Amazing Fantastic Incredible

November 16, 2015
Ninety-two-year-old subject Lee, co-
writer David, and artist Doran create an entertaining, if decidedly rose-colored picture of the man behind Marvel in this lively comics memoir. Lee’s life has certainly been a full one, spanning multiple wars, presidents, and eras in the industry he has been such a part of. Lee maintains a jaunty tone through every slump and resurrection, which pairs wonderfully with Doran’s dynamic artwork and well-developed sense of comic timing. But as any longtime comics fan can tell you, Lee is a master of self-aggrandizement. According to him, he was ahead of every curve, sensitive to every employee, and behind every innovation of the 20th-century comics industry. This isn’t a fatal flaw—Lee is undeniably accomplished—but by the final page, the book’s tone of uncritical celebration begins to grate. Still, this is a worthwhile memoir for the interested layman—as long as it’s read with more than a few grains of salt.

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