Book Review: Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir

Book Review: Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir - Stan Lee

I feel like I should review Stan Lee's graphic novel, Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir, with a couple of comic book pages rather than a wordy blog post... if only I had the time!

Stan Lee is creator and co-creator of some of the most identifiable comic book characters on the planet and has probably had as much influence on the world (or even arguably more) through comic books and movies than Steve Jobs.

Therefore it seems entirely appropriate for Stan to retell his life story in comic book format, which has the effect of making his autobiography a very easy read indeed. That said, it reads more like an over view or highlights package of Stan's entire life to date. A summary perhaps?

You'll learn about Stan's child hood, early working life, how he came to work within the comic book industry, how and when his most iconic heroes were created and even a little information about most of Marvel's most well known films.

You'll also discover exactly why and how Stan is not actually the boss of Marvel Comics or Studios as many people mistakenly believe, though he certainly was their most iconic senior employee during the rise of the company.

The artwork is very much in the typical Marvel style (at least what I have seen of the Marvel style since I've never been a big reader of comic books) and Stan makes a point of naming those artists that brought his characters to life on the page when they were created.

As I said this is a very easy and enjoyable read, ideal for anyone who has any level of interest in how many of Marvel's most popular characters came into being.

Personally I can't help but feel Stan's life is much richer and more interesting than can be depicted within the pages of even a lengthy tome like a graphic novel. I kind of wish Walter Isaacson, who did such great work as Steve Job's biographer would get the call to do the same for Stan.

Of course Stan and others have written a number of books about his life so here's hoping we'll get a final, updated and definitive version if Stan ever slows down to write it (or has someone writing it as we speak).

In the meantime this particular book will not only be a fun read but makes for a nice book end for your Marvel comic collection.

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