Overview

The definitive biography of Marvel legend Stan Lee, celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth. Stan Lee’s extraordinary life was as epic as the superheroes he co-created, from the Amazing Spider-Man to the Mighty Avengers. His ideas and voice are at the heart of global culture, loved by millions of superhero fans around the world. In Stan Lee: A Life, award-winning cultural historian Bob Batchelor offers an in-depth and complete look at this iconic visionary. Born in the Roaring Twenties, growing up in the Great Depression, living and thriving through the American Century, and dying in the twenty-first century, Stan Lee’s life is a unique representation of recent American history. Batchelor examines Lee’s fascinating American life by drawing out all its complexity, drama, heartache, and humor, revealing how Lee introduced the world to heroes that were just as fallible and complex as their creator—and just like all of us. An up-close look at a legendary figure, this centennial edition includes completely new material to give the full measure of a man whose genius continues to mesmerize audiences worldwide. Candid, authoritative, and absorbing, this is the biography of a man who dreamed of one day writing the Great American Novel, but ended up doing so much more—revolutionizing culture by creating new worlds and heroes that have entertained generations.

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Reviews

Batchelor’s excellent biography of Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man and other classic comic-book characters who revolutionized the comic-book industry, was published in 2017 as Stan Lee: The Man behind Marvel. Now updated with new material, it’s being republished to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Lee’s birth…. [A] respectful, well-sourced biography of a cultural icon. It’s not the only Lee biography, but it may be the best of the bunch, primarily because it’s skillfully written and because the author clearly feels a great deal of affection for his subject. Will those who read the 2017 edition want to read this one? Yes, because the book now covers the entirety of Lee’s remarkable life and career. -- Booklist This unauthorized biography by cultural historian Batchelor is as much a history of Marvel Comics and the comic book industry as it is of Stan Lee, the man largely credited with transforming the comic book industry into a pop culture colossus…. Batchelor shows how Lee led his team of writers and illustrators with a can-do spirit, working with his staff in employing snappy dialogue and colorful graphics to concoct a dynamic new medium. Introducing racial diversity, serial storytelling, current events, and emotional conflict, the boastful Lee and his team devised a marvelous universe of new characters, who connected strongly with readers by displaying emotional weaknesses that equaled their physical strengths.... Batchelor successfully shows how this dreamer and risk-taker perfectly captured the cultural zeitgeist and assisted in creating 'fairy tales for grown-ups.' -- Publishers Weekly Where Batchelor succeeds most is fleshing out the settings and context along the narrative spine of Lee’s life. To understand Lee’s emerging choices as a teenager, for instance, is to comprehend the rise of the pulp book business, the branching out of comic strip publishing and the convergence of colorful men looking to make a buck after World War I, even if it meant making connections with the Mob…. Batchelor delves into not only how Lee worked as an editor — the creative freedom he gave many artists worked to his advantage, too — but also how he built himself into a celebrity brand synonymous with the Marvel name. -- The Washington Post Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, Stan Lee: The Man behind Marvel is an extraordinary biography that is a 'must read' for the legions of Stan Lee fans. Absolutely certain to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections. -- Midwest Book Review Stan Lee is one of the most recognized names in comic book history, a deserving accolade because of his momentous contributions as a Marvel Comics administrator, editor, writer, and creator of some of the world’s favorite pop culture icons…. Stan Lee is a well-researched, lucid addition to superhero comics history and comics biography more generally. -- Choice Reviews

Author Information

Bob Batchelor is an award-winning cultural historian and biographer and author of more than a dozen books. His work has been featured in Time, the New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, LitHub, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. Batchelor has served as an on-air commentator for television and radio programs, including The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, the BBC, and NPR. He is the host of “True Crime Tuesday with Bob Batchelor,” which airs bi-monthly on WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle. Batchelor lives in Cincinnati with his wife Suzette and their teenage daughters.

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