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.

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.

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!

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.

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)

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.

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