Reviews (11)

Infinite Crisis is here....
I hated the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was too long, too convulated, the conversations bordered on cheesiness etc...the only redeeming factor in my opinion was that it cleaned out the multivese and set foundations for a more coherent continuity. Fast forward 20+ years and the Crisis has returned. This book has a lot going for it and has foundations based on many previous events. The plot is not simple but I will try my best to provide a synopsis.
Awful
I gave this two stars only because I got to see some characters I haven't in a long time. The writing is disjointed, poorly characterized and the art was so bad in the original that they had to fix or finish it here.
Felt like a Marvel story, but then again...
There is no perfect Earth.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - Superheroes   

Editorial Review

Has any comic been as acclaimed as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Read more

Reviews (327)

Truly deserves the honor it holds being in the Top 100 Novels of all-time.
In 2004 Time magazine came out with the Top 100 novels of all time.In the top 25 was the only comic book/graphic novel in the bunch called The Watchmen. Up to that point I had only heard of the book.I had never had a desire to read it until I saw it was on this top 100 list.
The change...
Alan Moore, at the the point that this book was written, had already started changing the face of comics with his writing on Swamp Thing and the Marvelman and V for Vendetta series in Warrior magazine in England.This book, along with Frank Miller's Dark Knight added a certain darkness to the genre that had't been seen since the advent of the Comic Code Authority during Fredric Werthams campaign against comic books and what he considered their adverse affect on the youth of the time.
=Perfection=
I bought this book 20 years after I read the first three comics.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantastic fiction    3. Fiction    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Reviews (1)

Dark Knight - Absolute
I still remember with stunning clarity when Dark Knight burst (and it did burst, big and bloody) onto the comic book scene. I bought the original 4 issue Prestige Format mini-series, bought the soft-cover collection, bought the hard-cover (a rarity in those days), and was lucky enough to win a signed-and-number special edition of the hard-cover as well. Even had the poster.
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Reviews (3)

An Absolute Masterpiece!!!
This beautiful book comes in a encased in an Alex Ross Kingdom Come cover art.the books cover page, with the Spectre and Pastor Norman McCay is well, absolutely perfect, transmitting a great mysterious,dark and Gothic feel.
AWESOME MUST BUY
If you have never read Kingdom Come then you will love this.If you have read Kingdom Come you will love this more.I have the original issues and read them twice.Then I bought the trade so I could get the extra twelve pages.Lost it, bought a new one, then found the old one.This Absolute Edition is like a DVD Special Edition with the "wide-screen" pages and tons of extra including transcripts, sketches, etc.
Waid and Ross are masters of their craft.
Author: Mark Waid & Painter: Alex Ross, together have crafted a magnificent story filled with every emotion possible. The adventure begins 10 years into the future. At a time when Superman has retired and most of the other heroes of his generation have followed suite, leaving a world full of mindless, vessels of destruction to protect the world. These new heroes destroy everything in their way as they attack each other for no reason. Finally, Wonder Woman, who has had enough, approaches Superman and asks him to come back to put a stop to this. He does, and in doing so, sets in motion a series of events that could lead to Armageddon. The story is narrated by pastor McKay, who is led around through the key events by the Spectre. The reader follows McKay in his travels through the DC Universe and watches (with him) as the events unfold. This story has its grand scenes and as well as intimate moments--it doesn't lowball one for the other. The story also takes you all over the DC Universe, from Metropolis (Supermans home town)to Themiscrya(Isle of the Amazons) and from Apkolips (Home world of Darkseid) to Atlantis (where Aquaman hangs out) and everywhere in between. Not only that, but practically every DC super hero and villain makes a cameo appearance in the course of the story. It's an incredible and breathtaking journey. Couple that with Alex Ross' illustrations and, well, his people look real. They have a real sense of weight and dimension to the way that they look. It's amazing! Mark Waid's story is truly epic in scope and scale and Ross captures all of it in his illustrations. It's an amazing and deeply touching story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - Superheroes   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Graphic Novels - Superheroes   

Editorial Review

If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then Read more

Reviews (271)

Dark, yet beautiful - a worthy addition to any collection
"The Dark Knight Returns" is a magnificent illustrated story. The Batman, coming out of retirement in attempts to save Gotham one last time, struggles throughout this story as his body, his friends, and his city have all changed dramatically in the ten years since he last wore his suit.
DKR saved the comic book medium as we know it.
DKR and Watchmen saved comics as we know it really.Up until that point (Mid 80's) comic books were cooky, comical, and poorly written.The medium had become dry and stagnet.Batman especially had became stagnet and sales for both Batman comics were at an all time low.
Not The True Batman
There's certanly been enough written about this story, so I'll keep this review brief. All one really needs to know is that Frank Miller's characterization of Batman does a disservice to fans of the admirable hero with cunning detective skills. That is the Batman that most comic fans know and love. Not the cheesy, 1960's television version, nor the completely unrecognizable brute portrayed here. To boot, the author obviously doesn't understand Superman's appeal either.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Graphic Novels    3. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    4. Science Fiction    5. Science Fiction - General    6. Fiction / Graphic Novels    7. Movie/TV Tie-Ins   

Reviews (3)

JUSTICE in pieces but brilliant
Remembering that this epeic adventure series is the first for alex Ross EVER, combining the books in sets is a good idea, but as onr reviewer pointed out, not a deluxe edition: expect those after the full run of the series... if you can wait that long!
Great Art, Horrible Book
Let me start off by saying that the one star review has nothing to do with the content of the book. If all you care about is the content then change my review to 5 in your head. I love Alex Ross' work on this series and I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this graphic novel. I am someone who reads comic books and not the kind of person who saves them in air tight bags 20 miles below the surface of the earth. However, I was disgusted with the quality of this graphic novel. Not only is the binding cheap, but the pages are the flimsiest I have ever seen in any graphic novel. They are ultra thing and feel like they could rip or break with the slightest movement. I bougth the hardcover version because I wanted to keep this graphic novel around for some time. DC should really create books of greater quality then this. Especially with work as great as Alex Ross.

New Challenge of the Superfriends!!!
Remember the TV show Challenge of the Superfriends? Justice is the Alex Ross version of the popular tv show! Featuring the entire Justice League and the Legion of Doom, which constists of the JL's most deadliest foes.
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Reviews (47)

Get it. Now. You WONT be disappointed.
This is probably the first Batman graphic novel I ever read, and it raised my expectations to possibly too high a level for the rest of my experience with the genre. It is one of the three best graphic novels I have ever read, and you should get it now. Anybody who claims to be a fan of comic-books and hasn't read this is a liar.
Miller at his finest.
Even Miller himself doesn't have to be over the top ala Dark Knight Returns and Dark Knight Strikes back. The man can pen a well written story with shoving things down our throats. Here we are introduced to Carmine "The Roman" Falcone and how organized crime has taken a permanent residence in Gotham City. You can tell Nolan and Goyer were influenced by this piece of work in Begins. The inner monologue of Bruce Wayne hinting at his pent up frustation of the plague that infests Gotham City as he manifests that anger into the form of the Batman flows beautifully from the pages. I personally will take this over the ever overrated Dark Knight Returns any day!

This is the real BATMAN BEGINS
Anyone who enjoyed the Btaman Begins movie will savor this Frank Miller retelling of Batman's first year as a crime fighter. Miller script is tight like his previous works or his Sin City stuff.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - Crime & Mystery    6. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    7. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Reviews (32)

Caught my eye, then I washed it out
Really wished I could have liked this story. It had a good beginning and lead to some really great expectations. Unfortunately, it lead me the wrong way as I was severly disappointed in the ending. Just not my cup of tea. Friends of Marv, ask a friend to borrow first.

always with the superheroes
I care strongly about stories.However, I am not skilled at appreciating graphic novels or comics as such--that is, when I read something like Ronin, I come away with strong feelings about its characters and plot, but with only a vague impression of the quality of its visuals.The story in this book frustrated me.It is angsty and epic in the way of so many other works that I, as a clever person who programs computers and enjoys science fiction, am supposed to love:Ender's Game, for instance.I have my own share of angstful memories and heroic fantasies, but I believe that there is much more to life.Geek entertainment feels stunted to me--it's always about urgent quests, just-off-the-mainstream gimmickry, and simplistic sentimentality cloaked in ugly cynicism.As far as I can tell, there is no reason for the protagonist in Ronin to appear as a samurai, except that the author thought feudal Japan was cool.It's unclear how the villainous power in this story could possibly have come into being.The author's rendering of the handicapped hero's formative angstful experience is hauntingly grotesque, but that character's eventual redemption is comparatively shallow and silly.Of course good wins over evil in a burst of something or other.Of course there is a girl; of course she is good, and of course someone falls in love with her and makes a huge sacrifice for her and refrains from sticking around to deal with the little messy details of a relationship with her.All of this is lame.
I wish I enjoyed it as much as the others
I did not know what to expect when I bought the comic, which is a good thing.Frank Miller is one of my favorite writers and I loved his other novels such as the Sin City series, The Dark Knight, Hard Boiled, etc.I was dissapointed reading this book.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Humor    7. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Reviews (20)

Hush
First off, hands down to Jim Lee and what those five amazing digits can do! His artwork is intense as it is passionate. It conveys strong emotions ranging from anger, insanity, and lust which fit as the perfect art medium to this story written by Jeph Loeb ("Long Halloween", "Smallville", "Superman for all seasons") who is no stranger to superheroes. What do you get when you combine a mystery full of whodunit, a wonderful cast of characters (I use this loosely, I will go into more detail later) and a story so full of energy leaving you breathless and gasping for more? A wonderful witches brew created by two of the biggest names in the comic books industry, 'Hush'.
drool worthy artwork
finally, a top writer and a top artist on a monthly run. the story is one of loeb's best and the art is to die for. own it just to gaze on each of the panels. def. a must buy/own.

A pathetic attempt to modernize classic mythology
Hush is a shallow and blatant 'monster mash' of characters disguising itself as an epic. culminate Batman story. Everything from Lee's generic and derivative character re-imagings (like what you'd expect to find in something produced by Image comics) to the plot. And by plot, I mean the tiringly episodic reintroduction of a character followed by quick battle and then 'on to the next one', sequence that only stops at the unveiling of a new, non compelling villain. In other words, if you're into mainstream american comics, you'll love this. If you want a real Batman story, Check out "Long Halloween," Alan Moore's "Killing Joke", Frank Miller's 'Dark Knight Returns" and Neil Gaiman's "Arkham Asylum: Serious House on Serious Earth. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    7. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Reviews (9)

Pricey, but Priceless!
This is where the fun begins!
DC's Modern JSA
This review is about volume 1 of JLA Archives. When Heroes Were Heroes
This book recalls the days of the sixties, when heroes were heroes, villains were villains, and reasoning and deduction were more useful in defeating evil than fists, guns, and gore. A treat for those of us whopreferred the clever plots and cheerful camaraderie of the DC comics of the'60s to the sappy soap opera and relentless angst of Marvel. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    7. Science Fiction    8. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (53)

Mourning Superman
This is a great graphic novel for those that want to know what occured to kill Superman.Many may not get the whole idea of Superman dying but this is one great compendium of action, drama, heroes, and loss.It is one of those graphic novels that everyone needs to read.If you like Superman or if you don't you may find yourself moved by this well crafted short series.

Metropolis Marvel Killed in Action
I have just started getting back into comics.Honestly, as a child, I was never really that into them, but as the world has changed and those heroes of light have slowly mutated into much darker figures, I have found myself compelled to pick up a story or two.This comic I found at a local Book Fair for an unbeatable price.I remember, back in 1993, when my friends were all talking about the inevitable death of the man that we thought could never die, Superman.It was what pulled DC comics out of a possible bankruptcy and inevitable downfall (and what television programs now use today to boost ratings), they killed their most prized hero.Alas, what they did not do was plausibly do this.Again, I am not a huge comic book follower and while I did enjoy this storyline merely for posterity, there were huge gaping holes that DC desperately needed to plug to ensure a cult story.
Good idea, but...
The Greatest superhero ever finally meets his match.As a kid we love Superman, but as we get older we turn to more realistic heroes like Batman or Spiderman.We all deep down want a hero that can swoop in, save us from danger without any real trouble.In reality, this could never happen.With the DEATH OF SUPERMAN however Superman became a little more beleiveable, more human.With his popularity waining at the start of the 90's, it was about time that Superman died.
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Subjects:  1. Comic books, strips, etc    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    6. Superman (Comic strip)    7. Superman (Fictitious character    8. Superman (Fictitious character)    9. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Graphic Novels - Superheroes   

Reviews (19)

Psycho Circus
When people describe Batman and any related character, a prevailing word is dark. Well, what exactly is dark when it comes to a psychotic billionaire with three dimensional villains? Grant Morrison answers this question and offers a brilliant take inside Gotham's Dark Knight. Respectively named, Arkham Asylum takes the reader into a psychological journey using myth, symbol, and powerful dialog that will surely make this buy an unforgettable read. Coupled with Dave McKean of The Wolves of the Walls fame whose art evokes surrealism and an otherwordly nightmarish atmosphere that perfectly compliments Grant Morrison's wizardly writing. When I first ordered Arkham Asylum, it was my first reintroduction to the Bat. Forget Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's dark film noir of Batman the animated series. Forget the 1989 blockbuster which propelled AA's sales. Not even last year's Batman Begins could do this dark twisted novel justice. This is the Batman that makes the Adam West version look like the Teletubbies. This Batman ain't for kiddies, folks! Arkham Asylum is Ozzy Osbourne meets Aleister Crowley without slipping into shock for shock sake. I highly reccomend getting the Anniversary Edition which answers many of the questions as well as interesting inside tidbits that didn't make it to the final cut.
Brilliant artwork, overstrained story
I'll start by saying whats great: Dave McKean. As usual, his macabre style and collage style are the best I've seen, and he really shines in sequential-format. Pick this book up on the strength of the artwork alone and you won't be dissapointed. Its visceral and beautiful, and i can't recommend it enough.
Great artwork, no Batman though...
The artwork is amazing, truly makes the Joker look like a real mad man who actually can scare you. However, outside of the art work, the story is shallow and boring, with hardly any Batman. Another problem is that the text is hard to read, especially for the Joker, it's so stylized that you'll be straining to read it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fiction - Fantasy    5. Graphic Novels    6. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    7. Psychological    8. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Reviews (10)

One of my favorite trade paperbacks
I got this collection when it came out. It was one of the first trade paperbacks I purchased when I started collecting comics just after the publication of "The Death of Superman." Growing up, even after I stopped regularly buying and reading comics, I would occassionally reread the death of superman issues and this collection. This is easily one of my favorites, it's the only comic I can think of off hand that ever brought tears to my eyes.

SUPERMAN: In Memoriam
The middle entry of the epic saga of the Man of Steel's death and resurrection, "World Without a Superman" is a roller-coaster ride both emotionally and physically. As the world cope's with the death of their favorite superhero, the realization that crime and violence will still continue becomes apparent. The hole that Superman's death left is felt by all, from the kids who roam the streets, to the reporters who write about him. But there are sinister things at work, including an attempt to steal Superman's body for the purposes of cloning him; and the fight for Superman also continues in the hereafter.
execellent
This was a way better comic book then "the death of superman" garbage.this story will evoke emotions as it probes the feelings of the millions who love the greatest superhero of all time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    7. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Graphic Novels - Superheroes   

Editorial Review

It's refreshing when you find a Batman story that both is epic and successfully explores the core of a resolutely explored character. Taking as its catalyst a sub-plot from the seminal Read more

Reviews (88)

I don't understand why so many praise this so highly
First of all, i just really couldn't get into art work, i mean the characters heads and facial structures are just so distorted that they almost look as if they have down syndrome. I will admit though that the Joker although looking extremely cartoonish with the oversized teeth, still came off very fresh look, Batman however looked slightly wimpy and not nearly as intimidating or imposing as he usually does when drawn by other artists such as Jim Lee, Norm Breyfogle or Graham Nolan just to name a few.
A classic tale from Batman's early years (5 stars)
The Long Halloween expands on the origin story created by Frank Miller with Batman: Year One.Gotham City is ruled by mobsters with Carmine Falcone at the head.Batman finds that he can't bring Falcone down on his own but the shaky alliances he formed with Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Gordon in the first book merge to find the three working together to bring down the mob boss.As Falcone's men start getting knocked off systematically on holidays (the mystery killer is subsequently dubbed "Holiday"), Batman, Gordon and Dent scramble to uncover the killer's identity and get as much evidence as possible to incriminate Falcone.The twists and turns through this 13 issue series are classic, iconic, and confusing making rereads not only necessary but exciting as well.The morally ambiguous conclusion and the surprise ending by Jeph Loeb brilliantly recall the mood of such classic films as The Empire Strikes Back and The Usual Suspects; his work here is his best in any medium.Tim Sale's physically intimidating Batman is the perfect blend of seasoned fighter, master detective, and stealthy prowler and the art is consistently beautiful and brooding throughout the series.The Long Halloween is Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's most famous and critically acclaimed book and the brilliant world they create to transition from Miller's Gotham to the classic Gotham that readers are familiar with, by including cameos of some of the pantheon of Batman villains in their "earliest" appearances, is masterful.Anyone looking to read up on the Dark Knight would do well to start with Year One and then pick up this classic tale of crime and mystery in Gotham City.

Superb!
I came back from a ten year Bat hiatus this time last year after reading an essay on the Dark Knight in my English 101 class. Back then Batman was apart of my daily afterschool TV diet: The character, the stories, the rogues gallery. He was an integral part of my childhood and now as I embark on a second chapter in my life I am thrilled to say that he is still there. After reading up on what was going on during DCs Infinite Crisis/One Year Later, I asked around for what the fans thought was the best, or at least a really good, Batman story. All the answered varied but I did notice a pattern and Long Halloween was one story I decided to risk and tackle.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Comics & Graphic Novels - General    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Fiction / Graphic Novels