Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel [Hardcover]

Scott Beatty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

For 60 years the world famous Man of Steel has used his superpowers to fight for truth, justice, and fair play against the forces of evil and chaos. With unparalleled access to the archives of DC Comics-the creators of Superman-classic art is combined with some never-before-published work to create Superman: The Ultimate Guide. Discover Superman and little known facts about his universe as never before-key locations are revealed, crucial events and characters are profiled, and secrets are unlocked in this comprehensive volume.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From the doomed planet Krypton to Smallville, Kansas, to the great (but often troubled) city of Metropolis, a powerful superhero has fought for truth, justice, and the American way for over 70 years. In this breathtaking tribute to the man of steel himself, all the nitty-gritty, fascinating details of Superman's life and career are investigated, analyzed, and celebrated. Discover just what happened back on Krypton to propel infant "Kal-El" to Earth as the one Kryptonian hope for rebirth of their civilization. Learn how a loving farm family named Kent adopted the baby, renamed him Clark, and instilled him with solid American values. And meet the many, many friends and enemies of our hero, including, fiercely independent but lovable Lois Lane, the nasty Joker, and Doomsday, the unstoppable creature that killed Superman.

Allowed unlimited access to the archives of DC Comics, author Scott Beatty delved deep, coming up with the kind of details fans will fall all over themselves to peruse, including each featured character's vital statistics and year of appearance on the Superman scene. The large book format, compelling, readable text, and many crystal-clear illustrations in The Ultimate Guide are in keeping with Dorling Kindersley's signature style. A true treasure for superhero buffs! (All ages) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

Superman and Mickey star in oversize, elegantly designed volumes from DK. Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel by Scott Beatty, illus. by Roger Stewart, begins with the hero's birth on Krypton (with a spread that maps out the planet) and traces his rise from citizen of Smallville, Kans., to defender of the universe. Given Beatty's access to the DC Comics archives, the volume comes alive with reproductions, abundant information and lively anecdotes. Three backdrops and more than 60 stickers allow readers to embark on their own adventures with the Spiderman Sticker Book.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: DK Children (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789488531
• ISBN-13: 978-0789488534
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,022,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Best Suited for Younger Readers, September 15, 2002

By 

"incurock31" (Maitland, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel (Hardcover)

I'd like to start off by saying this book deserves a 3 1/2 star rating.
The Ultimate Guide hardly lives up to its title. I am a serious Superman fan and was rather disapointed. Although richly illustrated and explained, this book was really full of information I already knew. It's very evident that Scott Beatty went to great lengths to research this, but I was rather underwhelmed.
However, this book is PERFECT for younger fans. Children will love the rich illustrations and, although some explanations for storylines will go over their heads, it will stil be a home run for any littler ones.
One thing I did like about this book is the timeline of Superman's career, located in the back of the book. Year by year, it gives a synopsis of key storylines in events, all the way from 1938 until now. That's useful for any Superfan.
So, if you're a parents looking for a wonderful book for your young Superfan, this is the one for you. But if you're already a serious collector, this book doesn't offer much. Try "Superman: The Complete History" by Les Daniels instead.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Picturial View of the Man of Steel, July 26, 2002

By 

J. Smith "JThree" (Williston, North Dakota United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel (Hardcover)

DK's series on the DC universe shows its strengths in this text on our favorite Man from Krypton. As usual, the people involved have done their homework and research well. The hours put into this text show. The pictures are fun visually, but I am concerned that a few of the photos might be intense for the under twelve set. Remember, a great many of these books will be sold at Costco, Sam's Club and a few other general outlets where some parents may not check out the books. Still, it is a vast improvement over the Batman book, which was slightly more intense.

For the fans of the comic since 1986 (when the fictional character was overhauled), this book is all comprehensive and forgetting little that has happened in the comic since then. I would have liked to have seen Superman from the different interpretations given a few pages apiece (Superman in the live action the Adventures of Superman, Superman in the Superfriends, Superman in the Superboy show, Superman in Lois and Clark, etc. .)

I also found myself wishing for a few pages of the pre-Crisis history. Like a page on the five types of Kryptonite (green, red, white, blue, and jewel), and other nostaligic trivia of the past.

I loved the illustrations for Krypton and various other detailed graphic pages. And I especially enjoyed the six pages on the back which gave a good breakdown over the past fifty years and gave an excellent overview for those of us older fans.

I look forward to the next book on the Justice League coming in November.

Sincerely,

JThree

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UPDATED THROUGH 2005!, July 25, 2006

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel (Hardcover)

Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel has been out for a few years now, but with the latest Superman film, "Superman Returns" just hitting theaters, DK has revised their fantastic guide to the first and greatest superhero of all! This 144 page, oversized hardcover book contains just about everything you ever wanted to know about Superman. Written by comic industry pro Scott Beatty this is a fun and informative walk through Superman's long history as we meet friend and foe alike.

The book begins with a long look at the history of Superman's home world of Krypton and its long history which incorporates many of the modern concepts devised by both John Byrne and Dan Jurgens during their runs as the writer of Superman's adventures. This includes a large map of Krypton, one of several two page maps in the book. From there the book moves to Superman's early life in Smallville after being taken in as an infant by the Kents. Included here is a complete rundown of all of Superman's powers from his laser vision to his super hearing. There is another great two page map of Metropolis with important buildings such as the Daily Planet, Lexcorp Towers, and S.T.A.R. Labs noted for the reader.

Next up we have lengthy chapters that highlight Superman's major foes such as Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Brainiac, Metallo, Darkseid, Mongul, Imperiex, The Cyborg, and many more. These give a brief history of the villain along with their powers and some of their previous plots. The issue with their first appearance is also noted. Next we get the same for Superman's friends and allies like Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl, Steel, and the Eradicator.

The last chapter is actually my favorite and takes a look at Superman's career from the Golden Age right up through the present. This chapter shows how the character has evolved over his nearly 70 years of existence. Complementing this chapter is 16 page timeline spanning his first appearance in Action comics #1 in 1938, right up through the end of 2005. This year-by-year rundown notes important events and issues in Superman's career and is invaluable for both fans and comic book collectors.

As with all DK's Ultimate Guides, the Superman book is a visual treat with stunning art and an eye for detail. A welcome addition to the library of any Superman fan!

Reviewed by Tim Janson