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The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe by Marvel Comics is legendary among comic book fans and historians as one of the first major reference series ever published for comic book characters. “From Abomination to Zzzax!” read the tag line of the collected edition Omnibus published last year which I now have in hand. The Deluxe edition is expected out in 2021. The collected Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Omnibus is a beautifully hardbound graphic novel collecting the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe from 1983 issues 1-15 including the two “books of the dead and inactive” and the “weapons and paraphernalia” issue.
As detailed on the inside fold of the dust jacket, “The first half of Marvel’s 80 year history in one omnibus! In 1983, wide-eyed fans were treated to an illustrated encyclopedia of the heroes and villains they loved - as well as others they didn’t even know existed! Inspired by the popularity of a three-page feature in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15 ranking the strength of various characters, then- Editor in Chief Jim Shooter had the idea to create a guidebook featuring Marvel’s colorful cast.”
“Thanks to the vision, knowledge and hard work of Chief Writer/Editor Mark Gruenwald- as well as the tireless efforts of Deputy Editor Mike Carlin and their diligent team of researchers- that idea became the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, an extensive A-Z chronical of individuals and teams active in the shared continuity of Marvel Comics. The OHOTMU- as it came to be known- offered definitive descriptions of characters’ origins and abilities, explained in as scientifically plausible a way as possible.”
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is a tremendous research guide and a great companion to your comic book reading, especially classic comic books published before 1983, though it holds up surprisingly well. The beauty of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Omnibus isn’t so much the bios of established heroes and villains, as much as, it’s a great place to discover and learn about more obscure characters.
I still have several of the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe comic book single issues in my collection, however, because they were printed on cheap newsprint back in 1983, the ink has smeared and bled-through over the years making it very difficult to read. The omnibus reprints the text and beautiful illustrations of the Marvel Universe characters in crisp, clear, sharp, and readable format making the rediscover of these handbooks fun all over again.
The inside gate-fold concludes, “The originally planned twelve-issue series grew to fifteen- including the added memorials for prominent heroes and villains who were either dead or inactive at the time, as well as a book of weapons, hardware, and paraphernalia filled with technical drawings of everything from Captain America’s shield to Wolverine’s skeleton. For readers, it was the ultimate reference tool; for writers and artists, it was a creative bible intended to both inform and inspire stories…”
Though IDW presently hold the license to the ROM character, in 1983 it was held by Marvel Comics who used him throughout their universe and even on the cover of the issue he appeared in. I wondered how they would address this problem since ROM had been erased out of other crossovers which had been reprinted. Somehow, ROM does, in fact, appear on page 310 along with his complete biography as he existed during his time with Marvel Comics.
For fans of the classic bronze age era of Marvel Comics, and those of us who grew up in the 1970s-1980s, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Omnibus is a must have. When It Was Cool has also recorded a podcast review of the graphic novel and discussion about that era of comic books on our Patreon page located- here.
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