Which book to chose about the history of Marvel?

[fastballspecial]

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 preferred this book because I thought it was a pretty honest portrayal of the history.

 

[shadroch]

I may be off base here but it seems people tend to like the books that most closely match their own ideas about what went on.

What one person considers well researched, I found to be little more that retelling of stories from other sources.

I have found factual errors in almost book, many either condense or elongate time periods.

That's why I feel you need to read many of them, just to get an inkling of what went on., and then try to leave your personal bias at the door.

[Prince Namor]

In that case try The Secret History of Marvel Comics by Blake Bell and Michael J. Vassallo. Mr. Gower mentioned it a few posts back.

 

Yep, a very under reported on era that is addressed!

[fiendish]

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.

 

Very true. For a more GA focus, have you read Steranko's History of the Comics?