Amazing Fantastic Incredible
A Marvelous Memoir
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
In this gorgeously illustrated, full-color graphic memoir, Stan Lee—comic book legend and cocreator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, the Incredible Hulk, and a legion of other Marvel superheroes—shares his iconic legacy and the story of how modern comics came to be.
Stan Lee is a man who needs no introduction. The most legendary name in the history of comic books, he was the leading creative force behind Marvel Comics, and brought to life—and into the mainstream—some of the world’s best-known heroes and most infamous villains throughout his career. His stories—filled with superheroes struggling with personal hang-ups and bad guys who possessed previously unseen psychological complexity—added wit and subtlety to a field previously locked into flat portrayals of good vs. evil. Lee put the human in superhuman and in doing so, created a new mythology for the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
In this beautifully illustrated graphic memoir—illustrated by celebrated artist Colleen Doran—discover the true story behind the man, written with the same inimitable wit, energy, and offbeat spirit that he brought to the world of comics. Moving from his impoverished childhood in Manhattan to his early days writing comics, through his military training films during World War II and the rise of the Marvel empire in the 1960s to the current cinematic resurgence, Amazing Fantastic Incredible documents the life of a man and the legacy of an industry and career.
This funny, moving, and incredibly honest memoir is a must-have for collectors and fans of comic books and graphic novels of every age.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Honestly, how else would you expect Stan Lee to tell his life story? Illustrated by the supremely talented Colleen Doran, this graphic novel-style memoir traces the native New Yorker’s journey from his bookish, hard-scrabble childhood and military years to his mind-boggling success at Marvel Comics, where he masterminded franchises like the Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four and X-Men. Amazing Fantastic Incredible is a playful, fast-paced read that’s got plenty of elements that will fascinate even those readers who didn’t get hooked on comics—including a romantic love story, bitter rivalries, and behind-the-scenes insights into the creative process.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ninety-two-year-old subject Lee, co-writer David, and artist Doran create an entertaining, if decidedly rose-colored picture of the man behind Marvel in this lively comics memoir. Lee's life has certainly been a full one, spanning multiple wars, presidents, and eras in the industry he has been such a part of. Lee maintains a jaunty tone through every slump and resurrection, which pairs wonderfully with Doran's dynamic artwork and well-developed sense of comic timing. But as any longtime comics fan can tell you, Lee is a master of self-aggrandizement. According to him, he was ahead of every curve, sensitive to every employee, and behind every innovation of the 20th-century comics industry. This isn't a fatal flaw Lee is undeniably accomplished but by the final page, the book's tone of uncritical celebration begins to grate. Still, this is a worthwhile memoir for the interested layman as long as it's read with more than a few grains of salt.
