The first House of M tie-in I read, “House of M: Spider-Man, Fantastic Four & X-Men” was very good with the glaring exception of the X-Men portion (which was a confusing mess). Wolverine, Iron Man and Hulk is a more balanced collection, with all three major stories being very strong.

In HoM, Wolverine is the catalyst for confronting Wanda & bringing back the true reality. This tie-in shows what his life was like in the HoM reality up to the point right before he learns the truth. With the mutant war over, Wolverine feels he has no purpose, until discovering Nick Fury is still alive and causing trouble. Wolverine sets off to hunt him down. This story was excellent, not only for setting up why Wolverine goes rogue and encounters Layla (who returns his memories of the true reality), but also for how the entire episode was set in motion. It’s rare that a plot twist truly takes me by surprise, but this one did!

Few characters other than Magneto are actually better off in this alternate reality. Tony Stark, like Peter Parker, is anything but happy with his perfect life. He’s a champion robotic gladiator in televised games while also running Stark Industries - the main defense contractor used to build the tech used to oppress humans. His father is still alive and casting a long shadow over Tony. When he seizes an opportunity to act as a hero for humanity, the consequences will shake this world. This story has a dark emotional undercurrent and is an intriguing way to spin the Iron Man origin.

Though missing from the title, the book also devotes a section to Captain America, still a war hero but who was never frozen. He lives to become an old man in the HoM reality (even becomes an astronaut!). However, he’s a relic of a fading time when humans mattered. Once again, the story is a sad one. Captain America is a man of ideals fighting to hang onto them when the world would rather forget.

The last major section, which constitutes nearly half the book, is for the Hulk. This section alone makes the book worth purchasing. Bruce Banner has taken refuge with a tribe of Aborigines. Humans are oppressed the world over, but in Australia it is much worse. They are being rounded up: think Hitler, which the visuals & color palette heavily emphasize. Banner has been oblivious, until the mutant encroaches on the Aborigines’ land while chasing down A.I.M. (re-purposed here as a human rebel group). Hulk takes action, and ends up ruling! This story had some interesting turns, a couple betrayals and fun action sequences. The best part, though, is Banner’s relationship with the Hulk. The Hulk is portrayed here as intelligent, if single-minded. It made for a gripping story with a great conclusion.

Also included in the book is a brief story of Deadpool trying to locate Cable across various dimensions. He has a run-in with Mr. Sinister when the HoM reality overtakes him. This story added nothing to the main event, but was a fun respite from the darker tone of the other sections. Overall, this was an excellent tie-in to House of M, which expanded on the main characters and their place in that world. Highly recommended! ( )