Marvel Comics originated in 1939, when publisher Marvin Goodman reluctantly expanded his pulp magazine business into the new field of comic books. But the brand didn't really take off until 1961, when writer Stan Lee and artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko helped create Marvel's most well-known characters. In this in-depth, meticulously researched, and "scintillating history" (Publishers Weekly), Entertainment Weekly editor Sean Howe delves into the tangled and contentious personal relationships among Marvel's talented stable of editors, writers, and artists; also taking center stage are their creations, like golden-boy Captain America and lovable (if nerdy) Spiderman. Fans who can't get enough may also want to try Blake Bell's equally dishy The Secret History of Marvel Comics. Popular Culture newsletter March 2013.

I have no illusions as a comic book reader about how the sausage is made, or how the business has changed, but after a couple hundred pages of this book, I just could not care anymore. The revolving door to Marvel's "bullpen" and the endless divisiveness just keeps on keepin' on, with the same people having the same arguments over the same issues. leaving in a huff and coming back to repeat the story, decade after decade. Howe does a good enough job with mind numbing material. I would have liked a few more date references and a little more clarification as to who was where doing what to whom, but it's a confusing and repetitive saga to tell.

A wonderful peak behind the curtain of the house of ideas that shines a light on what a nest of vipers it really was. The divisive attitudes that were apparently prevalent in Marvel's heyday provide allusions to the atmosphere of modern investment banking. A terrific history of the company that is largely responsible for our modern mythos.