Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (A Madman Re-Read)

After reading Tom Scioli's biography of Stan Lee, I wanted to revisit his account on the life and times of frequent Lee collaborator, Jack Kirby. There were 2 questions I wanted to answer: 1) how much comic book history is repeated between the two graphic novels? and 2) whose account of the early days of Marvel Comics seems the more honest? 

For the first question, not a whole lot is repeated between the two books. In the two volumes, we see how Stan and Jack first met, why Jack was fired from Atlas, Jack's return to Marvel, Jack's departure for DC and that's about it. No panels seem swiped. The dialogue in the two books is differing. If you read one book and then the other, you will not feel like you were gypped. Though written, illustrated and even lettered by the same creator, the Jack Kirby biography and the Stan Lee account are completely different.

For question #2- I believe Jack Kirby. For one moment do I not doubt that Stan Lee loved the fans. He was an entertainer and he knew that if not for the readers of his comics, he and the rest of the Marvel bullpen would be out of a job. I also believe that Stan cared very deeply about his staff. But when given the chance to excel over them, it's my opinion that Stan Lee would connive, back-stab and steal the glory whenever possible. 

When it comes to Jack Kirby, was he hardheaded? Absolutely. Did he make some horrible business decisions? No doubt. However, a lot of Kirby's trouble was based on trying to be a good provider for his family without the benefit of having a good friend that he could rely on for good advice. I think if the team of Kirby and Joe Simon still existed in the 1960s, Kirby wouldn't have received a screw job from both Stan Lee and the high-ups at Marvel years later when the company began making incredible profits from licensing everything from actions figures to bed sheet sets.

I still love Stan Lee's work. But having now read 2 graphic novel accounts of his life, I have less respect for the Man behind the curtains. I hate to think that the way Stan was mistreated and abused by his caretakers in the last couple of years of his life was karma getting back at him for how he treated Kirby and others. Yet, if Stan Lee's life was plotted out like one of the Marvel co-creator's many, many comic scripts, that ironic twist would have been taken straight from the Stan Lee playbook. 

Since I've read Jack Kirby's biography before and wrote a detailed review that I feel still speaks for how I feel about the book, I'll end my reflection here. Nothing new to add and I would hate to repeat myself. 

Both Tom Scioli biographies are fantastic reads that should be read as a companion set!