Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics ([Marvel comics)
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Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics ([Marvel comics) Details
From Publishers Weekly The strongest impression one gets from this commemorative album is of the extraordinary skill with which Marvel Comics has hopped on the bandwagon throughout its 50-plus-year history. Timley Publications (Marvel's original name) started publishing superhero comics after Superman and Batman became prominent in the late 1930s (and stopped when the genre lost popularity after WW II), and romance and horror comics after competitors Prize Publications and EC Comics, respectively, popularized those genres in the late 1940s/early 1950s. When DC Comics's Justice League of America repopularized super-heroes, Marvel inaugurated its famous line of superhero comics, starting with The Fantastic Four in 1961. Daniels ( Living in Fear: The History of Horror in the Mass Media ) lays to rest the myth that Marvel publisher Lee (whose introduction is written in hyperbolic, adjective- and alliteration-laden prose) was the sole creator of those 1960s superheroes, which was Marvel's position until others in the field pushed to give proper credit to the artists who worked with Lee, especially Jack Kirby. The book does a fine job of documenting Marvel's overlooked pre-1961 background and is beautifully illustrated. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more From Library Journal The old adage, the more things change the more they remain the same, holds true in the case of this retrospective piece. Fifty years as a comic book company is quite an accomplishment, but only when a certain level of growth can be demonstrated. Unfortunately, this book is 287 pages of stagnation. Marvel's formative years prove interesting and nostalgic, but 50 years later the company is still cranking out comics "the Marvel Way." This work falls short in its reference function of detailing Marvel's recent years due to the glutinous mass of material that would have to be collated--it would require a volume all its own. The book's strong point is the high-quality reproductions of comic book pages and covers. An optional purchase for area collections.- John S. Drew, Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more
Reviews
One of my favorite books as a kid, this has everything an 80s kid remembers fondly from Marvel, plus a gorgeously illustrated and curated history. I've given a few as gifts, they're great for any 9 to 90 year old boy.