Jack Kirby is enjoying one hell of a resurgence. New hardcover editions bearing his name seem to be issued weekly, ranging from his foundational work at Marvel (the Fantastic Four Omnibus series—I’m waiting for the first installment to be reprinted) to his more cosmically outrageous solo work, such as the Fourth World, Silver Star and Devil Dinosaur. A recent Marvel superheroes stamp collection produced by the Post Office is almost an homage to his talents, as many of the featured characters were invented or defined by Kirby’s pen. Even the New York Times has gotten into the act, offering an editorial by Brent Staples that acts as a posthumous pat on the back.

But while it’s encouraging to see Kirby and many other seminal contributors to Marvel and DC’s popular-art landscapes receive due credit, it’s distressing that these delayed kudos often come at the expense of Stan Lee. As Staples says, “Marvel took [Kirby’s] talents for granted and denied him the credit and compensation he clearly deserved. Worse, he was overshadowed by his loquacious and photogenic collaborator, Stan Lee, who became the public face of an enterprise that depended heavily on Mr. Kirby’s skills.”

It’s good that the narrative lauding Lee as the sole creative force behind the Marvel Universe has been amended, but the pendulum seems to have swung too far in presenting him as a glory hound appropriating the triumphs of others. Lee has always been a relentless self-promoter, but that energy helped make Marvel comics the powerhouse that it is. Kirby and others deserve the increased credit for their contributions, but it’s important not to overlook the fact that Lee co-created and gave voice to Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, the Silver Surfer and many more beloved characters.

I’m not privy to what went on in the Marvel bullpen in the 60s and 70s, but in the pages of the Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Volume 1 Lee is generous in giving credit to artist Steve Ditko for his contributions to the comic. Ditko is credited as plotter for many of the issues he illustrated, even if Lee’s name always comes first (something they poke fun at in the credit pages). Ultimately, while Kirby, Ditko, Neal Adams and countless others deserve whatever boost they can receive, the criticism directed toward Lee seems partially rooted in the fact that he’s still alive to receive it, and that’s sad.