Super hero cartoon comics come from a long bloodline, featuring over seventy years of continuity, reboots, and an ever-growing cast of characters. This can make them somewhat intimidating for the uninitiated who want to become regular comic readers, even if they are somewhat familiar with the main character. Fortunately, two innovative comic miniseries were published years ago to help get people up to speed with everything about the respective universes of Marvel and DC comics.
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe began in 1982, and Who's Who in the DC Universe debuted in 1985. These books were the best for filling fans in on every possible aspect of each publishers' stable of characters. The format of these guides resembled that of an encyclopedia, complete with an alphabetical list of significant characters, places and things that existed within the overall universe.