Book Description

It is the moment you've all been waiting for! Gambit returns to Ultimate X-Men! Because the fans demanded it, the Cajun thief is back! But what is he going to steal? And can the X-Men stop him? It's all about the Ragin' Cajun as the mysterious Gambit gives hints of where he's been, what he wants and why the X-Men will not be happy about it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Cape & Cowl
Don't you just love it when two great athletes team up?

Batman and Superman have been around for decades. Two of the main reasons people still read comics today, these two icons have appeared in -- literally -- thousands of stories ... facing threats to themselves ... challenging threats to world peace ... and making the world safe for the rest of us at the risk to their own personal safety.

However, PUBLIC ENEMIES -- under the guidance of Jeph Loeb -- takes the old and makes it new, bringing a remarkable freshness to characters who have seen some great days and, undoubtedly, have greater ones to come.

A huge meteor is hurtling across space, taunting the destruction of the planet Earth. No big deal, you say? Just send Superman into space to knock the rock off its trajectory? While it sounds like a good idea, you have to remember that the author of this work is Jeph Loeb, arguably one of the best minds working in comics today (and, for those of you in the know, he's also a consultant for the WB's hit SMALLVILLE): this meteor is a hunk from the planet Krypton ... making it Kryptonite ... and meaning that Superman is absolutely powerless against it! Its radiation threatens the survival of the entire planet, and only these two superminds and supertalents combined can find a way to save the day and put right all that has been thrown into chaos since Lex Luther was elected President of the United States.

What? Lex Luthor? President?

Clearly, PUBLIC ENEMIES is not necessarily a great 'jumping on' point for new readers. There may be some resulting confusion due to storylines hinted at that occured before this tome (Lex Luthor's election as President of the United States, Luthor's attempt to wrest control of Gotham City from billionaire Bruce Wayne, Commissioner James Gordon's retirement from the police force, etc.), but these hints serve moreso as nods to other great Batman and Superman stories for the newcomer to go and explore. Also, ENEMIES is replete -- one may argue too much so -- with guest appearances (Captain Atom, Major Force, Solomon Grundy, **drool** the lovely Power Girl, etc.) from the whole pantheon of DC villains and superheroes ... so many that that the final showdown between Luthor and Superman does feel a bit rushed to get this entire story told in what was originally six issues of the new Batman/Superman comic book, but that's a minor critique easily dismissed thanks to the strength of Loeb's work. The real magic of PUBLIC ENEMIES is that it should be considered on its own and of its own merits ... of which there are (thankfully) plenty.

Also, Ed McGuinness deserves a nod for delivering some stunning artwork to back up Loeb's epic storyline. The drawings are crisp and fluid, the coloring is dynamite and eye-popping, and the layout is exceptional.

ENEMIES is a friend worth finding.

Excellent Story, Beautiful Art
Jeph Lopeb has outdone himself on tackling arguably two of the most popular heroes in pop culture, the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. Now, many attempts at the team-ups between the two titans have been done, some with mediocre success and some with no success. Jeph Loeb's story is a far cry from any of the older World's Finest type stories that have featured the two heroes. It is very well plotted and is executed to near perfection.

The story starts off with a large chunk of kryptonite on a collision course with Earth. Luthor uses this to his advantage and puts a $1 billion bounty of Superman's spit-curl and even hires a meta-human team boasting the inclusion of Green Lanter, Powergirl, Captain Comet etc. And add to that the JSA also sends Hawkman and Captain Marvel after them and they get into a showdown. And if that wasn't bad enough, an older Superman (the Kingdom Come version) drops into the bat cave and beats the tar out of Superman and Batman. This is done in order to ensure that no one dies from the mistakes made here and now.

There are also sub-plots that include possible information as to the identity of the murderer of Bruce Wayne's parent (yeah I know...I thought Batman knew the killer, but this was apparently all debunked in the pre- and post-crisis stuff) brought forth by Superman.

Now, the amount of stuff touched on by Loeb in these first few issues just goes to show you that the man got a million ideas in his head. Hopefully they will come to fruition in the future issues.

And finally the art....I have not been a big-fan of Ed McGuinesses' work (dating back to his earlier work on various Superman series). They always looked too cartoony, in a bad catoony way. But this time his art was perfect. It was still cartoony but it was good cartoony (make whatever you want out of that).

If you like tight story-telling with a lot of action with a lot of substance (and who wouldn't want that?) this book is for you.

Almost Perfect--I Can't wait for the next one.
Another lame team-up between the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader, you say?

Not so! Public Enemies presents an original story of, you guessed it, saving the world from, you guessed it again, Lex Luthor. As unlikely as an original story on that material may seem, Jeph Loeb delivers here, giving interesting insights into the history and development of the relationship between these two brightest stars in the DC universe, while rolling in other characters, many seldom seen in recent years.

Ed McGuinness' art is wonderful, though don't expect the edgier look of Loeb and Jim Lee's "Hush." The two-page action spreads acattered throughout are great, and don't make you feel like the story is suffering so the artist can have more room to draw.

I especially liked how Loeb showed Batman's and Superman's thoughts about their situations and each other parallel on the page. I like how the ending was left open for another confrontation down the road, but my one complaint is a rather important gap in how Batman and Superman get from fighting Hawkman and Captain Marvel in Japan to busting into the White House. Superman explains it, but I would rather have seen it, personally (although I guess that would take away some of the surprise).

Another great book from Jeph Loeb, and cheers for Ed McGuiness.
BUY THIS BOOK. It will not disappoint.

Brilliant
Jeph Loeb is the best writer to tackle Superman OR Batman in many a year, and putting them together in one series has been a magnificent success. Buoyed by wonderful artwork by Ed McGuiness, in this volume President Lex Luthor cons the Earth into believing that Superman is responsible for a planet-killer sized asteroid of pure Kryptonite that is falling towards the planet. Superman and Batman, with their few loyal allies, have to avoid the heroes trying to capture them, bring down the corrupt Luthor, and save the world from the meteor.

The key to this book is contrast. Superman is bright and hopeful. Batman is dark and cynical. Somehow, together, they WORK. And they work BEAUTIFULLY. Read this book and find out why this crimefighting duo will always be the World's Finest. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The immense popularity of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is due in largepart to the development of his characters. In The Doll's House, the second book of the Sandman magnum opus, Gaiman continues to build the foundation for the larger story, introducing us to more of the Dream King's family of the Endless.

The Sandman returns to his kingdom of the Dreaming after nearly a century of imprisonment, finding several things out of place; most importantly, an anomaly called a dream vortex has manifested itself in the form of a young girl who unknowingly threatens to rip apart the Dreaming. And there's the smaller matter of a few nightmares having escaped. Among them is Gaiman's creepiest creation: the Corinthian, a serial killer with a miniature set of teeth in each eye socket. Because later volumes concentrate so much on human relationships with Gaiman's signature fair for fantasy and mythology, it is sometimes easy to forget that the Sandman series started out as a horror comic. This book grabs you and doesn't let you forget that so easily. --Jim Pascoe ... Read more

Reviews (27)

The vortex, immortality and "cereal"
In the second Sandman collection, the reader starts to realize that Gaiman has some long range plans for this series. The tale of Rose Walker, the dream vortex who must be killed to save The Dreaming, is a complex one. The Doll House introduces the reader to many of the characters who would have a major effect on Gaiman's plans for the series. Particularly excellent is the tale of Hob Gadling, who becomes Dream's friend when he becomes the man "Death will not touch." Their meetings each century are little history lessons so well executed they make you wish for more. The "Cereal" convention, with special guest lecturer the Corinthian, is a scary look at the fascination with serial killers and the final twist involving Desire gives the reader some insight into the relationship of Dream with his siblings. This book really shows what a truly original creation The Sandman is.

The best arc of the decade's best series
THE DOLL'S HOUSE is the arc that Gaiman himself says is where he realised what he wanted to do with the characters and where he wanted to go with the SANDMAN story. This edition begins with two stories that both stand apart from the rest of the series, but that also both have significant influence on THE DOLL'S HOUSE storyline and beyond. The first, "The Sound of Her Wings" introduces Dream's big sister in a profound and moving tale about the value of spending a day with Death as she goes about her business sending people to their next life. The next tale introduces Nada, Dream's doomed mortal love, who will play a significant part in a later arc, SEASONS OF MISTS. Then, THE DOLL'S HOUSE begins, a tale involving escaped dreams and nightmares, a human vortex and her granmother who had spent the bulk of her life asleep (see the previous PRELUDES AND NOCTURNS), and Dream's quest to prevent the dissolution of his kingdom. What makes Gaiman's writing so unique is that not only does he reject the comic book obligatory of big fist-fights to SAVE THE WORLD (and all that), but that Dream is not even the central character in these stories. Instead, Rose Walker is. It is she, not Dream, who is threatened and who goes on the emotional roller-coaster and it is to find out what happens to her that the reader keeps reading. In fact, Dream - the "hero" of this title - at what point nearly kills her to save his kingdom! Magnificent writing, magical artistry, this story is an absolute must. Buy it. Buy several. It makes a great gift.

The Sandman develops
It's never too late for a good story, and the Sandman saga is very good. This collection moves that story forward, mostly in the person of Rose.

This book compiles a sequence of regular-sized comic books. The first story here stands by itself - a tribal tale of a place that could, some day, descend from our own time.

The rest of the book takes a very ordinary young woman and puts her in an extraordinary world. Taken part by part, it sounds fragmentary and disorganized: a nursing home, a bizarre convention, befriending a place, and facing mortal threat in an immortal world. The pieces all fit, though. They sustain a pace and a visual variety that makes this book hard to put down.

Best, however, is the glimpse of intrigue in the Sandmnan's world. We see a little of his own realm, and the plotting of his own minions. We also see his larger world, his sisters, and their covert push against the walls of his domain. This is just the second of a dozen or so collections - there is enough material here to drive that many volumes or more.

If you're new to comics, or just new to the Sandman, give this a try. If you already know the Sandman, you're in for one of the best books in the series.

How wrong you are...
I am having a hard time understanding the motives of people who claim that The Doll's House is too "rough around the edges", and "not as brilliant as later volumes". These people are not only wrong--they are completely misguided.

You want to know the truth? The Doll's house is probably the best volume of Sandman that there is.

I have read it four times. Yet there are moments in The Doll's House, where I find myself literally sweating from tension as my eyes follow the words on each page. When Dream finally catches up to the Corinthian, I still applaud. Whenever Barbie and Ken share the page, I still laugh, and then shudder as I think of their future. When I see the horrible things happening to Rose Walker's brother, I still have to look away, and when The two siblings are finally reunited, I still shed a tear. It's that good.

All of you people calling it "unfocused", and "flawed" have completely missed the boat, and need to do some serious swimming to catch up to the rest of us.

Doll's House introduces us to so many memorable characters, so many fascinating insights of humanity, and so much memorable dialogue, that it cannot be labeled as anything less than the pinnacle of the series. Whether it shares this spot with the likes of "Brief Lives" and "Season of Mists" can be debated, but no other episode of the Sandman series can capture every human emotion and channel it so perfectly.

Please do not start with this. Wade through Preludes and Nocturnes first, and consider this one your dessert.

Very confused
I don't understand why people consistantly refer to this title as the weakest entry in the Sandman series. I have read all ten volumes, and have to say that it is in fact one of the best. Of course, finding a bad Sandman book is like finding a bad Beatles album. It's really not about which one is the "worst", but which one is the least memorable; the one you are least likely to refer to over and over again and re-read just for the hell of it. And Preludes and Nocturnes is certainly one of the more memorable episodes.

Gaiman was new to his series, and he did not have very much direction. Preludes and Nocturnes leans towards classic horror, whereas other volumes, such as The Wake, and A Game of You, are closer to fantasy. So Preludes and Nocturnes is different then all the others. So what? There are so many classic moments that are contained within its pages, moments that stick in your mind and don't leave. Moments such as Dream's escape from his prison and the logic that followed, the introduction or Cain and Abel, John Constantine and his quest to find the pouch of sand, Dream's journey to Hell and his battle with Choronzon over the helm, the ENTIRE FRIGGIN CHAPTER OF 24 HOURS, and the final introduction of Death at the end--the sweet, good natured goth girl who just happens to be the same person we often see personified as a dark cloaked figure with a scythe. The list goes on and on and on.

Of course the same could be said for any of the other volumes, but that is exactly my point. Preludes and Nocturnes is not better then Brief Lives, nor is it worse. It exists to advance the story to its eventual conclusion, and it does a great job. There are some flaws--but everyone will find something they don't like in each of the volumes. Don't listen to those people who say "if you read this one first, you'll get the wrong impression of Sandman". Bull. If you don't like this volume, then Sandman is not for you, end of subject.

The worst thing you can do is skip this volume in favor of another, later chapter, such as Season of Mists. Start at the beginning--Gaiman did, and his work turned out just fine in the end. ... Read more

Book Description

Tohru Honda was an orphan when one day fate kicked her out of the house and on to land belonging to the mysterious Sohma family. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything goes well until she discovers the Sohma family's secret, when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal! ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Fruits Basket Vol. 1: Did it live up to my expectations?
Fruits Basket or Furuba as it is known to fans, is something that many fans of manga have been anticipating for a long time. But I myself, had only just heard of it last December. I really had no idea what it was about even though I read about the anime and such. I expected it to be quite different from what it is.

Fruits Basket, if you don't know, is about a girl named Tohru Honda whom is an orphan, and is currently living in a tent because her grandfather is fixing up his house so other relatives can live in it as well. She doesn't want to trouble anyone, so she decides to rough for those couple months in a tent. She ends up camping on the property of the Sohma family. A group of young men whom find her and decide to take her in for the night, but she soon finds out that they are a cursed family. Each of them represents a member of the Zodiac and one of them is the cat, the one who didn't get to go the banquet. :( Tohru has always been fascinated with the Zodiac and especially with the cat, she always wished that her sign could be the cat. She soon finds out about their curse and that when they are hugged by a member of the oppositte sex they turn into the Zodiac animal they represent. They decide not to erase her memory and let her stay with them, she does chores for them and cooks for them, and begins to feel quite at home. In fact, she feels so at home, she feels like it is her home.

Needless to say, this is NOT what I had thought Fruits Basket was, but I found it very intriguing and fun to learn about the Chinese Zodiac. And the plot is pretty fluffy, but its all in good fun, and the characters are well developed and have their own personalities. The drawing style is nice too.

All-in-all, I would say Fruits Basket is a quality Shojo manga, and lived up to my expectations by being something I completely did not expect and still turning out to be very good. I will continue to follow the series. :D

God Bless ~Amy

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

Reviews (6)

In Love With Comics Again
The Ultimate Spider-Man series is the best thing that has happened to comics in a long time. I love what Bendis and the crew have done with my favorite web-slinger. I get done reading a few pages and just smile. The artwork in this series is pure and clean. I can't see any way to make it any better except to keep the issues coming. Gwen was always the one I wanted for Pete, even though MJ is the best. I hope this time around Gwen is here to stay.

ugh
I started loosing interst in the newer spider man books after this comic, i found a disturbance with the second one that was more artist than story but volume 3's story is cheezy but spider man is still the man, even if they try to change his persona and twist the story.

Spider-Man takes on Doctor Octopus and Kraven the Hunter
Just when I thought the game plan of the "Ultimate Spider-Man" with regards to the love life of his alter-ego Peter Parker was to go directly to Mary Jane Watson, passing Betty Bryant and Gwen Stacy, when scribe Brian Michael Bendis drops the later into the action. This version of Gwen is big on the mascara and perfectly willing to pull a switchblade on a bully, both of which are completely valid reasons for Peter to have his eyes pop out of his head when he looks at her. Not even her police Captain father can reign in this blonde tornado.

At this point in the comic book the stage is merely being set for the impending love triangle, but I have to tell you that what is happening here is clearly a take off on "Dawson's Creek." Seriously. Peter is Dawson, Mary Jane is Joey, and Gwen is Jen (No, Flash is not Pacey; Kong is closer to being Pacey than Flash, but Peter Parker does not have a friend, which means Harry is not Pacey either). This should prove to be interesting, especially given that Mary Jane already know's Peter's big secret. But at this point the main problem is that Aunt May has an over inflated opinion about her nephew's love life. Yes, things might actually be worse for our hero this time around.

The title of "Double Trouble" has to do with the fact that in this collection of "Ultimate Spider-Man" #14-21, Spider-Man has not one but two villains after him (I was going to say two super villains, but that would not be the case). The new and improved bad guys this time around are Doctor Octopus, who has come out of his coma to discover his tentacles are fused to his skin, and Kraven the Hunter, who is now a reality television star from Down Under. Clearly, the more you know about the original Spider-Man comics and his various foes the more you will enjoy Bendis's refinements and provocative changes. At the end of this collection Spider-Man enjoys his biggest moment in the sun since the spider bit him, which quickly follows with a particularly low moment for Peter. Even when we think we know the rules of the game, Bendis continues to surprise us.

"Double Trouble" is the third trade paperback collection of "Ultimate Spider-Man" comics, which re-imagines the webhead as a younger Peter Parker trying to learn the ropes of being a superhero. But for those who read the first couple hundred issues of the original "Amazing Spider-Man" this is a hyper retelling of the tale. Forget all the ... superheroes Spidey had to fight with; this time around the focus is on the best and the baddest. The biggest difference between these first 21 issues of "Ultimate Spider-Man" and the original comic is that a single issue is no longer a complete story; it takes eight issues for the conflict between Spidey and Doc Ock to develop and be resolved. Consequently, we have the rather paradoxical fact that things are happening much faster for Spider-Man in this retelling of the tale while taking longer to develop. I continue to be impressed by this brilliant "re-imagining," which is drawn by Mark Bagley with inks by Art Thibert and Erik Benson.

my favorite villan done right.
this is spideys best villans first apperance Doc Ock and it shows spideys but being handed to him and becoming infamous. But kraven fans beware he isnt at his best. it even has a sneak peek of sandman. and this is a must have

Breathing new life into Spiderman
I just can't believe how much I'm enjoying Ultimate Spiderman, and this collection is the best story arc yet.

Brian Michael Bendis flawlessly introduces two major villains from Spiderman's rogue gallery, Doc Octopus and Kraven the Hunter. There is such a quality to this work, such an attention to detail. Bendis is really building this series from the ground up, really breathing new life and fleshing out Peter Parker. And while Bendis respects the history of Spiderman, he by no means is hampered by it, and has no problem discarding details that make no sense.

Mark Bagley is definitely improving as this series progresses. I have been really quite impressed, it seems his storytelling is improving, and the action is very easy to follow. To me, Bagley has become a part of the book, an integral part of the experience.

This is a very intelligent Spider-title, and it only stands that it will get better and better, as has been the case so far. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

The book that ruined my favorite comic
This book (originally a 12-issue monthly limited series)is interesting in its effort to cram 60 years of D.C. Comics characters & history into one storyline. "Crisis" was an effort to 'streamline' the D.C. Universe by disposing of alternate Earths & unloved silly characters (like Krypto the Superdog). The story had some heat by killing off some major characters, but the worst thing about Crisis is it ruined the continuity of my favorite super-hero group. The Legion of Super-heroes was my favorite since childhood & I loved all the characters & follow the stories religiously. Then "Crisis" came along & destroyed much of established storylines. The Legion then shifted gears to a darker version with 'new' characters who we were now supposed to believe "had always been there due to the Crisis." After that failed attempt, they 're-booted' the whole Legion concept & started over from scratch. But they lost this long-time fan. I gave up on D.C. because they ruined the Legion & it's never been the same since. The Legion of Super-heroes had a long-term loyal following that was basically jettisoned after the crisis. Long Live the Original Legion!

Crisis On Infinite Earths
One of the most important maxi-series ever produced by a major comics publisher. The story is always gripping and touching, and this is Marv Wolfman at his finest. Even though there were so many characters and so much happening, Wolfman keeps it entertaining and exciting. George Perez produces some stunning artwork rendering so many hundreds of different characters and keeping the story flowing. This is Perez's crowning achievment of his career.

This maxi-series attempts to scale down the DC Multiverse down to a single comics universe. Many characters met their end, including some major ones, some characters were changed, and some characters originated from this series. This was a pivotal series in DC continuity setting the stage for reboots of all of the major characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Justice League. This version is beautifully restored looking better than its original comics release. This is graphic novel is most highly recommended and belongs on your comics bookshelf.

Depends, A LOT, on what you are looking for....
First things first - if you are looking for comics with real literary merit, you can find them but not here. This is not "The Dark Knight Returns", or "Watchmen". In fact, it's sort of the ulitmate expression of the way comics were before those works - full of overly earnest guys and gals with stupid titles and silly costumes, doing their level best to save the universe.

And if you are a comic reader of today without much interest in how the books got to where they are now, move along - this is a complicated story, and not really that great on its own, self-contained merits.

But, if you have a real love of the DC Universe, both where it was in the past and where it is today, this book is pretty much essential, since it chages so much about the fundamentals of that universe. Not necessarily for the better - it seems to me that DC traded a multiverse concept that looked complicated, but was logical if you understood it, for a single universe that seemed simpler, but only got more confusing the closer you looked. Those issues, though, are somewhat beyond the scope of the book.

At its heart, this book is something of an ode to the rich history of the DC Universe, full of characters with decades of history, many of them long forgotten. Sure, a lot of them get destroyed in the processs, but I think it's done with an appreciation for all that was.

In the long run, this story is a bit of a mess, but it's an important mess, and quite a good looking one. There are better books you can get in the genre, and you should get those first. But if you are interested in comics history, you really ought to read this one eventually.

Lot's the drawings and no story....
So why did DC do this story? According to Marv Wolfman, it was an effort to make the books easier for readers to follow. Destroy all the various DC universes and just create one where all the characters live. Great idea right? Nope. From day one, this series was plauged with trying to cramp too many stories into one book and wrap up as many unfinished stories as they could. It gave me a headage just trying to keep up with the 12 different sub-plots going on each book. There were several characters like Supergirl who died in action....and many of the surviving characters had their names, origins, and powers either altered, changed, or compltedly revamped. In the end, only about five of the DC heroes emereged with their origins and their characters more or less intact; Superman,Batman,Wonder-Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash. I guess you could say they were the only real survivors, the rest of the DC heroes were all new characters from the inside/out and they really were and still are bad ideas that make for poor reading.

Middle age man comics' crisis!
I missed this when it originally came out in 1985. I did not have the patience to look for copies of this long winded series as specialty comics store were not yet in vogue then. Only now did I have the opportunity to read this tale that changed the DC Universe. After reading a third of the book, I lost interest as it does not have the pizazz that I expected it to have. Perhaps now, the tale appears mundane as visual elements excellently drawn by George Perez, are now so common in the cinemas. What the artists visialized then could now be easily translated to the screen with more verb. Hence, the profligacy of comic based movies. That aside, the attempt to consolidate the universe into one resulted in an aftermath that heroes and villains familiar to us then, now appear (to those who lived the golden and silver age of comics) unfamiliar. This is why I no longer have the addictive tendency to open a Superman or a Batman comics now. The tension, the expectancy, and the longing for the next issue to come out, a feeling I relished then, has long since dissipated; the consequence of COIE. Marvel is no better. But at least their movies, based on the original premise of their silver age characters, are definitley a visual and storytelling pleasure to experience. I hope DC does the same with their rejuvinated BATMAN Begins. Anyone for COIE in cinema? ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

Superb
It is incumbent upon the reader of this book to have read Dante's DIVINE COMEDY at least once. If there is no familiarity with that masterpiece before-hand, little will be gained by browsing thru these wonderful pages.

For those who are intimate with Dante, this present book is a can't miss. As an illustrated guide thru hell, purgatory and heaven, the plates will recall to the mind of the reader the sundry circles, punishments, torments and rewards depicted in the poem.

For all who love the COMEDY, this is your chance to allow Dore to help you visualize your journey thru the cosmic afterlife with the likes of our friends, Dante the Pilgrim and Virgil the poet. As an added bonus, there are tercets depicting the scenes drawn by Dore on every page.

After getting this edition, I'm now interested in getting his illustrations of Milton's PARADISE LOST as well. For those who browse thru these pages, I would HIGHLY recommend listening to Loreena McKennitt's song DANTE's PRAYER while you do so. It is off of her album THE BOOK OF SECRETS (ASIN: B000002NHN), also available @ Amazon.com.

Gustave Dore's superb engravings for Dante's classic work
I have a horrible confession to make: I much prefer to look at Gustave Dore's fantastic and grotesque scenes depicting Dante's "Divine Comedy" with just appropriate lines from the Longfellow translation then have to deal with all those tercets. Even worse, I think these 135 illustrations from the 1861 edition comprise Dore's best body of work, even better than his famous Bible illustrations completed five years later, mainly because I think Dore's style is better suited to the depths of Hell and the realms of Purgatory, rather than the stories of the Bible. Clearly Dore found his kindred soul mate in Dante and even though he did classic engravings to illustrate everything from "Don Quixote" to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," this is his monumental achievement. Many admirers like the plates depicting the souls writhing in the fiery torments of Hell, but my favorite has to do with the lower level of hell where Dante and Virgil encounter the souls frozen in ice (Canto XXXII). This Dover edition is relatively inexpensive, which means the paper quality is geared towards economy rather than reproduction, but I think that it a satisfactory tradeoff, all things considered.

wow!
Excellent artwork that comes to life very well. I really felt Dante in Dore's works.

Great illustrations!
If you are interested in Dore's work or Dante's Divine Comedy, get this! A great supplement to the book.

The Truth
And they talk about heaven on earth.

This is The Inferno Baby. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

America faces its greatest threat since the Civil War.The worst fears of the Founders are being realized, as powerful corporate interests have taken over our culture and representative government.We the People now face a fundamental choice:take back our country . . . or do nothing, and become victims of tyranny and empire.

Thom Hartmann, the acclaimed author of Unequal Protection and The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, tells a compelling story -- of how a government of, by, and for the people has been replaced by corporate domination.Through brilliant analysis and imaginative illustrations, this fully graphic book illuminates the central dynamics of American politics.

He reveals the forgotten history of the Founders’ intent and the devious way that corporations came to possess "human" rights.He explains what the Boston Tea Party actually was, what constituted the Second American Revolution, and how "corporatists" disguised as conservatives are looting assets from We the People’s common ownership through privatization schemes.

Most importantly, the book issues a call to action from citizens who want to restore true democracy, and liberty and justice . . . for all. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Addresses the dangers of losing our democratic liberties
Impressively written by Thom Hartmann, nicely illustrated by Neil Cohen in a "reader friendly "graphic novel" format, then collaboratively adapted and edited by Gene Latimer and Paul Burke, We The People: A Call To Take Back America directly addresses the dangers of losing our democratic liberties from a variety of corrosive influences including corporate special interest groups who finance and exploit the fears and intolerance that so often separate the political right from the political left. Only a "radical middle" can restore and defend the principals of fair and democratic government against the growing temptations of fascism. If you are a social activist committed to good government and the constitutional rules set out in order to promote "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", or simply someone who has become aware of, and concerned about, the increasing political polarization of our country, the read We The People: A Call To Take Back America.

Critically Important Information
This may be the most important thing any of us read between now and November.

Putting Justice into the Picture
This is a delightful work of art and advocacy by one of the most eloquent and thoughtful commentators on America's current direction. Mr Hatmann and colleagues have produced a superb document on how power is usurping justice and the common good in the age of corporative monopoly. Having heard the brilliant and articulate author on Australian radio speaking to issues raised in his "Unequal Protection", I had high expectations of this book. I wasn't disappointed. Complex issues are treated with intelligent simplicity,directness and respectful detail. Ingenious visuals capture the essence of the real issues facing a US gazing into the bottomless blue hole of pap television and syndicated media trivia while the noblest of America's traditions and commitments are carried off for re-wording or the junkyard. Reading this book is a pleasure and an education. For educators like me, it is a most valuable resource.

Hartmann's Call for an American Revival
Thom Hartmann, a leading radio voice in progressive circles and a diligent writer promoting American values, has combined the hard-hitting, concise common sense message of populists Jim Hightower and Molly Ivins in a cartoon context reminiscent of the best of Gary Trudeau's "Doonesbury." This approach enables readers to more readily absorb the important points encompassed by Hartmann in "We The People."

Hartmann is a scholar of early American history with a solid grounding of the philosophy of the Founding Fathers, which he effectively utilizes in drawing important differences and parallels between the early days of the Republic and now. A highlight of this informative work is his valuable insights comparing the Patriot Act of the Bush administration and the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by the Federalists during the administration of President John Adams. Then, as now, attempts were made to squelch opposition as journalists fighing the principle of power immersed in the hands of the privileged few, and allying themselves with the new Democratic Party led by Thomas Jefferson, were arrested and put in jail. The Federalists sought to maintain the very monopolistic practices against which colonists rebelled with the Boston Tea Party, which was the first major act in breaking the stranglehold of Britain's East India Company.

Striking parallels emerge as Hartmann compares the current practices and long-term goals of the Republican right and previous forms of government such as Feudalism, German Nazism and Italian Fascism. While spokesperssons of the right recoil at the associatiion of such totalitarian practices alongisde what they term conservatism, Hartmann contends that Bush-styled Republicanism marks a strong departure from traditional conservative thought. He cites the stated goal of rightist tax advocate and stanch Bush ally Grover Norquist to "drown government in the bathtub." Hartmann notes that Feudalism, Nazism and Fascism bore the similarity of of merging cumulative corporate wealth with a central government. Norquist and other Bush disciples seek to destroy protections traditionally enjoyed by the citizenry, leaving them every bit as vulnerable to a government-corporate elite as were vassals in the Middle Ages.

A frightening corroboration of this viewpoint has been realized. Not that long ago the world's leading corporation was General Motors. Its employees enjoyed the benefits of a Union Shop promulgating safe and healthy work standards, along with a satisfactory minimum wage, medical care, sick leave, and retirement benefits. Currently the largest corporation is Walmart. Its economic dominion is exemplified by the temporary worker stripped of benefits. This enables an all-powerful employer to subject employees to long, burdensome word schedules devoid of the protections and benefits enjoyed by the General Motors work force.

Hartmann sounds another alarm bell in the face of a frightening current trend. In writing about the dangers of theocracies as manifested in the past, Hartmann warns us a about the dangerous trend in this direction as currently observed in the Bush presidency. The very messianic message carried by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels to the German people concerning Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, which was destined to endure for a thousand years, is being delivered by Bush and his evangelical Christian base. Televangelist Pat Robertson recently stated that Bush was certain to win reelection "in a walk" because he is the handpicked emissary of God. Bush told Bob Woodward in an interview that, prior to invading Iraq, after he had been asked if he had requested advice from his father, who was president during the first Gulf War, he responded that he had sought counsel from his "other father," meaning God. With the Christian right so strongly anticipating Armageddon, a pervasive danger exists that entrenched evangelical beliefs will override efforts to achieve peaceful compromise in the Middle East and harness to most sophsticated nuclear weaponry alongside primitive religious beliefs.

Not only does Hartmann make a convincing case for political change and restoring America from a nation dominated by corporate elitism to the democratic tradition embodied by the principles of Jefferson, James Madison and Thomas Paine; he provides grass roots recommendations for citizens to coalesce toward their goal. He cites numerous organizations on the Internet and in America's cities, towns and villages that are dedicated to restoring traditional American democratic principles. As Hartmann notes, the prevailing corporate monolith must be effectively challenged with vigilant, intelligently focused citizen action, and cannot wait for direction in the traditional party structure. A new group of dedicated Americans needs to emerge in the twenty-first century and commit themselves to the restoration of democracy in the same tradition of the Founding Fathers of 1776.

Powerful, Brilliant, Moving, Must Read
If you Haven't read a any of the Thom Hartmann Books, you are in for a real treat. Thom's Newest book, We The People: A Call To Take Back America," is simply must reading. It's not quite describable, but a cross between animated comic and Japanese anime art, but it's talking about all the political and democracy issues that Thom takes on so well-- corporate personhood, the right wing threat to democracy, selling off the commons, how the founders, particularly Jefferson, of America would have viewed today's situations....

I've reprinted just about every article Thom publishes lately, on my progressive. tough liberal website OpEdNews dot com, where I am editor publisher. His articles are always among the most popular. (They are usually first published on CommonDreams dot org.) If you know Thom's work, whether his brilliant books, Last Hours or Unequal Protection, or his OpEd articles, you'll want to be sure to get this newest book. You'll be very glad you did. If you're smart, you'll order two or three, since you're definitely going to want to pass them out to people you care about.

I don't think anyone discusses democracy, not any pundit or politician alive, than Thom Hartmann. He approaches his subject matters with vision, depth of history, compassion and intelligence. He says he comes from the "radical middle" and it's true. his positions are ones the average person agrees with-- filled with common sense and great wisdom.

You'll want to hide this book from your right wing relatives... just getting a look at it will be like a punch in the face, or... a flush of blood to the brain. But you'll want to get lots of copies to give to your friends. I'm getting a copy for each of my kids (23, 20 and 14.)

Frankly, when I heard that some of Thom's writing had been adapted to a comic format, I was skeptical. But it's been brilliantly done. The originally ideas that were in Thom's essays are actually improved upon by the creative imagination of his editors and illustrator-- Gene Latimer (Editor), Paul Burke (Editor), Neil Cohn (Illustrator.)

Don't think of this is a comic book. Think of it as a hyper-idea media document that will rivet your attention and move you to passion. This is a powerful book that will make a difference. ... Read more

Book Description

An American graphic novel first! The complete 1300-page epic adventure from start to finish in one deluxe trade paperback. Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pre-technological valley, speanding a year there making new friends and out-running dangerous enemies. Their many adventures include crossing the local people in The Great Cow Race, and meeting a giant mountain lion called RockJaw: Master of the Eastern Border. They learn about sacrifice and hardship in The Ghost Circles and finally discover their own true natures in the climatic journey to The Crown of Horns. ... Read more

Book Description

McSweeney's Quarterly Concern #13 is all comics. It is edited by Chris Ware (author of Jimmy Corrigan: Smartest Kid on Earth), and features so many artists to know and love: R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Daniel Clowes, Lynda Barry, Los Bros Hernandez, Adrian Tomine, Julie Doucet, and on and on. The issue also includes essays from Michael Chabon, Ira Glass, John Updike, Chip Kidd, and others. A hardcover, clothbound edition, this quarterly comes with an enormous dust jacket that does much more than guard against dust. This one makes our throats go tight. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Brilliant in pieces...but leaves lacking as a whole
The book is a selection of modern comics and graphic storytelling. The look of the book is so unlike anything in modern literature today...it is beautifully constructed. I read mine straight through, and I was floored by the individual intelligence and originality of its contributors. The editor, Chris Ware, has a beautiful set piece about a young handicapped woman. Works by Charles Burns, Ivan Brunetti, Kim Deitch, and Richard McGuire were also strong. Some historical pieces regarding the history of comics and its early masters (Schulz and George Herriman) are fascinating. However, by taking the entire book as a whole, I became underwhelmed by consistent themes: suicide, alienation, stagnation, sexual frustration, even abortion. Does every young comic artist only deal with these issues? I missed the triumph and majesty of the comics of my youth, and wished just a few of the stories and vignettes dealt with some hint of a happy ending. The book left me feeling sorry for the authors of modern graphic novels of today.

Astounding
An incredible feat of editing and printing. Which might not sound like much until you hold this thing in your hands. Chris Ware continues to be one of the finest craftspeople working in contemporary visual culture. His own drawn and written contributions here are at least as good as his work on his own projects, but it's the sheer quality of the overall packaging, design, and fine detail that makes McSweeney's 13 so good. If this thing doesn't win some major book awards, there's no justice.

This is...
...quite possibly the finest piece of literature I have ever held in my hands. It's an issue devoted entirely to comics, and aesthetically, I have never seen anything like it. First is the dust jacket - made to look like a daily sheet, it's intricately covered with different designs and characters, and then folded up very nicely around the book. Tucked in pockets on both the front and back are smaller, booklet type comics.

Inside, the issue is guest edited by Chris Ware and is positively stunning. Lots and lots of full color pages with comics by Daniel Clowes, Chris Ware, R. Crumb, Lynda Barry, Mark Newgarden (The Little Nun), and a newly discovered favorite, Richard McGuire. Also, some history of the comics from the editor.

If you like comics (especially the more conceptually adventurous ones) you'll love this book. If you don't like comics, or don't know if you like comics, go and look at it anyway. You might be surprised.

The Norton Anthology of Graphic Storytelling
Chris Ware, (ACME Novelty Library, Jimmy Corrigan) guest edits this edition of McSweeney's a spotlight on graphic image narrative. Ware designs in his inimitable, meticulous style what is McSweeney's most handsome volume yet and provides a sturdy editorial structure (including fascinating historical reference and essays as well as his own history of comics). Most of the contributers are artists you'll recognise from independent or self-produced comics, zines, and strips, as well as from low-art magazines like Juxtapoz. These are interspersed with essays by word people (like John Updke) about images. Like every issue of McSweeney's, the grab bag quality is what makes it most successful, you'll see names you know next to names you don't; you'll be surprised by what you find yourself liking and moreover you'll find yourself appreciating the keen vision behind the scenes that pushes each piece of the kaliedescope in front of your eyes. Kudos to McSweeny's for recognising that this insurgent medium that deserves it's own place on Barnes and Noble's shelf, but a larger and more heartfelt amount of recognition should go to Mr. Ware for producing what could really be the Norton Anthology of Graphic Storytelling. The book is thoughtfuilly designed and masterfully put together, benefitting from the attention to detail that makes Ware's artwork so distinctive as well as the sheer quality of the work presented. None of the stories rest on the novelty of being 'comics in a straight book', at their best they are profoundly moving studies that showcase an artist struglling and succeeding in their medium. A deluxe sized fold-out cover, (designed to look like the funnies page) and two mini-comics are included and add to the overall grab-bag feel and leave the reader feeling like, if nothing else, he got a lot for his 25 bucks. If you are a fan of comic strips, comic books, graphic art; if you liked American Splendor, or Ghost World, if you are a fan of experimental narrative, or if you are simply curious what everyone is talking about when they refer to this curious, beautiful medium, be sure to check this out, it's an excellent primer for the curious and to the initiated it's a must-have watermark for how far the medium can go.

Great collection, but neglects some great artists
What a beautiful object this "issue" of McSweeney's is. It is delightful to hold and look at. The lay-out is very nice and the comics are outstanding. Many of the essays are quite good, too although they are outshiced by the comics by far! Ira Glass and Chip Kidd wrote my favorite essays. Chris Ware has written some wonderful historical essays as well.
Many of the comics are reprinted from their original books; Adrian Tomine's, Chester Brown's, Joe Saccos's, Charles Burns' and maybe others that i didn't recognize. It is nice to have them all together with other great comics though so doesn't detract from the package.
One area that I was concerned with is the underrepresentation of women cartoonists. While the three presented are excellent choices (Debbie Dreschler, Lynda Barrym and Julie Doucette) I was disappointed in the ratio of men to women cartoonists. I don't look for quotas with this sort of thing, but it is pretty clear that women are under-represented in this issue. Nonetheless, buy this wonderful collection! ... Read more

Book Description

Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding, Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

GREAT concept and AMAZING art, not so great dialogue
I am not very familiar with Byrne so I don't know if this is typical for him but he writes a little too mundain and run-of-the-mill for such a fantastic story with great art like Hellboy. His dialogue and monologue for the villain in this book are horrible. It is completely boring and skippable. In fact that's the worst part, it is ENTIRELY skippable. This is even worse because at points there's PAGES of it. This villain just drones ON AND ON about a bunch of ..., and you can literally skip those whole sections and not lose ANYTHING. The stuff is just barely relevant and Byrne does nothing to it to make it interesting or write it with any originality. One could argue that Hellboy is a very "pulp" comic and that as such, the sort of writing and dialogue can be expected to be of a certain (read DULL AND TRITE) nature. But it's too much to be asked of the reader to settle on the writing when the story and art are so compelling.

Recap: Hellboy = original, Byrne's dialogue for it = horribly plain and done.

Well done
Okay, I just read picked this up because the movie was coming out, and I'm one of those people who does that (as probably are many of you reading these reviews). But I found myself thoroughly enjoying Mike Mignola's HELLBOY.

This first HELLBOY book is a little on the short side, and at times, Mignola probably gives too much attention to the mythology rather than the characters, but all in all it's a fun read.

It's not my favorite comic I've read (definitely not in the Alan Moore category) but it's fun and well worth your time.

The artwork is definitely top notch. Even if the story were no good (but it is good) it would be worth getting to look at.

Now that the movie's out (which was also very entertaining and worthy of your time) I'm sure I'll keep reading the rest of the series.

Happy reading!

Hell on earth with a snappy attitude
In 1944, a team of specialized German Nazis gathered together with a powerful sorcerer on a strange mission to raise seven demons, while at the same time a group of rangers led by Sgt. George Whitman gather in an old church in East Bromwich, England with a team of paranormals, determined to discover what it is the Nazis are up to.

The Sorcerer, wearing some odd apparatus on his arms, powered by an electrical generator, casts a spell from a rocky hilltop resembling Stonehenge. A bolt of lightening-type power issues from the rod he holds in his hand, and strikes the church where the rangers are gathered along with their special forces. When the smoke and debris clear, a small being is hunched down on the floors, looking as though he were part demon and part little boy. It is Trevor Bruttenholm who names him: Hellboy.

Skipping many years into the future, Hellboy comes to visit Trevor, now an old man. Trevor, who had been like a father to Hellboy all these years, tells Hellboy of the failed "Cavendish Expedition" he has just recently returned from, way up in the Artic Mountains. He and the Cavendish "Boys" had found some ruins high up in the frozen cliffs, older than old, and inside beneath a mammoth carved pillar is a statue of a sitting man so perfect it seemed to be alive.

But Trevor has no further memory of what happened, though the Cavendish brothers did not return with him. During Trevor's narration of the expedition, Hellboy notices that Trevor's house is infested with frogs. When Hellboy mentions the frogs, Trevor freaks out and backs away from the frogs, out onto his balcony, from where he is suddenly and unceremoniously tossed back into the room at Hellboy's feet; quite dead. His body seems to be covered in odd marks that were not there mere seconds ago.

Hellboy brings in his friends to help him investigate the death of Trevor; Elizabeth Sherman and Dr. Abraham Sapien. Liz has highly advanced pyrotechnic abilities, and Abe...well, Abe is a really cool fish-man. Beginning their investigation at the old Cavendish mansion, which is slowing sinking back into the lake it was built over, the three friends are quickly separated and all hell breaks loose; pun intended. The nameless Sorcerer who originally summoned Hellboy is back to claim what he believes is his, but by now we know that Hellboy can't be forced to do anything he doesn't want to do.

This first Hellboy book reveals Hellboy's origin, and shows us the loyalty between him and his friends, and the lengths they will go to for each other. This was actually a very difficult review for me to write because I liked it so much, it is hard to describe in a non-gushing way just how much I enjoyed this book. The storyline is very intense and fast-paced, even for a graphic novel; the illustrations are superb, the cells formed and drawn just right, so that the eye follows the flow of Mignola's inspired tale of this devilishly good guy without staggering or stopping to search for the correct sequence.

I have only recently become immersed in the world of graphic novels, and Hellboy is the absolute crème de la crème of the lot. A brand new type of hero; ultra powerful, intelligent, witty humor and saucy quips, demonic appearance, and as icing on the cake, from Hell itself.

As a bonus, there are some added chapters at the back of the book that illustrate the evolution of Hellboy as he was created and drawn to life, plus some enjoyable Hellboy artwork to examine and appreciate.

Hellboy is a perfect graphic novel, and I am greedily looking forward to pouring over the rest of the series. Not to mention I'm dying to go see the movie now. Enjoy!!

Not Your Average Comic.
Hellboy is one of the most original and interesting characters created in the visual magic of comic books. Mike Mignola is simply a genius to create such a complex and unique protagonist that so easily returns for new episodes again and again (without becoming formulaic or falling for any of the usual clichés that many comic characters do). Here, in SEED OF DESTRUCTION, Hellboy's first adventure, the audience not only has some light shed upon his origins - this is also a great starting place for any Hellboy newbie (it was for me!).

Hellboy, as a character, is simply delightful. He's a big red devil (literally), with his horns sawed down to two lumps on his forehead. He has a giant stone hand (yes, it's stone, yet it moves like it's flesh) on his right arm, and more than often uses it to give the final blow to end a fight. He also carries a really big, really cool-looking revolver (with a rosary hanging on it), but surprisingly, he doesn't use it all that often. Hellboy struts around in a simply bada** way that is easily appealing to many "tough-guy" fans, and yet is often as goofy and sarcastic as a teenager. He has his own fears, and is definitely not unstoppable (he gets hurt - a lot). Oh, and his favorite curse phrase: "Ah, crap." Here he is, the spawn of evil forces (Satan?), absolutely tough and bada**, but he gets just as distressed and apprehensive as any person can. That's part of why he's so cool; he isn't 100% perfect, but he's likeable and tough enough to be considered a hero.

Now, for a little bit about his origins...

Hellboy's Origin:
On the night of December 23, 1944, the Nazi regime hired the work of a sort of mystic/sorcerer, named Rasputin, in order to summon up the forces of hell (in the abandoned ruins of an ancient castle in England). They titled this operation "Ragna-Rok" (after the Norse myth of the end of the world).

Meanwhile, that same night, a group of American scientists (protected by a U.S. army and led by a certain Professor Trevor Bruttenholm - pronounced "Broom") were conducting paranormal research amidst another set of ancient ruins, over in Scotland. A medium there started feeling strange and powerful forces at work, and realized something was going on.

Back in England, the Ragna-Rok experiment built up. Rasputin spoke ancient, archaic words, summoning ancient and cosmic forces onto earth. Suddenly, in the Scottish ruins, there was a terrific explosion, and amidst the fire and debris crouched a form...a small, red being with little horns and a tail, and a giant stone hand. The soldiers protecting the scientists were almost quick to kill the thing...but Bruttenholm stopped them, for this little creature almost looked like a boy...one guess as to what they called him.

And now for a little bit about this particular episode.

SEED OF DESTRUCTION:
Fast forward to 1994. Hellboy is fifty years old, and has been a member of the government organization, the B.P.R.D. (the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense), for quite some time. Professor Bruttenholm is troubled about something, and Hellboy is curious to find out what. Bruttenholm reminisces about a recent arctic expedition that he had been a part of earlier that year, and how they had run into some giant temple or shrine. Inside that shrine, they discovered a giant, immaculately carved statue of something straight out of H.P. Lovecraft...and crouching before it was a statue of a man that looked "almost...alive." Then Hellboy noticed that there were frogs hopping around inside the room, and Bruttenholm panicked and ran out the door, yelling for a very confused Hellboy to run for his dear life - and a heartbeat later, the Professor's dead, scarred body gets thrown back in through the doorway, and the adventure begins.

I've been reading the Hellboy/B.P.R.D series for almost a year now, after hearing about Guillermo del Toro's plans on directing a movie based on them. I finished reading the last official trade paperback collection of straight-out, Mike Mignola-penned Hellboy/B.P.R.D. comics about a week prior to the movie's release, and was more than excited to see it. However, I was a bit disappointed by the movie's straying from the original plots and characterizations in the comics (not to mention very anticlimactic battle/fight scenes), and so I will say it right now, plain and simple, THE COMICS ARE BETTER. You want to know how much better? Read this comic and find out.

Cool book.
I'm not very big on comics, but this was a good book. In 1940 something, Raputin( evil wizard guy), tried to open the gates to hell. But only this little baby demon came out. The demon was adopeted by some guy and was tought to be a follower of Jesus and an F.B.I agent. But the evil wizard is now back and is trying to get Hellboy to aid him on having Satan take over the world during the apocoleps. He kills his step father with this evil demon that can turn into a frog. Hellboy fights the demon and the wizard in the book alot. This is a cool book. Fans of sci-fi sould buy this book. It's more sci-fi demonic that geeky super hero comic bookish. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Picking up the thread where her debut memoir-in-comics concluded, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return details Marjane Satrapi's experiences as a young Iranian woman cast abroad by political turmoil in her native country. Older, if not exactly wiser, Marjane reconciles her upbringing in war-shattered Tehran with new surroundings and friends in Austria. Whether living in the company of nuns or as the sole female in a house of eight gay men, she creates a niche for herself with friends and acquaintances who feel equally uneasy with their place in the world.

After a series of unfortunate choices and events leave her literally living in the street for three months, Marjane decides to return to her native Iran. Here, she is reunited with her family, whose liberalism and emphasis on Marjane's personal worth exert as strong an influence as the eye-popping wonders of Europe. Having grown accustomed to recreational drugs, partying, and dating, Marjane now dons a veil and adjusts to a society officially divided by gender and guided by fundamentalism. Emboldened by the example of her feisty grandmother, she tests the bounds of the morality enforced on the streets and in the classrooms. With a new appreciation for the political and spiritual struggles of her fellow Iranians, she comes to understand that "one person leaving her house while asking herself, 'is my veil in place?' no longer asks herself 'where is my freedom of speech?'"

Satrapi's starkly monochromatic drawing style and the keenly observed facial expressions of her characters provide the ideal graphic environment from which to appeal to our sympathies. Bereft of fine detail, this graphic novel guides the reader's attention instead toward a narrative rich with empathy. Don't be fooled by the glowering self-portrait of the author on the back flap; it’s nearly impossible to read Persepolis 2 without feeling warmth toward Marjane Satrapi. --Ryan Boudinot ... Read more

Book Description

Tohru Honda was an orphan when one day fate kicked her out of the house and on to land belonging to the mysterious Sohma family. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything goes well until she discovers the Sohma family's secret, when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal! ... 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 start