If Iron Man was a DC character, this would be Iron Man: Year One. The Iron Age is a wonderful look at an old Marvel favorite, taking him and his alter-ego, Tony Stark, back to the days before he was a hero.

This two-book graphic novel is told through the eyes of two loyal Stark sidekicks: his plucky personal assistant, Pepper Potts, and his chauffeur/bodyguard, Happy Hogan. They narrate the events as Stark develops from a self-absorbed playboy into a driven, hard-working captain of industry. They detail major transitions in his life, such as the death/murder of his parents to the fateful trip to southeast Asia where Stark would first become Iron Man.

We see two incarnations of the famous armor and witness (briefly) many of the events that occurred during those early days at Stark International. We see hints of the personality that will, in later years of the Tony Stark storyline, drive him into alcoholism, as well as the inner strength that will bring him back up from the bottom.

Iron Man has never been one of my favorite Marvel characters, but The Iron Age is a story anyone can enjoy. Long-time fans will relish the details while enjoying a stroll down memory lane, while people unfamiliar with Iron Man's history will find this a comprehensive, well-written exploration of his early days as a hero.

- Rambles
written by Tom Knapp
published 24 May 2003