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Animation:
Marvel: The Characters and Their Universe
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So, I'm
walking through a Barnes & Noble store in Amarillo a few
weeks ago, and I stumble upon a beautiful book called Marvel:
The Characters And Their Universe. Now, I'm a sucker
for comics history books. So this incredibly beautiful leather-bound
(or close enough to fool me, anyway) coffee table book, with
a colorful raised illustration of some of Marvel's greatest
characters, drew me in at first glance. Upon thumbing through
the book, generously filled with lavish illustrations and
photos, I was quickly hooked and headed for the checkout stand.
Author Michael Mallory has put together a respectable history
of Marvel Comics, starting farther back than most who retell
this particular story, with the inception of Red Circle,
then a pulp fiction magazine publishing company. And, considering
the fact that the book chronicles Marvel history up to 2004
(the year of publication), it can be considered quite comprehensive.
One of the most attractive characteristics of this book,
however, is that it not only covers Marvel properties in
print, but in other media as well. Covering just about every
incarnation of any Marvel character on big screen or small
since the '60's, Mallory's inclusion of the company's Saturday
morning contributions and live action prime time projects
were a pleasant revisiting of many beloved memories for
this longtime fan.
I especially
enjoyed some previously unknown information (to me) concerning
the '70's television show The Incredible Hulk,
as well as the various TV movie spin-offs.
This gleeful walk down a brightly colored memory lane will
bring a lot of pleasure to current fans and former fans
alike. It would also make a great gift for the comics fan
in your life.
Find it at Barnes & Noble bookstores, as well as online
retailers and auctions, where great deals can be found.
Heck, I got mine at B&N for $25.00, a third of the retail
price! Who says you can't "geek out" affordably?
Marvel:
The Characters and Their Universe
Review
by: Mark Allen, guesting for Michael Vance.
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