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| Amazing Fantastic Incredible by Stan Lee |
Pages: 192
Publisher: Touchstone
Links: Goodreads | Indigo | Kobo
The title says it all, really! As a huge Marvel fan, I wanted to learn more about one of the minds (and certainly the most well-known one) behind Marvel Comics - and it is such a great read.
Let's start with the first thing we see - the cover. We've got Stan Lee, we've got pages of the most popular Marvel comics, and we've got...a partially holographic cover! I'm definitely a lover of holographic covers, I think they're so cool.
The memoir is in graphic novel format, which is perfect because of who this memoir is about. It's such a unique way of doing a memoir - I've never seen or read one like this! It allows for some really interesting storytelling, and it's beautiful to look at. This will come as no surprise to a lot of people, but Stan Lee has a very distinctive voice in his writing, and the comics format really helps get that across. I'm so impressed with how unique this memoir is, as well as the wonderful artwork.
Colleen Doran did such a great job with the art for this book, it's beautiful. I found that the art for the story that takes place in the present day differs from the art for the flashbacks and original covers; the flashbacks look like the style of older comics, which I think is a really cool thing to see in a modern graphic novel. It also makes a lot of sense because they're portraying that time period and the styles that were popular back then.
Throughout his memoir, Stan Lee really opens up about his humble beginnings and some of the very tough times he went through on his way to becoming the well-known figure he is today. Something I admire about this book is that he spotlights artists and people he admires, like Jack Kirby (co-creator of many of the Marvel comics) and Larry Lieber, Stan's brother. He gives us information about people we might not have known otherwise.
Another thing I love about this book is the Easter eggs - in typical tongue-and-cheek fashion, Stan Lee addresses the Marvel/DC competition, and it's so funny. Comics lovers will delight in the Easter eggs.
Stan Lee's memoir is funny, endearing, and fascinating. Whether you're a huge Marvel fan like me, or you've seen the movies and are interested in learning about one of the minds behind the original comics, or even if you just have a general interest in comics - you'll love this book.
*This book was sent to me by Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.
