While many of us have had to deal with one last blast of winter coldness, it’s definitely hard not to cast an eye towards summer and the upcoming blockbuster movie season. I like the summer tentpole movies for a few reasons – the easy and obvious one is comic book movies, which we’ve already gotten a taste of with Captain America: The First Avenger. This week, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will hit theatres, with X-Men: Days of Future Past not far behind. Come August, we’ll also be hit with Guardians of the Galaxy too, Marvel’s first foray into pure science-fiction territory.
Now, the other, slightly less obvious reason for my excitement is that, along with these films come a few new, related books by our pals at DK, the makers of fine, hardcover, pop culture books. This season, the two big Marvel related books are once again essential for your bookshelf.
The first is a brand new edition of the Marvel Encyclopedia, a massive tome that takes alphabetically takes you through characters and events from the entire history of the Marvel Universe. The big characters, such as Captain America, Wolverine, Spider-Man and others receive multi-page entires (as they should), but it’s certainly cool to flip through and find the pertinent details on the one and only Willie Lumpkin. Want to know what went down in Marvel’s Civil War? Check the entry! Need a clear and concise explanation of the Infinity even? It’s all there. Gorgeously put together (no surprise there), this updated and expanded version of the Marvel Encyclopedia is pretty much essential for the Marvel Zombie in your life, and is a great way to introduce the world to a new comic or movie fan.
Also new in stores, and just in time for the Amazing Spider-Man 2’s release this week is the Spider-Man Character Encyclopedia. Unlike the Marvel Encyclopedia, which, while accessible, is probably for a slightly older audience, the Spidey guide is a perfect spot for younger beginners. It’s far less content heavy, relying instead on cool images and some quick and snappy copy to let readers in on the wall-crawler’s gallery of friends and foes. This is the sort of book I can see myself reading to the Princess before bedtime, as we point out certain characters and read their pertinent information.
Both the Marvel Encyclopedia and Spider-Man Character Encyclopedia are available in stores and online now. Which entry will you look up first in yours?
*cough* winter soldier *cough*