10 Insanely Detailed Comic Book Worlds That Blew Fans' Minds

5. New York City - Marvel

It would've been easy enough just to say 'the Marvel universe' and just be done with it, but there are certain aspects of the main Marvel mythos that are more interesting than others. New York City, commonly seen as the foundation of the publisher's 616 continuity, is also one of the greatest worlds the medium has seen.

What makes Marvel's version of NYC so absorbing is peculiar, because so much of its charm stems from the fact it's a real-life city. New Yorkers and visitors can walk through Times Square and recall reading a story where Spider-Man fought Electro or the Fantastic Four fended off Galactus - there's a charm to setting these stories in a real life locale that almost legitimises them, in a strange way.

But of course, let's not pretend that Marvel's version of New York isn't distinct from the real thing. The ratio of heroes-per-block is probably bonkers, and the fact this New York can sustain so many different kind of tones and moods is also curious, but no Marvel fan would change it for the world.

Whether Daredevil's parading the streets of the perennially noir Hell's Kitchen, or Spider-Man's swinging across the city trying to find the best pizza, Marvel's New York is both distinct and wonderful, as reflective of the world outside our window as it is a mythological bastion of heroes and villains.