History of the Marvel Universe #1

8.2

Critic Rating

13 Reviews
8.5

User Rating

27 Reviews
Writer Mark Waid
Artist Javier Rodriguez
Cover Price $4.99

ALL-NEW STORY BY LEGENDARY CREATOR MARK WAID! Everything you ever wanted to know about the Marvel Universe - in one lavishly illustrated series! From the Big Bang to the twilight of existence, HISTORY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE chronicles completely, for the first time, everything that was, is or will be! Lushly illustrated text tells the complete story of the Marvel Universe, revealing previously unknown secrets and serving as the ultimate reference book for Marvel fans! Witness the greatest tale ever told - and be prepared for some shocking revelations!
Rated T

Reviews (13) User Reviews (27) Rate / Write A Review

CRITIC REVIEWS Back to Top

  • 10

    Comic Crusaders - Shawn Warner

    Jul 26, 2019

    Mark Waid did an extremely impressive job of researching the material, laying it out and then fitting so much into a single issue without grinding the pace down to a crawl. Read Full Review

  • 9.6

    Chuck's Comic Of The Day - Chuck

    Jul 28, 2019

    This may be a bit much for a casual fan - sort of like drinking from a fire hose - but to those who like to know how it all ticks, this is highly recommended! Read Full Review

  • 9.3

    Weird Science Marvel Comics - Dispatchdcu

    Jul 24, 2019

    Pick this issue up and add this series to your pull list to get the answers youve been craving since you started reading Marvel Comics in the first place. Additionally, watch as this art team gets to let loose on every imaginable moment with wonderfully beautiful depictions of truly marvelous events. Readers will leave feeling that this issue was well worth the price and excited for the next one. Guys, don't we all want to know where we came from and why? Well, Waid gets to tell us the Marvel version and he does so with impeccable taste. Read Full Review

  • 9.2

    Geek'd Out - Jonathan Boes

    Jul 29, 2019

    But overall, this unique and wildly ambitious book deserves a read. The completed series promises to make a great companion on any Marvel comics shelf. Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    AIPT - Christopher Franey

    Jul 23, 2019

    A fun trip through the Marvel Universe timeline as told by Galactus himself. You will see classic moments in a new way and see how all the characters connect within the continuity of the House of Ideas. Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    411Mania - John Pumpernickel

    Jul 25, 2019

    The first issue here is a perfect, all-knowing, all-encompassing, all-awesome look at Marvel's wild and wonderful history.. Bravo Mark Waid and Javier Rodrguez, who cover everything in dynamic detail. Read Full Review

  • 8.3

    Comic Watch - Matt Meyer

    Jul 25, 2019

    Though rushed in its ultimate execution,History of the Marvel Universe #1 is a gorgeous-looking book that might be more for the consumption of the masses than hardcore, longtime fans. That said, it's still worth checking out, if for no other reason than to tip the hat at Mark Waid's meticulous research and the magnificent art that accompanies it. Read Full Review

  • 8.0

    The Beat - Joe Grunenwald

    Jul 24, 2019

    The History of the Marvel Universe #1 is the complete package. Waid accomplishes the gargantuan feat of coherently integrating 80 years of continuity, and establishes an emotional core to what might otherwise have been a bland recounting of events. He also smartly stays out of the way and lets the work of Rodrguez and Lpez shine through as the star of the book. Read Full Review

  • 8.0

    You Don't Read Comics - Russ Bickerstaff

    Jul 24, 2019

    The issue ends with huge blocks of text appending Galactus story in a cramped, little cluster of pages. Giving specific citations of where many of the story elements had originated. While giving a greater sense of appreciation in the depth of whats being delivered. Arguably, the last time Marvel tried anything this comprehensive, it was The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe conceived by Jim Shooter and edited by Mark Gruenwald. That work gave more of a sweeping sense of the infinity of Marvels stories by grounding them in something that felt much more organized. The scope of this series is impressive, but it lacks the sense of the infinite that comes from a more rigidly-organized volume. Read Full Review

  • 8.0

    Sequential Planet - Alex Marks

    Jul 31, 2019

    Despite being fairly overwhelming, History Of The Marvel Universe #1 is a fun read that sheds more light on the beginnings of the Marvel Universe. Mark Waid's carefully crafted story is full of love and care for the universe and Javier Rodriguez's art is gorgeous enough to make Jack Kirby blush. If you're very interested in this comic, pick it up now. Though, I think waiting for the trade is best, as the flow of the story possibly means abrupt endings like the one in this issue. Read Full Review

  • 7.2

    Monkeys Fighting Robots - David DeCorte

    Jul 23, 2019

    THE HISTORY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #1 is hard to judge as a singular narrative. It's primarily a survey course examining the entire history of the Marvel cosmology from the viewpoint of that universe's final moments. It's not a super-compelling read, but I highly recommend it for Marvel fans of any stripe for reference and research purposes. Read Full Review

  • 6.5

    Multiversity Comics - Michael Govan

    Jul 25, 2019

    Marvels history is truly a marvel to behold...its just a lot at once. Read Full Review

  • 4.0

    ComicBook.com - Chase Magnett

    Jul 24, 2019

    No matter how beautiful The History of the Marvel Universe might be in its presentation, it's ultimately no better than the most tedious of college lecture halls. Read Full Review

USER REVIEWS Back to Top

  • 10

    Azrael

    Jul 27, 2019

    For long time readers of Marvel most will be nothing new but for those getting into comics (maybe through the movies), this should be required reading to understand what is what. Even for those with a good amount of knowledge, this recaps what happened at the beginning onwards with quick but informative descriptions on each event. The art is also really good and a lot of research has been done to produce this. For those that say this is like a "lecture" or "recap", many like to see recaps and see again what they already know when watching movies. This is a great issue.

  • 10

    Ryan

    Dec 21, 2019

    Comics like this are like drugs to me, I can get high on lore written as good as this. I've used the term "mastery of continuity" many times in my reviews before but Mark Waid is the original master of continuity and I doubt any other writer could pull this off. Javier Rodriguez fits so much on one page and this issue is just a page for page spectacular read

  • 9.0

    Kalaoui

    Jul 26, 2019

    Great summation of what's what from the beginning. A lot of homework went into this. Javier Rodriguez and Lopez delivered a beautiful spectacle!

  • 9.0

    Psycamorean

    Jul 28, 2019

    This is basically porn for huge Marvel nerds. It's really informative, and I do recommend reading the annotations in the back. It also has incredible art.

  • 8.5

    allenquanobi

    Jul 25, 2019

    surprisingly interesting. not really telling anything new of course, this reads more like history 101 on the marvel universe. but the art is fantastic, and the dialogue flows really well. If anyone wanted a TLDR on the marvel universe, this series should be picked up; however, it might read better in trade i think

  • 8.0

    CrazyforRAMU

    Feb 27, 2020

    Gorgeously illustrated and backed with scrupulous scholarship, this painstaking history isn't quite a story and isn't quite a reference volume. The main purpose seems to be showing that recent continuity additions by Hickman, Aaron, and Ewing blend in tolerably well during a fast chronological slideshow. Alternate Comedy Take: Odin did not get enough silly hats.

  • 7.5

    Adam

    Nov 04, 2019

    After all the reboots, its nice to get some clarity on the canon Marvel universe.

  • 6.5

    DDJamesB

    Jul 25, 2019

    Honestly, I expected more. I wish the series was longer and theyd give more depth but aince its only 6 issues this literally goes through the moments so quickly that its really not alot to ponder. Its just galactus discussing events and things that have happened. It is kind of interesting though.

  • 10

  • 10

    Quirky Genin

    Jul 27, 2021

  • 9.5

    PsychoFreak01

    Jul 29, 2019

  • 9.0

    Grifter

    Jul 25, 2019

  • 9.0

    StanielK

    Sep 08, 2019

  • 9.0

    Adsun22

    Sep 18, 2019

  • 9.0

    tonpas1989

    Mar 24, 2020

  • 9.0

    Khan/Murdock

    Jul 25, 2020

  • 8.5

    matmene

    Jul 24, 2019

  • 8.5

    Maker

    Jul 26, 2019

  • 8.5

    Radar

    Jul 27, 2019

  • 8.0

    SpakCracklePop

    Jul 25, 2019

  • 8.0

    Bananaknight

    Jul 30, 2019

  • 8.0

    AleSiryus

    Feb 22, 2021

  • 7.5

    Jorge Mendes

    Jul 24, 2019

  • 7.5

    Silver Rocket

    Aug 05, 2019

  • 7.0

    Jason The Dude

    Jul 28, 2019

  • 6.0

    batman_forever

    Aug 05, 2021

  • MyMarvelousMong

    Feb 15, 2023

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