The Marvel Comics Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to the Characters of the Marvel Universe by Peter Sanderson, Tom DeFalco, Michael Teitelbaum, Daniel Wallace, Tom Brevoort

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
When former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Stan Lee described The Marvel Encyclopedia as "an epic milestone in the history of the human race," he may have been slightly exaggerating -- but not by much. Featuring detailed information relating to more than 1,000 (yes, 1,000!) characters, this shelf-bending, 350-page encyclopedia is undoubtedly the most comprehensive one-volume reference guide to the Marvel Universe ever published.

All the usual suspects are here -- Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, the Hulk, Punisher, Daredevil, Silver Surfer, Elektra, et al. -- but so are hundreds of lesser-known characters, many dating back to the early 1960s. Included within is information about the extraterrestrial empire builders the Kree; the hideous Mole Man; ex-CIA operative Crossfire; the super-sized Blob; the mutated zombie known as the Digger; Ego, the self-aware planet; Mister Sinister; Onslaught; the Soviet Super Soldiers; and the shape-shifting Skrulls, to name just a few.

Jam-packed with more than five decades' worth of information -- and hundreds of stunning full-color illustrations -- The Marvel Encyclopedia is, simply put, a must-have for every comic book aficionado. And although Lee alludes to it in the introduction ("It might be my imagination, but I seem to see a glow around that voluminous volume, as though it's illuminated by some supernatural aura, some mystic radiance emanating from the combined power of the fantastic characters within its pages…"), superpowers are, unfortunately, not included. Paul Goat Allen

From the Publisher

Marvel comics' character roster boasts some of the best-known and most popular characters ever conceived. This unique encyclopedia, which covers all of Marvel's greatest heroes and villains--with full details of their powers and their thrill--packed careers-is a must-have book both for new fans and for those who grew up loving excitement of the Marvel Universe. Limited edition includes individually numbered copies, and two signed prints by Frank Cho.

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