As I worked my way through DK Canada’s latest release, the DC Ultimate Character Guide: New Edition, i was put in mind of something from my childhood, something dear, and something I miss terribly (though once revealed you can make the argument that they are still available. My response will be it’s not the same, though some of them are amazing!).

Each page of Scott’s lovely book is dedicated to one character. They are given a gorgeous rendering, a vital stats tab (name, weight, height, allies, etc.), a summary of their history, a glimpse of their powers, and some of their important moments.

As I leafed through the images, read the stats, I was put in mind of one of my Topps card collection (I still have a mass of them). That’s what this feels like to me, in the best way, trading cards, nut in this case, with one book, I have all of them right off the bat.

So right there as my fingertips as I shuffle pages, I can see how strong Superman is, learn all the members of the Doom Patrol, as well as smaller characters like Miracle Man and King Shark.

The images are colorful, and perfectly reflect the character of the hero or villain portrayed, and honestly, I could just see them on collectible cards sheathed in protectors in a massive binder. But the book is much more convenient, and looks gorgeous on the shelf with the rest of the DC books by DK.

Arranged alphabetically, the book is incredibly accessible, and gives a very broad overview of a large population of the DC Universe. There are breakdowns of the Justice League, Justice Society of America, and other incarnations of same (there were a couple I didn’t know about).

The book is fun, and colorful, and illustrates the breadth and the depth of the DC Comics universe, there are so many characters out there. Obviously some of them are cooler than others, but to see how some of these characters have endured not just through the years by through the decades is pretty impressive.

One of the things I enjoyed most is leafing through the book, and coming across names and characters I had never even heard of – Rip Master anyone? as well as a few of the many Green Lanterns that are out there.

These books are always a joy to explore, the art, the character profiles, the hints at their lives and actions (which then inspires more reading as I dig into their comics). DK Books continues to be at the forefront of pop culture reference books, and this one has secured a place of pride in their DC collection.

The DC Ultimate Character Guide: New Edition is available now!