Iron Man books in order

A 23-volume reading guide to Iron Man's most significant Marvel Comics stories, covering essential collected editions from 1981 through 2024 across multiple creative eras.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Doomquest 1981 Dan Abnett Buy
2 Thor/Iron Man: God Complex 2011 Dan Abnett N/A
3 Demon in a Bottle 1984 Dan Abnett Buy
4 Armor Wars Prologue 1987 Dan Abnett Buy
5 The Invincible Armor Wars 1990 Dan Abnett Buy
6 The Many Armors of Iron Man 1992 Dan Abnett Buy
7 Dragon Seed Saga 1994 Dan Abnett Buy
8 Armor Wars 2 2010 Dan Abnett Buy
9 Stark Wars 2015 Dan Abnett Buy
10 Iron Monger 2016 Dan Abnett Buy
11 Doom 2018 Dan Abnett Buy
12 Return Of The Ghost 2019 Dan Abnett Buy
13 The Man Who Killed Tony Stark 2019 Dan Abnett Buy
14 The Fury Of The Firebrand 2020 Dan Abnett Buy
15 War Machine 2021 Dan Abnett Buy
16 In The Hands Of Evil 2021 Dan Abnett Buy
17 Battle Royal 2022 Dan Abnett Buy
18 The Return Of Tony Stark 2022 Dan Abnett Buy
19 Iron Man Masterworks Vol. 15 2022 Dan Abnett Buy
20 The Crossing 2023 Dan Abnett Buy
21 The War of the Super Villains 2023 Dan Abnett Buy
22 Iron Man Masterworks Vol. 17 2024 Dan Abnett Buy
23 Iron Man Epic Collection: Age of Innocence 2024 Dan Abnett Buy

This reading guide collects 23 significant Iron Man story collections spanning from the early 1980s through 2024, covering the most important arcs and collected editions across the character’s long publication history. Tony Stark first appeared in 1963 but the stories here begin with Doomquest (1981), a team-up with Doctor Doom that has become a fan favourite, and Demon in a Bottle (1984), the landmark storyline addressing Stark’s alcohol dependency.

The Armor Wars storyline, collected across Armor Wars Prologue and The Invincible Armor Wars, is one of the most consequential Iron Man stories, establishing the principle that Stark is responsible for what his technology does in the world. Later collected editions cover the Extremis era, the Dark Reign period, and multiple recent arcs from the 2019-2024 period. Iron Man has had numerous creative teams over the decades, so this reading guide covers material from writers including David Michelinie, Matt Fraction, Brian Michael Bendis, and Christopher Cantwell alongside story arcs from major Marvel crossover events.


Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Iron Man series?

There are 23 books in the Iron Man series, published between 1981 and 2024.

What is the first book in the Iron Man series?

The first book in the Iron Man series is Doomquest, published in 1981.

What are the essential Iron Man comics to read?

Demon in a Bottle (1984) is considered the definitive early Iron Man story, dealing with Tony Stark’s alcoholism and is widely recommended as a starting point. Armor Wars (beginning with Armor Wars Prologue, 1987) is the other essential classic arc, in which Stark discovers his technology has been stolen and wages a one-man campaign to recover it. For more recent material, the 2019-2022 run by Christopher Cantwell is generally well-regarded.

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