" ... in this, the Marvel Age of Comics!"

I suppose it started when I inherited my brother's old Spiderman sleeping bag to use as a blanket during camping trips and it was augmented by my Incredible Hulk figurine that I used to destroy my carefully-constructed Lego castles (it was made out of die-cast metal: sometimes I wonder how I survived my own childhood). As the years passed, I became one of the many millions of people who have been enraptured by the stories and action within the pages of Marvel Comics.

Despite the fact that the majority of Marvel Comic content can generally be found in Young Adult sections of libraries, there are timeless qualities of justice and realism projecting from the colorful panels that can be appreciated by anyone. Marvel characters were among the first to have flaws, to worry about real-life issues like jobs and illness. The cornerstone of Marvel Comics' success continues to be larger-than-life personalities encountering everyday problems (with supervillains liberally mixed in, of course) as it celebrates its 50th birthday. Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, and others began their incredible run in 1961 with the Fantastic Four and their universe has blossomed ever since.

You don't buy it? Read the Stan Lee volume of Marvel Visionaries here at the library. It contains a cross section of the best of his best: Thor, Submariner, Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange, Spiderman, et. al. I challenge you to try not to enjoy it!

PS. This summer Marvel-inspired blockbusters are coming out on DVD later this year. Click on the movie to place your holds now!