First, there was David Hajdu’s superlative history, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America.

Now there’s Mark Evanier’s lavish biography of Jack Kirby, the master of the epic-battling, super-mythic superhero.

From J. Hoberman’s terrific review in Bookforum:

Far more than most comic-book artists, Kirby invested himself in his creations. He identified with the seething grievances nursed by misanthropic Marvel characters like the Incredible Hulk and, especially, the Thing. “If you’ll notice the way the Thing talks and acts, you’ll find that the Thing is really Jack Kirby” is how the artist once objectified himself.

Specifically, Kirby’s resented his editor and frequent collaborator. He battled Stan Lee for control of the Silver Surfer and lost.