I have been reading comics for over 50 years and predominantly I have Stan Lee to thank for many years of pleasure, I am not really a fan of biographies but this book has made me rethink that, it’s an excellent telling of the life of a man who quite literally changed the world (and yes I know it’s only comics).

Excelsior Stan

Stan Lee. The man and the myth. Lee started at what would become Marvel at 17 and was an employee of the company. He never had any ownership in the company. If you have ever wondered about Stan Lee and the creation of Marvel then this is the book for you. Told by someone who spent a lot of time on the ground at Marvel. This is a great and interesting book that details the life and legend that was Stan Lee. There are some very entertaining stories here and a few sad ones. For example, Stan actually had lines to learn for Mallrats, it wasn't just Stan being Stan. This makes his cameo in Captain Marvel that much more important. The saddest had to be Steve Ditko's death. Ditko created Spider-man with Lee. No one knows when Ditko died, He was 90 and living alone in an apartment only to be discovered by the police in June of 2018. I had known some of the contraversy regarding the creation of Marvel and "co-creators" but this book really explains it and presents both sides of the argument. Stan was the man with ideas for characters. The artists brought the characters to life and helped create the character but without the idea there would be no character. A very informative and entertaining read.

A marvelous life, indeed! Bringing the story of a real life super hero to the forefront where it belongs. Definitely spotlight worthy. Every bit as fantastic as the characters he so lovingly brought to life. 5/5 stars for a super success to always be remembered.