The finales of so many of the Age of Revelation minis are coming out this month, leading up to the grand finale on December 31st, when the Age of Revelation ends. While many of these offshoot series have been explorations of the world of Revelation, with no deeper tie-in, Iron & Frost #3 becomes surprisingly important, with an ending that promises some broader ramifications for the X-Men line going forward.
Written by Cavan Scott and drawn by Ruari Coleman, Iron & Frost has been an exploration of the relationship of Tony Stark and Emma Frost, X years in the future. The two characters have had a long, complicated dynamic, one that has been adversarial at times, before easing into an uncertain but surprisingly sincere romance. Although the two ended things amicably in Invincible Iron Man #21, Iron & Frost revisit the duo in the most complicated of circumstances. Emma Frost has been mortally wounded and remains in her diamond form to sustain her life until she can figure out a fix. Tony Stark has been mutated by the X-Virus and has become a machine man and technopath, powerful, but cold, distant, and ruthless.
The Story
Having these two characters meet at this moment is surprisingly compelling and meaty. Cavan Scott does a good job of capturing both characters’ voices and writes them in a way that feels true to the relationship established. Their relationship is the heart of these three issues, and where Iron & Frost has stumbled is by adding too many side characters who distract from what is truly interesting. Iron & Frost #3 rushes to wrap up stories for Rhodey, Landslide, and even Firestar, while packing even more drama and importance into the Emma and Tony relationship.
The central twist here is that Tony Stark, before mutating and becoming the ruthless Iron King, backed up a version of his personality, who is now attempting to aid Emma and send information back in time to himself to avoid the future. Emma agrees to the plan, needing to buy time for the data to be sent, as the Iron King threatens to go haywire and explode. The issue’s most tender moments come when Emmy and Tony are alone in the sky, Emma making the ultimate sacrifice to trust Tony and buy him some time, while reaching out to the heart of the man she loved and bringing him back, even for a moment. It’s an effective, well-drawn sequence.
The Art and Verdict
The issue itself is so crammed with action and new information that it feels like it needs more time to breathe. Given how light Iron & Frost #1 and #2 were in comparison, pacing and spreading out the information conveyed to the reader would have been helpful. Ruari Coleman and Yen Nitro provide the art and colours for the issue. Some of the action sequences are hectic, but Coleman makes the final moments of Emma and Tony matter and draws the emotion quite well. The cover by Ryan Brown is also quite good.
Ultimately, Iron & Frost #3 suffers from pacing issues, trying to do too much in too tight a timeframe. But it makes the important moments count, and reminds readers of how effective and romantic a pair Tony Stark and Emma Frost were. The ending cliffhanger promises some broader ramifications, one that signals some relevance to the upcoming 2026 title, X-Men United. While not perfect, Cavan Scott and Ruari Coleman bring to a close one of the more effective Age of Revelation tie-ins.
‘Iron & Frost’ #3 Review: Tony Stark x Emma Frost Romance Delivers
Iron & Frost #3 suffers from pacing issues, trying to do too much in too tight a timeframe. But it makes the important moments count, and reminds readers of how effective and romantic a pair Tony Stark and Emma Frost were.
