Rant Reviews--Iron Man, X-Factor, and X-Force Has Dark Beast!

You read the title right, Uncanny X-Force #10 has Dark Beast! It also contains a comic--in this case Iron Man 2.0 #3--and uses that as an excuse to keep charging $3.99, I suppose. First let's discuss Invincible Iron Man #504 and X-Factor #219 and then I can complain some more about an otherwise good comic.

Invincible Iron Man #504
I don't get it, Matt Fraction is writing the underwhelming Fear Itself but also turns in this pretty solid Fear Itself tie-in featuring Iron Man. Salvador Larroca does some nice art as always too. and there is an interesting idea in the Grey Gargoyle becoming one of the hammer-empowered but having the ability to turn people to stone--its weird but it also works. This issue isn't too amazing but is pretty good and seems to be setting up some good pay-offs, as this comic always seems to be doing (setting up for some amazing finishes).
3 out of 5 stars.

X-Factor #219
Peter David does some great writing, be it dialogue, his plotting, or just making me care about the characters. A lot of folk get some screen-time, we get a good bit of closure to some plots while more questions continue to be raised, and otherwise I just really enjoy this series a whole bunch.
4 out of 5 stars.

Uncanny X-Force #10
The character of Angel/Archangel grows more and more unstable, the team breaks out Dark Beast (whom I love seeing!) and it seems they will be going to another reality. This is all well and good and I liked the issue but I'm annoyed that they just sort of randomly tack on issue #3 of Iron Man 2.0 by Nick Spencer for no apparent reason other than to promote it. I don't see how it relates to this book in any way. No shared writers, no shared artists, it just seems like Marvel needs an excuse to keep this book at $3.99 which I will reluctantly pay because Rick Remender tends to do such a great job with this book. Anyways, a good but not amazing issue, with the crazy adventures happening in the next issue meaning that things are probably gonna get quite cool though.
3.5 out of 5 stars.