Favorite Iron Man Runs

[DetectiveStrange]

I've been reading the classic Micheline/Layton/JRJR run from back in the day and absolutely loving it. I read bits and pieces of it growing up from my dad's back issues, but I'm giving it my first proper read in its entirety. Lots of heart, lots of humor, and it really adds more depth to Tony's character. What's most impressive is the supporting cast they build up - very deliberately, very carefully - in such a short time. The supporting cast really works.

I was wondering if anyone would like to share their thoughts on their favorite Iron Man runs - and also which runs they think are most underrated. [John Jackson Miller, for example, I've heard is something of a secret gem. Is this true? Is his run great?]

Looking forward to hearing people's thoughts!

[Snoop Dogg]

Both Layton/Michelinie runs
Denny O'Neil's run
Fraction and Larroca
Busiek and Chen's run
Ellis and Granov's Extremis
Quesada's run
Casey and Irving's Inevitable
Nick Spencer's Iron Man 2.0
Slott and Schiti's run

I'm also very fond of the Silver Age and eventually wanna give it another peep to see how it holds up. Also have to go through the Knauf stuff again, I remember liking it.

[Mike]

The Bill Mantlo/George Tuska run is one of my favorites.
Issue #97 was the first Iron Man comic book I bought.
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[K7P5V]

Chronologically speaking, these were my favorite runs:

Layton/Michelinie's first run with JRJR (an all-time classic)
Layton/Michelinie's second run (especially the first Armor Wars)
Jim Lee's Iron Man from Heroes Reborn (not a popular choice, but I liked it)
Kurt Busiek's run from Heroes Return (a great time to be a comic fan, IMHO)
Joe Quesada's run (Mask in the Iron Man is a standout)
Mike Grell's run (probably underrated, I guess)
Warren Ellis' run (a consensus favorite among fans)

[MichaelC]

In no particular order, Stan Lee, Busiek, the Knaufs, Slot, Grell, and Mantlo.

[cc008]

Fraction & Larroca
Busiek & Chen
Ellis and then the Knaufs (Extremis into Director of SHIELD)

[Ying Ko]

While I have only read a small fraction of all Iron Man comics published, Fraction and Larroca's run is by far the best one I've read.

I seem to remember enjoying the Byrne/JR JR run back in the day, but that was ages ago.

[charliehustle415]

What's the verdict on Gillen's run? I've been curious about it for a while now

[Jekyll]

Fraction is top of my list, that run was incredible.
Busiek would be two and those are really the only two runs that I have read.

[Jekyll]

Both Layton/Michelinie runs
Denny O'Neil's run
Fraction and Larroca
Busiek and Chen's run
Ellis and Granov's Extremis
Quesada's run
Casey and Irving's Inevitable
Nick Spencer's Iron Man 2.0
Slott and Schiti's run

I'm also very fond of the Silver Age and eventually wanna give it another peep to see how it holds up. Also have to go through the Knauf stuff again, I remember liking it.

Nick Spencer wrote Iron Man? Will have to check it out!

[DetectiveStrange]

I'm also very fond of the Silver Age and eventually wanna give it another peep to see how it holds up. Also have to go through the Knauf stuff again, I remember liking it.

Stan Lee and Don Heck did solid stuff and built Iron Man's foundation. It's not on the level of SA Spider-Man or FF, but I definitely recommend a read.

However, the Silver Age run I absolutely recommend is Archie Goodwin & George Tuska. Tony Stark as we know him, his world, and the kinds of stories that are told today about Iron Man all come from Goodwin's run.

Obviously, Lee co-created the character, and it's hard (impossible?) to think of a greater contribution another writer could make. But Goodwin did such a massive amount of character work with the raw material left behind by Lee, Kirby, Heck, Ditko, and Lieber, that he essentially defined who Iron Man is. Busiek, Micheline, Layton and others have gone on record to express how influential Archie's run was on theirs. I highly recommend Archie Goodwin's run - it's the best Iron Man before Micheline and Layton came on.

If you want to learn more, check out this retrospective: https://them0vieblog.com/2013/04/25/...retrospective/

[DetectiveStrange]

Lots of great choices on this thread!

Wow, never realized Nick Spencer wrote Iron Man...interesting to hear the Mike Grell run mentioned, I've never read it.

I've also heard The Iron Age (the Christos Gage time travel story) was fun, but I haven't had a chance to check it out yet.

Also a special shout out to Mantlo for the fill-in he did (his first issue?) which explained Tony's change of heart and his transition from a weapons manufacturer/war profiter to an inventor/industrialist who rejects that line of business.

[Snoop Dogg]

Iron Man 2.0 is mainly a Rhodey book but more about his relationship to Tony and what it would mean to be Iron Man and War Machine in modern times with a really cool and extreme retool of Rhodey (which got ignored by Marvel NOW!, sigh...) It also directly tied in to the last third of Fraction's run. I consider it an underrated Iron Man run more than weird War Machine solo #6 since it's called Iron Man and has so many smart takes.

[Tony Stark]

A lot of the runs I love are already mentioned, but I really loved Len Kamazski's run on Iron Man. Severely underrated run and he wrote one of the best single issue stories I've ever read which was in Iron Man #313.

[Snoop Dogg]

A lot of the runs I love are already mentioned, but I really loved Len Kamazski's run on Iron Man. Severely underrated run and he wrote one of the best single issue stories I've ever read which was in Iron Man #313.

The Modular armor days ended WAY too soon...