Why Stan Lee Was The Most Important Writer for My Generation

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Yesterday the comic book legend Stan Lee died aged 95. Whilst he justly recognised as a legend in comic book circles perhaps what generations not born in the sixties and seventies understand is that he was the writer that for the most part made children (mainly let's face it boys) want to read.

I cannot speak for comics/graphic novels nowadays but in my experience they were the stepping stone for the love of books I hope I've reflected in this blog. Of course he had super heroes saving the world/galaxy/universe against [insert super villain here] but with the kapow came reality. He got make that mixture between fantasy and reality believable which DC Comics rarely reached.

Take, well everybody's chatting about Spiderman, so let's take Daredevil instead. The guy (Matt Murdock) is blind. Blind. If you see blind people in the media at that time the most they ever did was to speak wisely from a chair with dark glasses on. Not Daredevil though. He fights with his heightened other senses he gained with the accident he had as a child with a lorry carrying radioactive waste

That accident made him blind (reality) but gives him super powers (fantasy). So we the young readers are being introduced to the life of a blind man that doesn't patronise the man within (he is also a lawyer).

Now some of his creations were with artists/co-writers and the extent is a matter of debate and to be honest beyond my knowledge. But Stan Lee was also creator of The X-Men. Again it tapped a childhood feeling that you're different. As an only child I was used to being alone without other kids to play with for long spells as I didn't have a sister or brother. I was different in that regard I seem to remember in junior school. Being comfortable with being alone was considered odd. And yet there were the X-Men. Together because they were different. I could relate to that.

And the point is that you were inspired to explore the world of books as a whole. It gave you a confidence to read books without pictures in them.

When you hear about the decline of men reading books. Perhaps one of the reasons is that there does not seem to be a writer capable of bridging the gap between childhood and adult books on a regular basis that would appeal to boys (perhaps the only exception being J K Rowling).

So perhaps Stan Lee should be remembered not just for being a great comic book writer. But also being a writer whose creations inspired some people to write, but for most of us to explore and love the world of books as a whole.

Until the next time.

The Aquaman Experiment

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

You may remember during the summer when I took daughter to watch Ant Man 2 I as a bit of fun bought a hardback comic (I refuse to call them "graphic novels". I'm old) for my daughter and one for myself. Much to the contempt of the wife. Well now I've got round to reading it.

It was Aquaman. Volume four (Death Of A King) of a series but that didn't matter. I learnt as a child that for most series you can get stuck into the story no matter where you are. And that is the case here.

Apparently this was reviving the Aquaman brand. A task given to Geoff Johns.

This was to be then the first comic I'd read in well....decades.

With hindsight, and allowing for the fact that it was bought at a general discount bookstore not a comic book place, it was a mistake picking the man from Atlantis. I wasn't really enamoured with him as a child. I suspect subconsciously because I couldn't swim (and all of these years later I still can't). But I did want to pick a character I knew and the choice with that criterion wasn't great.

Having read it my views on the watery one hasn't changed. Whilst I might be jealous being able to swim underwater without a wetsuit and oxygen tanks and talk to sea animals does not a hero make. He's not Spiderman. He's not even The Flash.

If he swims underwater why does Aquaman never come out as if doing an impersonation of a dripping tap? Also that short blond hairstyle. Really? (Interestingly the Aquaman hairstyle from the forthcoming film, long and straggly, seems more reasonable).

The storyline (which I won't spoil) is certainly readable. The biggest irritation I had with it all though was with the artwork and colouring. The artwork because a lot of it appeared to me as if the artist was hoping some of the stills would appear in a gallery to I would such detail it detracted from the story.

Also the colouring seemed to be in a darker shade of gloom. Why? They weren't like when I was a lad. Even for Batman. Is that an appeal to adults thing? I've no idea.

So at the end of the day what have I learnt?

I'm an old man.

And whilst I'm not saying I wouldn't read another one again there would have to be a good reason to do so.

Until the next time.

In Which Superhero Summer Continues As I Watch Ant Man And The Wasp, Buy A Comic Book For The First Time In Decades And Get Interrogated By Daughter Over My Comic Book Choices

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Well as I mentioned in the previous post yesterday I took Daughter to the cinema to watch Ant Man and the Wasp as promised given her sudden and unexpected interest in comics. To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect, I could barely remember Ant Man in my comic reading past and I definitely didn't recall The Wasp.

Anyway on the drive to the cinema Daughter decided to interrogate me on my comic book tastes. Bare in mind here folks that these opinions are based on when I was her age so what these titles are like now I've no idea.

"DC or Marvel?"

Now this has the important caveat that either comic book publisher had many titles. Some I liked some I didn't. But with that proviso there was really only one answer.

"Marvel".

They were just, taken as a whole, better.

"Spiderman or Superman?"

Easy question. Given that I was not from the Planet Krypton I had more chance of being bitten by a radioactive spider. So with the schoolboy logic, and that the stories were better.

"Spiderman"

"Spiderman or The Hulk?"

Never really was into The Hulk.

"Spiderman"

"Spiderman and The Flash?"

As I said previously much as I've liked the current TV series I didn't like the original comic.

"Spiderman"

"Spiderman and Batman?"

"A tie"

Leaving aside the schoolboy logic that if I was a billionaire I too could be like Bruce Wayne the dark foreboding tales from Gotham worked for me. You know even viewed from the prism of aged and cynical adult eyes Batman has always stood the test of time.

The cinema was in the out of town outlet place that was Macarthur Glen just outside Bridgend. Whilst daughter got something to eat I quickly went to The Works shop there that sells books. Including large paperbacks and hardbacks of comics. I got daughter a Justice League of America paperback given it had a lot of the DC superheroes in there.

And....well...let's say my schoolboy years came flooding back and I couldn't resist buying one for myself..

Aquaman then - Better be good - Let's say the wife wasn't impressed

After we had a quick bite to eat we went to see the film. First there came the ads and the trailers. Won't bother saying much about them. Except perhaps you'll be surprised to learn that DFS has a sale on.

What did I think of the movie? Well not awful. A sort of light summer treat from all the heavily promoted Avengers stuff. Amiably acted (the daughter of Ant man - as my daughter noted - steals every scene she's in).

Also (and this is an important test in my dotage) I didn't sleep through part of it.

Not perfect though. Too many comedy moments for a superhero film and it could have done with a more interesting villain.

Still daughter liked it and that's the main thing.

Until the next time.