Marvel Comics has become one of the biggest brands in the world because of its storytelling capabilities on the page. Yet, it's not just the world of fiction that fans have been enthralled by. There is a whole host of non-fiction works that manage to capture the essence of the Marvel Universe and the company's own narrative in a unique way.
Whether it's published by Marvel Entertainment or an outside company, features the famous superheroes, or is more about the foundations of the brand itself, these non-fiction reads are must-haves for fans of both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel graphic novels in general.
Honorable Mention: Art Of
Art Of books are always gorgeous and help break down a number of behind-the-scenes details for fans while offering up fantastic visuals based on the concept work of the talented artists at Marvel. Whether it's for the Spider-Man games, MCU films, Avengers titles, or even the Netflix shows, there's plenty of Art Of books out there to explore.
While each one is formatted slightly differently, they usually include interviews and insights in the process of developing the costumes, setting, and of course character designs of these iconic heroes and villains. Whichever film is the favorite of a Marvel fan, that's really the place to start buying these books.
All Of The Marvels (2021)
Douglas Wolk took on an almost impossible mission, reading thousands upon thousands of comic books published by Marvel from throughout the company's history. He took notes and documented them all in All Of The Marvels, thus sharing them with readers.
Whether it's how the art style evolved, the changes in the characters, or even the genres that are popular at any given time, this book really helps to show the journey that Marvel has been on. Ultimately, a lot of new information comes to light when covering every single comic.
Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years (2020)
Marvel Studios enjoyed its tenth anniversary in the last few years and decided to publish a book about the beginning of the company. Indeed, when they first produced Iron Man it seemed like a momentous risk, but in the years since the studio has gone from strength to strength.
With fantastic pictures in front of and behind the camera, alongside interviews and a re-cap of how the studio really developed, The First Ten Years is a must-read for any fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially in understanding the company's filmmaking process.
Marvel Year By Year Updated And Expanded: A Visual History (2017)
It may be centered on some of the worst things that happened to Captain America, the original western heroes of the Marvel Universe, or the debut of Ms. Marvel for the first time, but the Year By Year visual dictionary manages to cover all aspects of Marvel Comics in intensive detail.
It does so by looking at the company through a timeline, going as the title suggests, year by year and indeed month by month, rather than breaking it down by character. This means that series and singular issues especially enjoy the spotlight, based on what made an impact at the time of release.
The Story Of Marvel Studios: The Making Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2021)
For those who want even more information on the development of Marvel Studios then the expensive book entitled The Making Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe is definitely the project to check out. It tells Marvel's story in further detail compared to The First Ten Years.
Exclusive interviews guide the piece along, with the writing team on the project doing extensive research and joining Marvel at various stages of their journey to uncover the nitty-gritty of what running such a huge operation is actually like. Groundbreaking MCU trailers, box office records, and major cameos are all a part of this narrative.
Marvel Museum: The Story Of The Comics (2019)
While plenty of titles might investigate what it's like within the Marvel Universe for these fictional heroes, Marvel Museum manages to track the story of the Marvel creative team itself and how Timely Comics became the juggernaut that it is today.
It wasn't a clear path and while it has been documented before, exclusive interviews and a dedication to properly archiving events have allowed this title to become a definitive collection of information regarding the world-famous company. It's a really inspiring read.
Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir (2015)
Stan Lee's own tale is an incredible one. There are plenty of books covering the creative genius, but Stan Lee's own memoirs could only be delivered in a specific way; of course through a graphic novel format. A Marvelous Memoir, therefore, tells Stan's story through art.
There are plenty of anecdotes that fans of Stan the man might already be familiar with, but they are told with such joy and beautiful artwork that it feels like hearing them for the first time all over again. Ultimately, Lee's legacy definitely lives on in this excellent piece.
Marvel Encyclopedia (2019)
Want to know about every time New York has been invaded? Interested in the history of Wakanda? Unsure about every single member of the Avengers roster? Then the latest edition of the Marvel Encyclopedia might just be the read for fans of the house of ideas.
This is absolutely written by the experts for the hardcore readers of comics, with the encyclopedia covering such a huge array of characters and worlds, many of which have probably been forgotten about. New and old artwork helps to liven up the pages, but some of the interesting tidbits about this fictional landscape are thrilling.
Make Ours Marvel: Media Convergence And A Comics Universe (2017)
Marvel Comics has a huge effect on the mainstream media and general pop culture. While most books tracking the history of the company look at the personal stories of the people involved and how it rose to fame, Make Ours Marvel instead looks at the outside effects.
The book collects together a series of essays that help to showcase Marvel's place in society and how they really came a part of the general zeitgeist. The social and political issues that comics often discuss are really at the forefront of the work here from a range of talented writers.
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story (2013)
Marvel's history has been told from the company's perspective so many times. There are even personal accounts from specific viewpoints, but The Untold Story really is just that. Sean Howe collects together hundreds of interviews that give a different take on the unfolding events.
The book helps to get a much larger picture of what was really happening at Marvel, and might just reveal a little bit of the company's secret to success. It's not all rose-tinted either, with some harsh realities and honesty coming through these well-crafted pages.