eaglemoss have launched a new part magazine MARVEL FACT FILES as they say all the information of the whole Marvel universe & beyond. So if you want to start another collection that will go on for years to come(or feal like it) thps could be the one for you
www.marvelfactfile.com
or watch their advert here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=We0MH0vlj7M
working url http://www.marvel-factfiles.com/
and not to be confused with
www.mightiestcollection.com
which is the second lot of GN partworks to go hand in hand with their current run.
These fact files and other "history of Marvel/ DC encylopedia" are waste of paper as they cant keep up with the constantly evolving characters, for example will this fact file cover Peter Parker's demise in #700, will you get an updated history sheet once the 'Superior' era ends covering those events? That kind of thing is why printed encyclopedia's went the way of the dodo.
this is true - if they genuinely try to make it comprehensive they end up so, long, contradictory and repeptive as to make the characters seem rather silly (those 'marvel encyclopedia' entries they sometimes add at the end of GNs to pad them out and rip us off provide background bios that are like this - they read like a primary school essay - "and then they fought hydra and then they went to another universe and then they died and then they cam back and then, and then....")
That said I recently read through the Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe volumes which reprint these fella's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Handbook_of_the_Marvel_Universe#The_Official_Handbook_of_the_Marvel_Universe_Vol._II_.28Deluxe_Edition.29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Handbook_of_the_Marvel_Universe#The_Official_Handbook_of_the_Marvel_Universe_Vol._II_.28Deluxe_Edition.29)
Which I absolutely loved when they first came out. It still makes a fantastic read as a span shot of a point in time (one when I was just getting into American comics in a big way), admittedly a much simpler one, but I do love this type of thing.
Yeah, the latter-day love of retconning* rather throws a spanner in the works of stuff like this - a tablet and Wikipedia is all you really need if you care that much to read up on fictional character histories, though even then you may come to notice that "and then the character reappeared after their death/retooling/gay retcon exactly as they used to be, but this was not explained" appears a heck of a lot.
* Though to be fair, any story where characters don't have a mobile phone, speak constantly about things they read on Facebook/Twitter, or are seen using a library is going to look like something from the 1940s to new readers.
I remember my dad collecting Star Trek fact files ages ago, it was before the 'Enterprise' show (and possibly even before "Nemesis") so I would hate to see how much got retconned or is now out of date. The thing kept getting bigger and bigger and more and more binders kept turning up, was giant by the end.
Edit: I bung Star Trek Fact Files into google which brought up this (http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=118515)thread of someone trying to give it away and this warning
QuoteFWIW, I consider the Fact Files to be the biggest waste of money in my life. I will however keep mine forever as reminder to never piss money away on garbage like that again.
I have a complete collection of the Star Trek Fact Files.
Complete waste of money and time is a polite word for it.
I still have several issues to put into the binders. I reckon there are somewhere in the region of at least 15 binders jam packed with utter shit about Star Trek...
Happy days...(when I still had money I could piss up against the wall and not worry about it).
I sell second hand books and comics, and ocasionally get people in trying to sell complete partworks.
If you really love the subject, then buy them, but they will never recoup their original value.
As has been said, comic based ones are out of date before they even start.
Now if there was one detailing the history of non-superhero comics, with a full issue reprint each month, I would buy that. Fron Beano and Dansy through Bunty and Scream and all the rest - or maybe it's just me.
Quote from: Alski on 13 March, 2013, 12:24:27 PM
Now if there was one detailing the history of non-superhero comics, with a full issue reprint each month, I would buy that. Fron Beano and Dansy through Bunty and Scream and all the rest - or maybe it's just me.
I'd buy it too.
Quote from: Alski on 13 March, 2013, 12:24:27 PM
I sell second hand books and comics, and ocasionally get people in trying to sell complete partworks.
Are
any of them worth your time to sell on? I think the recent Marvel Graphic Novel collection is decent as far as partworks goes, but you're still talking £600 once complete and a lot saved buying the paperback versions.
Quote from: sheldipez on 13 March, 2013, 12:40:11 PM
Quote from: Alski on 13 March, 2013, 12:24:27 PM
I sell second hand books and comics, and ocasionally get people in trying to sell complete partworks.
Are any of them worth your time to sell on? I think the recent Marvel Graphic Novel collection is decent as far as partworks goes, but you're still talking £600 once complete and a lot saved buying the paperback versions.
I think the Marvel Graphic Novel Collection is the only one worth buying. For me books are always good value for money.
These are well produced and are the same price as a paperback volume of the same title (sometimes cheaper).
Quote from: sheldipez on 11 March, 2013, 11:18:33 AM
These fact files and other "history of Marvel/ DC encylopedia" are waste of paper as they cant keep up with the constantly evolving characters, for example will this fact file cover Peter Parker's demise in #700, will you get an updated history sheet once the 'Superior' era ends covering those events? That kind of thing is why printed encyclopedia's went the way of the dodo.
My wife got the 'Avengers Character Guide' or whatever it is for me to read to our son. A page per character, some minor facts about them and a potted history, usually taking into account what they did most recently (and therefore what I'm least familiar with). It's kind of embarrassing to read -- the core set of licensed characters are iconic and I love them but some of the bit-part players are cringeworthy. If he asks me to read it to him I usually try and suggest we read Mr Men or something instead.
Quote from: Mattofthespurs on 13 March, 2013, 01:20:26 PM
Quote from: sheldipez on 13 March, 2013, 12:40:11 PM
Quote from: Alski on 13 March, 2013, 12:24:27 PM
I sell second hand books and comics, and ocasionally get people in trying to sell complete partworks.
Are any of them worth your time to sell on? I think the recent Marvel Graphic Novel collection is decent as far as partworks goes, but you're still talking £600 once complete and a lot saved buying the paperback versions.
I think the Marvel Graphic Novel Collection is the only one worth buying. For me books are always good value for money.
These are well produced and are the same price as a paperback volume of the same title (sometimes cheaper).
Yeah I guess you're right when you compare new RRP prices, they've still did naughty things like split up Planet Hulk into two books so it'd cost you twice the price & without the bonus material.
Quote from: sheldipez on 13 March, 2013, 01:28:08 PM
Quote from: Mattofthespurs on 13 March, 2013, 01:20:26 PM
Quote from: sheldipez on 13 March, 2013, 12:40:11 PM
Quote from: Alski on 13 March, 2013, 12:24:27 PM
I sell second hand books and comics, and ocasionally get people in trying to sell complete partworks.
Are any of them worth your time to sell on? I think the recent Marvel Graphic Novel collection is decent as far as partworks goes, but you're still talking £600 once complete and a lot saved buying the paperback versions.
I think the Marvel Graphic Novel Collection is the only one worth buying. For me books are always good value for money.
These are well produced and are the same price as a paperback volume of the same title (sometimes cheaper).
Yeah I guess you're right when you compare new RRP prices, they've still did naughty things like split up Planet Hulk into two books so it'd cost you twice the price & without the bonus material.
Very true, but for the most part they represent value for money. And they are very pretty :-[
Quote from: sheldipez on 13 March, 2013, 01:28:08 PM
Yeah I guess you're right when you compare new RRP prices, they've still did naughty things like split up Planet Hulk into two books so it'd cost you twice the price & without the bonus material.
I'm actually reading Planet Hulk at the moment and it's well worth the money really enjoying the bonkersness of it. It's more expensive than a paperback version, true but I don't begrudge it (especially as I've paid a tenner a book for double issues like Avengers Forever which was total toss)