I have read some of the later stuff he helped write (that Galactus book he did with Mobius), and it doesn't really get better. Part of it is the times, but part of it is his writing.

There is some interesting stuff you miss just reading X books. There was a lot of build up to Giant-Size X-Men #1 in other books prior to the X-Men title coming back. Also, what with the Kree-Skrull War and then the Celestial Madonna thing, Avengers fill in a lot of the world/universe backstory.

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I have to stand up for Stan a little bit, yeah his dialogue is very corny and text-heavy, and a lot of the plots are pretty silly, but the majority of his stories are actually pretty good if you look past the dated dialogue. And even when Roy Thomas or anybody else writes in the early years, they basically ape Stan's style (undoubtedly by editorial fiat).

But when you're reading through those great FFs or Journey Into Mysterys or Strange Tales, think about what you're reading at a deeper level than the corny alliterations and purple prose - Stan wasn't, as he is sometimes maligned, just good at character creation and bad at carrying on titles. The stuff he was coming up with month after month in 13+ ongoing stories was generally as imaginative as anything any comic writer has ever come up with, and often a hell of a lot more innovative, to boot.

In conclusion, face front, tiger! And make mine Marvel, true believer!

Would you believe "Don't Yield! Back Shield!"?

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I'm backing zweineuf.

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'The soul knows no greater anguish than to take a breath that begins with love and ends with grief.'- Steven Erikson

Keep in mind the Dialog is the big part of what the writer did in these early issues, what with the "Marvel Method" of writing. The artist and the writer talked over the overall plot, the artist then put down the story as they drew it and the writer went back and supplied the dialogue.

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I disagree a bit. Stan got to write in an era where if you wanted to create a new character, all you had to do was put some type of animal in front of the word Man and, ta-da! new character. Then, if you change Man to Woman or Girl or Boy you had a whole new character.
Not trying to detract from him, but even by his own admission it became a race to copyright characters. (that's why She-Hulk exists.)

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Do not bore me with such trite cliches. For I have you in my clutches, and should I choose, I could snuff out your insignificant lives in an instant.

True, when it cam to characters, he was really good at creating what are now iconic characters. I was mostly talking about my impressions of him solely as a writer.

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Hey Starnes! Just wanted to officially congratulate you on reading your 2000th comic book in The Order. It seems like just last week that you'd mentioned how you'd been chasing me for quite some time...wait a minute, it was! You've sure been on a reading frenzy ever since... At this rate you'll pass me for sure before the weekend is over. Keep up the awesome work on your site! Cheers!

Yea, I have been putting away the books fast. I got out of the mass of horror books and into some super-hero books and started reading the crap out of them. Plus, I have been trying to catch you

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Not empty quoting. This doesn't get said enough. The order as it stands is phenomenal, more comics than I could hope to read in a decade if you keep expanding like you are (this is the time I have calculated for me catching up to the latest version in the order based on my reading rate vs your addition rate). Anyone I know interested in Marvel stuff is being directed here, and I hate that that's the best contribution I can make.

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That's a great contribution. Also, the stuff you contribute here in the forums is also great. Keeps me motivated just talking with other comic folks.

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