I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed learning more about Stan lee. this was well written and easy to read.

I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be a well-balanced biography of a man who had a great impact on the world of comics, entertainment, and cinema in the 20th and early 21st century.

This biography looks not only at Stan Lee's life, but also at the history of Marvel and DC comics, as well as the broader socio-cultural context in which they thrived. Lee is often seen as being some sort of super genius, existing in a vacuum, and this biography doesn't fall into that trap. It presents Stan Lee as a man in his time, with both positive and negative qualities, existing alongside other people who had just as much of an impact of the development of superhero comics as him. Mackinder presents other viewpoints and opinions to key moments in Stan Lee's story, providing the reader with a more balanced view of what happened, even when the objective 'truth' will forever remain out of our reach.

Overall I thought this was a well researched, easy to read biography, although I felt like the tangents that were taken at times were not entirely necessary (especially the detail in which DC comics was discussed.) Still, a fascinating read.

this was a great biography on Stan Lee, it had information that I hadn't heard before. The author did a great job in telling a story and keeping me invested in reading it.

I really wanted to like this book because I do love Stan Lee. I had a hard time reading this but I think it has to do with the format I was reading. I will have to pick it up again once I get a physical copy. Hopefully I can pick it up again very very soon

This book was fascinating and eye opening to a world of Stan Lee that I hadn’t known existed, despite being a huge marvel fan for years.

It was so comprehensive and would make the perfect gift for a Stan Lee/Marvel fan.

I really enjoyed this look at Stan Lee's life and history, including the development of Marvel Comics and its rival DC Comics. It was fun to read about the history of those early Action comics, Crime comics, etc. and how those grew into multi-million dollar operations. And I loved learning Stan Lee's birth name was Stan Leiber.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. You can find a link to my Goodreads Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3930471387

Princess Fuzzypants here: Written by an unabashed fan of the Marvel Universe both printed and filmed, this biography is an honest but loving look at the man who, more than anyone else, was at the heart of this world. He was a man who could be simple and complex at the same time. He had a driving force that at times steamrollered over his co-creators but he could also be generous and kind. In the dichotomy that was Stan Lee one thing never wavered- his passion and his vision for what would change the world of comics.

You would not need to be a fan of Marvel to enjoy the story of his life, filled with ups and downs. No matter how far down he went, he could bounce back. It makes some of the problems he had at the end of his life even more tragic. But he should be remembered for what he achieved. He took the superhero and made him human with all the angst and issues of regular folk. He put witty dialogue into their mouths and he made something that once had been for children only into something young and old alike could love.

While he did not invent any remarkable life saving drug or solve the problems of the world, he did something equally fine. He entertained. “Nuff said.”.

Five purrs and two paws up.

I really struggled to read this book. Though some parts were interesting it just didn't completely hold my interest. Unfortunately I couldn't finish it.

I still remember picking up my first Avengers comic book in a WHSmith’s store in Hounslow as I was waiting for M&S to finish their delivery of packed bread to come on to the shop floor on a Saturday afternoon and that is how I got into comics Marvel, DC, Warhammer, Vertigo to loaning them out of my local libraries, lounging through Forbidden Planet - https://forbiddenplanet.com/ looking at X-Men, Deadpool, Avengers, and other Marvel Comics to even missing the chance of meeting Stan Lee at London Film & Comic-Con.

Everyone remembers the Marvel legend from his cameo’s in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) but no one knew his life before Marvel Comics directly from Excelsior himself, which also includes a list of artists he has worked with such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko. Thank you so much Netgalley for sharing this biography of a legend. To everyone including you all Marvel fans out there please do check this book out.

I was not such a fan of this book. I felt that it went in depth enough, but it went on a lot of seemingly unimportant tangents. It was not my kind of read (as someone who does not care much for Marvel or Stan Lee). I usually enjoy biographies and memoirs, but this wasn't my kind of writing nor topic.

Adrian Mackinder's book examines the question - Who is Stan Lee -- the enigmatic yet larger-than-life persona who shows up in Marvel movies like cameos by Alfred Hitchcock. Did Stan Lee get more credit for the Marvel empire than was deserved? What I liked about this book, is it allowed for multiple explanations and gave Stan Lee credit while also highlighting other key people who were overlooked or left Marvel disenchanted, who helped build Marvel through the years. He starts with Stan's origin story like any superhero story and this was helpful as a foundation. He ends with some of the scandal and lawsuits up to the time of Stan's death at age 96.

I appreciated the author's cheeky asides which brought levity to this subject. This is not your typical biography and as a reader of many biographies, I appreciated a different approach. as many biographies start to feel very dry and formulaic -- which this was not.

I am a more recent fan of Marvel (I collected comics as a kid) -- which he talks about like the Beanie Baby Craze. We had pristine copies in wrappers that ended up losing value. I more recently became a huge fan of MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) with my son and always looked forward to the aforementioned cameo by Stan in each of the movies.

Definitely an enjoyable read! I recommend this book.

Thank you for the chance to read this book in exchange for honest feedback. I approached this request as someone who doesn't know much about the subject, Stan Lee. I knew why he was famous and some of his work. I think this perspective can offer some insight on how informative this book is. First, I will say that I think I learned enough to have some foundation in Lee's work and inspirations. Secondly, I think that this book was written in a good way, although some tangential information did feel a bit off beat. At the same time, I think this was good enough for a beginner to the subject matter and probably would be a fun read for a fan as well.

I really struggled with this book as it seemed to always go off on tangents and with other information which I felt wasn't neccessary for this book. Not only this but it seemed more like I was reading about DC Comics for most of this rather than Marvel and I think as a general overview of comics this would be a good book but it just wasn't what I signed up for.

Some parts of this though I did find really interesting though and really enjoyed the poem by Stan Lee at the back which I think is really sweet.

Subtitle: How Marvel Changed the World

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

While it is ostensibly a biography of Stan Lee, this book can also be seen as a biography of sorts for Marvel Comics from its earliest days as a pulp publisher to its current existence as a multimedia empire and dominant player in the entertainment industry.


I have read at least one other Stan Lee biography, so a lot of the biographical material about him wasn’t new to me. One thing that did stick out though, was that during World War II he was assigned to the Signal Corp, the group assigned with writing scripts for and producing training films and writing and designing posters and training manuals. Besides Lee, there were only eight other men in the entire military who had the same occupational specialty classification – they included Oscar-winning director Frank Capra, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright William Saroyan, the screenwriters who eventually went on the create Charlies’ Angels, cartoonist and creator of The Addams Family Charles Addams, and Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel. Many of these same people spent much of their time working in the same location in Astoria, New York. After reading this, I’m still wondering how nobody has made a movie about this yet. The last half of the book spent much more time examining the many trials and triumphs of Marvel as they experienced bankruptcy and failed television/film efforts in the 1990s on their way to creating the Marvel Cinematic Universe of today.

I gave Stan Lee five stars on Goodreads. The book points out that much of what we know about Stan Lee came from Stan Lee himself, and others who worked with him (i.e. Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko) told versions of various events that differed greatly from Lee’s version. This book was honest enough to point out those differences and examine both sides of those issues.

There have been no shortage of biographies of Stan Lee since his death in 2018; as Adrian Mackinder here notes, the man's ego and influence mean there's plenty of source material. Mackinder tries to make his stand out by putting Lee's life and work in a broader cultural context.

The result is a breezy, informative little book covers the major events of Lee's life, the broad sweep of Marvel's successes and failures, and the socio-cultural-economic waves that carried them both along. Mackinder does a good job of sifting the various controversies (if he often fails to draw a conclusion, he at least lays out the parties' cases and identifies any obvious untruths) and explaining why Lee and Marvel were so successful.

Stan Lee: How Marvel Changed the World is good little precis, written in an open, informed and light manner that should exclude no one. How fitting.

This book definitely was out of my wheelhouse, but I have watched all the Marvel cartoons not only with my son, but my husband as well! I personally have grown to love the movies and love the women characters.
The women are no longer put off to the side as just damsels in distress, but Stan Lee made them be actual SuperHeroes!
The book is full of facts of who came up with what concept and who penciled what drawing, but the basic fact is that Stan Lee was the face of Marvel and he did do some of the writing and drawing.

I thought at first I wasn’t going to make it through the book, but stick with it because it gets more interesting and I wanted to know more about what drove him to be that face!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Thanks to NetGalley and White Owl for the digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I am not an avid comics reader, but I am familiar with some of Marvel's characters, because of cartoons and, of course, the MCU. I didn't know much about Stan Lee before reading this, besides the fact that he played a very important part in creating many famous characters. Thus, I decided to read this book to learn more about his life.

It is a perfect book for casual fans or curious people like me, it is short, and it shows a lot of Marvel and comic books history, focusing on Stan Lee. Going in I thought it would focus more on his life in general, not necessarily so much on his work only, but it was fine by me. It covers briefly his early life, how he got to Marvel, and what happen to Marvel from then to today, including comic books, cartoons and movies. If you are already know a lot about comic book history, this might not bring a lot of new information, but it is a fun read.

I would love to see some pictures in the book, but otherwise I definitely recommend the read if you are interested in comic books and Stan Lee.

My thanks to both NetGalley and Pen & Sword for an advanced copy of this biography.

The Stan Lee as shown in Stan Lee: How Marvel Changed The World by Adrian Mackinder is as complex, interesting and retconned as most of the characters Stan created in his 70 plus years as the center of the Marvel Universe. What truly comes across in any biography of the Marvel Master is that the role of Stan Lee was the greatest origin story he ever created. Always bigger, brighter, and stronger than anyone around him. Not that he was a bad man, but a man who demanded the most from himself, even if it cost him professional and personal relationships to fall to the wayside.

This is a good overview, not too in depth, and not with the sadness that seemed to underlie Abraham Reisman's True Believer biography. The stories are there, but so is the fact that Stan brought so much joy and happiness with his stories, not matter who created what or designed who. I am a proud Marvel Zombie from when I first began to read and enjoyed this book, especially the overview of the comic market from Stan Lee's start to career and life end. Stan Lee might not have been the man he portrayed, but I owe him many thanks for the for what he had a hand in creating.

On Stan Lee and the whole damn Marvel thing...Stan Lee and his contribution from his teens to his death just three years ago to this Marvel-lous legacy and much, much more.

To many, Stan Lee was the elderly, enigmatic, spectacled gent that appeared in many film cameos in the Marvel movies. His countless appearances were then seen in these comic book themed films after this film genre made a return to the cinema screen with Iron Man (2008). But this was not the start of his story and 10 years later, he would pass away leaving a highly successful comic book film interconnected universe with even more to come.

Who was Stan Lee?  When did his life in comic books begin? What was his contribution to Marvel? What made the superheroes he created more human? These and other questions needed answers, especially with a stepdude who is obsessed with anything and everything superheroes. If you call Hawkeye, "the dude with the bow and arrow" it doesn't really get you Brownie points. Really it doesn't.

After seeing Adrian Mackinder's attractive cartoon themed book cover and the title of Stan Lee How Marvel Changed The World, I was hooked immediately. Mackinder's book was discovered to be a warm and affectionate tribute to all things Marvel, comic books and Stan Lee. In his passionate and engaging book, you can tell this is a subject he adores.

Mackinder's enthusiasm for these subjects is felt in every page of the sixteen chapters and 171 pages (not counting his references). The chapters in this book have inviting titles such as Worlds of Pure Imagination, The Oldest Paperboy in Town and The Heroes We Need. All the chapters of this book blend the then historical events, the history of comic books and Stan's life over the many, many decades he worked in this industry.

As you'll discover the loyal Lee, was always the one "constant" in the Marvel story. Mackinder writes about Lee's contributions from when he joined the comic book industry in the mid-1930s until his death in his early nineties in 2018. The book tells of his triumphant moments, such as the rise of Marvel Studio's movies and his more challenging times when comic books were in decline and Marvel was in bankruptcy.

Often Mackinder tells about events where Stan Lee and his colleagues have different views on a  subject matter. These opposing versions of the truth add to the enigma that was Stan Lee. As Mackinder states many of these contributors to this overall story have passed away, and now we can never know the truth. However, Kinder explores all sides of the story. Mackinder relays them in a non-judgmental way, without taking anyone side and tells their unique story.

This author doesn't debunk the myths that surround this enigmatic creator but shares a more rounded story of the sometimes conflicting truths. In his well-researched book, Mackinder's supports his writing by adding information gleaned from Stan Lee's recorded interviews, conversations from those who worked with Stan Lee, the abundant literature around this subject and Stan Lee's autobiographies.

This book examines how Marvel became the most "successful franchise of all the time". Mackinder argues for all of us, that Marvel made us care about their superheroes, by telling us where came from before they became who "they were destined to be" in their richly told origin stories. Their stories also often brought in other members of the Marvel universe. These characters were often seen in those wonderful after the credits scenes in Marvel films.

Mackinder describes the story of Lee's life as "the embodiment of the American dream". Lee's origin story began in 1922, as the New York born son of a Romanian Jewish immigrant and a Romanian Jewish American. Young Stanley had few friends and escaped into his imagination in books, the radio, theatre and later films. Mackinder believes these early influences helped Lee when he later creating stories for his comic book superheroes.

Lee became a professional writer in his teens and in 1935, it was the "dawn of the Golden Age of Comics". Timely comics creator Martin Goodman had married Lee's cousin. Mackinder leaves it open if you believe if it was nepotism or talent that got Stan a job at Timely comics in this decade. His early days with this company were as an office junior of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. In time he became their proofreader and he reinvented himself, with the pen name, Stan Lee.

By chance, Lee was asked to write a story about Captain America. Here he showed himself as a natural and gifted storyteller. In 1941, Kirby and Simon were fired from their jobs, and the reasons for this are conflicting when told by the parties involved. Also, it is unclear what was Stan Lee's part in this event. Mackinder shares their views about the possible reasons for this.

Shortly after this, Lee handed in his notice at work and signed up to the US military where he worked on the Signal Corps during World War II. Mackinder writes a detailed account of those wartimes, telling of the history and significant people in Lee's life.

After leaving the army, he returned to the comic book industry. Lee met his wife Joan in 1947, and he was married to her for nearly 60 years. The couple had one daughter and sadly a still born daughter who passed away after a few days of life.

Over the following decades, Lee changed his comic book plots accordingly to the times he was living in. Lee also gave his superheroes vulnerabilities and these made them more human. These human traits are believed by MacKinder to be part of Lee's strengths in his storytelling of these heroes, and this skill is reaffirmed throughout their character descriptions.

Mackinder recounts the changing emphasis on comic books and makes it relevant telling of Lee's then contributions. For example during World War II, I learned that Lee invented a character and created fun posters to be used as training aids for the troops. His comic book characters fought the then enemies of the day. Mackinder gives vivid descriptions of the plots of those comic books he created, that will have every Marvel fan breaking open their piggy bank to spend their savings on those titles.

This book tells of Lee's meteoric rise through the ranks of the comic book industry and of the history of his position at Marvel. It tells of the influence of Lee's wife -  as his support for nearly sixty years -and you'll recognise the names of key illustrators, prolific writers and comic book superheroes over the decades. Mackinder engages the reader with interesting and often surprising facts, these make it a must-have book for any superhero fan, or for their (step)mother.

The book tells how the rise of television influenced his work, and to my joy, MacKinder described those Marvel's television shows from the seventies that I watched as a kid. It ends as it tells of his part in the still ongoing film franchise.

In his prologue, Mackinder set out "to expose the man behind the mask" and he does this fantastically in this engaging read. Mackinder suggested that "Stan Lee" a creation of his outward self, and that the real man with the intensely private alter ego was Stanley Lieber. This suggests, that perhaps Lee is like a Marvel superhero himself. Nuff said.

This was okay but it really didn't offer me as much as what I wanted. I think he was an interesting person but the story that this book told just didn't show enough of what I wanted

I wanted more about his abilities and what made him so special. As a former comic book addict especially if Marvel I wanted to hear stories about him and other greats of the industry.