Review by C.J. Bunce

As we head into the holidays, you might be looking for a gift for your favorite superhero-loving little kid.  Or maybe you’re looking for something for a boy or girl around 5 to 12 years old who hasn’t been introduced to comic book characters yet.  Abrams Books for Young Readers has you covered on two fronts: DC SuperHeroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book available here at Amazon, and Marvel Super Stories Amazing Adventures, available here.

Learn more about both books and see our preview of the pop-up book below.

For fans of DC Comics there’s a new big pop-up book to introduce the superheroes of the Justice League.  In DC SuperHeroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book, Matthew Reinhart has created a two-inch thick hardcover book housing six two-page spreads that fold out and unveil heroic 3D versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, and more.  Each spread includes multiple fold-out artwork in full color, along with a hidden folder that unveils even more 3D treasures, like Batman’s Batmobile.

Accompanying text provides kids with an introduction to the characters, and their arch-villain nemeses aren’t excluded, featured in their own pop-up creation.  The design work is impressive, and if your kid doesn’t have a pop-up book, this would be a fun place to start.  These are the pop-up designs–they look even more impressive in person:

For the same crowd, but also good for reluctant readers or younger kids who read up beyond their age range, an anthology book highlights fifteen Marvel Comics superheroes in a quick introductory biography and a six page short story comic.  Anthology comic books like this have been around for years, and your local comic book store will have many to choose from, with Archie Comics probably being available the longest continuously.  The new book is actually the second volume of Marvel Super Stories Amazing Adventures (you can still get the first volume here, but these are written so kids can begin anywhere).

Characters young readers will meet in this book include Spider-Man, Captain America, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, the Incredible Hulk, Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer, Thor, Moon Knight, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Ant-Man, the X-Men, and Hawkeye, as well as the lesser known Silk and Spider-Man 2099.

The best feature of this book is its focus on quick tales that encourage friendship and helping others.  The Ant-Man story features Scott Lang and Cassie helping a pair of abandoned birds.  The Hawkeye story introduces readers to the challenges of communicating when you’re deaf.  Other stories feature situations kids may be familiar with.  The Doctor Strange story follows Strange as he tries to hunt down a lost book from the library.

Each story sports the fun comic art you’d expect and positive short stories that will be engaging for kids of all ages.

For gifts for the holidays or anytime, check out DC SuperHeroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book available here at Amazon, and Marvel Super Stories Amazing Adventures, available here.  Note: If you’re looking for a pop-up book but Marvel Comics is your thing, two years ago the publisher and designer released a version for Marvel Comics characters.  Check that out here.

Excelsior!