aimmyarrowshigh's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. I've never felt so seen by a nonfiction narrative before, as someone who is painfully obsessive about things that I love (and it doesn't hurt that right now, that's Marvel). The first three chapters, and the ending appendix, in particular are pinpoint-accurate descriptions of the racing ADHD, obsessive fangirl* mind as it pings from reference to reference, metatext to intertext to intratext, while trying to consume "just one" piece of media. Wolk's secondary focus, on how obsessive love of a piece of media exists ultimately as a vehicle for connection -- to people you meet online or at conventions, to your parent or your child, to other obsessive fans, and to the world at large -- made my heart clench. There's nothing like being able to share why you love what you love with someone else; it's laying your heart bare and saying, this is what I think about myself and about the world, see me in it, here? and being heard. Wolk produced this whole book to say that, and I heard him. I've literally recommended this to everyone I know.
*gender neutral
*gender neutral
bri__gu's review
5.0
This was like one giant Wikipedia article with each chapter dedicated to a particular character or group of characters. Really well done and a great refresher course for those interested in the greater Marvel comics story.
literatetexan's review
4.0
Entertaining but a lot of plot summary. Strange omissions, although I understand the book couldn't encompass all the stories. I would have enjoyed more of the memoir stuff, like the chapters at the beginning where he explained the project or the chapter where he's reading the comic books aloud to his kid. Still, it's the first thing I've read in ages that made me want to read some of the more recent Marvel Comics.
mschlat's review
3.0
The premise: Douglas Wolk has read every single Marvel comic book (with a few caveats), is viewing that reading as the exploration of a single fictional setting, and is carrying out a critical and cultural exegesis of the Marvel Universe. So - as a long comics reader and Marvel fan - this book should be right up my alley. It's not, and here's why....
1) Wolk is writing more as an apologist than as a critic. Wolk loves Marvel comics (and perhaps you need to be to read 27,000 issues). And that love often shows itself in promotion of the work (and his project) rather than examination. For example, the first three chapters focus on how you, the reader, can start reading Marvel comics anywhere, and it will be okay --- you will eventually figure out what you need to know.
When Wolk moves to the actual description of the comics, there is more criticism. As one example, his dissection of the different phases of Spider-man comics (with the Lee/Ditko issues focusing on finding father figures for Peter Parker) was very illuminating. And, in general, Wolk is very talented at finding the key themes of early Marvel work and pointing out how creators after Lee, Kirby, and Ditko had difficulties finding a new ethos for the characters they wrote.
But the critical focus is almost always concentrated on helping a reader see the grand themes. Wolk is helping you become a better Marvel reader. He's rarely interested in challenging the texts (as in --- to pick an extreme example ---[b:How to Read Donald Duck|197739|How to Read Donald Duck Imperialist Ideology in the Disney Comic|Ariel Dorfman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1172607383l/197739._SX50_.jpg|191273]), reevaluating the idea of heroism (see most of Alan Moore's work), or exploring any extensive interplay with the historical context and the market-driven nature of the genre. In the end, the writing reminded me of biblical commentary from a fundamentalist perspective: the focus is making you a more educated Christian, period.
[My wife joked that I wanted The Comics Journal version of this book, and she's right. And if you understand that comment, you probably will have issues too.]
2) The writing style is too fragmented. In many chapters, Wolk organizes the material by introducing an issue (e.g., "Fantastic Four #whatever, written and drawn by such and such, published whenever ") and then using that issue to illustrate the theme he is exploring. Part of the charm of the book is how Wolk jumps from title to title and decade to decade in doing this; by no means is this a chronological history of Marvel. But his commitment to that structure means every time he jumps to an issue we stop, get a synopsis, and then continue with the criticism. After a while, I found the jumping tiring and wished there was a more straightforward way for him to use the texts as evidence.
So, not my cup of tea overall, but I absolutely enjoyed bits of it. (Wolk has the best take on the differences between Claremont and Byrne that I've ever read.) I just don't think it's the critical exegesis I wanted to see.
1) Wolk is writing more as an apologist than as a critic. Wolk loves Marvel comics (and perhaps you need to be to read 27,000 issues). And that love often shows itself in promotion of the work (and his project) rather than examination. For example, the first three chapters focus on how you, the reader, can start reading Marvel comics anywhere, and it will be okay --- you will eventually figure out what you need to know.
When Wolk moves to the actual description of the comics, there is more criticism. As one example, his dissection of the different phases of Spider-man comics (with the Lee/Ditko issues focusing on finding father figures for Peter Parker) was very illuminating. And, in general, Wolk is very talented at finding the key themes of early Marvel work and pointing out how creators after Lee, Kirby, and Ditko had difficulties finding a new ethos for the characters they wrote.
But the critical focus is almost always concentrated on helping a reader see the grand themes. Wolk is helping you become a better Marvel reader. He's rarely interested in challenging the texts (as in --- to pick an extreme example ---[b:How to Read Donald Duck|197739|How to Read Donald Duck Imperialist Ideology in the Disney Comic|Ariel Dorfman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1172607383l/197739._SX50_.jpg|191273]), reevaluating the idea of heroism (see most of Alan Moore's work), or exploring any extensive interplay with the historical context and the market-driven nature of the genre. In the end, the writing reminded me of biblical commentary from a fundamentalist perspective: the focus is making you a more educated Christian, period.
[My wife joked that I wanted The Comics Journal version of this book, and she's right. And if you understand that comment, you probably will have issues too.]
2) The writing style is too fragmented. In many chapters, Wolk organizes the material by introducing an issue (e.g., "Fantastic Four #whatever, written and drawn by such and such, published whenever ") and then using that issue to illustrate the theme he is exploring. Part of the charm of the book is how Wolk jumps from title to title and decade to decade in doing this; by no means is this a chronological history of Marvel. But his commitment to that structure means every time he jumps to an issue we stop, get a synopsis, and then continue with the criticism. After a while, I found the jumping tiring and wished there was a more straightforward way for him to use the texts as evidence.
So, not my cup of tea overall, but I absolutely enjoyed bits of it. (Wolk has the best take on the differences between Claremont and Byrne that I've ever read.) I just don't think it's the critical exegesis I wanted to see.
litwbe02's review
informative
medium-paced
3.5
While I enjoyed reading this book, there were parts that felt a bit jerky. The author goes back and forth between telling the story in Marvel comics and telling the story of Marvel comics. It was nice to have some real world context around shifts in the Marvel story, but the way it was done left something to be desired.
That being said, the book was still fun. I enjoyed seeing how some of my favorite characters have grown over time and how different comic book creators have handled similar events in a character’s life. This book definitely improves my understanding and appreciation of my comic books.
That being said, the book was still fun. I enjoyed seeing how some of my favorite characters have grown over time and how different comic book creators have handled similar events in a character’s life. This book definitely improves my understanding and appreciation of my comic books.
ldasoqi's review
3.0
I think that one of the most challenging claims to make in the modern day is to say that you aren't a fan of Marvel. Whether you're a boardroom executive or a Somali pirate everyone knows who Captain America is, what color the Hulk is, and which aisle of the hardware store Thor is liable to beeline towards. Ever since 2008's Iron Man, Marvel has dominated the box office, and their IP has transitioned from something niche and misunderstood to one of the central pillars of modern pop culture.
All of the Marvels is exactly what it says on the tin. In this book, we are taken from the early cape comics of the 1950s and early 60s to the modern crossover-event-driven era. After a thorough and disclaimer-ridden introduction, Douglas Wolk takes us character-by-character and event-by-event in a looping survey of the most beloved and relevant stories from within the canon. All of the Marvels tries to give the reader all the background required (and then some) to appreciate the nuances and allegory that are packed into the very best storylines and anthologies. I knew that Marvel was a self-referential body of work, but All of the Marvels opened my eyes to the depth with which the artists and writers have imbued their comics.
All of the Marvels is a great guide for new comic readers and gives an overview of major Marvel universe events. That said, it's too meandering and unorganized to get a gold star for readability. There is a lengthy (and much appreciated) introduction that aims to explain the objective and structure of the book but purposely omits a reading order. The body of the work mainly jumps between the popular Marvel characters and in each section tries its best to explain their individual stories chronologically. The appendix is a decade-by-decade encapsulation of the general trends of each Marvel era. As a casual fan, I found myself getting lost during the scenic tour of the Marvels. It would have been helpful if the appendix had been provided as a roadmap from the beginning.
Personally, I continue to find my interest in Marvel waning; I've read through some comics but I'm with the majority in saying that I primarily interact with the IP through their films. Maybe it's because I've aged out of the golden demographic and the movies aren't made for me anymore, or maybe my perception of declining quality is accurate. I hoped this book would rekindle my interest in Marvel, or point me toward something better suited to my tastes. While my hopes were let down on that front, reading through Marvel at such a distant remove does highlight how the corpus has changed over the years and how I am just one of the latest set of fans to find the earth changing beneath my feet.
TL;DR: This book delivers on its promises to bridge something like 60 or 70 years of storylines across a single book. It does a passable job of filling modern readers in on the unappetizing bulk of Marvel's back catalog. It's also short! I didn't realize at the time of purchase but this book is actually 50% index.
All of the Marvels is exactly what it says on the tin. In this book, we are taken from the early cape comics of the 1950s and early 60s to the modern crossover-event-driven era. After a thorough and disclaimer-ridden introduction, Douglas Wolk takes us character-by-character and event-by-event in a looping survey of the most beloved and relevant stories from within the canon. All of the Marvels tries to give the reader all the background required (and then some) to appreciate the nuances and allegory that are packed into the very best storylines and anthologies. I knew that Marvel was a self-referential body of work, but All of the Marvels opened my eyes to the depth with which the artists and writers have imbued their comics.
All of the Marvels is a great guide for new comic readers and gives an overview of major Marvel universe events. That said, it's too meandering and unorganized to get a gold star for readability. There is a lengthy (and much appreciated) introduction that aims to explain the objective and structure of the book but purposely omits a reading order. The body of the work mainly jumps between the popular Marvel characters and in each section tries its best to explain their individual stories chronologically. The appendix is a decade-by-decade encapsulation of the general trends of each Marvel era. As a casual fan, I found myself getting lost during the scenic tour of the Marvels. It would have been helpful if the appendix had been provided as a roadmap from the beginning.
Personally, I continue to find my interest in Marvel waning; I've read through some comics but I'm with the majority in saying that I primarily interact with the IP through their films. Maybe it's because I've aged out of the golden demographic and the movies aren't made for me anymore, or maybe my perception of declining quality is accurate. I hoped this book would rekindle my interest in Marvel, or point me toward something better suited to my tastes. While my hopes were let down on that front, reading through Marvel at such a distant remove does highlight how the corpus has changed over the years and how I am just one of the latest set of fans to find the earth changing beneath my feet.
TL;DR: This book delivers on its promises to bridge something like 60 or 70 years of storylines across a single book. It does a passable job of filling modern readers in on the unappetizing bulk of Marvel's back catalog. It's also short! I didn't realize at the time of purchase but this book is actually 50% index.
niketsheth's review
4.0
Amazing read which acts as a manual for new comic readers. I was very curious about the origins of many comic book origin stories which are lifted to adapt into the MCU. I wasn't disappointed. Apart from few chapters in the end, everything else was intriguing.
kysariin's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
i am not fully familiar with marvel comics (i love spiderman, but thats about as far as i've delved), so this was helpful! i've been very involved in mcu, come from a nerdy household, so i was aware of the names. i listened to it as an audiobook which helped me stay focused. i do not feel compelled to read the entire collection, but that was discouraged anyways. did a good job touching tons of points when it's such a massive body of work!