Customer Reviews

Essential Iron Man

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

Iron Man has always been one of the more political superheroes at Marvel. Only slightly less of a flag waver than Captain America, the alter ego of millionaire weapons maker Tony Stark, you know whose side he took in the battle between capitalism and communism. He is the frequent target of Communist villains and often finds himself in Russia and China (one adventure finds him in Cuba) battling the champions of communism. And it's all in good fun. Since a Marvel hero had to have a weakness, Tony Stark is always one electric socket away from death since he was hit by shrapnel in Vietnam. The original Iron Man suit was built, in part, to keep the shrapnel from reaching his heart. We meet master villains the Crimson Dynamo and the vastly un-PC Mandarin(possibly one of the last of the 'Yellow Peril" villains), along with villains who turned hero (Hawkeye and Black Widow) and some of Marvel's really pitiful villainous creations-Mister Doll, the Phantom, & Gargantus, among others. These lesser villains ( and 2 hero vs hero clashes, trite crossovers) are the only weak points in the collection. Iron Man has always been a pillar of the Marvel Universe although often overlooked by fans. Whether you are a comics fan looking for some of the classics or a pop culture fan looking for some 60s Cold War paranoia, this is the collection for you. Shortly after the period contained in this collection, Tony Stark found his main adversaries in the persons of other corporate leaders. I look forward to The Essential Iron Man 2 covering his battles against these corporate giants.

Starting off with his initial appearance in Tales of Suspense #39 (and going on until issue 72 of the same comic), The Essential Iron Man tells the early, Cold War-tinged tales of one of Marvel's most famously tormented heroes, Tony Stark.

While reprinted in black and white, the Marvel Essentials collections are wonderful for those of us who weren't even alive when the Silver Age started. Seeing such Marvel mainstays as Dr. Strange and Hawkeye-as villains!-is also worth the rather thin price of admission. Perhaps the only other item of note is shortness of some stories (especially once the not-included tales of Captain America appear as part of the action), but that's a sign of the times (as is seemingly patchwork origin of some reprints). Like the other volumes in the Marvel Essentials collection, however, you have to have this book!

The Iron Man volumes of the essential series while interesting only get better in Volume 2 as Stan Lee moves onto other titles and the stories are better than some of the artwork.I have found this with other volumes with Stan's stories he just gets into better improved stories and before you know it he leaves the title. But having said that they are informative and as it says on the tin essential reading for Iron Man fans.

Don Heck's Iron Man isn't as good as Gene Colan's, but this is still a terrific book! Don Heck was a solid comic book artist, and he was a consistently good Iron Man artist who developed the character from when Jack Kirby--yes, Jack Kirby!--created him on the cover of the first issue. The writing is terrific! Don Heck drew IRON MAN till the mid 1960s, and then Gene Colan took over. Don Heck was good, but Gene Colan and writer Roy Thomas made IRON MAN INTO THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN!!!

I love the whole "Essential" series, but this particular book was a godsend to me. Iron Man has always been one of my favorite Marvel heroes, but I had never read his earliest stories, which had never been published in Brazil. Now I have a chance to learn more about his origin, when and why he changed his armor, and the first appearance of Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan (whose "funny" looks would change very quickly). I must admit I'm a bit uncomfortable with the notion that the Russians are all evil, but that was the prevalent mentality at the time. It is also great to read the first story to feature Hawkeye, although I already knew this one from the "Marvel Superheroes" cartoon. I sure hope there will be a volume II - I'm looking forward to rereading the stories I used to read in my childhood!

Marvel Comics in the 60s managed to distinguish itself from the rest of the comics pack with topical stories drenched in pathos. No Superman in the Marvel Bullpen---the Marvel superheroes always had a touch of human frailty to them.

Iron Man is a good example of this. Tony Stark was a weapons inventor who was mortally wounded in Vietnam. When forced to use his last dying days preparing a weapon for his Vietcong captors, Stark turns the tables on his foes by creating a powerful suit of armor, equal parts life support system for his wounded heart and weapon against evil.

The ensuing tales capture that ol' time Marvel magic and introduce unforgettable characters which still resonate today: the Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, the Mandarin. Marvel in this early period had a number of WWII and Korea vets among its writing staff unafraid to take sides in the Cold War---if you have a Che Guevara poster in your bedroom, you're unlikely to enjoy these stories. Those of us on the victorious side of this conflict, however, will relish them.

Secure your copy of this terrific collection today.

I give this a 4 out of 5. I give this a 4 out of 5. I give this a 4 out of 5. I give this a 4 out of 5.