Heart of Steel opens up to Iron Man suiting up, which is a pretty epic opening sequence for anybody who is wearing a mech suit.  The suit looks pretty sweet.  He comes to the U.S. Treasury to stop a big robot that looks like a hand-me-down version of Brainiac’s space ship. Why someone with the resources to build something like that would try to rob the Treasury is beyond me.

The story jumps back six months prior, with Tony Stark making an appearance at the “Starkworld” Conference at the San Francisco Expo Center.  While giving a riviting speech, he is interrupted by a Professor Gia-Bao Yinsen who blames Stark for his war torn country, Madripoor thanks to terrorists inspired from Tony Starks inventions. The terrorists’ siege machines look like mechanized Mirelurks, mutant crustaceans from the Fallout series.

Tony takes off on his experimental glider but during the flight crash lands due to a mysterious storm that appears abruptly.  Tony wakes up in the clutches of A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics).  The Scientist Supreme looks sexy as hell. Tony learns that A.I.M. is responsible for destabilizing Madripoor and that they require his help.  Of course, he declines but his heart is damaged from the crash.  They reveal that they’ve kidnapped Yinsen to assist him and the two reluctantly agree to build A.I.M.’s EMP Generator.

Nearly a week later, the Scientist Supreme realizes that Tony and Yinsen are up to something but before she can investigate, the two appear wearing makeshift Iron Man suits.  The two just lay waste to A.I.M.’s forces and destabilize the Fusion Reactor, causing a chain reaction.  Yinsen is injured in the attack and dies.  Shortly after, Rhodes manages appears rescuing Tony before the island’s destruction.  Tony then decides to go after A.I.M. warning that he’s coming after the Scientist Supreme.

The Verdict: In the end, Heart of Steel is pretty decent.  The art style looks really good and the transitions do a great job conveying the scenes.  The story didn’t really do much for me as it pretty much rehashes the superhero’s origins.  It’s great that Tony gets to take on a scientific based enemy faction and I’m psyched to see where the story goes. Heart of Steel gets 3 out of 5.