Marvel Chronicle (DK Publishing)

[rplass]

I just picked up the largest item I'll ever own in my AF collection: the Marvel Chronicle. It's a big hardbound book that comes in a shiny box, and the box has a ribbon in it so you can pull the book out of the box. There are two posters in a sleeve inside the front cover of the box, too. The book is a gigantic 60+ year history of Marvel comics, extremely detailed, 352 pages and Alpha Flight appears scattered throughout.

The book is really very nicely done, with tons of cover art and text, covering a literal month-by-month account of nearly all that went on in Marvel Comics since 1939, up to and including Secret Invasion 2008, as well as special tribute pages with enlarged artwork. For those of us who lived through some of this history, there's also sidebars reminding you what happened in those years in the newspapers, to give the reader a real sense of perspective. It's interesting to read about the timing of events in the comics along with what was happening in the real world.

Here is a list of the images I saw so far related to Alpha Flight:
1. Art from the cover of UXM #109 (Weapon Alpha), with a description of Weapon Alpha's first appearance
2. The cover of UXM #120 (Shaman, Sasquatch, Vindicator), with a description of Alpha Flight's first appearance
3. The cover of Contest of Champions #1 (Sasquatch)
4. Art from the cover of OHOTMU#1 (Aurora)
5. The cover of OHOTMU: Master Edition #1 (Puck's head)
6. The cover of Marvel Saga #1 (Weapon Alpha)
7. The cover of West Coast Avengers #1 (Puck's head)
8. A partial image of AoA Wild Child's hair in one Age of Apocalypse panel
9. The cover to Deadpool #1 (partial image of Sasquatch), with a description of Alpha Flight's involvement
10. The cover to Omega Flight #1 (Talisman)

The text regarding items 1. and 2. mention Alpha Flight, very nicely written. My only complaint is that I found it sorely lacking that none of the #1 issues for v1, v2, v3 were shown, or the fact that Alpha Flight had their own title for over 150 issues total! It would have made sense to include at least the cover to v1, seeing as how it sold what, 500,000 copies?!?!?!

The book itself, along with the box is very shiny and very big. The cover is cut in the shape of an "M". It's even bigger than the shiny deluxe box set for JLA/Avengers.

[HappyCanuck]

OoooOOOoooh!!! SHINY!! Allan LIKE shiny!!

[rplass]

DK has recently published an updated and expanded version of the Marvel Chronicle, changing its name to "Marvel Year by Year" but still very big, very shiny and still with bonus posters included.

As far as I can tell the original content from the 2008 version is retained in its entirety until the 2008 year. The 2008 year through 2013 is entirely new, with 32 pages of additional material. The chronicle ends in Feb 2013. All of the previously mentioned Alpha Flight appearances above are retained, with two new appearances!
...
11. The cover art for Avengers Assemble! featuring Marrina in her spirally-arm costume
12. In a very large entry, about 1/4 of a page, the front cover of Astonishing X-Men #51 (Northstar and Kyle wedding issue), where you can see Snowbird, Shaman, Sasquatch, Kyle, Northstar, Aurora and Guardian. Too bad the entire wraparound cover weren't shown, oh well.

I'm happy they showed those two issues, but wish again they would have shown any of the Alpha Flight v4 covers which of course was pretty big news for Alpha Flight fans in the years between the 2008 edition and this updated edition. The cover is no longer die cast but is really very nicely done, I think an improvement over the cluttered garish previous version, and includes 2 prints of the front and back covers. Here is the pic from the DK site:

[Le Messor]

It's even bigger than the shiny deluxe box set for JLA/Avengers.

I wish I had that.

Also, this Chronicle sounds awesome!

~ Le Messor
"Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on."
~ Samuel Butler