Brimming with class.
For what it's worth, this Guide is a must for anyone who is a fan of the big screen's Tony and is hoping to read more of his action packed misadventures. I love the way the guide gradually eases you into the life of the man, the inventor, showcasing quite a few of Tony's Iron Man suites and savy wit. After that, there's about a dozen pages on the various faces, business clientele (he is, after all, an industrialist), enemies a plenty and above all the multitude of femme fatales in Tony's life, among other things. Next, there's an informative 'timeline' spread, touching on points of interest in the char's past, with special events and key moments given their own face time throughout. Then you progress to the true meat of it all, a blow-by-blow summary of Tony's adventures through the decades. (Yes, decades, and yet, he hasn't aged a day....well...no grey hair yet...hahah. )
I absolutely love the design of the interior, especially when the guide goes into detail about Tony's history. It features a mixture of prominent comic book inserts and fetching snippets of text, both of which were what really drew me to this guide. Also, the actual content is quite concise and to the point, as I have read a few of the stories the guide mentions myself, so it isn't all waffle, thankfully. And it doesn't just cover events from his vast solo run. Avengers, Force Works, one-shots, mini series and other guest appearances, crossovers, and events also get a look in.
Ooooh. I do, do like this guide. I have had it for a few years now and have always gone back to it on occasion, which is a sign of it's lasting appeal. I also own the Wolverine Guide in this series, but the Iron Man one is above and beyond it better by a fair mile. The one thing I have to say though is, the guide stops recounting in the midst of the Dark Reign 'Fugitive' run, so nothing that came after it like 'Resilience,' the Bleeding Edge armor or the current stuff (which I haven't looked at, sorry) isn't there in the book. But this is easily overlooked.
My verdict is, if you've got the cash to splash, invest it in this gem. (: