Excelsior: The Amazing Life Of Stan Lee Book

The excitement generated by Excelsior!, the long-awaited autobiography of an icon of the comic world that coincides with the release of the spring’s most keenly anticipated blockbuster, Spider-Man, may not equal the frenzy the movie is creating, but many have been eagerly awaiting Stan Lee’s revelations on how he created such immortal superheroes as the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, the X-Men and--oh, yes--Spider-Man. Lee is Marvel Comics veteran writer and creative director who almost single-handedly made comics hip--thanks to his innovations, campuses all over the US and the UK began to find comics de rigueur reading. The urbane, immensely likeable Lee has been in the comics business for over 40 years, and has long been its most articulate voice. This fascinating, handsomely illustrated memoir details the writer’s life from childhood in a modest Jewish family in New York to getting his first story published in a magazine at seventeen, and his break into comics as jack-of-all trades at Timely Comics (Marvel's predecessor) where he met legendary artist Jack Kirby (his co-creator of most of the great Marvel superheroes). His talents didn’t go unrecognised for long: he became creative director at 18. Lee enlisted when the war broke out and was one of only eight US Army playwrights alongside such stellar names as Frank Capra. Lee went back to comics after the war as the driving force behind Marvel, selling over two billion comics to readers of all ages throughout the world. Lee’s memoir is always candid about such things as the shabby treatment he received at the hands of incompetent or avaricious bosses, and refreshingly up front about his bitter break with the two key illustrators who worked with him, Jack Kirby and Spider-Man artist Steve Ditko. The tone of voice here will be very familiar to those raised on Marvel Comics: it’s a good-natured, winningly self-critical, utterly riveting read, and an essential curtain raiser for the Spider-Man movie.--Barry ForshawRead More