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Marvel Press Novels
Iron Man: Extremis Prose Novel
Advanced technology has given Iron Man life, but now that same future tech threatens to become Stark's death. A dangerous terrorist has ingested a new techno-organic virus, transforming him into a superhuman killing machine. Now immensely powerful, but driven mad by the virus' effects, the terrorist is seemingly unstoppable. To halt this madman's psychotic rampage, Iron Man must face this dangerous new virus head-on...in a life-or-death battle that will forever alter Stark's calculated balance between man and machine. Experience Warren Ellis and Adi Granov's blockbuster re-imagining of the armored Avenger like never before in this new adaptation!
250 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2013
17 people are currently reading
626 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 21, 2014
Wow. I wish Marvel would put out more Iron Man prose novels. This was different from the movie novelizations, which I also loved, but in a good way. I absolutely love the character of Tony Stark even MORE after reading this, and THAT is a major accomplishment after the movies sucked me in.
I've tried to read comics and graphic novels, but I find them so much harder to follow. I've also tried the older Del Rey prose novels, which are better than graphic novels, but this book outshined those by FAR.
Please, Marvel, put out more prose novels like this. I buy very few books new. I use the library and buy used when I can, but you and Ms. Javins have so hooked me with this book that I would buy brand new every single month if you had a series of this quality. I would cancel my Netflix subscription to fund it if I had to.
Can I be any more clear? MORE PROSE NOVELS like THIS! Please?
I've tried to read comics and graphic novels, but I find them so much harder to follow. I've also tried the older Del Rey prose novels, which are better than graphic novels, but this book outshined those by FAR.
Please, Marvel, put out more prose novels like this. I buy very few books new. I use the library and buy used when I can, but you and Ms. Javins have so hooked me with this book that I would buy brand new every single month if you had a series of this quality. I would cancel my Netflix subscription to fund it if I had to.
Can I be any more clear? MORE PROSE NOVELS like THIS! Please?
May 14, 2020
This is a pretty good novelization of the Warren Ellis/Adi Granov graphic story originally published in the comics and then collected as a graphic novel. There are a couple of things I thought were a little weak (Tony seems to be outsmarted by a trio of stereotypical rednecks, for example, and the first half of the story seems to be too slow and the second half too rushed), but that fault lies in the original source, not in this adaptation. Iron Man is one of the most interesting and fluid of the Marvel characters. He originally appeared in 1963, and became Iron Man in Viet Nam. Due to frequent updates and retcon, that was changed to the Gulf War and then Afghanistan. The more important updates were the ones done to Tony's character. He was originally shown as a hard-drinking, very wealthy playboy, a weapons-maker with a girl in every port and a port in every girl; that is what was presented as the level of success to which right-thinking young men should aspire in the early '60s. As times changed and cultural and societal perceptions evolved, it gradually became apparent that these were not necessarily the values that they should be championing. Tony's battles with alcoholism and social conscious and responsibility followed, and the Extremis story was a good example of the evolution. There's a line on page 111 that I loved that illustrates the point: "So what does Iron Man do aside from beating up Fin Fang Foom?" This novel is a good stab at answering the question. The prose is fairly simple and straight forward, and it's an easy to follow read with some good humor.
December 23, 2017
A quick, entertaining, light (but not too light) book that knows what it is (uh, it's a prose novel based on a comic book character - also a movie franchise juggernaut - retelling or reimagining a comic book story) and what it isn't (a Booker Prize short list selection). If it hadn't come into my hands in hardback (or, in other words, if it was on my Kindle), it would have been just about perfect for airplane reading.... But more on this below.
The book's strong suit lies in its simplicity, its momentum (yes, it probably could be read in one sitting if one had the right chair, drinks, and snacks at hand), and its self-awareness. For Iron Man fans, I liked the evolution of the Pepper character, and there was a fun introduction of a new Team Iron Man team member (but no spoiler here). On the other hand, when push comes to shove, despite all of Tony Stark's (and his ilk's) credentials, it reads more like a comic book (which it is) and less like conventional sci-fi. Now that I'm quibbling, there was more repetition than I needed, wanted, or had patience for (yes, yes, Tony feels guilty for having invented and become rich selling weapons), and there is only so much mileage you can get out of Tony's philandering past. But it does keep rolling along....
One interesting twist: I must admit I was (slightly) caught off guard and taken aback by just how graphically (or explicitly) some of the violence was presented. I only mention this because - in terms of genre and topic and character, etc. - the book might interest younger readers. In that context, the body count is not just high, but some of the deaths are a not only disturbing but so ... callous ... that, well, they give pause. (Having said that, even though I'm firmly entitled to geezer status at this point, maybe I need to adjust how much tolerance younger readers have for mayhem and death... Having said that, it always seems like, when a character dies in, say, a Harry Potter book, it's a big deal or a remarkable moment.... Not so much here... And, again, this probably was never intended as a kids' book....)
This is the second (consecutive) Marvel prose novel I've read during this "holiday season" (late December), and, to me, many of my thoughts about the X-Men title I read right before it apply here as well. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... Then again, I realize that most normal readers/consumers don't come upon a short stack of Marvel prose novels in one fell swoop, and that more discerning readers who read, follow, enjoy, or care about Iron Man may have no interest in the X-Men (or, of course, vice versa)... But I doubt I'll immediately return to the stack ... rather, I think it's time for a break, a change of pace, maybe something a tad more literary or....
The book's strong suit lies in its simplicity, its momentum (yes, it probably could be read in one sitting if one had the right chair, drinks, and snacks at hand), and its self-awareness. For Iron Man fans, I liked the evolution of the Pepper character, and there was a fun introduction of a new Team Iron Man team member (but no spoiler here). On the other hand, when push comes to shove, despite all of Tony Stark's (and his ilk's) credentials, it reads more like a comic book (which it is) and less like conventional sci-fi. Now that I'm quibbling, there was more repetition than I needed, wanted, or had patience for (yes, yes, Tony feels guilty for having invented and become rich selling weapons), and there is only so much mileage you can get out of Tony's philandering past. But it does keep rolling along....
One interesting twist: I must admit I was (slightly) caught off guard and taken aback by just how graphically (or explicitly) some of the violence was presented. I only mention this because - in terms of genre and topic and character, etc. - the book might interest younger readers. In that context, the body count is not just high, but some of the deaths are a not only disturbing but so ... callous ... that, well, they give pause. (Having said that, even though I'm firmly entitled to geezer status at this point, maybe I need to adjust how much tolerance younger readers have for mayhem and death... Having said that, it always seems like, when a character dies in, say, a Harry Potter book, it's a big deal or a remarkable moment.... Not so much here... And, again, this probably was never intended as a kids' book....)
This is the second (consecutive) Marvel prose novel I've read during this "holiday season" (late December), and, to me, many of my thoughts about the X-Men title I read right before it apply here as well. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... Then again, I realize that most normal readers/consumers don't come upon a short stack of Marvel prose novels in one fell swoop, and that more discerning readers who read, follow, enjoy, or care about Iron Man may have no interest in the X-Men (or, of course, vice versa)... But I doubt I'll immediately return to the stack ... rather, I think it's time for a break, a change of pace, maybe something a tad more literary or....
November 18, 2016
This was a fast read. It is a novelized adaptation of the fourth or fifth 'volume' [series] of Iron Man published by Marvel Comics [I will go with fifth 'volume]. In this 'reboot' of the Iron Man series, we discover Tony Stark was injured in Afghanistan instead of Vietnam and had to escape terrorists instead of communists using his Iron Man armored suit. We also find out it is adapted in such a way as to tie in to the third Iron Man movie as well as indirect references to the Avengers movie.
We find out that Maya Hansen has co-created a new enhanced bioweapon that genetically alters the human body to improve it as well as give the altered body the ability to adapt to and overcome new situations. The money for the process has been cancelled, so she and Aldrich Killian engineer a situation where a dose of Extremis is injected into a human test subject; the human test subject has violent loner tendencies and becomes a super villain capable of practically killing Iron Man. Maya contacts Tony Stark to get him to 'capture' her specimen - she intended for the battle between the two to highlight her pet project and ensure the funding would return and allow her to move into non-military applications of her biotech. Mallen has a serious bone to pick with the Federal government; his only known surviving family members were killed by Federal agents before his very eyes when he was a child. He never forgave the Government for killing his family; his first act of terror/revenge/'justice' is to torch the FBI building in Houston, TX, and kill every Federal employee and agent inside. His actions [and Maya's pleas] ensure Iron Man will confront him. Unfortunately, as previously stated, Mallen [the test subject] nearly kills Iron Man. In order to be able to compete and defeat Mallen, Tony has Maya inject him with the last Extremis dose; unbeknownst to her, he has modified the final dose so that it will genetically alter and improve him three hundred times faster than it did Mallen. He comes out of the process faster, smarter, and stronger [despite not having the same abilities as Mallen]. He also has genetically bonded with his armor, allowing him to control it at the speed of thought as opposed to it merely being a heavy suit of armor limited by its very size and weight. He ends up fighting Mallen in Washington, DC, killing the self-perceived patriot before Mallen can kill anyone else. The book ends with Maya being arrested for working with Killian in ensuring the 'stolen' dose was released into the general population; she freely admits what she has done and why she did it. Stark is now able to look at himself in the mirror and no longer be ashamed/disgusted at what he sees there.
Some 'major' changes between the book and the six comics it is adapted from: [1] it is rewritten so that it ties into the third movie. We see this when it starts out with Tony Stark thinking about how he revealed his identity to the world as 'Iron Man.' In the comics, he has fooled the general population into believing [again] that Iron Man and Tony Stark are two individuals and he only reveals his identity to Maya because he needs the Extremis injection to be able to adapt to the new situation and defeat Mallen. [2] Tony's mind-scene is longer in the book than in the comic. In his mind's eye he has has conversations with more individuals in the book than he does in the comics, the last one being his conversation with Obadiah Stane's ghost. [3] Mallen does not meet a homosexual couple living next to a rock quarry in the comics. This was an addition to the book that was perhaps meant to highlight Mallen's internal doubts that begin to arise in reference to his stated mission to seek justice for the death of his family. He had already killed a young girl because her beliefs did not coincide with his; one would think he would have followed through and killed this 'couple' because their beliefs and lifestyle most assuredly did not coincide with his beliefs or lifestyle. There is another scene where he pummels another Federal employee and speaks with a Civil War reenactor before reaching Washington, D.C., which is not in the comics. It seemed as if the author was trying to write in the possibility of redemption for Mallen despite the atrocities and death he had previously committed. [4] Iron Man visits outer space prior to meeting Maya in the book; this did not take place in the comics. It neither added nor took away from either story line; it might have been written in to tie into a conversation Tony Stark has with a film maker who specializes in making investigative films/documentaries; Stark mentions his repulsors could be used for launching vessels safely into space but he has not invested in such a technology. [5] Part of Tony's vision for changing and improving the world is to create mini-laboratories and schools in countries that are high in resources but do not have the knowledge, infrastructure, or economy to take advantage of those resources. This was not mentioned in the comics, but it was discussed at great detail in the book and I thought it was a great idea. In fact, I thought it was one of the best parts of the book. [6] In the comics, Maya Hansen goes to prison for her actions and that is the end of it; she shows no remorse for what she has done or the lives lost because of her actions. In the book, we find out that Stark has given her the chance to redeem herself by rotating amongst his three minilabs/schools in Africa. We find out that she has learned to show empathy, compassion, and concern for other people. We also learn that she is willing to violate her probation in order to help those who cannot help themselves because she can no longer sit on the wayside and let other people die when she has the ability to help them. Interestingly enough, this change in her behavior is mentioned after stating she had been in prison for four months where she read the Bible out of desperation because there was nothing else worth reading. I doubt the author intended it to come across that way, but it was still interesting to read the author's rendition of Maya's behavioral change. [7] I am not sure how much of a 'major change' this might qualify as, but I think the author tried to tie this book in with the first Captain America movie as well. It has to do with the scene in the Cap movie where Howard Stark is introduced and one of the dance girls hands him an object and shares a kiss with him; Tony is battling Mallen through one of the museums in Washington when they break into the exhibit dealing with cars of the future; many of the inventions are from Howard Stark. Tony also sees a picture of a woman who looks strangely familiar to him posing with Howard Stark; the description really reminds of me of the scene in the Captain America movie. Needless to say, this 'scene' is not in the comics, but the young woman flirting with Tony's father is none other than Mrs. Rennie, his 'ancient' secretary in the book and in the comics. It is a nice touch.
Overall, I thought the author did a nice job of adapting six comics into a novelized format. There were many parts of the comics where there were no words and one had to deduce what was happening based on the panels of artwork. She did a great job of describing what happened on the panels using words. It also illustrates the ode that one picture is worth a thousand words; many words were used to describe each illustration. Her novelization also helped highlight things in the comics that I missed when I read them, so it was fun to discover 'new things' about the comics through reading the novelization. It did not drag as much as I thought it might; I look forward to reading other works she may have in the future based upon how well she did with this book.
We find out that Maya Hansen has co-created a new enhanced bioweapon that genetically alters the human body to improve it as well as give the altered body the ability to adapt to and overcome new situations. The money for the process has been cancelled, so she and Aldrich Killian engineer a situation where a dose of Extremis is injected into a human test subject; the human test subject has violent loner tendencies and becomes a super villain capable of practically killing Iron Man. Maya contacts Tony Stark to get him to 'capture' her specimen - she intended for the battle between the two to highlight her pet project and ensure the funding would return and allow her to move into non-military applications of her biotech. Mallen has a serious bone to pick with the Federal government; his only known surviving family members were killed by Federal agents before his very eyes when he was a child. He never forgave the Government for killing his family; his first act of terror/revenge/'justice' is to torch the FBI building in Houston, TX, and kill every Federal employee and agent inside. His actions [and Maya's pleas] ensure Iron Man will confront him. Unfortunately, as previously stated, Mallen [the test subject] nearly kills Iron Man. In order to be able to compete and defeat Mallen, Tony has Maya inject him with the last Extremis dose; unbeknownst to her, he has modified the final dose so that it will genetically alter and improve him three hundred times faster than it did Mallen. He comes out of the process faster, smarter, and stronger [despite not having the same abilities as Mallen]. He also has genetically bonded with his armor, allowing him to control it at the speed of thought as opposed to it merely being a heavy suit of armor limited by its very size and weight. He ends up fighting Mallen in Washington, DC, killing the self-perceived patriot before Mallen can kill anyone else. The book ends with Maya being arrested for working with Killian in ensuring the 'stolen' dose was released into the general population; she freely admits what she has done and why she did it. Stark is now able to look at himself in the mirror and no longer be ashamed/disgusted at what he sees there.
Some 'major' changes between the book and the six comics it is adapted from: [1] it is rewritten so that it ties into the third movie. We see this when it starts out with Tony Stark thinking about how he revealed his identity to the world as 'Iron Man.' In the comics, he has fooled the general population into believing [again] that Iron Man and Tony Stark are two individuals and he only reveals his identity to Maya because he needs the Extremis injection to be able to adapt to the new situation and defeat Mallen. [2] Tony's mind-scene is longer in the book than in the comic. In his mind's eye he has has conversations with more individuals in the book than he does in the comics, the last one being his conversation with Obadiah Stane's ghost. [3] Mallen does not meet a homosexual couple living next to a rock quarry in the comics. This was an addition to the book that was perhaps meant to highlight Mallen's internal doubts that begin to arise in reference to his stated mission to seek justice for the death of his family. He had already killed a young girl because her beliefs did not coincide with his; one would think he would have followed through and killed this 'couple' because their beliefs and lifestyle most assuredly did not coincide with his beliefs or lifestyle. There is another scene where he pummels another Federal employee and speaks with a Civil War reenactor before reaching Washington, D.C., which is not in the comics. It seemed as if the author was trying to write in the possibility of redemption for Mallen despite the atrocities and death he had previously committed. [4] Iron Man visits outer space prior to meeting Maya in the book; this did not take place in the comics. It neither added nor took away from either story line; it might have been written in to tie into a conversation Tony Stark has with a film maker who specializes in making investigative films/documentaries; Stark mentions his repulsors could be used for launching vessels safely into space but he has not invested in such a technology. [5] Part of Tony's vision for changing and improving the world is to create mini-laboratories and schools in countries that are high in resources but do not have the knowledge, infrastructure, or economy to take advantage of those resources. This was not mentioned in the comics, but it was discussed at great detail in the book and I thought it was a great idea. In fact, I thought it was one of the best parts of the book. [6] In the comics, Maya Hansen goes to prison for her actions and that is the end of it; she shows no remorse for what she has done or the lives lost because of her actions. In the book, we find out that Stark has given her the chance to redeem herself by rotating amongst his three minilabs/schools in Africa. We find out that she has learned to show empathy, compassion, and concern for other people. We also learn that she is willing to violate her probation in order to help those who cannot help themselves because she can no longer sit on the wayside and let other people die when she has the ability to help them. Interestingly enough, this change in her behavior is mentioned after stating she had been in prison for four months where she read the Bible out of desperation because there was nothing else worth reading. I doubt the author intended it to come across that way, but it was still interesting to read the author's rendition of Maya's behavioral change. [7] I am not sure how much of a 'major change' this might qualify as, but I think the author tried to tie this book in with the first Captain America movie as well. It has to do with the scene in the Cap movie where Howard Stark is introduced and one of the dance girls hands him an object and shares a kiss with him; Tony is battling Mallen through one of the museums in Washington when they break into the exhibit dealing with cars of the future; many of the inventions are from Howard Stark. Tony also sees a picture of a woman who looks strangely familiar to him posing with Howard Stark; the description really reminds of me of the scene in the Captain America movie. Needless to say, this 'scene' is not in the comics, but the young woman flirting with Tony's father is none other than Mrs. Rennie, his 'ancient' secretary in the book and in the comics. It is a nice touch.
Overall, I thought the author did a nice job of adapting six comics into a novelized format. There were many parts of the comics where there were no words and one had to deduce what was happening based on the panels of artwork. She did a great job of describing what happened on the panels using words. It also illustrates the ode that one picture is worth a thousand words; many words were used to describe each illustration. Her novelization also helped highlight things in the comics that I missed when I read them, so it was fun to discover 'new things' about the comics through reading the novelization. It did not drag as much as I thought it might; I look forward to reading other works she may have in the future based upon how well she did with this book.
May 20, 2024
Interesting story that moves right along with enough action to keep me invested and also some interesting insight into Tony Stark's personal life, philosophy and method for running Stark Enterprises post-weapons manufacturing. Also interesting to see the Invincible Iron Man get clobbered in the climactic fight, you don't often see heroes nearly get killed like that. Definitely worth a read if you are an Iron Man fan.
December 23, 2024
I didn't expect to like it. More mature than I thought it would be. I recommend this one if you life the live action Iron Man movies.
November 14, 2014
Based on the graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Avi Granov. I'm not sure what goes into adapting a graphic novel into a prose novel, but, in my opinion, "Extremis" feels a little uneven. Javins does a great job with expanding the characters' inner monologues and motivations far beyond the capabilities of the comic book format, but I felt the book chugs along a little too much in the first half, then rips through the second half like ol' Shellhead at full-thrusters. I would have preferred a more even pace throughout. Again, I don't blame Javins; the pacing is at least in part due to the original material.
June 9, 2015
First GraphicAudio. Before I thought the motto "a movie in your head" was odd, but now I get it. It is a very interesting format of turning a story into audio files. My rating, therefore, is on the story itself.
October 1, 2016
I love Tony Stark. Great back story to how the Iron Man/Tony Stark regained his conscious and stops doing defence contracts and starts doing 'good things'...
March 6, 2025
This reading is very comfy for Iron Man fans but especially for Tony Stark fans (we Tony Stark Girls that deal with our anxiety watching Tony deal with his). The book has very heavy themes, although it seems to be light lol is quite different from the third movie of Iron Man trilogy. It deals with identity, justice, bad and good intentions. Legacy, past, confrontation between the two. Mallen is an unbearable villain lol so it's kind of hard more for the end of the book to endure him, so boring and grossly he is, he ends up getting lost in the very purpose of murdering only FBI agents and murders a girl on a highway that did not agree with him. In addition to almost killing Slim for his wife. It was serious for me this lack of consistency and he just wanting to know how to kill, whoever it is. The epilogue did not please me, I would prefer that they had not given Maya so much time, I would very much like Pepper to appear, and that some statement from Tony had been made, since in the whole book he speaks of her, in the end she did not make a final participation but Maya. But Maya's idea as a villain was pretty cool, and Tony realized this understanding that he needed two people, I confess that at the time I didn't turn on the points. Anyway, the book is amazing !!! It was a great reading, it is extraordinary to read about a character that you spent your whole life watching. You can really get into his head and see how he thinks. The moment he says he is already spending half of his time in hell that is his own mind… It got me a lot. Tony, I will love you forever! This book captured you very well, I was immensely happy with this reading. I had never read comic novelization, but this one inspired me to get others. "Do you have an eye on the future or go around using the past as an armor?"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2025
Extremis is an Iron Man arc I have read a lot, and I read this prose adaptation because I was interested in comparing the two; novelizations often flesh out the stories with additional details and I wanted to see what additional material was in here and what it was like.
The answer is that it's... weird. There is a lot of MCUification -- Tony has an arc reactor, a public superhero identity, and an AI named JARVIS, as well as a massive crush on Pepper -- but then it's also very comics -- Tony is sober, is clearly a working superhero and has been one for many many years, has a human butler named Jarvis who still works for the Avengers (who are clearly Tony's longtime friends), and has undergone at least a few of his bigger comics storylines, like being drunk and losing his company to Stane and being broke and living on the streets. You know. That one.
So I'm not really sure who this is for, because it's gonna annoy die-hard comics fans. I guess it's for fans who want to read some Iron Man and don't care much about continuity. Also, if you want a whole bunch of body-horror details about how Extremis works that are even more body-horrific than canon (like, Tony is conscious, mostly lucid, and blind and paralyzed and in pain the entire time he's in the cocoon and he is aware that Maya is talking to him) then I guess this is for you?
Also, weirdly, one of the ongoing themes is basically that it's Sexual Humiliation Hour for Tony? The first page of this book wants to tell us that there are tabloid stories about how Tony can't get it up, and the big Extremis reveal features Maya making fun of Tony because his dick's not bigger. I, uh. Okay? Yeah? Wasn't expecting any of that.
The answer is that it's... weird. There is a lot of MCUification -- Tony has an arc reactor, a public superhero identity, and an AI named JARVIS, as well as a massive crush on Pepper -- but then it's also very comics -- Tony is sober, is clearly a working superhero and has been one for many many years, has a human butler named Jarvis who still works for the Avengers (who are clearly Tony's longtime friends), and has undergone at least a few of his bigger comics storylines, like being drunk and losing his company to Stane and being broke and living on the streets. You know. That one.
So I'm not really sure who this is for, because it's gonna annoy die-hard comics fans. I guess it's for fans who want to read some Iron Man and don't care much about continuity. Also, if you want a whole bunch of body-horror details about how Extremis works that are even more body-horrific than canon (like, Tony is conscious, mostly lucid, and blind and paralyzed and in pain the entire time he's in the cocoon and he is aware that Maya is talking to him) then I guess this is for you?
Also, weirdly, one of the ongoing themes is basically that it's Sexual Humiliation Hour for Tony? The first page of this book wants to tell us that there are tabloid stories about how Tony can't get it up, and the big Extremis reveal features Maya making fun of Tony because his dick's not bigger. I, uh. Okay? Yeah? Wasn't expecting any of that.
June 12, 2019
Of course this is no high literature, maybe the sentence structures a bit too simple, but it was a fun read, perfect for the subway on my way too work. Since I already read the comic I knew the storyline, but I really appreciated the new parts Marie Javins invented for the story. Most of it worked and added nice touches to the book. I found it a bit confusing, that she mixed the MCU with the 616 comicverse but in retrospect it was fun to have Pepper and Happy appearing in the book, while they had no part in the comics by Warren Ellis.
March 21, 2021
This book will fit in between Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 movies (of Robert Downey Jr).
When this book started, Tony Stark was just Tony Start who becomes Iron Man with the suit.
By the end of this book, he will be Iron Man on the inside and on the outside. So this book plays an important role in understanding how he had such great control over his suit. Thanks to Extremis dose.
When this book started, Tony Stark was just Tony Start who becomes Iron Man with the suit.
By the end of this book, he will be Iron Man on the inside and on the outside. So this book plays an important role in understanding how he had such great control over his suit. Thanks to Extremis dose.
January 12, 2024
Oh I forgot to mark this one as read.
So funny me, it took me far too long into it to go 'this sounds like the plot of IM3' durrrrrrrrr. It was. In my defence I've seen IM3 once, when it first came out.
This was enjoyable. The cast of course was amazing. The sound effects very well done.
Kept me very entertained while I was sorting out my wardrobe.
So funny me, it took me far too long into it to go 'this sounds like the plot of IM3' durrrrrrrrr. It was. In my defence I've seen IM3 once, when it first came out.
This was enjoyable. The cast of course was amazing. The sound effects very well done.
Kept me very entertained while I was sorting out my wardrobe.
December 13, 2018
As always, Graphic Audio puts out a hell of a product. The narration and effects are top-notch.
The story, based on a novelization of Warren Ellis' graphic novel, is a little weak, but overall this is a good time.
Recommended.
The story, based on a novelization of Warren Ellis' graphic novel, is a little weak, but overall this is a good time.
Recommended.
Read
July 1, 2021I really liked the ending of this. Jarvis and Mrs.Rennie held this up
July 20, 2021
Lots of action and a lot darker than The gauntlet. Much more fun.
May 19, 2022
It's okay. It got kinda... absurd at times. It takes ages to really get interesting.
June 2, 2022
Would be an interesting short film (animated?)
December 13, 2024
Not as good as the comic, but still really good.
April 24, 2025
Loved this expansion of the original comic book
June 30, 2025
I've enjoyed other stories more, but it's a pretty quick read if you don't have too many distractions.
October 7, 2025
My brother said not to read these super hero books but he’s lame and this was good. A fun Iron Man story. I only wish the final fight was a bit longer
October 1, 2014
Ever since the creation of Captain America during World War II, scientists have been trying to re-create the super soldier serum that gave the Captain his super abilities and then was lost for all time. Now, Maya Hansen, a top researcher in the field, has made a major breakthrough. Her Extremis serum has been successfully tested on animals but before it could go any further it was stolen by a low-level thug named Mallen, who promptly tested the serum on himself. Extremis was a huge success, giving Mallen all kinds of super strength and abilities.
What does Mallen decide to do with his new-found power? Naturally he wants to destroy the government whom he blames for the death of his wife and child. However, it just so happens that Maya Hansen is an old friend of Tony Stark so when Mallen begins his rampage she turns to Tony in hopes that Iron Man can stop the destruction. Now Iron Man is a pretty tough dude but let’s just say his first duel with Mallen does not go well. In fact, Iron Man gets his butt kicked. But don’t take my word for it, let’s hear it in Tony Stark’s own words as he describes his injuries to an EMT on the scene:
So Tony’s in pretty bad shape. His armor is all busted up and his body is even more busted up. In fact, if the armor wasn’t holding his broken body together he would probably be dead already. Modern medicine might be able to save him, but that would take months and a full recovery seems doubtful. Stark’s only hope may be the Extremis serum itself. If successful, the Extremis could heal him and give him enough power to stop his enemy, but in his current state there’s no guarantee he could even survive the violent changes brought on by the serum. Probable death versus saving lives: it’s the same decision superheroes face all the time and there’s no question which way Tony Stark will go.
I appreciated the capable way in which Warren Ellis handled the character of Iron Man. Of course, the superhero in any story is at the mercy of the person doing the writing and it’s up to that person to have a good working knowledge of how that hero should act. Ellis showed a good amount of knowledge and imagination in handling Iron Man and using the abilities, and weaknesses, of his armor to the fullest extent. There was one scene in particular where Iron Man was trapped beneath a car and being burned alive until his suit began to actually draw energy and power from the fire itself. I never even knew Iron Man could do that but it makes sense; his armor is the most technologically advanced piece of equipment on the planet after all.
Okay, here are a few things that caught me by surprise in Iron Man: Extremis . While I was listening to the audio I thought this book was borrowing from the Iron Man origin story from the first Iron Man movie, where Tony Stark was wounded and captured by some insurgents in Afghanistan and he built his first suit of armor to save his own life and also to escape. I also thought that the Extremis story was borrowing heavily from the plot of the third Iron Man movie, where ordinary humans were deliberately infected with some sort of virus that gave them all sorts of crazy superhuman abilities like super strength and breathing fire. After I finished Extremis and began reading about its production I was surprised to learn that Iron Man: Extremis was originally written in 2005, three years before the first Iron Man movie hit theaters. It was actually the movies that borrowed heavily from the Extremis story.
Iron Man: Extremis was a six-issue storyline originally published in Marvel’s Iron Man comic book series. It served as a “new beginning” for Iron Man, redefining his origin and significantly upgrading his power and abilities. The original comics were written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Adi Granov. It was adapted for audio by Marie Javins. The audio production was directed by Richard Rohan and featured the voice talents of Richard Rohan, Richard Cutting, Sherry Berg, Andy Brownstein, Maboud Ebrahimzadeh, Kimberly Gilbert, Michael John Casey, Scott Graham, Nora Achrati, Jacob Yeh, Steve Wannall, David Harris, Christopher Graybill, Evan Casey, Drew Kopas, Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey, Sasha Olinick, Nanette Savard, Rex Anderson, Rebecca Sheir, Matthew Schleigh, Tim Pabon and James Lewis.
Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
What does Mallen decide to do with his new-found power? Naturally he wants to destroy the government whom he blames for the death of his wife and child. However, it just so happens that Maya Hansen is an old friend of Tony Stark so when Mallen begins his rampage she turns to Tony in hopes that Iron Man can stop the destruction. Now Iron Man is a pretty tough dude but let’s just say his first duel with Mallen does not go well. In fact, Iron Man gets his butt kicked. But don’t take my word for it, let’s hear it in Tony Stark’s own words as he describes his injuries to an EMT on the scene:
Everything is broken. I have pulverized bones, excessive bleeding and internal injuries. And the piece of Velcro I use to scratch my nose is missing.
So Tony’s in pretty bad shape. His armor is all busted up and his body is even more busted up. In fact, if the armor wasn’t holding his broken body together he would probably be dead already. Modern medicine might be able to save him, but that would take months and a full recovery seems doubtful. Stark’s only hope may be the Extremis serum itself. If successful, the Extremis could heal him and give him enough power to stop his enemy, but in his current state there’s no guarantee he could even survive the violent changes brought on by the serum. Probable death versus saving lives: it’s the same decision superheroes face all the time and there’s no question which way Tony Stark will go.
I appreciated the capable way in which Warren Ellis handled the character of Iron Man. Of course, the superhero in any story is at the mercy of the person doing the writing and it’s up to that person to have a good working knowledge of how that hero should act. Ellis showed a good amount of knowledge and imagination in handling Iron Man and using the abilities, and weaknesses, of his armor to the fullest extent. There was one scene in particular where Iron Man was trapped beneath a car and being burned alive until his suit began to actually draw energy and power from the fire itself. I never even knew Iron Man could do that but it makes sense; his armor is the most technologically advanced piece of equipment on the planet after all.
Okay, here are a few things that caught me by surprise in Iron Man: Extremis . While I was listening to the audio I thought this book was borrowing from the Iron Man origin story from the first Iron Man movie, where Tony Stark was wounded and captured by some insurgents in Afghanistan and he built his first suit of armor to save his own life and also to escape. I also thought that the Extremis story was borrowing heavily from the plot of the third Iron Man movie, where ordinary humans were deliberately infected with some sort of virus that gave them all sorts of crazy superhuman abilities like super strength and breathing fire. After I finished Extremis and began reading about its production I was surprised to learn that Iron Man: Extremis was originally written in 2005, three years before the first Iron Man movie hit theaters. It was actually the movies that borrowed heavily from the Extremis story.
Iron Man: Extremis was a six-issue storyline originally published in Marvel’s Iron Man comic book series. It served as a “new beginning” for Iron Man, redefining his origin and significantly upgrading his power and abilities. The original comics were written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Adi Granov. It was adapted for audio by Marie Javins. The audio production was directed by Richard Rohan and featured the voice talents of Richard Rohan, Richard Cutting, Sherry Berg, Andy Brownstein, Maboud Ebrahimzadeh, Kimberly Gilbert, Michael John Casey, Scott Graham, Nora Achrati, Jacob Yeh, Steve Wannall, David Harris, Christopher Graybill, Evan Casey, Drew Kopas, Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey, Sasha Olinick, Nanette Savard, Rex Anderson, Rebecca Sheir, Matthew Schleigh, Tim Pabon and James Lewis.
Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
June 19, 2019
This book was really good. In fact this should have been what Iron Man 3 should have been like. I bet if they followed this storyline Iron Man 3 would have been more receptive. Great plot, great character development, and excellent pacing.
May 22, 2015
I've liked Iron Man a lot since I read the comics by the Knaufs which immediately followed Warren Ellis's Extremis arc. When I finally backtracked and read Extremis, I found it pretty, but cold - the characters tended to be more mouthpieces for Ellis's political and technological/philosophical ideas than really connect with each other or the readers. Javins does a good job developing the characters beyond Ellis's concerns into more interesting ones, though two things hamper her efforts. The first is that very few people can actually write a believable genius. Javins' Tony eventually gets to to a point where he seems like a smart guy, but the novel insists that Maya is a superbrain on the basis of a flirtation at a bar, and the early chapters with Tony completely fail to convince that Tony has anything above an average intellect. The second obstacle is Marvel's insistence that relationships between characters (perhaps only romantic, but in general) must remain in a state of roughly static tension, so that any future projects using this continuity don't have to worry about changes (this also happened with Alisa Kwitney's New Avengers: Breakout novelization).
Despite these limitations, the novel is an excellent adaptation and expansion of the comics, and treats Maya Hansen much better than both the comics (in which Kieron Gillen killed her off for no good reason in the first issue of his run) or the film, which shot her dead for, again, no good reason other than narrative twists. Javins says in interviews that the novel fuses the continuity of the comics and that of the 2008 film, which makes sense, though it doesn't fit with Iron Man 3 at all. Given that this reviewer didn't really like Iron Man 3 ("better than Iron Man 2" is not a high enough bar, people), that's not a huge problem.
All in all, an enjoyable techno-thriller with an improving Tony Stark characterization and nicely polished prose. Definitely equal in enjoyment to the comic, making up for the lack of Adi Granov's slick artwork with the expanded character development and deeper worldbuilding and exploration.
Despite these limitations, the novel is an excellent adaptation and expansion of the comics, and treats Maya Hansen much better than both the comics (in which Kieron Gillen killed her off for no good reason in the first issue of his run) or the film, which shot her dead for, again, no good reason other than narrative twists. Javins says in interviews that the novel fuses the continuity of the comics and that of the 2008 film, which makes sense, though it doesn't fit with Iron Man 3 at all. Given that this reviewer didn't really like Iron Man 3 ("better than Iron Man 2" is not a high enough bar, people), that's not a huge problem.
All in all, an enjoyable techno-thriller with an improving Tony Stark characterization and nicely polished prose. Definitely equal in enjoyment to the comic, making up for the lack of Adi Granov's slick artwork with the expanded character development and deeper worldbuilding and exploration.
August 9, 2015
Reads like a bad fanfic - poor vocabulary, occasional quotes from modern MCU canon, occasional references to the classics. Missing passages. Clearly targeted at the younger end of middle-school-aged audience - the brief and few occasions of violence in the book are rather bland (even when conceptually excessive, they remain medical in description and therefore sterile, barren of any emotional impact - and to dehumanize the brutal murder of a little girl, you don't do that by accident), the sex is not even mentioned (barely implied - so slightly that I would expect a younger reader to actually miss it). What's absolute worst, I did not at all feel this book provide me with a better understanding of Stark's character, his intentions and motivation (let alone his tech - that one especially felt like the author just threw some words she found in a high-school physics textbook).
A small plus for the mention of the situation around conflict metals in African countries, but that's the one and only good thing I have to say about this book (seriously, Tony Stark paving the way for other corporations to come in there and get stuff to build their products and sell? Because there hasn't been enough white men coming into Africa to take things for later sale, right? Wow.). I'm glad I got this from my public library and did not spend money on it, not even a late-fee fine as I've read this book over the two days of the weekend.
A small plus for the mention of the situation around conflict metals in African countries, but that's the one and only good thing I have to say about this book (seriously, Tony Stark paving the way for other corporations to come in there and get stuff to build their products and sell? Because there hasn't been enough white men coming into Africa to take things for later sale, right? Wow.). I'm glad I got this from my public library and did not spend money on it, not even a late-fee fine as I've read this book over the two days of the weekend.
January 4, 2014
Clunky prose and too much of it is entirely unnecessary. Some of its worst offenses: Iron Man doesn't engage the villain until page 131, which is a little past the halfway mark, and once he does, there are exactly two scenes dedicated to their conflict; Tony Stark's fictional genius tech innovations are already common and somewhat dated in the real world; the plot acts like a mid-arc in a longer series, and therefore is a chunk out of place as a stand-alone story; when presented with the possibility of re-engineering his body to any spec he could imagine, one of the smartest people on the planet chooses to… upgrade the UI for his battle suit? This is a decision that only serves the purpose of ensuring more Iron Man stories. Not one that serves the purpose of the Iron Man. Having read the graphic novel source material, and seen the movies, this book is a big let down, and really kind of pointless. I had hoped it would enhance the story. Instead, it's left me thinking I won't be picking up another Marvel brand novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2015
Not bad. The majority of it made me feel it was just an alternate route for Iron Man 3, which I did like more. Extremis was significantly different between book and movie, and I have to say I like how they used it in the movie better.
January 24, 2015
I'll be honest: I haven't read the graphic novel that this is based off of. That being said, I'm a huge fan of everything Marvel - from the MCU to the comics and the TV series, I'm in this for the long haul. And while this may not be as good as the graphic novel (this is an assumption, as I haven't read the graphic novel, but that's generally the case with things like this), it was still a very well-written book, and an interesting story for Tony Stark. The villain was the kind of villain you just HATE (which, to me, means the author did a decent job), and the characters felt like themselves. I could have done with a bit more Tony/Pepper, but that's the nature of their relationship.
I look forward to reading more about Iron Man in the future!
I look forward to reading more about Iron Man in the future!
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