The World of Steve Ditko

Yesterday, I finished reading the new biography of Steve Ditko, "Strange and Stranger." Now, needless to say, I am a huge fan of Steve Ditko. In fact, to a certain extent I like him much better than Jack Kirby. Ditko's seminal run on "The Amazing Spider-Man" ranks as one of my all-time favorite comic series. It was spot-on, and this book does a good job of painting some background information about the time period and the extent of Ditko's involvement.
Some folks have been criticizing this book; the same group that criticized the recent Evanier biography of Kirby. I've enjoyed both books, and the artwork reproductions have been wonderful. If I had one complaint about the Ditko book, it's that it could have used some more original repros, as opposed to primarily comic scans. Then again, maybe there were a lot; I can't really remember right now. I know that the Kirby one had a ton of rare shit, though.
Anyway, sure, this isn't as extensive as Harvey's recent bio of Milton Caniff, but it sure was a pleasure to read through. It's a shame that Ditko's obsession with Ayn Rand and Objectivism pretty much shattered his career. Then again, his style was so diametric to that prevalent during the 1980s, he probably wouldn't have lasted, anyway. Another interesting point that author Blake Bell drives home (at one point, even breaking the objectivist voice of an impartial narrator) of how much original artwork Ditko has, and the approximate value thereof.
All in all, a fine read.