The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes

The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes is a two-issue series from Macmillan Publishing, launched in 1976, that offers a formal, reference-style deep dive into the lore of classic superheroes. Most associated with writer Michael L. Fleisher, the series is significant for its ambitious, scholarly attempt to catalog and codify the sprawling histories of major characters, treating the comic book universe with the seriousness of a real-world encyclopedia. Though brief, it stands as an early and influential model for the comprehensive, fan-focused reference works that would follow.