed with Batman (and vice versa).  So like MJ and Gwen, he's been in Peter's life for a very long time.  And unlike one of these potential true loves, Norman's come back for the dead for him!

He's the father of Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn, and has on multiple occasions lamented how much better a son Peter would have made for him than the unmotivated, underachieving Harry.  On more than one occasion, Norman has indicated an obsession with making Peter his surrogate son in Harry's stead, an offer which Peter always refuses.  So in that sense at least, you have Peter playing hard to get, and Norman always pursuing him.

Even when he knew Peter's secret identity as Spider-Man (or vice versa), he's never actually spilled the beans to the public, something Peter did himself in the Civil War.  Sure, he may have manipulated, threatened, and driven him crazy, but at least he never killed Aunt May or put her in any kind of terminal condition--which Peter essentially did do. So in a warped sense of irony, he knows Peter better than Peter knows himself, and treats Peter better than Peter often treats himself.

Then there's the storyline Sins Past, where we find out that way, way back in the past, Norman Osborn actually slept with Gwen Stacy and fathered children with her.  Now clearly, Norman had no real feelings for Gwen--he certainly didn't think twice about killing her--and was much more interested in furthering his obsession with creating a worthy heir, but by this point in their history, he had to realize he wasn't going to get anywhere with his other obsession, Peter Parker.  But given Peter's closeness with Gwen, what better way to feel close to the object of your affection (short of killing his girl, which he succeeded at doing) than nailing his love and getting her pregnant with twins?

If he wasn't able to have Peter, he could at least make himself a permanent fixture in his life.

Finally, there's the letter.

You know what I'm talking about.  From the story arc The Last Stand.  Spidey has just defeated the Goblin after being put through a specially taxing series of gauntlets, managed to rescue his Aunt May, and finally earned himself some rest.  And what do we see going in the mail as this happens?  A letter, from Norman Osborn to Peter Parker, thanking him for providing challenge, structure, and purpose for his otherwise boring and humdrum life.  He wishes him all the best, and hopes for a speedy recovery so they can eventually meet again.

If that's not obsession...

Peter may not love Norman Osborn, but he has in his way obsessed over him just as much as Norman has obsessed over Peter.  You can't dispute that he's an enormously important figure in Peter's life, and as time and writing have shown, he'll never leave him the way Gwen did--never mind the technicalities of him killing her, which I would argue is yet another result of his obsession with Spidey.  They give each other meaning and purpose, and definitely strive to be at their best when they get together.

I'm not saying it's a perfect love, and I'm not saying it isn't more than a little twisted, but it is for the reasons above that I believe Norman Osborn, more than Gwen and MJ, is the number one love of Peter Parker's life.

This article is, in case anyone freaks out, intended as a joke.  I don't really think Norman is Peter's greatest love, though this did arise from a sense of discontent from the ComicVine articles.  Comparing Gwen an MJ is really not fair, so I figured another unfair comparison was, ironically, fair game.

GN Review -- Dark Reign: Deadpool/Thunderbolts / Andy Diggle, Daniel Way, Bong Dazo and Paco Medina

So, imagine you're on this insane suicide mission to infiltrate an alien ship and obtain data on how to kill their leader.  You waltz on to the ship, cause mayhem and destruction, and acquire the data.  But never mind that it's world-saving information--no, you're doing this because you're being paid an ungodly amount of money to do so.  You transmit the data to your contact, no problem...

... and your contact doesn't receive it.  And therefore refuses to pay you.

Then some jerk uses the data you stole to kill the alien leader and take all the credit.  You know the information you stole was utilized by said jerk.  But said jerk is now arguably the most powerful man in the world, and doesn't care that you lost out on a king's ransom when he stole your data.  What do you do?

Well, if you're Deadpool, you basically throw sanity to the winds, walk in the front door, politely demand your king's ransom, and then shoot up said jerk's hired help.  That's basically the plot for Dark Reign: Deadpool/Thunderbolts, in which Deadpool, who's dead-set on receiving the exorbitant payment he so bitterly feels he's due, goes after the now mega-powerful Norman Osborn, who intercepted Deadpool's hard-fought data.  In a hilariously quixotic quest for his money, he encounters one of his hired gun super-goons, the Thunderbolts.

Basics of the plot: Deadpool stole data on how to kill the Skrull queen, which he transmitted to Nick Fury for a big payday.  Nick Fury never received the data, and didn't pay Deadpool, who soon afterwards watched Norman Osborn kill the Skrulls' queen, Veranke.  Osborn, a madman once infamous as the Spider-villain Green Goblin, is now hailed as a hero and handed the keys to the superhero kingdom, with which he dissolves the spy agency security department known as S.H.I.E.L.D., forms his own spy agency called H.A.M.M.E.R., and creates several hit squads to serve as bodyguards and tools for his own insane agenda.

Deadpool, of course, is a little upset at missing out on his pay for his part in the queen's downfall, and he's not going to let a little thing like Norman Osborn, sanity, or doors come between him and the payday he so richly deserves.  Osborn, of course, feels a little differently--namely, he doesn't give a crap about shorting Deadpool, and puts the Thunderbolts on alert as Deadpool attempts to find him in Avengers Tower.  The battle that ensues involves an explosion of one-liners, a team-up with the Taskmaster, and a none-too-smooth attempt to hit on Yelena Belova, all of which leads up to a conclusion that is both corny and childishly satisfying.

I'm not too familiar with the Thunderbolts--and at this juncture don't care to correct this--but I'll at least skim through anything that features Deadpool.  I knew he would be going after Osborn for his money, but didn't realize he'd be squaring off against the Thunderbolts.  I was a little disappointed it wasn't the Dark Avengers, but you get a before-and-after pair of stories involving him fighting Bullseye, which is also pretty satisfying.

The Thunderbolts, by comparison, are a squad full of chumps.  Deadpool basically takes down the entire team in one issue, and the rest of the story involves them trying desperately to take Deadpool down or Osborn will separate them from their heads.  Still, the action's not bad, and the dialog, while it won't be winning any awards, still affords you the occasional chuckle.

The humor, however, is what you go into this story for.  Here are a few of my favorite such moments:

• Norman Osborn listening to Deadpool talk to his own internal monologue while both crack jokes about Osborn's hair.  All Osborn can say is a confused, "Who the hell is he talking to...?"
• Deadpool taking down Ant-Man with a can of bugspray nearly split my sides with all the laughing I did.  Not very original, but no less funny for it.
• Basically any attempt at flirting with Yelena that Deadpool made was hilariously awkward.
• Deadpool getting at least a partial payday by stealing Osborn's credit cards and hitting who-knows how many ATMs to draw money against them.

The art between the two titles is good, even if they are noticeably different.  Medina's art is more cartoony and flows smoothly, while Dazo's is more realistic and expressive.  They're both good, but for different reasons.  I'll also say that Francesco "Matt" Mattina's Thunderbolts covers for this story were unbelievably cool.  Realistic, vicious and starkly beautiful.

Overall, this is a fun, fairly light read.  The premise is simple and straight-up, the action is decent, and the humor makes it quite entertaining.  The artwork is pretty good, even as the styles switch between issues.  Deadpool fans will enjoy this story, though I suspect the Bullseye stories are even more satisfying all-around.  Recommended.

Comic Review -- Ultimate Spider-Man #160 / Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, Andy Lanning, and Justin Ponsor

Spider-Man is one of those characters in comics who, whether you like him or not, is undeniably a touchstone of modern popular culture.  You've heard of him, and you probably know a lot more about him than almost any other iconic comic book character, Superman and Batman notwithstanding.  And in the 50 years of history and storytelling during which he's existed, he's endured tragedies and triumphs of titanic proportions.

So when you hear he's going to be killed off, it tends to get your attention.

Now, I know there are some caveats to that statement, the most obvious being that this isn't the "real" Spider-Man, the one from 1962, who was bitten by a radioactive spider.  This is Ultimate Spider-Man, from Marvel's alternate, Ultimate universe, who was created in 2000 by Brian Michael Bendis for a more modern age.  He's younger, less experienced, and as some might argue, less worthy of the mantle than the original, prime Spider-Man.

Another detraction could come in the vague supposition that death in comic books--no matter which universe it takes place in--isn't real and lasting, and that he'll probably be back in a few years, when it's convenient.  Therefore, this really isn't any big deal.

To that statement, I would ask this: how many times--in any universe--has Spider-Man actually died?

He's been beaten, bruised, broken, and bloodied to within an inch of his life.  He's had his loved ones stalked, attacked, kidnapped, and in some cases, killed.  He's suffered self-doubt innumerable times, been tortured and tormented by himself as well as external foes.  He's been cloned, replaced, buried, mutated, manipulated, and stretched far beyond his limits... on countless occasions.  And through it all, he's come out more or less on top, a little battered, but wiser and stronger for all his ordeals.  Spider-Man, for all his gifts, is a writer's punching bag or whipping boy, tormented and brought back to show that we all have the ability to come back from the worst of circumstances.

And he's never, in any incarnation, been killed.  Well, not to my knowledge, anyway.

I'd also add a sidenote that death in the Ultimate Universe has thus far proven permanent.  I do hope and expect it will stay that way.

By the time this issue begins, things have gotten down to the breaking point with Norman Osborn's vendetta against Peter.  The boy had already been injured by a gunshot before Osborn and four of his other super-powered cronies showed up in his neighborhood, intent on killing him.  Iceman and the Human Torch, his roommates, helped out briefly and are now knocked out, lying in front of his house.  Kraven, Vulture, and Electro have been taken out of the fight, but Peter, who's now lost his mask and whose identity will now be known to the world, is desperate to get his Aunt May out of their neighborhood and out of harm's way after she shows up.

Osborn, as the Green Goblin, is relentless, continuing his assault even as crowds gather and watch the high-powered slugfest.  Gwen keeps trying to get May to safety, but she won't leave, concerned for her nephew's life.  Despite another brief surge of help from the Human Torch, the Goblin continues to get stronger as Peter's injuries threaten to drain the life out of him before the fight is over.  His anger at Osborn keeps him going though, and he uses any means at his disposal to beat him further.

Still the Goblin comes, and Peter's execution is stayed briefly as Mary Jane hits Osborn with a truck.  Peter kisses her in gratitude, then throws her to a safe distance and uses the truck to batter Osborn into submission.  It explodes from the fight, throwing Peter onto his front lawn, where his entire neighborhood seems to have gathered and is watching.  911 is called, and everyone tries to help the injured young man, but his injuries are too severe.  With a final gasp to Aunt May that it was all worth it because he was able to save her, Peter dies in front of his loved ones.  A few moments later, an apparently dead Norman Osborn smiles, content that he was able to kill Spider-Man.

What I like most about this story is that this isn't some grand, epic battle to the finish, with the world at stake, as you tend to get with so many superhero deaths.  No, this was a neighborhood brawl, a kid defending his home turf, his neighbors, and his family from a crazy guy and his buddies who have it in for him.  Peter's biggest motivation, at the end of everything, is keeping his loved ones safe and out of harm's way.  It's a fitting setup and sendoff for a hero who in so many ways exemplifies the everyman in all of us.

I also think it was a realistic death in the sense that it was caused, essentially, from the simple fact that Peter was just overwhelmed.  The gunshot from the Punisher, however unintended, had already put him at a disadvantage, and Norman's sudden escape and teamup with Electro, Kraven, and Vulture just made things way too overwhelming for Peter, who was already injured and exhausted, pushed to his limits, and not given any chance to get his bearings.  He made some bad tactical decisions, like waking up Torch instead of Iceman to fight the Goblin briefly, and that in concert with everything else (including Osborn's singleminded determination to kill him) was just too much.

Peter's final words to his aunt are particularly heartbreaking, because they exemplify how selfless he is in his devotion to her.  She was essentially his mother, having raised him from a young age, and his inability to protect Uncle Ben is only, in his eyes, justified by his ability to protect her from harm, even at the cost of his own life.  When you consider all that he had to live for and the future he could have had if he'd lived, his willingness to sacrifice it all without even a moment's hesitation makes his death all the more tragic.

Artistically, there's little I have to say that isn't generally known about Mark Bagley.  The man's been drawing Spider-Man since I was collecting comics as a teen, and I've always loved his renditions of Spider-Man and his supporting characters.  His style may be a little cartoony, with rather big eyes and expressions on his characters, but I think it really works for Spidey's world, and can't think of anyone else I'd want to draw for Peter's last hurrah.  The action scenes are pulse-pounding, the emotions are clearly and dramatically conveyed, and the story visually takes on the intimate yet high-stakes fight with aplomb through his efforts.

Overall, I was genuinely moved by this issue.  Ultimate Spider-Man hasn't always been my favorite character--he's simply not my Spider-Man--but his charm is undeniable, especially for modern readers picking up comics for the first time.  It is a worthwhile passing, deserving of praise and respect, but at the same time, I'm glad I can go back to the prime Spidey's adventures more or less unscathed.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Spider-Man: Origin of the Species / Mark Waid and Paul Azaceta

What happens when a plethora of your enemies plans to steal your best friend's newborn son so that he can be experimented on?  How do you begin to keep that child safe, even with the best of intentions and spider-powers, when numbers, the media, and the police are all working against you?  Peter Parker sees just how far he can go to outstrip the infamous Parker Luck when a child's life is on the line in Spider-Man: Origin of the Species.

Peter, dealing with the typically tough trappings of his new life--money troubles, a hard-headed roommate, and a reputation both in and out of costume as a horrible human being--meets his friends for coffee, when the untimely arrival of Menace--aka Harry's ex, Lily Hollister--heralds a struggle with higher stakes than anyone is prepared for.  Before we know it, Spider-Man has grabbed the newborn child she's delivered, and is put through his paces to keep the boy out of the clutches of some of his deadliest foes--and the Looter--all of whom are working for Spidey's arch-nemesis, Doctor Octopus, who wants to use the newborn's unique biochemistry to cure his withered body.  It becomes both a physical and an emotional roller coaster ride as Spider-Man evades foes, loses the child, and becomes obsessed with both revenging himself upon anyone who had a hand in the baby's kidnapping and searching for and recovering Harry's son.

I have to say, this was a fun story.  I mean, I know the idea of Spidey swinging frenetically around the city with a newborn baby in his possession while he tries to avoid enemy after enemy who wants to either kidnap the kid or pound Spidey's flesh into the ground should be alarming on some level--I seriously doubt a newborn would survive that kind of ride without some form of injury, or even death--but you have to admit, if there's a better setup for a gauntlet, it's really hard to imagine what it is.  Plus, we get to see Spider-Man using his wits against the apparently brilliant Doc Ock, using him as bait for the Lizard near the end.

Also of paramount importance is the discovery that, near the end of the story, newborn Stanley Osborn is not the son of Harry's father, Norman.  This is significant not only because it means he won't be in any further danger due to his genome--Doc Ock thought he was the product of Norman Osborn and Lily Hollister, both of whom had unique genetic properties due to their ingesting various permutations of the Goblin Serum--but it also means that, despite all of Norman's efforts to take Lily from Harry, that Harry is after all looking after his son, and not his brother.  It's a heartening end to the Harry-Lily-Norman debacle, one that will hopefully herald better things for Harry and his family.

I didn't think I was going to like Paul Azaceta's artwork at the beginning of the story, as it seemed flat, simple, and with no real depth at first.  But as I read on, I found that it works pretty well with the story being told, with Spider-Man rushing into and out of trouble, desperate to find and rescue the baby, and all manner of volatile events happening in the blink of an eye.  With so much going on, the style actually works--the looks on the villains' faces as Spidey hunts them down in vengeance are particularly memorable--and the use of darkness and shading really works towards some of the end action scenes.  I think those who take their time to read and peruse the artwork may have issues with it, and I'm not sure how well it would be received in a slower-paced, more measured story arc, but I really do like it in this story.

Overall, I think this story will stand as a good example of how difficult life can be if you're Spider-Man.  Peter's attempts to keep baby Osborn alive, while somewhat comical, also take a turn for the dark, and his life out of costume is no picnic, either.  It kept me turning the pages, and the heart-warming resolution leaves the indelible conclusion that, while life is often hard for both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, it's always worth it for both of them to try their hardest to help others.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Spider-Man: American Son / Joe Kelly, Phil Jimenez, et. al.

I have a lot of pity for Harry Osborn.

Seriously, he's got to be one of the most tormented characters in comics.  First and foremost, he grew up with Norman Osborn as his father, which I think singlehandedly accounts for all the other terrible things that tend to happen to him.  He was the son who was never good enough for his father, causing him to virtually bleed the need for validation from everyone around him, which also led to his station as the rich, well-meaning, but mostly ineffectual friend.  Being such a pathetic figure eventually cursed him with a drug addiction, venture after venture to succeed his father as the Green Goblin, and a barely redemptive death that was eventually retconned by the travesty storyline, One More Day.

You'd think life got better for him after his return, but not really.  His attempts at sobriety appear tenuous at best, his string of successful coffee shops are sneered at by his father, and his hot new girlfriend, Lily Hollister, starts taking his dad's Goblin Serum and starts sleeping with the old man.  And then becomes pregnant with his child.  His close friendship with Peter is tempered by his intense hatred of Spider-Man, which often causes him to ignore or berate his friend.  After a while you wonder, is this guy ever gonna become his own man, or will he always be trapped in his insane father's shadow?

In Spider-Man: American Son, you get a fierce answer.

It's the time of the Dark Reign, when Norman Osborn is essentially the top cop in the U.S. and has his own team of (Dark) Avengers (among others) at his command.  Osborn, who calls himself the Iron Patriot now, has plans to bring his son Harry onto the team, infuriating Peter and causing him to try to infiltrate the team to figure out what his real plans are.  When he's found out, he's captured and tormented by Osborn and the Dark Avengers, as his plans for Harry demonstrate just how depraved, manipulative, and psychotic Osborn truly is.

It's a well-written tale, full of intrigue, danger, and discovery as we finally see Harry come to grips with one of the darkest, most humiliating realizations of his life and decide his path from that point.  Norman offers his son a great deal of power and comfort, even as he masterminds and attempts to orchestrate his eventual demise and impregnates his fiancee.  When Harry gives up Spider-Man to his father, it's a show of loyalty and trust that he comes to regret, and for which he quickly and effectively makes amends, donning the American Son armor and taking on his old man in the kind of one-on-one, super-powered combat that superhero fans just love to see.

Peter's concern for Harry and his hatred for Norman, while strident in this story, are fully justified when you know these characters' histories, both as an individuals and in relation to one another.  There's a memorable moment where, at one point, Osborn asks a captured Spider-Man about his interest in his son's welfare.  "Are you in love with my son?" he asks him.  In a sense, it's true, particularly when you consider that friendship is a form of love, and Peter's obsessive desire to keep Norman away from Harry is one manifestation of that love.  Why wouldn't you want to protect your best friend?

Of course, a story like this begs the question of how well a reader who doesn't know these characters so well will regard this story.  I personally think it stands well enough on its own: Norman manipulates Harry, fathers an unborn child with his fiancee, and essentially keeps her as a pet supervillain.  He berates Harry's life, and shows unequivocally how little he thinks of his son.  When Harry finally casts his father off, it's easy to understand why he does so, just in the context of Joe Kelly's narrative.  It's a testament to his deft characterization, as well as his ability to make a story interesting and engaging.

I enjoyed the artwork, but it's hard to give credit to any one person.  Still, the switching up of pencilers and inkers doesn't call undue attention to the artwork, and works to support the story well.  I did enjoy the visual of Harry, when he finally takes his first swing at his father, calling his American Son armor onto himself in preparation for their final fight.  I also think Harry walking away from a defeated, snarling Norman at the end is well rendered, and underscores both his redemption of character and his growth into his own man memorably.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story.  In Spectacular Spider-Man #200, Harry's redemption is barely there, mostly due to the fact that he died saving Peter.  In Spider-Man 3, he's given a much better send-off, more heroic and less of his own making.  It seems American Son is Kelly's attempt to top even that, with Harry taking on his own father, and surviving, to walk away from his influence forever.  Definitely a story for Spider-Man fans, and anyone who finally wants to see poor Harry come into his own.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- The Invincible Iron Man, volume 2: Worlds Most Wanted, Book 1 / Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca

When Marvel's Civil War came out a few years ago, I thought it was one of the most exciting and high-stakes storytelling event Marvel had done in some time.  There were so many noteworthy events going on within its pages, from the pro- vs. anti- registration camps of superheroes, to Spider-Man's public unmasking as Peter Parker, to even the X-Men's maddening neutrality on the issue.  I became completely involved, if not in the specifics, then in the overall outcome of the tale.  

And I could tell I was involved, because the conclusion of Civil War ended with two events that left me snarling with outrage.  First, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, aka the leader of the Pro-Registration heroes, won the Civil War and was elected to head up S.H.I.E.L.D. in Nick Fury's absence.  And second, to add insult to injury, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, aka the leader of the Anti-Registration heroes, was gunned down and killed while on the way to court to stand trial for leading the heroes who dared to stand against Tony Stark and the U.S. government.

Now, I know Captain America eventually comes back from the dead.  And I know Tony Stark endures more than a few of his own planet-sized headaches as a result of being He Who Is In Charge Of All Superheroes Everywhere In The United States.  But at the time, I was furious at Marvel for this story--though furious in a good way.  Furious in a, "That was a great story, but you ended it the way I totally didn't want it to end!" and not in a "Oh, my god, Quesada, WHY did you give us One More Day, WHY?!" kind of way.

I didn't really follow the aftermath of Civil War for very long after it ended, but when I came across this volume of Iron Man stories, I will admit that it brought a smile to my face.  As much as I may grumble about the ending of Civil War, it definitely was necessary to make this collection possible.  And this collection did something that, up until I read it, thought wouldn't be possible.

It got me to like Tony Stark again.

Tony has lost a lot at this point.  He's no longer King of the World.  S.H.I.E.L.D. has been disbanded, and replaced by H.A.M.M.E.R., an organization conceived and run by Norman Osborn, the former Green Goblin who now somehow has the world convinced that he's not an insane sleazeball and is capable of policing the entire world's security.  And the story begins on Tony's last day on the job, where he is to hand the keys of the world off to Osborn and go back to being a civilian.

Knowing Osborn is a lunatic, and that giving access to all the secret identities of all superheroes to him would be cataclysmic, Tony plants a virus that wipes out all but one copy of the Superhuman Registration Database, which resides in his own cybernetically enhanced brain.  Osborn is enraged, and demands that Tony be found, along with his associates, Pepper Potts and Maria Hill.  The trio split up after initiating a memory wipe of Tony's brain, and must now work separately to orchestrate their own counter-offensive to Osborn's manhunt.

Reluctant as I initially was to pick up this volume, I quickly became engrossed in the story.  Matt Fraction does a good job telling a tale of Iron Man on the run from the rest of the world, keeping things well paced, funny, and even chilling in places.  The characters ring true--Tony's brilliance, wit, and even flirtatious nature are as well crafted as the subtleties of Osborn's megalomania, insanity, and desire for control.  There's even a tale where Tony goes at it with Namor, the Sub-Mariner, whose royal arrogance and disdain are spot-on for the character.

My biggest complaint is that things are not resolved in this volume. Still, cliffhangers aren't all bad, and I think I'll be picking up the next part to this story in the very near future.

I also really enjoyed Salvador Larroca's artwork in this volume.  It's detailed and realistic, and very beautiful in places.  I'm not exactly sure what method he's using, but his work with shading and textures gives the story an organic look that you don't often see in comics, and I think it works exceptionally well with the story that Fraction tells.

Overall, an enjoyable read.  It's good to see Tony Stark dealing with things from a position of vulnerability, particularly after the high horse he was on during and directly after Civil War.  If you like superhero stories, definitely check this out.  Recommended.