Reviews (30)

Worth the wait
Note: this review refers to the recently released Ultimates TPB entitled Homeland Security. After managing to take down the Hulk, the government sponsored superhero team called the Ultimates have run into some problems. A shape changing alien race, which are responsible for some of humanity's worst moments (Captain America fought them in World War II) are once again rearing their ugly heads with a plan to wipe out the human race. Sad part is, the Ultimates are in shambles with Janet Pym AKA Wasp severely injured by her husband Hank AKA Giant Man, who himself goes on the run with Captain America in pursuit to teach him how to properly treat a lady. New members Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver are introduced as well as the team unites to defend the planet. The issues contained in Homeland Security is where the Ultimates really shines, improving on the first few issues by far. Mark Millar has cleverly crafted a modern day version of the Avengers while staying true to their original roots, while Bryan Hitch's artwork is better than ever. All this leads up to the upcoming (hopefully, many single issues of the series were loaded with shipping delays and would not reach shelves for months at a time) Ultimates Vol. 2 monthly series which Millar has hinted at will change everything you think about this modern day Avengers team. All in all, out of all of Marvel's Ultimate line (the new Ultimate Fantastic Four is impressive as well), the Ultimates is something really special.

Humanizing the Superhuman
Not particularly fond of Marvel's Ultimate line, I usually approach any of Marvel's 'Ultimate' series with hesitation. However, I was never that big into the Avengers, so I figured I would give The Ultimates a shot, and I was very pleased with the results.

Once again re-imagining and re-telling the story of one of their most famous super groups, Marvel captures a whole new dimension of story-telling with the Ultimates. Making them seem like real, ordinary people with real problems is probably one of the best parts of the entire story. Of course, there is plenty of action and fighting to go around too. Alot of the character's origins and general appearences have been changed too. For example, instead of Tony Stark having a terminal heart condition, he know his an inoperable brain tumor. Nick Fury is probably the most dramatic change, in that instead of being a grizzled, cigar chomping World War II veteran, he's a blatant Samuel L. Jackson look-alike with attitude and spunk. An interesting reworking of Fury, but I could've done without it, despite how it fits with the story. Hank Pym and his wife Jan Pym, Giant Man and Wasp respectively, have marital problems, with Hank being an abusive, chronic alcoholic. The entire comic seems to revolve around the telling of everyone's personal lives, which gives all the characters alot of depth. Finally, Thor is the son of Odin from Asgard who has spent more than his fair share of time in a mental institution, and is now a peace-loving pacifist...until it comes time to defend the world.

From Tony Stark's pompous, rich jerk attitude to Captain America's good old American spirit, The Ultimates is definitely worth the read. The interesting spin on the Hulk and other story elements make this one of the best Marvel re-tellings yet. The only thing that bothered me was that the comic got a bit too political at times. I appreciate seeing the inclusion of real-world problems into the comic, making it that much more realistic and adult, but sometimes it got just a wee bit critical and outspoken. But all in all, The Ultimates was a fantastic read that I just couldn't put down. When I got to the end I was thirsting for more, and The Ultimates: Volume 2 definitely delivers after this great introduction. Great job from Marvel.

Homeland Security
The Ultimates are America's team. They are funded by the government to fight nasty villains, terrorists, and any other badguy Mark Millar can come up with. The members of the Ultimates have a very real feel to them, and they are profoundly more realistic and human than, say, Ultimate Spider-Man.
Now that that's out of the way, on to the actual comic itself! The Ultimates, having recently taken down the Hulk(a.k.a. Bruce Banner), they now realize that the Wasp, wife of Giant Man, has been brutally injured by her husband. Also, Giant Man has run away, and he is nowhere to be found.
On top of all this, The Ultimates uncover that an alien race, dubbed the Chitauri by the Aficans, have reamerged, and that, by the end of the first issue, Captain America has gone to find Hank Pym(Giant Man).
With his team rapidly disentigrating, Nick Fury has to call for the aid of Black Widow, Hawkeye, and, most surprisingly of all, Magneto's children.
When Black Widow and Hawkeye take down an alien cell in two office buildings, the Ultimates realize that they have a problem on thier hands. They are the only ones who can stop them, and Cap is still nowhere to be found.
Finally, they find oiut that Cap has had a huge fight with Hank Pym, and that he broke his jaw, thus putting him out of action. It is only after Cap returns that they finally head for a secret base of operatons for the aliens. Once there, thaey too late realize that it's a trap, and by the time they do, it's (almost) too late. The island explodes, and the Ultimates are nowhere to be found.
Too find out what happens after this point, you'll have to buy it for yourself. Needless to say, though, the volume escalates until you you the last two ussues, which are basically just a collossal war btween the surviving Ultimates and the entire Chitauri fleeet, plus an old "friend" from Captain ASmerica's past.
The main good things about this are that
1.The art by Bryan Hitch is SUPERB.
2.The writing by Mark Millar is FANTASTIC.
3.The volume is STUFFED with both action and development.
4.Hey, it's the Ultimates. What's there not to like?
Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. The Ultimates' main flaw is that it takes forever and a day to ship. (The issues say that it ships monthly. Don't believe them-it's a lie) In other words, unless you are a VERY patient person, wait until the volume comes out to buy this, because takes forever.
Luckily, the Ultimates is well worth the wait.

ONE OF THE BEST COMIC BOOKS OF OUR TIME
The Ultimates, as most of you may already know, is Mark Millar's new take and new look on the Avengers. Millar's story, combined with Bryan Hitch's awesome artwork, makes The Ultimates is one of the best comic books of our time.

The Ultimates is an almost totally new look at the Avengers. The story is set at the present timeline(2002) and this time, the Avengers now works as a military group. The Ultimates is a super-hero team built to protect America from super-human attacks and acts of super terrorism that can no longer be handled by the military. The team is headed by Nick Fury, who is still the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Among its members are Steve Rogers (Captain America), who is the team leader, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Hank Pym (Giant Man), his wife Janet Pym (The Wasp), Bruce Banner (Hulk) and Thor. New recruits such as Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are also added later on in the book.

Readers will also get to see the Avengers in a dimmer, darker and more mature storyline this time. Its story is much more interesting and intruiging this time. Millar did a good job of making The Ultimates fun and full of action, while still keeping the storyline dim. Hitch's pencils and Currie's inks also raised the darkness and maturity level of this comic book.
Mark Millar really outdone himself in this book. The story is very creative, it manages to be deep, intruiging, and would you believe, even realistic at the same time. Almost all of the characters in this comic book have been retold and remade. For example, Thor is now a hippie who drinks booze and protests for human rights and stuff like that, but is still the all-powerful, hammer-wielding Norse God that we love, only without the accent. Hank Pym, also known as Giant-Man, is now a hunky scientist who is witty and funny, but at the same time has an ego and an inferiority complex that could tear apart everything he loves, and he proved it by almost killing his wife Janet after an argument. Nick Fury is now a black man. Need I say more???

In other words, THIS IS AS HUMAN AND AS REALISTIC AS THE AVENGERS ARE EVER GONNA BE. I've never seen such realism in comic books in my life. The characters are heroes, yeah, but at the same time almost all of them have negative traits or dark secrets that could destroy the team. Emotions, egos and personal agendas now play a big part in the story and characters, which makes them more vulnerable not only to their enemies, but to each other as well. (It was jealousy that started the Hulk rampage and Giant Man's almost fatal assault to his wife.)

However, the Ultimates still managed to stay true to each member's roots, even for a little bit. Cap is still the responsible and patriotic fighting machine that he always was (although much more gritty and emotional this time), Hulk is still the strongest there is, Thor is still the all-powerful Norse God (although much more human this time), Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are still Magneto's offsprings and Tony Stark is still a billionaire playboy.

The way Millar built the characters is also amazing. Millar made sure that each member of the team is built up well. Millar made sure that readers will be able to know the roots of each Ultimate. And unlike in other team comic book titles where some characters gets more presentation and time than others, The Ultimates gives each character his/her fair share of exposure. No one gets overexposed and no one gets forgotten.

The action "scenes" are also unbelievable. You can almost feel everything that is happening in the book. Although I admit that it took a while for the Ultimates to get some action, it was well worth the wait. Chapter 5:The Hulk Does Manhattan gave me one of the best fight scenes that I have ever seen. Every fight/battle scene is detailed to the nth degree. Just read Chapters 1, 5, 8 and 12 and you'll know what I mean.

Next up is the artwork. Bryan Hitch, is without a doubt the best penciller I have ever seen. You might think Im overrating him, well maybe I am, but so far, I haven't encountered a review that says otherwise. Every character is detailed to the bone, and his new designs on Captain America, Thor and the Iron Man armor is fantastic. The backgrounds are unbelievable, certainly the best background in a comic book that I have ever seen. Without Hitch, The Ultimates won't be this good. HITCH'S ARTWORK IS PERFECTION. Trust me on this.

Of course, there are also some negatives about this title as well. First of all, some of Millar's lines are a bit cheesy and dull. Also, I'm not really sure about Giant-Man's outfit, and I don't think The Hulk's "horny" attitude is right for him. But probably the biggest flaw of this comic is not in the comic itself. For me, its biggest flaw is its shipment. It usually takes 2 months or more for the next issue to come out! I feel irritated whenever I finish a chapter, knowing that I have to wait patiently for another 2 months or so to find out what happens next. And its irritating because I'm telling you, The Ultimates WILL leave you hanging at the edge of your seat, and it WILL leave you craving for more.

OVERALL, A COMIC BOOK MASTERPIECE. I know that some people will not agree with me on this, and a lot of people will think that I am overrating this comic book, but I don't care. Traditionalists probably won't agree with me because of the major changes that was done to the Avengers and their enemies, but I personally believe that these changes improved the Avengers a lot. Personally, I believe that this comic book is sheer genius. Millar, Hitch and Currie did a heck of a job. This is the best comic book Marvel has produced in a long time. For me, simply one of the best, if not the best, comic books that I've ever read.

Wonderfully Illustrated, but falls short of the mark.
I was intrigued when I heard about the Ultimates, which is in essence a reformation of the original Avengers. Although the illustrations were very well done, the story was so slow and badly put together that by the end of the story, I both wanted more, and much less.

The plot was both frantically paced and embarrasingly slow at the same time. Nothing was happening, but the story seemed in such a hurry to get there that I felt like I was missing something (perhaps I was). Millar does a pretty good job giving some background on Captain America, but none of the other characters get more than a passing nod from a standpoint of character development. Perhaps this is just as well, as seeing Thor as a tree-hugging raver (ala Woodstock '99) and seeing Dr. Bruce Banner as a pathetic weakling with more fears than brains struck me as uninventive and even a little lazy.

A particularly galling development in this "retelling" is the position of the Ultimates as a branch of the US miliary. Keeping aside the idiocy of having a Norse God in the US military, of all the Avengers, only Captain America has the type of character to follow orders and obey. Iron Man and the two scientists (Giant Man and Banner) would probably be somewhat suspicious of this dubious "honor" to serve one's country. My thought is political correctness in the post 9-11 world won't allow for rogue groups operating outside of the vast government's auspices.

Lastly, what's with all the celebrity worship? A full two pages are spent discussing who's going to play whom in the upcoming movie (Nick Fury's character appears to be drawn with Samuel L. Jackson in mind). Dinner with Freddie Prinze Jr.? Marketing meetings and PR sessions? What's with this garbage? All of these efforts serve to elevate the possible saviors of the world to the status of N*Sync or VH-1 Divas.

If you're into the Avengers, go back and read your old issues. There's nothing to see here. ... Read more

Book Description

The ULTIMATE titles are well-known for adding a unique twist to classic Marvel characters...and you better believe they're about to get a whole lot more twisted!One of the most ruthless villains in the history of the Marvel Universe, the fan-favorite Carnage, gets the Ultimate treatment!And though young Peter Parker has proven himself time and time again on the field of battle, can even he hope to defeat this heartless killing machine? Collecting ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #60-65. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Babylon 5 creator and Amazing Spider-Man writer J. Michael Straczynski presents a new vision of a world about to give birth to its first generation of super-heroes! Follow the origins of these new heroes and anti-heroes - from their birth through adulthood - and examine how their lives and abilities change and shape the world around them. The god-like Hyperion discovers his whole life has actually been an elaborate government-made lie, and his reaction could mean the end of the Earth! Do the world's other super-powered beings have any chance at stopping Hyperion if the truth sends him over the edge? ... Read more

Book Description

Why is Dilbert such a phenomenon? People see their own dreary, monotonous lives brought to comedic life in the ubiquitous strip. In the 23rd collection of Scott Adams¨ tremendously popular series, Don¨t Stand Where the Comet Is Assumed to Strike Oil, suppressed and repressed workers everywhere can follow the latest developments in the so-called careers of Dilbert, power-hungry Dogbert, Catbert, Ratbert, the pointy-haired boss, and other supporting¨but don¨t you dare call them supportive¨characters. Each ¨funny because it¨s true¨ scenario bears an uncanny, hysterical, sometimes uncomfortable similarity to cubicle-filled corporate America.But the United States clearly hasn¨t cornered the market when it comes to drone-filled offices: Dilbert appears in 65 countries in 25 languages and in 2,000 newspapers. The strip has 150 million fans worldwide. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Addition to the Series
Scott Adams' 23rd addition to the Dilbert series is one of the best so far. The characters never cease to amaze me in every way. Wally's laziness and Alice's temper along with Dogbert's cheap but smart ideas to rip people off are what make this comic strip great. We are able to see ourselves in all of the character mainly because they all represent something. Wally represents the person who is too lazy to do anything but does well in his life anyway. Dilbert is the person who no matter how hard he tries he can never get anywhere in his life. Alice is the person who can't control her temper because she is so overworked. Asok is the person who is still learning from others but he is becoming a independent person. Dogbert is the person who can make money by scamming people and never working too hard. The Boss is the person who knows nothing yet gets so far in his life.

I think this Dilbert book is a great buy and it is worth the money. As always Dilber tgives us clean and enjoyable entertainment that we can always enjoy.

A good collection of Dilbert Cartoons
Though the theme of the book appears somewhere after the center page cartoon, this is a compilation of cartoons from last year to the beginning of the first quarter of this year. Some of the all time favorites like the Outsourcing joke, Ashok's Talk about IIT's form the core of this book. A typical dilbert humor with some of the best joke books. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Intelligent, Well-Drawn, and Funny
Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip is a true rarity. It is technically well-drawn, unlike so many other comics. It is intelligent, insightful, and has characters one can really relate to - but does not take itself too seriously and is above all funny and fun to read. It is the story of the world as seen through the eyes of a six-year-old, Calvin, and his best friend, a Tiger named Hobbes - which only Calvin sees as real, and the rest of the world sees as a stuffed doll...

Most of all, the creator of the strip, Watterson, is a true rarity: he refused to commericalize the characters - the only product he sells are book collections of the original strip, like this one - and retired in 1995 when he felt he was beginning to become repetitive. Watterson literally walked away from millions of dollars to save the integrity of his creations, Calvin and Hobbes.

For once, both the characters in the strip and their creator in real life teach us something about what is really important in life - and that it is not REALLY all about money and climbing the corporate ladder after all.

Just compare the well-drawn, love-of-life, intelligent and uncommercialized Calvin&Hobbes to the poorly-drawn, cynical, shallow and commercialized-to-the-wazoo contraption named "Dilbert", for example. Compare the talent and integrity of Watterson to the talentless "sell out to whoever pays more" character of "Dilbert"'s creator.

This will give you a REAL insight on what is wrong with the world.

Great collection and a great bargain
Calvin & Hobbes was so popular during its run that people never needed to explain what the strip was about to anyone; it's been a couple of years and with the exception of little kids, people seem to remember the strip for the most part. So, all I'll say about this collection is that it is the preferable purchase over the first two books, the self-titled "Calvin & Hobbes" and "Something Under The Bed Is Drooling." Why? "The Essential Calvin and Hobbes" actually collects every single strip from those two books (it's NOT a best of, as some people would say), and most importantly, the Sunday strips are in color. Hands down, Watterson painted the most beautiful looking Sunday strips since Walt Kelly, and it would be a shame if you only knew them through the black and white reproductions of the smaller collections. It's also cheaper to buy this book instead of the first two, as well. As a special bonus, Watterson included a nice, water-colored poem at the beginning, which isn't available anywhere else.

A fantastic collection of early Calvin and Hobbes comics
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes, first published in 1988, is chock full of early Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. No cartoonist, not even Charles Schultz, has captured the magical essence of childhood the way Bill Watterson did in this strip, and it should come as no surprise (although it did to Watterson) that Calvin and Hobbes quickly developed an incredibly loyal following. This strip went way beyond mere popularity. While I was in college, the campus newspaper decided to stop running Calvin and Hobbes (I think this was during one of Watterson's sabbaticals) - this resulted in nothing less than a furor on campus, as countless students immediately demanded the return of C&H. In a matter of days, Calvin and Hobbes were right back where they belonged.

How does a comic strip featuring a mischievous six-year-old boy and his stuffed tiger attract a fiercely loyal following of adults? Most adults would love to be children again, to know the freedom and sense of wonder that somehow withers inside the human soul after the onset of puberty. Calvin and Hobbes vividly recreates the feelings and emotions of the very essence of childhood. It brings back memories of things we forgot far too long ago, and it thus reawakens the deepest parts of our ever-hardening souls. Reading this comic strip is the next best thing to being a child yourself. Calvin does everything you used to do: he takes time to stomp in mud puddles, he lets his imagination run wild to make thrilling adventures out of even the most mundane tasks, he ponders the same deep questions you are now, as an adult, afraid to ask, he goes for the gusto no matter what sort of risk is involved, he is in every way a perfect specimen of childhood. Who, as a child, didn't pretend to be a dinosaur, walk around with a hideous expression in hopes of your facing freezing that way, tease the girls (or boys) you claimed to hate, journey to distant worlds unseen by human eyes, etc.?

Of course, Hobbes is just as important to the comic strip as Calvin. Hobbes is a tiger, Calvin's best and constant friend, a fellow partaker in the joys of childish innocence. To Calvin, Hobbes really is all that, and that is how we see him as well - until, that is, someone else comes into the frame, when he suddenly becomes nothing more than a stuffed animal. Watterson is a fantastic comic artist, and there is just something captivating about the way he draws Hobbes in his stuffed animal form. Everything about Watterson's art is fantastic, though, particularly the way it captures the emotions of its two principal characters.

Sadly, we have only ten years of comic memories in the form of Calvin and Hobbes, as the inscrutable Bill Watterson retired (around the age of 37) in 1995 and quite obviously has no plans of returning to the public arena. Watterson is actually frighteningly private and seems to be living a life of unmatched solitude. I find this extraordinarily sad: here is a man who captured the essence of childhood so vividly in the form of Calvin and Hobbes, a world bursting with life and possibilities, yet now he seems to have withdrawn from life itself. We must be thankful we do have as much Calvin and Hobbes material as we do, and The Essential Calvin and Hobbes, with 255 pages of black and white daily strips and color Sunday strips, features much more than just a chunk of it in and of itself.

Another anthology of laughter
Whether the collection is the "Indispensible" or "Essential" or "Authoritative" Calvin and Hobbes, it doesn't really matter. Watching this hyperactive, hyperimaginative child and his willing though wise accomplice, Hobbes, take on evil babysitters, Susie Derkins, the class bully and all creatures (real or imaginary), is a pleasure and laughter without stop. "The Essential Calvin and Hobbes" is another in a long list of the great comic work of Bill Watterson. This is an indispensible/essential/authoritative collection for all Calvin and Hobbes and humor fans!

It's a good book
The essential C&H starts out with the early comics (I think) so those are a little weird.

The poem at the begining is very funny. In one of the first stories Calvin and Susie get in trouble for passing notes ("I WISH WE WERE DEAD!!") And in another one Hobbes cuts Calvin's hair which Calvin says looks like it was cut with a weed-eater.

What I thought was irritating was when it went from early comics to finished comics, which was kind of annoying because I like the early comics.

I conclude this reveiw by saying this is deffinatly worth your money and you'll enjoy it very much.

post script, you might also like getting the indespensible C&H and The Authoritive C&H with this one, they kind of go together. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

pretty good
in case you were wondering, this collection includes 10 issues:

Uncanny X-Men 210-213
X-Factor 9-11
New Mutants 46
Thor 373-374
Power Pack 27

technically an issue of daredevil also tied into this crossover, but it's not included here.

crossovers are always fun, but as another reviewer mentioned they tend to meander. the writers didn't seem overly concerned about keeping the crossover self-contained, so a lot of the comics bring up events that don't get resolved until after the events in the books contained here. most of the backstories are explained enough that newbie readers shouldn't be too clueless, although if you're new to the x-men you should start off w/ the essential x-men series.

highlights: great fight w/ psylocke, wolvie, and sabretooth; apocalypse assembling his four horsemen; angel getting overwhelmed by the marauders.

minor gripe: WHY does thor not have a beard on the cover when he does at the time of these comics??

Really complete
If you want complete stories, then you are not going to do much better. If you want to see the X-Men in a state of war, then this is a far better storyline than the X-Tinction Agenda. Lots of mutants, lots of fights, and lots of poignant moments, from the injuries that led to the creation of Excalibur and Archangel, to Psylocke joining the X-men, to the death of so many Morlocks. The inclusion of Thor and Power Pack was well-handled. This novel can not be more highly recommended.

Mutants aplenty
Excellant graphic novel. One of the better X-men novels. Allstar cast includes X-men, X-factor, New Mutants, Power Pack, Morlocks, Marauders, Apocalypse and the beginings of his four horseman, and the Mighty Thor. Only dissapointment was not seeing Thor pummel the overrated sabertooth like the insignificant flea that he is, who comments that he would have torn Thor to shreads. All in all I highly reccomend this.

Good Story With Too Many Extras
I'm a comics fan and like most people I got my comics start with Marvel. I eventually bought more than Transformers and G.I. Joe and I got into X-Men. I think this graphic novel epitomizes my feelings about Marvel in general and the mutant comics (X-Men, X-Factor, etc.) in particular. The story here is a compilation of all comics from the storyline. The story is straight forward, a group of mutants has set out to kill all other mutants but in the process the story has to conveniently cross-over into Thor, Power Pack and more. Marvel does this to increase their readership on other titles. Since this is a trade paperback you get everything in order for one price. When reading the story in this fashion I began to see how annying this was since the story meandered due to the cross-vers that were barely related but I also felt sorry for those who bout the cross-overs off the shelf since they spent a ton more than they probably intended to.

The story itself is good but reads more like it's for the die hard fans, not really for comics and graphic novel fans looking for something more to read.

Good story, lots of action, & Sabretooth vs. Wolverine!!!
A good story with good art, featuring the first appearence of the Marauders, the foundation for Excalibur, the loss of Angel's wings, and the deaths of most of the Morlocks! There are two Wolvie vs. Sabretooth battles and some sub plots featuring X-Factor, Power Pack, Thor, and the New Mutants. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the beautiful things about comics is that it is possibly the best medium for combining education and entertainment. No one knows this better than Larry Gonick, whose Cartoon History series spans many subjects.Whether you are a fan of history, comics, or Gonick's books, The Cartoon History of the Universe I is a great place to start. Part I contains volumes 1 to 7, from the Big Bang to Alexander the Great. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Fun and Educational
This volume of world history in comic book form is priceless! The artwork is not the greatest, but it is certainly competent and accomplishes its job. But what makes this book worthwhile is its alternative take on history. Instead of focusing on stories about famous conquerors (although they are not ignored), it is about what history must have been like for the average person, all with a rather biting, cynical sense of humour. For example, it shows WHY Socrates was hated so much (because, like such 1960s gurus as Timothy Leary he helped turn young people into rebellious thinkers who questioned the sacredly held opinions of their parents, whether or not Socrates did so intentionally). Gonick turns historic figures into living, breathing people instead of mere acts or ideas.

The Cartoon History doesn't quite reach the level of social criticism of A People's History of the United States, nor will it tear down your current understanding of historic events, but it still manages to be very iconoclastic merely by pointing out the silliness of humans throughout history (illustrating how little we've changed!) and through its more 'common person's' perspective.

A must for any home library!
Want to read about history without reading about history? Buy this book! Not only does is serve up science in a way to keep you awake but it slices up history into easy to swallow portions too. If you find chapters or subjects that pique your interest beyond that provided by the witty cartoon panels, the book has the most extensive bibliography (with reviews!) you could ask for. I bought my copy many years ago and it drove me to reread all those Greek Classics that I slept through while I was in school! It is apparent that portions of the Ancient Greece section was drawn earlier when Mr. Gonick was developing his style. His wit is trenchant in all the chapters in a way to make the reader think. Summary: I wish I had this book when I was in school...

Entertainment first, history a distant second
While you can learn a lot of history from this book of cartoons, it takes some time before you understand how they are structured. The explanatory text is generally historically accurate, but the dialog in the character bubbles is for humorous effect. There are times when the explanatory text is not meant to be taken seriously, and it is generally clear when that is the case.
It starts with the big bang, which is the beginning of the universe. From that, it describes the creation of the planets, the origin of life and how it evolved to make humans. Once humans are present, it largely becomes a tale of the development of civilizations and the wars over the products of those civilizations. The civilizations described are those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Turkey, Greece, Persia and Palestine.
I enjoyed this book immensely, it is occasionally very funny, and it does teach you some history. However, it should be considered as a piece of entertainment first and a history book a distant second.

Wonderful
A seminal work. Simply a fun great account of the history of man. This book does a great job telling the story of civilization from the dawn of man to Moses and the Greeks. A very accurate and funny story that illuminates the essentials of western civilization in many pages of hilarious cartoons. A great gift.

The BEST introduction to history possible...
Some of the big, thick and juicy history books can make the average reader's eyes bulge with terror. "The History of the Whole World!" or "World History Second by Second!" will probably disencourage the general interested reader by the threat of massive papercuts alone.

There's something about the word "cartoon" that adds appeal to any subject. "The History of the Universe!" by itself may make knees tremble, but "The CARTOON History of the Universe!" now my hands are a-grabbin' at the bookshelf. And grab we should; we should grope, fondle, and possess this great volume that will likely turn any historaphobe into a walking timeline.

History? Entertaining? NEVER! Yes, awake from your dogmatic slumbers, the dream can be realized. This book is funny, genuinely funny. And it's not a parody along the lines of "1066 and All That" - it's real history presented in an amazingly underrated educational genre.

The first book is chopped up into seven volumes which can be read more or less like serial comic books. Dramatic teasers provide segueways between the volumes, and keep the story flowing. Like it's subtitle says: "From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great", and since subtitles never lie, that's what you get.

THE BIG BANG starts off this book, and the book follows an evolutionary line - at one point outright stating "Darwin was right" (pg. 52). So, be warned all of you whose cars are adorned with fishes labeled "Truth" eating smaller fishes labeled "Darwin" - this tome may not be for you.

There is a long discussion about the evolution of sex, some "naughty" cartoons - which are usually hilarious - which leads into the evolution of species from the cambrian to the quaternary period. Humanity enters the scene, and the evolution of humans is covered through homo habilis to the "Cro-Magnon Conquest of the World". From then on some of the major early peoples and their societies are covered: Sumeria, the Semites, the Egyptians, the Acheans, the Hittites, the Assyrians, the peoples of the Old Testament, the Philistines, the Acheans, the Spartans, the Athenians... I'm sure I left a lot out, but you get the idea.

There is a great chapter on the war between Persia and Greece, including the events that lead up to it. The final chapter of the book is aptly titled "All About Athens" and covers such historical stars as Pericles, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, etc. The book ends, as the aforementioned subtitle promises, with Alexander the Great's entry into India. Volume 7's teaser suggests that book II will linger in India for a bit.

The book also includes great footnotes, great drawings (a sidenote: why does the style of the artwork change so drastically in Volume 7?), a great bibliography with short reviews of works Gonick used in researching this cartoon cathedral, and a stubborn refusal to consider anything out of the scope of inquiry. Gonick brings up historical issues that would never be taught in schools (I leave the reader to discover these). Even the issues surrounding the status of women and the rich and the poor are put in for good measure.

I can't imagine a better way to be introduced to history, especially for the curious adult, since to say that the book is NOT G-Rated would be an egregious understatement (since the book contains many adult themes, graphic cartoon violence, and descriptions of many disturbing things that make up human history, it's hard to say if the book is for kids or not, notwithstanding the "cartoon" in the title - I guess this is best left as a personal decision). Still, even those knowledgable in history will enjoy it, because, dang it, it's a comic book after all! Of course, and this is obvious, hopefully this book will serve as a springboard for an interest in history. By itself it's a great outline filled with general knowledge, but supplemented with more reading it becomes a road to unfathomable historical knowledge with which can come a better understanding of our place in the universe. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tom Veitch's original comic strip story traces Luke Skywalker's entrance into the Dark Side in the years after the fall of Darth Vader. The Empire is fragmented, and the Rebels seem on the verge of winning their long struggle when the sinister power of World Devastators emerges from the galactic core. These Devastators chew up worlds and manufacture robotic war machines out of the resources they consume. Luke's dark journey seems the only way to halt the massacre. But despite the importance of Luke in Dark Empire, the portrayal of Leia as an emerging Jedi is really the centerpiece of this volume. Married to Han (who goes flat in Veitch's hands) and with two children, Leia is torn between her role as mother and her role as Jedi warrior. While the story sometimes jumps too quickly between major scenes, Veitch does a good job of capturing the epic feel of George Lucas's masterpiece trilogy. Cam Kennedy's artwork is mixed in quality. Some of his drawings of the Millennium Falcon, hunter-killer probes, and robotic TIE-fighters seem to leap directly from the movie screen, while his human figures (especially of Han and Luke) can appear generic. Also, his style of coloring, using washes of similar colors on each page, is good for capturing moods but tends to obscure details. Despite these occasional shortcoming, this comic is recommended for one simple reason: once you start reading it, you won't be able to put it down. The other two parts of the Dark Empire trilogy include: Dark Empire II and Empire's End.--Patrick O'Kelley ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Luke becomes the apprentice of a ressurected Emporer.
The opening pages of "Dark Empire" gripped me instantly, and I wasn't disappointed by the storyline. The characters are familiar and the technology and diversity of aliens, planets, and vehicles are worthy of the "Star Wars" name. The only drawback is that the artwork can become a bit confusing and sloppy at times, but a true "Star Wars" fan will be able to look past that. In chronology, it and its sequel "Dark Empire II" take place between "The Last Command" and "Jedi Search". It contains a vital chunk of the "Star Ears" saga, although this is a comic book with no novelization. Definately worth a look.

Hold the phone! Let's look at the facts here!
Ok, this isn't a review of Dark Empire, but rather a counterpoint to the people who are blasting a very good peice of Star Wars expanded literature. Quite frankly, the Dark Empire trilogy is not the shipwreck that many people are making it out to be. Ok, the "Galaxy Gun" wasn't a very good name for a superweapon (cannon would have been better), but for the sake of Starwars fans everywhere, I'll just deal with the two biggest problems people seem to be having, the return of the Emperor and Luke's supposed switch to the Darkside. Considering you scrolled down this far, you already know the basic plot.

Yes, Vader's killing of Palpatine was a great ending to Lucas' saga. But the idea in Dark Empire is Palpatine and his empire were an evil so great that no one person could destroy them. It took Vader and his children, Luke and Leia, to finally put an end to Palpatine reign. Eventhough Han, in typical fashion, blows away the emperor's last (weak and genetically unstable) clone in Empire's End, it was stated that by Palpatine's doctor that he would die forever very soon unless he found a jedi to posses after his defeat and loss of aceptable clones in Dark Empire and Dark Empire II. So technically, it was Luke and Leia who "defeated" Palpatine. Luke also does the impossible by defeating the Emperor himself in physical combat (Which I felt was lacking even in the movie trilogy), something no jedi had ever done, and destroyed Palpatines best clones (with a little help from a revolting warrior or two). All these grafical novels do is expand the confict with Palpatine from Vader, down to the next generation, Luke and Leia, which is quite appropreate if one is familer with the Star Wars universe.

There is also a crystal clear explanation which is stated several times why Luke "turned" to the darkside. It was stated that Luke was trying to learn all of Palpatines dark secrets and then use them to destroy him and his empire once and for all. Come on! If Luke really turned to the darkside immediately why would he give the New Republic the codes to beat the invincible world devastators? Later on though, Luke does go too far into the darkside and Leia has to save him, like Luke did with Vader. Luke also did it to understand his father better, he needed to know why his father became Darth Vader. There's also a dozen pages in the back of Dark Empire which runs through the whole plot again! For crying out loud! Did these critics even read the book! Anyway, don't be put off by a few naysayers, the Dark Empire trilogy is better than bad, its great!

Purists, lighten up...Dark Empire is classic Star Wars....
It is a time of peril for the New Republic. Six years after the Battle of Endor, the destruction of the Empire's second Death Star, and the defeat of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, the war for control of the galaxy still rages on.

Despite their victory over the infamous Grand Admiral Thrawn a year before, the former Rebels have been forced to evacuate Coruscant after a successful invasion by resurgent Imperial forces. But when the Empire's "leaders" begin to fight over the right to govern, civil war breaks out and gives Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian and Alliance troops an opening to carry out a daring raid on Coruscant itself. But the mission goes awry and Skywalker and Calrissian crash-land their captured Star Destroyer at the heart of the Imperial City.

But when Han Solo and his wife Leia, accompanied by Chewbacca and C-3PO, attempt to rescue Luke and Lando, they are taken aback by Luke's refusal to go with them back to the secret Alliance base known as Pinnacle. Instead, he allows himself to be whisked off by a dark side storm, leaving his twin sister and her husband to wonder if the burdens of being a Jedi Master are too heavy for Luke to bear alone.

When this new chapter of the Star Wars Expanded Universe was first published as a six-issue comic book series by Dark Horse, I had mixed feelings. The concept was daring...Luke falls to the dark side of the Force (or does he?), the Emperor, thought to be dead at the end of Return of the Jedi, is back, thanks to the power of cloning technology...heck, even Boba Fett is revealed to having not being found "digestible" by the Sarlacc. All very fascinating, but wasn't Tom Veitch pushing things a bit too far? So even though I read my friend Geno's six issues from cover to cover, I thought, "Nawww....I'm not buying this. It doesn't fit into the Star Wars saga...."

Ah. Silly me. When I read Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Search, the first installment of the Jedi Academy Trilogy, I noticed certain references to the reconstruction of both Coruscant and Mon Calamari, which had been subjected to battle and siege in Dark Empire. There were also passing references to the reborn Emperor. Later, when I broke down and bought this one volume collection, I read the introduction by Anderson and realized that the changes Veitch made in the Star Wars storyline were just too big to ignore. Even though as a Star Wars fan I know the only "official" version is the six-Episode film saga as written, produced, and/or directed by George Lucas, I lightened up and came to accept Dark Empire and its two sequels as an integral -- and fun -- part of the Expanded Universe.

The story by Veitch (once you get over the "how dare he?" reaction to it) is so well-written that you wish it had been a pure prose novel. The artwork by Cam Kennedy is innovative and at times almost impressionistic....as far as comics art is concerned I prefer the photo-realistic style of the prequel adaptations, but that doesn't take away from its beauty.

An Empire Reborn...
Since Star Wars creator, George Lucas, stated that his original saga only has six parts, it fell to Dark Horse Comics to further the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, Lando, and the rest after the events in Return Of The Jedi and author Tim Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. The story (fully sanctioned by Lucas) in Dark Empire fits into the Star Wars mythos very nicely.

Six years after Jedi, The ruthless Empire is reborn, under the leadership of a mysterious figure, following the defeat of Grand Admiral Thrawn. This, as the Rebel Alliance restablish order throughout the Galaxy. As the new leader of the empire puts his evil plan into motion, Luke Skywalker, and his allies struggle to figure out what's really going on. Meanwhile, henchmen of Jabba The Hutt, have placed a large bounty on the heads of Han Solo and Leia.

Writer Tom Veich crafted a story that has a Star Wars feel to it. He has captured the escence of these very well known characters on these pages. While Admiral Thrawn is no Vader or Palpatine, he does make a worthy adversary, just the same. The action, humor, and wonder of the first trilogy are for the most part, recreated here.

As for the art, I have to say, I was a bit disappointed with Cam Kennedy's renderings of the Star Wars universe. The character likenesses are ok but not as detailed as the book's cover art by Dave Dorman-great stuff. Kennedy makes everything seem just a bit off. For the most part, abstract color combinations, take over most of the panels---this really detracts from book's fine story. The book also contains the story's original outline

Still, Dark Empire, is a must read for Star Wars fans

This one satisfies your curiosity
OK, your reading the novels and you wonder why Wedge is driving a large recycler in the opening of a book. Then you read references to the Clone Emperor or resurrected emperor and that Luke once went to the dark side and came back. Dark Empire is where those things happen.

It is a pretty good story with above average art work. Some of the art is stunning! It was this comic that got me interested in the art of DAVE DORMAN. DAVE IS AMAZING!

Palpatine gets cloned and has a new super weapon. Luke goes to the dark side to stop the Emperor. Coruscant gets blasted (or is it corresaunt now). Leia, undertrained as she is goes to rescue her brother. The two are never more powerful again.

After surviving and defeating the resurrected emperor, Leia and luke go back to their old selves in future novels ie: Leia is only barely competitent, and Luke is distracted almost to the point of incompetitence at times (one of my big grips in some books).

This is the first of 3 comics on this thread. You can skip the other two, but this one is worthwhile. For an additional treat, do a search of "dave dorman art" and check out where-ever he is. You'll like what you find. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

This comic is a great look at the mutant controversy.
For people (like me) who read X-Men for the parts on mutant prejudice, this is one must read! The plot is based on a group trying to eliminate mutants. They develop a machine harnessing Professor X's telepathic abilities with which they can weed out mutants from humans. The X-Men are forced to stop the plan, and ally with Magneto. The book is definitely aimed at a slightly mature audience. There isn't as much action as a comic, but there is lots of fighting for mutant equality through talking and encounters. Also, the illustrations are touching. Anderson catches the darker side of the X-Men that works well with the story. If you find this, it's a good buy.

The essence of X
"God Loves, Man Kills" is Marvel Graphic Novel Number 5. Written by Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson, the book is lettered by Tom Orzechowski and colored by Steve Oliff. In this science fiction adventure, the superheroic mutants known as the X-Men face a complex struggle against William Stryker, a powerful televangelist who is masterminding an ominous plot. Complicating this conflict is the presence of Magneto, the mutant whose own agenda is at odds with those of both Stryker and the X-Men.

This X-Men adventure features Professor X, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Ariel, and Nightcrawler. This is an excellent story which, in my opinion, captures the essence of the X-men mythos. "God Loves" is a thrilling mix of action, interpersonal drama, and philosophy. The authors effectively develop the core idea of the mutants as a misunderstood and persecuted minority. There are some really heart-tugging scenes--these are characters you can really care about. The artists deliver some unforgettable visuals.

Stryker is a truly monstrous, horrifying figure. But his effectiveness is a character lies in the fact that he is so similar to many real-live Religious Right figures. Stryker is a Bible-quoting preacher who uses his vast wealth and political influence to wage a campaign of hate against a particular minority group. With a copyright date of 1982, "God Loves" strikes me as eerily prophetic, and still chillingly relevant.

The plot of "God Loves" is similar in certain aspects to that of the 2003 film "X2"--I don't think it's any accident that the mutant-hating villains in these stories have the same name. But despite the parallels "God Loves" still stands on its own as a powerful, well-written X-Men story. I consider it one of the essential masterpieces in the graphic novel genre.

More X-greatness from Chris Claremont and friends
At the time that I write this, Amazon has not properly identified this item for whatever reason. This is Essential X-Men Vol. 5. The volume is notably thicker than previous entries in the series, apparently because the paper is thicker. This should come as a welcome change for those who have complained about the flimsiness of the paper in the Essentials series - though I never found it to be a problem.

This volume contains The Uncanny X-Men issues 180-198, plus annuals 7 & 8. The bulk of the issues are penciled by John Romita Jr. and inked by Dan Green; a combination which we've already seen in the latter section of volume 4, although the art style is more distinctive here, maybe the artists were honing their technique? And Kitty looks noticably different here, even from earlier issues drawn by the same artists; but then, fans have grown accustomed to the repeated changes in Kitty's appearance as different artists have taken over the magazine.

There are two issues focusing on Storm, titled Lifedeath and (surprise!) Lifedeath II. These are penciled by Barry Windsor-Smith, and they have a look completely unlike any other issues of the magazine (esp. the latter which W-S also inked). Their tone is also atypical, more melancholy than usual - perhaps because of the influence of the artist, who also contributed to the plotting, as was usual with Claremont's X-Men.

Most of these issues display the virtues that are associated with Chris Claremont's long run as writer of The X-Men; chiefly a focus on the characters and their relationships with each other. Among other things, volume 5 shows Kitty's relationship with Peter go through some zig-zags; Storm loses her mutant powers and heads off to her old home in Africa to try to find new meaning in her life; and, wonder of wonders, Magneto - the X-Men's archfoe, whom they have repeatedly combatted since way back in the very first issue - has had a change of heart and has joined forces with Professor Xavier. Actually, this is not too much of a surprise because he experienced a moral crisis at the end of issue 150.

I have just two real complaints. One is that for a while, increasingly throughout the first half of this volume, the writers show a preoccupation with magic and sorcery, which reaches its peak with issues 190-191, which show Manhattan being taken over by the sorcerer Kulan Gath, and magically reduced to primitive barbarism. These two issues in particular have (to my mind, anyway) a rather grim and unpleasant tone. And since our heroes are mutants rather than magicians, they become increasingly helpless throughout these stories and have to be repeatedly bailed out by people such as Peter's sister and Nightcrawler's girlfriend, both of whom secretly practice magic of one sort or another; or by Warlock, a member of the New Mutants who is actually an alien from another planet.

If you find yourself getting depressed at this point, I recommend jumping ahead to Annual #7 (the annuals are included at the back of the volume) which offers a welcome change of tone. After the Kulan Gath sequence, though, Claremont and his collaborators seem to have worked out their fixation with magic, and the following issues return to the character-driven type of story that made this such a great magazine for so long.

My other complaint pertains to the writers' increasing fixation on the theme of anti-mutant prejudice and persecution. Although present in the X-Men since back in Stan Lee's days, the presentation of this theme here starts to become shrill and overbearing. In earlier times there were major characters who were non-mutants, yet were intimates of Prof. Xavier and/or the X-Men, such as Dr. Corbeau and (especially) Moira MacTaggert. I found myself increasingly missing such characters, as the writers sometimes seemed to be slipping into a simplistic world-view in which all mutants are unjustly persecuted and all non-mutants are moral monsters. To be fair, there are some decent non-mutants here, but they are all walk-ons rather than major characters.

However, these flaws are not enough to to spoil the greatness that is Chris Claremont's X-Men. If you have enjoyed the first four volumes of this Essentials series, you owe it to yourself to read this one as well.

Classic X-Men story
This classic X-Men story from the golden years of Chris Claremont's legendary run on the book is one of the most well known and well regarded tales to ever hit the X-Men. The story revolves around William Stryker; a powerful bible banging televangilist with an agenda for mutantkind. The X-Men are thrown into the thick of Stryker's would be crusade, with Magneto waiting in the wings with plans of his own. Claremont's superb and powerful storytelling is at his best here, and maybe is his best next to the classic Dark Phoenix Saga. The art is great as well, although some may find it a bit too 80's. The basic story of God Loves, Man Kills, would be used in the X2: X-Men United movie which used a villian named Stryker, only instead of him having power through religion he had it through the military. Even though this story is out of print, you can find it in the X-Treme X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills 2 book.

Good Read, The Basis For X-Men 2 (Movie)
I've been a fan of the X-Men for some time and I was glad I picked this up. It's nice to read the true origin of the story found in the X-Men 2 movie. The art isn't as flashy as it now but it is still an enjoyable story with a good message. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The story of the Demon Zabuza and Haku
"Naruto vol. 4" continues the fierce battle begun in vol. 3, against the ninja-hunting Demon Zabuza and his deadly assistant Haku. The stage is set with Sasuke slain, Kakashi literally mystified and Sakura learning her own limitations.As everyone knows, when things look darkest for a band of heroes...it is time for a little payback.

Payback is what you get in vol. 4, but not exactly in the way expected.Naruto, full of rage over his friends death, unleashes the power of the Nine-tailed Fox demon.Kakashi shows that he is more than the Sharingan Eye, using an innovative attack to overcome the loss of vision.Sasuke lies on the ground dead, and there is lots of weeping.

The real story, however, is the love and loyalty between Zabuza and Haku.Compared to this, the trials of the four heroes are trivial.Haku sees himself as a weapon to be wielded by Zabuza, and the true test of his loyalty comes when Zabuza's feelings are made clear.Its some powerful, emotional stuff.

Along with the conclusion of this story arc, vol. 4 also sets up the next adventure for the Naruto gang. This time, they head home to face the challenge of the examinations for chunin, the next level of Ninja. Several groups of older kids come into town to face the examinations, and run foul with Naruto and friends.Cue the music and start the fights!

Insert Title for Review (haha)
When I read this one, I can't say anything surprised me at all. But that's only because I've seen the anime already. I have to say, this manga impressed me even after already seeing the anime. Sure I didn't cry my eyes out like I did in the anime but the shounen-ai scene with sasuke and naruto about sasuke 'dying'... Well lets move onto the blood. The blood was alot cooler than it was in the anime. In the anime, the blood was stupid and purple. In the manga, it was all over the place and dark. Really Dark. Just like blood is supposed to be. And it wasn't drawn out annoyingly like it was in the anime.
The best thing about the manga is you don't have to listen to the annoying music. That made this book so much more intresting, and out of the four I own, I like this one most.
The best thing about this volume is the cover art. If you've seen the cover art on other three, you'll notice SOMEONE is making a stupid face, pose or it just looks weird. The cover art for this volume is beautiful.
Only thing I can complain about is... some of the anime characters are scarey when they're first introduced. The once adorable Shikamaru is now scarey. Very scarey. He looks like evil Betty from Kung Pow. And Temari, once pretty, now ugly. I hope they fix that...

don't write it off just yet...
Ok, so maybe this was a bit of an anticlimax following the huge cliff hanger at the end of volume three.However, loads of new characters are introduced in this volume which give rise to a whole new level of story telling and character development.There are currently 22 volumes of naruto waiting to be translated into English and this volume sets the stage for what is to come.It's a really good read, and if you can't wait for the next volume, there are plently that have been scanlated available on the net, so go check it out...it's definately worth it!

doggies? get out.
Death of a friend, breaking of a seal, final confrontation...here it comes, the final showdown!!!! Dogs? Ninja Dogs? Come on. After all that build up, you give us ninja dogs? It's like listening to a joke you know that's going to be good. You are sitting there waiting for the punchline, and you are ready to clutch your stomach because it's going to be a belly laugh. Then suddenly a clown in a cheap custom jumps out from behind the curtain and starts juggling balls; while the comedian takes a break. By the time he comes back and finish telling the joke, you can't get that cheap clown out of your mind. The joke fizzles, and you felt you got robbed.
Am I going too far? Maybe. Masashi Kishimoto did an awesome job of setting up the story in Volumes 2 and 3. Volume 4 was going to be the climax, the punchline that makes you gasp for air. Enters the clown.

Contains spoilers (if you haven't read Vol. 3)
This volume is awesome.
It picks up where Vol. 3 left off, with Sasuke dead, mid-battle with Zabuza and Haku.

This whole volume is just...great. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. ... Read more

Book Description

It’s Valentine’s Day and you know what that means—lots of chocolates for the cutest boys at school! In this case it’s a pretty close tie between hot-headed Kyo Sohma and "Prince Charming" Yuki Sohma. Of course the kind-hearted Tohru, guest of the Sohma family, has chocolates for everyone! But when White Day comes around, what will the Sohma family give her in return? ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Truly amazing. Needent I say more. :P
Fruits Basket (or Furuba as it's known to many fans) is a truly amazing manga.

From the title of it, you would expect it to be very hentai-ish, but it's not. In my opinion it has to be the cleanest manga that one can possibly stand. (IE it's not so clean and happy go lucky as Hamtaro *shudders* Hamataro is evil, pure evil). Well I got off track. This review has spoilers abound so beware if you haven't read the manga (or seen the anime).

Fruits Basket is about a girl name Tohru Honda a girl with a heart of gold and truly a wonderful person, whoes father died when she was very young. She is now 16, her mother had just died in a car wreck, and she went to live with her grandpa on her fathers side. (Because her mother and she were not exactly on speaking terms with her mothers side of the family). Her grandfather has to get his house remoldeld for some distant relatives on his side of the family so Tohru has to move out for a while. He told her to find some friends to stay with.

Not wanting to be a burden to any of her friends Tohru decides to rough it, and she finds a tent and campsout for about a week, on the Sohma familys property (not knowing of course). One day while walking to school she comes across the Sohma family household. She looks around in it for a while and comes across some stones with the Chinese Zodiac on it. Than she run's into Shigura (who is the year of the dog) and Yuki (her high-schools "Prince" He is the year of the rat) Later on in the story we are introduced to Kyou (the year of the cat, who is not in the zodiac because he was betrayed by rat). And this is where the trouble starts.

The Sohma family is cursed and therefore whenever they are touced or huged by a member of the opiset sex of someone NOT in there family, they turn into the animal that they are the year of. Tohru finds out this secret, and therefore she might have to have her memories erased from her. What will become of our poor Tohru? Find out when you read the manga! And belive me, you will. It is a must read.

Now I odviously left out a lot of details from this manga, but I didn't want to give away the whole storyline, that would be quite dumb wouldn't it?

Also this manga is printed in the original left to right reading format, therfore preserving the original artwork and sound-effects. It makes it even more enjoyable. All in all this manga is a must read. It's kinda of a comedy/romance, kind of. And it's shojo, so it's more or less going to be apealing to the femail gender a little bit more. That's not to say that a guy wouldn't like it. It has quite a bit of action in it (not like Trigun action) more martial arts action. But it is a must read. And I really hope my review helped. Do you believe it was written by a 16 year old? The reveiw I mean.

Just thought I'd mention this
I was depressed for several days, then I went to Border's and bought some manga, one of them Fruits Basket #3. I swear, I felt so... happy afterwards! I'm serious, every time I read Fruits Basket, it just puts me in such a good mood... it's full of hope and compassion without seeming forced or sappy. Natsuki Takaya really has a talent for this! In this volume, after Momiji was talking about "The Most Foolish Traveler in the World" story in the "funny" stories book, and how he related it to Tohru, I actually cried, and I rarely cry over manga! XD Most of my favorite mangas are the more serious or sinister kind for older audiences, such as Confidential Confessions, Petshop of Horrors, Uzumaki, etc. and I'd never thought I'd enjoy a series like this. But I love it and it's one of my favorites... even though it sounds a little rediculous in its description (turning into animals when hugging the opposite sex ^^;) when you actually read it, it's really enjoyable, touching, and funny, and the characters all have deep personalities. I highly reccommend Fruits Basket!!

Great!!!!!!
I love this manga!!!!

Clean and sweet, without being sappy, Fruits Basket is a really cute story about a sixteen year old orphan named Honda Tohru. One day when walking through the woods, she discovers a strange house. Under further investigation, she finds that the house happens to be the home of none other than the prince of her school, Sohma Yuki. When Yuki and his cousin Shigure find out that Tohru had been living in a tent, they immediately take her in. However, Tohru soon discovers their family secret. The Sohmas are the bearers of the "juunishi" (zodiac) curse. When their bodies grow weak, or when they are embraced by a member of the opposite sex, they transform into their designated animal of the Chinese zodiac, or in Kyo's case the outcast aka the cat.

I have only read two volumes of the manga, but I own all four anime dvds and love them. It starts out sweet and gentle, but the end, of the anime at least, is dark, depressing and to use a word I hate a real "tear-jerker." I cried. A lot. Even so, it was wonderful. Don't not buy it now because you think it to be dark and full of pain and misery. It's not. Every {good} story needs some dark pasts, mental scars, and evils. Otherwise, how did the villian become a villian, why is the good guy good? There would be no motivation. GO buy the manga. NOW.

Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket in general is a touching series that really makes you look at yourself--when you see what these people go through, and see that they can still smile, you'll wonder if crying was/is ever worth it in the first place.(But of course, we all don't have a cute little bordering house-maid to give us the wisdom we need in those times.)

Anyways.

The book can be described in a few words; really sweet. In this book we meet a new character, Hatsuharu Sohma(though you may have seen a little of him in number 2), who has a 2 sided personality. That's all I know--I have yet to buy the book.

But if *I* like it so much without even having seen it, then who says YOU won't like it either?

Fruits Basket just have something special about it. It's like a parasite--it weasels into you and embeds itself into your heart. I think everyone can find something they like about it, even male otakus(otaku=anime fans, though not all are pale-faced doughballs)...

Now. Go. Now. Grab all the money you have and waste it(heh) on Furuba(Fruits Basket) stuff. OR YOU SHALL DIE WITH THE HAUNTING KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU MISSED OUT ON SOMETHING GREAT. Heh-heh-heh. Bye. ^^;

fRUITS bASKET
The book starts out with a young girl,Tohru, who with the death of her mother is living alone in a tent. She then meets the Sohma family who is suprised to hear that she lives near by, because all the land in the area is owned by them.
She goes to school with her new found friend Yuki who is the popular handsome guy of the school. Later you find that for some reason Yuki hates cats as they walk together. Yuki and Tohru go their seperate ways, but later that night Yuki finds Tohru living in a tent and he takes her in because she dosn't look well.
In return Tohru cleans the house to earn her keep. Then a boy named kyo challenges Yuki to a fight. As they fight Tohru falls and keeps her balance by hugging Kyo. Kyo then transforms into a cat.
Thoru freaks out and then everyone else in the family transforms into a different animal.
They explain that their family is cursed wwith the spirts of the Chinese Zodiac. Each family member is possesed by a different animal spirit and when under great stress or embraced by a member of the oppisit sex they transform.
This first book takes you through the events of the first 5 episodes of the anime.
This first book is awsome and is followed up by more just as good! ... Read more

Book Description

After the traumatic events of Invincible Volume 3: Perfect Strangers, Mark Grayson (a.k.a. Invincible) is left to pick up the pieces and try to continue on with some sort of life.His mother is a wreck, his friends don't understand and the super-villains of the world just want to beat him up. Mark has a lot on his shoulders and graduation is just around the corner.Containing the fan-favorite and sold-out issues #14-#19 and the short story from Free Comic Book Day 2004's Image Comics Summer Special, this volume is massive! ... Read more

Book Description

When the internationally famous barbarian hero returned to comics, with an all-new fresh start by award-winning writer Kurt Busiek (JLA/Avengers, Astro City) and dynamic artists Cary Nord, Thomas Yeates, and Dave Stewart, the result was instant sell-outs and multiple printings to keep up with the demand. Now Conan's earliest adventures are collected in a handsome 192-page collection. Catch all the action and savagery as he wars with the murderous Vanir, meets the Frost Giant's Daughter, and is taken as a slave by the ancient sorcerers of Hyperborea! This top-selling new series faithfully expands on original aut