The Man Is Back And He’s Got A Little Something For You – Review Of Stan Lee’s Mighty 7 #1

Stan Lee wants us True Believers to know he hasn’t given up on superhero stories.

In an interview with Lee in USA Today, Stan The Man discussed the inspiration behind his new book, Stan Lee’s Mighty 7, which will be released under the imprint of his new publishing brand, Stan Lee Comics. Stan Lee Comics is the result of a partnership between Lee’s POW! Entertainment, A2 Entertainment and Archie Comics.

Lee bills Mighty 7 as “the world’s first reality comic book” — it stars fictional superpowered characters, of course, but also Archie head Jon Goldwater and “Stan the Man” himself.

“I myself am very modestly a part of the story,” says Lee, adding that real-life celebrities will be making appearances as the story progresses.

The core characters of Mighty 7 are a group of aliens — five “criminals” and the two star marshals who are transporting them through the cosmos — who crash-land on Earth.

The characters are completely new — “Nothing ever kicks around in my head until I have to write it,” Lee jokes — but each one has a different superpower “and a bit of personal problems and prejudices and desires and wants, even as you and I,” says the creator, who teams with writers Tony Blake and Paul Jackson and artist Alex Saviuk.

But, just how original is this new team’s concept, and, is it worth reading?

Spoilers and other dangers, after the jump.

Stan Lee seems to spend more time these days in the business of being Stan Lee than writing comic books. Between cameos in every Marvel movie to hit the theaters, and a variety of his own television and film projects, in which he has production appearances in addition to screen time, it can be very easy to dismiss Stan Lee as a man who past his prime in the business and trying to keep his hand in by bankrolling vanity projects. And, maybe he is. But, I can’t let myself be too cynical about Lee because, long in the tooth or not, he understands that there is still a value in being Stan Lee and the excitement his presence in projects brings to fans. I know because I’ve experienced it first hand.

The second year Rob and I went to Comic-con, one of the most exciting things to happen to us was catching a glimpse of Stan Lee being whisked out of a restaurant and into a car by his handlers. We were somewhere on Sixth Avenue having hiked a mile or so from our hotel while trying to find this fish taco place we’d heard good things about called the Tin Fish. We were in the thrall of convention exhaustion and irritable from hunger. We’d eventually discover that the Tin Fish was right across the street from the convention center and that’s we’d marched in a neat circle from the center to our hotel and then back to the convention. It was in the midst of this, just as our spirits and blood alcohol count were at their lowest, that we saw The Man in the flesh. It happened so quickly that we were barely able to get one blurry piece of photographic evidence, but, as giant comics fans from childhood, that one speedy glimpse was enough to give us both a much needed shot of adrenaline and cheer. We went forth with the wherewithal to journey all the way back to Tin Fish and not give up and sidle, defeated, into Buca di Beppo. We had just seen Stan fucking Lee, after all. Fuck, yeah!

As far as how that translates to this comic book, it was Lee’s name on the cover that got me to pick it up. He’s not the only writer on the book; Lee came up with the concept, but developed the script with Tony Blake and Paul Jackson, who wrote for the Lois And Clark TV series. Mostly what I remember from Lois and Clark is that it cast Roger Daltrey as Doomsday, but I don’t think Blake and Jackson can be held specifically responsible for that. Nor do I think they can be held specifically accountable for the writing in this book as Lee seems to be the one driving the bus. The outer space sequences and the banter in the character dialogues feels firmly placed in the kind of books we read in the 70s and early to mid 80s. Take this moment from a scene in which Star Marshalls Asoara and Vallor try to subdue rogue vigilante Blastok (and, for reference, as the name kind of imply Asoara flies, Vallor is a strong guy and Blastok shoots lasers out of his hands):

Asoara: I didn’t want to kill him.

Blastok: Butt out! You both know that creep got what he deserved!

Vallor: You might have been one of us once…but it doesn’t give you the right to take the law into your own hands.

Blastok: I don’t need any right. I do whatever I want.

It’s the kind of dialogue you loved as a 12 year old, but that feels a little bit under developed now that you’re pushing 40. Still, I’d happily give this book to a kid to try and get him or her interested in comics, so, the writing team is doing something right.

Art is by Alex Saviuk, who collaborated with Lee on Spider-Man comics, including The Amazing Spider-Man Sunday newspaper strip. He’s also the man who co-created the character Tombstone with Gerry Conway. So, if his art looks familiar to you, yes, you’ve probably seen it around before. It’s clean and slightly cartoony, but reminds you of Marvel books you read in the mid 80s…because it was often his art.

Is this book worth reading? That depends on what you want out of your comics these days. Lee’s a visible presence in the book, as well as strongly imprinting his voice on the writing. The idea of a “reality comic book” is an interesting hook, but let’s face facts: you’re buying this book because of Stan Lee. Lee is what makes you excited about it because he evokes your memories of childhood comic book reading and early fandom. Particularly in conjunction Saviuk’s art, which really sends fans on a nostalgia trip. If you think you’ve outgrown that sort of thing, well, then your inner child is dead and I feel sorry for you. For the rest of us? Grandpa Stan is back and he’s brought all the good little True Believers presents.