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| The Marvel Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the World of Marvel | 
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| Authors: Roy Thomas, Peter Sanderson
Publisher: Running Press
Category: Book
List Price: $49.95
Buy New: $22.31
You Save: $27.64 (55%)
New (32) Used (17) from $7.71
Avg. Customer Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 2966
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.8
Dimensions (in): 13.1 x 10.6 x 1.8
ISBN: 0762428449
Dewey Decimal Number: 741
EAN: 9780762428441
ASIN: 0762428449
Publication Date: October 8, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Amazon.com Review
Look Inside The Marvel Vault Click each image below to see a full-size version of your favorite heroes from the hallowed halls of Marvel Comics.
Product Description
The Marvel Vault brings the Universe to you, sharing the insider's story of Marvel Comics from 1939 to the present. Chock-full of historic and never-before-seen memorabilia (think: early sketches of Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch, Bullpen birthday cards, and a membership certificate for the Merry Marvel Marching Society), this vibrant chronicle contains over 30 plastic-encased archival gems that you can hold in your hand while reading about the artists, writers, and heroes who make up the Marvel Universe. Organized by decade, The Marvel Vault leads readers through every era by letting them hold such rare items as holiday cards, the welcome kit from the original Merry Marvel Marching Society, the program for the first comics convention, and even the first sketches for characters who went on to become beloved Marvel icons. Whether you've been collecting Sub-Mariner dime-books since the 1940s, or have just started to crack the pages of current Spidey sagas, you'll want to gear up for Marvel-ous adventures with this dynamic collection!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 Marvel Comics History - With Some Gimmicks November 4, 2007
28 out of 34 found this review helpful
I bought this book and it provides a nice overview of Marvel Comics from its pulp magazine roots to its current incarnation as a multimedia giant.
The reader is given glimpses of the inside of Marvel, however the main gimmick of this collection is the reproductions of various Marvel items; and this is where the disappointment lies. Some of the items like the buttons are just paper reproductions (not actual badges); the reprint of the Marvel No Prize Book is dark in color; and the reproduction of a Marvel Convention Program is so small as to be unreadable. In all cases full size reproductions could have been slid into the plastic binder pockets.
Some of the ommissions are glaring. Marvel Value Stamps are reproduced and it is stated that a prize was given for a full set of stamps; but what was the prize?
The binding is spiral so turn the pages slowly and you will have to settle in your mind if you want to throw out the cardboard backed inside the box or retain it for mint value.
While the Marvel Vault makes a nice gift book; a more complete and fun to read history (including key story reprints) is Marvel- Five Decades of the World's Greatest Comics by noted comic historian Les Daniels.
 HOW CAN ANY COLLECTOR OR FAN OF MARVEL GIVE THIS LESS THAN A FIVE STAR RATING??? November 5, 2007
17 out of 23 found this review helpful
I am so surprised at the last two reviews. This is not a book and should never be reviewed as one. The authors of this collectible outdid themselves by creating an historical look into the world of Marvel comics and characters.
By having THE MARVEL VAULT in your collection not only adds to the enjoyment of learning about the entire Marvel community but also has one of the most creative touches the publisher has given the public to date. What ever age you are, Marvel's Vault is sure to be a pleaser. It's fun, informative and gives the reader more than one could imagine. Kids of all ages will love this masterpiece. Don't take my word for it. Open a copy at your favorite bookstore and explore the vault for yourself. iT It is like going into a cave and finding all sorts of different bits of creativity. Congratulations to every person that decides to purchase this bit of history! Plain and simple...It is just fun! If you are or know someone that loves Marvel Characters and also has a playful side to explore different types of reading materials...DO NOT PASS MARVEL'S VAULT UP. The price also makes this a great gift for comic book fans and historians.
A REMINDER OF A SIMPLER AND EXCITING TIME IN COMICS December 10, 2007
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Over the past couple of years there have been some fantastic books that have been published about Marvel Comics. Last year, Sterling Publishing released "The Amazing Marvel Universe" which featured Stan Lee's 50 greatest moments in Marvel history. The book came with an audio box programmed with 68 tracks of commentary from Stan Lee himself. This year, Running Press has released another outstanding collector's book, "The Marvel Vault: A Museum-in-A-Book" and the title says it all.
This book traces Marvel's history from the Golden Age right up through the present and is loaded with reproduction memorabilia culled from Marvel's nearly 70-year history. It is written by Roy Thomas, writer and former Marvel Editor-in-Chief (and one of the foremost comic book scholars around) along with comic book critic and historian, Peter Sanderson.
Marvel's lineage is traced back even prior to the formation of Timely comics to publisher Martin Goodman who began publishing pulp magazines in 1932. With the pulp market dwindling in the late 1930's, Goodman jumped into the new market of comic books with the publication of Marvel Comics #1 in 1939, and the rest, as they say, is history. I mentioned all of the little treasures to be found within...the reproduction pieces all come in clear plastic sleeves for protection. The first such piece is a set of 8 sketches by artist Bill Everett featuring his creation, the Sub-Mariner. These sketches are breakdowns for covers or splash pages, one of which shows the Human Torch and Toro lobbing fireballs at Hitler.
Naturally the book covers Marvel's major Golden Age heroes but it also spotlights those who failed rather miserably such as Red Raven and the original Vision. Rare panel art and covers, many of them being seen for the first time since their publication decades ago, is a highlight of the book. Often times, when people think about Marvel's history they jump right from the Golden Age to the early 1960's, completely overlooking the decade of the 1950's. Marvel did not totally abandon the super hero comic as many might think, evidenced by the debut of Marvel Boy, later known as Quasar. Marvel's books of the 50's were highlighted by an array of horror, sci-fi, war, and westerns with nearly forgotten titles like Mystic, Menace, Navy Combat, and Yellow Claw. I loved the chapter on the 1950's because I knew so little about Marvel's books of that period.
It was the 60's where Marvel exploded with Fantastic Four #1 in 1961. Another of the treasures is Stan Lee's two-page, typed treatment for Fantastic Four #1. From there we meet The Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, and the Avengers. There are vintage photographs of the Marvel Bullpen and rare convention photos such as Marvel's long-time secretary Flo Steinberg attending a 1960's comic convention, and Roy Thomas playing softball in Central Park in the 70's. I've always felt that the reason that Marvel eventually surpassed DC as the top publisher was the way they listened to, and embraced their fan base with clubs, and no-prizes, and letter column comments. With this book you can own your own ID card and certificate to the Merry Marvel Marching Society, Marvel's original fan club. Classic comic ads are reprinted for things such as Marvel T-shirts, which could be had for the princely sum of a buck and a half...with .15 cents for postage and handling!
Some of the other reproduction pieces include a Howard the Duck campaign sticker, a set of 10 of the Marvel Value stamps from the mid-70's which NO ONE ever cut out, a visitor pass to the Marvel offices, and a copy of Roy Thomas' stock certificate from 1993 for twenty shares when the company went public.
For an old Marvel fan like myself, this is the kind of book that made you feel like a kid again when comics were just plain fun. With Christmas fast approaching, this will make a great gift. At $50 it is well worth the price.
REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON
 You can leave this vault unopened January 7, 2008
4 out of 9 found this review helpful
THE MARVEL VAULT is by no means an essential part of your comics history library. The text gives merely a brief overview of the history of Marvel (as others have noted, Les Daniels' MARVEL: FIVE FABULOUS DECADES from 1991 is far better). The art chosen is often unremarkable, and the design leaves much to be desired. But most curiously, the "Vault" aspect of the book is a huge missed opportunity. Most of the pieces recreated and housed in plastic sleeves (and they are scant) could just as easily have been reproduced as art on a page, and the quality of reproduction is horrendous (by contrast, THE HANNA-BARBERA TREASURY contains inserts that truly feel like the originals). If you're one of the legions of Marvel Zombies, then surely you'll find enough to make the book worthwhile, but more discerning fans of comics, writing and design will most certainly be disappointed.
i expected more for the msrp November 21, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
it's not a bad intro to the marvel world, but if you have read any of the so called marvel encyclopedia or just a well informed graphic novel fan, then you really don't need this book. the content is decent, but nothing too revealing or in depth. at less than 200 pages with lots of graphics, what can you really expect?
as for the reproduction goodies that were supposed to be the main selling point of this collection. there were some, but i was expecting more. actually, i was hoping for a reproduction of spider-man number one, but i guess that might be asking too much. still, i just don't look at those reproductions with tears of joy.
i have no doubt this book was put together by hand, but it doesn't mean that much to me, when it was not exactly built to last. it's like a loose leaf notebook, except you cannot turn the pages without caution like you do with a book, unless you don't mind the pages falling like autumn leafs. every single time i want to close the book, i had to re-adjust the page positions to make sure that i don't accidentally bend or torn any of the pages.
other than my complaints above, it's not a bad afternoon reading. just make sure that patience is one of your virtue, if you expect to keep this book in good shape. now, i need to figure out if i should led the book stand up straight and lay flat on my bookshelf.
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