JANUARY 2016 - AudioFile
Narrator Peter Reigert had a lot to live up to in being Marvel Comics honcho Stan Lee's alter ego in his memoir about his life in comics. Even with an introduction by Lee himself for comparison, Reigart does an “amazing, fantastic, incredible” job bottling Lee’s enthusiasm and tendency to speak in superlatives. Lee recounts how, as a poor kid in New York, he stumbled into a job in the fledgling comic-book industry and over a period of 20 years helped to transform it into something amazing. Based on a graphic novel, which is also pretty amazing, the audiobook offers a peek into the bizarre world of comic creators and the even stranger life of one of the industry's most important voices. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Library Journal
★ 11/15/2015
Lee, the genial, outsized personality at the heart of Marvel Comics for most of its first three decades, has lived the American Dream. His immense creativity, aided by a knack for humorous self-promotion and a work ethic forged during his Depression-era youth, has brought him from poverty to a National Medal of Arts and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With much hilarity and charm, he narrates his life story here, aided by comics veteran David and lovely, accomplished artwork by Doran. From his 60-plus-year marriage to the Marvel glory years when he cocreated Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the Hulk to his ambassadorial work for Marvel on college campuses and in Hollywood, the book includes many of the same anecdotes as the 2010 Lee documentary film With Great Power and adds others, such as the time he met Paul McCartney and the time George W. Bush didn't kiss him. VERDICT One could wish for more detail—how, for instance, could he have left out the Silver Surfer? But this is a lovable account of a lovable character.—S.R.
JANUARY 2016 - AudioFile
Narrator Peter Reigert had a lot to live up to in being Marvel Comics honcho Stan Lee's alter ego in his memoir about his life in comics. Even with an introduction by Lee himself for comparison, Reigart does an “amazing, fantastic, incredible” job bottling Lee’s enthusiasm and tendency to speak in superlatives. Lee recounts how, as a poor kid in New York, he stumbled into a job in the fledgling comic-book industry and over a period of 20 years helped to transform it into something amazing. Based on a graphic novel, which is also pretty amazing, the audiobook offers a peek into the bizarre world of comic creators and the even stranger life of one of the industry's most important voices. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2015-08-17
Comic book legend Lee offers fans a graphic autobiography in his inimitably jaunty style. There's no denying Lee's place in the pop-culture pantheon. As the writer and co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, and numerous other spandex-clad superheroes, he not only influenced subsequent generations of writers and artists, but also laid the foundation for the multibillion-dollar movie franchises those characters have since spawned. Along with co-writer David (Artful: A Novel, 2014, etc.) and artist Doran (The Vampire Diaries, 2014, etc.)—whose detailed linework is superb—Lee recounts his hardscrabble youth in Manhattan; his entry into a nascent comic-book industry still dominated by horror, Westerns, and romances; military service in World War II, during which he was responsible for the creation of a particularly memorable poster reminding soldiers to do their duty to get treated for venereal disease; and rise from intern to icon as superheroes came to dominate the comics landscape (in large part due to Lee's efforts). After years of being accused of perhaps claiming too much credit for his creations, Lee casts ample spotlight on artists like Jack "King" Kirby (X-Men, Fantastic Four) and Steve Ditko (Spider-Man), who played equally important roles in developing the heroes that are so ubiquitous today, but he makes sure the light shines brightest on himself. The author's influence on the comics industry cannot be overstated; even if he sometimes gets too much credit for creating characters and stories, he doesn't get enough recognition for being the driving force behind connecting those characters to an audience hungry for flawed human heroes. One might argue, however, that among his myriad creations, one of his most impressive—and persuasive—may very well be the legendary Stan Lee himself. A worthwhile primer for adoring acolytes, but too much P.T. Barnum and not enough behind-the-scenes insights for a broader audience.
