Book Description

Ulic Qel-Droma has spent a lifetime learning to control the Force. He wanted to be on the side of the good, a member of the Jedi elite. But it is not the Force one must control to become a Jedi; rather, one must learn to control oneself. Ulic Qel-Droma has tasted power, and now he cannot fight the dark hunger inside him . . . ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Jedi hero Ulic Qel-Droma is tempted by the dark side
This Comic can be found listed 3 ways. I am reviewing the first of the 3 that is called: Tales of the Jedi - The Sith War written by Kevin J Anderson and published July, 1996 with ISBN 1569711739. This is a dark Horse TPB comic covering issues 1 through 6 of STAR WARS: TALES OF THE JEDI - THE SITH WAR.

Other editions with the same title and cover art are: Titan ISBN 1840231300 published April, 2000 and

TALES OF THE JEDI 3 - THE SITH WAR published by McMillan march, 1997 under ASIN: 075220369X.

I have assigned the timeline year of -3996 before NH to this comic. As did Exar Kun before him and Luke Skywalker 4,000 years later, Jedi hero Ulic Qel-Droma is tempted by the dark side following the murder of master Arca. Before there was Darth Vader, Dark lord of the Sith, there was Ulic Qel-Droma, Dark lord of the Sith.

This comic was written by KJA who has contributed much of the Old Republic Comics. He also did The JEDI ACADEMY trilogy, one of my favorites. Since Kevin also did the SW Essential Chronology we find few continuity problems here. The art and coloring is a in the old style, cartoon strip style, but some of the drawings and dramatic and inspired. Given what Dark horse is turning out now I grade the art a solid "C" grade, though some pages are stunningly awesome.

The action is tremendous. The story is a little hard to follow. Ulic is in the Empress Teta system (not on the galaxy maps produced in the NJO). Ulic is seduced by the Dark side and by Aleema. At about 150 pages long, the story twists and turns and is generally as unpredictable as an episode of LAW AND ORDER.

Made in Canada, the binding is holding up very well. Some of the new TPB's that are now made in China had awful bindings, where the comic can fall apart in your hands, even when you are being careful.

If you have started reading these Old Republic comic and liked them, you'll like this one.

what a climax!
This was absolutely wonderful. I've had the book for 2 years and I revisit it's ever-grasping folds all the time. It's terrific that the Jedi actually have a challenge in Exar Kun and Qel-Droma. Before I've always felt that Luke will kill Vader, Boba fett will fail, and the Jedi will always come out on top. NOT HERE! There are times throughout this series (such as Exar Kun's slaughter of the Jedi Masters) when things seem almost hopeless for the Jedi. If you are an avid Star Wars fan who thirsts for more knowledge about the fearless race of warriors who deffended the galaxy for eons, then Tales Of The Jedi is for you.

Gripping tale of ancient Jedi lore
Lucas Books latched on to a brilliant concept for telling the stories from ancient Jedi lore. Instead of telling these stories in book form, which could be a bit much in terms of asking the fan base to learn and empathize with new characters, they contracted with Dark Horse Comics to tell these stories in graphic novel format. The series was called "Tales of the Jedi". "The Sith War" was the first of these graphic novels that I read and it is also one of most compelling, involved, and relevant tales of the old Jedi order. The time of the events in this story takes place some 4000 years before the original trilogy and the events and characters involved will have an impact in the modern Star Wars universe.

"The Sith War" focuses on the evil machinations of a corrupt Jedi named Exar Kun (who will play a major role in the "Jedi Academy Trilogy" books) who has become poisoned by the seductive dark side power of the Sith. Kun used his influence to corrupt a number of good Jedi with this power. One of these Jedi, named Ulic Qel-Droma, was so perverted by Kun's influence that he turned on his family, friends, and the entire Republic and was responsible for actions that thrust the galaxy into a devastating war. Qel-Droma is not an evil man, just a vulnerable man corrupted by the pure evil of Exar Kun. He comes to realize, to his horror, the consequences of his actions and tries to fight back at against Kun at great consequence to himself.

"The Sith War" provides a continuation of earlier "Tales of the Jedi" stories and answers many questions that readers may have from reading the current Star Wars novels. "The Sith War" is notable for showing the culmination of this bloody conflict, while also explaining what happened to Exar Kun. In addition, the warrior who was the inspiration for Boba Fett and the armor he wore is introduced here. A brilliant military strategist named Mandalore (the inspiration of Fett's Mandalorian Armor) allied himself with Kun and Qel-Droma in this war and fought valiantly. This graphic novel is one that the reader will go back to time and time again to read about the events of that war and to try and pick up on additional details they may have missed the first time around. It is definitely worth getting.

A bit lackluster
First things first:

There are Sith, technically. Just not a lot. The war itself is mostly fought by the Tetans. In any case, there is also a war. but it, too, is small. How it almost collapsed the Republic I don't know. A large-scale war is the Galactic Civil War. You know, the one it took 3 movies and dozens of books to tell? That's a big fundamental flaw here, too. It's an attempt to tell a whole war in one comic book. Thus, the war seems a bit more like a collection of skirmishes and mishaps than an actual large-scale conflict.

Now onto the book. The art seems a bit off, unfortunately, and the story is jerking back and forth. Alas, it never really establishes a constructive rythm and just darts back and froth between this and that. A few good scenes, but they're somewhat self-contained and are forced to create a rythm of their own.

Buy it if you so choose, most likely to conclude the Tales of the Jedi series. I can't say I reccomend it, however.

Pretty Lousy
I gave this two stars because it is the logical conclusion to Veitch's TotJ series.

The problems with this book are almost uncountable. The art is ... bad. Did we really need to see that much saliva? Why did the fruit that Aleema eats in the previous volume suddenly become a slightly-different looking serpent that strangles people? Why did the symbols on the foreheads of the Sith Lords change?

And the writing. What was the point of Mandalore stealing the MX Cannon? Did he ever use it? Did KJA even bother review his Jedi Academy Trilogy before scripting this? JAT says that the Old Republic rained laser fire down on Yavin IV. I won't give away the ending to this book, but that doesn't happen. JAT also describes the Massassi differently, but oh well. And speaking of the Massassi -- did both KJA and the artist completely forget about Bionic Massassi Priest Zythmnr from the previous volume? I was looking forward to alchemically enhanced Massassi kicking .., but they're mostly big growling heavies that follow Kun around waving his standard.

I was about to give another star for Ood Bnar's appearance, but then I remembered that the artist drew Ood's lightsabers all wrong. Oh well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Extravaganza
Hi if you're wondering if you should get this book or not your answer should of course be yes I mean if you're crazy about the Bat get this awsome 5 star book. Hope you enjoy reading it catch ya later i'm out. ... Read more

Book Description

Sam Bullit is running for Mayor of New York City on an anti-Spider-Man campaign, and Daily Bugle Editor-in-Chief J. Jonah Jameson is backing him 100%. But who is pulling Bullit's strings? None other than the Kingpin of Crime! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

lovely work and a lot of fun
This volume collects the Ultimate Spider-Man comics #47-53. The Kingpin is free, despite that fact that he was caught on tape murdering someone, J. Jonah Jameson is backing a politician who's running on an anti-Spider-Man platform, Peter Parker is attracted to a cat burglar called the Black Cat (in spite of the fact that he's already got a girlfriend), and Elektra's out to kill Spider-Man. That's a lot of things for only seven issues, but it's all handled very clearly. Elektra isn't really as big a part of the story as the cover would have you believe, but the Black Cat's around a lot. Peter's a teenager in this volume (and, I suspect, in the Ultimate Spider-Man comics as a whole, but I've never read any of the others, so I don't know for sure), so he's got to deal with the usual: school, the fact that his girlfriend's parents hate him, and a bit of a crush. The artwork and coloring are both gorgeous, and I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Spider-Man versus the Kingpin, the Black Cat AND Elektra
"Ultimate Spider-Man: Cats & Kings" is the 8th collection of story arcs from "Ultimate Spider-Man," collecting issues #47-53 written by Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley and Art Thibert. In retelling the story of Spider-Man from the beginning with some significant twists we saw that Spider-Man's first significant victory as a super hero came when he broke into the Kingpin's tower and turned over copy of security camera footage of the Kingpin murdering one of his underlings to "The Daily Bugle." When the story broke the Kingpin was forced to flee the country to avoid arrest. Now, after getting the best lawyers money can buy, Wilton Fisk has been cleared of the crime and is ready to make his move.

The first three issues collected here comprise the first half of the story arc. In "Men of Influence" the Kingpin throws his support behind the mayoral candidacy of Sam Bullit, who is running on an anti-Spider-Man platform that has J. Jonah Jameson salivating. So when Peter asks JJJ while the "Bugle" is not going after a murderer like the Kingpin, the publisher fires him. Meanwhile, Mary Jane is worried that the list of people who know Spider-Man's true identity is getting longer. "Suspended," which has to do with what happens at school to Peter when the frustration of not being able to get the Kingpin gets to him, does a nice bit where we get to see a phone conversation between Aunt May and JJJ twice, once from the perspective of each. Then Ben Urish proves the Bullit is crazy and Jameson has to decide whether to print the story. "Hero" comes down to a pair of interesting conversations JJJ has with first Spider-Man and then Peter. For those who remember JJJ admitting he was jealous of Spider-Man back in the Lee & Ditko era, this issue rewrites the rules.

That would be the "Kings" part of the story arc, which then gives way to the "Cats." "The Black Cat" shows up and decides to steal a special artifact from the Kingpin's safe. Spider-Man crosses her path and learns the meaning of bad luck. Meanwhile, Peter and Mary Jane talk about their future, but any plans for happiness go out the window when her father finds her diary and a reference to MJ almost dying on a bridge. Boy, does she get grounded. Then Peter learns that Spider-Man has been implicated in the Black Cat's theft. So when the Black Cat wants to meet again, Peter is up for it in "Shadow Puppets" only to have his interlude interrupted for the greatest "Cat Fight" in history between the Black Cat and Elektra, the latter having been hired by the Kingpin to retrieve the artifact. The situation comes to an temporary ending in "Daughters."

One of the things that "Ultimate Spider-Man" takes advantage of in reinventing Spider-Man for the 21st century is that this time around the Kingpin is the underworld czar developed by Frank Miller in "Daredevil." Clearly he is going to have the same prominence in these comic books as well. Spider-Man ends up being a spectator a lot in these stories, but when the villains are a crooked politician and a couple of young women, it is hard for our hero to really go around fighting them in public. In many ways the strengths of "Cats & Kings" are the changes in the interpersonal relationships. Aunt Mary's final insult to JJJ is unforgettable as is the serious talk that the publisher has with Peter.

I keep thinking that every time one of these trade paperback collections comes out that I am going to see "Ultimate Spider-Man" start to take a dip, but Bagley, Bendis and Thibert always come up with enough strong moments to make the stories worth the reading. This is true whether you have been with Spider-Man from the beginning (I started with Medusa showing up in issue #62 and quickly worked backwards to get up to speed), or whether you are a relative new comer. I will insist that we old timers have the advantage because we can appreciate the changes and their values into making the Spider-Man story even more interesting the second time around.

Not surprisingly, Volume 9 in this trade paperback series is going to do a Doctor Octopus story arc, which is pretty much true of all the Spider-Man titles available right now, including a couple of special mini-series. But the added twist is that Spider-Man also has to deal with the fact that they are making a movie about him...and our young webhead is not seeing a single dime. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Batman Saved
Believe the 5 star reviews, this is an incredible book. The artwork is some of the best. So many comics have expressionistic style drawings, this one is drawn the way, as Joe Queseda says in his introduction, that makes a comic a collectible. The story is very good; Azrael is an interesting character, and this helps set the rest of the story. I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone.

One of Denny O'Neil's Finest
THE SWORD OF AZRAEL really plays out more as an unintended prequel to the events of Batman's KNIGHTFALL, and it's a far superior work of art. Jean-Paul Valley is troubled by his inability to master the control over his superhero impulses to become an avenging angel, until Bruce Wayne enters his life. This four-issue collected trade paperback is a must for any serious fan of the Bat, and, even today, stands as an example of one of the best works of Batfiction available. (As well, there was a BBC adaptation of KNIGHTFALL that covered some of the events of AZRAEL that's absolutely breathtaking!)

Not great
This book features the first appearance of Azrael, who later went on to be Batman for about a year. The story is slow and unintriguing, and Batman is way too slow-witted just to build up Azrael.

Batman at his best.
This is an excellent mini-series that intoduced Bruce Wayne's would-be successor to the mantle of the Bat. I have always loved Denny O'Neill's take on the exploits of the Batman family and the characters he has introduced in these pages are extremely well considered. This is a tale of a globe hopping adventuring Batman that very much brings to mind O'Neill and Neal Adams Ra's Al Ghul epics. The Azrael character and the order of St Dumas are also very interesting and mysterious. Some of the best Batman stuff of the last decade, and I didn't even mention the art which is breathtaking.

Actually, a full mini-series of comics in one
Batman: Sword of Azrael was originally a four-part mini-series. Somehow I ended up with two copies of part four, but zero copies of one through three. This book was an easy way to get the rest of the comics, much less expensively than buying three back orders. ... Read more

Book Description

During her time as part of the X-Men, the woman known as Rogue has been many things: fighter, friend, soldier, lover...and now, daughter. When an X-Men mission brings Rogue back to her childhood home in Mississippi, she comes face to face with the demons in her past...and a terrible secret that has haunted her family since her birth! Only available in North America. ... Read more

Book Description

It's the epic finale to the story of the Children of the Atom as renowned X-Men scribe Chris Claremont joins with star artist Sean Chen for a trilogy in the style of the Lord of the Rings movies, one that spans the length and breadth of the X-Men canon and brings the saga of Marvel's mutants to a climax! ... Read more

Book Description

On the night-world of Nivek, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker must first overcome the limitations of fighting in the dark before they can take on the dreaded Shadowmen! Meanwhile, Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Saesee Tiin discover that push can come to shove when using the Force to fight battledroids. And, fresh from leading an underwater assault against Separatist forces on the water planet of Mon Calamari, Jedi Master Kit Fisto and his remaining clone troops reach the surface to find a new threat awaiting them! Incredible action, hot art, and lightning-fast pacing are coming your way in this new take on the Star Wars galaxy! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Give them their own series
I'm a sucker for B-level heroes, and a series using my favorite second stringers trying to revive their lost glory is something I can't miss. The book has a number of laugh out loud moments, although sometimes I tend to get bogged down by the numerous exchanges of dialogue, sometimes it crowds out the art inside the panels. The addition of Mary Marvel is perfect, it's a wonder why she wasn't there in the previous series. I'm actually looking forward to the next book (which I hope becomes a TPB soon) where Guy Gardner makes a return, rumored to be using his old yellow power ring.

Although Giffen and DeMatteis JL is more about the characters, as stated by the previous reviewer, I would've loved to see them in a "serious" fight, meaning, facing them against a legit DC villain (No more Manga Khan please). Again, my bias for second stringers saving the day shows here.

Nevertheless, it's a fun book worth picking up.

A Solid Return
A year or so ago, I rediscovered my brother's collection of JUSTICE LEAGUE comics from throughout the Giffen/DeMatteis run. I'd read them before, and re-reading them so many years later, I appreciated their unique style of humor- both urbane and extremely corny- as well as the extremely strong characterizations. I was more interested in the stories of Blue Beetle, Fire, Guy Gardner et. al. than I was in the endless death struggles of Superman and the like. I heard about an upcoming revival, but missed most of the run of this limited series. I only recently received this TPB collection and had a chance to go over the whole story.

Is it as good as the old days? Yes and no. As a limited series, it only has so much time to set things up, and some of the ensemble has changed (Ice, who was killed some time after Giffen and De Matteis' departure, is sorely missed), but the characters who do return are as recognizable as ever. What's more, they've grown. Beetle and Booster don't get along so well, the former having "grown up" in his own words, Bea is slightly more abrasive, and Max is no longer a big shot (though he talks like one.) A new addition, the naive Mary Marvel (the Cap's kid sister) fits very well into the group dynamic.

Oh, yes, the plot- Max decides to set up a small franchise of "people's heroes", summonable by 800 number, unwisely called "Superbuddies." He rounds up some of his old pals- L-Ron, Beetle, Booster, Captain Atom, Fire, Elongated Man and Sue Dibny- and persuades them to move into a shoddy storefront and open for business. Needless to say, carnage ensues before they can even get a phone call.

A lot of events are jammed into six issues, and I was disappointed in the rather swift (and not entirely convincing) resolution to #6. Then again, the old JLI was never really about plot- it was about the characters, and the group's dysfunction is as beautiful as ever. There are some great one-liners, and Kevin Maguire's art is superb (Bea looking more like a real person than she ever has.)

Giffen and DeMatteis are currently working on a limited series sequel, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT THE JUSTICE LEAGUE! Frankly, it seems to me they've got enough left in them for a full, unlimited run, especially if DC would let them play around with more of the old characters. That may be a vain hope- but it's nice to have the old gang back, however briefly.

Better Than The First Time
When I first heard about that Giffen and J. M were getting back together for another round of non stop laughs and adventure I couldn't wait to get hold of it. And it is worth every buck! For those who are thinking that it will never be as funny or good as A New Beginning, let me tell you that you are absolutely right! This isn't as good, it's much much better!
These two writers practically made the characters into what they are today. My only concern is that there were a few of my favourites from the original run these two had, missing. What is amazing is that there are no recycled jokes and everything is as fresh and new as can be. The characters have matured (and why not, it's been a while) and recruting them takes some effort but once the ball gets rolling you just have to be there.
This is one book that you will defintely want to have. Even if you are not a collector. Buy it because you won't ever regret it. ... Read more

Book Description

A loyal Stormtrooper, thwarted by the very bureaucracy which he serves, struggles to track down a Rebel saboteur on board the Death Star in the days and hours before the fateful Rebel attack. Darth Vader, the sole survivor of the explosion of the Death Star, crash lands on a primitive world where savagery is the key to survival. A young Imperial lieutenant learns all service comes at a price when his small company of Stormtroopers is attacked by thousands of angry aliens. Assassins vow revenge on the man responsible for killing their families - the Dark Lord, Darth Vader.Four compelling tales, all told from the point of view of the major villains of the Star Wars galaxy - the Imperials. But, as these stories show, even the "bad guys" are no strangers to loyalty, honor, and sacrifice! ... Read more

Book Description

In 1963, a revolutionary new breed of hero emerged in the pages of X-MEN #1. These strange men and women each possessed a special "mutant" gene, granting them incredible powers and abilities. Since those early years, Marvel's mutants have exploded into a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. From a single comic book, the X-Men went on to star in a diverse line of titles featuring mutants of every type imaginable, as well as a pair of top-rated animated series and two hit movies.

Featuring more than 350 fully illustrated biographies, the X-MEN ENCYCLOPEDIA is a comprehensive guide to these world-famous Marvel Comics characters their mysterious origins, their incredible powers, their titanic struggles and their hidden tragedies. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A MUST HAVE FOR FANS
I REALLY do feel that this a book for any xmen fan simply because it lets you know just about everything anybody would want to know about the xmen. there are full character bios that tell about the way they came into the x-universe. there are also extensive information about all the different teams and also all the enemies that the xmen and their team branches fight. there are nifty little guides that tell where each person lies with the regards to energy projection and intelligence etc. it also lists many obscure characters that have graced the pages and any reader will also be reminded of characters they may have forgotten about. i highly recommend this encyclopedia for anyone wishing to have a better knowledge about what makes up one of the greatest comic book universes ever conceived.

Mildly recommended.
The Facts: On 240 interior pages, Marvel Encyclopedia Vol. 2: X-Men gives you the skinny on approximately 400 X-Men, villains and allies. The characters are not listed alphabetically throughout the book, but are grouped in several categories, beginning with "X-Men," then running alphabetically from "Acolytes" to "X-Statix," and culminating in the "Cerebra Files," which deal with non-affiliated characters. While one or two pages each are dedicated to the major characters, less relevant players have to share their page with up to three of their fellow second- or third-stringers. Accordingly, the length of the profiles ranges from two pages to zilch, depending on whether you're reading up on Wolverine or No-Girl. Further included in each character listing are boxes indicating the characters' "power ratings" on a scale from one to seven (whose significance is explained in detail on a page in the back of the volume), as well as the characters' "Real Name," "First Appearance," "Height" and "Weight," and a short description of their "Powers/ Weapons." Additionally, the Encyclopedia contains tech specs of the X-Mansion and the Blackbird, an introduction by Joe Quesada, an "Essential Reading" list, and an "Index" that lists all characters in alphabetical order, and tells you what pages you can find them on.

Through all this, the layout looks fairly professional, clear and inviting, which is a definite plus.

Turning to quality, the book is a bit of a mixed bag. There aren't too many typos or punctuation errors, and the occasionally somewhat clumsy and overly contrived prose can probably be excused by the particular complexity of some characters' histories. (From the Apocalypse biography: "After centuries of plotting, planning, and waiting, Apocalypse put his master plan into action when he gathered together twelve mutants who had long been destined to usher in a new golden era for mutantkind. Apocalypse intended to use them to boost his powers and alter reality to his liking. But his plans went awry when the Twelve broke free, and Apocalypse attempted to use X-Man as a new host body to replace his own, which he had nearly burnt out.")

What's more distracting, however, is the lack of a consistent writing style in some places. While the biographies read rather well as long as things stay matter-of-factly and focus on getting information to the reader, there are several instances when they suddenly switch to sledgehammer melodrama, which, unfortunately, doesn't work quite as well. According to the Marauders section, "Where there is killing, where there is chaos, where there is mayhem, there is always something else: Marauders." Further, it tells us, "They embody the deadly combination of sycophant and killer," and that, "In the absence of goodness and mercy there are Marauders." This smacks of bad fan-fiction, frankly. In the Hellions profile, we learn that "The dead survive only as memories now -- terrible ghosts of an idea too awful to come to fruition. And the living are left to bear the legacy of all the young who died too soon." Yeuch. Too awful to come to fruition, indeed.

With regard to accuracy, the Encyclopedia does a respectable job. There are a number of minor mistakes, but nothing too significant. An exception to this is the Acolytes profile, whose account of the group's history, as well as the histories and capabilities of some of its members, barely resembles the actual stories. Since the Acolytes haven't appeared for a while now, though, and are rather unlikely to pop up anytime soon, this is hardly earth-shaking, either.

The profiles, generally, are limited to the essential parts of the characters' histories, which certainly makes sense. In some places, one might argue that the priorities are a bit out of order; there are biographies for the Marauders and the Hellions, groups that haven't appeared in ages, while on the other hand there is no feature on Genosha, which would have been relevant to the current Morrison run. The Rachel Summers biography refers to Rachel's stint as Mother Askani, which was effectively "removed" from continuity, but neglects to mention that she has since returned to the present-day Marvel Universe; the Hellfire Club section ignores the Inner Circle's most recent "Kings," Blackheart and Daimon Hellstrom; and -- for better or worse -- the Dark Beast retcon is ignored, with regard to the Morlocks. Apart from these, there are no major omissions, though.

In order to streamline things and prevent confusion, the terms "X-Factor," "Cable" and "X-Force" are widely avoided and substituted by "government-sponsored team of mutants," "Nathan Summers" and "mutant strike force founded by Nathan Summers," respectively. Fair enough. What's weird is that the characters from Geoff Johns' "Elseworlds" Morlocks series are lumped in with the Marvel Universe Morlocks.

My overall impression of the book, all told, is fairly favorable, in spite of the bugs. The choice of characters is as ambitious as one could hope, allowing an unbiased look at all the major players in the comic's rich history. Whether they're representatives of the "classic" sixties and seventies, the "mysterious" and "edgy" eighties and nineties, or the current, colorful potpourri of retro and deconstructionist stories, if they played a major part somewhere, chances are you'll find them here. While the writing may not always be top-notch in terms of style and grace, the creators and editors are to be complimented for the rather well-balanced biographies, which most of the time pull it off to introduce the characters in a transparent and accessible way, without ignoring the organic complexity and interwoven structure that has become a hallmark of the X-Men and their world in the past forty years.

If you're looking for a competent, comprehensive, up-to-date guide to what's relevant and essential in the X-Men universe in 2003, you won't find anything better than this book.

(Copyright 2003: Marc-Oliver Frisch)

Better than I thought it would be.
This book is superior to the Ultimate X-Men Guide, but has problems which make it incomplete. I appreciate the fact Marvel went out of their way to include most of the obscure characters in the X-Men universe (even though they left out Deadpool, which is ridiculous). There isn't a lot of information for most of them, but at least they're there. It's too bad they weren't able to produce better artwork for these characters, however. Most of it's below average. All the characters from the early '90s deserved Jim Lee depictions of them, perhaps his work from the first series X-Men cards. Others have mentioned the omissions of X-Force, X-Factor, and Cable, which are definite negatives. I could have forgiven that, but the real problem is the lavish attention X-Statix got. Several members of this dopey group got full page profiles, and their section goes on and on. Something like twelve pages all together. They deserved no more than two. So I would have given X-Men Encyclopedia four stars, but the X-Statix section and the omission of Deadpool bothers me. Three stars.

By the way, how can this be volume 2 in Marvel's "Encyclopedia" series when it features identical artwork, as well as rehashes of the same stories for the majority of characters as volume 1! That is a rip-off.

This book's recommended, but you should probably also pick up Ultimate X-Men Guide to fill in some of the missing parts.

Confused about all the X-men characters, get this book.
I followed the X-men back in the early 90s, but got lost with all these new characters and series like X-Men Revolution and X-Corporation, so I got this book. Now I have a firm knowledge of the X-Men. The book is not very long, about a little over 200 pages. With all the characters in the X-Men franchise it should be bigger and more in depth. The popular characters from the cartoon in the early 90s are pretty covered with about 3 pages each for like Magneto, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, etc. A few other supporting casts like Mr. Sinister, Callisto, Apocalypse, etc. have a page dedicated to them. 75% of the characters have ¼, 1/3, ½ of a page description.

Each character has a chart of the intelligence, strength, speed, durability, energy projection, and fighting skill. They also have a description of their real name, first comic appearance, Height, weight, eye and hair color. There is no order where they are place in any chorological order, but more of the hierarchy in popularity and different division they are associated with. The author(s) does a good job of summarizing the characters and cross referencing them to each other.

What is lacking is the art work. Each character has one picture per character, except for the 3-pages characters. Every photo is a snap shot from the comic and some of the lesser characters aren't very detail. The qualities from page to page are different with mixture of good and mostly bad artwork, unlike some of the nicer drawn Marvel's comic book. Not too much extra except for an axon drawing of the Prof X's school and small four pagers on Ultimate X-Men.

Since, I am not a die-hard I do not know who is missing from the X-Men's List, but could list who are: X-Men, Acolytes, Alpha Flight, Brotherhood of Evil Mutant, Exiles, Hellfire, Hellions, Marauders, Morlock, New Mutants, Reaver, Savage Land Mutants, Shi'ar and Imperial Guard, Starjammers, Weapon X, X-corp, X-Static, and Cerebra Files (mention Apocalypse, Arcade, BT Cassidy, etc.)

This could be a five star is it was longer and had better artworks.

Marvel Encyclopedia: X-Men; Good for beginners, but...
I went through the book and discovered that it was a great source for those who are new to the X-Men world. The book briefly goes over most of the related X-Men characters, giving the newly initiated a great starting point/introduction. Unfortunately, for those who're long time fans, some of the descriptions are too brief and almost misleading...ie. The bio on Colossus list his powers as being able to turn his skin into organic metal, but no mention that he has other abilities like extreme super strength. If you read through his bio, there is a brief mention of his super strength, but you'd think if they went to the trouble of listing the various abilities of other characters, you'd think the publishers would be willing to make a second listing (yes, they only listed just one ability for him) to mention his most obvious ability, his super strength, if not his limited invulnerability. Maybe I'm being too picky since I've been following the X-Men since the 1970s, but considering some of the characters who were the major players during the height of the X-Men popularity during the 1980s, one would think they'd be given a bit more coverage, if not more accurate information on them. ... Read more

Book Description

Dark Horse presents the definitve guide to Star Wars comics, complete with in-depth coverage all the way through Episode III!Written by Ryder Windham, Star Wars expert, and demsely illustrated with both brand-new art and classic images from the comics, this chronological compendium contains everything you need to be the ultimate Star Wars reader in-the-know.Follow Anakin Skywalker's descent into darkness, from his early days as a padawan, to his harrowing Clone Wars battles, up through his transformation and eventual death as Darth Vader.Get complete details on the exploits of Luke and Leia, Han and Chewie, and all the rest of the gang, with thorough rundowns of classic Star Wars history, from the very beginnings of the jedi order, no character goes unmentioned and no quadrant goes unmapped. ... Read more

Book Description

It's once again time for the X-Men to mutate. First, will Juggernaut -- one of the X-Men's toughest foes -- actually join their ranks? Then, as the high-flying Archangel goes through a major physical transformation that affects his powers, he encounters a threat to his family corporation. Finally, the entire roster gets a facelift as international artist Kia Asamiya redesigns their costumes. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Worse than Draco
Popular opinion says that Draco is Chuck Austens worst Uncanny XMen arc, which is saying alot since his whole run has been terrible. But the truth of the matter, according to me at least, is Dominant Species is his worst. Vaguely defined villains (are they werewolves, are they mutants, both?) take over some office building that Warren Worthington owns. Its really as exciting as the premise makes it out to be. Its terrible. Bad characterization, nonexistant motivation, and poor artwork to further obscure any sense of whats going on (for some reason fog takes the place of backgrounds through most of the arc, which makes even less sense because as i said it takes place in an office building).

If you want to read good X-Men stories go read some of Grant Morrison's New X-men books, or go read Essential X-Men 1 and 2. This crap by Chuck Austen gives the X-Men brand a bad name.

Not Worth Reading
These issues contain some very poor characterization, plotting, dialogue and art. The story involves extremely uninteresting mutant werewolves, who, defying logic, are involved in Warren Worthington's corporation. The characters do not act like themselves. They are completely changed to fit the plot and to add unneeded melodrama to the story. The dialogue is embarassing to read and the art does not flow with the story.

uncanny x-men #416-420
First of all, the artwork is pretty weak. That being said, I liked the story. We've got werewolves here that give the X-Men a good run. There are some great little twists and turns in here. And it is interesting to watch the Juggernaught fight on the side of the X-Men. Other than the art, it's pretty great.

Great X-men Book
Chuck austin continues his great storytelling during the dominant species stroy arc. Also Kia Asamiya provides amazing artwork. The x-men have hever looked so good. Great characterization only adds to this book. A must have for x-men fans.

Great X-men Book
Chuck Ausitn continues his great storytelling in the dominant species story arc. Also Kia Asamiya matches the great story with amazing artwork. The X-men Have never before loked so good. This book is a must have for x-men fans. ... Read more

Book Description

The first and only comic book to receive the World Fantasy Award, The Sandman continues to break new ground in the comic book medium and beyond. Author Alisa Kwitney explores its beginnings and chronicles the comic's emergence as a unique and undeniable force in the literary world. Richly illustrated, this history shows how Gaiman and The Sandman's gifted artists, such as Dave McKean and Yoshitaka Amano, create a haunting (and haunted) main character who wields immense power. With illustrations never before published, behind-the-scenes stories, handwritten notes, and interviews with Gaiman himself, this volume is a true testament to the dream king and his creator. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful and Informative
Sandman: the King of Dreams is a wonderful coffetable-eque art book. However, it also contains many insights into the world of the Sandman and the creative process. Alisa Kwitney was a one time editor of the comic series and brings wonderful anecdotes about the writers, artists and characters that I have not heard anywhere else. This bok is clearly written with love for the world of The Sandman.
The art is also gorgeuos. images from the comics are replicated here in a wonderful format. also there are many images taken from other comics and trading cards and several that have been hiding in the editorial vault.
though this book is not as detailed as Hy Bender's wonderful ode to the series, and the two do cover the same ground on occasion, this is an excellent addition to anyones'sSandman library.

Great Art, but not enough meat to go with it
"The Sandman: King of Dreams" is a coffee-table sized tribute to the 10 story arcs that comprise Neil Gaiman's beloved Sandman series. A chapter is devoted to each story arc (or corresponding graphic novel, if you will) filled with full-page reproductions directly from the stores themselves. There are also a smattering of new artwork, behind-the-scenes tidbits, quotes and such.

I adore the Sandman series, and even find repeated enjoyment in "The Sandman Companion", but I was disappointed by this book. Why?

1st, there was not enough new art to keep me from getting bored. Yes, the pages look damn good reproduced here, but still pretty much look the same here as in the graphic novels.
2nd, there is too little text to go with the visuals, and what there is seems lacking ("The Sandman Companion", though visually less appealing than "King of Dreams", has about a 100x more info in it). For example, in the chapter covering the 2nd Sandman graphic novel - Doll's House, it alludes to original artist Mike Dringenberg not being able to keep up with the monthly pace. He apparently is replaced. Sounds interesting. So what happened? Was he fired? Did he step down honorably? Is this type of thing normal in a comic series? You won't find the answer here. Getting under the skin of the story - a forte of Mr. Gaiman, is frustratingly lacking here. It comes across as a superficial glossing over of the greatest comic book series ever.

What's left is great art you've mostly seen before, some interesting tidbits and insights, and a summary of stories you already know by heart. I'd recommend this for Sandman completists who especially love the artwork. For everyone else, try the "Sandman Companion" (its cheaper and better) or just pull out your reading copies one more time for another run through. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

One of the most important comic stories of all time
The Dark Phoenix saga has too much backstory to really mention in a review. Both the history of the character of Jean Grey and the writer/artists conflicts with the then editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics isn't found anywhere in this book (and believe me, it adds a lot to the tale) but the co-plotters Chris Claremont and John Byrne (assisted by Terry Austin on inks and a huge acknowledgement to the overlooked Tom Orzechowski and his lettering) have written such an engaging tale that you can jump in anywhere and enjoy the story. The best thing is that they were not consciously setting out to write a "saga" and therefore, they weren't pressured to create something that would sell in the trade paperbacks twenty years on. It's just far and away a story with a punch: a gut wrenching finale and some of the most beautiful artwork of the era.

This latest edition of the trade spruces up the artwork (no more dot matrix colors) and includes (for the first time) the much needed cover gallery, which was absent from previous printings. The art and story have hold up so well that almost a quarter of a century later it still stands as one of the best comic stories of all time.

Marvel's Greatest Story Ever Told - It Has It All!
In the Dark Phoenix Saga, Chris Claremont and John Byre, firing on all cylinders, create the greatest comics story ever. It is a story that fits logically in the greatest run by an artist/writer team in a comic series ever (chronicled in the Essential X-Men Vol.2 graphic novel), but one that also stands so well on its own.

In a story where so many things are done right, it stands out because it is a primarily a story about conflict. There is conflict on virtually every page. Not just shot-em up, video game violence, but internal, character-driven conflict.

There is conflict between Prof. X and Cyclops over leadership of the X-men; between the fiery Wolverine and the control-freak Prof. X; Jean Grey struggles to control her dark side; Cyclops tries to mold the fiercly independent members of the X-men into a tight-knit team; Jean & Scott try to maintain their relationship thru the mounting chaos....

The X-men, the ultimate ousiders, rely on each other time and again and yet, their most powerful member turns on them and then saves them - repeatedly.

The X-men have a truly worthy opponent in the Hellfire Culb.

Obstacle after obstacle is overcome before the truly life and death battle at the climax. The escalation of tension is evere bit as gripping as when I read the original comics as a kid. Its lost none of the magic or mystery. There is none of the letdown so often felt when we re-visit the source of our nostalgia.

There have been a half dozen stories that were much more revolutionary than the Dark Phoenix Saga - from the death of Gwen Stacey in Spider-Man, to The Dark Knight, the Watchmen and Crisis on Infinite Earths over at DC. Yet, for my money, Dark Phoenix is better - not for its novelty or originality or life-like art, but because its that good.

The Gold Standard of Comics
I still remember the day when X-men #137, the finale of the Dark Phoenix saga, came out at my local comic shop all those years ago. I got the last one there, and it was hidden in the magazines. Even then, I had the sense that this was a major event in comic book history - possibly the best comic book story ever written. It's amazing to me that, after all of this time, that still holds up. Other comic epics are routinely compared to the Dark Phoenix story, and I have yet to read or even hear about anything that approaches it.

For those that think comics are exclusively for kids, I hold this book up as Exhibit A. After seeing the X-men movies, my wife actually read it out of curiosity. She's the antithesis of a comic book person and had never heard of the X-men. She was actually impressed enough to read the rest of Byrne's X-men in Essential X-men Volume 2, and now looks down her nose a bit less at my childhood hobby.

From the reviews I've seen so far, I don't need to go into detail about the story. For those of you who are relying on the X-men movies to give you the scoop, I have one word of advice: DON'T. The movies are really messing with the stories in an unacceptable way. While it's clear that they're going to attempt some kind of Phoenix plot in the next movie, it won't do the real story justice. The only way to truly experience this story is through these pages, panel by panel.

I moved on from the X-men and comics a few years after the Dark Phoenix story was done, and I missed the whole return of Jean Grey. When I heard about it, I was severely disappointed that Marvel would take such a tragic character that transcended comics and reduce her to just another super hero that avoided death. Phoenix was so much more significant at the end of X-men #137, and bringing Jean Grey back has made both much less so. Most unfortunate. Still, it doesn't change my view of this story - truly amazing.

classic
This is another one of those classic comic storylines: The Dark Phoenix Saga and the death of Jean Grey. There really isn't much more you can say than that. If you are familiar with it you know how great it is. And for you recent X-fans, those that aren't familiar with it, it is one of the classic stories and one that if you haven't read yet, you're not really that much of a fan.

THE Definitive X-Men Epic.
Before Sinister, before Apocalypse, even before Sabretooth...there was Jean Grey.

The purest soul and noblest heart among the X-Men, she was willing to sacrifice her life to protect those she loved. Cosmic chance empowered her with a force beyond comprehension, and she became the Phoenix, an angel of mercy and light, who saved an entire universe with the power of her love for her friends.

Then...as all great things do...she fell.

This epic (there's no other way to describe it) chronicles exactly how Jean fell, transformed by her own dark side (with a little help from the Hellfire Club) into a Black Angel, a Chaos-Bringer, a Ravager of Worlds. The best thing about it is that it does so in a way that every reader can understand. You could give this to your eight-year-old son or your forty-eight-year-old mother, and either of them could understand the story, and take it to heart in their own ways.

Claremont shines in this epic as in all his X-Men work, but the true brilliance is as much in the way John Byrne draws the characters as in the way Claremont writes them. Sympathetic yet dynamic figures express their feelings and actions in ways that neither Jim Lee's stone-faced idols nor Frank Quitely's reality-based blobs of humanity can quite approximate. The X-Men are heroes, through and through, but what Claremont and Byrne get across, as effectively as their heroism...is their humanity. ... Read more

Book Description

The pwerhouse creative team of Mark Millar and Terry Dodson bring you a hyper-realistic, action-packed look at Spider-Man - as you've never seen him before!A mysterious villain has discovered Spider-Man's secret identity... and is using the information to slowly destroy everything and everyone that Peter Parker cares about.But how far will Spider-Man go to protect the people he loves?Is he willing to cross a boundary we thought we'd never see him cross?Featuring Spider-Man's most fearsome foes and avenging allies! ... Read more

Book Description

Before Luke Skywalker, the Rebel Alliance had another hero: Biggs Darklighter. For the first time, the full story of Luke's boyhood friend is revealed; from his departure from Tatooine to attend the Imperial Academy, to his decision to lead a mutiny against the Empire and join the Rebellion, to the fateful attack on the Death Star. ... Read more