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Stan Lee: A Life in Comics
From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a meditation on the deeply Jewish and surprisingly spiritual roots of Stan Lee and Marvel Comics
Few artists have had as much of an impact on American popular culture as Stan Lee. The characters he created—Spider-Man and Iron Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four—occupy Hollywood’s imagination and production schedules, generate billions at the box office, and come as close as anything we have to a shared American mythology.
This illuminating biography focuses as much on Lee’s ideas as it does on his unlikely rise to stardom. It surveys his cultural and religious upbringing and draws surprising connections between celebrated comic book heroes and the ancient tales of the Bible, the Talmud, and Jewish mysticism. Was Spider-Man just a reincarnation of Cain? Is the Incredible Hulk simply Adam by another name? From close readings of Lee’s work to little-known anecdotes from Marvel’s history, the book paints a portrait of Lee that goes much deeper than one of his signature onscreen cameos.
About Jewish Lives:
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.
In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.
More praise for Jewish Lives:
“Excellent.” – New York times
“Exemplary.” – Wall St. Journal
“Distinguished.” – New Yorker
“Superb.” – The Guardian
Few artists have had as much of an impact on American popular culture as Stan Lee. The characters he created—Spider-Man and Iron Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four—occupy Hollywood’s imagination and production schedules, generate billions at the box office, and come as close as anything we have to a shared American mythology.
This illuminating biography focuses as much on Lee’s ideas as it does on his unlikely rise to stardom. It surveys his cultural and religious upbringing and draws surprising connections between celebrated comic book heroes and the ancient tales of the Bible, the Talmud, and Jewish mysticism. Was Spider-Man just a reincarnation of Cain? Is the Incredible Hulk simply Adam by another name? From close readings of Lee’s work to little-known anecdotes from Marvel’s history, the book paints a portrait of Lee that goes much deeper than one of his signature onscreen cameos.
About Jewish Lives:
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.
In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.
More praise for Jewish Lives:
“Excellent.” – New York times
“Exemplary.” – Wall St. Journal
“Distinguished.” – New Yorker
“Superb.” – The Guardian
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2020
21 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
Liel Leibovitz
15 books29 followersLiel Leibovitz is a senior writer for Tablet magazine and teaches at New York University. He is the coauthor of Fortunate Sons, Lili Marlene, and The Chosen Peoples. He lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 4, 2020
"The pleasure of reading a story and wondering what will come next for the hero is a pleasure that has lasted for centuries and, I think, will always be with us." -- Stan Lee
Smilin' Stan Lee. Stan 'The Man' Lee. 'Generalissimo.' Call him whatever moniker you may like, but relatively few in the superhero / comic book industry have the worldwide name recognition like the individual originally known as Stanley Lieber. (Lee had commented he planned to use his birth name once he finally wrote his 'serious' novel, which never came to fruition.) Author Leibovitz's A Life in Comics is billed as a biography of Lee, though while his personal life is discussed the accent is more on the possible / probable inspirations for the popular Marvel Comic characters he created or co-created in the 1960's - the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Black Panther, Silver Surfer, etc. - and how some of their personality traits, backgrounds, and/or storylines may have been drawn from Biblical / Talmudic stories via the Hebrew religion. Despite its relatively brief length (approx. 162 pages) this was a nicely detailed and speculative little slice of our pop culture.
Smilin' Stan Lee. Stan 'The Man' Lee. 'Generalissimo.' Call him whatever moniker you may like, but relatively few in the superhero / comic book industry have the worldwide name recognition like the individual originally known as Stanley Lieber. (Lee had commented he planned to use his birth name once he finally wrote his 'serious' novel, which never came to fruition.) Author Leibovitz's A Life in Comics is billed as a biography of Lee, though while his personal life is discussed the accent is more on the possible / probable inspirations for the popular Marvel Comic characters he created or co-created in the 1960's - the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Black Panther, Silver Surfer, etc. - and how some of their personality traits, backgrounds, and/or storylines may have been drawn from Biblical / Talmudic stories via the Hebrew religion. Despite its relatively brief length (approx. 162 pages) this was a nicely detailed and speculative little slice of our pop culture.
September 2, 2020
Nice background on his iconic characters
January 30, 2022
"Стен Лі. Життя як комікс" Ліел Лейбовіц - ✅
Про що книга: Біографія відомого автора коміксів Стена Лі, яка розглядається через призму його шедеврів. Це інтерпретація життя художника та сценариста в контексті створення ним Людини-Павука, Фантастичної четвірки, Людей Ікс і так далі.
Мої враження: Реальність переплітається з вигадкою, вигадка стає реальністю. Комікси - це дуже недооцінена художня річ. Мені здається, що дещо подібна ситуація лише з аніме (хоч я і дивився за життя всього з десяток). Вангую - через багато років комікси та аніме займуть значно вагомішу нішу в глобальній культурі, ніж зараз.
Але вже та ситуація, яка складається зараз, сильно рухає культуру коміксів вперед. Комікси екранізуються, групи фанатів розширюються, напрями сегментуються, і найголовніше - гроші на цьому заробляються. Шалені гроші!
Чи не найважливішу роль в цьому успіху зіграли комікси Marvel. Стен Лі - це той, хто вдихнув життя в цей процес, запустив його, наділив душею (без перебільшення). Якщо майже 100 років тому комікси сприймались як щось дитяче або несерйозне, то після того, як Стен Лі почав створювати своїх персонажів і нові сюжети, гра перевернулась. Власне, ця книга описує життя Стена Лі - його кохання, його дружбу, його начальників та підлеглих, його непростий характер та войовничий запал. Це була неординарна і яскрава особистість з когорти тих, в яких або закохуються, або ненавидять.
І задум книги дуже цікавий - все зосереджується не на біографії, а на частинах історій з життя, які перегукуються з персонажами, яких створював Лі. Важливу роль тут відіграє історія та релігія. Ми бачимо, що шлях був тернистий і непростий, особливо коли ти один з першопрохідців. Але життя Стена видалось неймовірно насиченим, мабуть, це можна назвати американською мрією.
Щодо США. Книга все ж більше для американців, адже тут дуже багато аспектів, які будуть цікавими саме їм. Недоліки тут є, мені от бракувало інформації про екранізації і про новітні часи, після 90-х. Ну і блін, чому тут немає малюнків, це ж книга про комікс! :)
Кому читати: фанатам Marvel, любителям коміксів та попкультури.
Про що книга: Біографія відомого автора коміксів Стена Лі, яка розглядається через призму його шедеврів. Це інтерпретація життя художника та сценариста в контексті створення ним Людини-Павука, Фантастичної четвірки, Людей Ікс і так далі.
Мої враження: Реальність переплітається з вигадкою, вигадка стає реальністю. Комікси - це дуже недооцінена художня річ. Мені здається, що дещо подібна ситуація лише з аніме (хоч я і дивився за життя всього з десяток). Вангую - через багато років комікси та аніме займуть значно вагомішу нішу в глобальній культурі, ніж зараз.
Але вже та ситуація, яка складається зараз, сильно рухає культуру коміксів вперед. Комікси екранізуються, групи фанатів розширюються, напрями сегментуються, і найголовніше - гроші на цьому заробляються. Шалені гроші!
Чи не найважливішу роль в цьому успіху зіграли комікси Marvel. Стен Лі - це той, хто вдихнув життя в цей процес, запустив його, наділив душею (без перебільшення). Якщо майже 100 років тому комікси сприймались як щось дитяче або несерйозне, то після того, як Стен Лі почав створювати своїх персонажів і нові сюжети, гра перевернулась. Власне, ця книга описує життя Стена Лі - його кохання, його дружбу, його начальників та підлеглих, його непростий характер та войовничий запал. Це була неординарна і яскрава особистість з когорти тих, в яких або закохуються, або ненавидять.
І задум книги дуже цікавий - все зосереджується не на біографії, а на частинах історій з життя, які перегукуються з персонажами, яких створював Лі. Важливу роль тут відіграє історія та релігія. Ми бачимо, що шлях був тернистий і непростий, особливо коли ти один з першопрохідців. Але життя Стена видалось неймовірно насиченим, мабуть, це можна назвати американською мрією.
Щодо США. Книга все ж більше для американців, адже тут дуже багато аспектів, які будуть цікавими саме їм. Недоліки тут є, мені от бракувало інформації про екранізації і про новітні часи, після 90-х. Ну і блін, чому тут немає малюнків, це ж книга про комікс! :)
Кому читати: фанатам Marvel, любителям коміксів та попкультури.
February 4, 2022
Єдине, чого мені не вистачило в цій книзі — біографічних фактів. Хотілось більше почитати про життя Стена Лі, його батьків, його зростання. Тут все досить фрагментарно та загально, акцент зміщений на аналіз коміксів, героїв, того, звідки ноги ростуть у всіх марвелівських мотивів та сюжетів.
Але хай там як, але навіть в такі формі читати було цікаво. Тут вам і історія становлення Марвел, і замальовки до їхню конкуренцію з DC, і секрети внутрішньої кухні створення коміксів. Читати, навіть не дивлячись на деяке перевантаження елементами літературного аналізу, було цікаво!
А сам Стен Лі — ще та загадка! Хтось називав його успішним маніпулятором, який вдало використовував таланти інших людей, а хтось вважав неперевершеним генієм. В будь-якому випадку, його заслуга в успіху всесвіту Марвел — неоціненна.
Мені цікаво було дізнатись, що сам Стен Лі обожнював читати. Він якось навіть мріяв стати письменником, написати щось величне. З цим і пов'язано те, що його герої коміксів — глибокі, не примітивні, як були на початку в культурі коміксів. Він любив додати драми, мотивації та сенсу. Це певним чином і зумовило його успіх.
Проте мені складно радити цю книгу кожному прихильнику коміксів. Хіба що якщо ви відразу налаштуєте себе на те, що тут буде чимало авторських розмірковувань про єврейські мотиви в образах супергероїв💥
Все ж , з цієї книги ви відкриєте і чимало нового!
Але хай там як, але навіть в такі формі читати було цікаво. Тут вам і історія становлення Марвел, і замальовки до їхню конкуренцію з DC, і секрети внутрішньої кухні створення коміксів. Читати, навіть не дивлячись на деяке перевантаження елементами літературного аналізу, було цікаво!
А сам Стен Лі — ще та загадка! Хтось називав його успішним маніпулятором, який вдало використовував таланти інших людей, а хтось вважав неперевершеним генієм. В будь-якому випадку, його заслуга в успіху всесвіту Марвел — неоціненна.
Мені цікаво було дізнатись, що сам Стен Лі обожнював читати. Він якось навіть мріяв стати письменником, написати щось величне. З цим і пов'язано те, що його герої коміксів — глибокі, не примітивні, як були на початку в культурі коміксів. Він любив додати драми, мотивації та сенсу. Це певним чином і зумовило його успіх.
Проте мені складно радити цю книгу кожному прихильнику коміксів. Хіба що якщо ви відразу налаштуєте себе на те, що тут буде чимало авторських розмірковувань про єврейські мотиви в образах супергероїв💥
Все ж , з цієї книги ви відкриєте і чимало нового!
July 18, 2022
讀過的第二本Stan Lee相關書籍。
本書雖然台版譯名為《漫威宇宙》，但實際上這一翻譯並不貼切。畢竟原作名為“Stan Lee: A Life in Comics”，哪怕直譯為“漫畫人生”都比出版社目前定的噱頭標題強一些。可以想見出版社編輯是為了搭上MCU這一快車而選定該標題，然而本書的絕大部分內容均是關於Stan Lee老爺子早年的創作歷程以及漫畫內容。沒錯，該討論的內容是以漫畫以及時代背景為主導的。
相比於同類作品，本書在探討漫畫與Stan Lee生平（尤其著重漫畫行業的工作經歷）和漫威早期的故事之外，對於漫畫作出了非常詳盡的解讀。這種解讀的角度不僅出於時代背景，同時還有許多作者個人的神話與族群見解（或者用Community一詞更為恰當？）。由於作者是一名以色列籍作者、記者、評論家與電子遊戲學者（本參考來自英文維基），其對於猶太人神話的解讀相當出色。他的見解為許多故事提供了一個嶄新的觀看與探討角度，大多出自神學。
本書也進行了許多非常有趣的對比，除卻時代與歷史相關的，其中也多次提到對於隔壁DC相關作品的比較。其中最為出色的部分應當是神學與角色本質的探究。原文中提及最大的兩處不同，一則是Stan Lee的著名角色如Iron Man就絕非是一位將善與惡二元對立的角色，他著重討論的是人們對於自身的挑戰與試煉。漫威的英雄，無論他們來自哪一個franchise，似乎總是抱有一種相同的信念，體現出對大眾的同情與責任感。而這種感情來源於自身，是人性化的，而並非（神學意義上）神性的。
對比其二，本文作者認為蝙蝠俠是一種現代主義的擬人化，超人則是原教旨主義的想象產物。讀到這裡的時候我想，這也許正是扎導如此喜愛在DC電影中使用宗教構圖與隱喻的原因。而相較之下，漫威的角色與觀眾並不存在這樣一層政治或神學的隔膜，Stan Lee創造的從人群中來的英雄，以及從英雄中出現的人性，連同那些被設定為神明的角色也與人同行。這種思想不僅體現在他的設定與創作上，同樣也體現在他在漫畫的交互設計上（當然，本書沒有太多從美學和漫畫技法上探討這些事情，這句話是我的腦補）。
總的來說，本書討論了許多猶太人神話、塔木德、宗教故事以及社會衝突對於Stan Lee早期漫威漫畫的影響。視點特殊，觀點強烈而明確。對於愛好者而言可以一看。
本書雖然台版譯名為《漫威宇宙》，但實際上這一翻譯並不貼切。畢竟原作名為“Stan Lee: A Life in Comics”，哪怕直譯為“漫畫人生”都比出版社目前定的噱頭標題強一些。可以想見出版社編輯是為了搭上MCU這一快車而選定該標題，然而本書的絕大部分內容均是關於Stan Lee老爺子早年的創作歷程以及漫畫內容。沒錯，該討論的內容是以漫畫以及時代背景為主導的。
相比於同類作品，本書在探討漫畫與Stan Lee生平（尤其著重漫畫行業的工作經歷）和漫威早期的故事之外，對於漫畫作出了非常詳盡的解讀。這種解讀的角度不僅出於時代背景，同時還有許多作者個人的神話與族群見解（或者用Community一詞更為恰當？）。由於作者是一名以色列籍作者、記者、評論家與電子遊戲學者（本參考來自英文維基），其對於猶太人神話的解讀相當出色。他的見解為許多故事提供了一個嶄新的觀看與探討角度，大多出自神學。
本書也進行了許多非常有趣的對比，除卻時代與歷史相關的，其中也多次提到對於隔壁DC相關作品的比較。其中最為出色的部分應當是神學與角色本質的探究。原文中提及最大的兩處不同，一則是Stan Lee的著名角色如Iron Man就絕非是一位將善與惡二元對立的角色，他著重討論的是人們對於自身的挑戰與試煉。漫威的英雄，無論他們來自哪一個franchise，似乎總是抱有一種相同的信念，體現出對大眾的同情與責任感。而這種感情來源於自身，是人性化的，而並非（神學意義上）神性的。
對比其二，本文作者認為蝙蝠俠是一種現代主義的擬人化，超人則是原教旨主義的想象產物。讀到這裡的時候我想，這也許正是扎導如此喜愛在DC電影中使用宗教構圖與隱喻的原因。而相較之下，漫威的角色與觀眾並不存在這樣一層政治或神學的隔膜，Stan Lee創造的從人群中來的英雄，以及從英雄中出現的人性，連同那些被設定為神明的角色也與人同行。這種思想不僅體現在他的設定與創作上，同樣也體現在他在漫畫的交互設計上（當然，本書沒有太多從美學和漫畫技法上探討這些事情，這句話是我的腦補）。
總的來說，本書討論了許多猶太人神話、塔木德、宗教故事以及社會衝突對於Stan Lee早期漫威漫畫的影響。視點特殊，觀點強烈而明確。對於愛好者而言可以一看。
August 15, 2020
If you love Comic Con or Michael Chabon's book The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay, then you will enjoy this biography of Stan Lee (Stanley Lieber). The book traces the relationship between Jewish publishers and the comic book industry as well as the themes from Judaism that informed the development of the super hero genre. Lee was ahead of his time in developing his Marvel comic book characters which more popular today than they ever were.
March 29, 2025
This book was incredibly insightful for me into the World of Comics and to its man of great consequence. Stan Lee wrote stories to people of all ages and to many in his life was not taken all that seriously. What I learned was that he was imperfect like all of us; but admirable and a deeply religious and thoughtful man. Transforming biblical lessons and characters into superhero icons to spread the word of God to people in new forms of art and storytelling. What I appreciate about Stan Lee was that he was a visionary; and also transparent about his life no matter if it was problematic. It was remarkable that he never gave up on his dreams, his stories, and his characters through all the adversity in his journey. Props to Liel Leibovitz on an incredible work.
“In his yearbook, he wrote, with characteristic gusto, that his goal was to ‘reach the top—and STAY there!’”
“Just because you have superpowers, that doesn’t mean your love life would be perfect. I don’t think superpowers automatically mean there won’t be any personality problems, family problems, or even money problems.”
“In his yearbook, he wrote, with characteristic gusto, that his goal was to ‘reach the top—and STAY there!’”
“Just because you have superpowers, that doesn’t mean your love life would be perfect. I don’t think superpowers automatically mean there won’t be any personality problems, family problems, or even money problems.”
July 20, 2020
Stan Lee was, like Walt Disney, part visionary and part huckster. Like Disney, Lee had a profound impact on pop culture but also exploited others and took credit for their work. As Leibovitz points out, Stan Lee's greatest talent was in self-promotion and the most enduring character he created was himself.
A poor, Jewish kid from the wrong side of the tracks transformed himself to a hip spokesman for a nerdy counterculture. Ironically, the wealthier and more famous Lee became, the less influence he had on Marvel's works. Eventually, he became a product spokesman not unlike Dave Thomas was for Wendy's.
It was the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment by the Disney corporation in 2009 that led to a revival of the fortunes of both Marvel and Lee when the heavily-promoted movies proved giant hits with an audience much larger than the base of comic book fans. Stan Lee's cameo appearances in each of these films made him a familiar figure to those who never picked up a copy of Fantastic Four or Spider-Man.
Leibovitz gives a compelling account of Lee's rise to fame but never really unlocks the enigma of his personality. Superficially, extroverted and charming, Lee rarely revealed his inner thoughts. It may not be possible to know if he had a higher purpose in creating his iconic characters or if he was just trying to distinguish his company from rivals and sell more product.
Leibovitz's book goes off the rails when he tries to portray Stan Lee as some kind of modern day Jewish prophet, reinterpreting biblical and Talmudic stories for comic book audiences. There is really no evidence that Lee or his collaborators were particularly religious or had a moral agenda other than adhering to the Comics Code Authority.
Nevertheless, Stan Lee: A Life in Comics is a worthy addition to a growing list of popular and scholarly volumes on the comics industry.
A poor, Jewish kid from the wrong side of the tracks transformed himself to a hip spokesman for a nerdy counterculture. Ironically, the wealthier and more famous Lee became, the less influence he had on Marvel's works. Eventually, he became a product spokesman not unlike Dave Thomas was for Wendy's.
It was the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment by the Disney corporation in 2009 that led to a revival of the fortunes of both Marvel and Lee when the heavily-promoted movies proved giant hits with an audience much larger than the base of comic book fans. Stan Lee's cameo appearances in each of these films made him a familiar figure to those who never picked up a copy of Fantastic Four or Spider-Man.
Leibovitz gives a compelling account of Lee's rise to fame but never really unlocks the enigma of his personality. Superficially, extroverted and charming, Lee rarely revealed his inner thoughts. It may not be possible to know if he had a higher purpose in creating his iconic characters or if he was just trying to distinguish his company from rivals and sell more product.
Leibovitz's book goes off the rails when he tries to portray Stan Lee as some kind of modern day Jewish prophet, reinterpreting biblical and Talmudic stories for comic book audiences. There is really no evidence that Lee or his collaborators were particularly religious or had a moral agenda other than adhering to the Comics Code Authority.
Nevertheless, Stan Lee: A Life in Comics is a worthy addition to a growing list of popular and scholarly volumes on the comics industry.
March 20, 2022
Мабуть, кожен чув про Стена Лі, а особливо фанати Marvel. Адже саме він створив таких відомих персонажів як Людина-Павук, Залізна людина, Галк, Фантастична четвірка та інші.
⠀
Але хто знає, що справжнє ім'я Лі - Стенлі Мартін Лібер? Хто знає, що він народився в родині євреїв-іммігрантів, яким довелося в житті не так і легко? А чи знали, що Стен Лі дуже любив читати і навіть хотів стати письменником? Чи знаєте, що спочатку Стен Лі робив каву своєму напарнику, а згодом затьмарив його своїм успіхом? Або чи знаєте ви, хто був начальником Стена Лі та як йому працювалось у компанії, яку зараз ми всі знаємо як Marvel Comics?
⠀
Про це та багато іншого можна дізнатися із книжки про життя відомого Стена Лі - редактора коміксів, сценариста, творця найбільш відомих супер героїв, які нині в кінотеатрах по всьому світові збирають мільйони глядачів.
⠀
Мені ця книга дуже сподобалася. Вона написана легкою мовою, читається ну дуже швидко, а інформація така цікава, що відкласти книгу в бік взагалі немає бажання.
⠀
Не даремно Ліел Лейбовіц назвав книгу "Стен Лі. Життя як комікс", адже тут він не так розповідає про самого Лі, про його життя, як про його творчість та його персонажів. Зокрема, велику увагу приділено окремим коміксам - Капітану Америці, Фантастичній четвірці, Галку, Людині-Павуку тощо. Автор аналізує ці роботи в контексті життя Лі. Мені б хотілось більше біографічних даних і менше аналізу коміксів у контексті віри, але все одно - це було дуже цікаве читання.
⠀
Так, читач може дізнатися:
⠀
- чому герої Marvel стали більш популярними за тих самих Супермена та Бетмана від DC;
- як тодішні події в Америці випливали на характери персонажів та на події коміксів Стена Лі;
- як віра (Стен Лі єврей) впливала на мотиви та які посили вкладав творець у свої роботи, зокрема, в багатьох із них простежується паралель із релігійними темами;
- як працював Стен Лі, які в нього були стосунки з колегами;
- якою людиною був Стен Лі.
Дуже пізнавальна, інформативна книга. Мені хочеться більше. Я закрила останню сторінку й не могла відпустити цю особистість. Стен Лі - приклад для наслідування. І було дуже цікаво почитати про нього.
⠀
Крім того, мені сподобалось, що автора книги дуже детально над нею працював. У ній використано багато джерел (зі списком можна ознайомитися в кінці).
⠀
Однозначно книга варта уваги 🔥
⠀
Але хто знає, що справжнє ім'я Лі - Стенлі Мартін Лібер? Хто знає, що він народився в родині євреїв-іммігрантів, яким довелося в житті не так і легко? А чи знали, що Стен Лі дуже любив читати і навіть хотів стати письменником? Чи знаєте, що спочатку Стен Лі робив каву своєму напарнику, а згодом затьмарив його своїм успіхом? Або чи знаєте ви, хто був начальником Стена Лі та як йому працювалось у компанії, яку зараз ми всі знаємо як Marvel Comics?
⠀
Про це та багато іншого можна дізнатися із книжки про життя відомого Стена Лі - редактора коміксів, сценариста, творця найбільш відомих супер героїв, які нині в кінотеатрах по всьому світові збирають мільйони глядачів.
⠀
Мені ця книга дуже сподобалася. Вона написана легкою мовою, читається ну дуже швидко, а інформація така цікава, що відкласти книгу в бік взагалі немає бажання.
⠀
Не даремно Ліел Лейбовіц назвав книгу "Стен Лі. Життя як комікс", адже тут він не так розповідає про самого Лі, про його життя, як про його творчість та його персонажів. Зокрема, велику увагу приділено окремим коміксам - Капітану Америці, Фантастичній четвірці, Галку, Людині-Павуку тощо. Автор аналізує ці роботи в контексті життя Лі. Мені б хотілось більше біографічних даних і менше аналізу коміксів у контексті віри, але все одно - це було дуже цікаве читання.
⠀
Так, читач може дізнатися:
⠀
- чому герої Marvel стали більш популярними за тих самих Супермена та Бетмана від DC;
- як тодішні події в Америці випливали на характери персонажів та на події коміксів Стена Лі;
- як віра (Стен Лі єврей) впливала на мотиви та які посили вкладав творець у свої роботи, зокрема, в багатьох із них простежується паралель із релігійними темами;
- як працював Стен Лі, які в нього були стосунки з колегами;
- якою людиною був Стен Лі.
Дуже пізнавальна, інформативна книга. Мені хочеться більше. Я закрила останню сторінку й не могла відпустити цю особистість. Стен Лі - приклад для наслідування. І було дуже цікаво почитати про нього.
⠀
Крім того, мені сподобалось, що автора книги дуже детально над нею працював. У ній використано багато джерел (зі списком можна ознайомитися в кінці).
⠀
Однозначно книга варта уваги 🔥
October 6, 2022
He created heroes that had what he’d been looking for in the comics he read. Heroes who were complex, deep, layered, and were far from perfect.
He noticed how comics during the great depression really represented the way people felt. Anti-government etc
They’re literally all created by Jews (and a lot of Jews worked in comics cuz no one else would hire them!!)
Superman— a Jewish kid, the creator’s dad was shot in an armed robbery. That’s Superman’s first comic strip. Character was bought by Stan Lee’s uncle who he worked for, and this hero is the first one to have a comic book rather than strips in a paper. Superman vs Marvel Heroes— Jesus vs Moshe— lonesomeness vs togetherness, togetherness being very Jewish.
In general, the lonesomeness of DC heroes and the absolute perfection of them is much more Christian than the very fallible Jewish heroes. At the same time, the first generation immigrant created a character of an immigrant who spends all his life hiding who he is from the “gentiles,” who he knows will persecute him based on his identity.
The same guy who created Superman later created Captain America as someone determined to take action unlike majority of Americans that wanted to pursue isolation before America entered World War II, which horrified him as a Jew, the child of European immigrants
He wanted readers to care as much about Steve Rogers as they did about Captain America.
Lee fashioned his storytelling after that of the Talmud— purposely confusing, purposely vague as a way of keeping readers involved and to bring their own interpretations, stops it from ever being boring
The Thing (before the Hulk) is the Golem, a protector. Complicated, physical but still emotional and complex. Created by Kirby, not Lee. In one story, he gets a Magen David necklace so the protector can be protected. He proves that special people are persecuted and that heroes are flawed (brings in King David to prove this).
Mr. Fantastic represents dveikus— being so caught up that you sometimes disconnect from reality. He lets his madness harm those around him. “Possessed” by a foreign element (the joy of chassidus/his superpowers). Both things cause you to disconnect from your environment. Mr. fantastic literally flies off to the “heavens” at the beginning— all about elevation.
Bruce Banner, the Hulk, is the First Adam and Second Adam, based on Soloveitchik. First Adam (made in Hashem’s image) has things much clearer. Second Adam (appointed as custodian of Earth) is constantly questioning who he is, how he was made, and why. Soloveitchik says the Second Adam found peace in community, and the Hulk does the same in the stories with a teenager and a girl that help him get through it and explain to him what’s going on. The two Adams need to realize they’re the same being in order to find peace.
Spiderman is Cain!! We do not choose good or evil but how we respond to every situation. And his sin didn’t come from arrogance but from believing it wasn’t his problem “am I my brother’s keeper?” Same thing when Peter doesn’t go after the burglar who proceeds to kill his uncle. He then takes on a lifetime of heroism, determined to always use his power (with great power comes great responsibility) almost in a sort of exile, just like Cain.
The X-men represent racism and anti-Semitism (in that era, very closely related as the SNCC was originally a group made of the two before Jews were banned (together with all white members) and the group proceeded to create anti-semitic propaganda. Professor X represents dealing with that hatred but recognizing the value of all humanity and trying to show them that the mutants are never inherently bad. His older brother, who tries to kill him, is called Cain Marko (mark of Cain).
Scarlet Witch comes from a small village, specifically in Europe, that was burned to the ground. The language used then is “never again.” Very clear connection to the Holocaust.
Magneto, opposition to Prof X, believes the way to deal with the anti-mutant racism is violence. He’s the one who says “never again” to Wanda. Later, Magneto is given a backstory where he’s forcibly moved to the Warsaw Ghetto and watches his whole family be executed while he is deported to Auschwitz. He later marries, has a child, and the neighbors (scared of his powers) burn down his house with the child inside, but the wife dies soon after either way, but first she gives birth to twins. Magento goes to Israel where he helps survivors in psychiatric hospitals. He uses Nazi gold to start his vengeance against all humans, who he now believes are only capable of evil and hate.
The Fanstatic Four’s fight against the Silver Surfer and Galactus is compared to the miraglim, who didn’t have faith in themselves and God— not only in negatively reporting the land, or exaggerating the strength of the people there, but also downplaying their own strength “we were like grasshoppers before them!” That insecurity is part of why they didn’t want to even try.
The Watcher (part of the Silver Surfer’s story) is part of a race that’s tasked with spreading wisdom throughout the universe while exiled.
A woman tries to convince Silver Surfer that earth is worth saving. He argues it has no relative value. She argues the earth is ours, for us to value and appreciate and live with— like the story with Rabbi Eliezer, who had a different opinion from all the other Rabbis, but Hashem agreed with him— but Torah is down here, for people to decide, not Heaven!
When the Silver Surfer finally stands up to Galactus, it’s not to betray him but to protect him from making a decision that harms those who are innocent— like Avraham Avinu talking to Hashem before Sedom.
Iron Man, Tony Stark, are the two Adams again— one who is egotistic, ready to take on the world, confident in himself, the other who is figuring out what he’s supposed to be doing here, what his actions mean, and what his responsibilities are. Dealing with loneliness and faith, and again needing other people to survive. “Redemption comes only when human beings get together and pursue common goals, even if—or especially when— they couldn’t make much sense of existence.” Instead of waiting for a redeemer, the book argues that Judaism wants us to focus on our relationships with each other and with God, a message which Iron Man delivers.
Obama’s election was representative of Superman (he even compared himself to the hero when joking that he was born on Krypton), the perfect person stepping in to heal America. Iron Man was the contrast to that, the reply imperfect person there, doing his best, sometimes being selfish and stupid, using violent weapons but also compassion to lead the way. He was never just one thing but a complicated mix of different emotions and values.
He noticed how comics during the great depression really represented the way people felt. Anti-government etc
They’re literally all created by Jews (and a lot of Jews worked in comics cuz no one else would hire them!!)
Superman— a Jewish kid, the creator’s dad was shot in an armed robbery. That’s Superman’s first comic strip. Character was bought by Stan Lee’s uncle who he worked for, and this hero is the first one to have a comic book rather than strips in a paper. Superman vs Marvel Heroes— Jesus vs Moshe— lonesomeness vs togetherness, togetherness being very Jewish.
In general, the lonesomeness of DC heroes and the absolute perfection of them is much more Christian than the very fallible Jewish heroes. At the same time, the first generation immigrant created a character of an immigrant who spends all his life hiding who he is from the “gentiles,” who he knows will persecute him based on his identity.
The same guy who created Superman later created Captain America as someone determined to take action unlike majority of Americans that wanted to pursue isolation before America entered World War II, which horrified him as a Jew, the child of European immigrants
He wanted readers to care as much about Steve Rogers as they did about Captain America.
Lee fashioned his storytelling after that of the Talmud— purposely confusing, purposely vague as a way of keeping readers involved and to bring their own interpretations, stops it from ever being boring
The Thing (before the Hulk) is the Golem, a protector. Complicated, physical but still emotional and complex. Created by Kirby, not Lee. In one story, he gets a Magen David necklace so the protector can be protected. He proves that special people are persecuted and that heroes are flawed (brings in King David to prove this).
Mr. Fantastic represents dveikus— being so caught up that you sometimes disconnect from reality. He lets his madness harm those around him. “Possessed” by a foreign element (the joy of chassidus/his superpowers). Both things cause you to disconnect from your environment. Mr. fantastic literally flies off to the “heavens” at the beginning— all about elevation.
Bruce Banner, the Hulk, is the First Adam and Second Adam, based on Soloveitchik. First Adam (made in Hashem’s image) has things much clearer. Second Adam (appointed as custodian of Earth) is constantly questioning who he is, how he was made, and why. Soloveitchik says the Second Adam found peace in community, and the Hulk does the same in the stories with a teenager and a girl that help him get through it and explain to him what’s going on. The two Adams need to realize they’re the same being in order to find peace.
Spiderman is Cain!! We do not choose good or evil but how we respond to every situation. And his sin didn’t come from arrogance but from believing it wasn’t his problem “am I my brother’s keeper?” Same thing when Peter doesn’t go after the burglar who proceeds to kill his uncle. He then takes on a lifetime of heroism, determined to always use his power (with great power comes great responsibility) almost in a sort of exile, just like Cain.
The X-men represent racism and anti-Semitism (in that era, very closely related as the SNCC was originally a group made of the two before Jews were banned (together with all white members) and the group proceeded to create anti-semitic propaganda. Professor X represents dealing with that hatred but recognizing the value of all humanity and trying to show them that the mutants are never inherently bad. His older brother, who tries to kill him, is called Cain Marko (mark of Cain).
Scarlet Witch comes from a small village, specifically in Europe, that was burned to the ground. The language used then is “never again.” Very clear connection to the Holocaust.
Magneto, opposition to Prof X, believes the way to deal with the anti-mutant racism is violence. He’s the one who says “never again” to Wanda. Later, Magneto is given a backstory where he’s forcibly moved to the Warsaw Ghetto and watches his whole family be executed while he is deported to Auschwitz. He later marries, has a child, and the neighbors (scared of his powers) burn down his house with the child inside, but the wife dies soon after either way, but first she gives birth to twins. Magento goes to Israel where he helps survivors in psychiatric hospitals. He uses Nazi gold to start his vengeance against all humans, who he now believes are only capable of evil and hate.
The Fanstatic Four’s fight against the Silver Surfer and Galactus is compared to the miraglim, who didn’t have faith in themselves and God— not only in negatively reporting the land, or exaggerating the strength of the people there, but also downplaying their own strength “we were like grasshoppers before them!” That insecurity is part of why they didn’t want to even try.
The Watcher (part of the Silver Surfer’s story) is part of a race that’s tasked with spreading wisdom throughout the universe while exiled.
A woman tries to convince Silver Surfer that earth is worth saving. He argues it has no relative value. She argues the earth is ours, for us to value and appreciate and live with— like the story with Rabbi Eliezer, who had a different opinion from all the other Rabbis, but Hashem agreed with him— but Torah is down here, for people to decide, not Heaven!
When the Silver Surfer finally stands up to Galactus, it’s not to betray him but to protect him from making a decision that harms those who are innocent— like Avraham Avinu talking to Hashem before Sedom.
Iron Man, Tony Stark, are the two Adams again— one who is egotistic, ready to take on the world, confident in himself, the other who is figuring out what he’s supposed to be doing here, what his actions mean, and what his responsibilities are. Dealing with loneliness and faith, and again needing other people to survive. “Redemption comes only when human beings get together and pursue common goals, even if—or especially when— they couldn’t make much sense of existence.” Instead of waiting for a redeemer, the book argues that Judaism wants us to focus on our relationships with each other and with God, a message which Iron Man delivers.
Obama’s election was representative of Superman (he even compared himself to the hero when joking that he was born on Krypton), the perfect person stepping in to heal America. Iron Man was the contrast to that, the reply imperfect person there, doing his best, sometimes being selfish and stupid, using violent weapons but also compassion to lead the way. He was never just one thing but a complicated mix of different emotions and values.
October 7, 2020
For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com
Back in August, I reviewed another Stan Lee biography, A Marvelous Life. I thought it was good, but still left me wanting to know more. When NetGalley offered me Stan Lee: A Life in Comics, I jumped at the chance. All opinions in this review are my own.
From the publisher:
This illuminating biography focuses as much on Lee’s ideas as it does on his unlikely rise to stardom. It surveys his cultural and religious upbringing and draws surprising connections between celebrated comic book heroes and the ancient tales of the Bible, the Talmud, and Jewish mysticism. Was Spider-Man just a reincarnation of Cain? Is the Incredible Hulk simply Adam by another name? From close readings of Lee’s work to little-known anecdotes from Marvel’s history, the book paints a portrait of Lee that goes much deeper than one of his signature onscreen cameos.
About Jewish Lives:
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.
Stan Lee: A Life in Comics is part of the Jewish Lives series. While Lee’s Marvel characters are explored, they are compared and contrasted with the tenants of Jewish faith. During the early days of comic books, the majority of artists, inkers and writers were Jewish. Why? Because they couldn’t get a job in advertising or marketing or newspapers because of discrimination. “We couldn’t get into newspaper strips or advertising,” Al Jaffee recalled (he would later find fame with MAD magazine. “Ad agencies wouldn’t hire a Jew. One of the reasons Jews drifted into the comic-book business is that most of the comic-book publishers were Jewish. So there was no discrimination there.”
Stan Lee refused to talk much about his faith or how it shaped him and the characters he created. When asked about it, he talked in circles. He once told a radio reporter during an interview “You know, I have no idea. I never really thought of it. It is strange when you mention it that the best-known characters were done by Jewish writers.”
For example, Lee himself attended DeWitt Clinton High School in New York. Two other Jewish students that were several years ahead of him were Will Eisner and Robert Kahn, who later changed his name to Bob Kane. Eisner and Kane were responsible for The Spirit, one of the most influential comics ever created, and Batman.
All one has to do is look over the Stan Lee creations to see that he thought differently than other comic book creators: Iron Man, Thor, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the X-Men. All his characters weren’t perfect like Superman, they all had flaws, and struggled with their abilities. Those struggles are what made Marvel Comics so important to teens and college-aged kids who were going through some of those same struggles.
One thing I appreciated in Stan Lee: A Life in Comics that was missing from A Marvelous Life was a little more detail about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning in 2008’s Iron Man, which I very much appreciated since I don’t actually read many comics.
Stan Lee was ahead of his time, until time caught up to him in the 1960’s. He wrote an editorial in November 1968 that could be used to describe culture in America today: “Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest of social ills plaguing the world today. But, unlike a team of costumed supervillains, they can’t be halted with a punch in the snoot, or a zap from a ray gun. The only way to destroy them is to expose them–to reveal them for the insidious evils they really are. The bigot is an unreasoning hater–one who hates blindly, fanatically, indiscriminately. If his hang-up is black men, he hates all black men. If a redhead once offended him, he hates all redheads. If some foreigner beat him to a job, he’d down on all foreigners. He hates people he’s never seen–people he’s never known–with equal intensity–with equal venom. Now, we’re not trying to say it’s unreasonable for one human being to bug another. But, although anyone has the right to dislike another individual, it’s totally irrational, patently insane to condemn an entire race–to despise an entire nation–to vilify an entire religion. Sooner or later, we must learn to judge each other on our own merits. Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance. For then, and only then, will we be truly worthy of the concept that man was created in the image of God–a God who calls us all–His children. Pax et Justitia, Stan.”
Stan Lee, you will be missed, but your legacy lives large in our society’s popular culture.
Back in August, I reviewed another Stan Lee biography, A Marvelous Life. I thought it was good, but still left me wanting to know more. When NetGalley offered me Stan Lee: A Life in Comics, I jumped at the chance. All opinions in this review are my own.
From the publisher:
This illuminating biography focuses as much on Lee’s ideas as it does on his unlikely rise to stardom. It surveys his cultural and religious upbringing and draws surprising connections between celebrated comic book heroes and the ancient tales of the Bible, the Talmud, and Jewish mysticism. Was Spider-Man just a reincarnation of Cain? Is the Incredible Hulk simply Adam by another name? From close readings of Lee’s work to little-known anecdotes from Marvel’s history, the book paints a portrait of Lee that goes much deeper than one of his signature onscreen cameos.
About Jewish Lives:
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.
Stan Lee: A Life in Comics is part of the Jewish Lives series. While Lee’s Marvel characters are explored, they are compared and contrasted with the tenants of Jewish faith. During the early days of comic books, the majority of artists, inkers and writers were Jewish. Why? Because they couldn’t get a job in advertising or marketing or newspapers because of discrimination. “We couldn’t get into newspaper strips or advertising,” Al Jaffee recalled (he would later find fame with MAD magazine. “Ad agencies wouldn’t hire a Jew. One of the reasons Jews drifted into the comic-book business is that most of the comic-book publishers were Jewish. So there was no discrimination there.”
Stan Lee refused to talk much about his faith or how it shaped him and the characters he created. When asked about it, he talked in circles. He once told a radio reporter during an interview “You know, I have no idea. I never really thought of it. It is strange when you mention it that the best-known characters were done by Jewish writers.”
For example, Lee himself attended DeWitt Clinton High School in New York. Two other Jewish students that were several years ahead of him were Will Eisner and Robert Kahn, who later changed his name to Bob Kane. Eisner and Kane were responsible for The Spirit, one of the most influential comics ever created, and Batman.
All one has to do is look over the Stan Lee creations to see that he thought differently than other comic book creators: Iron Man, Thor, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the X-Men. All his characters weren’t perfect like Superman, they all had flaws, and struggled with their abilities. Those struggles are what made Marvel Comics so important to teens and college-aged kids who were going through some of those same struggles.
One thing I appreciated in Stan Lee: A Life in Comics that was missing from A Marvelous Life was a little more detail about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning in 2008’s Iron Man, which I very much appreciated since I don’t actually read many comics.
Stan Lee was ahead of his time, until time caught up to him in the 1960’s. He wrote an editorial in November 1968 that could be used to describe culture in America today: “Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest of social ills plaguing the world today. But, unlike a team of costumed supervillains, they can’t be halted with a punch in the snoot, or a zap from a ray gun. The only way to destroy them is to expose them–to reveal them for the insidious evils they really are. The bigot is an unreasoning hater–one who hates blindly, fanatically, indiscriminately. If his hang-up is black men, he hates all black men. If a redhead once offended him, he hates all redheads. If some foreigner beat him to a job, he’d down on all foreigners. He hates people he’s never seen–people he’s never known–with equal intensity–with equal venom. Now, we’re not trying to say it’s unreasonable for one human being to bug another. But, although anyone has the right to dislike another individual, it’s totally irrational, patently insane to condemn an entire race–to despise an entire nation–to vilify an entire religion. Sooner or later, we must learn to judge each other on our own merits. Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance. For then, and only then, will we be truly worthy of the concept that man was created in the image of God–a God who calls us all–His children. Pax et Justitia, Stan.”
Stan Lee, you will be missed, but your legacy lives large in our society’s popular culture.
September 13, 2020
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Stan Lee: A Life in Comics by Liel Leibovitz is a short biography of one of the icons of American mythology. This book is part of the award winning Jewish Lives series.
This is a short biography on one of the most influential men in American pop-culture, and a true American success story. The book tries to tie Stan Lee’s stories and ideas to Jewish culture and Jewish religious book, some of the passages are a stretch, but all of them are interesting and show an understanding of the author of the characters he created.
Stan Lee: A Life in Comics by Liel Leibovitz tells of how a poor Jewish kid from The Bronx transformed himself to be the face of geek culture. As his fame grew, Stan Lee found himself being distanced further and further from the creative work which he found so fulfilling, ending up being a Marvel spokesman with very little control over the creative efforts.
Stan Lee loved being a spokesman, he loved interacting with his audience and went on a college tour. He hung out with his fans and tried to implement their ideas, and wishes, when he got back to Marvel’s creative team.
The book follows Stan Lee throughout his career, focusing on some of the biggest characters he created and how his and Jack Kirby’s poor background, and Jewish heritage might have influenced their inception. It’s important to note that this is all conjuncture by the author, Stan Lee have always been purposely ambiguous about these issues, mainly because he wanted fans to have their own ideas. I remember seeing him retelling the origin of Spiderman, ending it with “I told this story so often, one day it might actually be true”; telling the frustrated host “you want the truth or a good story?”
We all want a good story.
Some of the chapters tell of Stan Lee’s contribution to the character Captain American (a Jack Kirby creation) and his own creations of the Fantastic Four – Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), the Invisible Woman (Susan “Sue” Storm), the Human Torch (Johnny Storm),and the Thing (Ben Grimm) – the original X-Men with the civil rights counterparts (Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X), and Spiderman which, at the time, was the antithesis to everything which screamed “comic book hero”.
Marvel has been in decline (as a former share owner, I can still see my shares disappear), but when Disney bought the company it has a revival with Iron-Man (a second rate character in the comics), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe became one of the biggest grossing, if not the biggest, franchise in movie history. Stan Lee, of course, has become the cameo king of the movie world.
Stan Lee: A Life in Comics by Liel Leibovitz is a short biography of one of the icons of American mythology. This book is part of the award winning Jewish Lives series.
This is a short biography on one of the most influential men in American pop-culture, and a true American success story. The book tries to tie Stan Lee’s stories and ideas to Jewish culture and Jewish religious book, some of the passages are a stretch, but all of them are interesting and show an understanding of the author of the characters he created.
Stan Lee: A Life in Comics by Liel Leibovitz tells of how a poor Jewish kid from The Bronx transformed himself to be the face of geek culture. As his fame grew, Stan Lee found himself being distanced further and further from the creative work which he found so fulfilling, ending up being a Marvel spokesman with very little control over the creative efforts.
Stan Lee loved being a spokesman, he loved interacting with his audience and went on a college tour. He hung out with his fans and tried to implement their ideas, and wishes, when he got back to Marvel’s creative team.
The book follows Stan Lee throughout his career, focusing on some of the biggest characters he created and how his and Jack Kirby’s poor background, and Jewish heritage might have influenced their inception. It’s important to note that this is all conjuncture by the author, Stan Lee have always been purposely ambiguous about these issues, mainly because he wanted fans to have their own ideas. I remember seeing him retelling the origin of Spiderman, ending it with “I told this story so often, one day it might actually be true”; telling the frustrated host “you want the truth or a good story?”
We all want a good story.
Some of the chapters tell of Stan Lee’s contribution to the character Captain American (a Jack Kirby creation) and his own creations of the Fantastic Four – Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), the Invisible Woman (Susan “Sue” Storm), the Human Torch (Johnny Storm),and the Thing (Ben Grimm) – the original X-Men with the civil rights counterparts (Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X), and Spiderman which, at the time, was the antithesis to everything which screamed “comic book hero”.
Marvel has been in decline (as a former share owner, I can still see my shares disappear), but when Disney bought the company it has a revival with Iron-Man (a second rate character in the comics), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe became one of the biggest grossing, if not the biggest, franchise in movie history. Stan Lee, of course, has become the cameo king of the movie world.
March 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this book for its introspective into what made Stan Lee DIFFERENT in the comics industry post WW2. Much of the comics scene was stuffy and uninteresting because it was mostly just a tool of war propaganda, and as it began to rise in popularity and longevity, it demanded a rejuvenation into a legitimate form of entertainment.
Stan Lee used his Jewish identity and literary intelligence, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to integrate classical archetypes, current issues, and bible characters into his unique characters. Spiderman shared a similarity with Cain(with the famous idiom 'with great power comes great responsibility'), Hulk shared qualities of Adam(flipping between the Adam of Genesis chapter 1, and the Adam of chapter 2; Bruce Banner the scientist and the Hulk the naturalist), and the Fantastic Four having essences of tragic flaws. The Fantastic Four is one that really intrigued me, because there are aspects that especially differed from most superhero teams such as all the members arguing with each other all the time. The Thing and Mister Fantastic are completely different, and draw likeness to Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's personalities, which acts as brain versus brawn. The Thing is physically strong, reflecting Kirby's rough upbringing, while Mister Fantastic is mentally strong, reflecting Lee's intellectual motivations.
Honestly, I was amazed at how much Stan Lee actually contributed to the comic book industry in the 60's beyond just creating interesting and popular characters. His storytelling was what ELEVATED his characters beyond the schlock that dominated the scene. It really shows how far substance counts over imagery, but Lee was incredibly lucky in his powerful partnership with artist Jack Kirby, which created a visual and literary force to be reckoned with. I loved this read and it made me respect Stan Lee and Jack Kirby more than before.
Stan Lee used his Jewish identity and literary intelligence, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to integrate classical archetypes, current issues, and bible characters into his unique characters. Spiderman shared a similarity with Cain(with the famous idiom 'with great power comes great responsibility'), Hulk shared qualities of Adam(flipping between the Adam of Genesis chapter 1, and the Adam of chapter 2; Bruce Banner the scientist and the Hulk the naturalist), and the Fantastic Four having essences of tragic flaws. The Fantastic Four is one that really intrigued me, because there are aspects that especially differed from most superhero teams such as all the members arguing with each other all the time. The Thing and Mister Fantastic are completely different, and draw likeness to Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's personalities, which acts as brain versus brawn. The Thing is physically strong, reflecting Kirby's rough upbringing, while Mister Fantastic is mentally strong, reflecting Lee's intellectual motivations.
Honestly, I was amazed at how much Stan Lee actually contributed to the comic book industry in the 60's beyond just creating interesting and popular characters. His storytelling was what ELEVATED his characters beyond the schlock that dominated the scene. It really shows how far substance counts over imagery, but Lee was incredibly lucky in his powerful partnership with artist Jack Kirby, which created a visual and literary force to be reckoned with. I loved this read and it made me respect Stan Lee and Jack Kirby more than before.
September 23, 2020
I was prompted to read this after rereading the Pulitzer prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. After reading this, it is quite clear how much Michael Chabon based the career of his character of Sam Clay on the life of Stan Lee. This book is for people like me who are genuinely interested in the origins and development of comic books. I entered into the readership of comic books a little later than the beginning of the renaissance of comic books after the destruction of the "Golden Age" spurred by Fredric Werthem, when Marvel titles were already a going concern. So I missed the excitement that surrounded the debut of titles such as the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, the X-Men. What this book did was to bring to me the excitement & creative energy that was bubbling through that period in Marvel Comics, particularly as sparked by Stan Lee.
In addition to this history lesson, however, the author brings his insights into the Jewish components of Marvel superheroes. It's no secret that the formative days of comic books were dominated by Jews, from the publishers, to the writers and artists, colorers, inkers, right down to the errand boys. Leibovitz discusses the psychological aspects of why Jews, especially 1st generation Americans in the war and early post-war period would be drawn to an art-form that created powerful protectors. But he goes beyond that to analyze many of the characters in terms of Biblical or Jewish folklore background. Benjamin Grimm and Reed Richards are the Golem and a dybbuk respectively. Spiderman is Cain, who by failing to protect 1 man causes his uncle's death. While I'm not sure that I buy into all his interpretations, there is no doubt that comic book superheroes are rife with images of Jewish history and folklore and it is interesting to see it examined in that way.
In addition to this history lesson, however, the author brings his insights into the Jewish components of Marvel superheroes. It's no secret that the formative days of comic books were dominated by Jews, from the publishers, to the writers and artists, colorers, inkers, right down to the errand boys. Leibovitz discusses the psychological aspects of why Jews, especially 1st generation Americans in the war and early post-war period would be drawn to an art-form that created powerful protectors. But he goes beyond that to analyze many of the characters in terms of Biblical or Jewish folklore background. Benjamin Grimm and Reed Richards are the Golem and a dybbuk respectively. Spiderman is Cain, who by failing to protect 1 man causes his uncle's death. While I'm not sure that I buy into all his interpretations, there is no doubt that comic book superheroes are rife with images of Jewish history and folklore and it is interesting to see it examined in that way.
January 25, 2021
*DISCLAIMER*
I owned one Dick Tracy comic in middle school and I find the MCU largely unwatchable. I’m also a spiritual atheist.
*DISCLAIMER*
If you’re a Marvel/Stan Lee fan, I suspect you will already be aware of a lot of what’s presented (biographically) in A Life in Comics. It was all new, often fascinating information for me.
This book’s purpose is to connect the mythologies presented by Stan Lee to Jewish teachings and history. The book does a fine job of making these connections and pointing out parallels. Correlation is not causality and the author isn’t saying Stan Lee was trying to secretly immerse the unsuspecting public in Judaism.
More accurately, Liel Leibovitz is showing that the teachings and ideals of Judaism are timeless and urging us to rely on each other in community. The points are well supported and, were I not already in agreement, I might be swayed.
The main detractor from this book is its lack of pictures. I have to assume it’s not an authorized biography and is thus not blessed with access to private or copyrighted material. The text makes so much of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s looks and has these wonderfully tantalizing descriptions of Jack Kirby (and others) artwork, but no insert of glossy photos in the center of the book. Comics fans probably know what all that actually looks like and wouldn’t need a bunch of photos. That ain’t me tho. While I recognize that wasn’t even remotely the point of the book, I still want it.
Sidekick detractor: not very exciting. It easy a short, easy-to-digest relaying of facts - both comically historic and Jewishly so. It reads like a long article.
I owned one Dick Tracy comic in middle school and I find the MCU largely unwatchable. I’m also a spiritual atheist.
*DISCLAIMER*
If you’re a Marvel/Stan Lee fan, I suspect you will already be aware of a lot of what’s presented (biographically) in A Life in Comics. It was all new, often fascinating information for me.
This book’s purpose is to connect the mythologies presented by Stan Lee to Jewish teachings and history. The book does a fine job of making these connections and pointing out parallels. Correlation is not causality and the author isn’t saying Stan Lee was trying to secretly immerse the unsuspecting public in Judaism.
More accurately, Liel Leibovitz is showing that the teachings and ideals of Judaism are timeless and urging us to rely on each other in community. The points are well supported and, were I not already in agreement, I might be swayed.
The main detractor from this book is its lack of pictures. I have to assume it’s not an authorized biography and is thus not blessed with access to private or copyrighted material. The text makes so much of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s looks and has these wonderfully tantalizing descriptions of Jack Kirby (and others) artwork, but no insert of glossy photos in the center of the book. Comics fans probably know what all that actually looks like and wouldn’t need a bunch of photos. That ain’t me tho. While I recognize that wasn’t even remotely the point of the book, I still want it.
Sidekick detractor: not very exciting. It easy a short, easy-to-digest relaying of facts - both comically historic and Jewishly so. It reads like a long article.
February 26, 2022
This was a rare foray into non-fiction for me. Admittedly I probably would not read this book had my wife not gotten a free copy. But being a Stan Lee fan, I could not resist a read.
There is no shocking revelation or great criticism of Lee in this book. That’s not to say Lee lived his life free of controversy. However, most of what is discussed about Lee was probably already well-known to anyone who followed his life with any degree of reasonableness. In fact, this book seems to be a compilation of other books, stories and articles about Lee’s work and life.
That’s not to say that there’s nothing original in this book either. Probably what is most interesting is when the author compares the origins of certain Marvel characters and compares them to Jewish parables (intimating that perhaps Lee’s Jewish heritage helped fuel his ideas for story). Most work well, while others do not (like comparing Hulk to Adam).
There are other examples of how Judaism influence Lee and his works (I didn’t know Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, was Jewish) but one thing that stands out is the fact that Lee himself was not overtly religious and did not consider himself devout.
But given that this book is part of a “Jewish Live” series, the author probably had to put more weight on that aspect of Lee’s life than most authors would.
I can’t say I will be looking for other works by this author, but if he (or someone else) wished to expand on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and discuss parables (Jewish or otherwise) from whence such stories may be drawn, I would certainly be willing to give that a glance.
There is no shocking revelation or great criticism of Lee in this book. That’s not to say Lee lived his life free of controversy. However, most of what is discussed about Lee was probably already well-known to anyone who followed his life with any degree of reasonableness. In fact, this book seems to be a compilation of other books, stories and articles about Lee’s work and life.
That’s not to say that there’s nothing original in this book either. Probably what is most interesting is when the author compares the origins of certain Marvel characters and compares them to Jewish parables (intimating that perhaps Lee’s Jewish heritage helped fuel his ideas for story). Most work well, while others do not (like comparing Hulk to Adam).
There are other examples of how Judaism influence Lee and his works (I didn’t know Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, was Jewish) but one thing that stands out is the fact that Lee himself was not overtly religious and did not consider himself devout.
But given that this book is part of a “Jewish Live” series, the author probably had to put more weight on that aspect of Lee’s life than most authors would.
I can’t say I will be looking for other works by this author, but if he (or someone else) wished to expand on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and discuss parables (Jewish or otherwise) from whence such stories may be drawn, I would certainly be willing to give that a glance.
November 22, 2023
Для мене творчість Стена Лі відкрилась лише з переглядами фільмів, а лише потім відбулось занурення у всесвіт Марвел.
Я обожнюю його камео в фільмах, це така собі мила родзинка від творця.
Але фільмам передували комікси, а перед ними були пошуки. Пошуки себе, свого стилю і своїх, таких не схожих на класичних коміксових, персонажів.
Коли я брала до рук книгу, то вважала, що це буде біографія Стена, але насправді, це біографія в контексті творчості чи творчість в контексті життя та світосприйняття.
Кожен з етапів життя творця супроводжувався створенням різних персонажів зі своєю особливою філософією, дуже багато автор вкладав в них релігійних деталей та сенсів, але помітити це можна при більш дотошному розгляді, бо пересічний читач коміксів, який заглиблюється тільки в події, може не звернути уваги.
Але те, що персонажі Стена Лі особливі відчувається одразу.
Стенлі Мартін Лібер (справжнє ім'я) був непересічною людиною, він зміг з хлопчини, що носить каву стати редактором, а потім і сценаристом, видавцем та головним редактором коміксів великої компанії.
Він не просто вигадував персонажів та сюжети, він грав їх, застрибував на стіл, розмахував руками і емоційно пояснював що він бачить на тій чи іншій панелі коміксу...
Для когось він був диваком, але ж насправді й генієм 🔥
Моя книга, як видно з відео, вся в стікерах та маркері, який до речі закінчився швидше, ніж книга 🤣
Якщо ви цікавитесь коміксами, кіновсесвітом Марвел або просто хотіли б познайомитись з непересічною людиною через призму її творчості, то ця книга для вас.
Я обожнюю його камео в фільмах, це така собі мила родзинка від творця.
Але фільмам передували комікси, а перед ними були пошуки. Пошуки себе, свого стилю і своїх, таких не схожих на класичних коміксових, персонажів.
Коли я брала до рук книгу, то вважала, що це буде біографія Стена, але насправді, це біографія в контексті творчості чи творчість в контексті життя та світосприйняття.
Кожен з етапів життя творця супроводжувався створенням різних персонажів зі своєю особливою філософією, дуже багато автор вкладав в них релігійних деталей та сенсів, але помітити це можна при більш дотошному розгляді, бо пересічний читач коміксів, який заглиблюється тільки в події, може не звернути уваги.
Але те, що персонажі Стена Лі особливі відчувається одразу.
Стенлі Мартін Лібер (справжнє ім'я) був непересічною людиною, він зміг з хлопчини, що носить каву стати редактором, а потім і сценаристом, видавцем та головним редактором коміксів великої компанії.
Він не просто вигадував персонажів та сюжети, він грав їх, застрибував на стіл, розмахував руками і емоційно пояснював що він бачить на тій чи іншій панелі коміксу...
Для когось він був диваком, але ж насправді й генієм 🔥
Моя книга, як видно з відео, вся в стікерах та маркері, який до речі закінчився швидше, ніж книга 🤣
Якщо ви цікавитесь коміксами, кіновсесвітом Марвел або просто хотіли б познайомитись з непересічною людиною через призму її творчості, то ця книга для вас.
January 29, 2023
Stan Lee: A life in comics is part biography and part influence analysis. This book goes into the background of Stan Lee and his rise in the comic industry through many trials and tribulations. However, it concentrates more on an analysis of Stan's influences, specifically from his Jewish culture, for his characters and stories. It also delves into comparisons of biblical characters and situations that may have influenced his ideas. It also highlights that there is a lot in the history of Stan and his comics that have been lost in time, with different details, often from Stan himself, of how things happened. This book highlights some of the strained relationships between writer and artist with Stan's growing position in the company but also highlights the great things that came out of what could be said to be "strained" relationships. I did like the way that the chapters were broken down so that you get a chapter looking at the Fantastic Four and what led to their creation, then the Hulk, with Spiderman and the X-men getting their own chapters and one also for the Silver Surfer and Galactus.
So as a biography it kind of works, as an analysis of Stan's influences it may also work, but as a whole although I enjoyed it, I find myself wanting to know more.
So as a biography it kind of works, as an analysis of Stan's influences it may also work, but as a whole although I enjoyed it, I find myself wanting to know more.
August 21, 2025
Непогана біографія насправді, лаконічна і легко написана. Ви не зможете в подробицях дізнатись з неї про увесь життєвий та творчий шлях Стена Лі, який був довгим і насиченим. Але книга чудово розказує про найважливіші для його творчості періоди (коли він тільки прийшов в індустрію, як розвивались мальописи після другої світової, про реакцію мальописного мистецтва соціальний бум 60-их тощо) та дозволяє зрозуміти, що це в принципі була за людина, серед іншого і через численні ним же створені містифікації.
Але були й мінуси. Мені особисто дуже не вистачило ілюстративного матеріалу. Я люблю, коли в біографіях багато фотографій, скани якихось особистих документів та листів, у випадку зі Стеном Лі хотілося б бачити і обкладинки перших випусків коміксів про найбільш знакових героїв, можливо деякі панелі (скажімо, це було б доречно там, де автор розповідав про унікальний стиль Джека Кірбі) та постери до екранізацій.
Також тут сильно акцентується на єврейському походженні Лі та алюзіях на юдейські міфи в його сюжетах. Це може бути для когось мінусом, але для мене питання відпали, коли я дізналась, що в оригіналі книга вийшла в видавництві Єльського університету в серії Jewish Lives, що присвячена біографіям видатних євреїв.
Тому ставлю книзі тверду четвірку.
Але були й мінуси. Мені особисто дуже не вистачило ілюстративного матеріалу. Я люблю, коли в біографіях багато фотографій, скани якихось особистих документів та листів, у випадку зі Стеном Лі хотілося б бачити і обкладинки перших випусків коміксів про найбільш знакових героїв, можливо деякі панелі (скажімо, це було б доречно там, де автор розповідав про унікальний стиль Джека Кірбі) та постери до екранізацій.
Також тут сильно акцентується на єврейському походженні Лі та алюзіях на юдейські міфи в його сюжетах. Це може бути для когось мінусом, але для мене питання відпали, коли я дізналась, що в оригіналі книга вийшла в видавництві Єльського університету в серії Jewish Lives, що присвячена біографіям видатних євреїв.
Тому ставлю книзі тверду четвірку.
May 7, 2023
A botched treatment of a fascinating subject. "A meditation on the deeply Jewish and surprisingly spiritual roots of Stan Lee" indeed. The author is so determined to argue that Stan Lee drew his creative inspiration from places like the Talmud that he completely misses Lee's real sources like pulp mags (The Spider), radio serials (Chandu the Magician), Shakespeare, etc.
There's no question that Lee's work is shot through with the energy of his New York Jewish roots, but Leibovitz's attempts to connect it all to Jewish theology is really wide of the mark. There are many better books about Lee and other comic book innovators with Jewish ancestry such as Jack Kirby, Gene Colan, Will Eisner, Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. There's an interesting work waiting to be written about why American comic books were so greatly steered by talents like theirs, but this poorly researched little volume isn't it.
There's no question that Lee's work is shot through with the energy of his New York Jewish roots, but Leibovitz's attempts to connect it all to Jewish theology is really wide of the mark. There are many better books about Lee and other comic book innovators with Jewish ancestry such as Jack Kirby, Gene Colan, Will Eisner, Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. There's an interesting work waiting to be written about why American comic books were so greatly steered by talents like theirs, but this poorly researched little volume isn't it.
January 5, 2025
Learning about Stan Lee, along with the history of multiple other comic writers was definitely interesting. I learned so much in the beginning of the book that I didn't know about Marvel Comics and Stan Lee himself but I really felt that the further you got into the book, the more it became about every other comic writer, the author mentioning D.C. comics more than anything. I understand D.C. was very innovative in the comic genre in the very beginning but I really wanted to hear more about Marvel and Stan Lee from the beginning. I did appreciate learning about the Jewish community and how the comic book characters that I know and love were inspired by true events like the war but I also felt like it was something that I could have also read on Wikipedia. For any fans of Stan Lee or Marvel, I'd recommend, but be prepared for quite a bit of filler.
Thank you to Netgalley and Yale University Press for this eARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and Yale University Press for this eARC.
October 4, 2020
Thank you NetGalley for the ARD.
This is a fascinating read for not just Marvel fans but comic fans in general and those who like to find out more of such a greate character. A look at Stan Lee's life with a view of how his Jewish faith had a heavy influenence on his storytelling which resulted in a deeply satisfying read.
Lee is shown as being a showman with a mind that appears to have contributed an exceptional amount to mogern culture today. There are also some great stories of how Lee helped combat VD for soldiers in the second world war!
GIve this realtively short book a read and you can thank me later.
This is a fascinating read for not just Marvel fans but comic fans in general and those who like to find out more of such a greate character. A look at Stan Lee's life with a view of how his Jewish faith had a heavy influenence on his storytelling which resulted in a deeply satisfying read.
Lee is shown as being a showman with a mind that appears to have contributed an exceptional amount to mogern culture today. There are also some great stories of how Lee helped combat VD for soldiers in the second world war!
GIve this realtively short book a read and you can thank me later.
October 7, 2020
This was a great biography of Stan Lee. It was a very engaging journey through Stan Lee's life as it paralleled the change in the country's dynamics. I wish I grew up with comic books and graphic novels, instead of finding them later in life. It showed Stan Lee as a genius who wasn't without his flaws, which made the bio even more engaging. Part of me would enjoy the book even more without the comparison of the comic books to Catholic and Jewish mythology. I almost wanted to keep the mystery of each character or story line and maintain my own interpretation of his and his collaborators' characters. A very fitting and well done ending. Thanks Netgalley!
January 11, 2022
This book was incredibly enticing. While it wasn’t thrilling or otherwise like the books I usually read, this biography was incredibly informative and fascinating. Told through a Jewish perspective, the biography illustrates the smallest details of Lee’s work, as well as the overarching worldviews reflected by his stories. Though the information started narrow towards the beginning, the end pulled through with a lovely commentary on human division, but how-as shown through Stan Lee’s stories-we can all work together for greater purposes.
Really a 4.5 ⭐️ book. I highly recommend.
Really a 4.5 ⭐️ book. I highly recommend.
January 31, 2021
I got this book as a PJ Library parent gift. I’ve never been into comic books or the characters, but I’ve heard enough about Stan Lee and his creations to be interested.
The history was interesting and the connections to Jewish culture and philosophy added depth to the stories described, though occasionally the connections seemed a bit of a stretch.
The flow was disjointed in places - could have used better editing.
The history was interesting and the connections to Jewish culture and philosophy added depth to the stories described, though occasionally the connections seemed a bit of a stretch.
The flow was disjointed in places - could have used better editing.
July 19, 2021
Vaguely interesting look at Stan Lee’s life. While I enjoyed reading some of the author’s analysis of Lee’s artistic choices and their connections to Judaism, I doubt that they were intentional, as every account of his life emphasizes that he was not a very well-versed Jew. As such, some of the analysis was a little over wrought and slow. In contrast, the speed really picked up at the end in a confusing twist. I’m glad I read it, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
October 3, 2020
There was so much to this book which went beyond the average biography. Yes, it covered key events in Lee’s life and his works, but the analysis of his spirituality and how it influenced his art was something I had not anticipated and which gave considerable depth to the account. A must read for Marvel fans.
August 8, 2020
This is a short bio of 179 p. focused on Stan Lee's comic book characters and how they represent retellings of biblical characters and stories. Basically how Judaism influenced his work. It was a good read.
August 31, 2020
I was really hoping this would be more about Stan Lee’s life and how he became who he was. Granted it did have some of this information but instead it was more like a imdb for everything ever done by Lee with a brief description. It was a little monotonous for someone who doesn’t love comics. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 28, 2021
Excellent read looking at how Stan Lee changed the comic industry creating a mythology for the modern world!! What is really fascinating is seeing it's development over the course of almost a century and what it has meant to people at different times.
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