Book Description

In the rolling asteroid rings above a remote planet, General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker play a deadly game of cat and mouse against Separatist droid fighters - and a squadron of highly skilled human pilots who have pledged their guns to Count Dooku. Findout why Anakin is known as the greatest pilot in the galaxy!Also in this volume, Jedi Master Luminara Unuli and her Padawan Barriss Offee race against time to evacuate farmers and their families before the droid forces of General Grievous overrun their village. When Barriss and her squad of clone troopers are caught in the path of the enemy army, only fast thinking and steel resolve can save the day!Incredible action, hot art, and lightning-fast pacing are coming your way in this new take on the Star Wars galaxy! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The best of the Bat
Amazing.

This is one VERY rare comic in that the quality of the writing - not just the story, but the prose could stand alone in any other medium. A better story than even the beloved (by Batfans) 'The Dark Knight Returns', BLIND JUSTICE will change the way you think about this character.

I guess I haven't seen this book in well over ten years and I can still remember its message and its closing words.

Well, Wouldn't You Know It?
Interestingly enough, Sam Hamm is the same person who penned the original "Batman" movie, directed by Tim Burton. On the eve of the Bat's 600th anniversary issue, DC Comics brought in Mr. Hamm to penn 'Blind Justice' ... and, sadly, this work of art would never be filmed for reasons I won't disclose here in the event that you rush out to read it. However, if the thought of truly exploring the possibly demented psyche of Bruce Wayne interests you, then BLIND JUSTICE is right up your alley. In this tale, you'll be shocked to find out just how far Bruce Wayne will go to not only preserve his secret identity but also how far he will go to preserve the justice that is the Batman. An incredible work of fiction that deserved more praise than it received. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Inferno Ignites Excitement: Best X-Over Yet
Inferno is by far my favorite x-men x-over. It is so intriguing and exciting, and the art is superb, as is the writing. I found no cheesy dialogue whatsoever which is nice.

There are a couple plot threads that intertwine, and the nice thing is that there is an introduction that explains the background. Anyways, the layout it this: Madelyne Pryor (The Goblyn Queen) strikes a deal with the Limbo demon Nastrith that through the sacrifice of her own son, a bridge will form between Limbo and Earth, and the Earth with be destroyed. Throw in the Mister Sinister factor, as well as problems with Jean Grey and Cyclops along the way.

Meanwhile, the other major storyline focues on Illyana Rasputin transforming more and more into the Darkchylde as the New Mutants try to save her from damnation. Oh, and while all this is going on, demons from Limbo have already invaded via a teleportation disc and a pentagram, transforming all of Manhattan into Limbo itself.

Its a lot to take in, but its very interesting and I was always left wanting more after each issue. There is tons of action and the villains include Nastrith, S'ym, Mister Sinister, The Marauders, and limbo demons. Our heroes include the X-Men, X-Factor, the New Mutants, and the X-Terminators.

This is one huge x-over, consisting of 12 issues, 3 of which are double-sized. My only complaint was that the 2 Excalibur issues were left out and so were the 4 X-Terminator issues. The Excalibur issues were stand alone I guess, but the X-Terminator ones would have explained better some of the background. Nevertheless, I was completely satisfied with the 12 issues anyways. I guess the other ones would have interefered with the focus probably.

Anyways, I definately reccomend this x-over if you are a X-Men fan. Espciailly if you like reading issues from the past, this is a good read. Alot of what happened in Inferno still echoes storylines recently.

I know Amazon doesn't have this one in its own warehouse, but you can get it directly from www.bn.com (Barnes and Noble).

Inferno contains: X-Men 239-243, X-Factor 36-39, and New Mutants 71-73.

Intriguing new direction...but not quite the best X-outing.
The X-Men are mainly known as mutant crusaders, heroes defending mutantkind, both from humanity and from itself. When the arena changes, it's usually to a sci-fi space adventure (Shi'Ar Empire, etc.) or an alternate reality (Days of Future Past) rather than a more fantasy-based setting. So, being a fantasy buff, I was naturally excited to read Inferno and find out how the X-Men (and their spinoff teams) dealt with supernatural threats and adventures.

The story is complex, as is par for the course in a Claremont book. Cyclops's ex-wife Madelyne Pryor makes a bargain with a demon to find their son, who apparently vanished some time ago. The New Mutants are stuck in Limbo, the dimension that had up till now been ruled by their teammate, Colossus's little sister Illyana. She ends up making a bargain with the same demon (a lovely fellow named N'astirh) to win back the mystic artifact that marks her as Limbo's ruler. As expected when one deals with demons, both Maddie and Illyana are betrayed, Maddie to Mr. Sinister (whose connection to her is both surprising and not altogether unexpected), and Illyana to S'ym, her former subordinate and rival for Limbo's throne.

The result? Hell on Earth. Limbo's demons end up taking over Manhattan, turning the place into a devil's-funhouse parody of itself, and it takes the combined efforts of the X-Men (comprised at this time of Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Havok, Longshot, Dazzler, Colossus, and Wolverine), X-Factor (the original X-Men, including a Jean Grey who is somehow stripped of her telepathy by her resurrection), and the New Mutants (Cannonball, Wolfsbane, Sunspot, Warlock, Mirage, and Illyana herself), as well as a few minor mutants (including the future Rictor and Meltdown of X-Force fame) to break the spell over the city. The mutants go through a game of "tag, who's it?" with the bad guys, defeating S'ym, N'astirh, and finally Madelyne herself before finally realizing that Inferno's true mastermind is, though inadvertently, none other than Mr. Sinister.

Claremont, as always, does a wonderful job of storytelling with both the X-Men and New Mutants titles, but Walt Simonson (X-Factor's writer) doesn't quite live up. His dialogue is disjointed and at times hard to follow, while at the same time having a kind of childish simplicity to it. As for Inferno's art...well, Silvestri ranks among the greats, like Jim Lee and John Byrne, but Louise Simonson's pencils seem simplistic and blocky, and the New Mutants artist (whose name escapes me) has a tendency to be more cartoony than anything else.

Flaws notwithstanding, Inferno makes for a good read, and its supernatural premise is a breath of fresh air from the human vs. mutant and space-alien invasions the X-Men usually put up with. It did have the potential to be much, much better, though.

Awesome!!
When I think of X-Men these are the stories I think of.

a Claremont classic
I remember when Inferno happened. It was one of my favorite comic storylines of all time. So I was real happy when I found this TPB that collected it all in one (rather thick) volume. It's one of those classic X-Men stories. Inferno also bled over into several other comics and I wish they had been included here (or maybe Marvel will release a companion volume that contains them)--those like Spider Man, Daredevil, and the X-Terminators. Still, even with just the X-Men and The New Mutants, it is a must have volume.

Dante would've been proud...
Upon rereading "Inferno", I was surprised by the maturity and sensitivity in the crafting of this X-Men story. Lots of comic books that came out from the late 1980s until today try to portray "maturity" by resorting to post-modern themes or shock-value. Check out a number of D.C. Vertigo books to know what I mean. Not that they are bad. In fact, most of them (e.g. Sandman) are pretty good. Just that the bulk of them (even the best of them), at times comes off as merely artsy pretensions.

"X-Men: Inferno" is a straight-forward superhero story. It is the capstone of the whole "Phoenix" saga (incl. "Dark Phoenix Saga", "From the Ashes" and "Phoenix Rising"). Madelyne Pryor goes on a rampage as a woman scorned and she literally brings hell to earth. In the middle, we also get the final resolution to the whole Illyana Rasputin/Magick saga.

Why do I like this volume so much? Firstly, the craft and design of the work is akin to the three circles of Dante's Inferno. We have the first circle here dealing with each of the X-Men's weaknesses (sins), then the second circle of the Magick saga and the final circle of Madelyne's epic battle - and finally the revelation of the devil at the bottom of the pit, Mr. Sinister. Wonderful planning and design throughout. Secondly, I found the work dealt with issues of adultery, vanity, vengence, sibling rivalry, repentance, etc. all presented in a mature and sensitive manner - without the pretensions of today's comics. Read it again to see Dazzler's vanity, the Marauders' violence, Madelyne's pain, Jean's tenderness, Havok's insecurity and Cyclops' regret. Thirdly, we have the introduction to one of the most interesting, Faustian villain ever - Mister Sinister - and a resolution to the events set in motion during the "Morlock Massacre" prior to this story. In many ways, this story is a closure - many of the dangling plotlines are resolved. In other ways, this story, like the best X-Men stories, marks a new beginning - the X-Men finally comes face-to-face with the X-Factor and this marks the beginning of the "extended family" concept in the X-books, laying the ground for future storylines. ... 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

Reviews (6)

A thrilling adventure
This Elektra TPB is well written and drawn.

The story seems like it is out of continuty and also the art seems really dream like and surreal.

I recommend this to any Elektra enthusiast. And read this so you can be informed for the Elektra movie.

Miller Just Misses
Frank Miller, often considered one of the great modern comic storytellers, is best known for his Batman epic "The Dark Knight Returns" However, Miller returns to his roots by doing some work on Elektra and Daredevil, where he first got started in the comic industry.
Everyone knows that Elektra is dead. She was murdered by the deadly Bullseye, impaled upon her own sai (You can see the awesome battle in Miller's 'Daredevil Visionaries: Volume 2'). When Matt Murdock, Elektra's college boyfriend and the blind superhero known as Daredevil, begins to have eerie dreams of her rising from her grave, he becomes unnerved. Is Elektra back? And why? He discovers that one of his old enemies may be revived, deadlier than ever...
I enjoyed this book mostly because it was written out of the comics continuity, so you don't have to get bogged down in the chronology to understand it. The story is told from Matt Murdock/Daredevil's point of view, which is good to see, because I don't remember many of Miller's older Daredevil works being told from this perspective. This book only gets 4 stars because I was hoping for a lot more (The book is oversized and is just 75 pages long). It seems as though Miller could have written a lot more, but chose instead to make this book more 'choppy' for a more psychological effect. It didn't really work too well.
In summation, 'Elektra Lives Again' is a good book, and Frank Miller is still one of the best in the industry, but it isn't as good as his early run on Daredevil. The art is impressive and the plot interesting, but Miller fails to capitalize on what could have been an immaculate triumph of a story. Instead, he leaves many blank spots and tries to let you fill in the rest. If you're a big Daredevil or Elektra fan, you'll want to read this, but be forewarned - you may be let down.

A non-continuity exercise in self-indulgence.
I don't know if Miller intended this as a story in which Elektra would actually be revived--if he did, he mucked with Marvel continuity way too much to make it work.

For me, the book gets 3 stars because of Miller's excellent draftsmanship and storytelling, and Varley's dynamic colors. Miller's work didn't look this good again until 300 was released.

But the story is just not there, for me. Miller indulges himself in a personal exploration of isolation and despair with Matt Murdock (Daredevil) spending an enormous amount of time watching and waiting for an outside force (Elektra) to show up and make him whole again.

Now while I've always liked Murdock's particular flavor of angst--more than anyone in the Marvel Universe, the blind guy in the too-loud world should be entitled to brood--he just comes off as thoroughly helpless in this story. Maybe that's what Miller wanted, that sort of flailing desperation, but it didn't play for me. I've read the story a number of times, hoping to "get it," but it always comes up short for me.

04/22/02 - I just reread this yesterday, and my opinion is unchanged. The last 20+ seem to lose track of what the first 40+ pages are about. The action is striking, but only the most obvious of story's questions are answered. Ths story yearns to be substantial but ends up superficial, and some of us prefer SOLID chocolate bunnies at Easter.

This one's good for Miller completists, but if you want a really ripping Frank Miller Elektra story, I recommend Elektra: Assassin, his brilliant, funny collaboration with Bill Sienkiewicz.

A Work of Primal Art
Elektra Lives Again

The story of Daredevil and Elektra is literally a stand-out Romeo and Juliet of the comic world. Frank Miller created the perfect fallen hero in Elektra, shaped her psychological complex to suit her name and tied her to Daredevil aka blind lawyer Matt Murdock, the epitome of the blind lover and moral code. There is now a current monthly comic book for Elektra, the point of her death muddied by Marvel's desire to capitalize and it falls flat.
One cannot remix Bach.

The Elektra back story is simple:

Part One: Elektra became a ninja assassin for the evil Hand after the death of her father. She betrayed the Hand after learning their skills/secrets then going solo. The Hand came after her and eventually the assassin Bullseye fatally wounded her and she died in Daredevil's arms.

Part Two: The Hand decided to resurrect Elektra and make her an undead slave/assassin. Daredevil interceded and through sheer force of will, purged her soul of the evil spell right before she came back to life. However she disappeared right after her heard a single heartbeat. He was left with the doubt of whether or not she lived.

Part Three: Elektra joins with a rogue gov't agent in Elektra Assassin to stop essentially a demon/anti-Christ from becoming the President of the USA. In print, she succeeded, some argue that in reality we need her even more than fantasy allows.

Elektra Lives Again.
The Hand---persistent to a fault are at the resurrection game again. Anyone. An assassin Kirigi, Bullseye, Elektra---the Hand have this fanatical need to have a Prime A Leader Assassin. Low self esteem in ninja cult, I suppose. This time they want to first kill Bullseye (who is in prison for killing scads of folk---he's kind of like Hannibal Lecter with the ability to turn anything into a weapon-anything, we're talking orange seeds here and use him to kill. To ... Elektra, ... Matt, ... anyone. Elektra alive and avoiding the love of her life Matt Murdock is hot on the Hand's trail to stop all of this madness.
Matt begins having psychic dreams about Elektra and what her soul is going through because of the link resurrecting her has created between them.
What makes this interesting is that though Matt uses his fighting skills, his heightened senses and amazing acrobatics, he never dons the Daredevil costume. That's the first mark of this work being superb.
The second mark is the silence of Elektra and her ability to move through the real world as a shadow, a dead woman, a ninja, a ruthless assassin committed to doing what's right no matter the fall-out.

Frank Miller's point in all of this carnage and Elektra dying one more time is that this is their destiny. Elektra must deal with these dark assassins and have Matt as a tugboat of light to keep her near the line of goodness. When Matt cradles Elektra, killed by a dead Bullseye he finally can accept her death---the fact that she's dressed all in white as a nun is wonderful imagery.

The art of Lynn Varney is tired. I mean that as a compliment. Everyone looks haggard, worn out, tired. And that's how they should look. These people are something slightly different from the normal superheroes/villains in the sense that it's all personal with them and they willingly ... and will die (sometimes several times) for the Good Fight. The battles are intensely personal and gory, violent to the degree of shocking but that's what a real fight should look like. And when you get right down to it, these are some mentally unbalanced folk. Even Matt. And they should be. That's what I mean by personal, this comes as close as possible to almost reality. Of all the superhero films out there, this should be made into a film. Not necessarily a trilogy but maybe one or two that really convey the horror and pity and sadness of this whole beautiful, bloody, twisted tale.

Five Stars.

Lovely Work
Frank Miller's work from 1990 reviving an old character from the Daredevil series Elektra, who was Matt Murdock's girfriend that died in the series sometime ago. The artwork is great, however the story could use a little more punch. Somewhat reminds me of McFarlanes work in the early part of his Spiderman series, although Miller certainly puts a more intellectual slant in his books. Reccomended for Daredevil, Elektra and Frank Miller lovers, however if you are reading the Daredevil series, I dont think this book is a neccesity, for its sort of a book unto itself. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Finally, Affordable Golden Age Reprints
While I am a huge fan of the Golden Age Batman comics I have put off buying the HC "Archive" series because each volume is way too expensive for my budget. The Chronicles series is not only more affordable, but improves on the Archive format by focusing on the character rather than the title. That is, instead of only collecting the complete run of Batman stories in Detective Comics or Batman it collects all of Batman's appearances in both titles and presents them in chronological order. Some sort of introductory material might have been nice, but I much prefer saving all the pages for the reprints.

Much Better Format Than the Archives
Finally, DC is presenting an alternative to the overpriced, overblown and overproduced Archives Series. While there's still a flood of those books coming, it does appear as if DC is starting to rethink how it's handling its vast library.

The Batman Chronicles Volume One represents a big step in the right direction. This 192 page paperback begins the mammoth undertaking of chronologically reprinting every Batman tale from every comic in which he starred, beginning with "the Case of the Chemical Syndicate" from Detective Comics #27 (dated May, 1939).

The Good: The paper is cheap (a traditionalist, I prefer my comics on matte paper and with gutters!), the price is low and the quality is good. The design of the book is nice and the reproduction is pretty crisp.

The Bad: The physical size of the book is (like the Archives) disproportionate to the original comics, leaving huge margins at the top and bottom of the page while forcing the art too close to the spine. The art is still being recolored and worst of all, there's a distinct absence of historical perspective; The Batman Chronicles lacks even a cursory introduction. The book opens with a table of contents (that thankfully gives writer and artist credits), and does reprint the covers along with the stories, but some more context would be appreciated.

No doubt, DC is trying to squeeze as many stories as possible into each volume to make the books economically feasible to the fanboys (especially the obsessive ones who already own the Archives... yes, there are some who will buy both). But I'd still love some additional material such as editorial comment on the tales, reprints of advertising (and the "full page autographed picture, suitable for framing" from the back cover of Batman no. 1) and biographies of the creators (which DC almost always includes in its collections).

It would seem that if a little more effort were put into discussing WHY these stories are so important in the history of comics, what their contemporaries and competition were, what the country was going through at the time, the books might appeal to a wider audience than the already oversaturated fan market.

After all, this was the darkest Batman of all (at least before Frank Miller got his hands on him)... he used a gun, he killed his enemies, he was wanted by the police, he was a loner.... until the introduction of Robin, the Boy Wonder in the 12th story herein. The tone lightened a bit, but the Joker was still terrifying instead of funny and the stories retained a noir feel that would alter dramatically as the forties rolled on.

Whether this series is successful or not depends on how regularly DC releases them and if they take the time to try to appeal to more than just the obsessed fanboys. Here's hoping this is just the beginning. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From the doomed planet Krypton to Smallville, Kansas, to the great (butoften troubled) city of Metropolis, a powerful superhero has fought for truth,justice, and the American way for over 70 years. In this breathtaking tribute tothe man of steel himself, all the nitty-gritty, fascinating details ofSuperman's life and career are investigated, analyzed, and celebrated. Discoverjust what happened back on Krypton to propel infant "Kal-El" to Earth as the oneKryptonian hope for rebirth of their civilization. Learn how a loving farmfamily named Kent adopted the baby, renamed him Clark, and instilled him withsolid American values. And meet the many, many friends and enemies of our hero,including, fiercely independent but lovable Lois Lane, the nasty Joker, andDoomsday, the unstoppable creature that killed Superman.

Allowed unlimited access to the archives of DC Comics, author Scott Beattydelved deep, coming up with the kind of details fans will fall all overthemselves to peruse, including each featured character's vital statistics andyear of appearance on the Superman scene. The large book format, compelling,readable text, and many crystal-clear illustrations in The Ultimate Guideare in keeping with Dorling Kindersley's signature style. A true treasure forsuperhero buffs! (All ages) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Best Suited for Younger Readers
I'd like to start off by saying this book deserves a 3 1/2 star rating.
The Ultimate Guide hardly lives up to its title. I am a serious Superman fan and was rather disapointed. Although richly illustrated and explained, this book was really full of information I already knew. It's very evident that Scott Beatty went to great lengths to research this, but I was rather underwhelmed.
However, this book is PERFECT for younger fans. Children will love the rich illustrations and, although some explanations for storylines will go over their heads, it will stil be a home run for any littler ones.
One thing I did like about this book is the timeline of Superman's career, located in the back of the book. Year by year, it gives a synopsis of key storylines in events, all the way from 1938 until now. That's useful for any Superfan.
So, if you're a parents looking for a wonderful book for your young Superfan, this is the one for you. But if you're already a serious collector, this book doesn't offer much. Try "Superman: The Complete History" by Les Daniels instead.

Concerned about bias
... If you want a guide to Superman's current activities, then this is the book for you. It is very detailed, well written, and brightly illustrated with what I feel to be a very refreshing take on Superman, the stylings of Superman artist Ed McGuiness, who is featured prominently.

Granted, this book can hardly be considered the Ultimate guide in a literal sense, considering the fact that Superman began his career in the early 20th century, but nonetheless it does an excellant job in giving you a real feel for the breadth and width of the legendary Man of Steel.

As a veteran and current reader of the Superman titles I can wholeheartedly recommend this book as a great starting point for any novice or an enjoyable read for an established fan. It is very up to date, right up to this months current story line (August 2002), and compliments the other titles in this series very well. In comparison to the other "Ultimate Guide To" books; Spider-man, Batman, X-men, the Superman title stands out to me as the most fun and the best written.

If you are looking for something dealing with Superman's famed and storied past, and are not interested in his current activities, then I encourage you to pick up the archives that DC offers, as well as the Trade Paperbacks: "Superman in the Fifties", "Superman in the sixties", and so on.

The value of this book should not be based on an unsound bias toward anything new and unconventional, but rather on the quality and quantity that is most assuredly captured within the pages of this publication.

A must for any Superman fan...
I have been a lifelong fan of Superman. However, I never had the time or money that would allow me to get into the comic book aspect of the franchise. Curiousity finally got the better of me, and I set out to learn more based on how Superman has been perceived through comics. When I received this book, I was blown away at how great it was. Through beautiful illustrations and a detailed account of comic book history, I was able to learn everything I never knew about the Man of Steel. Every aspect of the character is shown in this book, and then some. I loved the way that the book went through Superman's history in chronological order. This made it very easy to learn about Superman's history. I especially enjoyed the detailed section of all the super villans that Superman has encountered. That was one area that I was seriously lacking in. Of course I had heard the names before - Doomsday, Brainiac, Metallo, etc. However, I never knew about their abilities, or what happened when they faced off with Superman. Every major villan is described in detail, which gives you a full understanding of each one. Now maybe I think more of this book than others, because I am a comic book novice. However, ths book was very satisfying to me, and I recommend it to anyone who has always liked Superman, but still has alot to learn.

awsome book!
This book tells you everything you will need to know about Superman. The pages are filled with color and tell you about all the heroes and villains! You should really consider buying this book if you are a Superman fan.

Not just for kids.
I thought this book was just for kids- it is not. It was an invaluable tool for catching up with a lot of the stories and plotlines that I had missed. I hope to one day see one done for all the major DCU characters. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

You'llbe pleased....I think.
I read the first couple reviews and was mixed as to whether I would like this compilation.Part of me wishes the quality of the artwork was spritzed up a bit but the other half of me appreciates the fact that they used original comics on their downloads.
My hunch is that Marvel wanted that authentic "reading a beat up comic" feel to sort of illustrate the fact that it's the characters and not the quality of the "product" that matters.I guess you could compare it to someone who has to buy a three thousand dollar stereo to hear the "production" of the music as opposed to someone who hears the music off a crappy transistor radio.....the essence of the music (the songwriting and music) is what makes it vital, not necessarily how it was recorded and what the production sounds like.
If you approach it wanting a crisp, clean product, then you'll be disappointed.I LIKE the compilation as it gives us honesty in it's smeared colors and sloppy page quality....because that's what Marvel WAS in the very beginning.It wasn't as huge an industry as it is today!In the early 60's it was just another business trying to stay afloat and trying to dodge bankruptcy.
If you can see this collection from this standpoint, I think you'll be happy with it.Hey, it hasn't stopped me from reading it!

501 issues of Spidey
This CD-Rom Set is Amazing.All the comics have the ads and such.The scans are well done.The older issues are aged, but I think that is a good thing.This set is a must have for any Spider-Man fan.

Oh the Shame!!!
I have to admit that I was really disappointed in the quality of this collection.I can understand that some of the comics from the 60's to the early 80s might not be in great condition.I understand that they likely would not look good scanned.What I cannot understand is why the quality of the scans themselves are so horrible!!The format (2 pages showing) is fine, however, many of the pages are crooked or worse blurred in some cases.

I really am ashamed of Marvel allowing something like this to make it to the market.They obviously did not do any kind of quality control on this one.

I love the idea of someone doing this, though.I've been collecting comics for over 30 years now and I would really like to start gettting digital versions.I'm running out of room in my house for the printed ones.I hope the major publishers look at the possibility of digital comics.It could be the wave of the future.

In all, if you don't care about the quality and just want to have the collection to wander down memory lane I would not pay the retail price.Try to find it cheaper (preferably used). ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Truth,Justice, and the American Way
This is the origin and first adventures of the Man of Steel, even though he would not become super powerful until the stories of the late 50's and early 60's.But Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster certainly put the goodness, honor, and true ideals that Ka-El would live by for the next 60 years.It's amazing that while later writers added their own take to Superman, the Siegel/Shuster ideas lasted well into the mid-80's (when John Byrne then destroyed the character in his over-rated run).The Superman of today is regretfully only a shallow image of his once true noble self.A product of the sad time we live in, however the original Superman storiesstill live on in these reprints and were brought to the big screen in 1978.

Great stuff, but buy used
This is actually some great stuff. I think the early Superman stories are good examples of exciting storytelling with interesting social commentary.

For example, the first Superman story contains a none-too subtle anticaptial punishment message, as our man saves a lady from an execution and a man form a lynching (remember, this is 1938). The second shows Supe stopping a war that is concocted by munitions manufactureres (an early anti-WW2 message).

Along with that, reading these early adventures gives you the feeling that you're a little kid in pre-television 1938-39, sitting with awe and wonder with these exciting tales either being read to you by a skilled adult storyteller, or by yourself with a flashlight at night. Once you get in that mood of an inner child, you can really get into this stuff and it's lots of fun.

However, I would agree that the cost is a bit much for a new edition. Buy a good used copy. Gather the kids (over age 10, that is) around, turn the lights down low, read it with vigor, and have a ball!

Too much money
The reprints are gorgeous and in a wonderful hardcover that shouldn't fall apart too quickly. The text prefacing the book is boring and unneccessary, mostly, this book just costs waaayyyy too much. I would've preferred to get it in comic book format for about 10 dollars, but they no longer reprint this stuff. The stories aren't very good, but it's interesting to read in it's amateurishness and see how things originally were intended.

Gorgeous Reprinting of Classic Comic Books from the 1930s
DC's Archive editions are the pinnacle of classic comic book reprints. Lovingly restored and printed on high quality, glossy paper, they give the material the classy feel it deserves. In this, one of their earliest Archive editions, they reprint in their entirety (advertisements and all) the first four 1939 and 1940 issues of SUPERMAN, four issues that would easily fetch upwards of a quarter million dollars. SUPERMAN ARCHIVES VOL. 1 is not just a bargain. It's a glimpse into pop culture and comic book history.

Most of these four issues are reprints of stories published in ACTION COMICS, other adventures from which appear in SUPERMAN: THE ACTION COMICS ARCHIVES, although several others were taken from the newspaper strips, which are reprinted in their original black and white form in Kitchen Sink Press' SUPERMAN: THE DAILIES.

These early adventures are, compared to modern comic books, crude and childish, but they reveal a sense of wonder and awe absent from many of today's comics. In 1939, the readers and creators were still enthralled by the idea that a man could do whatever he wanted and dispense justice without rules. Just as Superman is different in these reprints -- a swashbuckling, two-fisted pulp hero, not the "big blue boy scout" of today, most of his earliest menaces are a far cry from the criminal masterminds and alien invaders he later fights. They are enemies of the Depression-era everyman: war profiteers, abusive husbands, incompetent mine owners, con artists, fascist spies, corrupt orphanage directors. Anyone who preys on everyday folks receives swift justice from the Man of Steel's fists.

Comics creator and historian Jim Steranko provides a thorough analysis of the adventures in his Introduction and Afterword, so comics historians will want this book, as will Superman fans, nostalgists and collectors of all ages.

Classic stories of Superman's early years!!!
Superman Archives Volume 1 reprints Superman (first series) issues #1 thru #4 from 1939. These are truly great stories of Superman's early years. In the 1940s, Superman wasn't the all powerful hero that he is today. He was a person who truly believed in the fight for justice and helped anyone who needed it. Back then, he only had certain powers, and he became a vigilante, wanted by the Police!

These stories give back the feel of the Depression Era. You really feel that time period through these stories. I bought this book back when it first came out in 1989. I loved it!!! As a die hard Superman fan, I wanted to read Superman's early years, and DC Comics made that possible through this book. The DC Archive Editions have proven to be great revisits of comics' early days. To any fan of early comic book history, or Superman, get this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Mystique the sultry mutant shapeshifter, who has stood against the X-Men in battle after battle, is offered the chance at a new life when Professor X recruits her to complete a dangerous mission in Cuba. Can this former mutant-rights terrorist who can disguise herself as anyone on the planet be trusted? In this story of international intrigue and redemption, the sexy Mystique may surprise everyone, including herself. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a Claremont classic
Here we have another of Chris Claremont's classic X-Men stories. Here you have the X-Men we are all familiar with, including Wolverine, Beast, Rogue, Gambit, Psylock, and Cyclcops. This is the first few volumes of the Claremont created X-Men series that happened in the 90s. Very good work in here. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys anything X-Men related.

Awesome. It's just awesome.
This volume is great. You have to get it if you love the X-men. This volume contains the first seven or so issues of the X-men series that came out twelve years ago. I loved these stories as a kid and I love them now. They are still just as good as I remember. Issues 1-4 have a really good Magento/X-men battle while Issues 4-7 have a great Wolverine story that carries over into the now classic "Wolverine#50." I hope the issues that follow this one (Jim Lee's "Ghost Rider/X-men/Brood story" and Jim Lee's "Longshot" story) get published in a volume that Accompanies this one.

Best of the best, remineds me of better times for the X-Men
P>This is the last and probably bet X-Men stories every. It combines the talents of Chris Claremont (before he was fired and X-Men fell apart) and Jim Lee when he was still letting his art flow naturaly. Hands down Lees bet are work ever! And if you know Lee that's saying a lot.

The story focuses on the X-Men Blue Team. Cyclops, Wolverine, Rouge, Gambit, Phylock, Beast, and Jubilee. The battle their old foe Magneteo who is back with a vengence to take over the world.

The second part of the story introduces us to a trio of Wolverine's arch villians, The Hand, Sabertooth, and Omega Red. The conspire together with one of Wolverine's evil creators to unlock Wolverine's seceret past and get more than they bargined for.

This is the X-Men at their absolute best just before they sank to their absolute worst.

Lee's artwork is breath taking.

X-Men:Mutant Genisis is Claremont/Lee's finest work!
X-Men: Mutant Genisis is Chris Claremont and Jim Lee's finest work for Marvel Comics! This X-Men tradepaperback the famous story arc of X-Men#1-7 originally published in 1991! This is the famous story Arc where you see the X-Men split into two teams. One is calles the X-Men gold team and the other is called X-Men Blue team. The focus of these issues is the the X-Men Blue team consisting of Cyclops, Wolverine, Psylock,Rogue, Gambit, and Beast! Magneto and his Accolytes are out for Revenge against Mankind! The X-Men must stop Magneto before he destroys the Earth and all Human life.This is also Chris Claremont's last 3 issues of X-Men! He left the book after a 17 year run on Unccany X-Men. Jim Lee draws all the issues and co-plots the rest. These issues has the first apperances of X-Men characters Omega Red and Maverick!It also tells more about Wolverine's origin as Weapon X! This is the famous X-Men story arc that made Jim Lee famous! Buy it! A Great X-Men Tradepaperback!

Excellent Stories and Art
...

"Mutant Genesis" reprints (in color, not b&w) the first seven issues of the second series X-Men (now renamed New X-Men) from 1991. Claremont writes the first three issues, and John Byrne and Jim Lee write the remaining four. Lee provides pencils for all.

The the 3-issue story "Rubicon" represents Claremont's finale as he left the series he'd written for 14 years and made the highest selling comic EVER. It ranks among his best writing (which is saying a lot). The story revolves around Magneto's quest for vengence against Charles Xavier and Moira MacTaggert, involving nearly thirty years of X-Men history, including the effects of the Holocaust, prejudice, nuclear proliferation, and the effects of anger on the human soul. Highly recommended.

If you enjoy this trade, I would recommend Claremont's work in:
"X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills"; "X-Men: Vignettes"; and the four volumes of Essential X-Men b&w reprints. ... Read more

Book Description

Mara Jade is beautiful, intelligent--and deadly! She is the personal assassin of the Empire`s dark overlord. But after the Emperor`s death, an unforeseen variable is about to enter the scene of her final mission, the assassination of the leader of the Black Nebula crime organization. Though her master is dead, Jade must complete her final mission...even if it costs her life! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Definitely worth it. :-)
(First off to that reviewer who all but said anyone who loved Mara Jade had a mud-for-brains mentality: grow up. I don't care if you dislike Mara or not, but if you're going to flame those who do like her- at least justify your opinion somewhat, like the other anti-Mara reviewer did, or you're just as guilty of being as stupid as you say we apparently are.) Anyway: I adored this series; it's what turned me on to the comic series side of SW. The art was wonderful: almost exactly how I pictured Mara-- beautiful yet deadly and *not* a Pamela Lee-esque bimbo, and the other characters were done well too-- the artist's style fits in very well with Star Wars, IMO. The storyline gave a very good look at Mara's character, probably what I loved best about this series, and you can very easily see this woman developing into the woman we see in the books later on-- this probably in part to her own creator being one of the writers. It was well-developed and worthy of the previous work I've seen from Zahn and Stackpole-- oh heck, I'll just say it. I *loved* this series! :)

A rare comic that's a must purchase
Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand is one of those rare comics that has great art, smooth storyline, commendable dialogue and genuine depth. Co-authored by Stackpole and Zahn, two of Star Wars' more popular novelists known for quality output. The result here is another of their hits you expect when collaborative craniums work well.

The quality of art shines bright, considering the comic dates back to a period where quality and art are not what they are now. You can just tell efforts were made to add extra ice to this cream, the way the front credits were specially done. Characters and climates, scenery and locale, were all highly rendered and coloured well. This is definitely one of your more 3D-ish comics, and worth the purchase if just for that.

Dialogue is what you'd expect from usual Stackpole and Zahn efficiency: quick, creative and inventive. Mara's persona here, in her Imperial days, lends her a cool competence matched only by her slick lines. The support cast isn't left out, and while I haven't quite worked out who oversaw what issues, the authors are at their vintage best here.

What makes this comic stand out from the mediocre variety out there is its creativity and effort to give just a little more for readers. The sheer range of aliens is both amazing and appreciated, both the familiar denizens and all new ones just for a show here and there. Alien species ranged from the typical to exotic to comical. Mara's is never without a way of working, and the inventive methods of working past obstacles speak highly of the writers' imagination behind her.

The storyline itself is simple and enough: eliminate Black Nebula's crimelord, who fancies himself the heir of the recently toppled Black Sun criminal network. Having failed to kill Skywalker at Jabba's palace, this she does easily. Too easily; and when her Emperor master bites the dust, she resolves to finish the job.

Nice use of Isard and Pestage, and why Mara earns her wrath. Good to see a dark-skinned man, that Imperial tech. It's rather rare to get that in comics, when humans are predominantly fair skinned. Humour, of course, wasn't lacking. The bartender alien looked like that Dexter from AOTC, his voice easily imagined.

There were some faults to note, small but noticeable as they were. The facial likeness of Strok was given to other Imperial army officers, which can confuse readers at the end. The end page itself just sorted of finished . . . perhaps a bit too abruptly and not slow enough. Mara doesn't complete her mission till almost the last page.

Further more, she does an astonishing amount to self-thinking. Thought-bubbles were everywhere, which you will find common in books but sort of gave the bemused impression the lady sure speaks a lot to herself! Almost every panel had text in which, factored into the full 144 pages, slows down reading and makes for a long comic here.

While I had problems with Jabba "just" giving Mara a speeder to get away from him when she arouses his suspicions, overall, omitting this nifty slight of work is outright criminal, and with such high standards of excellence it's well worth your $$.

YOU WILL MARRY LUKE SKYWALKER!!!
This is a review of Mara Jade ' By the Emperors Hand a comic TPB which collects 6 issues. ISBN 1569714010 published Sept 1999 and made in Canada.

This is a beautifully done comic given the technology available at the time, 1999. Visually the artwork took the time to draw the panels at a higher quality level than was usually done in the late 90's. Artwork gets 4 stars.

Inking and lay out is a step up from, but still has the newspaper comic strip appearance. The inking and color selections are subdued so I grade at 3.5 because it lacks the richness that Dark horse is capable of, but not displayed in this comic.

Story but Zahn and Stackpole oh my' Story is worth any quibbling about art and ink, though this is a comic as in a visual story. The story is 4.5 and pulls the overall grade up to 4 stars.

This is written almost as a companion to Zahn trilogy that revived the EU. We also see Mara in Jabba's fortress. The cover shows Mara with a Red light saber, but she wields a purple one throughout the book. Old Red eye ' blue eye Isard is in this story.

JediMack! Only 4 stars? This is arguably the best comic produced in its timeframe given the technology that existed in 1999. The binding is superior, which is good because this book has been re-read and seen some abuse and was made well enough to take it. I must reserve 5 star ratings for the best of the best, and in future years dark horse starts producing comic that are jaw dropping gorgeous with rich coloring and awesome penciling.

Excellent! Fun and Interesting...
This has to be one of the most truly entertaining comic books I've ever read. The storyline is awesome, the graphics are awesome, and most of all, Mara herself is awesome. This story focuses entirely on her, (making it a definite must of you're a Mara fan at all) and follows her from shortly before the Emperor's death, to perhaps a year afterwards, long before she came to be in Talon Karrde's smuggler organization. After failing utterly in her mission to kill Luke Skywalker, Mara is determined to make it up to her master in the next one: destroy the head of Black Nebula (a branch-off of Black Sun). And this she accomplishes easily. Too easily perhaps? But all fades into the backround when her world comes to a violent end in the death of her beloved master... Far from just another depthless, action saturated drone, (though there is plenty of action) this is also in a lot of ways a character story, as it subtly let's us see other, kinder sides of Mara. Though at times she does some pretty awful, heartless things without batting an eyelash, we can forgive her because we know she has one. As I sais before, this book would be great for any Star Wars fan, though I would recommend being at least fairly well versed in the Expanded Universe, otherwise you most likely won't know who most of these people are.

Good Book for those who take the time to read it
What's the problem with Mara Jade? She's one of the best female characters in the SW universe! Who would you prefer, Admiral Daala, who rose to a high rank in the Navy despite the fact she doesn't know the first thing about naval combat? And just look at how Mara adapted- she did her job one way, with all of Palpatine's toys, then relearned her trade when those toys were robbed from her. What else do you want? An no brains? Read that escape from Isard and tell me that. You try to escape people who can control the air you breath. Or is it you were too lazy to read all of the text? But enough ranting and onto the review.

My appreciation of this book tended to grow the more I read over it. As I pointed out in my ranting, you have to read all the text and get a grip on the situation to fully grasp it. After reading through a lot of the scenes I've pretty mcuhed surmised that Zahn and Stackpole must have drawn out maps of a lot of the areas just to write the story, its so detailed. Very good work there.

Zahn and Stackpole are also my favorite authors, I should point out, as compared to Anderson and his horribly botched attempts to write dialogue. Whatever the case, if you bother to read it all and use your brain to some extent, you'll discover a lot of the scenes are very well written and mapped out. Kudos to Zahn & Stackpole for that.

The art is good, but I still find it to be a bit un-Star Wars-ish. I barely recognize any of the numerous alien species. that said, its still quite good and keeps a good sense of movement and lots of details. (Very important.)

As I said in my rant, its also important to note Mara's transistion. She goes from the Emperor's Hand with all of her toys and gadgets to Mara Jade, scavenging what she has and being a bit more creative.

And she does have a heart. She realizes the consequences of her failures and how they hurt innocent people. And that she has to make things right. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the whole point of the bloody thing?

Oh, yes. Reccomended. ... Read more

Book Description

Dark Horse presents Star Wars: Return of the Jedi -- The Special Edition, the third thrilling chapter in the greatest space fantasy ever! The Emperor and Darth Vader make the final preparations to destroy the Rebel Alliance once and for all. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, now a Jedi Knight, must rescue Han Solo, frozen in carbonite, from the palace of Jabba the Hutt. Shipping to coincide with the theatrical release of the third Star Wars Special Edition movie, this collection includes a 30-page gallery featuring the original pre-production sketches by Ralph McQuarrie, as well as production sketches of the Special Edition movie release. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Over Written Under Drawn
To coincide with the '97 theatrical re-release of the original Star Wars Trilogy, Dark Horse Comics, was given the chance to publish comic book tie ins for each film. Return Of The Jedi is basically a reprint of the 1983 version that is now out of print.

THE STORY: Adapted By Archie Goodwin, the "script" follows the feature film pretty well, but I could have used less description of the action. Comic books can get too bogged down if overwritten, such is the case here. I wish Goodwin, who knows how to write for the popular space saga, showed restraint. Comic books are as much a visual medium and should reflect that. Another problem is the fact that none of the "new" material from the special edition made it into this book, like the extended ending.

THE ART: The team of Al Williamson and Carlos Garson art is lacking in some respects. Their work seems very uneven. At times its quite good (the rendering of Boba Fett) and at others, (the climactic battle/duel) the shadings are at bit too dark for my tastes. The human characters hardly match their cinema counterparts. This is particularly true of the non-close up panels.

As nice as it is to see trilogy production sketches, it would have been better if those pages were used to enhance the adaptation instead. The book has 109 pages. The Special Edition version of the Jedi adaptation is a disappointing three star effort.

Wonderful Fantasy Book
Wonderful wonderful book. Exciting, terrifying and haunting at the same time. The final battle for the empire proves to be positive for the rebels, who pull together at the last minute and fight for all they're worth!

This doesn't deserve the title star Wars
This left out way too much of the story line. Do yourself a favor and rent the movie this was close to the worst book I've ever read. Please don't waste your money on this book. go spend some more money and buy the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A preminition to "The Six"
...

Now,, On to my Review...

I have activly read Ultimate Spider-Man since issue #1 (in collection form, that is) and i personally love the comic. But this collection wasn't as good a Legacy. It featured a great problem, especially Spidey's injury (No Spoiler). But it did lay way with a great and sad ending to the Ark. My advice: Read it now, weather or not you've read volumes 1,2,3, or 4. It's Awsome.

Poor Spider-Man is guilty until he is proven innocent
"Ultimate Spider-Man" is more than a re-imagining of the Spider-Man saga from the very beginning. Informed by our knowledge of what happened in the first decades worth of issues of "The Amazing Spider-Man" writer Brian Michael Bendis has heightened the intensity by collpasing the time frame. Even though there is never really a self-contained story in the mix, things are moving very quickly and Bendis is constantly pouring on the problems for our favorite webhead and his teenage secret identity.

"Public Scrutiny" is the fifth trade paperback collection of "Ultimate Spider-Man" comics, this time around including issues #28-32. Previous collections have focused on story arcs involving particular super villains (last time around it was the new and evolved Green Goblin). But one of the strengths of "Public Scrutiny" is that Spider-Man never fights one super villain in the entire book (even though he certainly wants to). The other is that the main focus is on Peter Parker being Spider-Man, an issue that is addressed on multiple levels, from Peter being distracted at school to Mary (Jane) having a hard time handling being constantly worried about Peter getting hurt (not calling her Mary Jane is the biggest problem I have with these revisions). This latter point comes to a head after Spider-Man has a bad encounter with the police who are gunning for him because he has been robbing banks and killing police officers. Actually, it is somebody impersonating Spider-Man, which is just another part of the growing headache for our hero.

Bendis is taking pains to explore what it means to be a superhero when you are sixteen years old and in love with the girl next door, who is ticked off that Gwen Stacy has moved in with the Parkers. Meanwhile, the whole bit with Nick Fury and the rules of superheroes in the brave new Marvel universe continues to present intriguing possibilities for the future. Again, Bendis and artist Mark Bagley are taking there time with this one; 32 issues into "The Amazing Spider-Man" Peter Parker was a freshman at E.S.U., while here he is only a sophomore in high school. We can only imagine what he is going to go through before he reaches graduation day. "Public Scrutiny" is as good of a story arc as "Ultimate Spider-Man" has presented to date, even without the standard knock down, drag out fight with a super bad guy.

Note: Harry Osborne is back and is apparently applying for the role of Pacey in the "Dawson's Creek" parallel that is clearly at work here (Peter is Dawson, Mary is Joey, and Gwen is Jen). I swear, Bendis knows exactly what he is doing with this one. This trade paperback have just about gotten me up to speed on "Ultimate Spider-Man," which has proven to be an integral part of the Spider-Man renaissance.

Should have been called MISTAKEN IDENITY
This is a great story it is not as actoin packed as Vol 4 Legacy, but still a great story. Someone is dressed up as spider-man and commiting crimes. As if spidey's name wasnt already bad. It is the first time he gets shot and has the tragic death of Captain Stacy during a armored car chase. I will not reveal the culprit. It could be the cameleon or just some crazy kid you decide.

overall good book
these ultimate spidermans just keep getting better and better. # 4 was awesome and this one definetly rocks. read this!!! ... Read more

Book Description

It's symbiote vs. symbiote, and Spider-Man is forced to play damage control as the two bloodthirsty Venom creatures cause havoc in the city!Patricia Robertson must gain control of the alien symbiote that's eating away at her long enough to kill the original Venom, Eddie Brock.But Spider-Man has other plans and enlists the help of the Fantastic Four. Collecting VENOM #14-18. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Finally! Daniel Way's Venom is...... okay, I guess.
The fight scene between Spider-Man and the original Venom MAKES this book, as well as the scene where Spidey tosses Thing off the Fantasticar in order to divert Invisible Woman.The latter is hillarious, but that fight scene is, at least to me, worth the price of admission alone.Why couldn't Way make this a Spider-Man vs. Venom title, instead of a "Venom's clone involved in a Bruce Jones' Hulk-style conspiracy" story?C'mon.Who cares about robotic clones from Shield and space-age tech-spiders and all that crap?Have Spidey fighting Venom, throw in the Fantastic Four (I always love it when the FF gets involved with Spidey & Venom's battles) and this would totally rock.Oh, and let Kyle Hotz draw it.YEAH! ... Read more

Book Description

As Spider-Man continues to search for Aunt May, things go from bad to worse for the wall-crawler! Everyone's favorite symbiote, Venom, is back - as only Millar and Dodson could envision him. Hold on to your spit, there's a beatdown coming for at least one guy with a spider on his chest! Featuring Black Cat, Venom, Doctor Octopus, and the X-Men. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

JJJ offers $5 million for Spider-Man's secret identity
With the success of the "Spider-Man" movies there has been a marked increase in the number of Marvel comic books featuring the web-head.From "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Spectacular Spider-Man" in the main time stream and "Ultimate Spider-Man" going back to the beginning to start anew, we then had "Marvel Age Spider-Man" retelling the original Stan Lee & Steve Ditko stories, with "Marvel Knights Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man Unlimited" doubling the contemporary adventures of our hero.Now we can throw in "Marvel Adventures Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man/Human Torch," and that is without getting into all the mini-series, guest appearances, and team appearances.Although the artwork is not the most compelling I have seen, it is Mark Millar's writing on "Marvel Knights Spider-Man" that stands out among the new crop.

"Venomous" presents issues #5-8 for the second volume of the "Marvel Knights Spider-Man" trade paperback collections.The problem is that Aunt May is missing having been kidnapped by an old foe who has learned Spider-Man's secret identity and is out to get him and get him good.Following a wild goose chase engineered by the Owl that had him tangling with both the Vulture and Electro, Spider-Man ended up in the hospital where a picture of him with the lower half of his face exposed by his tattered mask is on the front page of the "Daily Bugle."Smelling blood in the water, J. Jonah Jameson is offering $5 million to anyone who identifies the man in the picture and reveals Spider-Man's secret identity.The Black Cat is helping Spider-Man, but Mary Jane does not like the Felicity Hardy hanging around her husband.

As you can tell from the title Venom is going to show up in this one, but first Spider-Man has to tangle with a drug-addled Doctor Octopus, a NYPD SWAT team, and Norman Osborn.This requires a visit to the Xavier Institute for some psychic help in finding Aunt May, but the news is not good.Add to that the Parkers's money problems and the fact that somebody is experimenting on his old foes, Spider-Man is about ready to crack (and this is before Venom actually shows up).Fortunately a coffee break can help clear the webs, but the next thing you know Peter Parker's old classmates are trying to give him a wedgie at his high school reunion and then things get really bad.

Millar and artists Frank Cho and Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson are heaping a lot of bad times on Spider-Man but in an intricately structured way.Consequently, things do not start spiraling out of controlling but just keep pilling on Spider-Man.Aunt May's fate still being on the back burner is the only significant weakness, because he really would crack under all that pressure by the time we get to the end of this four-part story.But overall "Venomous" delivers a nice on-going nightmare for the web-head and a solid story.Plus, there is a nice punch-line as Peter Parker comes up with a way to get JJJ off of Spider-Man's back.Okay, it would not really work once JJJ stops to think about it, but it is still a nice little joke.

Millar is still amazing
Collecting the four part storyarc, Venomous continues Mark Millar's run on the newly launched Marvel Knights Spider-Man, but for those looking for some sort of closure after the cliffhanger ending of the first storyarc (Down Among the Dead Men), you're going to be left hanging again.Picking up right after the end of the first arc, Peter Parker finds that a million dollar reward has been offered by J. Jonah Jameson to anyone who reveals the identity of Spider-Man.As if that weren't enough, Aunt May is still missing, and after paying a visit to X-Men telepath Rachel Summers, is feared dead.But, there is something else going on as well.What are the police doing working with Doctor Octopus?What is Norman Osborn hiding and why is he in danger?And just who is the mysterious assaillant who knows everything there is to know about Peter?In the thick of it all, Eddie "Venom" Brock has auctioned off his alien symbiote, and now there is a new, sadistic individual wearing the costume and pushing Spidey past his limits.Millar's writing is just plain awesome (is it me or is he having Spidey say "What?" a lot?) and his characterizations of the villains and various in-jokes are refreshing to longtime web heads.The art by Frank Cho (in issues 5 and 8) is superb, while the art by Terry and Rachel Dodson (issues 6 and 7) is as great as it was on the first arc.All in all, this is definitely worth picking up for longtime Spidey fans, and it will leave you salivating for the next chapter. ... Read more