So, you’ve seen Iron Man 3, and now you’re all excited to read some of the old shell head’s adventures in comic book form. Well, have I got a list for you!

Here’s a brief selection of some of the stories that inspired the movie, and some that’ll get you caught up with where the character is these days in the Marvel Universe.

Iron Man: Extremis – This is at least part of the basis for the plot of Iron Man 3, but like a lot of the Marvel movies, Iron Man 3 is only loosely based on this story (very loosely). Published in 2005 and 2006, Extremis features Tony Stark taking on a group of terrorists armed with some scary new technology that forces Iron Man to get with the times and upgrade his armor. The series, written by Warren Ellis, features a lot of new ideas for Iron Man. It is very much a Warren Ellis comic, with a bunch of near-futuristic concepts come to life and used to tell an exciting adventure. This is one of the first comics to really push Iron Man to the forefront of the Marvel universe, plus it’s a decent story and works well on its own. This is one of the best Iron Man stories to give to people who’ve never read one before.