I was going to largely skip today due to the slowness of news and the press of my schedule Monday, but...

STAN LEE, who as chief writer and editor of Marvel Comics helped create some of the most enduring superheroes of the 20th century and was a major force behind the breakout successes of the comic-book industry in the 1960s and early ’70s, died on Monday in Los Angeles. He was 95. That NYT obit hits most of the main points.  If you want a deeper, nerdier, and a bit more critical dive, try The Comics Journal. If you want a bigger-picture look at the insights that made Lee arguably the most important figure in pop culture since Walt Disney, try Jonathan V. Last at the Weekly Standard.  People will focus on Lee as a self-made media creation (which has its lighter and darker sides), I would note that one of his earlier and subtler marketing techniques was the inclusion of reader letters (with answers) and editorials in the comic books themselves. Lee understood the value of creating community much earlier than many. As a creator, he will be remembered for bringing character into superhero comics in a way largely taken for granted by later generations. But those generations learned from Lee that you didn't need to be perfect to be heroic. Conversely, he understood that tales of heroism provide moral lessons for the young. "With great power comes great responsibility" is merely the best-known of these.  And despite the fact that comics were largely considered as a product for children, Lee's Marvel generally did not talk down to its audience, either thematically or textually. The Marvel books I grew up with in the 70s and early 80s were generally written with a college-level vocabulary, for which I will always be grateful. FFTB.