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Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1
The original encyclopedia of adventures: expanded, augmented and updated Marvel's continuity kings continued their quest for completeness in these issues of dedicated Deluxeness Top talent teamed to headline heroes like Captain America, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, the Hulk and dozens of others Full lineups of the Avengers, the Defenders, the Fantastic Four and more Collects OHOTMU Deluxe #1-7.
496 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2006
2 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Mark Gruenwald
918 books44 followersGruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity. Before being hired by Marvel, he wrote text articles for DC Comics official fanzine, The Amazing World of DC Comics. Articles by Gruenwald include "The Martian Chronicles" (a history of the Martian Manhunter) in issue #13 and several articles on the history of the Justice League in issue #14.
In 1978 he was hired by Marvel Comics, where he remained for the rest of his career. Hired initially as an assistant editor in January 1978, Gruenwald was promoted to full editorship by Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter in 1982, putting Gruenwald in charge of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider Woman, and What If. During this period, he shared an office with writer/editor Denny O'Neil, whom Gruenwald considered a mentor.
In 1982, Gruenwald, Steven Grant, and Bill Mantlo co-wrote Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions, the first limited seriespublished by Marvel Comics. As a writer, Gruenwald is best known for creating the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and his ten-year stint as the writer of Captain America during which he contributed several notable characters such as Crossbones, Diamondback and U.S. Agent. He made a deliberate effort to create villains who would be specific to Captain America, as opposed to generic foes who could as easily have been introduced in another comic.
His 60-issue run on Quasar realized Gruenwald's ambition to write his own kind of superhero. However, he considered his magnum opus to be the mid-1980s 12-issue miniseries Squadron Supreme, which told the story of an alternate universe where a group of well-intended superheroes decide that they would be best suited to run the planet
In 1978 he was hired by Marvel Comics, where he remained for the rest of his career. Hired initially as an assistant editor in January 1978, Gruenwald was promoted to full editorship by Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter in 1982, putting Gruenwald in charge of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider Woman, and What If. During this period, he shared an office with writer/editor Denny O'Neil, whom Gruenwald considered a mentor.
In 1982, Gruenwald, Steven Grant, and Bill Mantlo co-wrote Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions, the first limited seriespublished by Marvel Comics. As a writer, Gruenwald is best known for creating the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and his ten-year stint as the writer of Captain America during which he contributed several notable characters such as Crossbones, Diamondback and U.S. Agent. He made a deliberate effort to create villains who would be specific to Captain America, as opposed to generic foes who could as easily have been introduced in another comic.
His 60-issue run on Quasar realized Gruenwald's ambition to write his own kind of superhero. However, he considered his magnum opus to be the mid-1980s 12-issue miniseries Squadron Supreme, which told the story of an alternate universe where a group of well-intended superheroes decide that they would be best suited to run the planet
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 1, 2016
Finally found the last missing issue this year of this series! I've been collecting and reading these for years and would constantly go back and reread, especially when I was trying to write a specific character. I've learned more about Marvel stories through these than the actual comics. And in many cases when I go back to read some of the actual stories described they leave something to be desired, but hearing about the stories really opens up the imagination and creates a seamless world. In fact every time I go to create a new world for a story I start by making character and group profiles like these.
April 12, 2024
A sort of time capsule look at where Marvel Comics and its vast array of characters stood around 1986 & 87. It's all info that you could just look up online now, but there is a magic in reading it. So, it's 400+ pages of character profiles. Everything from place of birth, to real name, to specific powers, to known associates. This book breaks it down.
As someone who was never really into super hero comics or Marvel & DC comics generally, this was a helpful purchase as I tried to understand the history. But that was almost 20 years ago. I've since read a bunch of "classic" Marvel comics, and likely have had my fill.
Anyway, I'm sure for folks who were into the comics of the era, this will have nostalgic value.
As someone who was never really into super hero comics or Marvel & DC comics generally, this was a helpful purchase as I tried to understand the history. But that was almost 20 years ago. I've since read a bunch of "classic" Marvel comics, and likely have had my fill.
Anyway, I'm sure for folks who were into the comics of the era, this will have nostalgic value.
April 17, 2013
Encyclopedia Superheroiana, pars prima
Wer schon immer mal wissen musste, wieviele Tonnen das "Ding" im Vergleich zum "Silver Surfer" heben kann, oder wie eigentlich die Geschichte des "Crimson Dynamo" war, oder einfach alles mögliche über diesen oder jeden Nebenhelden oder -bösewicht lesen will - der ist hier richtig. In einer Zeit, in der an Wikipedia noch nicht zu denken war, wurden hier die fiktionalen Eigenheiten von praktisch jedem Charakter des Marvel-Universums ausführlichst geschildert, mit Illustrationen von diversen Künstlern.
Lesen am Stück kann man das nicht, man liest ja auch nicht den Brockhaus. Zum Nachschlagen findet man die Informationen wohl heute auch im Netz; daher ist dies ein Kuriosum für Fans, und bei den Fans hauptsächlich für die Komplettisten.
Und man kann die Freundin damit beeindrucken, wie extremnerdig man ist, indem man diesen Band aus dem Regal zieht und über seinen Lieblingshelden diskutiert.
Wer schon immer mal wissen musste, wieviele Tonnen das "Ding" im Vergleich zum "Silver Surfer" heben kann, oder wie eigentlich die Geschichte des "Crimson Dynamo" war, oder einfach alles mögliche über diesen oder jeden Nebenhelden oder -bösewicht lesen will - der ist hier richtig. In einer Zeit, in der an Wikipedia noch nicht zu denken war, wurden hier die fiktionalen Eigenheiten von praktisch jedem Charakter des Marvel-Universums ausführlichst geschildert, mit Illustrationen von diversen Künstlern.
Lesen am Stück kann man das nicht, man liest ja auch nicht den Brockhaus. Zum Nachschlagen findet man die Informationen wohl heute auch im Netz; daher ist dies ein Kuriosum für Fans, und bei den Fans hauptsächlich für die Komplettisten.
Und man kann die Freundin damit beeindrucken, wie extremnerdig man ist, indem man diesen Band aus dem Regal zieht und über seinen Lieblingshelden diskutiert.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews