Customer Reviews

Essential Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe Volume 1 TPB (Essential (Marvel Comics))

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm very happy to have the classic Handbook of the Marvel Universe in one volume. Viewing it again, this series from 1984 had it all: heroes, villains, supporting characters, gadgetry, headquarters, vehicles, alien races, inactive characters, dead characters, detailed power descriptions, and even appendices containing the characters that didn't make the cut... what more did a kid need? This series did more to expand my Marvel Comics knowledge than any other, and seeing as it listed first appearances for all the characters, my spending on back-issues jumped substantially.

This series was released before Marvel's major properties hit the big screen, so emphasis is not given to the X-Men, Daredevil, Spider-Man, et al., at the cost of other characters. This series was not a marketing ploy for Marvel, but a helpful service to its fans. The articles are much more "fair & balanced" than in Marvel's current Handbooks and cover a wider range of subjects, and the 2nd- & 3rd-tier characters get a chance to shine. ROM, the Headmen, the Eternals, the Salem Seven... they're all here! Plus, the articles were researched/written and illustrated by just about everyone working at Marvel at the time, resulting in thorough descriptions that put the character's entire history in perspective. The talent list is overwhelming, and a big part of the fun for me was identifiying the artist for each entry, based on the greater comic knowledge I have now as opposed to 20 years ago.

Of course, as it was written in the mid-'80s, the material is severely dated in light of what has occurred in the MU since then - no mentions of Venom, Apocalypse, the Spider-Clone, Sentry, Cable... wait, am I saying that's a bad thing? Nah! Honestly, I have never given much attention to the abovementioned characters and ignoring the chaotic stories that resulted from their presences. The time period captured in The Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is my preferred version.

As to why this volume only warrants 3 stars, there are two reasons:

1. Obviously, it's in black and white. What good is a handbook on gaudily-attired characters if it's in black and white? This is the only case so far where I can say that a color Essential was warranted. Of course, then Marvel would have printed it on glossy stock, requiring multiple volumes at a higher price. My wife would have killed me. So my wallet is just fine with the B&W. Plus, it's obviously not as much of a problem on the entries for Moon Knight, Cloak and Dagger, Shroud, White Tiger, and Wendigo.

2. Marvel has now announced that they are also going to "Essentialize" the follow-up series, The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - Deluxe Edition, in three volumes. Well gee, I wish I would have known that before I bought this! The Deluxe Edition provides much more material and is slightly more up to date. Thanks for screwing me on this one, Marvel.

Those two problems aside, I still like this book. Simply put, this is a balanced cataloguing of the big and little of the Marvel Universe, and comic historians, art afficionados, and even newcomers to the world of comics should all find something to enjoy here. Of course, if you wait until March, Volume 1 of the Deluxe Edition will be out, and you'd probably be better off.

About the Book:
For those of you planning to buy something for a comic book fan, the "Marvel Essentials" series are black & white trade paper back (tpb) reprints of what are considered popular and/or important Marvel Comics. They are printed on lightweight paper, and are designed to bring comics that may be hard to find back to new and old comic book fans. This particular tpb reprints a series of 15 comics that were originally released in 1982, 21-years after the first Marvel comic (Fantastic Four #1). Another (more detailed) version, called the "Deluxe Handbook" was released in the mid 1980s, and will be reprinted in a series of 3 tpbs this year.

The series covers the major people, places, and things that make up the first 20-years of the "shared" Marvel Universe where Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, etc. live. The black & white reprint is designed to keep size and costs down.

Good Features:
- Easy to store (book format)
- Easy to read the text (the lettering is crisp and clear)
- Easy to find information and flip around because entries are alphabetically arranged
- Entire 15 comic run in one book
- Detailed reference information w/ first appearance of people / places / things
- Good artwork (even in black & white)

Common Complaints
- Original comics can still be found for cheap
- Color is important, and not present in this book
- Information is dated
- The more complete "Deluxe Handbook" tpb 3-book series will be released in 2006

General Thoughts:
I actually own about 11 of the original 15 comics from this series. It has taken me over 6-years to find them in cheap quarter bins at comic shows, but I know the color originals from this series are easy to find. I plan on getting rid of my originals, because I never really found myself reading the originals. I filed them away with the rest of my regular comic collection, which isn't really the point with this particular series. However, since tpbs, like the Essentials series, easily can be carried on a bus or plane, I tend to really enjoy reading them while commuting and traveling. And since this book is the ideal size for sitting on a proper bookshelf, I've found that unlike the originals, I'll pull it off the shelf when I'm curious about a comic person, place, or thing.

Do keep in might that the larger and more complete Deluxe Handbook will be released in 3 black & white volumes later in 2006. I plan on purchasing that series as well, but some people might want to wait to only keep and read that series.

I have to admit, I don't like Marvel comics. Having spent a good twenty years reading comics, I'm a DC man through and through. However, I'm a sucker for the sort of books that entertains and engages a dipper - the reader who has a couple of minutes to spare and nothing more. When you don't have time to consume a chapter of your latest book or thumb through a comic, few things match up to the potential of this book. Riffle the pages and read about a classic hero or villain, alive or dead; or a few alien races; or a nice piece of super-equipment; or details of an expansive and well-equipped headquarters. Yes, it's twenty years out of date and yes, it's in black-and-white; but the dollar worth of this book when compared to the hours, days, weeks... years of pleasure I'll get out of it - it's massive value for money. The only downside for me... those snatched minutes I wanted to fill can sometimes turn into hours if I get caught up in an interesting thread of interlinked heroes... Ah well.

this book is very good because it covers almost every character in the marvel universe character.even if it is a little dated it still stands as a true sourse to the matvel characters.the best part about the book is that in detail it describe the background and powers. i highly recommend this book!!!!!

If you grew up in the eighties and you read Marvel Comics, then you may remember this series. This was the series to get and collect back then as you could get the skinny on all the characters and maps to all their headquarters and hidden cities. The fact that they have reprinted the original 15 issue run in one essentials edition is fantastic and you get it all here. The only reason this review isn't 5 stars is that the information is over twenty-three years old.

This book is great for general knowledge of the Marvel Universe, finding out who the characters are (in a general way...) and giving you all fifteen issues for a little over a dollar an issue. If you play role playing games based in the Marvel Universe (either TSR's original Marvel, the Saga system or the new Diceless system) than this book is a must as it not only provides an unparalleled source of information for you the buyer, but for your players in your game as well.

I bought this for my 9-year old son, and he hasn't put it down for a week. I think he will read it cover-to-cover. All black and white, with simple drawings and great descriptions. I think it will be a great inspiration for him to invent his own characters.