If you love comics and comic book art, the Comic Book Encyclopedia is going to blow your mind. This boldly colorful and totally comprehensive guide to all-things-comics features the best and brightest comic books, comic series, graphic novels, artists, writers and popular characters spanning the last seventy years of the genre.

From 1922, when the publication Comic Monthly first hit newsstands, to today’s graphic novels and increasingly popular Japanese anime, this awesome and visually stunning book is literally filled with everything you have ever wanted to know about the world of comics and comic book culture, but may not have known where to look.

Ron Goulart, an award-winning mystery and sci-fi writer who is also considered an international expert on comics, chronicles the fascinating history of the art form, as well as the hundreds of characters and series that have thrilled and chilled readers over the decades. The content is listed alphabetically, so you can look up your favorite character, writer or artist, or thumb through the entire book for the best overview of the comic universe ever put to paper.

The book bursts with color illustrations and tons of classic and modern covers, as well as plenty of informative text filled with historical facts and background on the design and writing behind each comic series. Every major and minor comic book and character is included, from X-Men to Hi-Jinx, Our Gang to Sally the Sleuth, Cowboy Comic Books to Crackerjack Funnies, The Flash to The Clock, The Black Panther to The Blonde Phantom, Dr. Strange to Dr. Voodoo. You can enter the minds of Robert Crumb, Neil Gaiman, Alex Toth, Todd McFarlane, Clive Barker, Bob Kane (co-creator of Batman!) and Barry O’Neill, and learn about lesser known artists and writers like Carl Barks, the anonymous creator of “Uncle Scrooge,” or Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, a Spanish artist who was deeply respected by his peers but little-known among the many fans who marveled at his work.

Also included are the stories behind the major and minor comic book publishers and popular lines such as Marvel, Whiz, Thrilling, True, Wings and Adventure Comics.

Filled with fun trivia, this book is a sheer visual delight for lovers of comics, as well as a feast of the imagination for those who just appreciate great illustration, and the evolution of character development and story structure over the history of this hugely popular and highly addictive art form. Comic enthusiasts, newbies and collectors will go crazy for this compendium that includes over four hundred comic covers, interiors and images; a historic timeline from the 1930s to modern day; biographical info on all the top writers and artists; the actual origins of comic book characters and how they evolved; and a selection of the top graphic novels.

I grew up with the usual comics laying around my house – Superman, Archie, Felix the Cat (the most popular animated cartoon until Mickey Mouse came along), Batman, Casper the Friendly Ghost, etc., but never did I realize just how many comic lines and characters were out there, and with all that has happened over the last few decades, comic enthusiasts have so much to get excited about.

Comic Book Encyclopedia makes a super coffee table book and the perfect gift for yourself or anyone you know who is crazy for comics. If you have a true hobbyist or collector in the family, they will be eternally grateful for this amazing foray into the world, or should I say, worlds, that exist only in the pages of comics and graphic novels. Just remember to close your mouth, because this book is not only eye-popping - it’s downright jaw-dropping.