Essential Iron Man [Paperback]

Stan Lee (Author), Don Heck (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Entertainment Group (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785107592
• ISBN-13: 978-0785107590
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,245,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All That's Missing Is The Color!, February 11, 2002

By 

Bradley Richman (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Iron Man (Paperback)

My first comic book was bought by my mother when I was five and it was Ironman. I thought the cover was cool. While I am only now getting very interested in comic books, I will never forget Ironman being the first comic book I ever had.

That being said, when I went retro and decided to learn more about various wonderful Marvel Comic heroes, I decided to make my first "Essential" purchase Ironman. I was not disappointed.

This collection goes all the way back to the origin of Ironman centering on Anthony Stark and his becoming "The most tragic figure on earth!" The drama here pours out when both the reader and Anthony Stark realize that the only way he can survive is to remain in his iron suit for the rest of his life. The drama doesn't get much better than this.

As for the collection itself, it does lose some in its black and white pages, but if you convince yourself that you are going old school and that in older movies, black and white is better, then you will enjoy it. Also, focus on the drama of the story, not the look and you will have a great time.

If Marvel had continued to produce their Masterworks paperbacks, I would say go there. But they don't, so if you're looking to keep the price down and get a good story, this collection is for you. I'll keep buying.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must for every Iron Fan., October 11, 2001

By 

Dave Huber (Delaware, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Iron Man (Paperback)

The original "Tales of Suspense" issues that feature Iron Man (#39 on up) are out of sight, cost-wise, especially if they're in good shape. So what do you do? Buy this Essential book! Sure it's all in black and white, but who cares? It's only fifteen bucks for Iron Man's very first adventures!

The dialogue is cheesy, the villains are cheesy, and the art is cheesy, but in this case cheese is good! See: the first appearances of classic IM villains such as Mandarin, Crimson Dynamo, and the Titanium Man! See: enough Cold War propaganda to recruit 1000 Marines! Perfect for story buffs, not collectors.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Iron Man....'nuff Said!, June 28, 2002

By 

Christopher James Jones (Round Rock, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Iron Man (Paperback)

While some people may knock the Essentials series for many things, including lack of color and cheap paper, I find that the compact form and cheap price far outweighs any of those points. In fact, the stories in these comics and the portable, read anywhere, form of this book are excellent for us folks who just want to read (or re-read) the tales of our beloved Marvel Heroes. The stories in this book begin simple, but evolve quickly, forming the psyche of the tormented Tony Stark and, eventually, Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. Without a doubt a classic character, this is the perfect way (apart from tracking down the original comics) to enjoy Iron Man!