Iron Man: He Lives! He Walks! He Conquers!

Fans of both the Iron Man comics and those who love the crazy-successful Iron Man movie but haven't encountered the superhero before should consider picking up the compact but comprehensive Iron Man: Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels.

If you've been living beyond the reach of modern technology for the last six months and missed out on the fun, Iron Man is, as the jacket copy goes, "the ultimate smart weapon: man and machine combined for maximum impact. He’s Iron Man, AKA millionaire industrialist and visionary genius turned superhero Tony Stark."

This new book detailing the history of Iron Man includes a brief introduction to the movie and copious panels/covers from the comic book, as well as extensive commentary. It also has an overview of the armor's design evolution throughout the years--something to warm the cockles of our little geek hearts--and provides a complete background of Tony Stark and such classic sidekicks as Virginia “Pepper” Potts and James Rhodes/War Machine. Villains like Mandarin and Crimson Dynamo also get their due respect.

Del Rey has put together a sharp, crisp package that doesn't seem like just an attempt to cash in on the movie version. Check it out!