Marvel The Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide

by Alan Cowsill

Meet the Avengers, Earth's the world's mightiest Super Hero team! From the Hulk and Iron Man to Captain America and Thor, over 220 Avengers characters are included in this ultimate character guide. This revised edition features updated images and text for many exciting characters, as well as a further 60 new heroes and villains. Find out about each character, with detailed facts, stats, powers, allies and foes. Created in full collaboration with Marvel Comics and packed full of original comic book art, this character guide is a must buy for all Super Hero fans!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Superheroes, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Reference, Fiction

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Alan is an award-winning writer and editor who started out selling comics and magazines as a dealer before becoming a full-time creative, giving him a complete understanding of the industry from all sides. He has created stories for most comic companies, and edited hit titles for Marvel, Panini and Eaglemoss. When he’s not working for Bullpen, Alan writes novels and practices Kung Fu and Qigong.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avengers Assemble!!!


WHO WASN'T AN AVENGER YET?

This is a reference book that you may very well guess that it's a guide about the characters from Marvel Universe who has been an Avengers at some time...

...which isn't an easy feat since almost any hero (and some anti-heroes and even some villains) have been Avengers at some time for a while, even staple members of other hero teams like Fantastic Four and X-Men have been Avengers.

Therefore, sometimes it could easier to list who wasn't an avenger yet, than trying to make the list of Avengers members, active, reservist, inactive and even defunct.

And since each Marvel reboot (that they're happening sooner each time) it's usual to try with some unique roster of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and since this book was published some years ago (I read it at 2010), it's very likely that several member will be missed, but still this reference book is an avenging job featuring A LOT of those popular characters that they had been at some time a member of the Avengers.

Definitely a recommended reading for any fan of Avengers (that nowadays (2018)) can't be higher than ever with the incoming premiere of Avengers: Infinity War with a cast of 40-some characters shown there,...

...so as I told you, an Avengers' list won't be truly complete never, but this book is one of the best options around.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son has this book and it's pretty hilarious if you're not a hardcore MARVEL fan. Yes, there's additional info on Thor and Captain America and all, but what makes it such a hoot are all the minor characters and their various powers - The Whizzer, Flatman, Big Bertha, Dinah Soar (get it?), the Mad Thinker, and oh-so-many more. e

None are more awesome, however, than Squirrel Girl, who was a member of the Great Lakes Avengers and "has an empathic bond with her squirrel sidekicks and the ability to talk to squirrels in general...Tragically, her squirrel sidekick Monkey Joe was killed by a jealous ex-teammate, but she now has a new favorite squirrel, Tippy-Toe." What makes her so awesome, however, is the fact that somehow, she once defeated Doctor Doom - Doctor Doom! That must make for some painful conversations in the Bad Guys Cantina - "hey Doom, tell these guys about the time you got your ass kicked by Squirrel Girl and Monkey Joe!" "Shut up, man..."



UPDATE: Read this nearly a decade ago and well before the "expanded MCU"...who knew then that someday we'd be talking about characters like Ant Man, Groot, Star Lord and the Red Guardian without cracking a smile?

[P · Rating 3 out of 5]

รอนานมาก รอจนลืม -*- แฟนๆ MARVEL UNIVERSE ไม่ควรพลาดนะ รายละเอียดแน่นดี
ไม่ต้องไปค้น comics มากมายในลัง เพราะระลึกชาติไม่ออกว่าตัวละครนี้ origin มาจากไหน เล่มนี้เล่มเดียวเอาอยู่ครับ

[Evelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the world of Marvel, which is why I am very interested in the volume, because no matter how much I love movies, without knowing the comics, a lot of information has been left out of my life so far, but the good news is that this volume is very informative, precise and dreamless. I would have dared. Quite a few well-known characters also play a role, in addition to those who aren’t so famous / hear less about them. It was good that not only the usual "acquaintances" came back from the pages, but also those who were worth getting to know and who were at least as important as their already mentioned peers. No fan shelf for anything can miss this information-rich, illustrated, and beautifully compiled reading.

Each page introduces a new character based on a certain scheme. First we get a little taste, background information, then after the basic data (real name, occupation, base, abilities, allies, enemies, ...), it also shows the strength values. All this colored with illustrations. These illustrations are distinctly colorful, detailed, and comically true, yet also serve as a real plus for the volume. It’s not the typical book that just runs through the details, but it also displays what you call important. What is very catching is that it endows you with more and more information and background knowledge with each page. Most of all, this volume came as a surprise, but at the same time, due to its elaboration, it is a real treasure among the fans. Those who are unfamiliar with the world can also find it interesting, as it attracts attention, shows new things, allows you to be close to you, and is called to create a comprehensive image that gives you an advantage over other fans, but also refreshes the knowledge you already know, or it just complements, refutes it. I was amazed at quite a few places and couldn’t believe what I was reading. He was completely drawn into his spell, and although he moves more slowly with it than e.g. with Marvel- New Stories, it’s worth investing energy into it because it’s part of the MCU, too, and it’s good to be aware of things.

Considering this volume, I think we’re dealing with a very thorough job that doesn’t inform us in any way, it doesn’t focus on learning as much as we can about a particular character, be it relevant information or irrelevant, but for sure, to put accuracy, quick comprehension, and to find out basic information in the shortest possible time, and to incorporate this into our knowledge later on. One page at a time can be run through pretty quickly, the language isn’t intricate, it’s really limited to getting into the picture, and I couldn’t help but notice that Loki is still one of the strongest characters.

[Nicholas Richard Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Avengers, the most widely known team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe, made their comic book debut in September of 1963 in their first eponymous publication series The Avengers #1, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in response to DC Comics' Justice League of America. This first incarnation consisted of founding members Ant-Man, Iron Man, Thor, the Wasp and the Hulk, and has since had a vast array of the Marvel superhero community on their roster, as well as several splinter groups and off-shoots (such as the West Coast Avengers and, more recently, the New Avengers). Over the many years of various Avengers-related titles and storylines, with an increasing roster number and rogues gallery, it is fair to say that compiling a database of such for the mass market would be no easy feat. In fact, for that such publication, it is probably best to explore 'The Marvel Encyclopedia', that contains a vast amount of information pertaining to each character within the Marvel Universe, not just focusing on the Avengers, but other teams, solo adventurers etc.
The 'Avengers Ultimate Character Guide', released by DK in 2012 most certainly lives up to its name, with over 200 character profiles presented in alphabetical order from Amadeus Cho to Yondu. However, this most certainly is not a guide to each and every character within the Marvel Universe. DK has released a picturesque character guide focusing on the Avengers team within Marvel lore, and this does not involve information and people from other teams and publications. Such a feat would require a lot more than two hundred pages. Characters that are not included, such as Deadpool and Jean Grey, amongst many others, are not included because they have limited connections to the Avengers team, even though they have extremely important places within the mainstream Marvel Universe of Earth-616.
Each profile has a (very) brief summary of the character's overview/origins, two pop-ups of certain major events in that character's publication history, their vital statistics and a power ranking, which ranks their strength and fighting skills etc., along with an almost page-spread portrait of the character in question. For me, this publication acts as a handy index to explore very brief profiles of characters that have been in the Avengers spotlight over the years. There is information that is left out regarding past and present epic storylines, but owing to the limited page count this is partly expected.
With the 'Avengers Assemble' live-action Hollywood blockbuster having a huge impact on comic-book media circles, I sense that the 'Marvel' Avengers' Ultimate Character Guide' is aimed mostly at the younger reader, owing to the quite simple language used and the limited amount of information relating to the more violent aspects within the Avengers' long- standing publication history. Information that could be considered a little controversial in a character guide for young readers is left out; for example, on the two profile pages belonging to Hulkling and Wiccan of the Young Avengers, there is no mention of them being in a gay relationship.
All in all, I consider the 'Marvel Avengers' Ultimate Character Guide' a nice little companion to the many other DK released tomes exploring many other media franchises, such as rival DC Comics and Star Wars, amongst others. Also, Avengers fans old and new will find it an interesting piece of light reading in wake of the success regarding the live-action 'Avengers Assemble' movie, giving the reader a sense of the enormous character scope within the film's comic-book roots.

[Svenja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Für Einsteiger-Marvel-Comic-Fans ein absolutes Muss :D

[Shad Mohd. Algari · Rating 5 out of 5]

You a Marvel fan?? READ THIS
some of the characters took me by total surprise! A lot of stories in the movies are completely different from the original comic stories. Like did you know that Black Widow is actually married to a freak (literally, a blue/green creature)?? And did you know that Ultron was created by Hank Pym & NOT by Tony Stark???? These and more inside this book 👏🏼😊

[Anna (Ink of Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich fands echt super!
(Aber mehr als 3 Sterne kann ich einfach nicht geben, weil es ja nur eine Zusammenstellung aller Avengers ist und keine richtige Geschichte beinhaltet :D Aber ich habe jetzt trotzdem ganz viele neue Lieblingshelden!)

[Maire]

its interesting i enjoyed seeing what was previously made and some of the older characters

[Long Live Wonderland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best page was the page talking about Iron Man! AKA the best Avenger!

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to keep this a short review. As you probably realise by now I'm a huge geek and I'm a huge fan of superheros. Despite this I had only ever watched the films and never read the comics. I wanted a book that would allow me to learn about other relevant characters without reading hundreds of comics. This is where I found this book, well actually my mother bought it for me as a surprise. I totally geeked out when I saw it.


The book itself is full of great images and drawings of the characters each bright and clear. I loved looking at new characters and seeing how they got their powers. It's full of the basic history of many Marvel characters. They give you basic information and a bit of history which is all a new fan needs to get a feel of the new characters. The book is incredibly well laid out, it would be a great read for all ages. It's simply laid out which makes the book even more impressive. It's a great start for someone looking to learn more, even long turn fans will be able to get something out of this book. I really loved this and will now look for more character guides!

[connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Pretty standard collection book.

It includes every Avenger/Young Avenger/Villain/Organisations affiliated with the Avengers, and although there were some I wasn't particularly interested in, I still enjoyed flicking through it. I was wondering if there was going to be an X-Men one, or one that actually includes Deadpool (what do you mean I sound bitter? I'm not bitter at all .)

It's a decent addition to my growing collection of Marvel books, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for definite for an X-Men one. If there is, let me know!

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s nothing overly extravagant about this book. To put it in as simple terms as possible, it’s one of those things you can pick up if you’re a big fan of the Avenges to get more information yet it isn’t going to broaden your horizons all that much. It’s standard information, giving us details on as much as possible. Some is cared about, others not so much.

Fun for fans, but not something you need to go out of your way to read.

[Zeyah Orozco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read this book three times and enjoyed it each time. While it does not include all of the Avengers, because there are about 3,000 people who have been on the Avengers at some point, it includes many of them and many of their villains. It provides accurate descriptions and adds fascinating bonus facts. It’s a good read if you’re a Marvel nerd like me.

[Daniel Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide by Alan Cowsill offers a detailed and visually engaging exploration of the vast Marvel Universe, making it a must-have for both casual fans and die-hard enthusiasts. The book is structured in an easily digestible format, providing concise profiles of over 200 characters, ranging from iconic superheroes to lesser-known figures.

One of the strengths of this guide is its stunning visual appeal. The book is filled with vibrant and high-quality illustrations, showcasing the evolution of characters over the years. Each profile is accompanied by captivating artwork, offering readers a visual journey through the dynamic world of Marvel. The inclusion of key information, such as first appearances, powers, and affiliations, adds depth to the character profiles.

Alan Cowsill's writing strikes a balance between accessibility and depth. The guide is written in a straightforward manner that is easy for newcomers to understand, while still providing nuggets of information that even seasoned fans may find enlightening. The concise nature of the entries allows readers to quickly grasp the essential aspects of each character without feeling overwhelmed by unnecessary details.

However, some readers may find that the brevity of the character descriptions leaves them craving more in-depth information. While the guide covers a broad range of characters, the limited space for each profile means that certain characters receive only a cursory overview. This may leave fans wanting a more comprehensive exploration of their favorite superheroes or villains.

Another minor drawback is that the guide focuses primarily on individual character profiles rather than delving into the overarching narrative or the interconnected relationships within the Marvel Universe. Readers looking for a more narrative-driven approach may find themselves wanting a deeper exploration of the stories that bind these characters together.

In conclusion, Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide is a visually stunning and informative resource that serves as a great introduction to the diverse Marvel Universe. While it may not satisfy the hunger for exhaustive details on every character, it excels in providing a quick and enjoyable overview, making it a valuable addition to any Marvel fan's collection.

[Jarno · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a great book to have on your shelf when you catch up with the Avengers and come across with some cosmic or minor character whose origin you can't recall.

However it has its oddities and in fact a lot of mistakes. Some of these are obviously arguable when you concider what the book is really about: physical facts and history of fictional characters whose stories have been told by different writers in some cases in the course of 50 years. Who can tell what is an actual and final fact? Not even Stan Lee.

Still, without rose-tinted glasses (being estranged from the character more and more ever since One More Day), I gotta say the description of Spider-Man is a good example of the book's more sloppier parts. Peter Parker is one of the greatest scientific minds of Marvel mythos and has often been situated in the company of Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Hank Pym and others to toss around ideas and even out-witted them. And he gets 4 out of 7 in intelligence... Just compare Squirrel Girl's stats to Spider-Man's. Sorry, but no.

Some of the bios really seem to be written based on the first sentence describing the character on Wikipedia. 'Nuff said.

[Emma of Themiscyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

True rating: 3.5
I picked this up MOSTLY to have something inspiring to reference when I'm bored and want to draw. For that, this is an awesome book for obvious reasons. But if you're reading this for pleasure.... I'm not so sure about that. It was kind of boring, and for many of the main heroes (like Spiderman for example) I think more fun facts would have been better than a blurb about what everyone already knows. I really also couldn't care much about some of the characters at all. I also feel like they missed some people? I feel like a lot of the villains were listed as either having the Avengers OR a specific hero as foes, so why was Doc Oc and Carnage and Juggernaut being Spidey's foes, and he's an Avenger. IDK :)

ALSO I have a problem with the intelligence and other stats ratings they have for each person. Spidey is a 4/7 intelligence??? The kid who Tony Stark thinks is smart enough to let work in his labs?? And Doctor Octavius? SURE. And Doctor Strange, a SURGEON, is also just a 4/7? I don't think so. I think a lot of the numbers and a couple other things weren't completely thought through and some descriptions were bland and sloppy.

[Ian Massey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm genuinely not sure who this book is aimed at. There's too little detail for comics fans/collectors, it's at a level which seems to be aimed at kids, but will they be interested in comics given their spiralling cost?

Each hero and villain gets a couple of hundred words (at most), with no references to actual issues of comics. Facts are repeated, sometimes twice, sometimes three times on a page and sometimes even across entries - for example, costumes being streamlined to help flight - and are sometimes useless - do we need to know that Attuma's "red helmet with long ear's is one of many items of headgear" he has worn?

Even with the huge cast that the Avengers must have amassed by now, there are entries for characters only peripherally associated with the team, and some entries reference characters that don't even have their own entry.

Slight, lacking in depth and detail.

[cauldronofevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I assume its the computer mind in me that (or undiagnosed Aspergers) that loves Encyclopedias and comic book encyclopedias can keep me entertained for a long time. And I ought to know I have quite a few of them.

And since it’s been so long since I could actually afford comics its kind of neat to be able to ‘catch-up’ to characters I know who have changed and hear about new characters that came long after my comic reading days were over. Okay, they are not really over, but you know what I mean.

Well, what can I say? If you like reading superhero encyclopedias this will definitely scratch that itch. I can’t be the only one if they’re still making books like this!

I give this four stars because it’s well illustrated and fun to read.

[Michael Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief biographical illustrations (lots of illustrations - minimal text) of characters from Marvel universe. Most are very minor characters.

I was given this book, and dipped into it over several months, but did read every word.

Really, this is a good reference for completists. I actually haven't read comics in many years but watch most of the superhero movies, so most characters were unfamiliar to me. But for those of you "in the know", it would make for a good reference.

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is far more a reference book than one you read, but it's fun as heck. It covers off a lot of the heroes and villains that have passed through the pages of the Avengers comics (in all their incarnations) and, of course, all the heavy hitters are here, Cap, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man, Iron Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch, etc...along with the second string players...

...the utterly ridiculous ones too. 3-D Man. Flat Man. So many dumb ones.

It's an entertaining book. Seriously.

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had just seen Antman at the movies, and then I went to the library and saw this book. I think children would love seeing all these characters. I did not even know there were so many of them. Every character is given a page and a description of where they belong in the universe and who they work with and who they fight against.

[Heechan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just purely informational, and it is fun to read through learning more and more about this universe that Marvel has built. It also shows interesting illustrations and linking different characters together through different circumstances for example how the Hulk and wolverine once fought in the comics and writes about what happens in a small box depicting the fight scene.

[Bobby Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son brought this one home from school, and loved having us read it to him as a bedtime story at night. Fun collection of characters involved with the Avengers. Artwork was a good mix of new and old. My son loved it, which is most important. We will have to find a copy of this or something similar for Christmas 🙂

[kenny🌃 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, I did, but it seems like almost none of the girl characters would be able to live with their weight and height.

[Cody Denger · Rating 4 out of 5]

i dont know i wanna read it

[Janika Puolitaival · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yksi tähti lisää nostalgiatripistä. Marvel on kuulunut elämääni yli 30 vuotta ja tämä hahmokirja sai kaipailemaan entisen sarjakuvakokoelmani perään. Kaipaan Marvelin kulta-aikoja, huoh.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know. It's basically an encyclopedia of Marvel characters in the Avengers timeline. I read it along with my 6 year old. We had fun.

[Robert John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough

[Tayler Morrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun encyclopedia to keep on hand