Pops Read a Book: TRUE BELIEVER

 There’s no more polarizing figure in the history of comics than Stan Lee. Many comics fans consider him a bloviating huckster who stole credit and kept creators from reaping the rewards he enjoyed. Others buy into the legend of him being the creative mastermind behind the Marvel Universe.

Me, I fall in the middle. Certainly, Stan’s greatest creation was “Stan Lee,” but I think it’s unfair to diminish his role in the Marvel firmament. Stan & Jack Kirby were the Lennon & McCartney of comics; Their best work was done “together” (however that played out).

But what’s not arguable is that—MCU cameos notwithstanding—the man’s third act was a tragedy of bad decisions, bad actors, and a sad disconnect from the culture he helped shape.

I just finished Abraham Riesman’s TRUE BELIEVER: THE RISE AND FALL OF STAN LEE (Crown Publishing, 2021), a riveting, even-handed, and ultimately devastating biography of Stan. But as meticulously researched as it is, the book still can’t hammer down precisely what happened at the end of Lee’s life, as various self-serving succubi give conflicting reports that make objective reporting nigh-impossible.

Still, this is HIGHLY recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in the history of Marvel and its most famous frontman.

Originally posted on social media, April 12, 2022