i think some of these reviews shouldnt be on this page. these reviews apply to the first edition that had serious flaws. this is the updated and expanded version that was released oct 2009. these reviews are from the book that was released in 2006. they actually have the same reviews listed under the older version that was flawed.
when i brought this book, there were no reviews for it yet. i purchased this book the second day it was released in oct 2009.
i think amazon does this book a disservice by applying the same reviews to this book. it misleads people into thinking it has major flaws.
if you look at the titles it clearly says "updated and expanded version". maybe amazon used the review to imply it is a hot commodity(and it is), but by having the same outdated reviews for a book that was revised in 2009 seems a little self defeating and manipulative at the same time. being as though the reviews by some of the people are complaints about the older version.
even with the flaws, if you read the reviews below, you will see that many people also enjoyed the book. the only complaints came from hardcore geeky fans(no disrespect). most were somewhat minor, like the info for a few characters being off. but the artwork and lay-out is beautiful. and these complaints are fixed in this version, and thats why the complaints dont apply.
i think everyone will enjoy this book. as an artist who enjoys creating my own comic book characters and superheroes, the action poses are a tremendous reference for my characters. that was the main reason i bought this massive book. page after page of action poses and fight scenes. im not a hardcore collector at all! i enjoy comics but i dont live and die by them.
i used to flip through comics to get reference poses and inspiration and this book gives me more references and inspiration and insight than any book i ever came across.
if you want a good book thats informative i would suggest this book. by the way, i am turning into that geeky guy now. reading this encyclopedia has given me info on characters i never knew existed and exposed me to a world of supereroes that goes back 5 decades or more. i didnt realize some of my favorite and most familiar characters from childhood were around for so long.
i guess i had no concept of time when it came to the characters from marvel.
all in all, you cant be dissapointed in this book. even someone whos not a fan will enjoy the material in this book. hope this review helped Marvel Encyclopedia
NOTE: This review is for the NEW and UPDATED Marvel Encyclopedia. When I wrote this review, the new version's reviews were separate from the previous version. Since then, Amazon has combined the reviews, and this is a shame, because the updated version corrects most if not all of the problems found in the previous version. /END NOTE
I received this book on it's release day, as I was very excited about it, and wanted it as quickly as possible. I was not disappointed! The book is 400 pages on high quality, glossy print, with brilliant artwork, and color that pops off the page.
The book is meant as a reference, and includes basically every Marvel character ever created with a short bio for some, and up to 4 pages for the Marvel superstars like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine.
I have the DC Encyclopedia as well, and it's great too, but the text is so small. The Marvel 2009 (Updated & Expanded) Encyclopedia improves this greatly with a font that's at least 2 sizes bigger for all entries, and many lead-in paragraphs include even larger fonts. This was a huge relief to my older eyes.
The encyclopedia includes more than just A to Z entries for heroes and villains, it also has entries for Marvel events, such as the Civil War. Non-American Marvel characters are included as well, including UK hero Captain Britain, and Alpha Flight, a Canadian team.
Extremely thorough, giant glossy pages, incredible artwork, and excellent layout (with a highly readable font) make this a masterwork, and a must-have for any Marvel fan. Amazon's price makes it a no-brainer.
The only drawback? Get your arms ready, this thing weighs 5.5 pounds!
I purchased this for my comic book obsessed husband to share with our son. I had considered buying the more expensive collectors edition, however after reading the reviews, I didn't feel that it warranted the additional cost. As predicted, my husband was thrilled with the book, but simply browsing through it, he began to find discrepancies. This book is a great gift for anyone interested in Marvel superheros and villains, but the true comic book connoisseur will easily find errors. It's a shame that even with creator collaboration, they still couldn't get it right.
I bought this book as a xmas gift for my 11 year old son. They have not separated since. Despite its rather large size he carries it to school in his backpack to share with his friends. He now considers himself an expert on everything Marvel. The book itself is excellent quality, illustrations are wonderful and it's loaded with "facts" May have to get another after he wears this one out!
I would love to be able to afford the A-Z series by MARVEL, but it's just waaaay too many volumes and waaaay too expensive. I've got my kids hooked on MARVEL and superheros in general. This book gives them just enough info about each character in the MARVEL universe to answer questions and gives a visual rendering of each so they can identify them... great purchase!
This is a great encyclopedia. Well illustrated and is a great reading material. Once you pick it up, you won't put it down for a while. I don't understand the negative feedback associated with this book. If you're getting into Marvel comics and want a reference, this books for you! Plus, you can't beat the price.'
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