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The DC Book Review

“The DC Book” sheds light on the vast DC Comics Universe.

With a book titled “The DC Book,” one would expect it to cover a lot of ground and boy does it. After a foreword by renowned comic writer Grant Morrison and an intro to DC Comics history, author Stephen Wiacek dives into the Multiverses and Omniverses and touches upon parallel worlds, Earth Prime, Gods, heroes, western era heroes, secret societies and organizations (like A.R.G.U.S.), war heroes, superheroes, aliens like Superman, villains, the Justice League and other teams, scientists, heroes born from science (ala Atom and Cyborg), clones, factions, geniuses, advanced civilizations, realms, magic, the afterlife, the supernatural, wizards, time travel (and time travelers), the future, Planets (such as New Oa, Apokolips, New Genesis, Kryton) and locations (Atlantis, Themyscira and Gotham City to name a few). Entries are frequently accompanied by noteworthy examples (or legends), locations, powers/abilities of the heroes or villains, missions, a status report, affiliations (if any), and real name. The book concludes with a handy glossary where you can look up terms like Chronovore or Morphogenetic Field along with an index and acknowledgments. 

Do you want to know more about the DC Universe? Are you feeling lost by certain elements of the DC movie universe? If the answer is yes (or even if it’s no), “The DC Book” is a good primer for those wanting to delve into DC Comics history without reading hundreds if not thousands of comics. To say there’s a lot packed in within these pages is an understatement. While not comprehensive, the book covers all the main bases (albeit in a condensed fashion) whether it be major characters, other worlds, timelines, or answers to burning questions you may have like- What do the Seven Soldiers of Victory do? What is Metamorpho’s real name? How does Perpetua play into the DC Universe? The written content contains succinct descriptions and summaries of characters, places, and events. The amount of information present (and research that went into it) is nothing short of astonishing. There’s simply so much to absorb.

Even if you are well versed by DC Comics, I’d wager you’ll still learn a lot here. I for one had a blast learning details about the science behind the metagene, characters I never heard of before (like El Diablo) and the fact that there is a regrown Starro fragment named Jarro. 

Overall Thoughts: “The DC Book” is a must read for anyone who treasures the DC Universe.

December 12, 2021 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Book review | DC Comics, DC Universe, Superman, The DC Book Review