Marvel Absolutely Everything You Need to Know.

Marvel Absolutely Everything You Need to Know.

So, I grew up reading comics. But like many of my peers I didn’t have the funds to stay up to speed by getting my hands on every issue as it rolled off the presses. However, like any good comic book loving kid you learn to pick up a bit of trivia here a story arc there from anywhere you can. You talk to friends, you read over issues at the store; anything to get more of what is going on. Even so you don’t always manage to learn everything there is to know about everything.

Marvel Absolutely Everything You Need to Know is a 240 page fun filled guide to trivia, facts and assorted knowledge about all things Marvel published by DK Books. Written for ages 8 to 12, the book is actually a lot of fun for anyone big enough to read and loves comics.

This book is just a great big printed smile, to be frank. The pages are crammed full of noted events, characters, alternate timelines and more. Ever wonder just want law firm She-Hulk worked for? The answer is in there. Curious what Dr. Strange’s top 5 most useful spells are and what they do? You can look it up!

The entire book is littered with fun little bits of information. Everything is broken down into sections and if that isn’t enough there is a complete index to be found in the back. This index will not only allow you to locate the listed character’s entry but also virtually any time they are mentioned.

The only aspect I can ding the book on is a pair of minor issues that are mainly pet peeves. The first is the fact that there are a few entries in the index that unfortunately do not direct you to the correct page. Not a big problem as I didn’t find this to occur all too often. And the other issue is directly connected to the name itself.

With a name like ‘Marvel Absolutely Everything You Need To Know’ you can anticipate a massive amount of information. And this book does deliver that in spades. However, there are some well known figures that don’t receive their own entries or are merely relegated to brief mentions. High profile characters like The Punisher or Wolverine for example are mentioned but are never detailed quite like Namor the Sub-Mariner. I know there is only so many pages to go around but with such a title you kind of expect to hear a little bit about both the well known and the less well known, ya know?

Overall, the art is wonderful. The facts and trivia are broad in range and scope. And to ice the cake they even included behind the scenes details regarding the making of Marvel comics as well. The book is a gem and if you don’t believe me – let the Hulk’s textured face on the cover bring it home for you. Touch the cover and you may not want to let go… Lest you be smashed.

This one ranks in at about a 4/5 but only because I am neurotic.