With Iron Man in movie theaters this weekend, some people might be looking to investigate the comic book origins of the character. Here are some good graphic novels featuring the character:

* Despite his presence in Marvel Comics for decades, there aren't many spectacular Iron Man storylines that come to mind, but you'll get a good history of the character and a lot of bang for the buck in the recently released Invincible Iron Man Omnibus. This massive hardcover features the earliest stories of Tony Stark and his armored alter ego, collected from over 40 different issues of Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish. Artists include Don Heck, doing some of the best work of his career, as well as Gene Colan, Steve Ditko and of course, Jack Kirby. At over 700 pages, this $100.00 hardcover is a bargain and will be a book that fans of the character will return to again and again to relive Iron Man's earliest adventures.


* Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle is probably the best-known of all Iron Man storylines, featuring Tony Stark's descent into alcoholism and ultimately his redemption as a man and as a superhero. David Michelinie's prose veers toward the purple at times, but his Iron Man was still one of the most modern-feeling and adult titles Marvel published in the 1980s. Bob Layton and John Romita Jr. deliver the artwork, which is probably some of the finest the title has had. In the hands of Michelinie, Layton and Romita Jr., the title had a great consistency that made it a favorite with fans, and this collection will give any reader a good feel for why this run continues to be so well-regarded.

* The Ultimates re-envisioned Marvel's team of superheroes known as The Avengers, and in this alternate-earth storyline Tony Stark is a deeply-flawed but idealistic man who becomes involved with a government-sponsored super-team to sometimes disastrous results. Iron Man's characterization is one of the highlights of writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch's two 13-issue runs in The Ultimates and Ultimates 2, both of which are collected in handsome, oversized hardcover editions.

* Probably my favorite recent Iron Man storyline is Iron Man: Extremis, collecting a six-issue storyline by celebrated writer Warren Ellis and artist Adi Granov. This was meant to launch a new direction for the character, and despite the unfortunate directions the character was taken in during Marvel's Civil War event, Extremis remains a tight, exciting storyline that feels like a great template for how the character should be handled.

All indications from the previews I've seen indicate that the Iron Man movie may be a brilliant pastiche of all the above versions of the character, with wit and action to spare. It looks like Iron Man will be one of the big summer blockbuster movies, and anyone who wants to know more about the character would do well to investigate any or all of the above graphic novels.

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