Doctor Strange: The Book of the Vishanti: A Magical Exploration of the Marvel Universe

by Matthew K. Manning, Alessandro Valdrighi (Illustrator)

An immersive in-world guide to all things magical in the Marvel Universe

One of the most formidable and powerful items in the Marvel Universe, the sacred Book of the Vishanti contains an infinite number of potent spells, incantations, and lore from fantastic realms. Created thousands of years ago in the ancient city of Babylon to combat demons and those who wield dark magic, this tome has been passed down by the greatest sorcerers of the ages, each adding their own discoveries into its ever-expanding pages. Now in the possession of Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme and Earth’s foremost protector against mystical threats, the Book of the Vishanti acts as his first line of defense.

The greatest source of magical knowledge in our dimension, the Book of the Vishanti is the ultimate collection of spells, history, and personal accounts recorded by practitioners over centuries, including notes from Doctor Strange himself. Featuring detailed inscriptions, mind-bending illustrations, and everything you need to know about the heroes, villains, artifacts, creatures, and worlds that make up the mystical and supernatural side of the Multiverse, this book is a must-have for all Marvel fans.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Art, Fiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published December 14, 2021

About the author

Matthew K. Manning is the author of over eighty books and dozens of comic books. He has written books for Scholastic, Disney Press, Abrams, Amazon, Capstone, DK Publishing, Insight Editions, Andrews/McMeel, and Running Press, dividing his time between writing original chapter book series and coffee table books. His chapter books include the six-book series Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns (Capstone), the four-book Drone Academy series (Capstone), Backstories: Batman and Backstories: Batgirl (Scholastic), and Artemis Fowl: How to be a LEPrecon (Disney Press), released in both paperback and on Audible. Many of his books have reached best-seller status on Amazon, including DC Comics: Anatomy of a Metahuman, DC Comics Encyclopedia, and Batman: A Visual History. In addition, Manning specializes in comic books, writing for the titles Beware the Batman, Teen Titans Go!, The Batman Strikes!, Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century, Justice League Adventures, Scooby-Doo, and Looney Tunes for DC Comics, Marvel Action: Avengers for IDW/Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Amazing Adventures and TMNT: New Animated Adventures for IDW, and the top-selling Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures for DC/IDW, nominated by the Diamond Gem Awards for comic of the year. Manning’s work has received acclaim in Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and The Washington Times. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife Dorothy and his daughters Lillian and Gwendolyn.

Buy his books and support independent booksellers on Bookshop at https://bookshop.org/shop/matthewkman...

Reviews

[bri 🧸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

bro the art had me drooling ❤️

[Julia Cassella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is, simply put, amazing. One of the best books I've ever read and I'm sure I will be rereading it in the future!

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again a good read for both fans of Marvel and new comers who might be curious about how magic works in the Marvel Universe. I do like that it does break down some of the more famous spells that Dr. Strange has used like the Crimson Bands and the Shield of the Seraphim and it does explain a little bit about the various enemies the Doctor has fought over the years but I wished it focuses more on his villains and the lore as the spells are neat but nothing amazing. But still a nice read. with some cool visuals and good info for fans.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of deceiving - the book is relatively short, but dense with information about Doctor Strange and his mythology. I think I would have liked this more had I not tried to read it all in one go - I'm not as familiar with the character so I did benefit from reading this (and given that this was released in December, it's interesting to see what characters and concepts ended up in Multiverse of Madness). It was very thorough, for both good and bad.

[Josef Ploski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A facinating deep dive into the world of Doctor Strange and the whole of the mystical Marvel world he inhabits. The sheer amount of imagination and organization that is involved in thinking up these strange worlds and characters and keeping track of who was banished into what pocket dimension my who or what and when is amazing. If you enjoy the character and work of Doctor Strange this is a can not miss tome.

[Larrypalooza · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Marvel comics fan, this is a great find. Of course, it’s written for younger reader. So, I’ll confirm that the younger reader that still lives in my heart loved this book. Clever, well-illustrated, and immersive. If you know someone who likes Doctor Strange, this will add a little magic to their life.

[Mohammad Nafeesuddin]

Super

[Aloysius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great if you want to brush up on your Dr. Strange lore. I knew about Umar, Clea, and Dormammu, but that was about it before I looked up this book!

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun look into the magic of the Marvel Universe, and I especially loved seeing Stephen's comments throughout!
The artwork was also stunning throughout!

[Bentley Mohammed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Edmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very strange....

This book is very strange....
Odd even but in a good way.
It's very entertaining. This is for any Dr. Strange fans.