Now that's what I'm talking about. For the longest time, I've bemoaned the seeming inability of DC or Marvel to capture the glory that lay in their guidebooks to their respective universes, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and DC Who's Who. Given today's lax continuity approach, they're not necessary (if they ever were), but it is still frustrating to see them replaced by half-assed versions like Marvel's Encyclopedias or current flimsy pamphlets trying to pass as the Handbooks, or DC's bizarre hybrid Secret Files. Really, half the knowledge I have about the obscure characters of the DC and Marvel Universes, and thus much of my love of those universes (universi?) comes from having read the Who's Who and Official Handbook back in the day. And so it is that I would like to announce my desire to give the authors of this book a big, wet, sloppy (virtual) kiss for bringing back the truly awesome encyclopedia to the DC universe with this exhaustive, beautifully illustrated hardcover tome. If you are a DC comics fan, or just a superhero fan in general, this one is for you.
The biggest misstep that has been made with the new attempts at this kind of project by DC and Marvel has been their limited scope. Rather than trying to cover their entire universe, they focus in on the characters that everyone already knows. Really, who needs a book on Spider-Man and the Green Goblin? Every five-year-old who saw the movie knows their deal. It's not that I want the big guys skipped over, but the real job of an encyclopedia or secret files or handbook or what-have-you is to include a sense of the universe, of just how many characters there are and how they relate. On this score, DC Comics Encylopedia shoots big and scores big. These creators have covered everyone from the modern-day big guns to the golden age greats, and tossed in any number of obscure characters from the '70s, '80s, '90s and beyond. If you look really really really hard, you can find some omissions, like Erik Larsen-designed Superman/Suicide Squad baddie Shrapnel, but you won't find any major omissions, and you will be astounded by the number of smaller characters who are represented. I know I was.
I could go on and on about this, but let me just give you a few examples of who is covered in here. '80s private dick Nathaniel Dusk. I... Vampire. The Action Comics Weekly version of the Secret Six. Cameron Chase, from the late lamented '90s series Chase. The Hayoth, one of the coolest teams from the '90s Suicide Squad. Individual entries for 2002's Power Company. And on and on and on. For a fan of DC's more out there or obscure heroes, there is nothing better than these books, which seeks not to ignore (like so many creators today) or degrade (like the big event books of 2004) but to catalog, to shine a spotlight on them. They say "every character is someone's favorite," but too few people actually buy into that and give equal respect to all characters as the creators of this Encyclopedia have.
The last thing I want to do, though, is to give the impression that this is strictly focused on comics obscura. No, the really big guys get gorgeous two-page spreads that detail their history, notable story events, who they are and what they do. There are standouts, like the beautiful page for Starman that serves as a loving tribute to James Robinson's series and what he did for the legacy of that character, and then there are the expected spotlights like a nifty two-page spread on Superman. There are even some cool two-page spreads focused on other stuff that makes the DC Universe cool, like Vehicles, Bases, Weapons, Alien Races, Great Team-Ups, Romantic Moments, Great Battles and Strange Times and Places.
All of this information is packed into amazingly well-designed pages that appears modern without being cluttered. The book is a treasure of graphic design, and it is packed to the gills with great art. Unlike the modern-day Marvel Universe handbooks, which seem to forget all artists before the past five years and weirdly bring in different peopple to draw feet or hands on panel shots grabbed from different comics, the guys who chose the art for the DC Encyclopedia have done a phenomenal job. Work by a variety of legendary artists from a variety of eras is to be found here, and somehow they've picked perfectly for 90% of the characters in here. There are pinups drawn from both eras of DC Who's Who as well as art taken from comics dating from the Golden Age through just the last couple of months. The characters who get larger entries, which includes a lot of them, even get some well-chosen panels showing them in action. Even if the info and the writing weren't so strong, this book would be worthwhile as a visual catalog of the DC Universe.
I can't properly credit the artists who are involved in this book, as it takes a full page at the back of the page to do that. I would like to single out the writers who put this whole thing together, a mind-bending task that I can't even fathom trying to do with this kind of skill. Scott Beatty has previously worked on the DK Books Ultimate guides for DC characters (as well as writing Batman, Green Arrow and plenty of others for DC) but this is a huge step up in terms of information, and he has come through with flying colors. Bob Greenberger is one of those names who has been around as continuity cop and production guy at DC and Marvel for a long time, and his presence here is unsurprising, but definitely welcome. Phil Jimenez is probably best known for his loving stories and art on Tempest, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman, and he brings that same sheer joy and work ethic to this book. Dan Wallace is the only guy whose previous credits I don't know, but it's quite clear he can hold his own, and these four men, each bringing a different expertise, have truly created something spectacular.
That they had a design department equal to their writing skills is, in these days of disappointing guidebooks, a small miracle as well. I already mentioned the strong graphic design, but let me also point out that this book has that indispensable (and often overlooked) feature that a book like this absolutely needs: a kickass index. It is clear that everyone, from writing to design to editorial, has put their heart and soul into this, and to them I offer a hearty thank you. To DC and comics fans everywhere, I offer a strong suggestion that you seek this book out, as it should be on every superhero fan's bookshelf. And to DC and Marvel editorial, what can I say? You guys just got schooled. 10/10
