From what an aberration actually is, and who The Aberration actually is, to who and what Zombies are, which Marvel Earth planet they come from, and who was the singular one (Simon Garth) – this does what it says on the tin, taking us right through the many universes of the Marvel comic, er, universe, and telling us what's what, what it means, and how to pronounce it.

But I'm still not sure that was really called for. Nor how great this is. Go back to that last page – The Zodiac Key: "… was created by The Brotherhood of the Ankh in the Ankh Dimension". Yes we also get that it conveys psionic power to the owner, but two sentences is it. We're forced to scuttle back to the entry for the Ankh Dimension – to learn it is where the Zodiac Key was made. The entry for The Brotherhood of the Ankh tells us they made the Zodiac Key. Do you too feel like we're running around in a circle?

Far be it for me, as a book reviewer, to say the Internet is better, but, well, the Internet is better here. You need to break the loop and find out more about the Ankh and its Dimension and the Brotherhood thereof, and if you're interested, yes you probably are actually reading a comic that probably in all honesty tells you all you need to know, or you could just google it. If you're a child, and are not allowed to go online yet, you should read something more appropriate, or ask someone else to google it. Ditto the pronunciation.

And as someone else has already pointed out – Magneto is mentioned on the page where his entry ought to be, but He. Has. No. Entry. Which clearly is like Samuel Johnson handwriting an entire dictionary and leaving "sausages" out. Similarly, fans of X-23 will be missing out, as she's only here as Talon. And as for pronouncing Raven's surname? Don't bother looking.

Don't get me wrong, I did not want nor expect a book that covered everything in the way of those post-story essays we used to get in the trades – pages that took longer to read than the actual dramas to cover the entire back story. But this is just too short. It's one of those junior read glossaries for junior audiences, spread over 250 pages – admittedly by great artwork, but that was kind of there for the taking anyway in this official title. That wasn't unexpected. What was was how cold this left me – a fairly needless but pretty gift book, in all.

The fifteen year old in me absolutely loves this. I sure would have liked having something like this in the 1970s when I was an avid comics - specifically Marvel - reader. I would have referenced this constantly with the introduction of new characters or villains (or at least someone i didn't think I was very familiar with).

This purports to "define the Marvel Universe." Not just the cinematic universe. But where is the line drawn? What is knowingly excluded? The Marvel Universe I grew up with included westerns like Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, and Two-Gun Kid. These are not included. This is not a surprise since it definitely appears to be geared toward the superhero stories and there's still plenty of information to include. (I should note that this isn't just a dictionary of character names and home-worlds, but anything that might be unique to the Marvel worlds.) But what IS interesting is the omission of major players like Magneto ... he is listed multiple times, but only as part of another entry (ie "daughter of Magneto" or "created by Magneto") but he does not have his own entry. Ooops. That's got to be an oversight.

The dictionary is lavishly illustrated with at least one, generally two, sometimes more, illustrations per page. The artwork comes from many different generations of artists. There are 'classic' Jack Kirby/Steve Ditko styles and the much more modern, computer art styles. I really appreciate that it wasn't just one artist or one period being represented. It is too bad, however, that the artists aren't identified anywhere (at least not in my ARC).

Some of the choices for what to include strike me as odd, but then again, I haven't been reading a lot of superhero comics in the last 30-40 years. But, since when did Dr. Strange look like Paul Rodriguez with a Howard Hughes mustache? (See the image for the dictionary term "Dark Dimension".)

My digital ARC is searchable, which is really nice, but I would definitely prefer a physical copy of this book. I think that thumbing through and randomly looking at art and reading an entry would be great for casual reading enjoyment. However, a digital search will find entries that you might otherwise miss.

Looking for a good book? The Mighty Marvel Dictionary by Robb Pearlman is a great resource for the comic/Marvel reader, even though an important figure (or more) is missing. It's also just plain fun to look through. Just in time for holiday gift-giving!

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

One of the struggles I've faced as a nerdy uncle has been just how do I introduce things like the Marvel Universe to my nieces and nephews. Having something like The Mighty Marvel Dictionary is a great step in the right direction. Robb Pearlman has written quite a few excellent books and this is another one. It's an amazing collection of entries, tidbits of info and most importantly: a pronunciation guide. This one of those books that I would love to keep on my shelf to be able to reference the next time I get a question that I'm unable to answer. The size and lack of entries may be the only downfall of the book, but these books are always at the mercy of the current continuity when they are published.

Special Thanks to BenBella Books, Smart Pop and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

As a marvel fan I was super psych about this book, it looks amazing. I love the artwork through out along with all the different definitions in the book like there two definitions for one word. It's super cool and would be an amazing coffee table book

Obviously a little hard to review because there's no real plot but I think this would be awesome for kids to read--and I as an adult learned all about the BOUNTY of names Marvel has gone through for its cast.

Read from October 17th, 2024 to October 21st, 2024. Written on October 29th, 2024.

I'm a massive Marvel fan. I always love finding out more about characters, locations, and other crazy Marvel creations.

This book is incredibly easy to read, with pronunciation guides and images to follow along. It's fun, educational and well organised. A great way to dive deeper into the world of Marvel Comics.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book before its release date and all the best luck!

Signing off,
B.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and BenBella Books | Smart Pop that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on October 29th, 2024)

I have loved Marvel for years so it was great to read this dictionary and to brush up on my knowledge, would make a fabulous gift.

5+ ⭐️
A pleasant educational surprise! My 10YO is a huge Marvel fan, but I prefer him to be reading books that are educational in nature. He’s still at an age where he prefers graphic novels, and many of them have no educational value. However, this book is such a great compromise as it’s the best of both worlds.

Visual illustrations of a huge assortment of characters, with over 1000 definitions as it relates to both Marvel AND the real-world dictionary, as well as pronunciations and whether it’s a noun, proper noun, verb, etc.

So they aren’t just learning Marvel terminology, they are able to digest the true meaning of the word, and then see how it was creatively incorporated into the Marvel world. (Example: piecemeal - as an adjective, verb and proper noun)

As a parent, this is a unique and creative way to engage children to read and learn, without them feeling like it’s “work.” I have this on my 10YO’s Christmas wishlist. What a great gift for age 8+ in time for the upcoming holidays!

Thanks to NetGalley, BenBella Books, and Robb Pearlman for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!

This is so freaking cool! I love it and spent way too long perusing the pages.

Well written. Great illustrations. Lots of color.

Marvel is a mighty universe full of more characters and concepts than movie goers have yet learned of. The solution is a book that provides answers on the lesser known characters and concepts. The mighty book could be that might reference to a mighty universe that has dominated the box office for years. In addition, what is often true with Marvel is there are a number of Easter eggs in every project. Some are obvious and others take a deeper understanding of the world of marvel. Even if the Easter eggs are all explained in a handy article on line, you get just surface meanings. Again, you need a reference and again I think of this book.
One thing this book taught me about Marvel is the double meanings of words. For example, if you are watching a Marvel movie or show and they talk about aim or amulet they are probably talking about the Marvel concept or character with those names. I learned that from reading this book.
The book shows us that Marvel is incredibly vast and movie goers have only scratched the surface. Even comic readers should appreciate this heavy tome full of Marvel. We all know the big three Marvel heroes who fight Thanos but the universe is so vast. I personally had no idea how vast until I started into this dictionary. Read it as if it were a book or keep it for a reference. Either way, this book would make a great gift for the upcoming holidays. Some of the illustrations were a little camp but I am a movie fan not a comic fan so I may be missing the subtle comic reference in the image.
Thanks to NetGalley and BenBella Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

My thanks to both NetGalley and BenBella Books for an advanced copy of this new guide to the pronunciation of many names, code names, places and even sound effects, the words that along with the art have crafted a comic universe many of have loved for a long time.

I loved comics as a kid and my interest in this medium is all because of my Grandmother, my Nan. Nan used to go to the newsstand everytime she knew I was coming to visit, leaving a Reese Peanut Butter cup and a comic book or two in my special drawer in her house. Nan was not a fan of comics, so I never had two issues in a row. Spider-Man might have eight arms in one issue, a couple months later May Parker joined the Grey Panthers and was protesting for elder rights. So I read DC, Marvel, Disney, even the Sad Sack Harvey comics. Though I didn't know it, I was a Marvel Zombie. I liked the fact that Marvel happened in New York, I could see the battles from just looking out my window in the Bronx. And I really liked Stan Lee. Much has changed as I grew older, but the letter pages and Stan's Soapbox were something I read as close as I read the stories. Stan was a complicated man, but a man who wrote about the perils of racism. About doing the right thing even when one was scared. And language. Stan loved big words. And hyphens. I remember clearly looking up words that Stan used, and even more wondering if I was saying the names of characters right. This is when I needed a book like this. I would have broken the binding by the age of seven if I had. The Mighty Marvel Dictionary: An Illustrated Glossary from Avengers to X-Men by Robb Pearlman is a guide to the word, the characters organizations, titles and more that have made the Marvel Universe what it has become.

Growing up I never knew if I was saying the names of characters right, as well we had a few tv shows, and cartoons, but the cool characters never showed up there. Especially when it came to a team of heroes as cosmopolitan as the X-Men. The code names were easy Storm, Colossus but their real names, Ororo Munro?, Piotr Rasputin?, those were much harder. Hence, why this guide is so helpful. The book is of course alphabetical, with a pronunciation key that helps people sound out the words. If there are two uses for the same word in the Marvel Universe, there are two definitions. Being such a large universe there are a few missing people, but most of the majors are here, and is a nice introduction also to what has happened over almost seventy years.

This is a unique book in that it is helpful for comic readers, and is also a nice way to introduce words and language to precocious little ones in a fun way. Though I don't know if annihilation is a good word for kids. The perfect gift to give children whose parents are leery about comics, but being the cool Aunt, Uncle, Parent Grandparent, and one that wants to educate a child in both grammar and culture, a great gift choice. Excelsior.

I was hoping this would have some more information about Marvel characters. Half of it is just a regular dictionary of words, then a mostly unrelated line about a Marvel character with the same world as its name. Nothing new or interesting here.

BenBella Books provided an early galley for review.

I've been reading Marvel Comics since I was a kid in the 70's, and I would have loved to have had a book like this when I was first starting out. It is expansive and fun, featuring definitions of both everyday words along with similar usages in the Marvel Universe. For example: you'll see a definition for the word abomination along with a definition for the character Abomination. It is really helpful to show how the comic creators have adapted words in other ways.

More important is the phonetic pronunciations that come with each word. Every wondered how certain character names were pronounced? Now you know. Two that were tricky as a kid were Magneto and Submariner; surprisingly neither have entries in this book though.

The illustrations are drawn from over the entire Marvel publishing history as well. Some shots I remember quite fondly from books I have read over the many decades.

The only negative I had was that several major players, like the two noted above for example, are missing entries. While I get that not every word/name can be covered in the allotted pages and some decisions had to be made regarding who was in and who was out, I found some of the inclusions and exemptions a little bit baffling. If there is ever a second edition with expanded page count, maybe this oversight will be corrected.