A Fantastic Cameo - Review Iron Age #2

I'm torn on what I think of this series...

On the one hand they marketed this series ALL WRONG!  This series was advertised as the "Return of Dark Phoenix" with all the excitement that comes with such an exciting proclamation.  However, aside from a lackluster appearance in Iron Age: Alpha where has our little celestial ginger been?  NO WHERE TO BE SEEN, that's where.  Now admittedly she looks to be showing up next issue finally so maybe ther is hope...but let me just say, when Marvel markets the real Dark Phoenix, those of us obsessed with the Phoenix expect to see THE PHOENIX.  I mean, I know that she was technically there but we are 3 issues into this storyline and all we've seen is her getting manhandled by a few Doombots and then destroying the world.  Now forget that those Doombots should be slag, but, by destroying the world and sending Tony into the past, she went from amazing cosmic return to convenient storyline gimmick just get us to read and get Iron Man to the past.

Now on the other hand...it was heartwarming AND heartbreaking to see Johnny.  And not smooth super hero Johnny from right before his death, no no no we got old (early 70's) Johnny Storm, rife with all his insecurities and still unsure of his place on the Fantastic Four.  It was also nice hearing Tony's regret about not know Johnny as well as the other members of the FF (a common theme with Tony as he is flung through time, Tony's regrets throughout his past).  One almost wonders if, in the course of history, this interaction is part of what made Johnny strive to be a better hero, and he just always thought he was keeping this moment between him and Iron Man private (whereas secretly the current Iron Man of that present had no idea).  This theme of Tony addressing past mistakes was laso present in the first story with Luke Cage (in all his bright yellow Power Man glory) and Iron Fist, as he remembered his mistakes and also helped reunite PM and IF with Misty and Colleen.

Overall, I have to say I DO like this story a lot...as an Iron-Man-confronts-his-past story.  However, with the way that this story was marketed as a return of Dark Phoenix story left huge shoes to fill and I don't feel like its lived up to the hype.  Now there's still issues #3 and Omega, and perhaps we will get lots of Phoenix-y goodness and we fanatics will get what we were hoping for...stranger things have happened...