The Superhero Book
Grade 8 Up–This colossal encyclopedia of all things superhero could not have come at a better time. With a slew of comic-book movies each year, kids are more interested than ever in anything to do with these heroes. The collection includes hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries detailing how the character was first envisioned, highlights of important superheroes, and, when relevant, how they've been portrayed by Hollywood. The volume devotes as much attention to popular superheroes as it does to lesser-known figures such as Ant-Man, Nick Fury, and The Wasp. Only a limited number of commercial Hollywood icons are included, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Powerpuff Girls; none of the shows of the past are mentioned. While a strict definition of what the editors believe makes up a superhero is lacking, this is nonetheless a fairly thorough collection. While one might wish for a lot more illustrations, it is a must-buy for comic readers interested in knowing the early roots and conceptions of comic-book heroes.–Scott La Counte, Anaheim Public Library, CA--This text refers to theLibrary Bindingedition.