Marvel Comics：The Untold Story

Anunvarnished,unauthorized,behind-the-scenesaccountofoneofthemostdominantpopculturalforcesincontemporaryAmerica.OperatingoutofatinyofficeonMadisonAvenueintheearly1960s,astrugglingcompanycalledMarvelComicspresentedacastofbrightlycostumedcharactersdistinguishedbysmartbanterandcompellinglyhumanflaws.Spider-Man,theFantasticFour,CaptainAmerica,theIncredibleHulk,theAvengers,IronMan,Thor,theX-Men,Daredevil—thesesuperheroesquicklywonchildren'sheartsandsparkedtheimaginationsofpopartists,publicintellectuals,andcampusradicals.Overthecourseofahalfcentury,Marvel'sepicuniversewouldbecomethemostelaboratefictionalnarrativeinhistoryandserveasamodernAmericanmythologyformillionsofreaders.Throughoutthisdecades-longjourneytobecomingamultibillion-dollarenterprise,Marvel'sidentityhascontinuallyshifted,careeningbetweenscrappyunderdogandcorporatebehemoth.AsthecompanyhasweatheredWallStreetmachinations,Hollywoodfailures,andthecollapseofthecomicbookmarket,itscharactershavebeenpassedalongamonggenerationsofeditors,artists,andwriters—alsoknownasthecelebratedMarvel"Bullpen."Entrustedtocarryontradition,Marvel'scontributors—impoverishedchildprodigies,hallucinatingpeaceniks,andmercenarycareeristsamongthem—struggledwithcommercialmandates,afickleaudience,and,overmattersofcreditandcontrol,oneanother.Forthefirsttime,MarvelComicsrevealstheoutsizedpersonalitiesbehindthescenes,includingMartinGoodman,theself-madepublisherwhoforayedintocomicsafteraget-rich-quicktipin1939;StanLee,theenergeticeditorwhowouldshepherdthecompanythroughthickandthinfordecades;andJackKirby,theWorldWarIIveteranwho'dco-createdCaptainAmericain1940and,twentyyearslater,developedwithLeethebulkofthecompany'smarqueecharactersinathree-yearfrenzyofcreativitythatwouldbethegroundsforfuturelegalbattlesandendlessdebates.DrawingonmorethanonehundredoriginalinterviewswithMarvelinsidersthenandnow,MarvelComicsisastoryoffertileimaginations,lifelongfriendships,action-packedfistfights,reformedcriminals,unlikelyalliances,andthird-actbetrayals—anarrativeofoneofthemostextraordinary,beloved,andbeleagueredpopculturalentitiesinAmerica'shistory.