Fans of Marvel’s Avengers, both the comic books and the films, are sure to enjoy Peter A. David’s The Avengers Vault, a collected history of the four most famous members of the team.
The Avengers Vault is a collected history of the four most famous members of the Avengers team (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk), documenting each Avenger’s origins, biggest adversaries, and more.
In addition to the heroes’ written histories, the book is full of images, reprints, and sketches of some of the most famous cells and covers in the Avengers’ comics, making it one of the most colorful collected histories you’ll ever see.
Unlike other Avengers collections and encyclopedias, The Avengers Vault also includes ten physical, collectible artifacts (including posters and concept art) that collectors and fans can actually remove from the book and admire.
From start to finish, The Avengers Vault hits on key moments in Avengers canon and gives well-rounded pictures of the team’s main members.
‘The Avengers Vault’ book review
When it comes to the Avengers, sometimes character histories can get a bit long. One of the best aspects of The Avengers Vault is its ability to give a really great description of each character’s history and past adventures in a succinct and digestible way. While the book itself is fairly large, the text is fairly large and easy to read which makes it accessible to people of all ages.
This collection also presents the Avengers complicated histories in an organized manner that makes sense (which is rare for Marvel histories as there are so many retcons, universes, and whatnot to parse through). Not only that, but it also interweaves real-life circumstances surrounding the properties in with the canon, giving a more well-rounded history of each character. Also, David has quite a sassy tone at times which makes for quite an enjoyable read.
While readers will surely open the book for the history, it’s the art and graphics that will make readers linger. Sure, some of the prints in The Avengers Vault are some of the most well-known pieces of art in Avengers history, but they’re no less stunning. The illustrations and artwork in this book as bright and bold, just like a comic should be. For instance, there are a few two-page spreads that are really mesmerizing to look at. Plus, The Avengers Vault includes reprints of original artwork and sketches that are difficult to find elsewhere.
Though the artwork and the reprints in the book are really captivating, the ten removable artifacts in the book are what really make it special. There’s just something about being able to hold a piece of comic book history in your hand (like an official membership card for Captain America’s Sentinels of Liberty, for instance) instead of just viewing it on a page. By having four folders of extras (one for each Avenger) in the book, the author invites the readers to not only learn about the history of the Avengers but to interact with it.
The only thing that could make The Avengers Vault better would be the inclusion of a few more Avengers mainstays, such as Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Falcon. While they’re pictured on the cover and in some of the beautiful artwork in the book, their names only pop up a few times in the text, most notably the Avengers roster lists in the appendix at the end of the book.
From its well-written histories to its colorful artwork and fun artifacts, The Avengers Vault is a must-have for Avengers fans, both new and old.
The Avengers Vault by Peter A. David is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local independent bookstore.
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