Cover Image: Hidden Universe Travel Guides: The Complete Marvel Cosmos

Hidden Universe Travel Guides: The Complete Marvel Cosmos

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Member Reviews

Hidden Universe Travel Guides: The Complete Marvel Cosmos
by Marc Sumerak

I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley.

This was a really, really fun book. I am a big fan of media tie-in books - I own a whole slew of Doctor Who and Star Trek tie-in books. This book is written in the style of a "travel guide" for someone living in the Marvel universe. The artwork is amazing, and any fans of the MCU or Marvel comics interested in the art / history of different planets and locations - especially lesser seen locations - will get a kick out of this book. This book is particularly good for fans of The Guardians of the Galaxy.

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This look into the Marvel Universe has heavier ties to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) than it does to the overall comic book universe upon which the films are based. Still, it acts as a nice primer for the uninitiated or the casual fans.

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Enjoyable and informative, definitely recommended for Marvel fans.

I downloaded the ebook for kindle version and it was quite hard to read, the pictures got distorted and the format twisted out of shape, which affected my reading experience,

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My library has purchased copies of this book. I’d recommend this book to teens and adults searching for more information on Marvel. This book could also be considered for a Graphic Novel book club.

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Imagine a series of Marvel Wiki articles about cosmic-level Marvel stuff. But, y'know, by a pro author. and also less interested in cross-indexing minutiae. and also with margin notes from the Guardians of the Galaxy, not the movie ones, or the comics ones, like the movie-ish ones from the Telltale game.

Yeah that.

but not as entertaining as you imagine.

The idea of the 'Marvel Comics guide to Marvel Comics' died with 24k modem, trying to jazz it up with character fun times is still less viable or interesting than Comics Explained on Youtube.

Verdict: Skip it. We are Groot.

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This was a fun colorful book. It dealt with a lot of the people and planets we have met in the MCU and a few we haven’t yet. I just felt that if your going to base a travel guide on the Marvel universe then try and include all the characters and planets. Still....an informative read. The little side notes by the Guardians of the Galaxy were hilarious.

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This is a comic which is usually not my thing but I’m trying to change that and I love Marvel. It is, as the title suggests, a travel guide to the locations in the Marvel universe. It talks about the place, the people, the environment, even how to travel and the best places to eat and shop … if there is one. TBH it kind of reminds of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – the original Comic Relief encyclopaedia, not the film – since it has comments from the Guardians in the margins, like Harry and his friends do in Beasts.

Overall I liked it. I wouldn’t recommend it to those who have only watched the Cinematic Universe – like me- or who don’t know much about the comics as it does give a lot of spoilers. I think there are even some new locations which are going to be in the new Thor: Ragnarok film. That being said, I loved the scope of the places talked about and finding out more information about the places in the films. You get a lot more detail on the creatures/ aliens etc. and their history and how their culture evolved which you just don’t have time for in the films. There is a bit too much of places on Earth but that’s understandable – a lot of action does happen on Earth so there are lots of places to talk about – same with Asgard actually.

The comments from the Guardians are really good at breaking up the information and adding some good humour, especially from Groot. A few of them are very meta like when Star Lord comments on the attractiveness of the actor in the newest Jurassic Park film.

The artwork is really good. Nice and clean with just the right amount of colour – not too dark, not too bright. I don’t really read comics … at all, so I don’t have much to compare it too or know how to describe them, but I liked them.

That’s all I have to say really. I know I’m late on this review, it was published in October and I actually read it about a month and half ago, and I’m really sorry for that. I did really enjoy reading Hidden Universe. It didn’t really feel like a comic since there was so much information, which is good for me to help get into them. I would recommend this to people to read as long as they either know what’s happened in the comics or don’t care much about spoilers.

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This is a guide to different planets mentioned within the Marvel comics universe. It has annotations based on information revealed in various comic runs, as well as color commentary by the Guardians of the Galaxy. This is a fun concept, as various planets are discussed as if it was a Fodor's guide to cities, complete with things to do and things to NOT do while there. It mentions aspects of the planetary cultures, food, and politics, especially in the commentary. It makes more sense if you know the comics that the locations are based on, of course, but it's still easy enough to follow along if you are familiar with the names. Since some of those locations show up in the Marvel movies, fans of the cinematic universe will still enjoy this book.

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If you're a Marvel fan then take yourself for a treat with this highly illustrated and detailed guide of the Marvel Travel Guide.

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For newbie fans to hardcover marvel scholars - this will delight and satsify your curiosities about all the tangible and intangible planes of the Marvel Universe(s). At times, the overwhelming detail may take away from the over-all trip taken on the pages of this book, but you still will appreciate the depth and magnitude of the endless boundaries within Marvel's imaginary frame. The travel guide aspect is clever, making this unique and definitely a keeper.
Greatly recommended.

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I was going to go with The Good and The Bad, but it turned out that the only thing I really liked was that it was actually written like a travel guide, strange as it might be to take note of that. I especially liked What to Wear parts as well as Tips for a Fun Trip, though the general tone of the rest is entertaining as well.

On the other hand, the rest didn't do much for me. As a Deadpool reader, I expected that I would love at least the notes scribbled here and there, even if I didn't like the rest (because let's face it, these things are hardly ever written as well as they look; pick up any encyclopedia you want). In fact, I actually did like them for a little while, but there is only so many of similar jokes you can go through without getting sick of them, especially where Groot is concerned. The problem was more the lack of variety than the amount.

I don't have much to say about the art either. I've seen better; I've seen worse.

Overall, I would say that this guide is more for turning a few pages while waiting for something than actually sitting and reading. I can't recommend. 2/5

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PACK YOUR BAGS! (4 STARS)

I truly got started as a comic book reader through Marvel titles like Daughters of the Dragon, Runaways, and X-23. Thanks to Marvel Studios I've come to appreciate and love other parts of the Marvel-verse, but there's still a lot to explore. And that is one reason this book was really fun to go through.


If you've ever wanted to travel the Marvel universe it looks like no stone has gone unturned here. To cap it off and make it a truly entertaining read though is the notations from the Guardians of the Galaxy. If you love the Guardians I think this is actually a collector's must-have.

Overall, this was a fun read that occasionally felt a little repetitive but is sure to amuse Marvel fans from all corners of the cosmos.

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This was a lot of fun. It was like the Guardians of the Galaxy lent me their copy of Lonely Planet: Marvel Universe. Written as an actual travel guide for the Marvel U with notes in the margins by the Guardians crew. So much fun.

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If a trek through the Marvel Universe is something you're long over due for, the new book Hidden Universe Travel Guides: The Complete Marvel Cosmos is a great place to start. Written by Marc Sumerak, with additional notes from The Guardians of the Galaxy, the book would be practical if it wasn't for a fictional universe. Each chapter discusses customs, clothing, and things to do when travel. There's a even a few notes about when not to travel.

Are alternate dimensions more your style? Those are there as well. The Earth section takes a detour at New York City and spends quite a bit of time there. The notes from The Guardians of the Galaxy are hilarious and often end up interacting with the author himself. Hidden Universe Travel Guides: The Complete Marvel Cosmos is a fantastic book for fans of the Marvel Universe, and a great brush up tool for places and interactions you might not remember from the comics.

Hidden Universe Travel Guides: The Complete Marvel Cosmos is now available.

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Very enjoyable, kept my interest laser focused from beginning to end

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Looking for a vacation guide to the universe? Then read this book! There so many places to go including alternative locations. I learned so much about the Marvel universe. There is history given and details I never expected to read. There are among other information travel tips, suggestions on where to go besides etiquette.

I loved reading this! It was so much fun to read. I didn't know that much about the Marvel's universe. It's a great book to read regardless of how much you have or haven't read Marvel's comics. Reading this may have you running for some Marvel comics to read!

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Funny and informative. In line with the humor of the Guardians of the Galaxy. A must read for a detailed background of the Marvel Cosmos.

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Looking back at my reading updates on Goodreads, I would say it’s clear that I enjoyed this book. Thanks to a glitch in my app it seems like I’m overexcited on page 41. What better way to express your feelings, right?

But I actually really did enjoy reading this book. I like to read travel guides in my freetime anyway, and what better travel guide than one explaining the entire Galaxy? (At least how it exists in the Marvel world…) With really great artwork and a brilliant layout you can easily spot what you want to read, and get all the tips you need if you ever plan to visit Planet Moord, Halfworld, Ego or Knowhere (most of which I’d actually advise you not to visit…).

The description of the different planets and worlds didn’t bore me at all, but after a while I had to concentrate on not slipping away with my thoughts. Thankfully, there were the (comical) comments by the Guardians of the Galaxy team to lighten up the mood.

This can be a fun read which you definitely don’t have to read in one sitting and can leave and pick up again anytime you want. If you’re interested in the Marvel Cosmos, I recommend you to have a look at this fun travel guide. It might even help you explain some of the different power sources of our beloved superheroes and villains.

The following part of my review might contain spoilers for those who haven’t read the comic yet. Read on with caution!

At one point in the book I spent five minutes singing “Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain”. If you read The Complete Marvel Cosmos and have seen Dr. Strange then you will probably too. (If you haven’t seen the movie then I demand you drop everything you’re doing right now and watch that movie!)

At another point Rocket used a rather colourful vocabulary to question the author’s thoughts behind putting a place like Cancerverse in a travel guide (my thoughts exactly when I read about that place. I definitely would NOT recommend you going there for a vacation..).

I was thrilled at the appearance and mentions of some superheroes that I knew, like Captain Marvel, the X-Men and Spiderman (described as one of Earth’s legendary superheroes!). And I really enjoyed reading more about the Kree’s background and their planet.

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First and foremost, while I understand galley/previews are pre-release, but I usually expect to be getting a product that is complete so I can place my reviews correct to the finalized product when I'm reviewing on other sights. This galley has a number of pages where I'm positive pictures and writing are supposed to end up, but instead there are glaring white squares and empty lined paper, which took apart from reading and enjoying this piece for me, sadly.

Once I got into it, I really enjoyed this text (and I gotta give a shout out to my favorite space race, the Shi'ar, getting early placement in this text). I was amused at the character comments after most entries, because it made you feel more like you were either there with characters commenting to your side, or reading a text someone else had used before you and left notes for later readers.

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This book is a great resource for any fan of the Marvel TV, movie, or comic universe. It is full of little details on all aspects of worlds and civilizations, and contains snarky written in comments from the Guardians of the Galaxy. My only complaint is it is so vividly illustrated, dense with text, and in an oversized format that it is very hard to read in digital galley form. This is one you will definitely want to buy or at least get from the library.

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