ALL-NEW OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z #2

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp corners and no visible creases or spine stress from this angle; a faint bend/crease line is visible near the top-left corner of the cover just below the Marvel logo. The book is housed in a protective sleeve which limits full assessment of edges. No stains, tears, or color breaks are apparent. Interior and back cover were not assessed.

All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #2 continues the twelve-issue 2006 relaunch of Marvel's reference line, a project overseen by the handbook writing team of Jeff Christiansen, Ronald Byrd, Michael Hoskin, Sean McQuaid, Stuart Vandal and Mike Fichera, with cover art by Keu Cha. Where the handbooks of the preceding two years had been organized around themes, this series returned to straight alphabetical coverage and aimed at more than 600 profiles across characters, teams, objects, events and places, including alternate and future Earths. This issue's entries move through the B and C range, taking in the Golden Age Black Widow, Blizzard, the Brood, Bug, Captain Universe, the Celestials, Chamber and the Collector. The value here is editorial rather than narrative: consolidated power sets, appearance bibliographies and continuity reconciliations that later Marvel Wikis and the 2008-2012 hardcover and softcover editions drew upon.