Marvel Encyclopedia (2002, Hardcover)

I don't want to bad-mouth this book, but I was expecting...I don't know...MORE, maybe? Beyond the surprising number of spelling errors, the entire book seems a bit "slapped together." Moderately illustrated by mostly an incongruous assortment of oddly trimmed, previously published artwork, this is not a pin-up book. The text pieces are just slightly more in-depth than one might expect from the back of a trading card, and some of that is confusing or too vague, so it is not a real "encyclopedia." It probably should have been advertised as a "primer" instead, as it does a fairly good job of quickly and simply introducing the major players in the Marvel Universe. Each character's powers are also rated, which might make the book handy for role-playing gamers. Over all, I would not recommend this book to a Marvel fan looking for an enjoyable read, nor to someone hoping to do research of any but the most rudimentary kind.