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Mankind – The Story Of All Of Us #1
Mankind: The Story of All of Us Volume 1
From the producers of America: The Story of Us comes the epic tale of the rise of civilization. The 12-hour series spans the first flourishing of civilization in Mesopotamia through the discovery of America. Groundbreaking production techniques bring to life the greatest landmarks and milestones of human achievement. CGI rebuilds lost worlds; large scale reenactments replay critical battles; innovative use of interactive maps dynamically illustrates the key factors that gave rise to civilization across the globe. Mankind: The Story of All of Us emphasizes the simultaneity of the human adventure — how ancient Egypt thrived while Stonehenge was being built; China was at its zenith while Europe was plunged into the Dark Ages. History captures the danger, action, struggle, heroism, and adrenaline of Mankind: The Story of All of Us.
120 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2012
About the author
Marv Wolfman
2,290 books310 followersMarvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 7, 2018
49th book read in 2018.
Number 555 out of 709 on my all time book list.
History should be fun not meh.
Number 555 out of 709 on my all time book list.
History should be fun not meh.
February 24, 2013
The bombastic introduction sets a triumphalist tone neglecting contingency.
There are factual errors and inconsistencies. Cave paintings of animals are so realistic they must have been drawn from life experience yet the female artist is depicted as staying indoors while only the male relatives go out to hunt. The hunters are depicted scraping stringy leftovers from bare-bone carcasses already stripped by carrion feeders - but this depiction neglects the fact that bone marrow is highly nutritious.
"Nutritious bread" sedentary farming populations were short sick and ugly compared to nomads. Bread contains little protein and few vitamins, it isn't a healthy balanced diet.
I gave up on the lowbrow text and just viewed the illustrations. The graphics are functional leaning to economical use of shade with line detailing. I wasn't aware that ancient Egyptians used roids.
I suppose this kind of male chauvinist fantasy could inspire macho boys to read. If you can get past the fact that the protagonist and the active agents in each story are always male then some of the later stories in MANKIND DECODED are interesting. The city pictures are impressive. I didn't know the Phoenicians had the first iron nails is that true? Don't miss thespam exciting promotions at the back.
I received a review copy from the publisher.
There are factual errors and inconsistencies. Cave paintings of animals are so realistic they must have been drawn from life experience yet the female artist is depicted as staying indoors while only the male relatives go out to hunt. The hunters are depicted scraping stringy leftovers from bare-bone carcasses already stripped by carrion feeders - but this depiction neglects the fact that bone marrow is highly nutritious.
"Nutritious bread" sedentary farming populations were short sick and ugly compared to nomads. Bread contains little protein and few vitamins, it isn't a healthy balanced diet.
I gave up on the lowbrow text and just viewed the illustrations. The graphics are functional leaning to economical use of shade with line detailing. I wasn't aware that ancient Egyptians used roids.
I suppose this kind of male chauvinist fantasy could inspire macho boys to read. If you can get past the fact that the protagonist and the active agents in each story are always male then some of the later stories in MANKIND DECODED are interesting. The city pictures are impressive. I didn't know the Phoenicians had the first iron nails is that true? Don't miss the
I received a review copy from the publisher.
December 27, 2012
As a student of history and cultural studies, I was very challenged by this graphic novel of early human history. The book is a collection of graphic short stories told in historically chronological order, begining with early homo sapiens. Unfirtunately, each chapter of human history is exceptionally short, in tied together only by a legacy of conquest. Eras progress from one to the next only by winning conflicts- for food, for land, for wealth. There is some attempt to be multicultural, but only by telling the stories of diverse slave makers and empire builders. The only exception is the story of the migrating silk weaver that alludes to both the philosophies of Buddha and rise of the Ottoman Empire. According to this book, the Story of All of Us is solely one where winners get to decide history, and all that is important is who wins. There is very little effort spent trying to tell our story of living in harmony with out environment, or living in peace with our neighbors. Perhaps that is just the Story of Some of Us.
May 29, 2018
I read this to make sure it was suitable for my 9 year old to read. Great primer on human history presented in a format that children will actually enjoy reading. Touches on milestones of human history, such as the beginnings of agriculture, use of precious metals and founding of religions. Really good book!
June 15, 2017
Take divne, kratke pribehy nesuvisiace navzajom priblizujuce nejake historicke momenty ludstva. Plus je, ze sa zameriavaju na niektore veci, ktore ini nevnimaju ako velmi dolezite. Napriklad vyroba pusneho prachu cinanmi.
February 11, 2024
An ok book overall. A nice overview of history with some new, uncommon details sprinkled in along the way. It was an entertaining read, and do think it have more value for young readers learning about history for the first time.
June 12, 2017
1 star because Jesus wasn't a real person. This is fake history.
July 23, 2017
Everything Your Historian Friend Hates About The History Channel: The Graphic Novel.
April 13, 2020
Solid history lesson in bite-size chunks that's only occasionally heavy-handed. Good for kids and those not super familiar with the arc of humanity becoming civilized.
October 29, 2023
This was an interesting introduction to the beginning of humanity. The structure could have been more cohesive, as there was a quick debrief and explanation for some of the stories, but not all.
October 1, 2016
I guess the best way to sum up Mankind is that it often feels like one of those old educational shorts from the '50s, that inexplicably focused on something like the importance of truck farming, or how nifty springs are. By this, I mean it centers around some unexpected historical topics, rather than the big ones you might expect. For example: The pyramids? Yeah, some folks built those at some point--but here's how important wheat is! Wow, this seems to be a pretty major conflict between the ancient Egyptians and Syrians. I'm sure they've got a reason for fighting--let's talk about how much better iron is, than bronze!
Sure, some major, identifiable historical events are covered here, like the Marathon runner, or the lead-up to the Crusades, but this book is very scattershot in what it picks. It doesn't help that there aren't any real characters to carry most of these events along. I mean, there are people in this, that are given names, but we're lucky if we stick with any of them for five pages, before the narrative leaps hundreds if not thousands of years forward in time, and/or halfway around the world to focus on something else. Until we get to Jesus, of course. He gets nearly a dozen pages devoted to him during the chapter where he shows up, and not a chapter goes by later that we don't have some side story or subplot about how great Christianity is. After awhile, it feels really heavy-handed. (Though at least the writers do pay passing lip-service to Buddhism and Islam as well, even if they do feel like footnotes in comparison.)
But in all honesty, the worst problem in this graphic novel is the time-skips. The first chapter alone jumps between four generations of people, in five pages. Turn the next page, and 4,000 years have passed. Chapter two skips ahead another 3,000 years, with another 2,500 passed by the start of the following chapter. (Guess that unnamed smoking volcano at the end of chapter two wasn't important enough to follow up on.) There's no time to connect with any of the characters we're presented with, because we know they're going to be discarded in favor of another focus in a few pages.
Two stars, because, if you're a younger reader who really isn't familiar with much of any history at all, you might get something out of this. But the narrative focus, the art, and the characters are so inconsistent (and to be frank, sometimes dogmatic and boring), that I doubt it would hold that audience's interest for long.
Sure, some major, identifiable historical events are covered here, like the Marathon runner, or the lead-up to the Crusades, but this book is very scattershot in what it picks. It doesn't help that there aren't any real characters to carry most of these events along. I mean, there are people in this, that are given names, but we're lucky if we stick with any of them for five pages, before the narrative leaps hundreds if not thousands of years forward in time, and/or halfway around the world to focus on something else. Until we get to Jesus, of course. He gets nearly a dozen pages devoted to him during the chapter where he shows up, and not a chapter goes by later that we don't have some side story or subplot about how great Christianity is. After awhile, it feels really heavy-handed. (Though at least the writers do pay passing lip-service to Buddhism and Islam as well, even if they do feel like footnotes in comparison.)
But in all honesty, the worst problem in this graphic novel is the time-skips. The first chapter alone jumps between four generations of people, in five pages. Turn the next page, and 4,000 years have passed. Chapter two skips ahead another 3,000 years, with another 2,500 passed by the start of the following chapter. (Guess that unnamed smoking volcano at the end of chapter two wasn't important enough to follow up on.) There's no time to connect with any of the characters we're presented with, because we know they're going to be discarded in favor of another focus in a few pages.
Two stars, because, if you're a younger reader who really isn't familiar with much of any history at all, you might get something out of this. But the narrative focus, the art, and the characters are so inconsistent (and to be frank, sometimes dogmatic and boring), that I doubt it would hold that audience's interest for long.
August 24, 2016
This book was included in the Rewriting History box from Comic Bento. Despite the name, the book is an anthology of stories told during progressing eras of human history. Each part tells the story of an individual within the greater part of our history.
These short pieces begin with human ancestors struggling to survive an ice age, takes on the development of major human achievements like farming and forging iron, shows the building of great monuments such as the pyramids in Egypt, and depicts the rise and fall of the Roman empire. There is a bit of an emphasis on war, but these are the more well known moments in history.
I love the art. It varies a bit between each part, but I felt like the illustrations captured the feel of the particular location and era being depicted. Sometimes the character art, particularly the faces, seemed odd. It didn't detract from the stories themselves and wasn't distracting though.
Ultimately, I like the events that were chosen for the book. The summary at the end of some of the issues was nice but unnecessary. I liked the caption boxes within the stories that provided additional information. This is based on a TV series from the History Channel, and the way the stories are told capture that episodic feel. I would not have picked this book up on my own and I am considering picking up the second one because it was very well done.
These short pieces begin with human ancestors struggling to survive an ice age, takes on the development of major human achievements like farming and forging iron, shows the building of great monuments such as the pyramids in Egypt, and depicts the rise and fall of the Roman empire. There is a bit of an emphasis on war, but these are the more well known moments in history.
I love the art. It varies a bit between each part, but I felt like the illustrations captured the feel of the particular location and era being depicted. Sometimes the character art, particularly the faces, seemed odd. It didn't detract from the stories themselves and wasn't distracting though.
Ultimately, I like the events that were chosen for the book. The summary at the end of some of the issues was nice but unnecessary. I liked the caption boxes within the stories that provided additional information. This is based on a TV series from the History Channel, and the way the stories are told capture that episodic feel. I would not have picked this book up on my own and I am considering picking up the second one because it was very well done.
October 12, 2012
NOTE: I received a copy for a honest review.
When I saw this book it reminded me of illustrated books I saw when I was much younger about different things such as science, history and other subjects. In a way this book was like that but mainly it was an ad for the History Channel and gave brief scenes about shows that will be broadcasted. Even so, it was still interesting and did get me interested in watching the different shows when they are broadcasted.
So as a full Graphic Novel, poor. As an interesting read designed to interest a reader in some new shows about the history of mankind. It served its purpose.
When I saw this book it reminded me of illustrated books I saw when I was much younger about different things such as science, history and other subjects. In a way this book was like that but mainly it was an ad for the History Channel and gave brief scenes about shows that will be broadcasted. Even so, it was still interesting and did get me interested in watching the different shows when they are broadcasted.
So as a full Graphic Novel, poor. As an interesting read designed to interest a reader in some new shows about the history of mankind. It served its purpose.
June 20, 2016
Not terrible, but a bit of a lofty premise for 114 pages. Seemed almost like the beginning of a bigger story, but I don't care to see if this ever continued. Thankfully there were no Ancient Aliens, Pawn Shops, Swamp Loggers, or Ice Road Truckers to be seen, a feat considering History Channel put this out.
June 12, 2013
This seemed more like a prelude to the series instead of a graphic novel/comic book series detailing it. It just felt unfinished.
More…
Author: Marv Wolfman
Source: Zenescope Entertainment via Netgalley
Grade: D
Ages: 12+
More…
Author: Marv Wolfman
Source: Zenescope Entertainment via Netgalley
Grade: D
Ages: 12+
June 11, 2016
It's pretty much what it says on the cover, though I would say it tends to be focused more on Western civilization than "all of us". Good artwork and whatnot, but there isn't much here worth commenting on one way or the other.
February 19, 2013
Great overview of history for younger readers, middle school and up. Artwork is really nicely done. Thanks to NetGalley and Silver Dragon Books for the ARC.
June 12, 2015
The history of the human civilisation from the post-Ice Age era up to the Crusades told through beautiful graphics and easy but interesting stories.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews