Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. General    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Graphic Novels - Media Tie-In    7. Movie / TV Tie-Ins    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / General   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (7)

Old comics, poor quality
All of the Marvel "Essential" books/TPBs collect 'old' (60's,70's) comics. Each collection reprints a lot of comics into one volume for a reasonable price; however, they are all in black and white, on cheap newsprint, and bound poorly.
How it all began
Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, in the heyday of my Marvel comics purchasing, there were really four superhero teams:the Avengers (the heavy hitters, organized and government sanctioned); the Fantastic Four (essentially, a family unit), the X-Men (technically, a group of classmates at a special school) and the Defenders, the non-team.I first started my Defenders reading around issue 50, and with Essential Defenders #1, I have at long last seen how they got started.
One of the Best Choices for an Essentials
Marvel could not have gotten it more correct.The Defenders is one of their better choices for an Essentials package.Speaking of one of the eager fans who was around at the time, one was not aware there was this non-team grouping appearing throughout various ofmagazines until suddenly Marvel Feature #1 appeared.Now the stories can be gathered and enjoyed in a running sequence as originally presented throughout the magazine of the Hulk, Dr. Stranger, and the Sub-Mariner.The added plus is that then one also gets the best oforiginal Defenders comic book series, including the introduction of Valkyrie, Nighthawk becoming a hero, and the justly famous Defenders-Avengers battle.The only thing keeping this volume from being perfect is that it could not have stretched a little farther to include the battle with Magneto and a few of the very good Giant-Size Defenders stories.Nothing's perfect, but this come blissfully close. ... Read more

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

Reviews (2)

0!!!
Their child like attitude and often porn remarks about how women were drawn in the comics was always there. It was a reason why I dropped that magazine all together. Now what makes these geeks think that they can offer advice on how to draw
Mike Manley--the secret master
Manley is the best kept secret in the comics world. He is capable of drawing anything--in any style--beautifully. But he is dependent on routine comics work to make a living and it is always rush job stuff. Never anything where one can put time and love into it.
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Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Fiction - General    4. General    5. Humor    6. Techniques - Cartooning    7. Techniques - Drawing    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    9. Graphic novels   

Reviews (3)

GREAT FOR THE ASPIRING COMIC WRITER!
This is a great text that takes you through the creative process of several unique writing styles. The variety of script and drawings from a host of authors, really made this book encouraging to the aspiring comic writer.I'm looking forward to getting Panel Two when it comes out.

Why didn't some body think of this sooner?
It seems like such an obvious good idea. Cool, helpful, worth the read
One thing that's bugged me in my various efforts at writing a comic book script is that no reference I checked seemed to agree as to what format is right. As this book explains, that's because there IS no "right" or "wrong" format, just different ways to do it.Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Fiction    3. Fiction / Graphic Novels    4. General    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Cartooning    9. Comic books, strips, etc    10. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    11. Graphic Design    12. Graphic Novels   

Reviews (6)

Usual Superb writing, just not about Jaime and her brother
I was oh-so-excited when the book finally became available and I was able to purchase it. When I received the book I discovered that maybe half of the short stories contained within involved Jaime and her family. Hodgell's writing is excellent, of course, but I was expecting to spend the day feasting on unread tales of the adventures of my favorite heroine. I had no interest in the other stories that were included. What is there is good, but I would not have purchased the book if I had actually known what was contained. Borrowed it, absolutely, but not bought it. I guess I will just have to wait until her next book to get my Jaime fix. *grins*

Blood and Ivory: A Curiosity
If your reading this review, you probably want to know, should I buy Blood and Ivory? I guess it depends on how you feel about Hodgell's writing and her amazing heroine Jame. If you're a fan and a completist you'll want to own this no matter what. Even if the quality of the stories is uneven, you'll want to support P.C. Hodgell's writing by buying her work. If you're a casual reader looking for a quick introduction to the Kencyrth and Jame, I suggest you immediately purchase Dark of the Gods and Seeker's Mask instead because these short stories don't do her justice. She's written better
I'm a huge fan of Hodgell's published novels - richly imagined world, intricately cantilevered plot; fresh, flowing dialogue; and unique and engaging characters.But these stories are only for dedicated fans.Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. General    6. Graphic Novels    7. Fiction / Fantasy / Short Stories   

Reviews (8)

the BEST way to read the F.F. early issues
an earlier reviewer mentioned that it's better/easier to read these issues through the DVD-Rom and I would disagree with that because it's never as comfortable to go scrolling up and down each page of a book like this when you can have each issue reproduced in mint condition and read them all at your liesure in a comfy chair or in bed and appreciate the early brilliance of Lee/Kirby. It simply does NOT get better than this. Cannot recommend it highly enough. My question is when does the next TWO F.F. Omnibuses come out? We desperately need F.F. #31 thru 65 and then #66 thru 100 to wrap up the entirety of the Lee/Kirby run. Marvel, HURRY!

An excellent volume
This includes the first 30 issues of FF plus the first annual.The book itself is harcover, high quality glossy pages with each issue in the order it was released.The book is over 800 pages and each page is comic book size.Each issue is reprinted with the cover page and the letters page.At the back there are some alternate covers for certain of the issues, an original plot outline for the first story, as well as essays from Lee, Thomas and others.
Great and heavy
Great to be able to get so many issues in one volume and this book is heavy.It's best to read on a solid surface.I also like the letters section but would have liked to see some of the old advertisements.I hope they do another volume continuing where they left off and I also would like to see other Marver characters get the big book treatment.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - General    5. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    7. Fantasy   

Reviews (12)

Where's Volume 2??
I enjoyed volume 1 of Runaways a lot...usually i go for more of the adult themed graphic novels, but this was good.Only problem is, Amazon has every volume of this series except volume 2.I had to buy it elsewhere...
Great teen action/adventure/romance
I really enjoyed the storyline of the book. The dialogue was very witty, and the story was well-paced. I really like how the story tried to break stereotypes of young people in showing that they could make a difference in the world and weren't just apathetic bystanders.

A Promising Start To An Original Series
Runaways is one of the most original comic books that I've ever heard of.Runaways tells the story of six kids (runaways no less) who have just discovered that their parents are part of some league of supervillains known as The Pride.One of the things that makes the whole situation so clever is that these people live in the Marvel universe, meaning that the X-Men, Spider-man, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four are real to them.Alex, Nico, Gert, Chase, Karolina, and Molly all come from a world inhabited by heroes and villains, yet none of them ever thought that they'd experience that world first-hand.
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Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Comics & Graphic Novels - General    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Fantasy    5. Friendship    6. Good and evil    7. Graphic Novels    8. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Runaways    11. Comics & Graphic Novels / General   

Reviews (13)

Waffle.
I don't say this about many books, but I was hooked after the first chapter.The art looks like it was drawn with a felt-tip pen.The language will not expand your vocabulary.Get past that.Regardless of what he used to draw it, I think the art looks great, and the dialouge is simple because the dialouge is not between Gods, it's people aged 17-25 or so living in Toronto.Natural-sounding dialouge: it's a good thing.
Rating: Totally Sweet
I really wish that I had read Scott Pilgrim sooner.I first heard about the book back in March or April, though I thought that Pilgrim was the author.When I learned what Scott Pilgrim really was, I couldn't believe how much I didn't want to read it.For those of you who don't know yet, Scott Pilgrim is a faux-manga series about a 23-year-old Canadian slacker who must defeat a girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends before he can date her.I came up with nearly every excuse I could think of to avoid reading this book.The plot sounded dumb, the visuals were influenced by manga, it was black and white.However, I couldn't help but notice how much praise it got from both comic reviewers and mainstream publications.Not only that, but two of my friends like it, and one of them doesn't read any other comics.Eventually, I decided that I should just give it a try, and I was barely 5 pages into Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life before I realized that all of the hype was completely true.
A Real Review
I'm not the type to flame on people who love something I hate, so I'll just leave it at that,I hated it.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - General    5. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    6. Modern fiction   

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

Reviews (20)

Miller leads DD down a new path
Frank Miller's work for Marvel up to this time was usual fare. But when he started on DD, he developed a greater cinematic style not seen in comics before. If you get this volume and the next two, you'll see Miller take over the writing chores and then the blend of words and layouts really shines. The gritty look that Klaus Jansen gives Miller's art works well. If you actually study the panels, the art is crude at times--look at the proportions of feet and hands to heads, for example; yet the cinematic layouts make it work. Overall, this was a milestone in the history of comics that true fans shouldn't miss.

Daredevil- Reborn
Thankfully Frank Miller stepped in to change the Daredevil story for the better. I don't have to tell anyone how great Stan Lee was, but Daredevil was something of a Spider-Man clone when he first started out, and was chased by some very forgettable villains. But all that changed when the comic was given a new breath of life and now its one of my favorites. I've been collecting MARVEL comics for ages now, and this is one of my favorites. Great stuff, and a must-have for any comic collector. The artwork is visually stunning; the writing is sharp and contains real depth and emotion without sacrificing the quintessential villains and numerous amazing villains. Top-notch stuff.

From Humble Beginnings--Comic History Was Made!
Five stars for this collection of very decent Daredevil stories is more a tip of the hat to an historic moment in comic history than it is to the actual contents. Without the work of Frank Miller represented in this exact book, you would never have seen a Daredevil movie, guaranteed! For a few years before Miller took over the art chores of the Daredevil comic back in the very late 70's, it was a second tier (maybe third) Marvel title and was on the verge of imminent cancellation. The stories and villains had been so lame for so long that the book was on sale bi-monthly and was ready for the ax. That is, until Marvel gave a promising young artist named Frank Miller a shot at the title and it quickly turned into the (STILL) heavyweight champion of comics. It simply doesn't get much better than Frank Miller's work on Daredevil.Read more

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

Reviews (13)

Book 6
This one was almost as great as the rest. It was more of the short story compilation but I still thouroughly enjoyed it. I like the full stories in the other books a little more. Great purchase and a must have if you are a Sin City fan.

A step back up.
I was disappointed with Frank Miller's previous run on his "Sin City" saga, "Family Values," but "Booze, Broads, & Bullets" is a step back up. Still, it's not quite worthy of five stars like the first four. "Booze, Broads, & Bullets" is kind of different than the previous "Sin City" yarns, as it doesn't necessarily have a fixed plot or completely focus on one particular character, but we are introduced to a new character that most of the story seems to follow--Delia, aka "Blue Eyes." Delia is different. Unlike Marv, Dwight, and Hartigan, Delia is a villain. After killing her abusive husband, she joins an organization to become a professional killer, with her own trademark of having sexual relations with her victims prior to killing them. What's interesting about this one is how Miller uses more color to personify or recognize his characters using more color this time in his usually gritty, black and white drawings (he did it once before in "That Yellow Bastard," by characterizing Roark, Jr. with the color yellow). He characterizes Delia with the color blue, which, somehow, adds mysterious depth to the stories Miller places her on.
A collection of "Sin City " short stories from Frank Miller
Sandwiched between the relatively short Dwight & Miho story "Family Values" and the massive "Hell and Back" (which is supposed to star Johnny Depp in the next "Sin City" movie if the Fates are kind), Book 6 "Booze, Broads, & Bullets" is a collection of "Sin City" short stories from Frank Miller.There are eleven stories, ranging in length from three to two dozen pages and for those fans who do not think that "Sin City" has been as good as when Marv was holding center stage in Book One, "The Hard Goodbye," then the fact that Marv is the main character in two of the stories and a bystander in a couple of others will be greeted with undiminished joy.But there is also the addition of new female character who insists people call her "Blue Eyes" (yes, her eyes are colored blue, but that is not as impressive as what Miller does with her blue dress).
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Reviews (31)

Not As Good As "A Right to Be Hostile"
I loved the first big collection, "A Right to Be Hostile."This second big collection is not as good.Almost the entire thing is Huey on a political rant.Caesar is the usual foil.Riley and Grandad show up.And that's largely it.Huey angry about Bush stealing the election, Huey angry about the bogus war, Huey angry about Cos or whoever else set McGruder off that week.Some of this is really funny.Bush talking to Darth Vader on the phone is hilarious.Huey finding out how Riley has been learning from the news is too.The problem is what's missing: all the other characters that enriched the earlier strips.Maybe McGruder got busy with the TV show.Maybe he lost perspective.Maybe he ran out of ideas.Whatever the case, Boondocks would have been a lot better with some of the other themes dropped in the years this collection covers.I put down the book thinking of Richard Prior's stirring words from "Blazing Saddles": Where are the white women at?!That's part of what's missing here, and with my local paper having gone to Boondocks reruns for weeks now, I'm worried that McGruder has lost it.I hope not.Although it would probably be fairer to take him on his own terms, it's hard not to see the first years of Boondocks as showing the world the heir to Trudeau.I hope McGruder doesn't throw away the crown.This collection is still well worth reading, though.

Political and Cultural Humor at its Best
Great political and cultural humor. The Boondocks have a funny blend of wit and sarcasm that appeals to people at all levels in life.

Expand your mind while you laugh
This guy is really on point with his ethics & social satire ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Form - Cartoons & Comics    3. General    4. Graphic Satire And Humor    5. Humor    6. Topic - Political    7. Comic book & cartoon art    8. Graphic novels    9. Humor / Comic Books, Strips, etc.   

Reviews (2)

Very Good Westernized Yaoi
Kosen is a Spanish studio, so this isn't Japanese Yaoi Manga, and it isn't laid out in the traditional right-to-left, Japanese format (disappointing).
Fantastic!
Absolutely fantastic!
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Reviews (3)

AWESOME!
This book is amazing. Continuing the classic Hellsing series, the gothic horror in this book is awesome. We get to see the Vatican's Iscariot Agency go all out. My only regret is that the Major is only seen once in this entire volume. Other than that, it's awesome.

Has its own merits
Granted, there was a lot of setup going on in this volume, but I also thought that it had quite a bit in it that made it good on its own. There were several parts that I thought were absolutely hilarous, as well as parts that were awesome and others that were downright disturbing. There was some great action going on. I was sad that Alucard wasn't really in it much, but at the same time I think this allowed some space to develop the other characters. Alucard kicks some serious butt, but some of the other characters can be cool in their own ways, and Volume 6 really shows that. You have to keep in mind that this is part of a SERIES and that Volume Seven will undoubtedly continue what was begun in Volumes 5 and 6.

hopefully volume 7 will be better.
let me just get this out of the way, this volume was pretty much (at least, i sincerely hope), created just to set up volume 7. it doesn't really get interesting until the last couple chapters. the rest is just kind of meh. also, alucard is in this for about 5 pages. not even in a row, just spread out because he is still on the ship that he destroyed in volume 5. so overall, this book is merely ok. not the best, not the worst. i suggest this only to people who are fans of the series and want to know what happens to the hellsing crew. otherwise, this book won't interest you a whole lot. now, to count down the days until volume 7 arrives. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Graphic Novels - Horror    5. Graphic Novels - Manga    6. Graphic Novels - Science Fiction    7. Graphic Novels-Manga    8. Horror    9. Horror Fiction    10. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    11. Graphic novels   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Espionage/Intrigue    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - Crime & Mystery    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Mystery/Suspense   

Reviews (3)

a boy from the past?
Now with summer vacation here the Sohma house is relaxed and the occupants are free to do whatever they want...all except for Yuki, who must spend his days with the student council. He meets two other members of the councilone early summer day. Later Arisa Uotani meets an older gentleman at her work who begins to occupy her thoughts. Little does she know the connection this enigmatic man has to some very close friends of hers.
One of the Best
I think this is one of the best if not the best books in the Fruits Basket series so far. You definetly have to check this volume out...
BEST VOLUME YET!!
This is one of the best volumes of Fruits Basket ever!
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Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Comics & Graphic Novels - Manga    3. Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels - Manga    5. Graphic Novels-Manga    6. Graphic novels    7. Juvenile Fiction   

Reviews (1)

FABULOUS !!! A must read, a must have !!!
Very high quality edition, that such a nice piece of litterature deserves. Delightfull, amazing, funny, lovely. We need more of this kind of humor ! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Comics & Graphic Novels - General    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - General    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. BG-REFERENCE - BG-REFERENCE    7. Comic strip fiction / graphic novels    8. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Reviews (2)

"Why did you have to be a jerk?"
Ultimate Fantastic Four (Hardcover) Vol 2 collects three stories: N-Zone, Think Tank and Inhuman. Still Fantastic
While I've never been a fan of the Fantastic Four, I gave the first Ultimate Fantastic Four hardcover collection a try and was pleasantly surprised. Bendis, Millar, Elllis et al's re-imagining of the Fantastic Four as a group of teenagers led by a pair of science prodigies breathed new life into some otherwise tired characters. Volume 1 was enough to hook me on the series, so I've been eagerly anticipating this second hardcover collection.
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Reviews (29)

There is only one thing wrong--
with "The Cartoon History Of The Universe".