Before anyone says anything, I would like to say that “No”, I am not an Iron Man fanatic nor am I recommending the book because of the upcoming movie this week. But this is a graphic novel that I would recommend even to the non-comic fan.

The true reason i read this novel was because of two other graphic novels before it turned me on to it. The Ultimates Volumes 1 and 2. Although those graphic novels spanned what happened in the lives of various heroes, there were references to Iron Man that made me want to know a little bit more about the character. Keeping in mind that this takes place in another Marvel Universe, questions about this character kept rearing around like: Why does everyone know Tony Stark is Iron Man? What is that liquid that keeps pouring out of him when he takes off his armor? Why hasn’t anyone acknowledge his excessive drinking in almost every scene as if there wasn’t a problem with alcohol? Especially since he works for S.H.E.I.L.D.!

I was extremely impressed with the origin in this storyline, particularly because it was completely different than the story we all knew for the past 30+ years. Without spoiling the story, I will say this delves much deeper than the character of Tony Stark himself. It goes back even before he was born. Tony becomes both blessed and cursed with becoming a genius. That is all that I can say for now.

The art, done by Andy Kubert and Mark Bagely were very good. There was no over abundance of color or “flashiness”. And there wasn’t any panel that confused what the artist were trying to convey. I felt that Orson Scott Card has outdone himself with the writing and I look forward to reading Vol. 2 of this graphic novel.

The trade paperback of this novel comes with quite a few features in the back. Features include a “Rough Cut” scripting of the first scene, showing rough sketches, Variant pencil and color sketches of the cover art. Conceptual Art of Iron Man including some that did not make the cut. It also provides a brief overview of the origin of Iron Man including his time with The Ultimates.

I definitely recommend this book.

“Wolverine and the X-Men (26 half-hour eps):
The story begins as an explosive event shatters the lives of the X-Men and takes away their mentor, Professor X. The beaten heroes, including Beast, Storm, Cyclops and Nightcrawler, walk away from it all but then they are given a rare glimpse into the future, where they see a world in utter ruin … ruled by giant destructive robots. They discover the world has spiraled out of control because the X-Men have given up. So now the most legendary of all X-Men, Wolverine, must take the lead on the ultimate mission — to prevent the world’s destruction — while fending off enemies Magneto and The Brotherhood. “

“Iron Man: The Animated Series (26 half-hour eps):
Tony Stark, heir to a billion-dollar corporation, lives a life of luxury, free to pursue his chief interests — seeking extreme thrills, solving scientific mysteries and creating mind-boggling inventions. But everything goes horribly wrong when a tragic accident robs Tony of his father and nearly costs him his own life. Now dependent on his own impressive technology for survival and dedicated to battling corruption, Tony must reconcile the pressure of teenage life with the duties of a Super Hero. Inside his remarkable invention, Tony Stark is geared for high-speed flight, high-tech battles and high-octane adventure! He is Iron Man.”

source: Viacom News Detail