hey are back, and this time they are more powerful than they had ever been before. Marvel Comics The Avengers may have made it to the big screen this year but if you really want to know about them, Avengers: The Ultimate Guide is the book for you.

Tom DeFalco’s guide is the one-stop reference book to the earth’s mightiest heroes, and you will feel the need to read this book before or after you decide to watch the movie.

The team that comes together with the cry Avengers Assemble is discussed in this book quite accurately and interestingly.

These mighty heroes are the ones who save the Earth and at times the universe from any threatening super-menace. They have many members and this book details all, yet most elaborate coverage is given to the mighty Thor, the invincible Iron Man, the wondrous Wasp, and the incredible Hulk.

So if you are looking for information on Ant-Man, Black Panther, Hawkeye as well as Captain America, this book is the place
where you can start. You will get to know that Captain America might be the leader of the bunch, but he wasn’t the original founding member! To know about his story as well as the others, read on!

What makes this guide different from the rest available in the market is its short and sweet approach to the characters, which are made livelier by the excellent artwork. Every character from the Avengers Universe has been mentioned in this guide, be it as small a character as Machine Man and Dark Hawk or a main character like Captain America and Thor.

This guide is largely organised chronologically from the early Avengers of the 60s to the modern ones known as the New Avengers. Along the way, each Avenger — be it a hero, a side hero or a villain-turned-hero — is detailed so that you know about his origin, his adventures and death (if any). The colourful illustrations, fight scenes from actual stories as well as spellbinding facts make it an interesting collection.

What one fails to understand is the order in which the characters are mentioned. Had there been no index, I wouldn’t have been able to find many of my favourite characters. Although the most important Avengers are mentioned in the beginnings, this adjustment would have made the book even better.

And then there are typos and spelling mistakes in this guide which need to be corrected ASAP! Also, the human aspect of the superheroes lives needs to be added, as it would show their human side as well. We all know that Tony Stark has many problems, yet in this sanitised book, both Tony Stark and Iron Man are shown to be as righteous and right as can be. But then, this book is about the good in the earth’s mightiest heroes, isn’t it?

On the whole, this guide is the ultimate walk down the memory lane for the fans of Marvel Comics in general and the Avengers in particular. It would be a fun to read before watching the movie featuring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Samuel L Jackson and many others. Highly recommended and fun to read… Avengers Assemble!— Seema Faruqi