From: Bud Plant Posted: 07/08/08
Steve Ditko has been an enigma since I can remember. I began reading Spider-Man with #13 in 1964, so that's one heck of a long time at this point. He's one of the few living artists I've never had the pleasure of meeting, since he did one comics convention well, more of a gathering in 1965 and never went to another. I've offered Ditko's work to customers since I began my business in 1970--from his first contribution to Wally Wood's Witzend, to Mr. A and Avenging World, right up to today's compilations. This book has been a real page turner for me, right down to the well-documented footnotes. Bell, who has interviewed and worked with Ditko during better times, has done a superb job here. It is a book that is a delight on every level. The reproductions of work from Ditko's entire career are a joy to see, right back to his earliest 1950s stories for Charlton. The revealing look at the man himself is filled with first hand commentary from fellow artists, from professionals who worked with Steve, and from fanzine publishers and dealers. But Bell doesn't stop there. He digs deep into Ditko's embrace of the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand--who I actually read myself way back when. He shows how clearly this effected Ditko's relationships with comics publishers, with artists, with fanzine publishers, with fans, and ultimately, how it came out in his artwork and storytelling. This is no fanboy adulation. Bell is clearly a huge fan of Ditko's work, but at the same time he can take a clear look at how the negativity of the Rand influence made Ditko an also-ran in popularity and, frankly, boring with his later work. Of all the media to try to push a hard and firm philosophy in, comics has to be one of the most ironic. Designed as inexpensive entertainment, Ditko chose to use superheroes to force-feed his world view on readers, eventually turning off all but a handful of readers.And while that is fascinating to read about, I don't want to leave this on a negative note. The many levels of this book means you can enjoy the highs of Ditko's Spider-Man, Dr. Strange and Capt. Atom days, his work for Tower Comics and Wally Wood, his many creative efforts for DC, such as The Creeper, Static, Hawk and Dove, and much more. It's a long overdue and most complete look at one of the most influential artists of the Silver Age...and quite possibly the most unique! Don't miss this.