The TPB consisted of three things. The two issue novelization of the Iron Man 2 movie, the first issue of the Iron Man Extremis story, and a two issue prelude to the Iron Man 3 movie. The novelization of Iron Man 2 wasn’t surprising and was pretty good, as was the first issue of the Iron Man Extremis story from the comics. But, the main reason why I read the TPB was for the prelude.

Someone is supplying terrorists around the world weapons. 10 Rings Org is seemingtly the culprit, and Rhodes in the War Machine suit goes after them. That was basically the whole prelude, Rhodes and his search and fight against the 10 Rings Org. (Although it has a bit with Iron Man and a bit or two with the Avengers).

I liked the art and the story was okay, if a little one dimensional. Still, I guess I’ll see just how good of a prelude it is when I watch Iron Man 3. ( )

I’m gonna admit, I went a little nuts on buying up all the movie prequels ;P This one was really good though! We get to find out where in all the realms freaking WAR MACHINE (aka James “Rhodey” Rhodes) even was while New York was crumbling down around everyone’s ears (spoiler alert! He was out being a badass ;P) and we see the humble beginnings of the Iron Legion. All in all, it was a great read, I enjoyed the heck out of it! ( )

I ordered this prelude because I'm excited for the upcoming Iron Man 3 film and the advertisements promised to explain where Rhodey was during the Battle of New York at the end of Avengers. And it does.

The book opens with the comic adaptation of the Iron Man 2 film. This is a very succinct recap of the film, but it did include a few scenes not in the film (such as Rhodey's 1st flight in a suit which occurs before he "steals" War Machine!) These little bits are definitely for the Marvel fans. The book then moves onto the actual prelude which overlaps the same time period as the Avengers film. There are a few panels that depict what happens during that film, but mostly it is all new scenes - predominantly of War Machine on his mission. As with the films, the comic manages to bring in some humor, such as everyone thinking Rhodey is Iron Man, but the critical point is that Rhodey has been hunting the funding source of the Ten Rings terrorist organization which is a lead-in to Mandarin, the villain for Iron Man 3. Rhodey arrives back in New York for a pivotal fan-favorite scene and some prologue scenes. The book closes with the first issue of Iron Man from 2005, which teases the Extremis virus and concludes with an ad for that new release. And it worked. I now want to read that story!

Overall, this is a tasty tease that doesn't offer anything substantive but was a fun read. Yes, it's overpriced for the amount of new material contained in it but is a worthwhile purchase for the fans - especially movie fans looking for a little more who don't want to get into comics. Highly recommended. ( )