amazing, 18 Sep 2008
this collection or memory is amazing it has incredible art and so much information that it is so worth keeping forever

Very good but it is a little fragile, 23 Apr 2008
This book really is a joy. Every Marvelite who gets one will love it. It contains lots of stuff that old time fans will possibly already know about but this is the first time I have seem so many photos of Marvel and Timely staff members in one book. This book is as much about the company as it is the characters and is all the better for that. I love all the reproduction pencil sketches, stamps and cards etc they are very realistic replicas. As a Brit we never really got chance to see any of those things in real life so to actually hold them in my hand is a bit of a thrill. I feel this book will mostly appeal to older comic fans between the ages of 30 and 50 looking for a bit of nostalgia rather than small boys or young fans of superhero films and cartoons. I would go so far as to say that this book is actually due to the ring binding to fragile to handle for any child under 10 (it needs to be handled with a lot of care and only opened on a flat surface. Because of this I almost dropped a star in my rating and I would have given this book four stars. Since it has been discounted so heavily by Amazon though (at the time of writing this) It now has to in my opinion have the full five.

Excellent gift for a Marvel Fan, 11 Jan 2008
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loves it. I am not really into the whole Marvel thing myself, but found myself interested enough to read it from cover to cover. Excellent and a great price on Amazon.

Marvel Vault - Fantastic but flawed, 02 Nov 2007
I agree in what has already been written about how good the book is. However, there is a major flaw in the book that needs pointing out. The pages are held in place by a metal ring binding. Even with careful use the pages are going to pull againt this binding and are going to tear and fall out. I could already see slight wear after looking through the book once - Be warned especally considering the price.



Like opening a Marvel time capsule, 26 Sep 2007
Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson have gathered together in this book not only a history of Marvel from Marvel Comics # 1 (1939) up to 2006, which is impressive enough but a whole host of extras from Marvel's past make it a superb collector's item.
From reproductions of sketches of Marvel's WW2 heroes, especially the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's longest lasting continual character, the original Torch being an android. There's a reproduction MMMS membership card (I was a member of FOOM in the 1970's), the no-prize book, Marvel value stamps and many more items, it's a nostalgics dream. There are also truly personal items like Bill Everett's postcards.
Marvel fans are an intrinsic part of the Marvel extended family and although like most families, there are the odd breakdowns by and large Marvel has kept a large and loyal fan-base. It does not gloss over the collapse of Marvel and the comic industry in the 1990's due to corporate over-reach (greed) and the eventual rebirth, through to Heroes Reborn, and the recent spate of blockbuster movies.
Reading through it the names of the people who made Marvel great, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas himself, John Buscema, John Romita and countless others appear and invoke great memories. I was a Marvelite in the 1970's and 1980's and am now catching up on both the stories I read first time round and many I missed out on. This book is full of absolutely wonderful art reproductions that cover almost 70 years and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, 'nuff said.

amazing, 18 Sep 2008
this collection or memory is amazing it has incredible art and so much information that it is so worth keeping forever

Very good but it is a little fragile, 23 Apr 2008
This book really is a joy. Every Marvelite who gets one will love it. It contains lots of stuff that old time fans will possibly already know about but this is the first time I have seem so many photos of Marvel and Timely staff members in one book. This book is as much about the company as it is the characters and is all the better for that. I love all the reproduction pencil sketches, stamps and cards etc they are very realistic replicas. As a Brit we never really got chance to see any of those things in real life so to actually hold them in my hand is a bit of a thrill. I feel this book will mostly appeal to older comic fans between the ages of 30 and 50 looking for a bit of nostalgia rather than small boys or young fans of superhero films and cartoons. I would go so far as to say that this book is actually due to the ring binding to fragile to handle for any child under 10 (it needs to be handled with a lot of care and only opened on a flat surface. Because of this I almost dropped a star in my rating and I would have given this book four stars. Since it has been discounted so heavily by Amazon though (at the time of writing this) It now has to in my opinion have the full five.

Excellent gift for a Marvel Fan, 11 Jan 2008
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loves it. I am not really into the whole Marvel thing myself, but found myself interested enough to read it from cover to cover. Excellent and a great price on Amazon.

Marvel Vault - Fantastic but flawed, 02 Nov 2007
I agree in what has already been written about how good the book is. However, there is a major flaw in the book that needs pointing out. The pages are held in place by a metal ring binding. Even with careful use the pages are going to pull againt this binding and are going to tear and fall out. I could already see slight wear after looking through the book once - Be warned especally considering the price.



Like opening a Marvel time capsule, 26 Sep 2007
Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson have gathered together in this book not only a history of Marvel from Marvel Comics # 1 (1939) up to 2006, which is impressive enough but a whole host of extras from Marvel's past make it a superb collector's item.
From reproductions of sketches of Marvel's WW2 heroes, especially the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's longest lasting continual character, the original Torch being an android. There's a reproduction MMMS membership card (I was a member of FOOM in the 1970's), the no-prize book, Marvel value stamps and many more items, it's a nostalgics dream. There are also truly personal items like Bill Everett's postcards.
Marvel fans are an intrinsic part of the Marvel extended family and although like most families, there are the odd breakdowns by and large Marvel has kept a large and loyal fan-base. It does not gloss over the collapse of Marvel and the comic industry in the 1990's due to corporate over-reach (greed) and the eventual rebirth, through to Heroes Reborn, and the recent spate of blockbuster movies.
Reading through it the names of the people who made Marvel great, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas himself, John Buscema, John Romita and countless others appear and invoke great memories. I was a Marvelite in the 1970's and 1980's and am now catching up on both the stories I read first time round and many I missed out on. This book is full of absolutely wonderful art reproductions that cover almost 70 years and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, 'nuff said.


Essential Facts, Accurate Prices, Fascinating Details, 27 Jun 2008
I have been a comic book collector for over 50 years. During that time I've looked at every price guide ever published. While I get an occasional insight from other sources, I consistently find that the Overstreet annual guides are by far the best source. I also find that collectors of all ages and sophistications rely on this guide so it tells me what the market will be for comics I might want to buy or sell.

Some people feel like they don't need to buy these every year. I disagree!

Even the advertisements are valuable . . . I've found many helpful, low-cost suppliers through these pages over the years.

I especially enjoyed the updated versions of articles about much older comics in this edition. Don't miss them.

amazing, 18 Sep 2008
this collection or memory is amazing it has incredible art and so much information that it is so worth keeping forever

Very good but it is a little fragile, 23 Apr 2008
This book really is a joy. Every Marvelite who gets one will love it. It contains lots of stuff that old time fans will possibly already know about but this is the first time I have seem so many photos of Marvel and Timely staff members in one book. This book is as much about the company as it is the characters and is all the better for that. I love all the reproduction pencil sketches, stamps and cards etc they are very realistic replicas. As a Brit we never really got chance to see any of those things in real life so to actually hold them in my hand is a bit of a thrill. I feel this book will mostly appeal to older comic fans between the ages of 30 and 50 looking for a bit of nostalgia rather than small boys or young fans of superhero films and cartoons. I would go so far as to say that this book is actually due to the ring binding to fragile to handle for any child under 10 (it needs to be handled with a lot of care and only opened on a flat surface. Because of this I almost dropped a star in my rating and I would have given this book four stars. Since it has been discounted so heavily by Amazon though (at the time of writing this) It now has to in my opinion have the full five.

Excellent gift for a Marvel Fan, 11 Jan 2008
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loves it. I am not really into the whole Marvel thing myself, but found myself interested enough to read it from cover to cover. Excellent and a great price on Amazon.

Marvel Vault - Fantastic but flawed, 02 Nov 2007
I agree in what has already been written about how good the book is. However, there is a major flaw in the book that needs pointing out. The pages are held in place by a metal ring binding. Even with careful use the pages are going to pull againt this binding and are going to tear and fall out. I could already see slight wear after looking through the book once - Be warned especally considering the price.



Like opening a Marvel time capsule, 26 Sep 2007
Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson have gathered together in this book not only a history of Marvel from Marvel Comics # 1 (1939) up to 2006, which is impressive enough but a whole host of extras from Marvel's past make it a superb collector's item.
From reproductions of sketches of Marvel's WW2 heroes, especially the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's longest lasting continual character, the original Torch being an android. There's a reproduction MMMS membership card (I was a member of FOOM in the 1970's), the no-prize book, Marvel value stamps and many more items, it's a nostalgics dream. There are also truly personal items like Bill Everett's postcards.
Marvel fans are an intrinsic part of the Marvel extended family and although like most families, there are the odd breakdowns by and large Marvel has kept a large and loyal fan-base. It does not gloss over the collapse of Marvel and the comic industry in the 1990's due to corporate over-reach (greed) and the eventual rebirth, through to Heroes Reborn, and the recent spate of blockbuster movies.
Reading through it the names of the people who made Marvel great, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas himself, John Buscema, John Romita and countless others appear and invoke great memories. I was a Marvelite in the 1970's and 1980's and am now catching up on both the stories I read first time round and many I missed out on. This book is full of absolutely wonderful art reproductions that cover almost 70 years and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, 'nuff said.


Essential Facts, Accurate Prices, Fascinating Details, 27 Jun 2008
I have been a comic book collector for over 50 years. During that time I've looked at every price guide ever published. While I get an occasional insight from other sources, I consistently find that the Overstreet annual guides are by far the best source. I also find that collectors of all ages and sophistications rely on this guide so it tells me what the market will be for comics I might want to buy or sell.

Some people feel like they don't need to buy these every year. I disagree!

Even the advertisements are valuable . . . I've found many helpful, low-cost suppliers through these pages over the years.

I especially enjoyed the updated versions of articles about much older comics in this edition. Don't miss them.

Like comics? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BOUGHT THIS BOOK YET?, 23 May 2001
If you're reading this,you need this book. Don't think, ORDER! Why are you still here? Is my fanatic praise not enough? What, you want me to explain myself? You'll be sorry. Bottom line, this is the most accessible and down right readable volume availible on comicbooks anywhere. If you have the slightest effection for comics you will enjoy it, guaranteed. Even if all you have is hazy but fond memories of the Spiderman & his Amazing Friends show,you will love this book. What you get for your money is the story of Marvel comics & their place in American culture, a neat little over view of the early history of sequencial art & insight into the unique creative methods of the company, famously pioneered by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby ( haven't heard of them? Buy the book!). Oh, and lots and lots of pictures. Trust me, it's far more interesting then it sounds. I mean really very interesting. You even get four reprints of classic Marvel adventures so you can see what all the fuss is about. If you like comics but aren't a fan of the Marvel style this is still an essential read for it's valuable historical summary of the changing style of comicbooks and the industry that has grown up around them. It is far, far more readable then any of the big old 'history of comicbooks' volumes knocking about. If you are new to comics this is a great place to get familiar & you'll never feel inferior to comic store guys again (does anybody?). So go buy. Then start reading those highly affordable Essential Marvel reprints.....

amazing, 18 Sep 2008
this collection or memory is amazing it has incredible art and so much information that it is so worth keeping forever

Very good but it is a little fragile, 23 Apr 2008
This book really is a joy. Every Marvelite who gets one will love it. It contains lots of stuff that old time fans will possibly already know about but this is the first time I have seem so many photos of Marvel and Timely staff members in one book. This book is as much about the company as it is the characters and is all the better for that. I love all the reproduction pencil sketches, stamps and cards etc they are very realistic replicas. As a Brit we never really got chance to see any of those things in real life so to actually hold them in my hand is a bit of a thrill. I feel this book will mostly appeal to older comic fans between the ages of 30 and 50 looking for a bit of nostalgia rather than small boys or young fans of superhero films and cartoons. I would go so far as to say that this book is actually due to the ring binding to fragile to handle for any child under 10 (it needs to be handled with a lot of care and only opened on a flat surface. Because of this I almost dropped a star in my rating and I would have given this book four stars. Since it has been discounted so heavily by Amazon though (at the time of writing this) It now has to in my opinion have the full five.

Excellent gift for a Marvel Fan, 11 Jan 2008
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loves it. I am not really into the whole Marvel thing myself, but found myself interested enough to read it from cover to cover. Excellent and a great price on Amazon.

Marvel Vault - Fantastic but flawed, 02 Nov 2007
I agree in what has already been written about how good the book is. However, there is a major flaw in the book that needs pointing out. The pages are held in place by a metal ring binding. Even with careful use the pages are going to pull againt this binding and are going to tear and fall out. I could already see slight wear after looking through the book once - Be warned especally considering the price.



Like opening a Marvel time capsule, 26 Sep 2007
Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson have gathered together in this book not only a history of Marvel from Marvel Comics # 1 (1939) up to 2006, which is impressive enough but a whole host of extras from Marvel's past make it a superb collector's item.
From reproductions of sketches of Marvel's WW2 heroes, especially the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's longest lasting continual character, the original Torch being an android. There's a reproduction MMMS membership card (I was a member of FOOM in the 1970's), the no-prize book, Marvel value stamps and many more items, it's a nostalgics dream. There are also truly personal items like Bill Everett's postcards.
Marvel fans are an intrinsic part of the Marvel extended family and although like most families, there are the odd breakdowns by and large Marvel has kept a large and loyal fan-base. It does not gloss over the collapse of Marvel and the comic industry in the 1990's due to corporate over-reach (greed) and the eventual rebirth, through to Heroes Reborn, and the recent spate of blockbuster movies.
Reading through it the names of the people who made Marvel great, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas himself, John Buscema, John Romita and countless others appear and invoke great memories. I was a Marvelite in the 1970's and 1980's and am now catching up on both the stories I read first time round and many I missed out on. This book is full of absolutely wonderful art reproductions that cover almost 70 years and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, 'nuff said.


Essential Facts, Accurate Prices, Fascinating Details, 27 Jun 2008
I have been a comic book collector for over 50 years. During that time I've looked at every price guide ever published. While I get an occasional insight from other sources, I consistently find that the Overstreet annual guides are by far the best source. I also find that collectors of all ages and sophistications rely on this guide so it tells me what the market will be for comics I might want to buy or sell.

Some people feel like they don't need to buy these every year. I disagree!

Even the advertisements are valuable . . . I've found many helpful, low-cost suppliers through these pages over the years.

I especially enjoyed the updated versions of articles about much older comics in this edition. Don't miss them.

Like comics? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BOUGHT THIS BOOK YET?, 23 May 2001
If you're reading this,you need this book. Don't think, ORDER! Why are you still here? Is my fanatic praise not enough? What, you want me to explain myself? You'll be sorry. Bottom line, this is the most accessible and down right readable volume availible on comicbooks anywhere. If you have the slightest effection for comics you will enjoy it, guaranteed. Even if all you have is hazy but fond memories of the Spiderman & his Amazing Friends show,you will love this book. What you get for your money is the story of Marvel comics & their place in American culture, a neat little over view of the early history of sequencial art & insight into the unique creative methods of the company, famously pioneered by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby ( haven't heard of them? Buy the book!). Oh, and lots and lots of pictures. Trust me, it's far more interesting then it sounds. I mean really very interesting. You even get four reprints of classic Marvel adventures so you can see what all the fuss is about. If you like comics but aren't a fan of the Marvel style this is still an essential read for it's valuable historical summary of the changing style of comicbooks and the industry that has grown up around them. It is far, far more readable then any of the big old 'history of comicbooks' volumes knocking about. If you are new to comics this is a great place to get familiar & you'll never feel inferior to comic store guys again (does anybody?). So go buy. Then start reading those highly affordable Essential Marvel reprints.....

Crammed!, 04 May 2002
This is the most comprehensive examination of comics and graphic novels I have ever looked at. Tracing the medium from it very beginnings it is CRAMMED with hundreds of colour pictures showing the widest variety of examples. This is a very interesting and thorugh read and a must have for anyone interested in comics, graphic novels and sequential art as a genre.

comic taken seriously., 03 May 2002
If you are a comic book fan and you like to take your reading a frame at a time in speach bubbles, this is not for you. This is a seriously good, inteligent read examining the history and context of its title. It brings together the widest and most diverse examples the comic book as an artform. Buy it just for the pictures and it won't dissapoint, but read it and you'll realise theres far more to comics than you ever thought possible.

Good introductory reference book, 16 Jul 2001
This book offers an informative sweep through comics and associated media, taking a broadly historical perspective. An excellent introduction and provider of context, well designed and laid out.

Strangely, it features in "Notting Hill", in Hugh Grant's supposed travel bookshop, sitting slap bang behind him in one of the scenes (once you've seen the book you'll realise that this isn't an anorak-y thing to have spotted - it is very large, very orange and very distinctive).

Dry over view of comic book history, not recommended., 20 Jun 2001
It's big, it's reasonably priced, it's not that good.

A brave effort to chronicle comic book history that isn't a total waste of time. Suffers from two major flaws, i, There's not enough detail for die hard comic book fans. ii, The text is so dry and pretencious that readers new to comic books & keen to learn more will have run in fear before the close of the 1st Chapter.

On the plus side, it's bursting with great photos from the best moments of every conceivable comic genre. And I never expected to read a book like this that would devote as much attention to the British comic book market as the American.

But..... nah, I can't recommend it. At least not whilst understanding Comics by Scott McCloud is availible.

An informative and comprehensive reference book of comic art, 18 Feb 1999
This is an excellent collection of comic illustration work. It is very well illustrated with some good quality images. The scope covered by the book is quite wide, but it does lack reference to a great deal of significant modern cartoon work. However, as a reference book or as a collection of comic art, this book is still highly recommended.

amazing, 18 Sep 2008
this collection or memory is amazing it has incredible art and so much information that it is so worth keeping forever

Very good but it is a little fragile, 23 Apr 2008
This book really is a joy. Every Marvelite who gets one will love it. It contains lots of stuff that old time fans will possibly already know about but this is the first time I have seem so many photos of Marvel and Timely staff members in one book. This book is as much about the company as it is the characters and is all the better for that. I love all the reproduction pencil sketches, stamps and cards etc they are very realistic replicas. As a Brit we never really got chance to see any of those things in real life so to actually hold them in my hand is a bit of a thrill. I feel this book will mostly appeal to older comic fans between the ages of 30 and 50 looking for a bit of nostalgia rather than small boys or young fans of superhero films and cartoons. I would go so far as to say that this book is actually due to the ring binding to fragile to handle for any child under 10 (it needs to be handled with a lot of care and only opened on a flat surface. Because of this I almost dropped a star in my rating and I would have given this book four stars. Since it has been discounted so heavily by Amazon though (at the time of writing this) It now has to in my opinion have the full five.

Excellent gift for a Marvel Fan, 11 Jan 2008
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loves it. I am not really into the whole Marvel thing myself, but found myself interested enough to read it from cover to cover. Excellent and a great price on Amazon.

Marvel Vault - Fantastic but flawed, 02 Nov 2007
I agree in what has already been written about how good the book is. However, there is a major flaw in the book that needs pointing out. The pages are held in place by a metal ring binding. Even with careful use the pages are going to pull againt this binding and are going to tear and fall out. I could already see slight wear after looking through the book once - Be warned especally considering the price.



Like opening a Marvel time capsule, 26 Sep 2007
Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson have gathered together in this book not only a history of Marvel from Marvel Comics # 1 (1939) up to 2006, which is impressive enough but a whole host of extras from Marvel's past make it a superb collector's item.
From reproductions of sketches of Marvel's WW2 heroes, especially the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's longest lasting continual character, the original Torch being an android. There's a reproduction MMMS membership card (I was a member of FOOM in the 1970's), the no-prize book, Marvel value stamps and many more items, it's a nostalgics dream. There are also truly personal items like Bill Everett's postcards.
Marvel fans are an intrinsic part of the Marvel extended family and although like most families, there are the odd breakdowns by and large Marvel has kept a large and loyal fan-base. It does not gloss over the collapse of Marvel and the comic industry in the 1990's due to corporate over-reach (greed) and the eventual rebirth, through to Heroes Reborn, and the recent spate of blockbuster movies.
Reading through it the names of the people who made Marvel great, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas himself, John Buscema, John Romita and countless others appear and invoke great memories. I was a Marvelite in the 1970's and 1980's and am now catching up on both the stories I read first time round and many I missed out on. This book is full of absolutely wonderful art reproductions that cover almost 70 years and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, 'nuff said.


Essential Facts, Accurate Prices, Fascinating Details, 27 Jun 2008
I have been a comic book collector for over 50 years. During that time I've looked at every price guide ever published. While I get an occasional insight from other sources, I consistently find that the Overstreet annual guides are by far the best source. I also find that collectors of all ages and sophistications rely on this guide so it tells me what the market will be for comics I might want to buy or sell.

Some people feel like they don't need to buy these every year. I disagree!

Even the advertisements are valuable . . . I've found many helpful, low-cost suppliers through these pages over the years.

I especially enjoyed the updated versions of articles about much older comics in this edition. Don't miss them.

Like comics? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BOUGHT THIS BOOK YET?, 23 May 2001
If you're reading this,you need this book. Don't think, ORDER! Why are you still here? Is my fanatic praise not enough? What, you want me to explain myself? You'll be sorry. Bottom line, this is the most accessible and down right readable volume availible on comicbooks anywhere. If you have the slightest effection for comics you will enjoy it, guaranteed. Even if all you have is hazy but fond memories of the Spiderman & his Amazing Friends show,you will love this book. What you get for your money is the story of Marvel comics & their place in American culture, a neat little over view of the early history of sequencial art & insight into the unique creative methods of the company, famously pioneered by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby ( haven't heard of them? Buy the book!). Oh, and lots and lots of pictures. Trust me, it's far more interesting then it sounds. I mean really very interesting. You even get four reprints of classic Marvel adventures so you can see what all the fuss is about. If you like comics but aren't a fan of the Marvel style this is still an essential read for it's valuable historical summary of the changing style of comicbooks and the industry that has grown up around them. It is far, far more readable then any of the big old 'history of comicbooks' volumes knocking about. If you are new to comics this is a great place to get familiar & you'll never feel inferior to comic store guys again (does anybody?). So go buy. Then start reading those highly affordable Essential Marvel reprints.....

Crammed!, 04 May 2002
This is the most comprehensive examination of comics and graphic novels I have ever looked at. Tracing the medium from it very beginnings it is CRAMMED with hundreds of colour pictures showing the widest variety of examples. This is a very interesting and thorugh read and a must have for anyone interested in comics, graphic novels and sequential art as a genre.

comic taken seriously., 03 May 2002
If you are a comic book fan and you like to take your reading a frame at a time in speach bubbles, this is not for you. This is a seriously good, inteligent read examining the history and context of its title. It brings together the widest and most diverse examples the comic book as an artform. Buy it just for the pictures and it won't dissapoint, but read it and you'll realise theres far more to comics than you ever thought possible.

Good introductory reference book, 16 Jul 2001
This book offers an informative sweep through comics and associated media, taking a broadly historical perspective. An excellent introduction and provider of context, well designed and laid out.

Strangely, it features in "Notting Hill", in Hugh Grant's supposed travel bookshop, sitting slap bang behind him in one of the scenes (once you've seen the book you'll realise that this isn't an anorak-y thing to have spotted - it is very large, very orange and very distinctive).

Dry over view of comic book history, not recommended., 20 Jun 2001
It's big, it's reasonably priced, it's not that good.

A brave effort to chronicle comic book history that isn't a total waste of time. Suffers from two major flaws, i, There's not enough detail for die hard comic book fans. ii, The text is so dry and pretencious that readers new to comic books & keen to learn more will have run in fear before the close of the 1st Chapter.

On the plus side, it's bursting with great photos from the best moments of every conceivable comic genre. And I never expected to read a book like this that would devote as much attention to the British comic book market as the American.

But..... nah, I can't recommend it. At least not whilst understanding Comics by Scott McCloud is availible.

An informative and comprehensive reference book of comic art, 18 Feb 1999
This is an excellent collection of comic illustration work. It is very well illustrated with some good quality images. The scope covered by the book is quite wide, but it does lack reference to a great deal of significant modern cartoon work. However, as a reference book or as a collection of comic art, this book is still highly recommended.

Comprehensive and inspiring, 13 Dec 2006
I have a few books on comics in general, and 'Great British Comics' beats all of them hands down. It is wonderfully written - not scholarly, not dumb, but perfectly readable, intelligent and also very positive about its subject matter, showing no snobbery or bias towards any one particular area. And talking of that, the diversity of genres and styles is quite astounding - British comics are incredibly rich in history and it is fascinating to see the quality of early strips and their development through the years. But they also have a rich future from the look of things, and Paul Gravett is enthusiastically upbeat about a medium that many thought lost along with their distant childhood... "Oh yeah, I remember comics! Do they still make them?". There is a current scene and it's alive and kicking, and there are plenty of examples here. Graphically the book is excellent - there's plenty to look at, and it's not just a gallery of impressive covers as is quite often the case with books of this nature, but actual strip pages - the storytelling itself, which is what comics are. Overall the book is an inspiration.

You'll never look at the High Street the same way again!, 05 Dec 2006
Read this book to see how one man can influence the way you shop. This is an inspirational read, and because it is not an "official" biography it describes the rough and the smooth in equal detail. An amazing insight into the way that both the High Street and the City work.

Gentlemen, we have a winner..., 21 Nov 2006
Most general books about comics tend to specialize or be skewed towards a certain genre, audience or era - think 'superheroes', 'alternative', '1960s'. It's a rare beast that eschews such temptations and goes all out for the historical sweep, without seeming superficial or conversely dragged down by the weight of facts and figures. Fortunately, comics historian Paul Gravett wears his extensive learning lightly and weaves an extremely readable overview of a dense field, aided by inviting layouts from the talented Peter Stanbury.

So who should buy this book? Just about anyone with an interest in British comics will get something out of it: the melange of visuals from a century and a half of comic strips will draw in the casual browser, while its authoritative blend of comics culture and history will appeal to the comics' cognoscenti.

Put simply, this is the best primer on British comics I've ever read. Put it on your shopping list now.

An essential book about comics, 01 Nov 2006
It's been quite a while since a book as thorough as this has been written on home grown comics, but Great British Comics has been worth the wait. Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury should be proud of their work here, for it's about the most definitive book on UK comics that's been published.

Some previous books on the genre have only shown the covers to the comics, but this book also showcases the strips themselves, with numerous crisp reprodictions, some even taken from the original artwork, warts and all. Pleasingly, newspaper strips are also included, as are independent comics, two areas which are sometimes overlooked when people write about British comics.

Most importantly, Great British Comics shatters the often-heard myth that "the British comics industry is dead", as it includes examples of strips that bring us right up to date. What this proves is that although some people only consider "traditional comics" to have any merit, British comics have always evolved with the times so each generation has its own idea on what these "traditions" are, from Victorian tabloid comic/ story papers to today's slick comic / magazine hybrids.

The book also contains a timeline designed by Stanbury which shows the lifespan of various titles over the past 100 years. Plus there are several photographs which help give a cultural reference to certain eras, such as the full page photo of kids queueing for rationed comics outside a newsagent in 1943!

An essential book for anyone with an interest in comics.

Business Icon's Candid Biography, 21 Dec 2005
Authors Stewart Lansley and Andy Forrester do a good job of crafting the story of Philip Green, who bullied, connived, intimidated, schemed, blustered and outworked his way to the top of the heap in British retailing. The son of "business-obsessed" parents, Green learned the value of driving a hard bargain early in life. He specialized in buying goods at distressed prices so that later he could appear gracious when he sold them for a low price and put a tidy profit in his pocket. As the authors deftly portray, Green was a master of retail haggling. In fact, one disappointment is that the book doesn't deviate from its "business-icon biography" mode to delve more deeply into the attitudes and techniques that made Green a killer dealmaker. Guile, intimidation and ruthlessness no doubt played major roles. The authors do a thorough, creditable job of telling the inside story of how Green clawed his way to his current rank as Britain's fifth richest person. At times, however, they focus too much on internal political intricacies that may not interest most readers. That said, we recommend this interesting portrait of a retail tycoon whose whims still affect the daily lives of tens of thousands of Brits.

It's possible that the public perception of Batman has been tainted by the blockbuster films by Joel Schumacher, accused of betraying the character's rich, long history. So, it is immensely gratifying to see a detailed chronicle of this popular culture giant who has successfully infiltrated and conquered a variety of media beyond his beginnings as a dark counterpart to Superman way back in 1939.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Batman is that, for such a dark and angst-ridden character, his continuing ability at re-invention for new generations while never sacrificing the core appeal remains a significant strength. Comics historian Daniels has provided an excellent commentary of Batman from his genesis via various inspirations (DaVinci, Film Noir) to his current status as popular culture icon. Crucially, the author never forgets that, despite his multi-media presence, it emanated from the comic books. Filled with fascinating trivia, Daniels makes sure to highlight some of the lesser-known aspects of the Batman-Mythos, particularly Bill Finger, responsible for many of Batman's long-standing elements. Had it not been for Finger, Batman's costume might have ended up bright red!

In the visuals department, Daniels' text is spectacularly complemented. Chip Kidd once again weaves his design magic to produce pages that are brimming with atmosphere and photographer Geoff Spear makes various Bat-memorabilia leap off the page. Don't believe the films, Batman is as strong as ever--and this is the proof. --Danny Graydon

amazing, 18 Sep 2008
this collection or memory is amazing it has incredible art and so much information that it is so worth keeping forever

Very good but it is a little fragile, 23 Apr 2008
This book really is a joy. Every Marvelite who gets one will love it. It contains lots of stuff that old time fans will possibly already know about but this is the first time I have seem so many photos of Marvel and Timely staff members in one book. This book is as much about the company as it is the characters and is all the better for that. I love all the reproduction pencil sketches, stamps and cards etc they are very realistic replicas. As a Brit we never really got chance to see any of those things in real life so to actually hold them in my hand is a bit of a thrill. I feel this book will mostly appeal to older comic fans between the ages of 30 and 50 looking for a bit of nostalgia rather than small boys or young fans of superhero films and cartoons. I would go so far as to say that this book is actually due to the ring binding to fragile to handle for any child under 10 (it needs to be handled with a lot of care and only opened on a flat surface. Because of this I almost dropped a star in my rating and I would have given this book four stars. Since it has been discounted so heavily by Amazon though (at the time of writing this) It now has to in my opinion have the full five.

Excellent gift for a Marvel Fan, 11 Jan 2008
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loves it. I am not really into the whole Marvel thing myself, but found myself interested enough to read it from cover to cover. Excellent and a great price on Amazon.

Marvel Vault - Fantastic but flawed, 02 Nov 2007
I agree in what has already been written about how good the book is. However, there is a major flaw in the book that needs pointing out. The pages are held in place by a metal ring binding. Even with careful use the pages are going to pull againt this binding and are going to tear and fall out. I could already see slight wear after looking through the book once - Be warned especally considering the price.



Like opening a Marvel time capsule, 26 Sep 2007
Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson have gathered together in this book not only a history of Marvel from Marvel Comics # 1 (1939) up to 2006, which is impressive enough but a whole host of extras from Marvel's past make it a superb collector's item.
From reproductions of sketches of Marvel's WW2 heroes, especially the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's longest lasting continual character, the original Torch being an android. There's a reproduction MMMS membership card (I was a member of FOOM in the 1970's), the no-prize book, Marvel value stamps and many more items, it's a nostalgics dream. There are also truly personal items like Bill Everett's postcards.
Marvel fans are an intrinsic part of the Marvel extended family and although like most families, there are the odd breakdowns by and large Marvel has kept a large and loyal fan-base. It does not gloss over the collapse of Marvel and the comic industry in the 1990's due to corporate over-reach (greed) and the eventual rebirth, through to Heroes Reborn, and the recent spate of blockbuster movies.
Reading through it the names of the people who made Marvel great, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas himself, John Buscema, John Romita and countless others appear and invoke great memories. I was a Marvelite in the 1970's and 1980's and am now catching up on both the stories I read first time round and many I missed out on. This book is full of absolutely wonderful art reproductions that cover almost 70 years and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, 'nuff said.


Essential Facts, Accurate Prices, Fascinating Details, 27 Jun 2008
I have been a comic book collector for over 50 years. During that time I've looked at every price guide ever published. While I get an occasional insight from other sources, I consistently find that the Overstreet annual guides are by far the best source. I also find that collectors of all ages and sophistications rely on this guide so it tells me what the market will be for comics I might want to buy or sell.

Some people feel like they don't need to buy these every year. I disagree!

Even the advertisements are valuable . . . I've found many helpful, low-cost suppliers through these pages over the years.

I especially enjoyed the updated versions of articles about much older comics in this edition. Don't miss them.

Like comics? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BOUGHT THIS BOOK YET?, 23 May 2001
If you're reading this,you need this book. Don't think, ORDER! Why are you still here? Is my fanatic praise not enough? What, you want me to explain myself? You'll be sorry. Bottom line, this is the most accessible and down right readable volume availible on comicbooks anywhere. If you have the slightest effection for comics you will enjoy it, guaranteed. Even if all you have is hazy but fond memories of the Spiderman & his Amazing Friends show,you will love this book. What you get for your money is the story of Marvel comics & their place in American culture, a neat little over view of the early history of sequencial art & insight into the unique creative methods of the company, famously pioneered by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby ( haven't heard of them? Buy the book!). Oh, and lots and lots of pictures. Trust me, it's far more interesting then it sounds. I mean really very interesting. You even get four reprints of classic Marvel adventures so you can see what all the fuss is about. If you like comics but aren't a fan of the Marvel style this is still an essential read for it's valuable historical summary of the changing style of comicbooks and the industry that has grown up around them. It is far, far more readable then any of the big old 'history of comicbooks' volumes knocking about. If you are new to comics this is a great place to get familiar & you'll never feel inferior to comic store guys again (does anybody?). So go buy. Then start reading those highly affordable Essential Marvel reprints.....

Crammed!, 04 May 2002
This is the most comprehensive examination of comics and graphic novels I have ever looked at. Tracing the medium from it very beginnings it is CRAMMED with hundreds of colour pictures showing the widest variety of examples. This is a very interesting and thorugh read and a must have for anyone interested in comics, graphic novels and sequential art as a genre.

comic taken seriously., 03 May 2002
If you are a comic book fan and you like to take your reading a frame at a time in speach bubbles, this is not for you. This is a seriously good, inteligent read examining the history and context of its title. It brings together the widest and most diverse examples the comic book as an artform. Buy it just for the pictures and it won't dissapoint, but read it and you'll realise theres far more to comics than you ever thought possible.

Good introductory reference book, 16 Jul 2001
This book offers an informative sweep through comics and associated media, taking a broadly historical perspective. An excellent introduction and provider of context, well designed and laid out.

Strangely, it features in "Notting Hill", in Hugh Grant's supposed travel bookshop, sitting slap bang behind him in one of the scenes (once you've seen the book you'll realise that this isn't an anorak-y thing to have spotted - it is very large, very orange and very distinctive).

Dry over view of comic book history, not recommended., 20 Jun 2001
It's big, it's reasonably priced, it's not that good.

A brave effort to chronicle comic book history that isn't a total waste of time. Suffers from two major flaws, i, There's not enough detail for die hard comic book fans. ii, The text is so dry and pretencious that readers new to comic books & keen to learn more will have run in fear before the close of the 1st Chapter.

On the plus side, it's bursting with great photos from the best moments of every conceivable comic genre. And I never expected to read a book like this that would devote as much attention to the British comic book market as the American.

But..... nah, I can't recommend it. At least not whilst understanding Comics by Scott McCloud is availible.

An informative and comprehensive reference book of comic art, 18 Feb 1999
This is an excellent collection of comic illustration work. It is very well illustrated with some good quality images. The scope covered by the book is quite wide, but it does lack reference to a great deal of significant modern cartoon work. However, as a reference book or as a collection of comic art, this book is still highly recommended.

Comprehensive and inspiring, 13 Dec 2006
I have a few books on comics in general, and 'Great British Comics' beats all of them hands down. It is wonderfully written - not scholarly, not dumb, but perfectly readable, intelligent and also very positive about its subject matter, showing no snobbery or bias towards any one particular area. And talking of that, the diversity of genres and styles is quite astounding - British comics are incredibly rich in history and it is fascinating to see the quality of early strips and their development through the years. But they also have a rich future from the look of things, and Paul Gravett is enthusiastically upbeat about a medium that many thought lost along with their distant childhood... "Oh yeah, I remember comics! Do they still make them?". There is a current scene and it's alive and kicking, and there are plenty of examples here. Graphically the book is excellent - there's plenty to look at, and it's not just a gallery of impressive covers as is quite often the case with books of this nature, but actual strip pages - the storytelling itself, which is what comics are. Overall the book is an inspiration.

You'll never look at the High Street the same way again!, 05 Dec 2006
Read this book to see how one man can influence the way you shop. This is an inspirational read, and because it is not an "official" biography it describes the rough and the smooth in equal detail. An amazing insight into the way that both the High Street and the City work.

Gentlemen, we have a winner..., 21 Nov 2006
Most general books about comics tend to specialize or be skewed towards a certain genre, audience or era - think 'superheroes', 'alternative', '1960s'. It's a rare beast that eschews such temptations and goes all out for the historical sweep, without seeming superficial or conversely dragged down by the weight of facts and figures. Fortunately, comics historian Paul Gravett wears his extensive learning lightly and weaves an extremely readable overview of a dense field, aided by inviting layouts from the talented Peter Stanbury.

So who should buy this book? Just about anyone with an interest in British comics will get something out of it: the melange of visuals from a century and a half of comic strips will draw in the casual browser, while its authoritative blend of comics culture and history will appeal to the comics' cognoscenti.

Put simply, this is the best primer on British comics I've ever read. Put it on your shopping list now.

An essential book about comics, 01 Nov 2006
It's been quite a while since a book as thorough as this has been written on home grown comics, but Great British Comics has been worth the wait. Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury should be proud of their work here, for it's about the most definitive book on UK comics that's been published.

Some previous books on the genre have only shown the covers to the comics, but this book also showcases the strips themselves, with numerous crisp reprodictions, some even taken from the original artwork, warts and all. Pleasingly, newspaper strips are also included, as are independent comics, two areas which are sometimes overlooked when people write about British comics.

Most importantly, Great British Comics shatters the often-heard myth that "the British comics industry is dead", as it includes examples of strips that bring us right up to date. What this proves is that although some people only consider "traditional comics" to have any merit, British comics have always evolved with the times so each generation has its own idea on what these "traditions" are, from Victorian tabloid comic/ story papers to today's slick comic / magazine hybrids.

The book also contains a timeline designed by Stanbury which shows the lifespan of various titles over the past 100 years. Plus there are several photographs which help give a cultural reference to certain eras, such as the full page photo of kids queueing for rationed comics outside a newsagent in 1943!

An essential book for anyone with an interest in comics.

Business Icon's Candid Biography, 21 Dec 2005
Authors Stewart Lansley and Andy Forrester do a good job of crafting the story of Philip Green, who bullied, connived, intimidated, schemed, blustered and outworked his way to the top of the heap in British retailing. The son of "business-obsessed" parents, Green learned the value of driving a hard bargain early in life. He specialized in buying goods at distressed prices so that later he could appear gracious when he sold them for a low price and put a tidy profit in his pocket. As the authors deftly portray, Green was a master of retail haggling. In fact, one disappointment is that the book doesn't deviate from its "business-icon biography" mode to delve more deeply into the attitudes and techniques that made Green a killer dealmaker. Guile, intimidation and ruthlessness no doubt played major roles. The authors do a thorough, creditable job of telling the inside story of how Green clawed his way to his current rank as Britain's fifth richest person. At times, however, they focus too much on internal political intricacies that may not interest most readers. That said, we recommend this interesting portrait of a retail tycoon whose whims still affect the daily lives of tens of thousands of Brits.

Beware the binding..., 25 Sep 2008

This is a great book for fans of the comic book character, providing a well-written and entertaining history that concludes just prior to the recent movie reincarnation in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. It's well illustrated, amongst other things with photographs of some pretty obscure merchandise and with occasional complete strip stories that illustrate the thrust of the documentary narrative. And the printing is good on high quality paper.

The only problem with this book is the binding, which falls apart astonishingly quickly, starting with the outer covers parting company from the pages, followed by the bound sections separating. This appears to be entirely due to the choice of an unsuitable adhesive that simply fails to adhere. A real let-down for an otherwise excellent book. A full five stars for the content; minus four stars for the book binding.



The must have for all true Bat-fans, 01 Mar 2001
This has to be the ultimate Batman source book. With the origins from Bob Canes' first comic creation through the camped up sixties and seventies with Adam West and Burt Ward, to the masterpieces of todays twenty first century writers/artists Frank Miller and Bruce Timm. Complete with a history of all the Caped Crusaders most adored villains and associates this piece holds pride of place on any book shelf. It also contains the most extensive photo collection of Batman action figures ever seen. A book worth its' weight in gold to all who love Batman.

....To the Batcave.....Bat-fans., 12 Jan 2000
Ok, Bat-Fan so you've collected the comic books for years and you've wasted many an hour theorising on the motivations behind The Bat. So here's the opportunity to treat yourself and compare notes with Les Daniels, who has the inside stories on where all the essential Bat-legend creators were really coming from. It's worth it for the illustrations alone, but be warned, unless your collection is huge, you'll discover some other back issue you've got to have!

amazing, 18 Sep 2008
this collection or memory is amazing it has incredible art and so much information that it is so worth keeping forever

Very good but it is a little fragile, 23 Apr 2008
This book really is a joy. Every Marvelite who gets one will love it. It contains lots of stuff that old time fans will possibly already know about but this is the first time I have seem so many photos of Marvel and Timely staff members in one book. This book is as much about the company as it is the characters and is all the better for that. I love all the reproduction pencil sketches, stamps and cards etc they are very realistic replicas. As a Brit we never really got chance to see any of those things in real life so to actually hold them in my hand is a bit of a thrill. I feel this book will mostly appeal to older comic fans between the ages of 30 and 50 looking for a bit of nostalgia rather than small boys or young fans of superhero films and cartoons. I would go so far as to say that this book is actually due to the ring binding to fragile to handle for any child under 10 (it needs to be handled with a lot of care and only opened on a flat surface. Because of this I almost dropped a star in my rating and I would have given this book four stars. Since it has been discounted so heavily by Amazon though (at the time of writing this) It now has to in my opinion have the full five.

Excellent gift for a Marvel Fan, 11 Jan 2008
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loves it. I am not really into the whole Marvel thing myself, but found myself interested enough to read it from cover to cover. Excellent and a great price on Amazon.

Marvel Vault - Fantastic but flawed, 02 Nov 2007
I agree in what has already been written about how good the book is. However, there is a major flaw in the book that needs pointing out. The pages are held in place by a metal ring binding. Even with careful use the pages are going to pull againt this binding and are going to tear and fall out. I could already see slight wear after looking through the book once - Be warned especally considering the price.



Like opening a Marvel time capsule, 26 Sep 2007
Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson have gathered together in this book not only a history of Marvel from Marvel Comics # 1 (1939) up to 2006, which is impressive enough but a whole host of extras from Marvel's past make it a superb collector's item.
From reproductions of sketches of Marvel's WW2 heroes, especially the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's longest lasting continual character, the original Torch being an android. There's a reproduction MMMS membership card (I was a member of FOOM in the 1970's), the no-prize book, Marvel value stamps and many more items, it's a nostalgics dream. There are also truly personal items like Bill Everett's postcards.
Marvel fans are an intrinsic part of the Marvel extended family and although like most families, there are the odd breakdowns by and large Marvel has kept a large and loyal fan-base. It does not gloss over the collapse of Marvel and the comic industry in the 1990's due to corporate over-reach (greed) and the eventual rebirth, through to Heroes Reborn, and the recent spate of blockbuster movies.
Reading through it the names of the people who made Marvel great, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas himself, John Buscema, John Romita and countless others appear and invoke great memories. I was a Marvelite in the 1970's and 1980's and am now catching up on both the stories I read first time round and many I missed out on. This book is full of absolutely wonderful art reproductions that cover almost 70 years and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, 'nuff said.


Essential Facts, Accurate Prices, Fascinating Details, 27 Jun 2008
I have been a comic book collector for over 50 years. During that time I've looked at every price guide ever published. While I get an occasional insight from other sources, I consistently find that the Overstreet annual guides are by far the best source. I also find that collectors of all ages and sophistications rely on this guide so it tells me what the market will be for comics I might want to buy or sell.

Some people feel like they don't need to buy these every year. I disagree!

Even the advertisements are valuable . . . I've found many helpful, low-cost suppliers through these pages over the years.

I especially enjoyed the updated versions of articles about much older comics in this edition. Don't miss them.

Like comics? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BOUGHT THIS BOOK YET?, 23 May 2001
If you're reading this,you need this book. Don't think, ORDER! Why are you still here? Is my fanatic praise not enough? What, you want me to explain myself? You'll be sorry. Bottom line, this is the most accessible and down right readable volume availible on comicbooks anywhere. If you have the slightest effection for comics you will enjoy it, guaranteed. Even if all you have is hazy but fond memories of the Spiderman & his Amazing Friends show,you will love this book. What you get for your money is the story of Marvel comics & their place in American culture, a neat little over view of the early history of sequencial art & insight into the unique creative methods of the company, famously pioneered by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby ( haven't heard of them? Buy the book!). Oh, and lots and lots of pictures. Trust me, it's far more interesting then it sounds. I mean really very interesting. You even get four reprints of classic Marvel adventures so you can see what all the fuss is about. If you like comics but aren't a fan of the Marvel style this is still an essential read for it's valuable historical summary of the changing style of comicbooks and the industry that has grown up around them. It is far, far more readable then any of the big old 'history of comicbooks' volumes knocking about. If you are new to comics this is a great place to get familiar & you'll never feel inferior to comic store guys again (does anybody?). So go buy. Then start reading those highly affordable Essential Marvel reprints.....

Crammed!, 04 May 2002
This is the most comprehensive examination of comics and graphic novels I have ever looked at. Tracing the medium from it very beginnings it is CRAMMED with hundreds of colour pictures showing the widest variety of examples. This is a very interesting and thorugh read and a must have for anyone interested in comics, graphic novels and sequential art as a genre.

comic taken seriously., 03 May 2002
If you are a comic book fan and you like to take your reading a frame at a time in speach bubbles, this is not for you. This is a seriously good, inteligent read examining the history and context of its title. It brings together the widest and most diverse examples the comic book as an artform. Buy it just for the pictures and it won't dissapoint, but read it and you'll realise theres far more to comics than you ever thought possible.

Good introductory reference book, 16 Jul 2001
This book offers an informative sweep through comics and associated media, taking a broadly historical perspective. An excellent introduction and provider of context, well designed and laid out.

Strangely, it features in "Notting Hill", in Hugh Grant's supposed travel bookshop, sitting slap bang behind him in one of the scenes (once you've seen the book you'll realise that this isn't an anorak-y thing to have spotted - it is very large, very orange and very distinctive).

Dry over view of comic book history, not recommended., 20 Jun 2001
It's big, it's reasonably priced, it's not that good.

A brave effort to chronicle comic book history that isn't a total waste of time. Suffers from two major flaws, i, There's not enough detail for die hard comic book fans. ii, The text is so dry and pretencious that readers new to comic books & keen to learn more will have run in fear before the close of the 1st Chapter.

On the plus side, it's bursting with great photos from the best moments of every conceivable comic genre. And I never expected to read a book like this that would devote as much attention to the British comic book market as the American.

But..... nah, I can't recommend it. At least not whilst understanding Comics by Scott McCloud is availible.

An informative and comprehensive reference book of comic art, 18 Feb 1999
This is an excellent collection of comic illustration work. It is very well illustrated with some good quality images. The scope covered by the book is quite wide, but it does lack reference to a great deal of significant modern cartoon work. However, as a reference book or as a collection of comic art, this book is still highly recommended.

Comprehensive and inspiring, 13 Dec 2006
I have a few books on comics in general, and 'Great British Comics' beats all of them hands down. It is wonderfully written - not scholarly, not dumb, but perfectly readable, intelligent and also very positive about its subject matter, showing no snobbery or bias towards any one particular area. And talking of that, the diversity of genres and styles is quite astounding - British comics are incredibly rich in history and it is fascinating to see the quality of early strips and their development through the years. But they also have a rich future from the look of things, and Paul Gravett is enthusiastically upbeat about a medium that many thought lost along with their distant childhood... "Oh yeah, I remember comics! Do they still make them?". There is a current scene and it's alive and kicking, and there are plenty of examples here. Graphically the book is excellent - there's plenty to look at, and it's not just a gallery of impressive covers as is quite often the case with books of this nature, but actual strip pages - the storytelling itself, which is what comics are. Overall the book is an inspiration.

You'll never look at the High Street the same way again!, 05 Dec 2006
Read this book to see how one man can influence the way you shop. This is an inspirational read, and because it is not an "official" biography it describes the rough and the smooth in equal detail. An amazing insight into the way that both the High Street and the City work.

Gentlemen, we have a winner..., 21 Nov 2006
Most general books about comics tend to specialize or be skewed towards a certain genre, audience or era - think 'superheroes', 'alternative', '1960s'. It's a rare beast that eschews such temptations and goes all out for the historical sweep, without seeming superficial or conversely dragged down by the weight of facts and figures. Fortunately, comics historian Paul Gravett wears his extensive learning lightly and weaves an extremely readable overview of a dense field, aided by inviting layouts from the talented Peter Stanbury.

So who should buy this book? Just about anyone with an interest in British comics will get something out of it: the melange of visuals from a century and a half of comic strips will draw in the casual browser, while its authoritative blend of comics culture and history will appeal to the comics' cognoscenti.

Put simply, this is the best primer on British comics I've ever read. Put it on your shopping list now.

An essential book about comics, 01 Nov 2006
It's been quite a while since a book as thorough as this has been written on home grown comics, but Great British Comics has been worth the wait. Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury should be proud of their work here, for it's about the most definitive book on UK comics that's been published.

Some previous books on the genre have only shown the covers to the comics, but this book also showcases the strips themselves, with numerous crisp reprodictions, some even taken from the original artwork, warts and all. Pleasingly, newspaper strips are also included, as are independent comics, two areas which are sometimes overlooked when people write about British comics.

Most importantly, Great British Comics shatters the often-heard myth that "the British comics industry is dead", as it includes examples of strips that bring us right up to date. What this proves is that although some people only consider "traditional comics" to have any merit, British comics have always evolved with the times so each generation has its own idea on what these "traditions" are, from Victorian tabloid comic/ story papers to today's slick comic / magazine hybrids.

The book also contains a timeline designed by Stanbury which shows the lifespan of various titles over the past 100 years. Plus there are several photographs which help give a cultural reference to certain eras, such as the full page photo of kids queueing for rationed comics outside a newsagent in 1943!

An essential book for anyone with an interest in comics.

Business Icon's Candid Biography, 21 Dec 2005
Authors Stewart Lansley and Andy Forrester do a good job of crafting the story of Philip Green, who bullied, connived, intimidated, schemed, blustered and outworked his way to the top of the heap in British retailing. The son of "business-obsessed" parents, Green learned the value of driving a hard bargain early in life. He specialized in buying goods at distressed prices so that later he could appear gracious when he sold them for a low price and put a tidy profit in his pocket. As the authors deftly portray, Green was a master of retail haggling. In fact, one disappointment is that the book doesn't deviate from its "business-icon biography" mode to delve more deeply into the attitudes and techniques that made Green a killer dealmaker. Guile, intimidation and ruthlessness no doubt played major roles. The authors do a thorough, creditable job of telling the inside story of how Green clawed his way to his current rank as Britain's fifth richest person. At times, however, they focus too much on internal political intricacies that may not interest most readers. That said, we recommend this interesting portrait of a retail tycoon whose whims still affect the daily lives of tens of thousands of Brits.

Beware the binding..., 25 Sep 2008

This is a great book for fans of the comic book character, providing a well-written and entertaining history that concludes just prior to the recent movie reincarnation in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. It's well illustrated, amongst other things with photographs of some pretty obscure merchandise and with occasional complete strip stories that illustrate the thrust of the documentary narrative. And the printing is good on high quality paper.

The only problem with this book is the binding, which falls apart astonishingly quickly, starting with the outer covers parting company from the pages, followed by the bound sections separating. This appears to be entirely due to the choice of an unsuitable adhesive that simply fails to adhere. A real let-down for an otherwise excellent book. A full five stars for the content; minus four stars for the book binding.



The must have for all true Bat-fans, 01 Mar 2001
This has to be the ultimate Batman source book. With the origins from Bob Canes' first comic creation through the camped up sixties and seventies with Adam West and Burt Ward, to the masterpieces of todays twenty first century writers/artists Frank Miller and Bruce Timm. Complete with a history of all the Caped Crusaders most adored villains and associates this piece holds pride of place on any book shelf. It also contains the most extensive photo collection of Batman action figures ever seen. A book worth its' weight in gold to all who love Batman.

....To the Batcave.....Bat-fans., 12 Jan 2000
Ok, Bat-Fan so you've collected the comic books for years and you've wasted many an hour theorising on the motivations behind The Bat. So here's the opportunity to treat yourself and compare notes with Les Daniels, who has the inside stories on where all the essential Bat-legend creators were really coming from. It's worth it for the illustrations alone, but be warned, unless your collection is huge, you'll discover some other back issue you've got to have!

Non-stop entertainment ......, 17 Nov 2006
Starting off with what was perceived as a weak line-up Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch this set of stories starts off with them battling Doctor Doom in his homeland and gets even better.
In rapid succession we have a 2 parter featuring Attuma which paves the way for the return of Giant Man (now known as Goliath) and the Wasp.
They battle The Collector and The Beetle, Power Man with Swordsman and the Black Widow, the Keeper of the Flame, The Sons of the Serpent, the lovestruck Living Laser, the alien Ultroids and then.....Wham, Hercules is introduced, under the control of the Enchantress he battles the Avengers before he sees the error of his ways and shacks up with them. With Hercules they quickly see off the Mad Thinker and 3 buffoons and even the cosmic cube bearing Sub-Mariner.
Issue 41 marks the start of John Buscema's artwork which is outstanding even in black&white. Two great 2 part stories follow with Diablo and Dragon Man, the Red Guardian featuring the Black Widow and ends with a battle with the Super Adaptoid in Central Park and the Whirlwind.
As if that's not enough there's Avengers Annual 1 included which is a superb 49 page classic featuring the original Avengers joining forces with their new cohorts to battle Power Man, Swordsman, Enchantress and the Executioner, the Living Laser and the Mandarin spread across three continents and ending in earth orbit. The Annual has some stunning full page spreads that impress even in black&white.
The Sons of the Serpent is a classic early example of Marvel's stand against racism, at this time 1966 only a few years after Martin Luther King's "I have a dream..." speech and at a time when America was still coming to terms with dealing with the fact that it was racially divided.
Marvel were never afraid to have strong female and ethnic characters.
The Black Widow undergoes the change from villain to hero in this collection working undercover for SHIELD.
Again Stan Lee and Roy Thomas don't gloss over the tensions that are inherent in every group and include some bouts of infighting involving almost all the male members memorably Hawkeye and Goliath. At the end of this collection the mutant Quicksilver picks up on mankind's mistrust of mutants, or by allusion anyone who is different, and hints are dropped of a change coming and the final words announcing Magneto is to start off the next issue Essential Avengers no 3 will start off as this book did with a bang.
There's everything here action, comedy and romance, and Stan Lee's legendary footnotes by the dozen, what more do you want?
THIS REVIEW APPEARS AGAINST ESSENTIAL AVENGERS 3 DUE TO A COMPUTER GLITCH THAT CAN NOT RECOGNISE SEPARATE REVIEWS.

There can't be many people who haven't heard of Wonder Woman, arguably the first female superhero and one of the "big three" (the others being Batman and Superman). She was created by Dr William Moulton Marston--who also invented the lie detector--as an antidote to masculine comic book adventures that are drenched in violent testosterone-fuelled imagery and portray women as helpless weaklings who have to rely on the men to untie them from the train tracks in the nick of time. Wonder Woman was certainly no weakling; dressed in stars and stripes, armed with bullet-deflecting bracelets and a magical lasso and flying around in an invisible jet, she had no qualms about saving her boyfriend Steve Trevor from certain doom in each issue while dealing a swift blow to the odd Nazi soldier as well. However, most people who aren't die-hard comic fans will only have memories of the camp and kitschy 1970s TV show starring the leggy and beautiful Lynda Carter (who also contributes the book's Forward). As compelling and faithful as this small screen adaption was, there is so much more to the WW mythology as Les Daniels admirably proves in this gorgeous hardback volume. It features lots of covers and extracted scenes from the comic books from her earliest appearance to her latest 1990s image changes and plenty of photographs of the plethora of WW merchandise created over the years. And for those of you old enough to remember the TV show who want to refresh your memories of the infamous theme song, the lyrics are also here in all their star-spangled glory. This is a wonderful nostalgic journey through the life and times of the first lady of Superheroes and a real appreciation of WW's staying power and campy cult status. Beautifully packaged, absorbingly written and wonderfully illustrated, this is a must-have for comic fans. --Jonathan Weir

amazing, 18 Sep 2008
this collection or memory is amazing it has incredible art and so much information that it is so worth keeping forever

Very good but it is a little fragile, 23 Apr 2008
This book really is a joy. Every Marvelite who gets one will love it. It contains lots of stuff that old time fans will possibly already know about but this is the first time I have seem so many photos of Marvel and Timely staff members in one book. This book is as much about the company as it is the characters and is all the better for that. I love all the reproduction pencil sketches, stamps and cards etc they are very realistic replicas. As a Brit we never really got chance to see any of those things in real life so to actually hold them in my hand is a bit of a thrill. I feel this book will mostly appeal to older comic fans between the ages of 30 and 50 looking for a bit of nostalgia rather than small boys or young fans of superhero films and cartoons. I would go so far as to say that this book is actually due to the ring binding to fragile to handle for any child under 10 (it needs to be handled with a lot of care and only opened on a flat surface. Because of this I almost dropped a star in my rating and I would have given this book four stars. Since it has been discounted so heavily by Amazon though (at the time of writing this) It now has to in my opinion have the full five.

Excellent gift for a Marvel Fan, 11 Jan 2008
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loves it. I am not really into the whole Marvel thing myself, but found myself interested enough to read it from cover to cover. Excellent and a great price on Amazon.

Marvel Vault - Fantastic but flawed, 02 Nov 2007
I agree in what has already been written about how good the book is. However, there is a major flaw in the book that needs pointing out. The pages are held in place by a metal ring binding. Even with careful use the pages are going to pull againt this binding and are going to tear and fall out. I could already see slight wear after looking through the book once - Be warned especally considering the price.



Like opening a Marvel time capsule, 26 Sep 2007
Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson have gathered together in this book not only a history of Marvel from Marvel Comics # 1 (1939) up to 2006, which is impressive enough but a whole host of extras from Marvel's past make it a superb collector's item.
From reproductions of sketches of Marvel's WW2 heroes, especially the Sub-Mariner, Marvel's longest lasting continual character, the original Torch being an android. There's a reproduction MMMS membership card (I was a member of FOOM in the 1970's), the no-prize book, Marvel value stamps and many more items, it's a nostalgics dream. There are also truly personal items like Bill Everett's postcards.
Marvel fans are an intrinsic part of the Marvel extended family and although like most families, there are the odd breakdowns by and large Marvel has kept a large and loyal fan-base. It does not gloss over the collapse of Marvel and the comic industry in the 1990's due to corporate over-reach (greed) and the eventual rebirth, through to Heroes Reborn, and the recent spate of blockbuster movies.
Reading through it the names of the people who made Marvel great, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas himself, John Buscema, John Romita and countless others appear and invoke great memories. I was a Marvelite in the 1970's and 1980's and am now catching up on both the stories I read first time round and many I missed out on. This book is full of absolutely wonderful art reproductions that cover almost 70 years and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, 'nuff said.


Essential Facts, Accurate Prices, Fascinating Details, 27 Jun 2008
I have been a comic book collector for over 50 years. During that time I've looked at every price guide ever published. While I get an occasional insight from other sources, I consistently find that the Overstreet annual guides are by far the best source. I also find that collectors of all ages and sophistications rely on this guide so it tells me what the market will be for comics I might want to buy or sell.

Some people feel like they don't need to buy these every year. I disagree!

Even the advertisements are valuable . . . I've found many helpful, low-cost suppliers through these pages over the years.

I especially enjoyed the updated versions of articles about much older comics in this edition. Don't miss them.

Like comics? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BOUGHT THIS BOOK YET?, 23 May 2001
If you're reading this,you need this book. Don't think, ORDER! Why are you still here? Is my fanatic praise not enough? What, you want me to explain myself? You'll be sorry. Bottom line, this is the most accessible and down right readable volume availible on comicbooks anywhere. If you have the slightest effection for comics you will enjoy it, guaranteed. Even if all you have is hazy but fond memories of the Spiderman & his Amazing Friends show,you will love this book. What you get for your money is the story of Marvel comics & their place in American culture, a neat little over view of the early history of sequencial art & insight into the unique creative methods of the company, famously pioneered by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby ( haven't heard of them? Buy the book!). Oh, and lots and lots of pictures. Trust me, it's far more interesting then it sounds. I mean really very interesting. You even get four reprints of classic Marvel adventures so you can see what all the fuss is about. If you like comics but aren't a fan of the Marvel style this is still an essential read for it's valuable historical summary of the changing style of comicbooks and the industry that has grown up around them. It is far, far more readable then any of the big old 'history of comicbooks' volumes knocking about. If you are new to comics this is a great place to get familiar & you'll never feel inferior to comic store guys again (does anybody?). So go buy. Then start reading those highly affordable Essential Marvel reprints.....

Crammed!, 04 May 2002
This is the most comprehensive examination of comics and graphic novels I have ever looked at. Tracing the medium from it very beginnings it is CRAMMED with hundreds of colour pictures showing the widest variety of examples. This is a very interesting and thorugh read and a must have for anyone interested in comics, graphic novels and sequential art as a genre.

comic taken seriously., 03 May 2002
If you are a comic book fan and you like to take your reading a frame at a time in speach bubbles, this is not for you. This is a seriously good, inteligent read examining the history and context of its title. It brings together the widest and most diverse examples the comic book as an artform. Buy it just for the pictures and it won't dissapoint, but read it and you'll realise theres far more to comics than you ever thought possible.

Good introductory reference book, 16 Jul 2001
This book offers an informative sweep through comics and associated media, taking a broadly historical perspective. An excellent introduction and provider of context, well designed and laid out.

Strangely, it features in "Notting Hill", in Hugh Grant's supposed travel bookshop, sitting slap bang behind him in one of the scenes (once you've seen the book you'll realise that this isn't an anorak-y thing to have spotted - it is very large, very orange and very distinctive).

Dry over view of comic book history, not recommended., 20 Jun 2001
It's big, it's reasonably priced, it's not that good.

A brave effort to chronicle comic book history that isn't a total waste of time. Suffers from two major flaws, i, There's not enough detail for die hard comic book fans. ii, The text is so dry and pretencious that readers new to comic books & keen to learn more will have run in fear before the close of the 1st Chapter.

On the plus side, it's bursting with great photos from the best moments of every conceivable comic genre. And I never expected to read a book like this that would devote as much attention to the British comic book market as the American.

But..... nah, I can't recommend it. At least not whilst understanding Comics by Scott McCloud is availible.

An informative and comprehensive reference book of comic art, 18 Feb 1999
This is an excellent collection of comic illustration work. It is very well illustrated with some good quality images. The scope covered by the book is quite wide, but it does lack reference to a great deal of significant modern cartoon work. However, as a reference book or as a collection of comic art, this book is still highly recommended.

Comprehensive and inspiring, 13 Dec 2006
I have a few books on comics in general, and 'Great British Comics' beats all of them hands down. It is wonderfully written - not scholarly, not dumb, but perfectly readable, intelligent and also very positive about its subject matter, showing no snobbery or bias towards any one particular area. And talking of that, the diversity of genres and styles is quite astounding - British comics are incredibly rich in history and it is fascinating to see the quality of early strips and their development through the years. But they also have a rich future from the look of things, and Paul Gravett is enthusiastically upbeat about a medium that many thought lost along with their distant childhood... "Oh yeah, I remember comics! Do they still make them?". There is a current scene and it's alive and kicking, and there are plenty of examples here. Graphically the book is excellent - there's plenty to look at, and it's not just a gallery of impressive covers as is quite often the case with books of this nature, but actual strip pages - the storytelling itself, which is what comics are. Overall the book is an inspiration.

You'll never look at the High Street the same way again!, 05 Dec 2006
Read this book to see how one man can influence the way you shop. This is an inspirational read, and because it is not an "official" biography it describes the rough and the smooth in equal detail. An amazing insight into the way that both the High Street and the City work.

Gentlemen, we have a winner..., 21 Nov 2006
Most general books about comics tend to specialize or be skewed towards a certain genre, audience or era - think 'superheroes', 'alternative', '1960s'. It's a rare beast that eschews such temptations and goes all out for the historical sweep, without seeming superficial or conversely dragged down by the weight of facts and figures. F