Iron Man is one of the most well-known superheroes, right up there with Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe helped turn Tony Stark into a household name, he’s been appearing in comics since 1962 and finally got his solo title in 1968. If you’re ready to take your knowledge beyond the MCU and jump into the pages, here are ten of the best Iron Man comics to get you started.
Aside from the titles listed below being some of the very best Iron Man comics, we also recommend picking at least one story (though honestly, is one ever enough?) from each major era of Iron Man’s history.
From the 1970s and 1980s, The Invincible Iron Man #116–157, along with the iconic Demon in a Bottle arc, offer some of Tony Stark’s most compelling character development. In 1985, Iron Man: Resolutions delivered one of the best single issues of the decade. For the 1990s, Len Kaminski’s run (Iron Man #278–318) gives us a deeper look into Tony’s complicated relationship with his father. In the early 2000s and 2010s, we got The Invincible Iron Man by Matt Fraction — a modern classic that redefined Tony Stark for a new era.
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A must-read for any Iron Man super-fan (or blossoming fan), Iron Man Noir is a fun, adventure-pulp take on the classic character. Fans hoping for a moody, shadowy noir might be a little disappointed — this leans more toward Indiana Jones than film noir, trading in trench coats for treasure hunts. Still, it’s an entertaining ride and a solid entry in Marvel’s 1930s-inspired universe.
Written by Scott Snyder with art by Manuel Garcia, Iron Man Noir begins in 1938 — a fittingly dramatic era for Tony Stark. Alongside his best friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes and writer Pepper Potts, Stark sets off on a quest to find the lost city of Atlantis in search of a rare metal that could save his failing heart. But Nazis are hot on his trail, leading to a shocking twist that adds some real stakes to the pulp-style thrills.
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At the top of our list of the best Iron Man comics, we’ve got Superior Iron Man, published in 2014 with writing by Tom Taylor and artwork by Yıldıray Çınar. We love Tony Stark, but we also love it when our favorite hero takes a turn toward the dark side. That’s exactly what happens in Superior Iron Man. After the Scarlet Witch’s inversion spell in the crossover Avengers & X-Men: AXIS saves the day, Tony Stark starts seeing the world in a very different light. With San Francisco as the testing ground for his new vision of the future, not everyone is thrilled with the results — and for good reason.
This one’s a fast-paced, guilty pleasure of a read. Once you start, you’ll need to know what happens next: How Tony gets out of this and how he deals with the fallout of his choices.
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Written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, with art by Barry Windsor-Smith, Mark D. Bright, and Layton, Armor Wars is a seven-issue series published by Marvel Comics between December 1987 and July 1988.
The story kicks off when Tony Stark meets with Force, a former villain who once helped Tony fake the death of Iron Man. Stark quickly realizes that Force’s armor bears a striking resemblance to his own designs. If a reformed villain has access to his tech, how many others might as well? Determined to keep his inventions out of the wrong hands, Tony sets out to neutralize any villain or hero misusing his technology.
Not only is Armor Wars a key arc in Iron Man’s character development, but it’s also worth bumping to the top of your reading list for the best Iron Man comics before the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday MCU film, expected in 2026. While the Armor Wars standalone project was likely scrapped, there is still the possibility of threads being woven into the anticipated Avengers movie.
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And sometimes, technology revolts. Is anyone else worried? At a technology convention, Tony Stark unveils the power of SKIN, an advanced nanotechnology integrated into his Iron Man suit. The suit moves on its own, flies on its own, and fights on its own, with the potential to do serious good. But things quickly take a turn.
After an awkward encounter with Rumiko Fujikawa, Tony takes some time alone in the suit to clear his head. The next thing he knows, he wakes up in a hospital bed, only to find newspaper photos of Iron Man behaving recklessly, with Stark’s face visible beneath the helmet.
The plotline only gets more complicated from there, not just about technology gone wrong, but about identity, accountability, and even reevaluation of the idea of a hero. The emphasis on technology makes this one feel particularly relevant, which is probably why it ends up on any list of the best Iron Man comics.
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Published in 2008, The Five Nightmares of Tony Stark is a seven-issue story arc from The Invincible Iron Man, written by Matt Fraction with stellar artwork by Salvador Larroca. The story introduces Ezekiel Stane, the son of Obadiah Stane, who will do whatever it takes to bring down Tony Stark.
Beyond confronting Tony’s worst nightmares (do you think he’s worried about how much WD40 he has to keep on hand?), the arc delivers great humor, the chemistry between Tony and Pepper Potts, and even a fun Spider-Man cameo.
With so many great Iron Man comics to choose from, we picked the best based on entertainment value, character development, and origin significance. We also focused on stories that help define Tony Stark, not just for us as readers but for Tony himself as he wrestles with who he is.
It’s also worth noting that, maybe because the rise of advanced technology and its potential sentience is on everyone’s mind lately, we included a few titles that feel especially relevant to the conversations happening today.
If you’re ready to take your knowledge beyond the MCU and jump into the stories, here are ten of the best Iron Man comics to get you started. Read More