Handbook: Updated Edition (LEGO DC Super Heroes)

An excellent resource for children who may be interested in getting a better sense for how characters, places, and things fit into the DC universe—cleverly depicted via LEGO’s highly accessible style and age-appropriate adaptations.

This 144 page guide is impressively extensive, without being overwhelming to its target audience. (The Handbook is aimed at ages 4-8, but in this reviewer’s opinion, it should still hold the interest of children up to 10 years.) The content is divided into four sections: Superheroes, Villains, Vehicles, and Locations. The entire Justice League is covered, along with some non-super side characters, and all noteworthy bad guys.

Each character, vehicle, or location receives at least 2 pages (up to 2 2-page spreads, in the case of Superman and Batman) of biographical information and LEGO-based poses/imagery. In addition to a brief look at character origins, the bios list their aliases, abilities/powers, and the equipment they typically carry. LEGO’s illustrative tributes to the spirit of comic books are both pleasing and consistent throughout.

A worthy addition to any library—particularly for young fans of LEGO and DC. Parents may be surprised over how much enjoyment they’ll glean by introducing this guide into their child’s literary diet.