If you’re a comic book fan or even just a fan of the latest Marvel films to hit the big screen, then you know who Stan Lee is. But do you know what his real name is? What exactly is his contribution to the Marvel Universe? Is he a writer, creator, or an artist? Do you really know who Stan Lee is at all?
I’m willing to bet that the average person has no concept of what Stan Lee has done for the comic book genre. If you’re thinking like I did before watching With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story you probably know that Stan Lee created such iconic characters as Spider-Man, Captain America, The Hulk, and all of the X-men. He created them, he wrote the stories, he did all of the artwork. He did everything. And if you believed that, you’d be absolutely wrong.
Stan Lee worked with many great artists, such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, creating characters as a team. What Lee brought to the table was the stories. He is known for bringing something that was lacking in comics. The idea that a superhero was more than just a one-dimensional character but instead had emotions, feelings, problems, and a real life is what he is most credited for. The man behind the mask being more important than the man in the mask was a completely new concept and something that nobody had done before in comics.
And if that’s not a big enough surprise for you, Stanley Martin Lieber, who eventually changed his name to Stan Lee because it looked cooler in comic print and he wanted to use his real name for a novel he might someday write, never wanted to be in comic books to begin with. His dream was to be an actor, which is why he admits is the reason he appears in small cameos in every film.
The documentary covers Lee’s entire life from his growing up in New York, the beginning of his time in the industry, and up to his current day exploits. There are celebrity commentaries from many of the actors that have appeared in the Marvel films and from a number of the artists that he has worked with over his career.
For comic novices and those who don’t know much about the man’s life this documentary is very entertaining and will give them a taste of comic book history. It covers such a wide variety of topics and is mixed with old and new interviews and footage that even the hardcore comic fans will enjoy it
