Review: Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir

25111012*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Title: Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir

Author: Stan Lee, Peter David, Colleen Doran

Publisher: Touchstone

Publication Date: October 2015

ISBN: 9781501107726

Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Stan Lee is a man who needs no introduction. The most legendary name in the history of comic books, he has been the leading creative force behind Marvel Comics, and has 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 century. In this beautifully illustrated graphic memoir—illustrated by celebrated artist Colleen Doran—Lee tells the story of his life 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 resurgence in movies, Amazing Fantastic Incredible documents the life of a man and the legacy of an industry and career.

——

Stan Lee fans with absolutely fall in love with this beautiful new memoir. It’s a fully coloured look back on what made the man who helped to create one of the most prolific writers/creators on the North American comic scene. If there’s any one thing to be said about this memoir, it’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s spans Stan Lee’s life from childhood until present, explaining to the read the highlights of this man’s incredibly successful life. These pages show how Marvel came into existence and touches on the creation of the many superheroes that we all know and love. If you’ve never read the stories of Spiderman or the Fantastic Four, you’ve at least heard of them. The recent boom in superhero movies speaks to how important these stories have become in our lives in the last 50+ years. Stan Lee entered the scene at the right time, coming into an emerging industry that he helped to form and shape.

It’s a fun and informative story about a man who is incredibly interesting. My only criticism is that this book really is Stan Lee’s way of tooting his own horn. I was a little sick of being reminded that  he is most wonderful by the end. This book is really anything but humble. But other than that, it’s a really interesting look into a fascinating life. It’s a great look into the life of a man who shaped the comic industry that we come today.

Published by wornpagesandink

Hi! I'm Jaaron. I'm a book-obsessed blogger, writer, reader, coffee-drinker, and dog-lover. I have a B.A.H. in English Literature and a post-graduate diploma in Book and Magazine publishing. I've been fortunate to have worked in both trade and educational publishing. If you have any recommendations for excellent reads, let me know!

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