Editorial Review

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth, and what follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

This coming-of-age true story is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever been in middle school, and especially those who have ever had a bit of their own dental drama. ... Read more

Reviews

Braces, Mean Girls, Crushes and Real-Life Teen Drama, February 7, 2010
Smile starts with Raina as a typical pre-teen...until she falls and her two front teeth fall out. She's not only in major pain, but scared, and her trip to the dentist doesn't yield the greatest news; they can put the one tooth they found back in but the other is stuck up in her gums, but she'll have to wear braces. Turns out, there was bone damage, and she endures the braces only to find that her teeth wind up embedded in her gums, leaving her feeling like she's a freak.

Her so-called friends don't help, with their perpetual teasing, but Raina adjusts to being a "brace-face" and weathers typical teenage crushes. As she moves on to a new high school, her friends keep on teasing her and playing pranks, until she finally decides she can seek out new friends who accept as she is.

It's hard not to wince at some of the tooth trials, but Raina is a trooper as she toughs out numerous orthodontist and endodondist and other "dontist" appointments, all rendered in Telgemeier's wonderful drawing style, which complements her story perfectly.

The book ends happily, with a big, toothy smile, and Raina learning that she can find friends who stick by her and don't make fun of her.

Absolutely Awesome!!!, February 5, 2010
I got this book at a Scholastic book fair last month and thought that the comic-book style would be great for my students. I wanted to read the book beforehand and fell in love with the art work and the storyline. It brought back so many memories from my middle school days. Raina is amazing! I've decided to purchase her Babysitters Club books as well!

Wonderful Book for the Brace-face in Everyone, February 5, 2010
My 12-year-old daughter is a big (read: BIG) fan of Raina Telgemeier's graphic-novel adaptations of 'The Babysitter's Club' books. I pre-ordered 'Smile' with the anticipation of giving this to her as a gift. The book fell out of the shipping box, and I couldn't help but peruse its pages. It made me recall the days when I was subjected to the torments of wearing braces as a teenager. Upon skimming through the book, it was clear that this graphic novel was special. It beautifully captures that period in a teen's life when social-awkwardness and orthodontic-care collide, causing emotional and physical trauma.

Telgemeier is a true talent, and confidently displays a skill with her artistic tools that I haven't seen since the heyday of "For Better or for Worse". In fact, the author credits Lynn Johnston as an influence...

It shows.

There is a deft power to Telgemeier's narrative -- there are times when it's a little heartbreaking to read -- going to junior-high school can (at times) be hard. The author does not sugarcoat, and creates a satisfying world for her characters to exist in.
I can't recommend 'Smile' enough. It's heartfelt and funny and perfect for anyone, whether they wear braces or not.

SMILE review by Kayla, June 2, 2010
The inability to review on Amazon unless you've purchased something makes it difficult for my little cousins to have their say, what with them not having credit cards or bank accounts and all. Instead, they recorded their reviews because when you make books for kids doesn't it just make sense to wanting to listen to what kids have to say. That's what I feel anyway :D

Our cousin, Kayla, Grade 3, Age 9, reviews Smile SMILE by Raina Telgemeier for Amazon. You can find out more at GoRaina! [[...]]

Wonderfully done, June 14, 2010
This is the story of Raina who just wants to be an ordinary sixth grader. She is going to get braces to fix an overbite but before they get affixed she falls and knocks out her two front teeth. This begins a long ordeal for her, of on-again off-again braces, headgear, surgery and that is just her teeth. There is also an earthquake, boys, and finding real friends. It chronicles over 4 years of treatment and adolescence.

I read this book because a friend who wrote a Graphic Novel column said it was one of the best of the year. I have also found a new fondness for the media over the last year. The specific story intrigued me because of my own experience with braces.

Telgemeir, in her story in this graphic novel, does an amazing job of capturing the experience of wearing braces. It chronicles the frustrations, the pain, the discomfort - all wrapped around the story of a girl growing through adolescence, and finding her true self. Wonderfully illustrated and inked, it was great fun to read. I had my braces from grade 4 to grade 8. I had 21 breaks while wearing them. I also remember my mouth feeling funny when they came off, and feeling weird without them. Raina Telgemeir truly has captured the essence of having braces and living with them day in and day out for year. But this book also captures the experience of growing up, and discovering what you love to do, and finding out what real friendship is about and like.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, March 18, 2010
Raina is struggling with one specific aspect of her life... her smile. Having to get braces, she's dreading having to be a brace face, metal mouth - anything you want to label it. However, it's her smile, especially her teeth, that will haunt her all the way through middle school and up into high school.

From having them knocked out, to wearing head gear, to even having to get a retainer with two fake front teeth. To get that perfect smile it's going to be a long journey... and a very painful one, at that.

Along the way, social problems continue to follow Raina. From crushing on a younger guy, to getting that athlete to notice her, to even standing up for herself after she's had enough of the humiliation, Raina discovers who she is, how she shouldn't change anything about herself, and that true friends would never make or put you in awkward situations.

Accompanied by colorful pictures, a cute and realistic storyline, and a main character that any person will be able to identify with, SMILE by Raina Telgemeier does one thing especially well... it makes the reader smile!

Many of us have experienced getting braces, feeling the intense pain when we want that bite of the burger we can't have just yet. Almost all of us can understand what it's like when you want to break apart from the not-so-great friends we've had. Telgemeier does a fantastic job in capturing the true essence and emotions of a person going through changes.

SMILE is one book you'll want your kids to read... and the one you'll want to read yourself!

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Great Book For Young Readers!!, March 13, 2010
I got this book for my little sister as a gift when she got her braces off! She loved it! And whats more...since its a TRUE story...she felt like she could relate to Raina (the main character) quite often.

The drawings are exquisite, and the story line is like that of a comic book that's G-rated.

I'd recommend it for young girls 5-9th grade, though, i quite enjoyed it myself being an adult. It's a great little jewel in our library. :)

Hurrah for dental drama!, March 11, 2010
Raina Telgemeier taps right into the most amusing and painful memories of being a teenager with her graphic novel about her experience of getting braces, having crushes on boys and being traumatised by rude siblings and catty girlfriends. And an earthquake.

Readers may recognise her artwork from her adaptations of Ann M. Martin's Baby-Siters Club series and will admire her clean, expressive linework and beautiful page layouts. I also admired the striking scenes of San Francisco landscapes and Californian architecture at the beginnings of chapters, where Stephanie Yue's colouring looked its best.
I had fun spotting subtle cultural references from my own childhood, such as Super Mario Brothers, Guess Jeans, New Kids on the Block, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate from Walgreen Drug with the price tag accidentally left on. And I share with the author a childhood love of some of the same comics, including Calvin & Hobbes and For Better of For Worse.

I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager in braces, I would have curled up with it instantly. And when I was finished, I would have wanted to meet Raina and geek out together about drawing stories. Don't be surprised if kids read this and want to try their own hand at drawing and writing about their own most embarrassing moments, crushes and dental indignities.

Fantastic!, February 13, 2010
I got this book for two tween girls in my life. It's fantastic! Raina Telgemeier really captures what it is like to be a teenage girl, in a friendly, easy to read graphic novel format. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Editorial Review

A new era begins as Batwoman is unleashed on Gotham City! Marked by the blood-red bat emblem, Kate Kane is a soldier fighting her own private war - one that began years ago and haunts her every waking moment. In this first tale, Batwoman battles a madwoman known only as Alice, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable extras!

Batwoman must stop Alice from unleashing a toxic death cloud over all of Gotham City -- but Alice has more up her sleeve than just poison, and Batwoman's life will never ever be the same again.

Also, witness the origin of Batwoman in the shocking and tragic story "Go," in which young Kate Kane and her family are kidnapped by terrorists, and Kate's life - and the lives of her family - will never be the same! ... Read more

Reviews

Amazing artwork and a compelling story, July 7, 2010
The first thing you will notice about this book is the spectacular artwork. Artist J.H. Williams (Alan Moore's Promethea) employs several different styles over the course of the story, but his primary style (for when Batwoman goes into action) is especially beautiful. These pages are painted with a B&W ink wash and then the talented Dave Stewart (Hellboy, The Umbrella Academy) adds the colors, and the result is stunning. It's also obvious that a lot of thought went into the overall design of each page, not just individual drawings. There are even details in the art that you don't really notice until after you've finished the story.

But what of the story? There are plenty of comics that have terrific art but are poorly written. No such worries here thanks to writer Greg Rucka (Queen & Country). This is sort of a "Batwoman: Year One" (with some sections even mimicking the style of Batman: Year One), but it also gives us a memorable new villain in the psychopathic, Lewis Carroll-quoting Alice. Rucka also does a fantastic job of making Batwoman Kate Kane into her own character, and not just a female version of the Batman.

I can only think of a couple of negatives. A couple of the page layouts were so complex that it took a few seconds to figure out the order in which to read the panels. Also, the book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, and Rucka has now left DC. Fortunately, Williams will be taking over the writing and continuing the story, but it may be a while until the Alice character returns.

This oversized hardcover is highly recommended. It's not that often that such a perfect marriage of story and art comes along.

An Absolute Must-Have!, July 13, 2010
From the classy introduction by Rachel Maddow to the voluminous bonus features that end this book, it never ceases to amaze. I collected the Detective Comics issues as they came out, and I never could decide which I liked more - Rucka's story, pitting a more realistic and tragically complex Batwoman against a villian who is so twisted and dark - or is it Williams's psychadelic, uber-detailed, gorgeous artwork? The answer is actually simple: we're so lucky that they worked on this project together.

This collection will take you through Batwoman meeting a major villian in the form of Alice, the new High Priestess for the Religion of Crime, an organization Batwoman seeks to destroy since their previous leader tried to kill her (see52, Vol. 4). She discovers that maybe Alice is a little less crazy that she'd originally thought.

And, of course, Batwoman's "origin" story - what made her want to fight crime, vigilante-style? We learn Kate Kane's chilhood tragedy, personal drive, and unimpeachible integrity. And most of all, we learn that she is most certainly not simply a "female Batman." She definitely has her own style.

Included as bonus material are five beautifully drawn alternate covers, showing us other artists takes on Batwoman. The one by Alex Ross is amazing. Also we get to see a few story boards for important scenes, and early character sheets for Kate that show us her personal style, and a very informative rough of the batwoman costume, with handwritten notes on changes made to it since her debut in 52.

Overall, this book is so worth owning, even if you collected the monthly issues. If I could have made only one entertainment purchase for myself all year, it would have been this book.

Amazing Artwork, Great Storytelling, Compelling Superhero, July 19, 2010
There's not much that can be said about this impressive volume that hasn't already been said by those professionally involved in the comic community, who have a much more important opinion than mine... but I will try.

From those editors and published reviewers - This story and brilliant artwork have been much lauded; and has earned artist JH Williams III the Artist of the Year distinction from Wizard Magazine and an Eisner nomination.

This graphic novel contains the story arc from Detective Comics issues 854-860. Normally the bastion of Batman, during this time, the care and protection of Gotham has been turned over to Kate Kane ... aka Batwoman. ( please, oh, please do not refer to her as Batgirl )

This intricate plot follows multiple, but clear, storylines. We learn of Kate's family, her military service, her origin as Batwoman. We get a glimpse into her personal life and more importantly, we get insight into her character. Kate Kane is a complete and compelling superhero. Her lines are not always clearly drawn and she has a conscience. It's her need, her compulsion, to SERVE that puts Kate into Batwoman's uniform.

The story is wonderful, Greg Rucka is a very talented writer. It is the artwork, however, which I think brings both Kate and Batwoman to life. It is, simply stated, stunning. The page layouts and panels are brilliantly rendered by JH Williams III. His style draws the reader through the story with a kind of cadence and tempo that is really remarkable. You need only to look into his representation of Kate Kane's eyes to see into her soul. That is saying something.

Much has been written regarding Kate Kane / Batwoman's "outing" as gay in the 52 storyline, and her personal life is continued here, of course. What I can honestly say regarding Kate being gay is that Kate being gay is simply one aspect of a very complex character. And rightfully, her being gay is not made to be a big deal, or a spectacle. It just is. And as written here, Greg Rucka has found a way to incorporate Kate's being gay into Batwoman's origin in a very believable and very real way. Kudos for that. ( This story arc is a 2010 GLAAD award winner for Best Comic Book )

As far as the physical aspects of this book go - this book representation of the Elegy storyline is top rate. The paper quality is outstanding and the artwork by JHW3 and color by Dave Stewart really pop off the page.

We're treated to some nice extras - all the variant covers are gathered ( work by Jock, Alex Ross, JG Jones, Adam Hughes ) as are some preliminary sketches of Kate / Batwoman by JHW3. We're also shown an few pages of Greg Rucka's scripts followed by the associated art, which helps show insight into how comics go from idea to realization.

Without a doubt, this is a must have for comic fans.

And for fans - there's more of Kate to be had ... Kate Kane / Batwoman returns to the DC Universe line-up in late 2010, IN HER OWN TITLE - this time with both writing and art in the capable hands of JH Williams III.

Artwork, Beautiful. Jargon, Distracting., October 29, 2010
The artwork and layouts here are absolutely gorgeous. The constant, slighty-off military jargon drove me up the wall. It's like Greg Rucka watched some really campy 80s action movies (Commando immediately springs to mind), maybe looked around a forum here and there, and then ran with what he'd seen. But that's what kind of drives me crazy about most comics: the constant reminders of the heroes motivations. Batman's parents died, and every issue we have to be reminded of that as much as possible. Here, she's had a troubled past and washed out of West Point because of the idiodic Don't As Don't Tell law that is unbelievably insulting to all servicemembers. Her, and her father's ultra-military obsession makes me roll my eyes; thankfully I never met anyone like that in the service. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't permeate just about every page.

Other than that, there's nothing really exceptional here story-wise. You've seen it so many times before; the only thing that really makes this an interesting read is the character of Batwoman herself (except where I just mentioned), and the artwork. If you have a rewards card and can't figure out what to do with that $20-25 it gives you after you've spent so much, this wouldn't be a terrible waste of that. I wouldn't recommend it at this price otherwise.

Cool artwork-decent story, October 13, 2010
The number one thing I look for in comics, is the artwork. I bought this solely because of JH Williams. He is very original in his layouts and mixture of different styles within each book. He has really done a great job with this book. You could pretty much make a poster out of each page layout. I really thought I would enjoy the story more, but it didn't grab me. Maybe it's because I'm not up on the whole storyline, but I thought it would be much better.

Amazing artwork. Lacked a story line., September 12, 2010
I was super excited about this purchase. Maybe the reason why I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would is because I had such high expectations for it. I will admit the artwork is amazing. It's creative and everything you could ask for in a graphic novel, but I didn't really enjoy the story line. I liked the morals and the reason behind it, but it didn't amaze me. That's just my opinion though. There were very few interesting moments in the story line when I wanted to know more. There just wasn't enough to make me want more out of this story and I was really looking forward to it. Other than all that though, good graphic novel.

A good effort, but not quite fully satisfying, August 10, 2010
All in all, I really did like Rucka's Batwoman, but I didn't just want to like it. I really wanted to LOVE it. Gay characters are so rare in comics, positive portrayals rarer still, and well-written positive portrayals the rarest of all. As a gay woman myself, as an unabashed lover of comics, AND as a fan of Rucka's previous work, I thought for sure this was going to be the trifecta. Don't get me wrong, it was good. Just...not great.

First of all, the book is front loaded with a lot of action. Batwoman squares off with the mysterious "Alice", who's insanity made for a really interesting antagonist. However, the final confrontation between the two women happens mid-way through the book. The rest of the story is flashback. It felt like a really really long denouement, or like watching the end of the third "Lord of the Rings" film. With all the good stuff over and done with, I kept wondering why the story kept on going after that point. I wish Rucka had broken up the flashback sequence and sprinkled it throughout the main action. It would have made the final confrontation seem so much more vital.

Then, the layout sometimes gets in the way. I understand when writers and artist feel they have to reject the standard box progression in comic book storytelling, and it's often refreshing to see a new arrangement or stylish layout to a page. However, I think they took it a bit overboard here. It is sometimes hard to tell what's really happening, or what I'm supposed to be reading. One scene that stands out is the big face off between Kate and Alice. There they are, poised to fight, staring each other down. All around this panel are little shards showing tiny moments from their fight. But really, the overwhelming image is of the two women right before things get mean. Turn the page, one of them is down. I know they are trying to do, but it felt like the two of them just stared at each other, imagining the fight they were going to have, and then one collapsed from the mental exhaustion of picturing it.

I also have problems with the gay angle of Kit's character. It's obvious Rucka fell in love with the idea of a Westpoint cadet refusing to lie about her orientation and dropping out right on the eve of graduation, but this felt like a writer's conceit. Kit would have been lying about it for years already. Kit would have been lying to everyone around her on a daily basis in order to protect her dream of becoming an officer. Then, right before she's about to get what she wants, a superior officer asks her to say what he needs to hear and suddenly she can't do it? Why not? I didn't see enough in that scene to justify the sudden burst of integrity.

What a missed opportunity! Exploring the parallel between a maintaining a secret identity as a superhero and a secret identity as a homosexual could have added a layer of complexity and richness to the plot. At Westpoint, Kit gives up so much in order to be true to who she is. She sacrifices a life long dream rather than lie about her identity for one more second. Yet, she seeks solace for what she lost in an occupation that requires her to take her identity back under cover, protecting the lie even though doing so causes her to lose a lover. Why? Why is one lie a breach of integrity and the other perfectly acceptable to her? I wish Rucka had taken the time to give these problems some thought. I would have been very interested in what he had to say. As is, Rucka's handling of it feels a little bit too shallow to me.

Those flaws aside, Batwoman Elegy does have a lot going for it. The art is beautiful, and the story interesting. Kit's character avoids most lesbian stereotypes and kicks ass as Batwoman. (Dan Choi even makes a cameo! Yay for Dan Choi!) I am a little dissapointed in what the book misses, but it's possible I went in with expectations that were just too high. I'm glad I bought the book and do feel it is a welcome addition, flaws and all, to my comic book library. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Zounds! Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man, the ferocious tiger Hobbes, and the rest of Calvin's riotous imagination are all included in The Days Are Just Packed.Calvin, the irrepressible pint-sized tyrant, is always bursting with energy.And the new volume's oversized 12-by-9 inch format provides Calvin's outrageous fantasies room to explode. Nowhere does the spiky-haired miscreant stretch out more than in the Sunday paper.And dozens of Sunday strips are lavishly reproduced in color for The Days Are Just Packed, along with Calvin's always amusing weekday adventures.In eight years, Calvin and Hobbes has conquered the syndicated cartoon world. Bill Watterson's work appears in more than 2,200 newspapers worldwide and is consistently voted "favorite comic" in reader's polls. All seven Calvin and Hobbes collections have sold over one million copies within a year of publication. With the advent of its exciting new size, The Days Are Just Packed has topped the bestseller lists even quicker than Calvin lands in the principal's office. ... Read more

Reviews

Don't you wish everyday was summer?, October 30, 2003
Fans of Calvin & Hobbes who used to read the newspaper strip in the 80s and 90s will find great pleasure in reading this collection of C&H comics. These witty comics about the 6-year old Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes, named after the famous philosophers, will amuse people of all ages. The perceptiveness and humor of Watterson deserve the highest of cartoon awards, while his artistic creations exude hilarity. This cartoon is perhaps one of the most piercing yet funny critiques of modern society.

Summer is the time when Calvin and Hobbes can hang out in the treehouse and plot their next attacks on Susie, if they're not busy fighting with each other, that is. This book also contains some of Calvin's best snowman art. Procrastinators will love Calvin's newest invention - the Time Machine, or perhaps not? This is definitely one of the best C&H books around.

Note that there are two series of C&H collections: individual wide-format albums, each covering an entire year of strips (will call it "regular"), and the vertical aspect ratio "treasury series" which covers selected comics from two regular C&H books. Note that C&H ran for a year in newspapers, so there's 10 regular books and 5 treasury books. Though the cartoons are slightly smaller in the treasury collection, each treasury book is far thicker and contains more strips than a regular book, and is furthermore less expensive, so treasury books are a real bargain. "The Days Are Just Packed" belongs to the regular series and was published in 1993.

Calling Spaceman Spiff, August 30, 2003
There is little you can say about a Calvin and Hobbes book. As with the other books in this series, it is very funny, insightful of people and children, and something that I seem to be able to read over and over. Bill Waterson brings a perspective on humans that is as unique as Gary Larson's perspectives, only his viewpoint surrounds our "hero," Calvin. The long-suffering Hobbes (a tiger, don't you know) is often a voice of doubt and sanity that Calvin rarely, if ever, heeds. When Calvin realizes that Hobbes is being critical, a fight generally ensues. Given that Hobbes is a "ferocious" tiger, Calvin rarely gains the upper hand.

This book is excellent and relatively benign humor, good for any occasion when you need a break from the world. More amazing, this book can be read over and over, and each time you'll still find it funny. I strongly recommend this book.

A new experience for me., March 1, 2003
The Days are Just Packed was the first Calvin and Hobbes book I ever read and I remember it fondly. It was summer 1995 and I was 14. It was probably one of the best summers ever and while staying at my grandmothers I found this book. I had never heard of Calvin and Hobbes and ever since sitting with this book in the garden all day in the sun I have loved it ever since.

It's not really a humor accessible to children, such as Garfield, but humor for adults based on a child's unique view on the world. I'm sure we were all like Calvin at some point. And we all had a Hobbes. No matter what your age Calvin and Hobbes will always remind you of the innocence of childhood and the outrageous imagination within.

Another outstanding collection, July 26, 2000
Caliv and Hobbes is truly a strip for everyone, which both parents and children can enjoy. This is another outstanding collection of strips, and you really can't go wrong with any of them. Bill Watterson was a comic genius whose presence in the funny pages has been missed since his retirement. My "Days" are less packed now that he's gone.

A great read for fans of comics, November 14, 2000
Bill Waterson is argudably one of the best comic writers out there. Even through his retirement, he has made great books of past comics featuring his Calvin and Hobbes characters. I laugh and laugh at these comics he creates and I sometimes wonder how he comes up with such brilliant ideas sometimes with the storylines of some of the strips.

Calvin, one of his best known characters, is the trouble-making kid in the school. He is funny and imaginative and likes to make funa and games with his "real" pet friend Hobbes. Through the comics, you can see the relationship between a stuffed animal and a human.

In this comic though, Hobbes "comes to life" in Calvins eyes. The things that Calvin can sometimes get involved in is so hilarious and sometimes out of this world.

I guarantee that anyone that loves comics will fall in love with this one and should definitely buy this book to start their collection of classic comics.

All of Bill Waterson's comic books are very well done and very professional. His work is his life and it shows the time and consideration it took to make these characters come to life. Thank you Mr. Waterson for creating such a great comic and thatnk you people for reading my review!

Vocabulary promotion in disguise #1, August 3, 2005
Our boys love the C&H cartoons. They are expanding their vocabularies without even knowing it! I refrain from telling them this though because they usually shy away from "educational" books.

this is one of the best ones, August 28, 2002
I have all of the Calvin and Hobbes books and love all of them.But this one made me laugh like never before.I can pick lots of storys i love out of the other books but this one is great from start to finish.The story about calvin's horoscope is my all time favorite.IF you wonder why so many people love calvin and hobbes,you will know after reading this book.

Calvin and Hobbes Haven't Lost Their Touch, June 11, 1998
I read this book a few days ago and it didn't matter that I had seen the strips before. There were several times (especially during some of those exchanges between Calvin and his father) I laughed as hard as if I were reading them for the first time. My mother was in the hospital a couple of summers ago and she asked me to bring her my Calvin and Hobbes books. I'm sure their humor helped with her recovery. Yes, I love "Dilbert" and "Fox Trot", but I MISS this guys.

A great book with strips that still crack me up!, September 23, 1998
The first few pages didn't quite hook me, but because I love Calvin and Hobbes, I continued reading, and then I found myself really getting into it. I love the way Bill Watterson combines his long stories with his brief four-panel ones. (A bonus for this book was the color Sunday strips, which previous collections didn't have [except the treasuries.]) I loved the long stories in this book, including Calvin and Hobbes' war against each other and then Susie, the reappearance of the time machine, and the first appearance of Chewing magazine! I loved this book, but there was just something lacking that made me give it 4 out of 5 stars. (The title definitely wasn't as creative as Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons.)

Graphic SF Reader, September 3, 2007
The days are definitely packed with adventures for this dynamic, but very short duo. From spaceships and interplanetary hideous monster beasties, to creeping around the backyard and generally getting up to suburban kidlet nogoodness, the fun is never in short supply. Neither is the wit, even if delivered under thread of Spaceman Spiff's raygun.


... Read more

Editorial Review

The Far Side goes even farther with this second collection of off-the-wall cartoons culled from the bestselling Larson books Bride of the Far Side, Valley of the Far Side, and It Came from the Far Side. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Proving that mainstream comics could be infused with past literary/cultural ideals and still be bestsellers, the America's Best Comics imprint took the dilapidated superhero genre and created three vastly entertaining hybrids with Tom Strong, Promethea and Top Ten. Now, a stunning coup de grace is delivered with this masterful pairing of Victorian adventure fiction's greatest characters and the old war-horse of the super-group. With the stunning The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it would be no exaggeration to say that Alan Moore has produced a near-perfect piece of adventure fiction that is clever, literate, rich with excitement and hard to put down.It's 1898 and at the behest of M, the mysterious head of the secret Service, Campion Bond is dispatched to procure the services of Miss Mina Murray (nee Harker), adventurer Allan Quartermain, "Science-Pirate" Captain Nemo, Henry Jekyll (and his monstrous alter ego) and Hawley Griffin (a.k.a. the Invisible Man). Together, they must combat an insidious threat that will decide supremacy of the London skies, but their success may unleash a far greater threat. With no shortage of action, Moore and O' Neill sustain a high level of suspense, intrigue, mystery and terrific wit that all contribute to an indispensable read. O'Neill's art, so memorable in Marshal Law, produces a London filled with vivid, magnificent architecture and a malevolent atmosphere ripe with thrills and danger. An unmitigated triumph--pure and simple. --Danny Graydon ... Read more

Reviews

The first adventure of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, October 6, 2002
I knew they would never be a sequel to Alan Moore's classic comic series "The Watchmen" (and I wish Frank Miller had let well enough alone with "The Dark Knight Returns"), but certainly "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is a kindred spirit in key regards. If the Watchmen were supposed to be superheroes that we recognized, even though we had never seen them before, then the League offers up recognizable fictional characters that we have never seen together before. Going back a century for inspiration, Moore creates a Pax Britannia circa 1898 where the "superheroes" are fictional characters who had been created by that particular point in time, to wit: Mina Murray (Harker) from Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea," Alan Quartermain from H. Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines," and the titular characters of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and H. G. Wells' "The Invisible Man." There is also reason to believe that "M," the shadowy figure who orders the League about, might in fact be Mycroft Holmes (and if you do not know what literary series he is from then just totally forget about enjoying this series).

If that, in and of itself, is not enough of a hook to get your interested in checking out this collection of the first comic book adventure of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen let me remind you that Alan Moore is doing the writing. The artwork by Kevin O'Neill is certainly evocative of the turn of the last century, or, more to the point, does not look like a contemporary superhero comic book. Moore and O'Neill also maintain a wonderful conceit throughout the series of presenting the comics as being published at the time of the story, filled with wonderful "ads" that are often as interesting as the story (one of which actually required the initial print run of one of the issues to be destroyed, a story you will have to find related elsewhere, patient reader).

Moore's intention was to deal with a superhero group before all the clich�s were established (again, similar to how "The Watchmen" was in a different reality unencumbered by the DC and Marvel universes). Seeing an obvious parallel between the Hulk and Jekyll/Hyde, Moore let his imagination roam in his alternate, technically more advanced version of Victorian London. The more you know about literary history from this period (e.g., Emile Zola's Nana is killed in the Rue Morgue by Hyde), the more you will enjoy all this work. But this first adventure for the League still works if late 19th-century fiction is not your forte. British Intelligence has discovered that cavorite, a material that makes flying machines possible, has been stolen by a mysterious Chinese figure (Oh, come on, take a wild guess who it has to be). Campion Bond of MI5 has been ordered to assemble a team of adventurers to retrieve the cavorite, which is crucial to the race to get to the Moon.

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is really much more fun than we usually associate with Moore's work. Certainly his tongue has never been further in his cheeks than with this series. The first three issues of Volume 2 have seen the light of day so far this year and if you read through this original endeavor you can quickly get up to speed with the current adventure. Just remember it is 1898 and Britannia waives the rules...

A literate delight, August 3, 2001
As a 19th-century scholar, rather than a graphic novel fan, I was prepared to be picky about how TLOEG portrayed characters from "my" era. Boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise. This is clearly the work of someone who not only loves but understands 19th-century fiction, both its enduring appeal and its sometimes exasperating conventions.

The shining example of this series' achievement is the character of Mina Murray, the brilliant heroine of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Here she becomes even stronger and more assured, the clear-eyed, coolly efficient leader of this motley crew of "gentlemen." Yet, appropriately and hilariously, the men in the group (who tend to confound Victorian stereotype by being more emotional than Mina) respond to her assertive intelligence by labelling her a harpy, a shrew, a revoltingly "mannish" creature. As far as I'm concerned, Mina is the real hero--and what a hero! Finally, a woman in a graphic novel I can really admire and empathize with.

TLOEG offers many such delicious treats for fans of Victorian fiction or intelligent, witty adventure tales. Dig in and enjoy.

Victorian "superteam" of known characters, February 17, 2001
I said in my review of Top 10 volume 1 that that was Alan Moore's first super-hero team since WildCATS. I was forgetting this, the very wonderful League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

The idea is simple: during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, tales of heroic fiction were popular. In this series, characters from those tales are brought together for a shared adventure. In this volume, you can see Miss Mina Murray (from Bram Stoker's 'Dracula') leading a group consisting of Captain Nemo ("20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Mysterious Island", Jules Verne), Allan Quartermain ("King Solomon's Mines" and lots of others, H. Rider Haggard), Dr. Hawley Griffin ("The Invisible Man", H.G. Wells) and Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde ("The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Robert Louis Stevenson).

These characters are such classics that even the most casual of readers will have heard of some of them, and if you are interested in the fiction of that period, it may well be a wonderful treat. Asd well as these characters, the book is liberally peppered with characters from various Victorian sources, up to and including pornography! Mr. Moore has certainly researched this one closely before applying his wonderful imagination.

Having said that, the art by Kevin O'Neill is certainly not completely in character with the art illustrating stories of the period, but Mr. O'Neill has toned down the style he often uses to better suit the content.

But wait, there's more: the volume concludes with a text story of Allan Quartermain, which features him in conjunction with Randolph Carter, John Carter and the Time Traveller (created by H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs and H.G. Wells respectively) which ties in, at least in part, with the main story.

I'd like to reveal the villains of the piece, but that would be telling given that the revelation is part of the story's plot! Good choices, though. And a very enjoyable read.

It's no "Watchmen", but ..., November 28, 2002
Think the Avengers or the JLA of the late 19th century. Mother England needs protection, so MI5 enlists those with proven courage under fire. They are: Mina Murray(Harker) of "Dracula", Alan Quartermain (an Indiana Jones type character from pulp novels), the reluctant Captain Nemo from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", Jekyll and Hyde, and Hawley Griffin, the Invisible Man.

Of course, this isn't a typical adventure. It's a mystery, teeming with cameos and reference. When compared with writer Moore's other works, it is surprisingly humourous and lighter in subject matter. Moore does darken some of the charcters though, reminding us that Captain Nemo is an Indian prince embittered with England, Quartermain is an opium addict, and the Invisible Man ... well, just read it and see.

The art is, as always with Moore's works, reflective of the time period. The comic panels usually look like Victorian era etchings, which makes for a nice effect.

Overall, it is a great read, leaving you satisfied for having done so. More to the point, it will leave you desperately awaiting the live action movie this summer, starring Sean Connery as Allan, a role he was born to play.

Come on, it's Alan Moore. Just buy the sodding thing already.

Alan Moore....Lite, November 10, 2004
With The League, Moore shows that he can put aside the overt socio-political concerns that take centre stage in some of his other writings (From Hell, V for Vendetta) and construct as good an adventure story as anyone else in the comix genre. However, as Jess Nevins' indispensable Annotations can attest (which are freely available on the Internet), there is still a tremendous amount of depth and referentiality here. This is a simultaneous homage and indictment of the nineteenth century: a paradoxical time of innocence and exploitation. Moore, as usual, proves why he's the best, by doing what others don't. Foreign languages (Arabic, Chinese) are written in foreign characters, and clever puns and double entendres are generously sprinkled throughout the text. He also cuts and pastes some of the more famous storylines of the era and reinvents them to suit his purposes. The narrator's affectations completely nail the tone and attitude of the era. A book is never just a book with Alan Moore; he always stretches the limits of the traditional graphic novel, introducing such elements here as a novella, games, and biographies of people having nothing to do with the narrative.

Truly, the artwork here is nothing short of amazing. Kevin O-Neill's colours brilliantly match the flow of the narrative, running the gamut from drab to dazzling. His full-page illustrations are immaculately detailed and very pleasing to the eye. O'Neill is no mere comix illustrator: he's a full-blown artist. His ability to effortlessly move from the abstract to the concrete is remarkable.

Pick up this book. As bizarre a conceit as a 19th century version of the Justice League of America stacked with England's more famous fictional heroes/heroines of the time merits a look. The fact that it's Alan Moore quarterbacking this experiment makes things all-the-more interesting.

dark, delightful graphic novel, May 13, 2003
I used to read comic books a lot when I was younger and recently, having heard good things about graphic novels, decided to check out some of the highly rated ones. I was certainly not disappointed by this extraordinary tale with its fantastical characters and settings.

In this story, the mysterious Mr. M has commissioned Wilhelmina Harker Murray (from Bram Stoker's Dracula) to gather a league of adventurers who will perform extraordinary tasks when the need arises. The first part of the story is devoted to the formidable Miss Murray's finding and assembling her group: Allan Quatermain, H. Rider Haggard's hero; Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's tale; Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll (and his counterpart Mr. Edward Hyde); and Hawley Griffin, from H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man. Along the way they are assisted by Auguste Dupin, literature's first detective, and threatened by Fu Manchu. There are lots of other literary references and these are fun, but you can easily enjoy this fine graphic novel without catching them.

Throughout the book, in editorial notes, author blurbs, etc, the conceit is maintained that this tale was written and published in the 19th century. Also included is a heavily-illustrated prose tale, 'Allan and the Sundered Veil'.

Caveat: If you are a parent buying for children, you might want to find something else -- there is a lot of graphic violence and coercive [explicits].

Alan Moore goes Victorian, December 16, 2001
The most lighthearted tale even written by acclaimed comicbook scribe, Alan Moore, is likely the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Moore borrows characters from famous works in Victorian Literature, including Mina Murray, Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man, Alan Quartermain, Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde, and places them in a Justice League-type team, gathered together to find a stolen device capable of unleashing the horrors of aerial warfare on London. Moore constructs a dead-on parody of these high-flying romantic heroes; their stuffy attitudes and language; their utter political incorrectness; their obvious sexual hang-ups. Fans of Moore's darker work, such as Watchmen and From Hell, may be disappointed, but those of us who have read the rousing tails of adventure it masterfully parodies will find the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen entertaining and hilarious.

Interesting approach, November 13, 2001
In this book, that collects the complete 6-part miniseries, Alan Moore has attempted to blend comic-books with what is considered literature. It worked well and makes for an interesting read.

Staged in 1898, a certain `Cameron Bond' (in order of one code-named "M") is forming himself a team consisting of, to us, well-known literary characters. He first approaches Wilhelmina Murray to be in his team and asks her to go collect the next possible team-member, so together THEY can look for the next ... and so on. Naturally each time they go look for a new member the team has grown one person stronger. The gathering is not without problems though which makes each mini-quest (which mostly stays true to the literature in which the characters originally appeared) an interesting sub-story. Once the team is formed, consisting of Captain Nemo and Allan Quatermain among others, they're given an important task ... for `the good of the entire world'.

An interesting and entertaining story, well worth the while. What makes this book extra fun though, is that all through the story there are little hints to existing books in the artwork. That's also why it's even more enjoyable if you're well-read in "normal" literature (a pro, not a must). You'll get little (non-vital) things that are not explained anywhere in the book. For example, you'll know why Mina insists on wearing her scarf.. Next to it being nowhere predictable that little extra gives it an edge over most `respectable' Graphic Novels around.
The art-style lies somewhere in between Eddy Campbell's (From Hell), Jason Lutes' (Berlin) and Tim Sale's (The Long Halloween). It's detailed, atmospheric and very well-chosen considering the events are taking place more than a century ago. All in all a high-quality book.

Don't order this title for your kids, January 6, 2008
I liked Watchmen, so I ordered TLoEG Vol 1 and 2 for my 10 year old son for Christmas. Thankfully, I started reading it before he did as it is very much an adult themed graphic novel, with a couple of rape scenes in the first half of Vol 1 alone. I haven't finished the book yet - just wanted to give a head's up to other parents out there before they made the same mistake I did. With Captain Nemo, et al. it never occurred to me that it would lean in this direction. Fine for me, just NOT AT ALL APPROPRIATE for preteens.

Getting to know the League, January 6, 2006
Borrowing characters from literature is nothing new in comics. Mr. Hyde has popped up from time to time in the Marvel Universe, and both Marvel and DC have used Greek and Norse gods in their stories. What makes the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen unique is two things. First, it collects many of these popular literary characters, including Mina Harker, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, Sherlock Holmes, and C. Auguste Dupin, among others. Second, Alan Moore wields the history behind all of these characters incredibly well. He's done his research and nails down even obscure details about the characters in establishing the setting. Did you know that Edward Hyde was initially smaller than Henry Jekyll? Moore does, and he explains why Hyde is now a large monstrous creature instead of the small ape-like man in the original story. The characters are treated as though they came right out of their respective source material. Very few inaccuracies can be found, making the group very enjoyable to those who have a particular love for any of the original stories written by H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker, and others.

Once the group comes together, seeing them interact is more fun than reading about their actual mission. Hyde and the Invisible Man are both monsters who are barely kept in line by Mina's leadership. Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's tales is even more frightening once a fight begins. The delicate balance of the group is very intriguing and sets the stage for a blowup that is certain to occur in future volumes. For now, however, the misfit band of literary characters battles to save England while getting to know one another.

The story is very enjoyable but not overly deep in this volume; the collection of issues gives just enough time to get to know the group before the adventure ends. The art style is unique and takes a bit of getting used to, but ultimately lends a unique perspective to the bizarre version of 19th century Britain. Ultimately, this volume of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a fun read and a good introduction to build on in the group's future adventures. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Being the new kid in town with no volume control on his voice, Daniel Boom discovers an even bigger problem: the evil Kid-Rid Corporation has silenced the entire world with their terrible Soundsucker LX machine! Daniel taps into his inner superhero to become Loud Boy, along with his new pals who have bad habits (aka superpowers) of their own. The unlikely heroes are able to turn the tables on the villains, restoring peace and un-quiet to the world once more! But is it the end of Kid-Rid? ... Read more

Reviews

My Loud Boy Loves These Comics, April 18, 2009
My six year old loves comic books, but I have a tough time finding comics with subject matter appropriate for his age. This series is super! The illustrations are bright and bold - they really jump off the page. The story is fun and thrilling (but not scary or violent). I can't tell you how amazed I was that he chose to read these books rather than watch TV. I am also happy with the overall message of the series - what makes you different is what makes you special... embrace it! The Loud Boy comics are a terrific series!

We want more -- and quick!!, May 7, 2009
My 6 year old son (and 8 year old daughter too) loves this book. He pawed through it at least 20 times just looking at the pictures until we finally all read it together. Entertaining story, great art and colorful. We've already bought #2 and #3 and are sad there aren't more.

My son LOVES this book, November 13, 2008
My 8-year-old son stayed up late into the night reading DANIEL BOOM AKA LOUD BOY. He loved it! Fun, fresh and funny. I'll be buying each book in this series as fast as the author can get them on the bookshelf.

A Great New Series, March 20, 2008
THE ADVENTURES OF DANIEL BOOM aka LOUD BOY is great! The story is a fun, comic, high energy tale that all of my kids enjoyed (particularly my 10 year old son.) The graphic novel layout is great for kids, and the illustrations are a perfect compliment to the storytelling: bright, loud, and fun. LOUD BOY is a happy addition to our family bookshelf. We can't wait until #2 comes out! ... Read more

Editorial Review

In THE GREAT COW RACE, volume 2 of this 9-book epic, Fone Bone and his cousins plan to return home after visiting the village of Barrelhaven with Thorn and Gran'ma Ben.But Phoney risks everything on one last get-rich-quick scheme for the town's annual Great Cow Race.As usual, Phoney's plans go disastrously awry, and Boneville seems further away than ever.Meanwhile, ominous signs indicate that a war is brewing, and Fone finds himself helping his friends defend their valley from a formidable enemy. ... Read more

Reviews

This Color Volume is Even Better than the Last!, November 6, 2005
At long last! Jeff Smith's epic high fantasy comic masterpiece is being produced in color.

Fans of Bone will be pleased with Steve Hamaker's crisp coloration, which frequently adds shadow and texture without overloading the panels and really brings out the details of the art. Fans familiar with the one-volume addition will also be glad to see additional artwork filling the space between chapters, as artwork in the original black and white nine-volume series has been reintroduced, including the 'Possum kids' goofy poem and the two-page spread of Thorn frolicking with the Bones. These new color volumes also reveal more of Smith's (or his editor's) endless fiddling. The dialogue in the one-volume edition had been altered, sometimes significantly, and very minor changes have been made again. Most noticeably, the misspelling of "Kewpie doll" has at last been corrected.

The quality is much higher than in Volume One: Out from Boneville. The pixelation that some panels suffered in Volume One is gone. The printing is crisp and even the colors seem brighter. However, as in the last volume, the panels have been shrunk. The one-volume edition was smaller than the original nine volumes and the new color volumes have been shrunk again. Surprisingly little detail is lost, considering the intricacy of Smith's art, due no doubt to the high-quality printing. Hamaker and Scholastic are doing a great job and are truly bringing Bone to life.

Fabulous, June 26, 2005
This is one of the best Bone book's in the series. The colour version is just amazing. It totally blows the first Colour volume away in quality. EVERY page is full of detailed colour and it really just puts this book over the top. I wasent very impressed with The colour version of out from boneville. The quality wasent very consistant. Some pages almost seemed pixelated. This isnt the case in this second book.
I totally recommend this. Bone is going to blow up. By next school year when all the kids get back in school, it is going to be the new craze.

>>> The release date says August 1st, but it's in bookstores already, so I don't know what's up with that.

The best edition of Bone ever, September 13, 2005
I have read Bone from back when it first came out in individual comic issues. I must say, this color edition, especially the hardcover one, is the nicest one yet. The black-and-white original always felt a bit sparse for the tone and humor of the story. The beautiful coloring in this edition is perfect. I've bought the two that have come out, and can't wait for the remaining 7. Great job, Scholastic!

One of the Funniest Comics I've Ever Read!, March 14, 2006
Like the title says. I've read the odd Disney comic, and they were good for a few chuckles; but "Bone: The Great Cow Race" was so funny, I had to put it down a few times to catch my breath from laughing so hard!

Don't bet on the Mystery Cow..., August 5, 2006
I know that it seems that I have moved away from reviewing cinema lately and have deeply transformed into this graphic novel reader, but it couldn't be further from the truth. With my recent move, I have found ore time to be able to crack into these dusty books that have been sitting on my shelves for some time and fully experience the bizarre, yet imaginative, worlds that they boast. I have witnessed the death of a superhero, the curse of a video, and now I am excited to say that I unknowingly jumped into the second chapter of Jeff Smith's Bone series. I don't know how this happened, but instead of starting from the beginning, I found that I actually owned the second book of his series, aptly called "The Great Cow Race". Unfamiliar with Smith's linear storytelling technique, I jumped into this novel expecting to understand everything that was laid before me. I was unwittingly wrong.

"The Great Cow Race", for those that have missed the number two on the spine, is actually the second compiled book of Smith's adventures with his loveable, yet strangely built, main character Fone Bone. As this is the second book, I was unfamiliar with the origins of the "Bone" characters, but fell instantly enthralled with their lifestyle and storyline. What makes this second chapter enjoyable is the level of magic, evil, and "paths of fate" that obviously lay before our characters. There is mystery, suspense, and some genuinely funny moments as our characters do classic nare-do-well things and thus have to deal with the consequences. For a child, this book is about a fixed cow race between the people of the village, Phoney Bone, and Granma Ben, but what kept me interested was the subsequent back-story that opened a more sinister and coincidentally fantastical element.

As I read more graphic novels, my eyes are beginning to focus on more than just the words and pictures, but also the background themes and events. "The Great Cow Race" demonstrated more than just a humorous race with cows, but a la Harry Potter, a darker element at work that is constantly behind the scenes. The last few frames of this story, the conversation between Granma and Lucius, sent a pulse of excitement through my spine as well as goose bumps over my arms. The thought of a possible war brewing and an unfamiliar structure made me want to immediately get the next of the series. Alas, first I must see how it all begins. I must get the first book and start with the origins.

As I review this great book, I must admit, Scholastic has done a great job and a poor job all at the same time. The great element is the coloring of this edition. I remember seeing the Bone series at a bookstore in town and was rather unconnected with the black and white storyboards, but now, with the ample use of grays and whites, coupled with the "cartoonish" reds, blues, and greens, you have a story that both illustrates the humor as well as the danger. The bad is that I never read this story with a child in mind. Outside of the coloring, the story itself is not ... at least in my eyes ... one for those that are young. There are scary beasts, eerie dragons, and again, that unknown element, that may not be suitable for the suggested "Grade 4" reading level. Maybe I am behind the times, but outside of the actual cow race, there wasn't much that I believe those at a "Grade 4" reading level would enjoy. Personally, I found the story coupled with the images a unique read, but would a youthful reader find the same? Maybe, maybe not.

Overall, I thought this was a great story. I am very eager to read the first in the series as well as see where Smith goes with these obviously troubled characters. I am excited to see where the future "war" will bring us and how closely Smith related Tolkien's ideas to a more graphic level. For those interested in a younger fantasy genre, this is a quick read as well as a mis-marketed book. I loved turning the pages and discovering a twisty ending that leaves you wanting so much more! While I didn't find myself laughing as much as other critics have mentioned, it wasn't what I wanted from the story. I wanted mythical characters combined with a level of fantasy, and needless to say, I was not disappointed. Bring me more Bone!

Grade: ***** out of *****

Cow Racing, December 23, 2005
Fone, Phony and Smiley Bones adventures continue in Pt. II The Great Cow Race. While Grandma Ben prepares for the big upcoming cow race which she'll race every cow in the valley Phony and Smiley have been devising a plan. They will spread a rumor of Grandma being to old to race this year and then of a Mystery Cow a truly monstrous beast that is bound to defeat Grandma (especially since it's Smiley in a Cow suit!) But through a combination of Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures, Granma's dtermination to unmask the "mystery cow," and pure rotten luck their plans goup in smoke. This book has more humor and that feeling that makes you want to say "OOOH No" between fits of laughter. Bone: The Great Cow Race is a worthy addition to anyone's Graphic novel collection. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Comic book devotees as well as the most uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.

Reviews

Great for learning the craft of comics (and for classroom use), September 8, 2006
"Making Comics" is true to its title -- it's very well suited for folks eager to learn the craft of "making comics." I teach a Sequential Art class at California State University, Fullerton and I have made it a required reading book, because it so solidly articulates the elements of comic art from the perspective of the artist. McCloud has been teaching comics at workshops and guest speaking engagements across the country. His having been in the teacher's seat manifestly helps make his points all the more applicable and meaningful. For instance, McCloud uses examples from comics from around the world (Asian mangas, Eurocomics or BD, Western superheroes and alternative comics) that will resonate with modern audiences who perceive comics as more than the "mainstream" superhero comics. "Making Comics" casts the same clarity and passion that made "Understanding Comics" so compelling, and it is not as speculative as "Reinventing Comics." Readers of "Understanding Comics" may find that "Making Comics" covers a lot of the same ground, and that is inevitable (so if you are more into analyzing comics rather than making your own, "Understanding Comics" is for you). In a nutshell, Making Comics is a solid starting point for budding and eager comic artists!

The Great McCloud Comics Trilogy- 3 of the Best-Ever, December 12, 2006
Want 3 of the best-ever books on the general topic of comics? Here they are! (each generally sold separately)

1.*Understanding Comics- A *landmark* & bestselling examination of the medium. A comicbook on comics! While I try not to use the "genius" label *too* liberally, with Understanding Comics it really seems to fit(!). 5 Stars!

2.*Reinventing Comics- Maybe his best *looking* book (in my opinion), it's basically split into 2 sections: The 12 Revolutions in comics; and then basic Internet/Computer/Web Comics. It's the least popular & practical in the Trilogy, yet I still really like it! 4-1/2 Stars.

3.*Making Comics- It's like Understanding Comics refined, as well as a "hands-on" introduction to the medium. It's the thickest book of the three, dealing with the most critical questions involved in the comics creating process. Since making comics basically means writing with pictures, McCloud begins with this. How many panels do we need? What should they contain? What's the clearest way to communicate our ideas? He first helps us with these things, and then moves to our real center of interest: characters! How to create and illustrate interesting characters is a central theme throughout. Once we establish our pictures & characters, words can be added to complete our ideas. He explains various ways to do this, basically refining his ideas in Understanding Comics. Perspective is only barely touched upon here; most books similarly briefly mention it. He explains that it's a difficult yet necessary part of the picturemaking process, and that it can actually be quite fun(!). He also touches on eastern/western differences in comics, explaining how & why Japanese methods are still gaining in influence. Common materials & equipment professionals use, as well as common philosophical approaches are included. It's basically Understanding Comics made even more practical & clear- with many added hints, tips, and tricks along the way. It competes with that 1st title for most popular in the Trilogy, and it's highly recommended to anyone who wants to make comics! ! I like it! 5 Stars.

In conclusion: The 1st is genius; the 2nd is fascinating; the 3rd is highly refined- get this great McCloud comics trilogy today!

For any fan of comics (even if you can't draw), November 24, 2006
When it comes to artwork, I am at the stick figure level. My talents for making visual art, whether painter, comic book artist or whatever, are, at best minimal. At first glance, therefore, it might seem that I am not the right audience for a book like Scott McCloud's Making Comics. I am, however, a long-time comic book fan. The advantage to Making Comics for a drawing layman like myself is the same as watching a "making of" documentary of a movie (or listening to a DVD commentary). You gain a better understanding of what you are looking at.

Unlike a painting, comic strip writing is a sequential art, a depiction of a series of pictures that, typically with text, tell a story. McCloud gets into the narrative aspects of comics writing immediately with a chapter on writing with pictures in which he discusses how the sequence of pictures (or panels) typically relate to each other. For example, panels can go from moment-to-moment, depicting a single action as a series of moments (like showing a baseball player swinging a bat. A different panel transition is action-to-action, showing a subject doing a series of actions (panel one shows the player hitting the ball, two shows him running, three shows his sliding, etc.). Besides these choices of moment, there are also choices of frame (essentially, point of view), choice of image, choice of word and choice of flow.

McCloud also goes into how to draw people, how to blend word and picture, how to build worlds, and, in the only chapter that is really specific to actual artists, what the tools of the trade are. There is a lot in this book, and it's all told with McCloud's easy going narrative where a depiction of himself guides us through all the ideas.

Part of the magic of comics is the way the reader's mind fills in the gaps, an idea that McCloud first introduced in Understanding Comics. With a couple dots and a line, we can see a face. When we see two panels, one showing a player swinging at a ball, the next with him making contact, we "see" the motion even if it's not really there. Similarly, we feel like it is actually McCloud talking to us, even if it's really just a picture of him (and making is nothing like what he really looks like).

In short, this is a brilliant book. I am not a huge fan of Reinventing Comics, but Understanding Comics is a classic and this book follows right in its footsteps. If you enjoy comic books (or comic strips), this book is a must-read, even if you can't draw.

The Robert McKee of Comics, January 4, 2007
Scott McCloud has distilled the content from his previous two works (Understanding and Reinventing Comics) into one very accessible graphic novel. If a person is more interested in comic language, I suggest reading "Understanding Comics". It provides a framework for analyzing the comics form and is more intellectually stimulating. "Making Comics" has wide appeal and is perfect for younger folks with interest in using the medium to produce comics. Most of all it's a fun read.

Decent work in an under-served field, April 3, 2007
This book has two audiences.

Many people will have come to this book through Scott's earlier "Understanding Comics," and read it to further their understandings of comic book history and the evolution of the comic-book language. I do not come from that direction and can not offer a review on those grounds.

Where I come from is as a long-time scribbler trying to learn how to tell a story in comic-book format. I learned of this book through mention in the blogs of practicing story-board artists, and as I understand it, it is one of a very small number of books to deal in detail with that part of comic book are that is larger than a single panel (Will Eisner's book is one of, perhaps the one, standout.)

There are a lot of "how to draw comics/manga" books out there. The vast majority of them deal with what is inside the panel. (The vast majority of them, particularly the Americanized Manga ones, tend to be less "Here's how to draw" than "Here's something I drew. Now just draw like that!")

(Ben Edlund drew a marvellous satire of this in a filler strip titled "How to draw The Tick."; "First draw a sphere. Now draw a horizontal line bisecting the sphere. Now draw The Tick, holding a bisected sphere.")

Scott is dealing with the interaction between the panels. How you break a story into parts, how you organize, how to develop moods and settings, how to pace. I could only wish for more. Perhaps the format is a bit at fault. The illustrations are lovely but too often serve more as a supporting visual for what is basically talking-head commentary. And the commentary, the meat of what he is saying, is crammed into balloons and margins and perhaps ends up being less complete than it could be.

In many cases, though, the integration of text and picture is useful and elegant.

There are odd surprises in what he chooses to cover with what depth. The treatment of various panel arrangements that work (and don't work) is surprisingly brief (perhaps there wasn't much more to say?) But there is an absolutely wonderful section on drawing facial emotion that is almost long and detailed enough to be a book on its own.

Perhaps my greatest quibble with this book is Scott can not quite step away from a larger perspective of the evolution and purpose of sequential art. He ends too many thoughts with "But who knows what the future will bring?" How about a few more didactic pronouncements on good storytelling methods, and save the musings on Art with the leading capitalization for his other books.

Scott, wisely, spends very little time on tools and perspective, and essentially no time at all on basic anatomy and drawing. However, the pages on drawing backgrounds and character design -- among others -- are great little refresher courses. But you need to know how to draw before you go into this book. You need to look elsewhere for human anatomy -- even elsewhere to find out how to lay out that perspective grid Scott shows off to good effect in several drawings. In fact, that old standby "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" makes a pretty good companion piece to this book as it give a good basic orientation to comic book page terminology, simple linear perspective, comic-book anatomy, pencilling and inking.


All in all, not the best book there could be on figuring out how to go from a script to fifteen pages of little boxes -- but one of the best books you can find that goes into any detail on the subject.

And, of course, it is a delight to read. Marvelously illustrated, cleverly scripted -- and one of those books that will send you scurrying to your own drawing pad, eager to try out some of the things he suggests.

LIBRO OBLIGATORIO, January 12, 2007
Si hacer comics fuera una religion, Scott seria el profeta.
Este, junto a sus otro 2 libros, es uno de los indispensables en la biblioteca del artista del comic. No importa el nivel en el que te encuentres, tanto para novatos y expertos, la lectura de making comics te lleva mas alla de lo que tipicamente un libro de "como hace comics" ense�a.
Este no es un tutorial de como dibujar de cierta manera o de hacer guiones, sino una guia de como aplicar tu estilo y recursos de la mejor manera... y seguir descubriendo tu propio arte.
Muy inspirador.
-----------------------
If "comics" were a religion, Scott would be the prophet.
This, with his other 2 books, is one of indispensable in the comic artist's library. It does not matter the level in which you are, for novices and experts, the reading of Making Comics takes you beyond which typically a "how to" book teaches.
This it is not a tutorial to draw certain style or to write scripts, but a guide to apply your style and resources at your best... and keep discovering your own art.
Very inspirating.

Best Storytelling Resource Around (not just Comics), April 21, 2007
This is by far the best book I have read when it comes to defining and breaking down the elements of the visual story. As the author states, there are some things that a well chosen image can say better than any words could hope to, and vice-versa. He does a fantastic job of describing in detail when and how to choose the appropriate image, word, or combination of both. The book is second to none when it comes to teaching the storyteller how to create the most compelling readership experience possible.

AND ~ this book is not just for Comics, but for ANYONE interested in telling a story with images. Whether those images are drawn, painted, photographed, or digital art. Definitely a MUST READ for anyone interested in creating a "VISUAL STORY".

Disagree with review below--this is a remarkable book!, October 2, 2006
The previous reviewer accuses Scott McCloud of lacking the authority to write a guide to making comics. But McCloud's book is based on clear demonstration, not on authority.

McCloud does a remarkable job of showing--not just telling--the reader about how details of characters' expressions and body language reflect their mental states, how different "camera angles" and types of panels control the flow of the narrative, how the way an environment is presented affects our relationship to it, and more.

Reading the book, I encountered insight after insight about things that I had noticed intuitively about comics but never really been conscious of.

A Must-Read for All Comic Artists, August 23, 2008
Scott McCloud's "Making Comics" is a must-read for all aspiring comic artists. This book is very different from other comic technique books. While most other books will teach you how to draw characters or backgrounds, this one teaches you how to tell stories. McCloud goes in depth into what makes a good story through pacing, image choice, layout, words, facial expressions, among many other factors. All of the instruction is given in comic form, so it is very easy to see how the techniques are implemented since he shows you right on the page. I particularly like the section on facial expressions. He has a very inventive method of using basic facial expressions and then mixing them to create totally new facial expressions. It has to be seen to be believed.

If you're thinking of starting to draw comics, or if you're on the edge of giving up comics because you just can't get it right, this will give you the inspiration to keep trying. If you're a great artist, then you'll come to a better understanding of the techniques that you use. I definitely recommend reading this book.

An Excellent Book For Everyone, June 19, 2008
When my grandparents got me this book, I didn't think it could help me. I was looking for a "How to Draw" not a "How to Write". This book proved me so wrong. I couldn't believe how much fun it was to read, and it helped me a lot too. Almost everything I thought I knew was proved wrong and after reading it I felt like I understood comics so much better. As well as making me better at writing comic books, it made me a better writer altogether. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in comics or in just plain writing or art. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Hot on the heels of their acclaimed graphic novel SUPERMAN: LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, superstars Geoff Johns and Gary Frank reunite to present an explosive story that spells out the definitive origin of Superman for the 21st century! Chronicling Clark Kent's journey from the cornfields of Smallville to the skyscrapers of Metropolis, you'll witness a whole new look at the beginnings of Lex Luthor, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane, Metallo, Jimmy Olsen, the Parasite and more of your favorite characters from the Superman family! It's a look at the mythic past of the Man of Steel with an eye toward the future! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The series that has taken the US by storm comes to the UK in the first of an all-new Titan graphic novel series! From writer Brian K. Vaughan (Swamp Thing, The Hood) and up and coming artist Pia Guerra comes a view of a dystopian society where suddenly - and without warning - a mysterious plague kills every living creature on the planet with a Y chromosone...in other words, no more men! Except one. Amateur escape artist Yorick Brown has somehow survived. It's now a very different world, and his unique status is far from privileged. If they can't exploit Yorick, the new world powers may just decide his usefulness is at an end! ... Read more

Reviews

Outstanding!, March 18, 2003
While this may not be the most unique story idea (something kills of every male animal on the planet except one man and his male monkey), Vaughan's handling of the story is exceptionally well done. His characterizations are vivid and each has their own voice, making it easy to remember who is who from issue to issue (rather than waiting for this trade paperback, I bought all of the monthly issues individually as they came out). Vaughan also throws in some very interesting story concepts: women who used to be models now trying to find meaning in their lives, a new tribe of Amazonians, and a doctor who was about to give birth to a clone of herself thinking that it's all her fault.

Pia Guerra's artwork, while not outstanding, is very solid. She very capably imbues each character with their own individuality. She is able to convey emotions very well and her designs for this post-apocalyptic world are subtle (i.e., the world is still recognizable, but it is very evident that things have changed).

This title was a sleeper hit for Vertigo with the first two issues selling out quickly and prices jumping quickly. I assume that if you are here, you're at least mildy interested in this title. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. You will not be disappointed.

the book that will save an imprint, September 3, 2003
For a brief time a few years ago, it seemed that Vertigo might be in its death throes. Sandman had been over for a while, Preacher was ending, and Transmetropolitan had very little time left in its run as well. The new books being touted as flagship titles-books like Outlaw Nation, Swamp Thing, The Crusades, American Century-were not living up to expectations.

But luckily the writer of one of those failed projects (Swamp Thing's Brian K. Vaughan) came along just then and helped revive the line. He and artist Pia Guerra created a book called Y the Last Man that has quickly become one of the hottest phenomenons in comics today.

In the first trade paperback collection for the series, Y the Last Man: Unmanned, we are introduced to Yorick Brown and his monkey Ampersand, who are both somehow spared when every other male on the planet dies. This first book sets up many of the events that are to follow, establishing situations like that of Yorick's mother, one of the few female Congresswomen left who is now trying to rebuild the government, or that of the Amazons, a group of women who believe the Y chromosome was an aberration and the men deserved to die off.

There is a great sense of mystery surrounding this series. Vaughan has done a wonderful job of leaving certain aspects of the story unresolved yet still maintaining the fans' interests in what the answers to those questions might be. Readers might wonder, for example, what causes the deaths of all the men on Earth. Was it the removal of a mystical artifact from its homeland or an experiment in cloning gone wrong that killed the men? Might the cause have been some kind of biological weapon created by the government, thus satisfying conspiracy theorists the world over? It could be any or all of those things. Y the Last Man defies easy classification, using elements of fantasy, science fiction and political intrigue as a backdrop for its characters to explore, all while weaving an atmosphere mired in the unknown that keeps the readers in suspense.

But like all of the best Vertigo books, Y is driven by character more than anything else. Y rises above the standard plot devices that usually plague stories about the end of the world, because, despite being set in a post-apocalyptic world, it is not about that apocalypse. The reasons behind the deaths of the men are unimportant. Here the focus is instead on how the people left behind act when forced into this situation, and what is most amazing about this book is how true it seems, how real.

Most of the credit for that belongs to artist Pia Guerra for making the world resemble our own so closely that it feels authentic. When we see the congested highways filled with cars, behind the wheels of which sit the bodies of dead men, we feel the anguish the characters must, and it leads us to contemplate how we would cope with such a predicament. Similarly, Guerra convinces us the characters are truly alive with facial expressions and mannerisms that would give the best actors in Hollywood a run for their money, especially in our lead character Yorick and one of the villains of the piece, the Amazon leader Victoria.

Cleverly written and beautifully drawn, Y the Last Man is an incredible book that bursts through clich�s and explores interesting characters in a world not too far removed from our own. The monthly adventures of Yorick Brown gain at least a thousand new readers each month, and as sales continue to climb, it is on pace to surpass Alias as the highest selling mature readers book on the market today. If you haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon and tried Y the Last Man: Unmanned, I can't help but wonder why.

(And I promise that the book is really better than that pun was.)

An Interesting "What If" By Brian K. Vaughan, February 10, 2006
Comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan takes the old phrase of "the last man on Earth" and looks at what life might be like for said man. The story of Yorick Brown is one of tragedy and mystery, with a little humor thrown in for good measure.
Yorick is an escape artist. He is a recent college graduate with an English degree and is currently unemployed. He earns a little cash from his work as a magician and escape artist, but he depends on his beautiful and loving girlfriend Beth Deville for support (both financial and moral). Yorick's mother Jennifer is a United States Congresswoman (or Representative) from Ohio, and his sister Hero is a paramedic in Boston. Though each has their own troubles in life, overall, things are going well for the Brown family. Then a mysterious plague wipes out every mammal on the planet with a Y chromosome. Humans, dogs, cows, apes, their populations are literally cut in half within moments. No one knows why, but the surviving women tend to blame themselves. Notable among them are Dr. Allison Mann, a geneticist who gave birth to a human clone at the exact moment the plague hit, and Agent 355, a secret agent from a branch of the US Secret Service known as the Culper Ring, who at the moment of the plague, removed a sacred artifact from Jordan that had been said to cause a tragedy comparable to the Trojan War if ever removed from its homeland. Instantly, women everywhere are forced to live without their husbands, fathers, sons, and friends.
Although, there are two exceptions. Yorick survived along with his new male monkey Ampersand, who he was training to be a helper monkey. Why they survived is a mystery, but they are now the last hope of humanity.
In the wake of the plague, the world has vastly changed. Food is being rationed, most electrical appliances are down, and women are coping in any way they can. Some have committed suicide while others have resorted to cannibalism in order to eat. Many women erected a memorial to their lost loved ones by turning the (very phallic) Washington Memorial into a shrine. However, a fringe group of women, known as Amazons, emerged, claiming that Mother Nature wiped out the oppresive men so that women could inherit the Earth. They go around defacing memorials to the men, killing transvestites and any woman who oppose them, and when they learn of Yorick's existence, his death becomes their primary objective.
Along with 355 and Dr. Mann, Yorick and Ampersand leave to find a way to repopulate the planet. Meanwhile, Jennifer Brown remains in Washington, D.C. in order to try to rebuild the government. Beth is stranded in Australia, and in Israel, a feminist extremist named Alter Tse'elon begins a hunt for Yorick as well.
Brian K. Vaughan, who is the writer and creator of one of my favorite comic series, Runaways, does an amazing job with this book as well. While the story may not be entirely original, it is still wonderful. The dialogue is very good, and since this is Vertigo, he can get away with saying things that he couldn't if DC or Marvel printed the book. The art is also beautiful. Another really good thing is that the story is contained within its own universe, meaning that no background in comics is necessary to understand what's happening in the story (as much as I love Runaways and House of M, I am a newcomer to comics, and I need my friends to explain some of the events to me).
This is a great beginning to a promising series, and I can't wait to read on.

I love this series!, December 27, 2006
Within the premise of The Last Man exists every junior high school boy's fantasy: being the last man on earth. While The Last Man could have been incredibly juvenile and explored more prurient possibilities within that premise, it does not. Instead, we get a really interesting exploration of what might really happen if all the men (but our hero) died.

This is the story of Yorick, an amateur escape artist and classic over-educated, underachieving slacker. In this story, Yorick is only a small player, a prize really, in a larger drama of political intrigue that plays out bit by bit as we read.

The dialog is brisk and funny. The heroics are plentiful but Yorick is only occasionally the hero of the scene. In fact, he usually plays the classically female role whose job it is to be rescued by the real heroes, which in this story are the women.

These are comics for adults and the language and storyline reflects that. The art is fairly simple as modern comics go and there are no capes or spandex to be seen. I've already read through the fifth volume and can't wait to see what happens next.

A great start to a riveting series of books, January 27, 2008
Brian Vaughan's Y: THE LAST MAN has for several years now been one of the most compelling graphic series around. The series is finally drawing to an end, though the final issues will not be bound into a single and final book until this June. The ongoing adventures of Yorick, Ampersand, Agent 355, Dr. Mann, and the others is finally concluding. The series hasn't always been at its best, but overall it has to go down as one of the finest long series ever executed.

The title refers jointly to Mary Shelley and genetics, the Y chromosome and the creator of Frankenstein's novel about the last living human being following a devastating plague (Shelley was so far ahead of her time in her two best known novels that it would be over a century before people were writing on comparable themes). Yorick Brown, a generally unlikable smartass who makes a living as an escape artist, is the last remaining human male, just as his pet monkey Ampersand, is the last surviving nonhuman male. The question surrounding what caused the death of all human males and why Yorick and Ampersand were spared is the subject of the next nine installments in the story.

I love so many things about the series. I like the wit and pop culture references (including extensive self-referentiality). Many of the characters are a lot of fun. There are some weaknesses as well. As mentioned above, Yorick is not often a very likable character. And some of the groups of females in the series are not very enjoyable, in particular the Amazons, who are more like absurd caricatures of the feminazis created in the fevered imagination of Rush Limbaugh than any believable group of real life women. Still, there are so many good things in the stories that one can forgive the occasional lapses. Later it become harder to forgive some pedestrian storytelling, but that wouldn't come until much later in the series. The first several books are just flat out fun.

I strongly recommend this series, especially with the final book in the series slated for publication in late spring. It will bring to a close well over a thousand pages of graphic novel goodness.

Overhyped (2.5 stars), July 15, 2010
I found this to be a mediocre read. I think the book is intended to be somewhat politically challenging (what if women ran the world?) and suspenseful (only one man survives, etc.), but I think the unintentional comedy gets in the way. The premise, first of all, is too funny to take seriously: Not only do all human males simultaneously die, but all male animals as well. The y-chromosome marks all males for death (except, of course, one guy and his male monkey). Never mind that the XY system is a human invention or that many animals don't have x- or y-chromosomes.

What really bothers me is the characterization of the many females in this book. In principle, I don't mind that most of them are gorgeous stereotypes, but I found it difficult to distinguish them. There's little variation in the faces of these women. You have to rely on hair color and skin tone. And who does their hair, nails, and laundry when all of the men are dead?

The dialogue is hackneyed posturing, but I still found it funny on occasion. I'm not sure if that is the intended tone. I think the book is supposed to be suspenseful, but the device of switching between time periods got old fast. You get a few pages in one time period, a tiny bit of plot happens, and it ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, and then you go on to another time period. It's fairly easy to keep the threads distinct in your head, and there seems to be a point to it, but there's simply too much jumping around, creating and filling in plot holes.

I think this book would be more successful if it didn't give off the vibe that the reader is supposed to seriously consider the political ramifications of the premise--the men are dead. When you make a sci-fi move like that, you have to be really good at drawing the reader in. The combination of weaknesses--a ludicrous premise, poorly distinguished female characters, silly dialogue, and flashback/forward device--is too much misfiring artifice to suspend my disbelief.

Good but not Perfect, September 4, 2005
I missed all the hype about this series, and just happened upon the trade paperback at the library. It's good, very solid storytelling and art that grabs you, but is perhaps not quite as amazing as the many gushing reviews I've since read make it out to be. The premise, as the title says, is that some kind of plague spontaneously kills every male on earth at the same instant -- except a 20something slacker named Yorick and his monkey Ampersand. For some reason, this event also happens to sever his lame over-the-phone marriage proposal to his Playboy-proportioned girlfriend who is hiking around the Australian outback. Scenes of chaos from around the world are shown, and then we jump forward two months to find Yorick in Washington, D.C. trying to track down his Congresswoman mother.

Meanwhile, the mysterious nappy-headed Agent 355 is rousting the Secretary of Agriculture from her bed to inform her that she is now the President. Agent 355 was shown previously in Jordan, recovering something called the Amulet of Helene from around the neck of a female doctor, a plot point that does not resurface in this book, but undoubtedly will prove key later on. Another unexplained plotline involves a gun-totin', liptick-wearin', female Israeli army officer intent on invading the surrounding Arab nations in the post plague chaos and the mysterious person in Washington, DC who contacts her about Yorick. But most of the book is about Yorick and the question of what his role is to be in this post-man world. It seems there's an expert in cloning up in Boston who might be able to analyze his blood and figure out some sort of solution. Agent 355 is tasked with getting him up there safely, since he's arguably the most valuable item on the planet.

This is complicated by a growing movement of self-styled Amazons who celebrate the removal of men from the face of the Earth. When they get wind of Yorick, they send out a death squad to eliminate him -- a death squad which just happens to include his missing sister (an unnecessary bit of melodrama). They're totally over-the-top, reminiscent of some gang out of the film The Warriors, and their trademark is that they surgically remove one of their breasts! Despite the post-holocaust premise, there's plenty of sly humor to lighten things up. For example, in the background of one panel, Yorick's monkey is furiously hugging a teddy bear. Another example is the place women have selected as the memorial site for their men -- the Washington Monument. The straightforward artwork and paneling is appropriate for the subject matter, which is so story driven.

And yet, much as I liked the book, there are plenty of missteps. For example, Yorick seems awfully oblivious to his own importance and repeatedly puts himself in stupid situations. The Amazons also seem far too extreme--the breast removal as symbolic gang badge is silly, and some of them carry bows and arrows in a kind of lame nod to Mad-Max, as if there aren't guns all over the place. There's also a laughable showdown between the wives of dead Republican leaders and Yorick's mother on the steps of the White House. It also seems a little ridiculous (and possibly sexist) that the infrastructure has apparently totally collapsed without men.

The book does a great job of setting up a potentially interesting story that cuts across genres (horror, science-fiction, thriller), but this first volume is all questions and no answers. Reading it without volume two on hand is like watching the first episode of a mini-series and then having to wait a week for the next episode to figure out if you really like it. I'll definitely seek out the next.

amateur comic reader hooked on "Y", February 15, 2005
(Disclaimer: I likely don't have a good perception of what comics are usually like, because I've never read one before picking up "Y: The Last Man" - so take this with a grain of salt, willya?)

Not having grown up reading comics, I was hesitant to start reading one. But during a recent snowstorm a friend of mine handed this one to me, and I devoured it. For someone who's never been into comics before, I was sold. I even went out and bought my own copies of all the issues I could get my hands on. Now i'm hooked. This story is refreshingly not how I envisioned comics to be - it's about an average guy in extraordinary circumstances. Brian K. Vaughn has done a great job of envisioning this world and making the female characters believable individuals instead of empty yet attractive fantasies. Yorick's sense of humor, the relationships he develops with the various female characters, the timely references all make this comic appealing because its relatable in an everyday sort of way, not in an "I can see some of myself in that superhero" sort of way, as I always envisioned comics to be.

Y: Last Man volume one, January 31, 2008
The premise of this graphic novel,"Y: The Last Man" is implicit in the title: Some phenomenon (medical, climatic, supernatural?) has apparently killed every male mammal on Earth, including male humans. The two exceptions are our hero, Yorick, and his pet monkey, Ampersand. Yorick, a kind of laid-back, not especially heroic type, does not try to take advantage of his only-male-human status and make time with all of the (theoretically) available ladies. Instead, he lays low, goes out only in disguise, and tries to find some way to get to his fiancee in Australia. (Apparently women have a hard time maintaining and flying airplanes without male help.) The surviving females, now running the show, are shockingly violent and anarchic, contrary to common experience, which tells us that the overwhelming majority of violent criminals in our prison system are male. Despite this and a few other minor logical problems, this is a VERY entertaining series so far. Attitudes among the survivors (all female of course) run the gamut of possibilities, from a woman who shoots herself when she realizes what has happened, to a man-hating, absolutist group that wants to make absolutely certain that EVERY last man is dead. (Needless to say, our hero runs afoul of this last faction.) What makes it more fun is that we also encounter a healthy variety of in-between female reactions.

I suspect that an all-women planet would be less violent and more organized than what we're shown here (if anything, less violent and more organized than it is currently), but who knows? Maybe the gals would rise to the challenge and fill ALL of the social niches: not just Presidents, congressional representatives and the like, but also terrorists, assassins, rapists, military fanatics, murderers, commandos, etc. Of course, abruptly losing half of the population, no matter what gender they were and who was left, would make for a pretty chaotic situation. In any case, it all makes a good story. Also, the pacing is good. The story moves along well, but not so fast that it cheats any of its various elements
This is the first of the nine volumes that are available so far. A tenth is coming out in -- I believe -- June of 2008. Don't know how many total are projected. Based at least on the first volume, I recommend this series. Almost forgot: the book is illustrated in color. (I'm always annoyed when reviewers don't mention whether a graphic novel is in color or black-and-white.) The drawing is clear, competent, and well serves the narrative.

Best new series of 2002-3, June 5, 2003
Y, the Last Man really caught me off guard. The premise was interesting enough: a global plague kills all men but one. But could the creative team deliver on this premise? The answer is a resounding yes.

Brian Vaughn gives us a story part post-Apocalyptic sci-fi, part sociological discourse, and part road story, all wrapped up into one. His lead character, Yorick Brown, is an everyman. Nothing special about him other than that he's an adept escape artist. Other than that, he's your typical, semi-motivated twentysomething who was just trying to get by like most of us. Now he's the sole survivor of the entire male population (along with his pet monkey) and a political pawn that the now female-controlled world wants to either kill, study or use to propogate the species. And all the while, all Yorick really wants to do is find his girlfriend who's in Australia!

Artist, Pia Guerra, has a straightforward style and excellent storytelling skills. She reminds me a lot of Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame, which is a high compliment.

Y, the Last Man: Unmanned has interesting characters and a page-turning story that just won't let you go! If you like post-Apocalyptic stories like Planet of the Apes, Logan's Run, Omega Man or Road Warrior, you'll love this book. I look forward to future volumes of this series. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of her "flock" - Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel - are just like ordinary kids, except they have wings and can fly! It may seem like a dream come true to some, but for the flock it's more like a living nightmare. When the mysterious lab known as the "School" turns up and kidnaps their youngest member, it's up to Max to organize a rescue, but will help come in time? ... Read more

Reviews

Beautiful stuff, but short on storyline..., February 17, 2009
First of all, this is the first time that I got exposed to the story of Max and her "kin," so I am not familiar with the book series, but I have to say, this manga adaptation got me interested into looking at the whole series.

The manga is only 7 chapters long, and the whole book can be read in an hour or even less. That is the bad part because the next volume is scheduled on October 2009.

The good part is that the artwork of NaRae Lee is just breathtakingly beautiful. Sure the style is familiar, but the way she created each page along with the panels and pacing of the story is just great. I had to keep my eye a few minutes after reading each page just to enjoy the artwork further. The storyline of Maximum Ride is very western in style, but NaRae Lee was able to create a scene where the whole thing seems original and unique because of her style.

If you enjoy manga, do give this a chance. The story is intriguing but a bit predictable, but then its not so bad. The only real bad thing about this waiting for October for the next volume of the book.

If you haven't read the series, don't start w/ this., January 10, 2010
I've always been a big Maximum Ride fan, and was excited to read a Manga that actually re-accounted the book. The artwork is very good, however I did picture some of the characters a little different then it was drawn. The book just mainly covers the main plot. It's a very fast pace book, and if you haven't read Maximum Ride before, I don't recommend to start reading it from these books. Even reading the books I was glad to have some background knowledge on how the books were in order to get the plot. I can't believe how lost someone who has no knowledge of the series would get lost. I understand that this is a Manga book, so only so much plot can be put into this. However, back to the artwork, and the characters. Max is what - 14? and yet she could pass for twenty, and I'm not so happy with the way Fang came out. I never, pictured him with long hair that goes down almost to his feet, and I feel like his character is portrayed wrongly in the Manga. Don't get me started on Nudge she's what - 11 and she looks like she's 17 in the book with her big boobs.

Personally, if you haven't read the Maximum Ride series before, don't start with these. The artwork is good, minus the fact that the characters don't seem to be right to me. I expected more from this. I was finally excited to actually get a Manga book for one of my favorite books, but it wasn't what I thought.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, March 30, 2009
With beautiful illustrations by NaRae Lee, this adaptation of James Patterson's characters takes on a new and exciting life.

Fans of the Patterson series featuring Maximum Ride, the genetically manipulated bird girl and her family, are in for a treat with this Manga edition. Taking the adventures from the pages of his books, NaRae Lee brings the story alive with action and adventure.

Maximum and the other five bird children have been left alone for the past few years in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere. They believe Jeb, their "father," is dead, so they've been left to fend for themselves. But the night Angel, the youngest of the six children, gets taken by the Erasers, the remaining five know they have to go and
rescue her.

She has most likely been taken back to the "School." The "School" is the most horrible place to the children and somewhere they never wanted to have to return. But they have to go for Angel; she's one of their own.

The children head out on a daring rescue attempt to save Angel. They encounter more Erasers and other hardships along the way. But not everyone is out to harm the special bird children. Max finds a friend in the most unlikely place. And when they finally reach Angel, the biggest surprise of all is waiting for the children.

To discover how the story plays out, pick up MAXIMUM RIDE: THE MANGA, VOL. 1. The pages will seemingly turn on their own accord. With little dialogue and mostly action, the story will appeal to almost all age groups.

If you haven't read the stories that the Manga is based upon, have no fear. The story is easy to follow, and before you know it, you'll be hooked and eager for Vol. 2!

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

FrEaKiNg AwEsOmE, November 13, 2009
i just looooved this book! it follows the original plot fairly closely, and the artworkwas just fabulous! <3ed this book soooooooooooo much!

great Maximum Ride graphic novel!, March 25, 2009
this graphic novel is awesome! it follows the first part of The Angel Experiment, without leaving out any major details, and does it all with stunning visuals! the artist is talented and understands the story well. the characters' hair and wings are well drawn (my only complaint is, why is Fang's hair so long? it should be more like Iggy's , just black). the drawings bring the story and characters to life. hey, if the movie turns out to be crap, at least we fans have these beautiful graphic novels to enjoy.

i loved this first volume, and can't wait until Volume 2!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The entire Death Note manga story arc is now available in a box set for the first time! This custom box set includes all 12 books from the Death Note series, the information How To Read "Death Note 13" and exclusive Death Note premium gifts! The high gloss printed box set also comes with a recessed handle and velcro closure. The box set is 10% off the total retail price of 13 volumes of Death Note! This is a perfect gift for either yourself or anyone not yet exposed to the amazing intrigue of this Obha / Obata masterpiece.   Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life? Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is the strange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know? ... Read more

Reviews

Kira's World, October 10, 2008
There are a limited number of manga series that can be considered worldwide hits. Rather surprisingly, considering the amount of dialogue and seriousness of a story that the author had doubted would be accepted as a Shounen (young boy) Jump title even in Japan, Death Note became one of those titles. When a story about someone in our world finding a killing tool Death Gods use (and killing anyone they view as evil with to create a better world) becomes so successful it's a little special - it isn't every day that a story where words and not fists are used as weapons becomes this popular. Death Note has become so popular that there have even been stories on the American news about kids at school getting suspended after notebooks were found on them with details of deaths written inside!

My first encounter with Death Note was with the anime. I saw discussions about it on a forum I used to visit frequently just after the anime started airing in Japan and what I read interested me, a lover of dark and depressing stories, enough to download the first episode. I was blown away by the quality of the story, the mix of real world and fiction blending superbly. Every episode thrilled me more than the last during the first section of the story, never allowing me to remove myself from the edge of my seat. I watched all 37 episodes weekly and was very rarely disappointed.

Fast forwarding to the recent past, I discovered a Death Note manga box set was coming out by chance. I put in a pre-order with Amazon as soon as I found out about it, later cancelling to order from a cheaper store (I paid �39). I was a little worried about receiving a damaged set after my Naruto manga box set had arrived with some damage, but I put those fears aside since I wouldn't have ended up ordering it if I kept predicting a pessimistic future involving damaged goods. Thankfully, lightning didn't end up striking twice and this time around I was lucky - my set was undamaged on arrival.

After seeing the size of the box my set had been packed in, I was a little worried about the possibility of the store I purchased from sending me the wrong item - it looked tiny in comparison to the Naruto set. I realized after removing the box set from the packaging that the reason for the size was simply down to the Death Note set being compact, so there wasn't to be any drama. I suppose it was a bit silly of me to expect it to be anywhere as near as big as the 27 volume Naruto set...

The box set is certainly very stylish. On the front is an image of a vast amount of skulls bundled together (very fitting), with the Death Note logo going through the middle and various Death Note rules are written in faint text on black behind the image/logo. The back and both sides of the set have one lovely piece of artwork spread across them, the image showing Light holding a scythe whilst walking in (what I assume to be) the Death God world, with a total of seven Death Gods, including Ryuk and Rem, flying behind him in the background. The top and bottom of the set have the same look as the front, minus the bundle of skulls.

Moving onto the interior, the box opens by pulling at the two velcro circles located on the top of the box that connect the front of the box to the top. Once the front of the box is pulled down, you're greeted with an excellent view - all 12 of the Death Note story volumes lined up together and volume 13 sitting alone in its very own little area to the right of volume 12. The inside of the box is totally black apart from an image of a skull.

There's also a small extra thrown in: a large booklet. The booklet contains all the Death Note rules that were put in-between the chapters in the volumes. It isn't the most amazing extra you'll live to see when everything in the booklet is in the volumes, but having the booklet does make finding the rules a lot easier, and it was a nice surprise for me as I wasn't expecting the booklet to be included.

To be honest, I was a little concerned when I first saw pictures of the set; I thought it looked a little disappointing compared to the recently released Naruto set, but it actually looks very pleasing in the flesh. My only complaint about the artwork is that only Light, Ryuk and Rem managed to get themselves onto the box artwork - where were the images of L, Misa, Mikami and a fair few other characters who should've took the place of the (admittedly stylish) black background with faint Death Note rules?

I do have one technical problem with the box, although the problem is more down to me than the design of the box. There's a thin piece of cardboard that separates volume 1-12 and volume 13, this piece of cardboard being connected to the top and bottom. I rather stupidly put one too many volumes into the volume 1-12 section when trying to straighten the bent covers/pages of the books I'd read, not thinking about what could go wrong, and when I tried to remove a volume I must have pushed the little piece of cardboard too far, resulting in it coming loose from the top and no longer supporting the weight of volumes 1-12 when the box is on its side and volume 13 isn't in to support it. It's only a minor problem (at this stage) but, after I was so happy to receive it in perfect condition, it's still going to haunt an idiotic perfectionist like me to my grave. I hope none of you are silly enough to put too many volumes in and/or move the box around too much without volume 13 in to support the evil piece of cardboard!

As for the actual volumes (what you really pay for!), each of the volumes has a different coloured spine, with an image of different Death God at the top of each of the spines. The volume spines are definitely my favourite manga spines to date. The covers of the volumes all have the same theme: a cross, one or two characters shown and faint Death Note rules in the background, with each each volume cover using a different coloured background. The art inside the books is truly wonderful, the art clearly benefiting from Death Note having had one person work on the story and another on the art. The characters expressions are amazing at times, the artist clearly being very good at showing extreme emotions. The only problem with the art I spotted was with the early drawings of the Kira investigation team members being poor, the reason for this being that the artist didn't know during the early stages if they were important characters or not.

After only recently reading volume 1-27 of Naruto and seeing the author of that series use the pages in-between the chapters to reveal lots about himself, what disappointed me about the volumes wasn't the covers, nor was it the story - it was the lack of extras. The author of Death Note seems to have used a pen name, meaning he or she didn't want to reveal too much, which seems to be the reason behind the author not adding any information about his/her life in-between the chapters. Sure, there are a few Death Note rules in-between the chapters, but most of the rules aren't very interesting...reading about the experiences of the author would've been much better.

Now, with the box out of the way, it's best I cover volume 13 before describing the story and giving my thoughts, the reason being that volume 13 isn't anything to do with the story - it was called volume 13 only to get more people to buy it. So, what is volume 13? The answer is that it's a book filled with extras, ranging from interviews to character profiles. Quite a lot of the extras are a waste of space because they don't give new information or because they simply aren't detailed enough. For example, the early part of the book goes through the main characters, giving a few bits of information and showing a graph to highlight their qualities, yet there wasn't any in-depth character analysis and, going on a comment the author made about the most intelligent character in an interview, even the skill graphs were inaccurate. There is a lot of good content in the book, though, namely an interview with the author, an interview with the artist, an interview with both together and the pilot chapter that was created before Light and L came into existence. In all honesty, it's worth the money for the interviews and pilot chapter alone, so the disappointing sections don't really matter - it's nice to read once you finish the series.

I can now finally get into what matters: the story. Death Note is, as you can doubt work out from the name alone, one that deals with death on a regular basis. It starts with Light Yagami, a genius student who finds life all too easy, finding a notebook that a Death God dropped into the human world out of boredom. Light's initial reaction was to not take the notebook or the rules written inside it seriously, but he soon came to the horrifying realization that the notebook wasn't a joke when, out of curiosity, he wrote down the name of someone who was holding kids hostages in a school - the person died from a heart-attack 40 seconds after the name had been wrote down, just as the Death Note rules stated. Once Light paid attention to the rules, he understood that he could make anyone have a heart attack if, with their face in mind, he wrote down their name, or he could be more creative and specify exactly how they die.

From there, Light quickly overcame his fear and started to think about how he could better the world with this power. He was bored with his life prior to finding the Death Note and was disgusted with a world where criminals escaped punishment time and time again, so the Death Note made him more happy than he'd ever been once he got over the fact that he'd actually killed another human. But, as you'd expect, Light wasn't doing this purely out of the goodness of his cold heart: he wants to become the God of the new world he plans to create with the power of the Death Note. As Ryuk (the Death God who dropped the notebook) accurately points out at the start, even if Light manages to accomplish his goal he would have to write his own name in at the end since he would be the last 'evil' person alive.

Much to the frustration of Light and the joy of suspense lovers worldwide, an enemy who could stop him was quick to stand in his way, the enemy being someone called L; the greatest detective in the world. Light's arrogance and temper allowed L to stun Light in their very first encounter, and from that point onwards a psychological battle between the two got underway. Light/Kira (what he comes to be known as by the public) wants to discover the name and face of L in order to kill him, while L wants to find out who Kira is and capture him. Both hide behind masks and, with Light able to kill anyone he knows the name and face of, the battle between the two is not without many twists and turns as the two geniuses try to outwit the other.

The Death Note story is mostly very well written and thrilling to read. The first 34-36(ish) chapters are all brilliant, the best manga I've read. The quality does then drop during the Yotsuba section for a fair few chapters, with comedy and needless chatter taking away from the seriousness and slowing down the story, but the story returns to being epic before too long and then hits its highest point with the tear-inducing finale to the first half of the story. Then, once the second half of the story gets going, it starts out exciting but the quality quickly deteriorates and the pacing becomes very poor, with far too much needless chatter taking up space. And, after a lengthy period of boring chapters, the story resumes being thrilling near chapter 80 and this time it doesn't stop until the very end - the author seemed to rediscover the magic that made the first section of the story so amazing.

I suppose it's fair to call Death Note a bit of a mixed bag due to how the quality shifts from stunning to average from time to time, but the best parts of the story more than make up for the less interesting parts. I don't even think the areas I've described as average were that bad, they just don't have the wow factor the best sections of the story have.

What makes Death Note stand out in my mind is how well the author depicts our world. The Death Note world is bleak, depressing and full of people who don't deserve to live - just like our world. Whilst reading, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if a Death Note appeared in our world: would people still say killing is wrong or, as the world changed as more and more criminals died and crime reduced dramatically, would Kira become a God in the eyes of people? It's a question we'll never know the answer to but it's pretty interesting thinking material for a Shonen Jump title to provide readers.

The author has made a lot of surprising comments in interviews, the two most attention grabbing being that he/she supposedly only had up to chapter 3 planned when he/she started and that he/she didn't intend to send out a message with the story. It's fascinating that someone could write such an intelligent story with so little forward planning and create so many in-depth discussions about topics such as good and evil when the author only intended to create an entertaining story. Using myself as an example of someone who reads more into Death Note than the author intended, I've always thought the message Death Note sends out is clear: it's not possible for a human to reach the realm of God, no matter how perfect the person who tries may be.

With the story parts done and dusted, there is one more important area I need to talk about: the characters. Death Note has a cast of characters that start out complete, which is highly unusual. Everything you need to know about Light is revealed in the first chapter (he's intelligent, selfish and has a God complex), L is an eccentric genius with no social skills (no development needed), Misa is a simple woman who is obsessed with Kira due to her past and everything you need to know about the important members of the Kira investigation team is clear from their personalities. It would've been nice if, for example, a few flashbacks to L's past had been included, but it wasn't necessary for either the plot or his character, and the same can be said about the others. I mean, did we need to see a flashback of Light's past that tried to make him into a more sympathetic character? It would've ruined his character; he's supposed to be a character who cares only about himself, not one who started hating others because of a tragic event or something.

There is one fairly big character negative that needs to be mentioned and, due to the risk of spoilers, I'm going to have to be vague. A character who enters the story in the second half starts out by doing everything he can in order to be the best, even going as far as using and killing others to reach his goal. But, near the end, he does something illogical that goes against his character, and that illogical action resulted in the story ending how it does. So, at the expense of the character, the author used him in order to reach the conclusion he/she she wanted. Even though I love the ending, it's bad writing for a character to do something out of character for the sake of the story.

...Anyway, since this review has gone on for far longer than I intended already, I'm going to attempt to end this after I touch on one more issue: The anime. In my eyes, the anime is the best manga adaptation in existence - it's near enough perfect in my eyes. Madhouse (the studio behind the anime) made the experience far better with the perfect choice of colour, great 'camera angles', small additions that made certain scenes far more dramatic (such as a certain evil grin in episode 25) and a FAR better second half of the story. Madhouse did the best thing they could've done when they removed all the boring chatter out of the second half of the story - they turned what was slow-paced and boring into something fast-paced and exciting. The ONLY thing they did wrong was changing the ending slightly. Also, I have to mention that Death Note has the best soundtrack I've ever heard (I still listen to it even now) and the best Japanese voice acting performance I've heard.

To sum it all up, Death Note is brilliant and the box set is a nice piece for a collector. No manga and/or anime fanatic should miss out on reading/seeing Death Note, and no bargain hunter should miss out on getting the box set.

If you're the sort of person who likes to see a review end with a rating, 9/10 is the rating I give it. Since I rated the anime 10/10, I think it's fair that the (in my opinion) inferior manga receives a slightly lower rating. Although I want to go into more detail, the review has gone on for longer than I intended already and time is getting on, so I'm going to stop here. I hope whoever reads this finds it at least a little bit helpful.

Buy It Right Now, January 17, 2009
I'm going to make this short and sweet. I generally don't write reviews. They take too much time and too much thought and I never really get the feeling anyone is reading them. Therefore it takes something pretty god damn exceptional for me to go out of my way to give it a review. The Death Note Series is one of those pretty god damn exceptional products. I'm not a fan of manga in general and I can't think of any anime shows I like so for me to like this manga collection as much as I do is really saying something. The plot is very dark, even with some humor thrown in every now and then, and there are several cool and interesting characters thrown into the mix of things to make it entertaining. The story plays out like a cat and mouse detective story with awesome, and completely unique, twists on the genre. What I enjoyed most about the series was the several philosophical questions I had to ask myself in regards to morality and the nature of good and evil that I encountered during this book. I will not give anything away but if you read it you will know what I'm talking about almost right away. The ending was also one of the most brilliant endings I ever could have asked for, working on several different levels for me and remarkable enough that I feel it deserves a special mention. I hope you buy this and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

- Sean Summers

The Ultimate Collection - Great art, great story, great price!, July 23, 2009
A series defintely not for the younger reader, Death Note is anything but typical. Light Yagami finds a notebook that will allow him to kill anyone by writing their name down in it. He is not the average hero you find in Shonen Jump titles, he is the opposite. The great thing about Death Note is that the author weaves a brilliant tale to make you root for the police one minute and Light the next.

With detailed artwork from Obata (Hikaru No Go) and an engrossing storyline, it's no wonder Death Note has become a worldwide sensation.

This collection is a steal. With each volume sold for $7.99 separately, the bargain is there. The box is a nice addition but not the real draw for me. It's all about the deal. Get it while it's hot!

*Note, this series includes extreme violence, murder, adult situations, etc. It is a reading-intensive graphic novel. It is a 'thinking' manga, packed with internal monologues and intense descriptions.

A "Perfect" World Indeed, January 30, 2010
For this review, I will be going over the specifics of the package and the content provided. Inside the decorated box includes 13 volumes of Death Note and a small booklet containing the regulations behind the use of the Death Note. Each manga, ranging around 200 pages each, are snuggly fit inside the box.

Death Note follows a young protagonist by the name of Light Yagami, whom to many call a genius. While going through with his daily duties as a high school student, he stumbles upon a notebook. The book promises to kill anyone if their name is written. Each notebook gains the use of a Shinigami, a death god. These gods are in no way to help or injure the new owner of the Death Note, simply to follow them as they go about their daily lives. As Light unveils the powers of the notebook, he starts ridding off the people who have done malicious activities. He wishes to rid the world of crimes and, in essence, wants to create a utopia. Of course, consequences are to be met and it's up to Light to avoid accusations and to not become found by not only the Japanese Police Force, but the rest of the world as well.

For any fans of Death Note, this package will include all the manga volumes of this acclaimed series. Considering each manga costs around $8 for a new copy, this price is a bargain for any collector.

This is a REAL deal!, November 7, 2008
I received this box set just a few days ago and all I can say is that I'm very pleased with my purchase. This item is a real bargain!!! The box includes the 12 manga books that are worth each one almost 10 bucks, plus the book #13, which is the "How to read" Death Note special, and a small booklet that has all the Death Note rules. The art on the box looks awesome; it features Light Yagami with Ryuk, Rem and some other death gods. This makes a GREAT present for anyone who's a fan of the series or wishes to own this amazing manga. I highly recommend to buy it here in Amazon: it's the lowest price I've seen yet.

Excellent Purchase, October 25, 2008
This is a great series and this collection captures it perfectly. The container which comes with it is great aswell. The only downside is that once you've finished it you're left with an empty feeling; there's no other manga as good as this one. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In many ways, Season of Mists is the pinnacle of the Sandmanexperience. After a brief intermission of four short stories (collected as Dream Country) Gaiman continued the story of the Dream King that he began in the first two volumes. Here in volume 4, we find out about the rest of Dream's Endless family (Desire, Despair, Destiny, Delirium, Death, and a seventh missing sibling). We find out the story behind Nada, Dream's first love, whom we met only in passing during Dream's visit to hell in the first book. When Dream goes back to hell to resolve unfinished business with Nada, he finds her missing along with all of the other dead souls. The answer to this mystery lies in Lucifer's most uncharacteristic decision--a delicious surprise.There is something grandiose about this story, in which each chapter ends withsuch suspense and drive to read the next. This book is best summed up by a toasttaken from the second chapter: "To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and theseason of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil hisdue." --Jim Pascoe ... Read more

Reviews

Literary Storytelling at its best, May 1, 2001
Neil Gaiman's artistic exploration of sin and redemption in Sandman: Season of Mists is a wonderful example of the literary excellence that can be achieved with a graphic novel format. Gaiman blends traditional literary techniques, surreal art, and evocative storytelling in order to create a unique work of literature.

Sandman is a seventy-five issue comic book series which follows Morpheus, a divine being known also as Sandman, as he explores the dreams of humanity and deals with other divine creatures in order to better understand mankind. Season of Mists, the third story arc in the series, begins with the Sandman, Lord of Dreams, journeying into Hell in order to forgive a woman he condemned nearly ten thousand years ago. Things quickly become complicated, however, when Lucifer decides to resign as king of Hell, and leaves the Sandman with the key to his kingdom. As the story progresses, the Sandman finds himself debating what to do with an empty Hell, as well as contemplating what it would mean to forgive the woman he condemned.

Gaiman writes the above story in a poetic narrative that incorporates a variety of literary techniques. The divine beings the Sandman encounters speak in an almost musical pattern that uses a lot of alliteration, and one scene, in which the Sandman speaks to a group of historical writers, is even written completely in iambic pentameter. The style works extremely well, since it also serves as an allusion to the poetic works of Shakespeare (who even makes a brief appearance in the tale), Dante's Divine Comedy, and John Milton's poem Paradise Lost, all of which are classic literary works that explore similar themes of sin and redemption.

The majority of Gaiman's literary techniques, however, are incorporated into the story through the art. Most of the figurative language, such as metaphors, allusions, and imagery are made literal by the visible depictions of characters and locations. In one scene, all the divine beings the Sandman encounters are each drawn according to the art styles of the cultures from which they originate. In another scene, we see the horrors occurring at a boarding school for troubled boys. Flip back a few pages to the depiction of Hell, and the similarities between the two locations become clear. Most effective, however, is the scene in which Lucifer congratulates God on the beauty of a sunset. The painting which accompanies the statement conveys that beauty far more effectively than words ever could.

Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Season of Mists is a fantastical and intelligent tale that belongs in any literary collection.

Amazing Modern Mythology, January 7, 2000
Upon my first reading of this story of The Sandman series, i was struck by how simply and profoundly Gaiman interwove so many mythologies, all the while writing the most original modern myth of our time -- dare i say _all_ time -- something that a dust cover blurb would say "if William Blake and Mark Twain colaborated on the story of what Lucifer is doing these days..." Everything from the Angels, Duma and Remiel (quite wonderful choices -- check out G. Davidson's "Dictionary of Angels" for how accurate!), to the enraged expelled demons, Azazel and company, and the self-admitted profound absence of the Greek dieties. With each successive reading, i found these threads are strung together into an amazing story of what might happen should the Ruler of Hell abdicate. Told through the perspective (and responsibility) of the Prince of Stories, the Lord Shaper Morpheus himself. i found this to be a as great a starting point as any for the series, if for no other reason, because of the wondrous introduction of Dream and his family, The Endless. The resolution of plot and every subplot, is quite tasty, and having Lucifer acknowledge the beauty of sunsets that The Creator (and his nemesis) provides daily, gives me chills just to think of it. And the bookended cliche phrases of "Once Upon A Time" and "Happily Ever After. In Hell." Give this esoteric mythos tale the finishing air of mundanity (?) that place it within the realm of each and every one of us. Aside from being my own personal favorite longer story within the series, it is in my opinion, the best. ["The Kindly Ones" would be a close second.]

The best of the series...and that's saying a lot, June 23, 2005
The fourth book in The Sandman Chronicles, Season of Mists picks up where the second volume, The Doll's House left off, continuing the story of Dream and his siblings. Unlike the previous books, Season of Mists focuses mostly on immortals (or those close to it) rather than mortals. Only one of the chapters of the book even took place on earth, and that was dealing with the dead, not the living.

Because of this slightly different format, Season of Mists introduced a lot of rather colorful characters. Some were the relatively familiar faces of Norse, Egyptian, and Eastern gods, angels, and demons, while others were new characters, delightful and colorful in their own way. I particularly liked the contrast of Order and Chaos and, of course, the faeries, but that was a given to anyone who knows me at all.

I promise, though, I won't dwell on them here. I love Nuala, but in Season of Mists she really plays a very small roll.

The central plot of Season of Mists is the abandonment of Hell. Lucifer closes it, turning out all the souls, and then gives the key to Dream to do with as he will. This, naturally proves far more complicated than it originally seems.

Most of the story is concerned with the direct repercussions of this, particularly among the (relatively) immortal creatures of mythology. The result was one of the most fun chapters I've read in a long time-the chapter where they all come and present their cases to Dream, trying to win Hell for themselves. The interactions were entertaining, and the different ways that they tried to persuade Dream to give them the key to Hell, along with their reasons for wanting it and plans for it, were as varied and entertaining as they are.

I have to admit, that I was a little disappointed with the ultimate decision, and I wish that I could have known who Dream would have chosen if no one had interceded, but I do admit that the decision that was reached was the only one that could be reached. It did, however, raise an interesting point when Hell was given to its new owners and re-populated. I'm not sure that I agree that it's worse to be tortured to be redeemed and made a better person than it is to be tortured for no reason, but I can see how, with eternal torment, this might be the case. It is, after all, easier to bear unpleasant things if you can be righteously angry about them.

Woven in with the main story of the "battle" for Hell, was a secondary plot line. It was, for a while, seemingly forgotten once the key to Hell was handed over to Dream, but Gaiman did not forget about it, and the conclusion to that was even more satisfying, in my opinion, than the conclusion to the main story. I was glad that Nada was not forgotten in all the distractions.

I know that there is more to Season of Mists than I've gotten out of it, but I've only read it once and, like the other books in The Sandman, it is one that must be read multiple times in order to be fully appreciated. It is also a book I hope to return to sometime in the future.

A major step for Sandman, July 14, 2003
It is appropriate that Season of Mists opens with the first round-table meeting of the Endless, the title character's family who all rule over some "realm" of conscious experience. This story arch marks the point where Sandman went from being a super-smart horror series to a Middle Earth for the alternarock generation. No more would scary monsters and gruesome imagery be the defining features of Neil Gaiman's adult-orientated fantasy comic book. Instead ambiguously defined gods and semi-gods, such as the Endless, and their (mis)adventures in the modern world would be the driving force behind Sandman. This type of literature would become Gaiman's specialty and was probably always his primary interest. Likewise Season of Mists sees Gaiman write with greater ease and elegance than ever before, making this the best piece of the Sandman saga thus far.

In Season of Mists, Sandman AKA Dream AKA Morpheus, the series' main character and the member of the Endless who controls the realm of dreams, ventures into Hell to free a former lover he condemned there thousands of years ago. When he arrives, he finds Lucifer preparing to abandon his post, evicting all of the damned and demons and locking the gates. He gives the key to Hell to Morpheus. Afterwards, a horde of deities, from Anubis to Odin, storm Morpheus' realm, called "the Dreaming," wanting to bargain for the key.

Gaiman's examination of the mythologies and religions of mankind is somehow admiring, thought-provoking and humorous at the same time. His use of characterization is marvelous and his sense of suspense is always second to none. Meanwhile, Mike Dringenberg, the artist of most the saga, creates marvels for the eyes with his portrayals of surreal settings such as Hell and the Dreaming. Although latter story archs would surpass it, Seasons of the Mist was a bold new step for Sandman and showed many of the traits that made it such a great series.

Excellent...as usual from Gaiman, April 5, 2000
_Season of Mists_ (volume 4 of 10) isn't my favorite installment in the Sandman series, but it's a very good one. The story is exciting, cool, and intelligent, as expected, and the ending made me cry. I like the way this story introduces some important themes (like the beginning of the change in Dream's character, Lucifer abandoning Hell...) which you probably won't see the significance of until much later. There's always more to discover...

The only thing I don't like about this story is the art. While the prologue and epilogue are very well drawn, and the interlude is okay, Kelly Jones, who drew the rest of the story, is my least favorite Sandman artist. In one panel Dream grins like a chimpanzee. Death is just weird, and bears almost no physical resemblance to her usual self. And what happened to the Lucifer from issue 4? He was cool, but I don't like the way he looks now. BUT...none of this should impact your enjoyment of the story. Can't judge by appearances, and all that, yes? Season of Mists remains one of the best Sandman story arcs (aren't they all). And *you* may like the art; some people consider it the best in the series. I just don't, that's all. Definitely, whether you're new to Gaiman or already a fan, pick up Season of Mists; you're in for a really great read.

Sandman : Season of Mists, November 29, 1999
This story is one of the most compelling and engaging stories to find a new population of readers in quite awhile. Simply put, the story reminds us that no one sends you to Hell, that all Hells are self imposed and that the key to freedom lies within the mind of those trapped there. No one else can forgive you till you forgive yourself. Mixed with mythology and ideas fom many cultures, this book creates a blending of ideas that shows how similar we all are rather than how different. Most people will find the story entertaining and thought provoking on many levels. The entire series of Sandman Books is one big story that simply says, "We are, what we dream we are."

Fantastic, August 13, 1999
All of the Endless (Except one) sit down for a nice family dinner given by Destiny. As is prone to happen at family dinners, arguments happen and old wounds are reopened. Desire makes Dream feel remorse for banishing a woman to Hell because she chose not to love him. Dream decided he was wrong in his actions that took place some 2,000 years ago (The entire story is contained in the prologue to Doll's House).

Dream sets out to Hell to free Nada. However, once he arrives there, he finds Lucifer closing up and moving on. He has decided not to rule Hell anymore and gives the Key to Hell to Dream. This is where the story really begins...

The research that Neil, put into this series is fantastic! He takes pieces from virtually every religion and mythology in the world and stirs them up in his own special Sandman stew. Once word gets around that Dream is now ruler of Hell, many assorted deities (such as Odin and Thor of the Norse Gods, faeries, assorted demons, etc.) plead their case that Dream should give them the key to Hell. Seeing the various characters interact with each other is the most interesting part of this complex story. The ending (which I won't give away) is very surprising, yet it makes sense. The art for these issues is terrific and the characters are equally great. This series contains the first appearences of Despair, Delirium, Lucifer, and Nuala all of whom would become major players in the series.

This Story Lies All Within A Key, December 6, 2004
"The Sandman: Season of Mists" is the fourth volume of ten. In this epic, Dream travels to Hell in a quest to free a woman named Nada that he condeemed to Hell over ten thousand years ago. He goes on this quest, because he took the advice and encouragement of his eldest sister, Death. When Dream arrives to Hell he finds that there is no one there and that Lucifer no longer wants the burden of ruling Hell weighing down upon him, so he gives the key to his domain to Dream. Initially, Dream is honored, but he soon realizes that the power of this key is corrupting him. In his kingdom of the Dreaming, Dream sits and ponders what he should do with this key. At this time, Dream is visited by a horde of characters from mythological realms to the Silver City to the very depths of Hell itself. Dream's decision in this story is incredibly important not only to the people who have traveled for the key, but to the universe that surrounds them.

Anyway, this book is probably right up there with "The Doll's House," which still, in my opinion, is a masterpiece. "Season of Mists" should be in every comic book readers collection along with all the other "Sandman" books.

Where Dream Meets Myth, October 18, 2003
With this fourth instalment to the Sandman series, Gaiman finally takes the time to introduce us to Dream's elusive siblings, the Endless. Although we briefly encountered several of them in The Doll's House, Gaiman allows us to spy in on the family dynamics as all six (or is it seven; note the one empty chair) sit around the table together and bicker and argue as most families are wont to do. The brief little write up for Desire, Despair, Destiny, Delirium, and Dream in the introductory chapter is most welcome, but why not one for Death?

Although the art was generally good, I found it a little off, at times. In particular, I didn't like the depiction of Dream or Death. I much better preferred how they appeared in Preludes and Nocturnes. To compound this problem, the text oftentimes had inconsistent images of both Dream and Death. I'm not sure why Dream sometimes appeared strikingly different in different cells on the same page, and I must say I found such occurrences distracting.

I have no complaints on the story, however. Gaiman raises the bar here, and deeply immerses the text with the various myths held by civilizations past and present. Gaiman is obviously very familiar with these themes; his firm control of the narrative and adept insertion of these various complicated mythologies provides the reader access to people and places no other graphic novel does. Further, only someone with as puckish a sense of humour as Gaiman could contrive a situation where the Norse God Thor would put the moves on the Egyptian cat Goddess, Bast. Thor appears to be quite the party animal, too: drinker, swearer and maker of rowdy jokes.

Like the other texts in the Sandman canon, I highly recommend Season of Mists. It is with this tome that Gaiman flaunts his `literariness' and proves that comics are capable of high art, too.

I walked in Destiny's Garden..., November 5, 2006
Highly disappointed with "Dream Country", I found myself a bit hesitant about opening the pages to this next chapter in possibly the most imaginative fictional character ever created. "Preludes & Nocturnes" made me salivate for more of Gaiman's creation, while "The Doll's House" set the foundation for future stories and possible interludes, but when it came to "Dream Country" I found myself taking several huge steps back. It followed a different beat, the characters were nowhere to be seen, and it felt like a colorful collection of short, un-compelling stories. I was hurt, and it took me quite a bit of time to open Gaiman's next chapter, but not to worry, my fears ended as I started to read the first few frames ... Gaiman was back, and no door was going to be closed for this next collection entitled, "Season of Mists"!

Gaiman has this unique ability to bring worlds of near non-parallel existence together in a way that we could never imagine. His darkness is back from the opening page when we meet one of his brothers - Destiny. What is great about this opening is that fans of Gaiman's previous chapters will instantly have satisfaction in knowing that the cold spell known as "Dream Country" is over, and we are pulled back into Dream's world. Gaiman re-introduces us to our heroine through his family, by introducing us to his sisters and brothers. While we do not know the purpose of the meeting, we see how the family (perhaps not unlike your own family) interact and co-exist. Like a glass of aged wine, the story progresses with comfort and ease, with Gaiman never quite giving us answers only leading us further down his darkened road. We see humility with our Master of Sleep, Sandman, when he is reminded of a past love that he sentenced to Hell ten thousand years ago. He wants her back, and due to the meeting (thanks to Destiny), he decides to get her back. Nearly reminiscent of "Preludes & Nocturnes", we head back to Hell, but this time, Lucifer himself has a trick up his sleeve.

Lucifer presents Sandman with the ultimate gift, the Keys of Hell, and it will be his decision on what to do with the "gift". What creates the meaty center of this epic tale are what choices the Sandman is presented with by each one of the possible suitors looking to inherit the keys to the almighty Kingdom. Gaiman intricately weaves different Gods from different myths and stories to give us such a vast universe of truths and legend. Gaiman grows the small world we began with into something extraordinary, a world with more open doors than one could ever imagine. We, the readers, are given hints towards the future, as to the strange occurrence of Dream's missing brother, the troubled love between him and Nada, as well as the angels that are determined to change Hell. Loki is even traded for a favor that I am sure Gaiman will explore later.

"Season of Mists" rebirths the excitement that was originally developed in the first two collections that introduced us to Dream. These stories are dark, disturbing, challenging, and utterly fantastical. There is an amazing blend (of which only Gaiman could create) of imagination, creativity, fantasy, and honesty within these stories that immediately pulled this skeptical reader back from the "Dream Country" void. The images are crisp, vibrant, and completely within the realm of this series - for those that couldn't enjoy "Dream Country", "Season of Mists" will bring you back to the world that you loved. Gaiman and his collection of illustrators bring us back to the world that we loved and missed with the last collection. The disturbing truth of Hell, the infinite life of Dream's family, as well as the colliding worlds around that all pine for a track of land to call their own. This collection opened a whole new world to the series, demonstrating that there is a world outside of our own that may have magic, but the undertones are very similar to ours. Sibling rivalry coupled with competitive land developers are just a few of the channels that Gaiman bring to us in "Season of Mists".

I haven't mentioned this in my other reviews yet, but I have to with this collection because it became more obvious to me as I read and saw Dream in each of the stories. I am an enormous fan of what Gaiman has chosen to do with this character - he has given Dream a constantly changing face. What I mean is that Gaiman always has new artists creating his work, thus providing us this true feeling of being in a dream where nothing remains the same. I love to see other's thoughts on what Dream may look like, and while we revert back to the "original" form to demonstrate consistency, it is these subtle changes that make these stories more enjoyable each time you turn the page. The Sandman may be only one person, but he wears many eccentric faces.

Overall, for those that felt that Gaiman fell off his stride in "Dream Country", you will not be disappointed with this outing. We go further into the mind of Gaiman to see his demons, his Gods, and his darkly religious undertones. What I loved about this collection is that while there is this idea of religion, Gaiman seems to bring it to us in all different shapes and sizes. There are Gods, but he skittles around the idea of one larger entity. I loved the idea of "Chaos" and "Order", and the shapes that they chose to take. I deeply enjoyed the poetic ending that seemed to bring purpose to it all - it seemed that Destiny did make an impact, even with just one small event. "Season of Mists" easily ranks as my second favorite in this series. While I do believe that there isn't one that could quite match the veracity of "Preludes and Nocturnes", this one comes very close. For anyone that wants to explore the world of Dream, I would use this as a reference due to the humanity of his character in these stories. He has a conflict, and it is how he chooses to deal with the issues that make him purely Gaiman. I was impressed from page one!

Grade: ***** out of ***** ... Read more

Editorial Review

Two of the comics industry's top creative talents, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind JLA: EARTH 2, reunite to redefine Superman based on the timeless, essential iconic elements that everyone knows about the Man of Steel.

In the first volume, the World's Greatest Super-Hero rescues a doomed group of astronauts on the surface of the sun when he's exposed to massive amounts of solar radiation no one could possibly anticipate how he'll be affected - except Lex Luthor! ... Read more

Reviews

A nod to the Silver age with modern relevance, April 25, 2007
This hardcover collects the first six issues of the best-selling All Star Superman line of comics. It is written by Grant Morrison (Doom Patrol, JLA) and superbly illustrated by Frank Quietly (WE3, New X-Men, JLA: Earth 2).

The All-Star line of comics is sort of like the "ultimate" version of marvel comics, where decades old characters are free from continuity and the authors can write the character in a new direction. And this writer and artist team does that in spades. The first story deals with Superman being over-exposed to the Sun (courtesy of Lex Luthor) and is dying slowly. The second story deals with Superman taking Lois to the Fortress of Solitude. The third deals with two other super-powered being vying for Lois' affection. The fourth deals with Jimmy Olsen gaining superpowers. The fifth deal with Clark Kent interviewing Luthor is prison and a prison-break is on the way (my favorite). And the sixth story deals with Clark coming to term with his father, Jonathan Kent's death.

All these stories have a fun and nostalgic feel to them and is clearly a nod to the silver age of comics where every month, Jimmy got a new power, or Lois trying to marry Superman, etc. But at the same time, it is written in such a way that it is still relevant to the modern times. Yes, there is nostalgia and silver age goofiness but no, you will not be turned off by it and instead will enjoy it.

As far as the art goes, Quietly can do no wrong. His work is extremely detailed. I love his portrayal of Clark who seems like a pudgy, accident-prone and clumsy individual (which is spot on with Morrison's characterization).

All is all, one of the best Superman collections in recent years. The stories are pretty self-contained and are a joy to read. Highest possible recommendation.

WORST SUPER-MAN BOOK NEVER: A BIZARRO REVIEW, July 21, 2007
Me am so mad at Grant Morrison for drawing such a bad book. And me no pleased that Frank Quitely not decide to write! This is surely not worst ever book that not star Me Bizarro's least hated hero, Lex Luthor, world's most hairiest man! The sight of seeing Superman walking in space with moon behind him is such a wretched piece of art that me not have it framed and wear around me's neck! It is really boring story that not serve to show that Spider-Man really am biggest DC Villain of No-Time! Lois Lane surely am ugly man and Jimmy Olsen is the real star of the whole story! Perry White not edit well world's least read newspaper, Daily Planet. This whole story is one big hoax. Everybody know that Superman is already dead, so him no in danger of living long life! Hooray!
TRANSLATED: this is, as Grant Morrison put it, "a love letter to Superman". Nothing else really need be said. I simply cannot wait until this entire run is collected into an ABSOLUTE EDITION.
Some criticism has been levelled at this book about it not being spectacular enough (read: action-heavy) and "too Silver Age" , but that is to miss the point. It's obvious that Grant has chosen to tell his story a particular way, focusing less on the "bigger" aspects of normal superhero comics and more on the quieter, introspective aspects of the Superman-verse.
I particularly love the sequence in issue 1 where Clark is late to a meeting and Grant/Frank depict his saving the boy and dog from the oncoming truck, to then "saving" Steve from scolding himself with coffee to Clark's classic line: "Working on my suntan, Chief?" Brilliant! No, actually, make that -- "SUPER!"
I am in awe!

Ultimate Superman!, March 4, 2007
If uyou're like me, you're tired of the Peter Parker treatment for Superman. You want the mythic, epic, ultimate superhero to receive the type of treatment he deserves. Well, look no further.

This combines the nostalgia of the 60's Weisinger era and Morrison's bold science fiction concepts and blends them into a seamless whole. What's great is that each chapter is a roughly self contained story, making this perfect for casual reading. Morrison not only manages to play with classic elements of the Superman mythos, but add a poignant emotional core to each story while providing us with the all out Superman action we've been dying for. In addition to the spot on characterization of Superman, we'vre got the best Lex Luthor of all time-- Hannibal Lector like in his chilling, cool demeanor, you'll believe a small bald man can be a worthy foe to the most powerful man in the world.

And, let's not forget the art. Frank Quitely has taken the charm of the greats such as Swan or Romita SR, with his clean, crisp linework and given it a quirky, surreal quality with his unusual figurework and faces. You're not walking into the regular world that happens to have Superman--you're walking into another dimension, an epic fantasy world not unlike Never Never Land or Tolkien's Middle Earth. The odd machines, the wild creatures--not since John Byrne has Superman had such a defintive artist.

Sorry to blather on like this, but Superman is my favorite character and the only ones of the modern era who have come close are John Byrne's run and Alan Moore's Supreme. For a Superman starved fan, this is a blessing.

Superman the way he was always meant to be!, June 26, 2007
Simply put, All-Star Superman Vol.1 collects the best Superman stories I have ever read, unless Grant Morrison shines even brighter in upcoming issues. Volume 1 collects the first six issues of the series and every story is a gem spanning one issue each. All-Star Superman is set in a world that is totally free from DC continuity, and this gives Morrison the freedom to do what he likes and to really unchain his fecund imagination to deliver ideas and plotlines that stagger even the most intellectual reader. Usually of a mystical disposition, Morrison succeeds in imbuing these stories with a mythology that brings to mind the Superman of the sixties, but with noticeable differences. Sure, the fortress of solitude is still there (I am still waiting for the bottle-city of Kandor to make an appearance), but the gigantic golden key (pre-Crises, before the DC universe was re-vamped) has been replaced with a normal-sized key that weights thousands of tons as it is composed of super-dense dwarf matter. The superman-robots also make appearances, yet they have been altered by Morrison and the stunning art of Frank Quitely to serve as Superman's servants and fellow lab assistants, and not just stand-ins for Superman whenever Clark has to make an appearance alongside his alter-ego. That's another part I fell in love with all over again: the fact that Superman possesses a super-intellect in addition to his physical abilities (a concept largely forgotten after the John Byrne re-imagining of the Man of Steel in the eighties) and this allows for all manner of insane events and mind-shattering inventions that cause unbelievable havoc every now and then. Another fine addition to the all-star mythos is the League of Supermen which consists of Supermen from different eras (all decendents of the first Superman) and how they protect the timestream from menaces like 'the Chrono-vore,' a being that eats a few seconds of your life. Sure, Morrison portrays Superman as almost almighty, but the reader does get a sense of the crisis to the overall story when the very first issue reveals that Superman is perhaps a little bit more mortal than we think after he is exposed to an enormous amount of solar rays. This forms the entire basis for the series, even forcing Superman to reveal something to Lois which he never would have done otherwise. One of the stories stood out above all the others though, and it bears mention, simply because it stamps Morrison's signature on one of the greatest Supervillians of all time: Lex Luthor. Clark is sent on assignment to interview Luthor on Death Row, and what follows is a hillarious but also shocking tale of escape and insight as Luthor and Clark flee from a crazed Parasite. Luthor's brilliant dialogue ("Did you know Melville's Moby Dick can be recited at frequencies so high that they form a sonic drill capable of digging through concrete?") and insane ego shines brilliantly in this issue, appropriately titled "The Gospel according to Lex Luthor," making this my favorite story of the series so far. Grant Morrison has re-invigorated the Man of Tomorrow, and with the brilliant art of Frank Quitely rounding out every story All-Star Superman will continue to occupy a special place in my bookshelf. Recommended for anyone who loves fantasy, sci-fi, and superheroics done with an intellectual twist.

Super Work By True All-Stars!, June 13, 2007
I've never had much interest in Superman. I've gone on record in several instances claiming that while he has the potential to be a wonderfully well-rounded character, too many of his handlers in the past have opted to make him nothing more than a super-man battling giant monkeys and avoiding fragments of rock.

Morrison does not make this mistake. Morrison addresses all those psychological aspects that make Superman super, none of which have anything to do with the ability to leap a tall building in a single bound.

However, Morrison also brings us those undeniably fun qualities of Superman that existed in the Silver Age and mixes them with a 2007 mentality, giving us a hybrid of quirkiness and depth that only a mad scientist like Morrison could achieve. His Lex Luthor, for example, is a combination of everything in the past that has worked well for the character, but he still manages to give us something fresh.

In other words, he's giving us the best of two worlds (pun totally intended) with the Superman mythos. Furthermore, I love this collection because each issue basically can stand alone, yet they also blend together to form a unified whole as well.

Let's talk about the art! Quitely is simply an artist in the truest sense of the word. Every single panel is a joy to behold. I love the way he took Superman's costume and really made it otherworldly with the slightest of adjustments. By shortening the cape and elongated the trunks just a bit, I no longer see a big man wearing his underwear on the outside. It looks like some sort of space-man outfit, which, remember, is exactly what Superman is--a space man. Oh, and by the way, I don't mean to sound weird or whatever, but Quitely draws the cutest Lois Lane I've ever seen. He manages to convey her strength and self-reliance while still making her attractive. For some reason in the past, artists have had trouble blending the two.

If you're a die-hard Superman fan, you'll love this collection. If you're like me and you were more engrossed with the creative team than the character, you'll still love it. And if you don't even like comic books, you'll still love this one. This is truly the super work of some all stars.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

The best Superman has to offer, April 19, 2007
For the last year or so I have been searching for THE great Superman story. Superman is an exceedingly difficult character to write and the best stories tend to focus less on physical conflicts and more on emotional. After all, Superman is nigh on to a god. Birthright was ok but my favorite was probably Red Son despite the fact that it was a one shot Elseworlds story. All-Star Superman is clearly a non-canonized storyline but it is a stellar effort and my new favorite comic. Bravo to Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely for creating an extremely pleasing and creative tale. The story reminded me of Alan Moore's short stint at writing The Supreme, a blatant and generic rip-off of Superman that only shined thanks to Mr. Moore's phenomenal talent. Comparing a writer to Alan Moore is the best compliment I can give.

The All-Star Superman is more futuristic than the regular canonized character. It borders on fantasy but when you get down to it Superman is a fantasy character. My perception is likely influenced by Frank Quitely's art which has a very dreamy, surreal quality with a fairly whimsical style and lots of soft pastel colors. Check out the cover with Superman sitting on a cloud. That's a pretty good reflection of the art you'll find inside. The classic Superman characters have all been altered somewhat. In one story Jimmy Olson has to take on a black kryptonite infected Superman and uses a serum to change himself into a brutish beast with crystals jutting from his hands and face particularly around his mouth and eyes. The development of the serum was referred to as the DOOMSDAY project. There are also some new characters including various incarnations of Superman from the future.

I found Superman Returns to be a visually stunning but ultimately disappointing movie. Little did I know that the best Superman had to offer was right there in the comics. As a non canonized tale All-Star Superman frees up the writer to explore Superman without constraint. The giant key to Superman's Fortress of Solitude has been replaced by a regular sized key. It just happens to be forged from the material of a white dwarf star and weighs several thousand tons. One of my favorite parts is a lengthy interview of Lex Luthor by Clark Kent where he explains the motivation behind his hatred of Superman. If you're a fan of Superman this is the one to get. In my thirty plus years of collecting this is as good as Superman gets.

This is what comics should be., April 27, 2007
I wish this had come along just a little bit earlier. For me it was the kiss before dying as pertains to the comics medium. With Marvel and DC comics destroying their respective universes and characters, I had lost all hope of ever seeing the characters I had come to know and love as they were meant to be again.

Then came All-Star Superman.

This is the Man of Steel as he was meant to be. Not the beaten-down impotent wimp that DC's in-continuity character has become, but the inspirational larger-than-life hero who sparked the imagination of generations of comic book writers and readers. Let's face it, Batman was right. The last time the in-continuity Superman inspired anybody was when he died. But this is the character long-time fans have come to know and respect.

The story opens with Superman's cells being over-saturated with solar radiation, a plot by Lex Luthor to kill the Man of Steel, which has aparently worked. And so Superman sets out to do all the things he needs to do before his time runs out -- including tell Lois his true identity. Now I know that sounds a lot like the regular series, and that's what I thought, too, but fear not! Writer Grant Morrison resolves the idea very deftly in a matter of pages. We also see adventures with Jimmy, adventures at the Fortress of Solitude, and with time travelling Supermen. Now yes, the book is pure Sci-Fi, and at times campy. Maybe its stories aren't "relevant" to todays world (for relevant, read: depressing) but you know what they are? FUN! That is something I have not had with a comic since I was a child.

God bless you for this series, Grant Morrison.

A comic to remind you that Superman doesn't stink, September 6, 2008
I have never been a fan of Superman. He is basically invincible and his comics usually end with him punching something really hard. But when I saw Grant Morrison was doing an alternate-reality run on Superman I had to pick it up. And I was glad I did.

All Star Superman is one of those rare comics where both the story and art work together to make you nostalgic for the old school Superman, while at the same time it turns everything you know about Supes on its ear. This is one of those trades you have to force yourself to read slowly because it's just so darn good.

I'll be reading this trade over and over until vol 2 comes out.

In Grant Morrison we trust, April 20, 2007
Can you remember the last time you read a Superman story that really echoed what the character was about? Probably not since the silver age is my guess. But what happens when DC decides to take a cue from Marvel and introduce their own line of comics that does a reboot of their most cherished characters? Well, All Star Superman is one of the results (I will not mention the immensely disappointing All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder), and boy is it something to behold. The immensely talented Grant Morrison (who made stagnant mainstream titles like JLA and New X-Men spectacular once again) is at the helm as he crafts a Superman story that defines what the character is about; all the while offering his own take on established ideas. In this first volume, Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor has finally devised a way to kill the Man of Steel, and so far it seems as if Luthor may have finally succeeded. During all this, Superman reveals his identity to Lois Lane as well before taking flight against Luthor and ultimately saving the day. Morrison not only weaves a brilliant Superman story, but he also makes Luthor the most fearsome and frightening he has been in years. This is all supplemented by the brilliant artwork of Morrison's longtime partner in crime Frank Quitely; whose pencils add layers and dimensions to Morrison's script unlike that of no other artist. All in all, the first collected volume of All Star Superman is the best treatment the iconic character has received in years, and it only furthers the notion that Grant Morrison is a modern day comic book visionary.

The New-Old Superman, July 6, 2007
Quite honestly, I have never liked Superman. However, the quirky charm that Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely infused the character and his supporting cast with proved irresistible.

The stories range from delightfully quirky to honestly heartwrenching, and they offer some of the best portrayals of the Superman supporting cast I've ever read. Many of the best stories, such as 'The Gospel According to Lex Luthor' feature very little in the realm of traditional superheroics, but are some of the best Superman stories in decades.

You don't have to have a love of superheroes, comic books, or Superman himself in order to appreciate All-Star Superman - you just have to enjoy the quirky and the wonderful. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," "The Catbird Seat," The Last Flower, Fables for Our Time, The Thirteen Clocks, My Life and Hard Times, and other stories are included along with much of Thurber's cartoon collection. ... Read more

Reviews

One of the best kept secrets of American Literature!, May 7, 1999
I've often thought that Thurber doesn't get the credit today that he deserves as a writer. This is probably because his works are not "deep" in terms of meaning or content. His mastery of language, though,is superb, and his stories are some of the most hilarious and best written I have ever read. I can read many of them over and over and still laugh out loud! His cartoons are clever as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in humor and 20th century American literature.

A must-buy for Thurber lovers!, April 18, 1997
Humorist Garrison Keillor has assembled in one volume of more than 1,000 pages the essence of James Thurber as satirist, cartoonist, short story teller, memoirist, and general observer of the foibles of his fellow human beings. Here are excerpts from Thurber's collections of his NEW YORKER pieces as well as some previously uncollected works and the text of his children's classic THE THIRTEEN CLOCKS; in which he never "talks down" to the kids. Some readers will appreciate such views of "The Battle Between the Sexes" as "Is Sex Necessary" and "Women and Men." Others will chortle over the best of "My Life and Hard Times" and Thurber's look at NEW YORKER founding editor Harold Ross. Thurber, unlike Sam Clemens, was able to see that everything is funny even if it wasn't happening to "the other fellow."

Humor talk, April 23, 2005
James Thurber's brand of humor often went under the radar -- he didn't have scintillating wordplay, goofy puns or juvenile humor. (No offense to you, Mr. Barry -- I love your work too). But, as "James Thurber: Writings and Drawings" demonstrates, the subtle approach worked just as well.

Thurber wrote and drew so much during his lifetime that this book is actually not a full collection, but a sort of "Best of" collection. Thurber turns a satirical eye at sex, marriage, men who bark like dogs, old ladies who foretell doom, some rather dry little fables and spoofs, and a look at how the Civil War might have ended if Grant had been recovering from a bender. Not to mention the entire text of Thurber's children's novel, "The 13 Clocks," a slightly twisted fantasy about a young prince who must rescue the Princess, with the help of the nonsense-spouting Golux (who is not a mere device).

Admittedly, not all of them are strictly meant for humor -- "My Life and Hard Times" is a short, entertaining autobiography, without the excuses and ego trips that many autobiographies have. There are also bittersweet memories, such as the story of a faithful dog that Thurber had when he was very small.

There are also quite a few pictures -- Thurber had a cute, rounded kind of style, without a lot of details. One example is "The Last Flower," an anti-war parable in which after a devastating war, civilization falls and people forget everything, even love. Not all the cartoons are as quietly grim, however -- one is a man, woman and child romping through various obstacles together, as well as several standalone cartoons.

"James Thurber: Writings and Drawings" shows Thurber off to best advantage. It's a great collection not only because Thurber was a wonderful humorist, but also because the pieces in here show the full range of what he could do. Included are humorous anecdotes, personal reflections, tributes, sad stories, fables fiction, and funny little cartoons -- it shows what a versatile writer he was. Not just a humorist, but a writer.

And a cartoonist as well -- Thurber was able to draw entire picture books that had no set story, but could be interpreted as the reader wished. Most of his cartoons were more relaxed, with a sort of rounded, simplistic style that looks like he doodled them while he was thinking.

"James Thurber: Writings and Drawings" is not only a good collection of this now-legendary writer's work, but a good introduction to Thurber as well. Definitely worth checking out.

Olbermann Friday night readings, May 22, 2010
Like many others,I needed a high school teacher to introduce me to Thurber when Mr. Huffnell had the Freshman class read "The Lady Over the Bookcase"(included here). It's really not the best place to meet Thurber,as it's best to have some knowledge of both his writing and drawing before one can get the full effect of the piece. So,where to begin? Well,maybe Keith Olbermann's Friday readings on his TV show have whetted your appetite. Up until this mightily packed volume,there was The Thurber Carnival,an anthology put together during the author's prime,1945. That book is OK,but this volume is essential. Generous helpings from Thurber's collected essays and drawings,including a few uncollected goodies for the hardcore fan. Over the years,Thurber has been showcased in other media:a Danny Kaye film,"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"(rumored for a possible remake,seriously);a UPA cartoon of "The Unicorn in the Garden";TV's "My World & Welcome to It",with William Windom,who would later perform Thurber pieces onstage in two productions,a la Hal Holbrook's "Mark Twain Tonight";a Jack Lemmon film,"The War Between Men & Women"(the TV series and the Lemmon film both produced by Melville Shavelson & Danny Arnold),and, in 1960,"A Thurber Carnival" revue was on Broadway for a while. All of these with mixed results. The animation( besides the UPA short,the TV series and the Lemmon film contain animation)come closest.But Thurber is best read or read aloud(savor Keith's Friday nights while they last). The volume offered here is physically durable. It's meant to take a beating as it is pulled from the shelf and picked through as the reader finds another 60+ year old gem from the greatest American humorist since Mark Twain.

Thurber lives!, April 10, 2010
When this edition first came out, I was so excited. I had fond memories of reading these stories in high school and gazing at the simple drawings that accompanied the stories.

And now, I am so excited that Keith Olbermann has begun reading Thurber on his Friday night broadcasts. Hen mentioned that relatives of Thurber have been quite appreciative. Here's to a wider audience for this great writer!

A fine selection that will enable you to understand why he was so popular, October 30, 2006
One should never confuse writing with a light touch for comic writing. Thurber expressed dislike for the word "humorist" and I can understand why. When I read his writing, it is clear that the effect is intended to talk about serious things, not weighty things, but with a light touch. He makes his point by putting on the coat and hat of someone and wearing it in a way that points out how ridiculous it is, after all.

For example, our age has been obsessed with sex for, well, the obsession sort of defines our age, right? Thurber's first published work was with E. B. White on "Is Sex Necessary?" and basically mocks the discussions of sex by supposedly serious analysts. He refers to the problems between men a women as a product of pedastalism and that there were diversions created by women and men to distract them from their desire to get together. Men developed hobbies and became devoted to sports, and women distracted men by making fudge. There are also early Thurber drawings that became such an effective part of his work and his fame.

This collection was put together by a very appropriate editor, Garrison Keillor. He has a wonderful ear for the kind of thing Thurber was after and has selected well. Most of the book contains selections, but there are four complete works. And there is a rich sampling of Thurbers drawings. We get examples of Thurber's writing over the 1920s through the 1950s. The collection has a great sampling of his writing about the struggles between men and women, which was a wonderful topic for the times in which he wrote. But we also get his wonderful fables for our time and the popular writings he wrote for children. However, unlike the jelly filled sweet pastries our time provides for children, these have more pain and harshness. While they are not fairy tales such as the brothers Grimm, they do have similar bite.

If you don't know James Thurber, you owe it to yourself to get to know his writing. First of all, it is fun to read and the cartoons a style unique to him. Second, while he is not as famous now as he was, his work remains strong and an important contribution to American letters. This is a fine collection and very much worth having.

The Chronology of Thurber's life and the notes about sources and texts also make a solid contribution to our enjoyment of the text and help us understand some of the names and events that were quite topical at the time the piece was published, but have faded into the mists of time since then.

Enjoy!

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

A Very Good Book, May 11, 2008
A Pleasure. Very smart - wonderful writer/artist. A very minor comment, I wish the pages were a bit thicker so the text from the under side of the page wouldn't show through the drawings. Of course though then the book would be very thick. Enjoyable still. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Don't call me Ishmael, December 21, 2002
Bone's saga strange mix of fantasy and poetic surrealism is at its peak in these stories. Fone Bone hopelessly loves Thorn, who in these chapters will learn excruciating truths about her past. The rat creatures are on the prowl (save the two local idiots) and Phoney Bone can't think better than casting doubt on the most valid defender against them...the Red Dragon. And this, only because of a foolish bet in which poor Lucius let himself be drawn.Harbingers of all these developments are strange dreams of Thorn and Fonebone (who dreams of Moby Dick,what else? And Thorn's image is sculpted on the Pequod's prow). The better moments are the return of Lucius, Phoney and Smiley under the rain to Barrelhaven, and Ted the Bug who ironizes at Fonebone's poetry, and when moments later the Dragon to whom unwittingly Fonebone offers flowers says "don't you think daisies would be better for my eyes"? At this you'll laugh, then you'll be chilled at the Dragon's knowledge of Fone's dreams. Thus the "don't call me Ishmael"! Jeff Smith is truly the better comic artist of this turn of the century

Bone series lays seeds for epic adventure, May 10, 2004
And here is where the "Bone" series' epic flourishes begin to show.

Still rooted in humor, still geared towards an all-ages audience, still showing its strong Carl Barks (Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge) and Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) influence, the third volume of the nine-volume "Bone" series, "Eyes Of The Storm," picks up where the first two left off, showing the wacky adventures of the bone creatures as they get involved with the characters populating a quaint little valley.

But here Smith begins to sow the seeds of tragedy, despair and darkness that make their way into the series later on.

Yet it's still all in good fun, with plenty of laughs, thrills and excitement.

Timeless is every way, "Bone" is an expansive story about three "bone creatures" (you'd have to see them to understand) that find themselves in a valley peopled with an assortment of crazy and interesting characters. Looming over it all is the menace of a great evil, first glimpsed by the ferocious (and funny) rat creatures, but later revealed to be something much more disturbing.

Jeff Smith's "Bone" series is a critically acclaimed but criminally overlooked epic. Critics recognize Smith's masterful storytelling abilities and are drawn to his mix of all-ages humor and more mature darkness, but the black and white art and lack of superheroes is anathema to most comic book readers, making it a hit only in the "underground" sense.

Readers able to look past the lack of men in tights and color artwork will delight in this series.

Smith combines the kind of classic storytelling perfected by the likes of the legendary Barks and Watterson - gleefully funny cartooning with outrageously expressive faces and gestures - with the epic and engaging plotting of a sweeping fairy tale. "Bone" walks a tightrope and walks it well, managing to be something fans of both Donald Duck and Bilbo Baggins can enjoy.

"Bone" is essential reading that no lover of the comic artform should skip. Little doubt people will still be reading "Bone" 50 years from now. Broad in scope yet personal and quaint, this is a charming story in every way that will surely outlast 90 percent of other comic works on the shelf.

Near Perfect!, April 22, 1999
This volume is less a conclusion to the first trilogy than it is a setup for the second. Fone Bone and Thorn's dreams start to become an increasing factor and indirectly lead to a chilling escape from a pack of rat creatures during a fierce thunderstorm. Also, much of the truth is explained regarding Thorn's past.

While this volume does not have the quantity of zany humor found in the first two volumes, it does meet its quota of unforgettable moments. Smiley's dubious rescue of Phoney and Lucius the bartender from another pack of rats, as well as the bet made between Phoney and Lucius soon after are to be forever etched into the memory. Also notable is the introduction of the mastermind behind the ill befalling the valley, the incorporeal Lord of the Locusts.

If it were not for some of the details surrounding Thorn's past, which seem a bit overused to me, I would give this 5 stars in an instant. As it is, I am giving it 4, but consider this volume a must-have despite the missing star.

Best of the Bone series, August 18, 2002
I loved this book. It is, I find, the most emotionally stirring of all the Bone books. In fact, there are times when it seemed the emotions in this book were so powerful it was nearly violent.
Bombshell after bombshell is dropped, and in the end... what are we left with ?
A thirst for all things Bone after this book. A very powerful addition to the series.

Bone, Books 1 through 4, January 28, 2007
These books are fantastic! I have two 7yr old boys that cry if I don't read this book to them at night.

Parents:
Imagine using, I won't read to you tonight if you don't stop right now, and it works...that's how good this series is. At first I thought the book might be a little too scary for them but they were hooked and it wasn't until book 4 that I had to consider sensoring some of the language (things like "idiot"). Any book that brings kids back to the well again and again is worth purchasing.

The plot thickens!, July 29, 2004
Those of you who have read through the first 2 volumes of Jeff Smith's, 'Bone,' series will be glad to know that in vol. #3 the high quality of storytelling and artwork that we have been accustomed to is solidly maintained. Storywise, the mood grows darker as the turn of events take a grim direction sending the story into a seemingly darker chapter. Readers are also treated to a rich backstory on the origins of Rose and Thorn that does much to flesh out the epic storyline even further. Even with this darker mood settling in, Smith still manages to balance things off nicely with sprinklings of humour that in the end balances the dark/light atmosphere remarkably well.

FYI - an excerpt from Jeff Smith's biography in this book, explains the story/character genesis of the series:

"Jeff created the Bone characters in kindergarten while growing up in Columbus, Ohio. Batman, Peanuts and Uncle Scrooge were some of his favorite comics, but when he was nine, somebody showed him one of Walt Kelly's Pogo books. From that moment on, he wanted to be a cartoonist." ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Pure Lynda Barry Experience, get your creative juices going or just marvel at hers, May 24, 2008
This is the essence of the creative writing course Lynda Barry gives around the country these days. It conveys the course stuff beautifully, AND is a work of art in its own right. Not a rehash of her other books in any way, it just worms its way into your mind.

Every page is beautiful, every page contains insights into creativity, every page is just plain fun (or just scary fun), and it has everything you need to apply the writing method Lynda uses in your own work.

You really can write out of your own memories, and come up with something that isn't drivel. Get the book and try it. And join Lynda in tipping your hat to Marilyn Frasca, who originated the method.

this book is essential, May 22, 2008
Have you ever needed jumper cables to revive your creative process? This book is essentially just that.
I have long been a Lynda Barry fan, but this is what a sense will be an essential reference book for any creative type. It bores down into just what makes one want to create and suggests exercises and steps to get whatever festers inside you out.
To say that it has prompted me to fine tune my and understand my writing in much more depth would be an understatement. It also has gotten my to pick up my pencil and draw/sketch for the 1st time in over 15 years.
I am pretty sure i will be constantly reading and rereading this as i further hone the creation craft.
if you crave creation in any form, this book is a must.

Way exceeded my expectations! The coolest book I own!, August 15, 2008
I ordered this after reading about it on Kelly Kilmer's blog, where she highly praised this repeatedly and made me think that I was missing out on something wonderful if I didn't buy it.
So I bought it, and what I found out is that I had been missing out on something wonderful!!

I couldn't be more happy that I bought this book! First of all this book surprised me in that it is nicely sized 8.5 x 11 (approx) and it's much THICKER than I had imaged it, and it's HARDCOVER.(I was expecting a soft cover magazine type book)So, after I admired the outside, and opened it up, I was even more impressed and excited with what I found!! Yes, I thought I was in comic book/collage/art journal/writing prompt heaven!! With so much to look at, I just about wore myself out trying to look at/read everything. -Which is also a nice thing about this book, I am highly doubting that you'd run out of things to look at or read here.

This is kinda like looking at one of your school friends notebook, or journal, except SO MUCH BETTER! There are comic book pictures, random thoughts, journal prompts, drawings, ideas, etc, etc, etc. This is an awesome and inspiring book. This tops the list of coolest books that I own!!

Amazing Book, July 10, 2008
I am an artist-teacher, and I wish someone had presented this information to me sooner.

The book has a front section that is sort of an artistic, stream of consciousness, diaristic account of Lynda Barry's own creative life. Followed by a workbook, which I didn't have any specific expectations about, but I was sitting there following the steps, and it was pretty amazing how effective the method Barry advocates is. It took me off guard, and I think I am going to use it next week in the class I teach.

Overall this book ranks somewhere around the best books I have ever read because it sort of snuck up on me, and made realize some stuff about myself and my creative process that I may have resisted in a less charismatic presentation.

My New Fave Book, September 15, 2008
I love this book and have already bought 3 more as gifts. I'm pretty sure that if I just walk around with this book or sit looking at it in coffeshops, bars and car repair waiting rooms, cool things are going to happen to me, mysterious images, strangers, forgotten childhood toys and monsters will come to visit. How can one book be so practical and so mystical at the same time? I'm so grateful to Lynda Barry and the magic cephalapod for making this book.

A guide on remembering, June 23, 2008

One of the most important aspects of writing anything-- memoir, fiction, poetry--is the ability to remember. Sounds simple, but we forget so much naturally and are actively encouraged to forget what doesn't suit the needs of any particular group, usually family. Lynda Barry's wonderful primer on how to being to probe the images of your life is just grand
and will doubtless serve many artists and writers as they explore their lives and the lives of others. An exercise as simple as try to recall the earliest phone number you had and try to picture that phone seem so simple, but take you to places that you'd long forgotten.

Like everything by Barry, it's humane and masterful and compassionate and smart. A wonderful addition to any artist's desk.

what is it, June 19, 2008
Lynda Barry is idiosyncratic, funny, dreamy, hardcore etc. etc. She's also a practicing pragmatist. Anyone needing a refresher course on disassembling the obstacles to creativity could probably benefit from this book. The collages are elaborate, beautiful and tender but I think I actually like the hand drawn asides that bring the reader into the world of the artist's upbringing and self-talk, the area at which she's always excelled. It's by being herself that Barry becomes Everyman for every man and woman.

like Lynda Barry's book of secrets, but just for you, December 21, 2008
This book is done in the format of notebook pages that are profusely illustrated and jam-packed with handwritten lessons and musings on creating art. I'd say that this book is great for art of pretty much any medium, and that is why it is so effective. Have a look at the Look Inside! option here to see if you like the look of the thing. If you do, then run out to buy this.

The main point of the book is about drawing on your memory to create, and how memory plays a huge part in making art, how it engages your senses and challenges you to think about something. What did you notice? What did you remember? It is a very simple, but tough exercise because you will learn something about yourself in the process. This book focuses on creation rather than technique or any other aspect of art. While you might not think this is enough, I think it is plenty because so many of us were told we did not have the talent and just never continued. There is no reason that not one of us cannot participate just because we aren't participating at some external standard. All your tools are here, and Lynda Barry wants to show you how to access them. A very beautiful and exciting work.

and yes, there is a magic cephalopod (squid) to come help you. if you won't take lessons from such a creature, you are no fun.

Help me, Magic Cephalopod!, October 13, 2008
I don't think I've ever sat down and read straight through a book of writing exercises. And, at a very basic level, that's what "What It Is" is. And I sat down and read through the whole thing, while taking time to digest it. It's about writing, drawing, images, memory, creativity, a magic cephalopod, and Lynda Barry's life. All done on a yellow legal pad of paper.

This is a great book for anyone who's ever felt stuck writing or drawing (or just in the creative process). Barry's collage work in the first half of the book gets you to ask yourself questions about imagery and memory. The second half has writing exercises and tips for how to make more for yourself. They're excellent and I can't wait to start using them. It's also probably the only time I'll ever cry over instructions for a writing exercise.

If there's anything that takes away from the book, it's that I wanted to see more about Barry's life. The short passages about her childhood and education are very interesting, but take up only a small portion of the book. It's somewhat depressing to hear that her comics became such a source of concern/depression for her, but I can understand that feeling of it becoming work and the pressure to only make "good" art. And I love her moments where she's talking with her husband and thinking of all the stuff she forgets, but goes over conversation she had years ago where she said awful things.

Okay, that's my awkward ending... go read this book.

What It Is Is Very Helpful, May 16, 2008
I have really been enjoying this book. It's about how to do creative things, especially writing. I know that the answer is to stop reading self-help books and start doing creative things, but I am addicted. Plus, for some reason I haven't taken a creative writing class since, well, possibly ever, so the basic advice in this book really helped me. An excerpt:

"We notice that when people tell the story of their lives it often sounds like an obituary -- a lot of general information but almost no images. We notice also that journal writing has a rather similar quality to it, only instead of information we find a lot of writing about our feelings. The main feeling is discontent and worry, outrage, regret, despair, complaints, vague questions about life, hope of a transformation...we find a lot of writing, but almost no images!"

Whoah. I mean, duh. I mean, umm...I guess this is kind of obvious but I have never really thought about it before. Barry's main suggestion is to just write, using very simple words as prompts. I was previously aware of the idea of writing prompts, but mostly things like "what i did on my summer vacation," which tend to produce dry results like those mentioned above. So, I have been really found this book helpful and interesting, not to mention that it is full of fun cartoons and pictures and a magic cephalopod.

On the other hand, I felt that the book could have been a lot more compact. There were a lot of extra collages that were fine but didn't really do much for me except make me wonder if I had to read them all instead of skipping to the end. Also, I haven't quite finished the book yet, but so far all the writing advice applies to writing about things you have experienced. I'm hoping there's going to be something about developing fiction eventually, but I'm not sure there is. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrorscollects together the four issues of the Squee comic book series fromSLG Publishing. It also contains reprints from the popular Jhonny theHomicidal Maniac series that didn't appear in the JTHM: Director's Cutbook. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A Children's Book About Beer?

Yes, believe it or not—but B Is for Beer is also a book for adults, and bear in mind that it's the work of maverick bestselling novelist Tom Robbins, inter-nationally known for his ability to both seriously illuminate and comically entertain.

nce upon a time (right about now) there was a planet (how about this one?) whose inhabitants consumed thirty-six billion gallons of beer each year (it's a fact, you can Google it). Among those affected, each in his or her own way, by all the bubbles, burps, and foam, was a smart, wide-eyed, adventurous kindergartner named Gracie; her distracted mommy; her insensitive dad; her non-conformist uncle; and a magical, butt-kicking intruder from a world within our world.

Populated by the aforementioned characters—and as charming as it may be subversive—B Is for Beer involves readers, young and old, in a surprising, far-reaching investigation into the limits of reality, the transformative powers of children, and, of course, the ultimate meaning of a tall, cold brewski.

Reviews

W is for Whimsy, April 21, 2009
For Robbins fans waiting, yearning, for the next great Robbins novel, this is not it. Sorry.

It is, however, exactly what it professes to be. A children's book for grown-ups, and a grown-up book for children. (Which is what I based this review on, vs. comparing it to other Robbins books ... there's no comparison.) The writing is definitely child-like in its tone.

Gracie is practically six-years-old when she develops a curiosity about beer. As Robbins will do, he leads us on a delightful, whimsical discovery about - yes, Beer. The book is filled with Robbins's humor, philosophy, and magical writing.

I had a dumb grin on my face the whole time I was reading the book (less than two hours from start to finish) and I laughed out loud several times.

This tantalizing taste of Robbins's words has definitely left me with a craving for more Robbins. And perhaps a Red Stripe.

Seriously bad writing, April 23, 2009
As a Tom Robbins fan who has eagerly awaited each of his books since he burst forth with "Another Roadside Attraction" in 1971, I am sorely disappointed. "B Is for Beer" is touted as "A Children's Book for Grown-ups" and "A Grown-up Book for Children." It is neither. At one point I surmised that he had started a book commissioned by the beer industry for people who want to know how beer is made. As the book got more and more boring I decided that could never have been his intent.

If you are a contrarian reader who is powerfully addicted to his writing, go ahead and buy it. I don't know how to warn you so you will save your money. It is just seriously bad writing.

Tom, you charmed us into holding on for four to six years between novels after we learned that it took you that long to release each one with its glorious metaphors, similies and crazy plots. It's been six years since "Villa Incognito" was put to the press in 2003. It is time for another. "Wild Ducks Flying Backwards" in 2005 wasn't even a novel and "B is for Beer" is a watered-down novella about which you say many people warned you "that I couldn't or shouldn't, or wouldn't bloody dare." Okay Tom, you proved that you could get it published. Now it's time to write something that again really scours the far reaches of your imagination and takes us on exotic (and erotic) journeys.

This morality tale is as flat as a Budweiser opened and left in a Seattle backyard for weeks to attract parched raccoons that don't know there are better ways to enjoy brewski.

Classic Robbins - Tastes Great, Less Filling., April 26, 2009
As a die-hard fan, I really enjoyed 'B is for Beer'. Of course I would have preferred a big fat Tom Robbins novel, since the wait between books is so long, but this is a happy little gem. It's original, it's fun, it's light, and it contains the magical ingredients we expect from Tom. The mere fact that he wrote a "children's book about beer" scores him points for originality. Who else but Robbins could write such a book? Who else but Robbins can wax philosophic about the wonders, perils, and joys of beer?

Savor each chapter in the same way you'd nurse a yummy pint of brew. Don't take it too seriously, just enjoy! If Tom Robbins has taught us anything, it's that.

Friends don't let friends write drunk, April 27, 2009
Tom Robbins is one of my top five favorite authors. Kurt Vonnegut (deceased) , Edward Abbey (deceased) , Carl Sagan (deceased), and Tim Callahan are the other four.
I anxiously awaited this new work by Robbins, and Amazon delivered it to me right after publication, but what a waste of time and paper.
Let me start by saying the novel (more of a novella) is only 125 pages long. If you throw in the 12 point font, double spaces on every line, and quad spacing after every paragraph, this is a very short book and could have been a piece of non-fiction in a magazine.
Forty pages into this inane work, we have learned that the protagonist (a 5 year old girl) is curious about beer, and her curmudgeon uncle will take her to visit a brewery. That's it. One-third of the way through this book, that's all we get.
On the other hand, I am glad it was short and only cost $12.
Come on Tom! I have read Another Roadside Attraction three times! The same with Only Cowgirls Get the Blues, and Still Life with Woodpecker twice. I have read (and have mostly first editions of) all your novels. But this? This is just as bad as Jimmy Buffet's latest piece of work, which was another major disappointment.

Go to the library, June 3, 2009
I think if I had paid $17.95 for this book I also would have been very disappointed. But if you like Tom Robbins it is a fun little read. Definitely not his best work. If you've never read Tom Robbins don't start with this one.

B is for Boo Hoo., April 24, 2009
This was definitely less filling than previous Robbins novels, all of which I've devoured greedily, one right after the other, until I caught up with his writing cycle, and now I wait like all the rest of 'em. This was a fun book, with some of the wonderful turns of phrase that I've come to demand from a Tom Robbins novel, but I wish it was more substantial. (Insert absurdist Guinness metaphor here.) But, as another children's book reminds us, "You get what you get and you don't get upset." I'm just glad he's still writing, and hopefully, there'll be another something new to read in about 6 years.

People of zee world, RELAX, August 17, 2009
Some of us are being way too serious on the subject of Tom Robbins' creativity.

He wrote a book about beer. For kids. And totally got away with it. And it doesn't stop there because it turned out to be a great young adult book. It's an exercise in Tom Robbins' distinct style for a ten year old. I think that's pretty cool but I don't think Tom Robbins put that much thought in to where his creatively should go or how he should break down his style for a children's book.

'B is for Beer' is dynamite in a pint size. It's different. It's a little subtle for the usual Robbins escapade. By the end it's not a book about beer. Gees, guys, didn't you think you were missing something by thinking the book was just about making beer?

I enjoyed the relationships between the characters. He broke down the fourth wall to deliver an extra sassy punch. Robbins wrote about a 6-year-old's curiosity well. Hey, he wrote about beer well, too. There's a lot going on in story that isn't expressed in these reviews. Borrow it from the library and have fun.

Please, criticize this book but don't whine about the book you wish Robbins would write. You're crapping on a good little thing here. I cried a little when I finished it. Robbins expresses a mastery of female characters and it's plain as day but just as lovely in this book.

Too much sudsy head, not enough body, May 22, 2009
Just a big tease, with hints of Robbins' whimsical word art. Awaiting his next full-bodied work, hopefully returning to the former glory of Skinny Legs & All. Will have many brewski's to tide me over.

C is for Confuddled, May 2, 2009
You know that you are officially "confuddled" when you finish a book and sit there clicking back and forth on the star ratings having an inner dialogue with yourself that lasts almost as long as it took you to read half the book... or maybe you have just finished B is for Beer.

A Tom Robbins classic this is not, a semi-interesting tangent, maybe. After reading the first few pages, I briefly considered checking the middle of the book to see if there was a coupon for a 12 pack of beer that would help me through the mystery of all things beer. Finding none, I put the book away for a few days because being the melodramatic I am, a bad Robbins book was just too much.

I finally sat down and read the book in a few hours. The story, in a coconut-shell, is at best mediocre. Gracie, a 5 year old (almost 6), has an uncanny obsession for all things beer. She leads us on a pseudo-adventure of... you guess it, all things beer. The books saving graces are the sprinkles of philosophy throughout that are trademark Robbins.

I can only come to this conclusion. Robbins clearly hasn't lost his mojo and I either missed the point or he is having a good laugh either way, cheers.

Goes Down Smooth, April 30, 2009
Tom Robbins is perhaps the most solidly strange and whimsical authors of the last few decades. Between a new Christopher Moore Fool: A Noveland a new Robbins this year couldn't be off to a better start. B is for Beer takes Robbins brand of humor in a totally different direction--children's literature, well adult children's literature. The subtitle is A Children's Book for Grown-ups or A Grown-up Book for Children. B is for Beer tells the story of one little girls' infatuation and eventual inebriation with the golden beverage of choice of her Uncle Moe that quickly dives into a fairy tale [told by The Beer Fairy] of the history, creation, and distillation of beer. I found myself chuckling nearly every other page. Here is line I would now consider classic Robbins:

The week passed as slowly as a snowmans gas.

The coup de grace sees Gracie, the little girl, visited by The Beer Fairy to tell her and most importantly show her all she has ever wanted to know about the creation of beer. Gracie also learns a few lessons about perils of drinking, but also the benefits. Although, the topic is a bit adult I could definitely see reading this on to my niece and nephew or lending it to my Father-in-law to do so. I can actually picture him sipping a beer as he would read it to them. The book is rather short (125 pages with a few illustrations), but that was obviously out of intent. This could easily be read in one sitting with a tall glass or 2 to accompany you on the journey. It will leave you salivating for a second round. My favorite Robbins was and still remains Another Roadside Attraction, although B is for Beer is a great addition to the Robbins library. I give B is for Beer 7.5 out of 10 hats.
... Read more

Editorial Review

Willow and Buffy head to New York City to unlock the secrets of Buffy's mysterious scythe, when something goes terribly awry. Buffy is propelled into a dystopian future where there's only one Slayer - Fray, the title character of Joss Whedon's 2001 series, the first comic he ever wrote. Their uneasy alliance falls apart, leading to the death of a major character from the TV series, while back in the twenty-first century, the Scotland base falls prey to a mystical bomb courtesy of the Biggest Bad - Twilight! ... Read more

Reviews

not the time of my life, May 21, 2009
I'm a Buffy fan, and have been enjoying season 8 for the most part. I have to say though that "Time of your Life" wasn't one of the better entries. If you haven't read Fray, then the plot and very language of half of this entry will be bewildering to you. After going online to research it I understood it somewhat better; but there are still a lot of things that don't add up.

Basically, it's a very plot heavy entry, but the plot is a contrived time traveling story. As to the person responsible for sending Buffy into the future to meet Fray, their reasons are never really explained objectively. There isn't much logic or scope to it. I think Joss just wanted his two Slayers to meet up and took any excuse he could to do that.

The subplot involving Xander and Dawn surviving an attack on their headquarters is also rather contrived. Dawn is totally useless as a character except to whine, and the only virtue of the entry is that Xander briefly admits as much. If however the writers develop a possible romantic angle between Dawn and Xander, as was hinted, I am going to throw up.

The one bright point is the story "After These Messages." Buffy, for yet another unexplained reason, dreams she is back in her youth (during Season 1). It was good to see Buffy reliving her high school days. However, there is no hint as to what prompted this.

All in all, this is the weakest entry in season 8. It sill has some of the trademark snappy humor and sharp characterization, but not enough to save it from the total mess that is the plot.

Good not great..., October 13, 2009
I'm a huge BtVS fan and own the whole TV series on DVD. I've really like most of the Season 8 comics to date. Volume 4, if you are collecting the graphic novel format versus the individual issues, is the weakest of collection so far. While I did enjoy seeing the Fray characters again, it felt like more of a stunt that a real plot point. The Willow portion also felt unsatisfying as well, sorry its hard to explain while trying to be vague to avoid major spoilers.

The side plot of Dawn, was, in reality, kind of stupid. I appreciate that they wanted to add some more fantastical elements that cover ground they could do in a TV show with a moderate budget, but this was beyond the spirit of the series. The "there are consequences to relationships" is very Joss, but the results here feel like fodder for a few quips and jokes rather than a solid allegory.

So while I'll tune into for another volume, my passion for this version of BtVS is waning and will be gone without a solid set of issues and some new meaty hooks to build my desire and suspense for a volume 6.

Effortlessly excellent, June 4, 2009
Having read the first five reviews, I have to say my piece. Season 8 has been better than any of the TV seasons because Whedon's stories are no longer limited by filming budget. After Buffy's trip to Japan in "Wolves at the Gate", the next trip that would have been impossible on TV was to take Buffy to the future. The story has been criticized for being nothing more than a needless excuse for Buffy to meet (and fight) Fray. Is it really? The first 3ďż˝ pages disorient in a good way by throwing readers straight into the action before Whedon moves to a flashback sequence where we see how Buffy got onto that rooftop. Plus, he gives us a mystery of Dawn's transformation and the sudden switch of places in time between Buffy and the monster from the future, before ending the first episode in one of those wonderful Whedon cliffhangers. Then, the second episode starts, logically, by showing us how Fray got onto that rooftop. Whedon throws us a red herring when Buffy and Fray's antagonist in the future is described as "the dark-haired one" who has "lived for centuries, speaks in riddles and strange voices." This brings to mind a certain Vampire lady... Taking advantage of the fact that comics don't (usually) have sound, Whedon can even allow the "dark-haired one" to speak without the readers not being able to identify her by recognizing her voice. Clever. Whedon juggles the future storyline with the present day storyline, in which the assault on the Slayers' castle base drives Buffy's forces on the run, once again in a situation where the bad guys seem to be winning. This recalls the most dire situations our heroes have found themselves in the previous seasons while also being completely different. Then he ends the second episode with yet one Whedon-class revelation of the antagonists identity. And then the plot starts to unfold... By the time the fantastically cinematic double-climax (of present and future storylines) comes, Whedon still manages to find the time for yet another revelation and ends the story by having Buffy make a heart-breaking decision without really knowing why she has to do it. In the end, the readers also don't know why, which leaves us wanting more. Whedon has done this before and the mysteries have always been eventually solved satisfactorily. Just because Whedon does not yet tell us why all this happened does not mean it's not good storytelling. We are not seeing the big picture yet. That said, Whedon's dialogue is of the usual excellent quality and Moline's art *really* has evolved since Fray first came out. This is as worthy a mini-arc as any previous ones in Season Eight.