People who know me (and have read previous reviews) know that I can be quite nit picky when it comes to comic adaptations. Not because I don't like the idea of them being transferred to the big screen, but normally because Hollywood go out of their way to remove anything endearing that the original material had and turn it into standard Hollywood shit with the odd costumed crime fighter.

Fortunately, Marvel has now realised Hollywoods dastardly game and is slowly regaining all the licenses to make its own films. One of these new in-house films is Iron Man, and the difference is obvious from the start.

Gone are the stupid, over the top relationship storylines that take over most of the film, gone is the stupid idea of introducing characters in storylines they weren't originally involved. Instead we get a well acted, well thought out action feast that does everything right.

That's not to say there isn't any romance at al, the burgeoning relatiionship between Stark and Pepper is definitely there to see, but it's carefully wound into the rest of the story so as not to dominate the film.

Robery Downey Jr is excellent as Tony Stark, the free-wheelin' billionaire who realises the missiles his company built to protect America could now be the sames ones that destroy it. The good thing about him - no superhuman powers, hes just a regular bloke with the brain of 10 Einsteins! The supporting cast is also top notch, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard all making the film believeable and genuine.

Injured in a visit to the Middle East stark realises he needs to right this wrong, and Iron Man is born. The attention to detail, and the inclusion of three different versions of the Iron Man armour make this seem like a comic book story. Rather than being able to build a streamlined, state of the art suit with ease he first creates a basic, bulky, unreliable suit to escape captivity. Then he develops it further into the suit we all know and love. It is this willingness to take the story slowly from the very beginnings, explaining Tony's decision to become Iron Man and how it affects those around him that really helps distance it from some of the awful adaptations that have come to the screen since Blade all those years ago.

Seeing how closely this films sticks to the comic, and how much it works shows just how awful the three Spiderman films really are. Iron Man goes to show that you dont have to decimate a comics origin story or switch characters in certain story arcs to have a truly believable film.

Of course there are deviations, in the comics Obadiah Stane never worked for Stark International, but he did eventually take it over and become Iron Monger. Saying that,though, this doesnt affect the story in any way, as it becomes clear that Stane is working on ousting Tony anyway, and the end outcome is the same.

One thing I will say the comics did better is the death of Stane. I cant actually remember how he died in the film (if he did at all), but in the comics, after being defeated by Stark he takes the repulsor on one of his gloves and, not wanting the humiliation of being defeated by Stark, shoots himself in the temple. An emotional and powerful end to what was a colossal battle. However, that being the only complaint of a comic book adaptation is a damn good acheivement.

All in all it is the best, without a shadow of a doubt, comic book adaptation you are likely to see for a while. I thought The Rise of the Silver Surfer was good, I enjoyed the X-men films (even if they were nothing like the comics) and I even enjoyed Daredevil, but I never truly saw them as comic adaptations because too much had changed. Iron Man can now truly take its place on the plinth of awsomeness and join only two other comic films I have thoroughly enjoyed, neither of which were major motion pictures: Ghost Rider and The Punisher!

Bravo Marvel.