Iron Man’s Slick New Ride

Tony Stark's been getting by with a little help from his friends of late, but with his mind returning, the inventor needs a fresh suit to help redefine himself on his own terms.

Designed by "Iron Man" and "Thor" film designer Ryan Meinerding and current "IIM" writer Matt Fraction, the suit sports Stark's essential elements beneath a slightly muted color scheme and new streamlined plating placement.Here's what Fraction had to say in an official Marvel press release:

"The inspiration for the new design came from thinking about a sleeker, leaner, tougher Iron Man," revealed Fraction. "If technology is increasingly getting smaller and lighter it seems like the Iron Man should do the same: ergonomic and aerodynamic. We were looking for something that felt as sleek and glossy as a sports car Tony Stark would covet. I love what we've come up with. It feels like the next evolutionary step in the Iron Man's design."

While it may seem a bit risky to have Tony Stark sporting a different armor than his movie counterpart in this summer's "Iron Man 2," I'm pleased with the seeming move to keep Fraction in the driver's seat telling the stories he wants to tell in the armor he wants to tell it in.

Fans won't get a chance to see the suit in action until April's "Invincible Iron Man" #25 hits, but it's sure nice to look at in the meantime.

I dig the new suit. It's kind of got a mecha vibe happening without losing any of Iron Man's iconic aspects. It's kind of like if a drop of EVA Unit 01 got mixed into an Iron Man movie/Silver Centurion milkshake. What do you guys think?