• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Which book to chose about the history of Marvel?

Started by AL Comics,

24 posts in this topic

AL Comics

AL Comics

Posted
Posted

Hi everyone,

 

I was just reading a separate post about an article written about Stan Lee and noticed that the author mentioned a few books about the history of Marvel.

 

The three books were:

-Excelsior

-Stan Lee and the rise and fall of the American Comic book

-Marvel Comics: the unknown story

 

I thought I would post to see if anyone has read all or one of these books. I'd like to buy/read the one that will be the most informative and interesting... lol Would like to get a history about how Stan and others came up with the heroes and some background on Kirby, Didko, Lee, etc.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

-Al

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dick Pontoon

Dick Pontoon

Posted
Posted

I'm not familiar with Excelsior, but I'd suggest reading the other two as well as Men of Tomorrow by Gerard Jones, which is indispensable if you want to be familiar with comic history. Then I'd read The Ten Cent Plague by David Hadju.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr Sneeze

Mr Sneeze

Posted
Posted
I'm not familiar with Excelsior, but I'd suggest reading the other two as well as Men of Tomorrow by Gerard Jones, which is indispensable if you want to be familiar with comic history. Then I'd read The Ten Cent Plague by David Hadju.

 

Excellent recommendations (thumbs u . Men of Tomorrow is a great read!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fiendish

fiendish

Posted
Posted

I read Sean Howe's Marvel Comics: The Untold Story this summer and really enjoyed it. It's very well researched and footnoted. The story begins with the Goodman family's pulp business in the 1930s and ends with Ike Perlmutter and the Marvel movies.

 

Howe's approach, I thought, was very balanced and context driven when covering such sensitive topics as Stan v. Jack. My favorite parts were the trend-by-trend and creator-by-creator recounting of a vast number of Marvel titles as the company expanded. I added a ton to my "go back and read 'em" list, especially the Starlin/MacGregor stuff from the early to mid 70s.

 

On the down side, no pictures...

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
I'm not familiar with Excelsior, but I'd suggest reading the other two as well as Men of Tomorrow by Gerard Jones, which is indispensable if you want to be familiar with comic history. Then I'd read The Ten Cent Plague by David Hadju.

 

Excellent recommendations (thumbs u . Men of Tomorrow is a great read!

 

Gerard Jones is a fantastic comics historian.

 

Also, Kirby: King of Comics, by Mark Evanier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr Sneeze

Mr Sneeze

Posted
Posted
There is also a specific issue of The Jack Kirby Collector (I don’t recall which one, but it is relatively recent) that is all about that, but with a specific hinsight into the Fantastic Four.

 

I believe this is the one...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Stan-Lee-Jack-Kirby-Collector/dp/1605490385/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456832203&sr=8-1&keywords=kirby+collector

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dick Pontoon

Dick Pontoon

Posted
Posted
There is also a specific issue of The Jack Kirby Collector (I don’t recall which one, but it is relatively recent) that is all about that, but with a specific hinsight into the Fantastic Four.

 

I believe this is the one...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Stan-Lee-Jack-Kirby-Collector/dp/1605490385/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456832203&sr=8-1&keywords=kirby+collector

 

That's the one, but the Amazon info is all messed up. Stan Lee didn't write it and Jack Kirby didn't design the cover. It was written by Mark Alexander. TwoMorrows, the publisher, has a nice PDF excerpt here.

 

I've been putting off reading my copy until I finish re-reading FF 1-101, but based on the sections I've read so far I would agree with editor John Morrow that I don't agree with all the conclusions drawn by the author.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Prince Namor

Prince Namor

Posted
Posted

In order

 

Men of Tomorrow by Gerard Jones

The Ten Cent Plague by David Hadju

The Secret History of Marvel Comics by Blake Bell and Michael J. Vassallo

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe

Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

Steve Ditko’s 160 page Package #1

Stan Lee and the Rise ad Fall of the American Comic Book by Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon

 

 

For less detailed insider history, but some fantastic chronological picture history (and essentials for any comic fan/historians library):

The Marvel Legacy of Jack Kirby

Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World’s Greatest Comics

Both fantastic picture histories of Marvel!

 

Extra Credit:

Tales To Astonish by Ronin Ro

Origins of Marvel Comics by Stan Lee

Excelsior: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee (if you can read this book, at this point…

 

There'll be a test at the end of the semester.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr Sneeze

Mr Sneeze

Posted
Posted
In order

 

Men of Tomorrow by Gerard Jones

The Ten Cent Plague by David Hadju

The Secret History of Marvel Comics by Blake Bell and Michael J. Vassallo

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe

Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

Steve Ditko’s 160 page Package #1

Stan Lee and the Rise ad Fall of the American Comic Book by Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon

 

 

For less detailed insider history, but some fantastic chronological picture history (and essentials for any comic fan/historians library):

The Marvel Legacy of Jack Kirby

Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World’s Greatest Comics

Both fantastic picture histories of Marvel!

 

Extra Credit:

Tales To Astonish by Ronin Ro

Origins of Marvel Comics by Stan Lee

Excelsior: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee (if you can read this book, at this point…

 

There'll be a test at the end of the semester.

 

Extra Extra credit...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Comic-Book-Heroes-Silver-Present/dp/0517554402/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456853423&sr=8-2&keywords=silver+age+comic+book+heroes

 

You will have to find an after market copy but well worth the effort.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hand-Fire-Comics-Kirby-Artists/dp/161703178X/ref=sr_1_19?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456853631&sr=1-19&keywords=jack+kirby

 

My favorite book to pimp about Kirby. Great chapter on Jack and Stan and great insight on Kirby's art in general.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Prince Namor

Prince Namor

Posted
Posted
In order

 

Men of Tomorrow by Gerard Jones

The Ten Cent Plague by David Hadju

The Secret History of Marvel Comics by Blake Bell and Michael J. Vassallo

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe

Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

Steve Ditko’s 160 page Package #1

Stan Lee and the Rise ad Fall of the American Comic Book by Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon

 

 

For less detailed insider history, but some fantastic chronological picture history (and essentials for any comic fan/historians library):

The Marvel Legacy of Jack Kirby

Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World’s Greatest Comics

Both fantastic picture histories of Marvel!

 

Extra Credit:

Tales To Astonish by Ronin Ro

Origins of Marvel Comics by Stan Lee

Excelsior: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee (if you can read this book, at this point…

 

There'll be a test at the end of the semester.

 

Extra Extra credit...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Comic-Book-Heroes-Silver-Present/dp/0517554402/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456853423&sr=8-2&keywords=silver+age+comic+book+heroes

 

You will have to find an after market copy but well worth the effort.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hand-Fire-Comics-Kirby-Artists/dp/161703178X/ref=sr_1_19?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456853631&sr=1-19&keywords=jack+kirby

 

My favorite book to pimp about Kirby. Great chapter on Jack and Stan and great insight on Kirby's art in general.

 

 

Hand of Fire might get a class all to itself!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fiendish

fiendish

Posted
Posted
Gotta mention "75 years of Marvel Comics" by Roy Thomas. It's huge and it's got a wonderful collection of gorgeous pics.

 

It may not be the best book, but it's one of the prettiest.

 

I would totally read a bio of Roy Thomas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jimbo_707

jimbo_707

Posted
Posted
I read Sean Howe's Marvel Comics: The Untold Story this summer and really enjoyed it. It's very well researched and footnoted. The story begins with the Goodman family's pulp business in the 1930s and ends with Ike Perlmutter and the Marvel movies.

 

Howe's approach, I thought, was very balanced and context driven when covering such sensitive topics as Stan v. Jack. My favorite parts were the trend-by-trend and creator-by-creator recounting of a vast number of Marvel titles as the company expanded. I added a ton to my "go back and read 'em" list, especially the Starlin/MacGregor stuff from the early to mid 70s.

 

On the down side, no pictures...

 

I also read that. It wasn't bad, but I was more interested in the early days of Marvel/Timely, and I felt the book was a little light on that score. I would have liked to see more anecdotes from the 40s & 50s. The author gave (at least) equal weight to more recent time periods, which for me were not as interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing