Book Description

Bear witness to teenager Buffy Summers`s transformation from simple high school student to super Vampire Slayer! Follow Buffy`s trials and tribulations as she comes to accept her destined role to thwart the legions of the undead from spreading their veil of evil across Los Angeles. Adapted from creator Joss Whedon`s original screenplay from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer feature film, The Origin updates the material to match the tone and characters of the hit television series, making this the official Buffy launching pad! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Buffy's beginnings as a slayer told as intended
There are two reasons that this graphic comic retelling of Buffy's beginnings as a Slayer: 1) it is based pretty strictly on Joss Whedon's original screenplay that the Buffy movie was based on, and 2) it is one of a number of superb Buffy graphic tales from Dark Horse Comics. For those who have exhausted all the Buffy and Angel episodes, and desirous of new sources of Buffyverse adventures, one can't do better than these comics. Many of them are scripted by Buffy screenwriters such as Jane Espenson. They aren't cynical and cheap attempts to rip off unsuspecting fans, but excellent stories in their own right.

Some people read THE ORIGIN and see a story remarkably similar to the movie, and others see enormous divergence. I see less difference in story than in tone, though there are a couple of hugely important differences. The two best known are the death of Merrick and the burning of the school gym, the latter referred to in the TV show and which appeared in Whedon's original script, but which was cut out for the shooting script.

The one difference in plot--and it is important one--that is more subtle is the frequent dreams that Buffy has of previous Slayers. In this story, Merrick has some trouble convincing Buffy that she is the Slayer until he mentions her dreams. Dreams play a gigantic role in the Buffy television series. In fact, the first time we ever see Buffy is in a dream she is having. Very nearly every episode has at least one dream sequence, and sometimes more than one, and the final episode of Season Four is almost all dreams. The brilliant thing about the dreams in THE ORIGIN is that it both contrasts Buffy with her predecessors and ties her into a long decision. She may be the Slayer, but she is not the only Slayer there has ever been. Also, by stressing the brute fact of being a Slayer--that you only become her as the result of another's death, and you will be the Slayer until your own--a sense of doom and foreboding permeates the story. Interestingly, we are not shown the moment when Buffy becomes the Slayer. I have always wanted Whedon to address that, explaining who the Slayer immediately before Buffy was. Also, I'd like to know why Buffy, who obviously was a potential for many years, had not been located before she had actually become the Slayer, and in fact was the Slayer before she was contacted.

The greatest difference between THE ORIGIN and the Buffy movie is tone and atmosphere. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, the movie, was a summer teen comedy. It overstressed the silliness of having a vampire slayer named Buffy, and focused entirely on the comic aspects of the story. The TV series was the genre-buster extraordinaire, being comedy, drama, horror, action, and soap opera all at once. The movie, however, is all comedy against a backdrop of horror. The graphic comic hints at the multilayered product the movie might have been had the studio and producers signed onto Whedon's vision. Instead of something unique and original, it was just another teen comedy with the quirk that the heroine was a bimbo cheerleader. Fortunately, Whedon was given the opportunity to correct a series of wrongs, with spectacular results for seven years.

Buffy Revisited
Christy Swanson was fine in the BTVS movie, but I'm so used to Sarah Michelle that it would be almost painful to watch the film after all this time. I like Buffy just the way she is now. So when I saw that Dark Horse Comics was bringing out a graphic novel version of the original story I decided to live dangerously and purchase my first Buffy 'comic.' I've stayed away from graphic novels, not because I don't like them, but because they are expensive for the amount of story one gets. But this looked like a good time to make an exception.

I'm not going to spend anytime elaborating on the plot. If any readers do not know the story of Buffy's entry into Slayerhood, suffice it to say that Valley Girl meets Watcher, discovers vampires, and kills same. With increasing aplomb. Buffy as Valley Girl is a bit more irritatingly mindless than Buffy as Slayer, but it's all in good fun. And, as all of us know, when Buffy grows up, she is as bad as they come.

Christopher Golden and Daniel Brereton have done a masterful job of the conversion of the original story line, with plenty of sarcasm, dry wit, and sight gags. And the art work is simply superb. If the comics of my jaded youth were as good I would probably never have switched to reading books. Joel Bennet is the penciller, and Rick Ketcham has completed the work beautifully with the help or Randy Emberlin and J. Jadson. The images are clear and crisp with a great deal of expression. Good stuff all around.

I still have a problem with sticker shock when looking at graphic novels but I have agree that the end product can often be worth it. Given what it sets out to be, this is a great gift or collector's item for the Buffy nut of your choice. Even if that nut happens to be yourself!

Not what I hoped
This book was described as the pre-series beginning story of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the story of the movie, but with the tone (and characters) of the series. Not so!

My first problem with this book was when I read further and found that it is a comic. (OK so honestly I didn't even see that part until after I checked out this book in person, so I'm warning other people who may not notice.) I would have loved a good novel about this, but it's not.

This Buffy character, and her friends, are hate-able. She was somewhat immature and that California-90s-ditzy, but she wasn't as bad as in this book.

I could only stand reading it for a short while, because of it being a comic, and all the things I found annoying.

One other thing is that her parents were together, they got divorced in a short time. There may be a lot of things I would find irritating in it like that.

To sum up; if you're a huge fan of the series (and you want to find good reads to soothe your addiction), this may not be for you. If you don't mind the movie (and, certainly, if you like comics), then go for it. Most other people liked it. If you're still interested, read the other reviews!

Liked it in spite of myself
First a confession--this is the first graphic novel I have ever read. As a Buffy fan in withdrawal, I picked it up at the local library. After all, there are no new episodes coming of either "Buffy" or "Angel." That said, I was favorably impressed by the novel. The style is very different from the Silver Age DC stuff I read as a child, but it certainly conveys a punch. I won't compare the graphic novel with the movie, although the general fannish concensus is that the novel is closer to the spirit of the series. At any rate, the switches between drama and comedy that characterize the series are here in the novel, although in abbreviated form (that goes with the genre), as are the power fighting scenes. The drawings have a terseness (the unfinished faces, for instance), but they get the message across. Buffy's transformation from airhead to Slayer, her jerk of a boyfriend, the shallowness of her girlfriends, and the impact of Merrick's sacrifice on her are well-portrayed. This may be the first graphic novel I've read, but it won't be the last.

forget the movie, this is the true origin for Buffy
"The Origin" is a graphic novel which focuses on, not surprisingly, the origin of how Buffy Summers became a slayer. This is something that was first covered in the feature film version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", but that film was a complete disappointment and is much different in tone and style than the later, successful, television program of the same name. "The Origin" follows creator Joss Whedon's original script and it better matches the tone of the later series.

Buffy Summers is a freshman in high school and is the average popular student (think Cordelia in the first season of "Buffy"). She is self absorbed and does not truly think of others. This changes when one day an older man comes to her and tells Buffy that she has a destiny, that she is the chosen one, the one girl in all the world called to protect the world, to fight and stop vampires. In short, Buffy Summers is the Slayer. We follow Buffy as she encounters her first vampire, tries to deny what she is, and eventually come to begin to accept that she is, in fact, The Slayer. We see events that are spoken about in the first season of "Buffy".

If you want to see the true first chapter in the story of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", this is the place to start. Ignore the awful, awful movie with Kristy Swanson in the title role, this is the true origin of Buffy and it is much more faithful to Joss Whedon's vision and it matches the tone and style of the television series. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Great Finish to a Great Series
Preacher is a comic that is aimed at those who don't mind gore, sex and religion all being tossed to create one hell of a ride. This comic is bound to piss everybody off in some way whether your a student of a preacher. However, that is part of the magic of this comic, it gives you a glimpse into something that our society deems unspeakable.
Now on to the this comic book. The final comic in the series and it was well worth the wait. Every plot line is finshed and done so well. There are a few twists and some points were you are just awed. By the end God, Cassidy, Starr, Custer, Tulip, and the Saint of Killers are awarded an ending that is fit to each but there are some surprises their.
I feel Garth Ennis did a great job with the comic series giving a good intricate plot, plenty of twist, believable characters, and overall a great story that never slows, never quits, and has an ending that fits.
I also feel that the artwork should be talked about too. The artist of the series (except for Book 4) makes the words and characters come alive. He is able to throw splashes of grey and black into this comic that fits the mood. It is excellant artwork.
Overall, Preacher rocks and is a comic book worthy of praise. Just remember, its fiction.

Glorious, Profane, Sacreligious, Thought-Provoking, and Fun
Lordy! I just had time to read the entire collected "Preacher" series in one sitting, and what a great time I had doing it. This is one of the few "adult" comic series that actually gives you some real meat to chew on. It calls into question every dogma, motiviation, desire, and belief one drags along with oneself into adulthood, along with the very nature of the divine and ridiculous. Garth Ennis et al never miss a chance to poke fun at themselves, keeping the book from veering into that sort of moroseness and gloom that seems to pervade the comics industry lately, yet all the while manage to convey an air of deadly seriousness to the quest that Reverend Custer and Tulip find themselves thrust into: confronting a god who's quit heaven in fear of the powerful offspring of a demon and an angel who's escaped and taken root in Jesse Custer in order to gain a will to direct its terrible power. An absolute must for any and everyone who's ever wondered "Who's up there, and why has he made such a terrible mess?" Compelling, gritty, violent, profane, sacreligious, thought-provoking, and fun as hell. Ride on, Reverend!

the end.......BANG!
the cool lines,the action,the gore,the blasphemy,the eye patch and the (suggested for mature readers)tag on the back of this book,makes it simply, irresistable.
this is the conclusion,here you'll learn what will happen,to the runaway zeus like god,his cowboy angel of death,the antichrist lookalike crusader,the irish vampire and the eyepached preacher's quest for vengeance.
and not forgeting arseface.all in a hell of a twister cult story
if you are a church goer -or a mosque goer in my case-and marilyn manson doesn't offend you,but makes you laugh sometimes,then buy this book.
if he does offend you ,you better look away.
some reader complain about the ending ,well ,as arseface said
"WUHL..BUGUHZ CUHND BUH CHUZUHZ!"

Well...
A slightly contrived conclusion to an otherwise (with the exception of 'Dixie Fried') first-rate series. If you've got this far you're going to buy it anyway regardless, and I recommend you do, but I couldn't help feeling a little ripped-off. I grew to dislike Jesse Custer somewhat after his abhorrent actions near the end of 'Salvation', and by this book I couldn't care less whether the mongrel lived or died. Asides from that, this volume contains more of the solid writing sharp dialogue we've come to love, and the art is top notch as always.

The awesome finale for one of the best comics of the 90's
For five and a half years it has led up to this. Jesse Custer's confrontation with God is coming full circle, as is the fates of all the characters who have gone through more character development in that aforementioned span than some comic characters go through in a decade. All the oddly written characters we have grown to love and hate like Jesse, Tulip, Cassidy, Herr Starr, The Saint of Killers, and Arseface meet their respective fates in big ways; ranging from Starr seeking his revenge on Jesse, to Jesse's showdown with Cassidy, to The Saint of Killers' war on heaven, and everything in between. By the end of Alamo, long time readers of the series will feel satisfied of most of the outcomes, and even though it is sad to see the Preacher series come to an end, it is good to know that the series didn't re-hash itself every twenty four issues and kept the storyline on one true track during the entire run. Let it also be noted that Preacher creators; writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, stayed on for the entire Preacher run. That in itself is an accomplishment in the comic industry as they brought readers some of the most unforgettable characters and one of the most engrossing sagas in the modern comic age. Rumor has it (straight out of Wizard Magazine) that a Preacher re-launch is in the works, but time will tell. I also strongly suggest Ennis and Dillon's Punisher TPB for Marvel Comics; even if you've never had an interest in that character you should read the re-invention of him by the Preacher duo, it is pure genius. ... Read more

Book Description

A tragic death at the Xavier Institute reveals a powerful enemy living among the X-Men that they could never have suspected - and no, it's not Magneto. Things heat up in a way none of the X-Men ever dreamed, but will teamwork save the day when they can't even depend on themselves? Collects Astonishing X-Men #7-12. ... Read more

Book Description

The next volume in Masamune Shirow's best-selling art book series is orbiting cyberspace and preparing to touch down onto bookstore shelves in late Summer. This volume concentrates primarily on Shirow's character, robot and vehicle designs for interactive games.Shirow is world famous for being equally skilled and creative in the realms of computer-generated graphics and traditional drawing and painting. It is logical then that his unique and imaginative studies are among the most interesting being done in the high-tech game field.With commentary in both English and Japanese, this new collection provides a fascinating insight into the creative process of one of Japan's premiere talents. ... Read more

Book Description

Still recovering from the death of her co-worker and lover, Tara Chace is granted a brief reprieve from London's rain and MI6's bureaucracy. This emotionally charged vacation takes Chace to the slopes of Switzerland for a visit with old friends and family. But being an agent for Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service leaves little time for rest.A junior minister with close ties to the Prime Minister appears to be selling state secrets to the Russians, and the Minders are assigned to quietly investigate. Tara is forced to walk a tight rope between the violent dangers inherent in the field of espionage and the discretion inherent in the bureaucracy of the government, all the while assuming the new position of Minder One and field-testing a new agent. Operation: Saltlick takes the Special Section from the safety and comfort of Great Britain to the St. Petersburg underworld. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another Q&C success!
Could this simply be the finest work in the Q&C ouevre?The drama is tight, the action is hot, you want to beat the crap out of the wanker "C", and you want to fall in love with Tara Chace (forget that she's just ink on paper).The vulnerability of the female character is exceptionally rendered visually and intellectually.The prologue should help explain some of Chace's behavior as she encounters her overbearing, sexually loose mother.It doesn't completely, and at first I found it off-putting this was included in the overall arc, but the full story overcame this small shortfall.Rucka continues to portray Chace's female character with sensitivity that most secret agents do not get as they are, usually, beyond pain, grief, and failure.Could a male character fill Chace's boots?I don't care and hope Rucka never attempts to find out. ... Read more

Book Description

Fields of Blood: The Book of War provides everything you need to rule a nation, raise an army, and assault your enemies on the battlefield.With rules governing anything from small keeps to vast nations, your character can now be a hero both in the dungeon and on the battlefield. Features: A complete set of detailed wargame rules based on the d20 system mechanic to resolve combat at any scale; rules for leading troops, from a small squad of men to an army of thousands; rules for governing, from the cost of building and maintaining a small keep, to taxing a nation of millions; rules for NPC nations allowing GMs to run several dozen opposing realms at a time; leadership rules for every class, using your character's strengths to lead an army; rules for using miniatures, or tracking the battles on a simple map; new prestige classes for every character type, designed for use with this system; and more! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent resource for any fantasy gamer.
I love it because not only does it cover mass combat to large or small scales, it covers managing empires and building nations with the players as the rulers.Gotta love the intricate rules that are easy to employ in a campaign and can be made more or less detailed according to my needs. ... Read more

Book Description

Since time immemorial mankind has been plagued by the question "What do you do with a dead cat?" Here, at last, in 101 hilarious, outrageous, and (sometimes) downright sick cartoons, are some answers. 101 black-and-white illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Not for those with no sense of humor
I first encountered "101 Uses for a Dead Cat" about 20 years ago. Every page produced at least a chuckle and a good many guffaws. These are humorously drawn cartoons without captions -- and they're as absurd as they're meant to be. Of course, no one in real life is going to use a dead cat for any purpose whatever, but given how seriously some cat lovers take their cats -- and the nature of the housecat -- the premise itself is funny. One of those premises, by the way, is that in these 101 absurd cartoons, cats appear to be of more usefulness dead than alive.

I know a lot of cat owners who think this book is hilarious precisely because they love their cats despite the fact that, in many ways, their cats are frequently annoying, destructive, selfish, demanding and high maintenance.

At any rate, I'm always amused when I find people who take this book so seriously they don't see the humor in it, much like vegetarians who go out to dinner with friends and then are obnoxious about the meat or fish other people are eating.

Here a cat, there a cat....
Here a cat, there a cat, everywhere a cat cat!! I remember getting this when I was a teen and I laughed the whole way through. There's no plot here, people, just lots of uses for dead cats, and that is saying a lot, seeing as how I love cats!!

How'd you like to use a dead cat for a baseball bat? How about a beer tap? How about a dead cat frisbee? How about a cat pencil sharpener. Yep, I read this book, and I thought it was hilarious. I guess you could say that if you are sensitive to cat jokes, don't dare get or even peek at this book! This just goes along with my somewhat warped sense of humor!

A true work of genius
My cat just died, so I dug this book out as an antidote to my gloom. Fantastic, haven't laughed so much in years, and it's given me one or two ideas as well...

Still in print after all these years...
Wow! I can't believe this book is still in print! I was 13 years old when the book was initially published. This book is perfect for any 13-year-old boys, cat lovers, or cat haters on your gift list.

Not Very Funny
My wife bought this book thinking that it would be funny: we were both disappointed. The cartoons in this book have little thought and seem sensless in their aim. Not having any prejudice against dogs or cats, this book comes off as sick rather than funny. Perhaps this is Mr. Bond's answer to 101 Reasons Why Cats Are Better Than Men.

This may be a great book for people who are prejudiced against cats but for people who find cats interesting and lovable animals, go somewhere else. ... Read more

Book Description

Non Sequitur has been entertaining fans for more than a decade, with its Twilight Zone of cartoon moments. Day after day, Non Sequitur hilariously jabs at the feats and foibles of life, skewering everyone from politicians to teenagers. Wiley's irreverent, satirical wit, combined with his superbly crafted illustrations, confirms that the universe is one big joke at humanity's expense.That said, some of Non Sequitur's most popular panels have been the ones where Wiley has offered his takes on "What he heard/what she said." In strip after strip, the cartoonist succinctly captures the absurd and unexpected miscommunications that lie at the heart of every relationship. For example:o What he heard: "Let's go drain the life force from your body." What she said: "Let's go shopping."o What he heard: "Honey, why don't you put your head in a vise and I'll turn the handle until your skull explodes." What she said: "Honey, why don't we turn off the TV and just talk."o What she heard: "Life as we know it will cease to exist unless you can alter the space-time continuum." What he said: "Honey, are you almost ready yet'"Everyone who's ever tried talking to anyone about anything will find Why We'll Never Understand Each Other to be the perfect way to laugh about it all, and maybe-or maybe not-try again.

... Read more

Reviews (4)

Short
Wiley, as always, gives great insight - his cartoons are so incredibly funny because they're so very true. Whoever came up with the idea of 'male' and 'female' gave cartoonists endless material to work with.

Wiley's commentary, especially the signature "What she/he heard, what he/she said", is wonderful. I'm sure he's done lots more him/her work than included in this slim volume, and I wish it had been presented here. What's present in the book is worth five stars, but it was only enough to make me want more.

Outstanding relationship humor
Non Sequitur and Pooch Cafe are my favorite strips. This is a SMALL book so don;t be shocked when you get it -- but the content is great.

Size Matters
I love the Non-Sequitur comic strips.I have three book collections and I was looking forward to adding another to my library but I was really disappointed when I opened the box.The quality is fine (you can never go wrong with a Wiley cartoon)- but the quantity is not worth the price.Advice for future purchases - check the technical specs.

Excellent material... but only five minutes worth.
I'm a big fan of Non Sequitur. Wiley Miller's comics are top notch. But I should have checked out the "technical specs" of this book before buying it. There are under 140 pages worth of material here, and the physical size of the book is roughly three inches by three inches. In other words, each page is large enough to handle roughly one panel of one strip. NOT one strip per page, but one *panel* per page.

The material here is, as always, excellent. Mr. Miller has even added a narrative thread to the collection. Alas, I think the narrative thread in this case only serves to highlight how thin the volume is. By providing text to connect the dots between strips, the book encourages the reader to keep turning the page rather than stop and dwell upon each brilliantly illustrated observation. The result? It takes five minutes to read (the entire book!), and it all feels so very, very light. Given that these are Non Sequitur comics we're talking about, that's a bad, bad thing.

I made a mistake. I spent full book price on what turned out to be a pamphlet. If you haven't already done so, I recommend that you spend your hard earned money on *Non Sequitur's Beastly Things* instead. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Another fine "Archives" book from DC Comics
Although I grew up on the later issues of Sgt. Rock, these early issues are just as fun to read. If you like Sgt. Rock and are interested in his origins and the rest of Easy Company, it's a no brainer buy. (It is probably also the only way you will ever own them anyway!) If you are expecting the 70's version of his comics with Enemy Ace or Unknown Soldier, you may want to buy a later version of the Archives (if DC continues to release them and I hope they do). I would not buy a Batman Archives #1 and expect the Batman of the 60's and 70's, I would expect old school (circa 1930's) Batman. This book is "old school" Sgt. Rock, and a gem at that.

Let's Rock!
Here we have earliest Sgt. Rock stories. These aren't the most realistic war comics, but they are enjoyable. The artwork is terrific , too. I especially like the ones drawn by Joe Kubert.

Eh...Not What I Hoped For
I grew up reading two or three of the same Weird War Tales and Men Of War (with Enemy Ace, The Gravedigger, The Haunted Tank, etc) mags over and over until they were pretty ragged. I remembered seeing the Sgt. Rock ads in those comics, next to those of the Unknown Soldier. Having been hyped on war comics again with the recent revamp of WWT and Garth Ennis' Unknown Soldier, I figured I'd give Sgt. Rock and the Combat Happy Joes of Easy Company a try. (SgtRockandtheCombatHappyJoesofEasyCompanySgtRockandTheCombatHappy...etc) Learn that phrase, because reading these issues it will become like a mantra. Also take note of the term and phrase `tin pot (a helmet)' and `That's the way it is in Easy, where nothing is easy.' The writing is SO repetitive. I'm used to the innocent predictablity of older golden and silver age comics (its not really predictabilty, for these are the originals from which all the modern comics tend to borrow), so I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but at least I thought I'd be entertained. I found myself willing my way through the book, wanting each story to end. It has some moments (I liked the opening story introducing the Rock), but they are just too far between.

The art however, is very good. Some of the renderings of Panzers are particularly memorable, but the action and the dialogue is kinda...well, boring. I know this is a classic. I know it has a following. But this one just didn't speak to me or ring true. Nice art, great edition, but not my cup of joe.

Good War Stories...Whatever the format
I bought this book because I liked Sgt. Rock as a kid and I thought it would bring back some good memories. Otherwise, I don't have much interest in comics or pulp fiction. In the late '50s books such as "GI Combat" and "Our Army At War" was publishing stories about Easy company. A reacurring character was "the rock of Easy" or a "Sgt Rock". The book introduces us to early versions of the character, in one early story he is a buck Sgt. called Sgt Rocky. It was the story "The Rock and the Wall" that the Sgt. Rock character was first introduced as the character that fans recognize as Sgt. Rock. Reading these stories you have to wonder if maybe the target audience may have been the fathers of the boys who bought the books. Most of the stories deal with Rock turning replacemants into "Good Easy Company men." The new comers are either scared replacements or overly cocky. Rock handles them the same way. He lets them learn for themselves. Some live and are absorded into Easy while others become regulars in the series. Many die to earn the title of "a good Easy Co. man." The backbone of this book is leadership, doing what's right and living with it..one soldier asks Sgt. Rock "What's worse than that run through fire?" Rock answeres "Being forced to leave a man behind.." One great leadership lesson is when Sgt. Rock lectures a glory hound..."Easy guy'll walk into any fire 'cause they know their buddies'll stop to pull 'em out... but all it takes is one character to think of himself first to start the whole outfit thinkin' the same way! Then good bye campany!" One of the most important stories in this collection, I think, is "Three Stripes Hill" In this story Sgt. Rock thinks back to how he rose from privte to sgt. Sgt. Rock: "I wouldn't want to earn these stripes again--the way I had to!..." In this story Pvt Rock arrives at Easy Co. and after his first action is told by his C.O. that he's being recommended for a Bronze Star but cannot be promoted because "the company table of organization is all filled." The only way to get promoted is when there's an opening which means somebody gets killed. Says Rock, "I'm not bucking for stripes over another guy's tin pot stuck on a rifle." But later Rock rises to Sgt as his buddies fall around him. Sgt. Rock thinks, "No--I wasn't born with thse three stripes." Some people might watch "Thin Red Line" or read Hemingway, but if you're going to read fiction about WWII check out this volume. Now they call comic books graphic novels, most couldn't touch this book. This ain't no funny book ... Read more

Book Description

First published in The Los Angeles Times in 1970, Love Is... began as Kim Casali's private love notes to her husband but grew into a worldwide sensation, appearing in newspapers in more than 50 countries and becoming in the process an icon of the 1970s.

This new Love Is... book is part of a major relaunch of the unforgettable brand, which is already back in successful T-shirt and slipper lines. The cartoons have nostalgic and kitsch appeal for baby boomers, while younger generations, fascinated by '70s pop culture, will also be won over by Casali's simple truths about relationships. In addition to 365 of the most memorable Love Is... cartoons, the book contains the romantic story behind the phenomenon, the first drawing ever published, and an introduction by Kim Casali's son. With a satin cover featuring a die-cut heart, this charming volume makes a foolproof Valentine's Day gift. AUTHOR BIO: Kim Casali, a New Zealand native, began making drawings for her husband-to-be in California in 1967. The Los Angeles Times picked up the drawings for publication, and"Love is..." became a syndicated cartoon in 1970. It went on to appear in newspapers in 50 countries. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

not a set of note cards as the editor suggests
This is a cute paperback version of the hardcover cartoon collection that is also sold on Amazon.Amazon has done a lousy job with thier item descriptions and you never know what you are ordering anymore. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The title of this deliciously creepy collection of Gorey's work stems from the word amphigory, meaning a nonsense verse or composition. As always, Gorey's painstakingly cross- hatched pen and ink drawings are perfectly suited to his oddball verse and prose. The first book of 15, "The Unstrung Harp," describes the writing process of novelist Mr. Clavius Frederick Earbrass: "He must be mad to go on enduring the unexquisite agony of writing when it all turns out drivel." In "The Listing Attic," you'll find a set of quirky limericks such as "A certain young man, it was noted, / Went about in the heat thickly coated; / He said, 'You may scoff, / But I shan't take it off; / Underneath I am horribly bloated.' "

Many of Gorey's tales involve untimely deaths and dreadful mishaps, but much like tragic Irish ballads with their perky rhythms and melodies, they come off as strangely lighthearted. "The Gashlycrumb Tinies," for example, begins like this: "A is for AMY who fell down the stairs, B is for BASIL assaulted by bears," and so on. An eccentric, funny book for either the uninitiated or diehard Gorey fans. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

No-nonsense verse, a very necessary composition
Edward Gorey was a master of the macabre. Seemingly inappropriate, always bizarre, Mr. Gorey walked the taboo tightrope in his stories and illustrations. Here are fifteen such delightfully atrocious tales, compiled for the convenience of his very demented fans (including yours truly).

First is "The Unstrung Harp" about a befuddled and (in appearance) paranoid writer who trudges through his maddening existence, as so many a writer inevitably will. The casual reader might find this tale odd, but anyone who has ever taken to writing seriously will feel nothing but empathy. Has one of the greatest ending lines of any story I've ever read.

Next is "The Listing Attic", a series of devilish ryhmes with correlating illustrations. Many of these are horrible in design yet strangely you'll find yourself laughing at the unfortunate mishaps that fall upon the characters.

Now, on to "The Doubtful Guest" about a mysterious penguin-like creature that arrives at a residence only to act in a seemingly irrational way, doing things for inexplicable reasons. Personally I think this is nothing more than a metaphor for the unexpected in life and how it's more irrational for people to waste time trying to make sense out of these things. But that's just me.

"The Object Lesson" is just plain confusing, as if Mr. Gorey was just penning random thoughts and then illustrating them. Definitely weird.

"The Bug Book" is pretty childish in design and, to me, not particuarly noteworthy.

"The Fatal Lozenge" is another series of ryhmes, although the level of morbidity and violence is pretty much maxed out. Reading these you won't find yourself able to laugh, only maybe able to produce a nervous twitter as you ponder how very real these situations could be.

"The Hapless Child" is nothing short of a masterpiece, evoking every emotion from love to terror this tragedy should have a place in American high school curriculum, but alas public education systems in this nation would rather not deal with horrible reality.

"The Curious Sofa" is an attack on preconceived notions of sexual morality, being pornographic only in suggestion the point is that if someone who considered him/herself to be in the right in his/her sexual ideals he/she wouldn't understand the innuendo of the words and illustrations. A very interesting piece.

"The Willowdale Handcar" is a story I didn't like.

"The Gashlycrumb Tinies" has to be my favorite Edward Gorey piece, a sinister telling of the Alphabet with a small child meeting its demise for each letter, kind of an anti-Alligators All Around. I have a separate review posted for this story as it is deserving of the title of literature.

"The Insect God" is another disturbing work involving intelligent, and apparently religious, giant sized bugs.

"The West Wing" is a series of illustrations that force the reader to create his/her own captions for what is depicted.

"The Wuggly Ump" is a silly song about a very hungry monster.

"The Sinking Spell" is another tale of an unexpected visitor, a creature on an indecipherable journey.

Last, is "The Remembered Visit" about a woman who can't forget the odd travels of her youth or her meeting of a once famous man.

That's it, the coffee table book to beat all coffee table books, the ultimate conversation piece. But, then again, everything Edward Gorey did was worthy of conversation.

A bizarre and beautiful book!
The artwork in Amphigorey is absolutely amazing. The style is reminiscent of a very old cartoon. Every single frame of each story is so detailed, and the lines are so intricate and precise, it's as if Gorey spent days on each drawing.

The stories which are illustrated by these drawings are very creepy. Many of the stories are incredibly pointless. Some of them end awfully, others don't really end at all. Some aren't stories, but rather collections of poems with a title. At times, things get quite disgusting. For example, in one set of alphabetical poems entitled "The Fatal Lozenge," the last poem goes like this:

The ZOUAVE used to war and battle
Would sooner take a life than not:
It scarcely has begun to prattle
When he impales a hapless tot.

This is accompanied by an illustration of a baby pinned through its abdomen with a sword and blood dripping down. But no matter what, everything in this collection is interesting and unique. This book is at no time dull or boring. Plus, it makes a great conversation piece. I love showing people my Amphigorey book! Most people have never heard of Edward Gorey and are entirely surprised that such a bizarre book even exists.

In any case, if you don't already have it, you should definitely get this book! It's such a great thing to have around the house, you'll never regret owning it!

Journey into the Dark
The singular career of Edward Gorey is quite impossible to adequately characterize, in part because his work articulates the tension between exaggerated opposites at every step. The style of his work and the simplicity of his verse superficially resemble books for children, but the intense macabre of his stories and their relentless existential interrogations bely our every tendency to treat him lightly. Likewise, though there is an unmistakeable cartoonish-quality to his illustation, close examination reveals an astonishing precision, care, and attention to detail.

I think this explains in part the curious power and profundity that his images convey. Like myth, his stories present and in some way mediate the deep paradoxes of our experience. His stories are short, much as the poems of the Modernist poets are short. It is not that Gorey has little to say; rather, he speaks so well that precious few words are required.

Complementing Gorey's stylistic precision and excellence, the images that surface from his best tales are unmistakeably illuminating in the curious way that parable is illuminating. Something is communicated, but it is difficult to say exactly what it is.

Gorey is a singular emmisary of the Dream Works, wholely and unmistakeably himself in each stroke of the pen. These compendia are great treasures.

Madly Morbid and Sadistically Savouring
You have not fully lived until you have read Amphigorey!
With it's delightful pieces of artwork and sometimes unintellgible use of verse Edward Gorey's first fifteen books come together in what I would call a brilliant spectacle of cloaked and sometimes deceased spectres.
With stories such as The Hapless Child a story my fifty year old father described as sad and twistedly morbid (needless to say he never asked to look at the book again) and The Curious Sofa a story that hints pornographic ideals but does not detail or embellish them will revoulting sex scenes...the story's lines just merely plant naughty thoughts in your head and your brain travels on from there, it is a classic book, a book I've cherished for years and would love to see referred to as a classic work of art rather than mere fiction and humor!

Wowwy Wow Wow Wow
Amazing. Simply amazing. Everyone should own this book. Actually, a great many people would probably hate this book. Buy this book only if you think that dead baby jokes are funny. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Edward Gorey is a frickin genius. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Caught Between Heaven and Hell
John Constantine made his mark in these stories from the first 9 issues of HELLBLAZER. Beginning with "Hunger," where Constantine has to "bottle up" a demon before it consumes a whole city, the reader is introduced to a man who doesn't fight for heaven or hell, but rather to save mankind from getting caught in between. Using whatever means necessary, including the lives of anyone who is too close to him, Constantine rages against the unfairness of it all. Fueled by Jamie Delano's rage of Britain's and America's system of government and economy, Constantine battles yuppie demons and stands against both the Resurrection Crusaders and the Damnation Army in his hope that man will be allowed to make their own mistakes. However, the art doesn't help tell the story. Ridgeway's work is extremely "scratchy" and only the addition of Alcala's inks at the end of the collection make things This collection is a bit dated, with its Thatcher references and a connection to the Swamp-Thing series that hampers understanding of all the references, but it is a solid beginning. And it does make you wonder...What exactly did happen at Newcastle?"

Uh. it's hellfire, what do you expect?
I've read... 3 hellblazers, this is the best. Guess I'm not much of a fan of Garth, prolly I knew a Gareth once and he hated being called Garth. So, what's to say. John faces demons, fights demons, foils plots left and right, kills off people. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it doesn't rely on shock tactics nearly as much as later volumes. Also he spectacularly fails to evince any powers, save only one. I guess that's sposed to show how skilled he is. Good stuff, don't get later ones. By the by, it's a good deal darker than the John Constantine in the Sandman volumes.

staring at my hands
OK is the first description that comes to mind. Its nothing special I expect that the next few that are written by Garth Ennis are much better, myself being a fan of his Preacher series. If you are looking to buy this comic I would recomend Lucifer over Hellblazer. Lucifer is dark fantasy while hellblazer is more thriller seems to be in the comic style vain of Se7en. Anyways Lucifer is more intresting definitly a charismatic charicter, I really don't like Constantine I am halfway through this comic I just can't identify with his character.

A facinating character.
I recently started reading the Hellblazer monthly comic book, and I just had to start collecting the TPBs. John Constantine is a fascinating character that I want to know more about. The only difficulty this collection (Issues 1-9) presents is some crossings with the Swamp Thing. I probably should try to get some Swamp Thing as well for the full picture. I like the horrific tone of this collection, plus the supernatural edge it has.

Greatest EVer
I loved it. Every word. It is moving and exciting., Dramatic yet dark. perfect ... Read more

Book Description

Essentially, this is the best of the best 50 years of Peanuts, the comic strip by the late Charles Schulz featuring Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, and the rest of the beguiling little gang. Peanuts debuted in 1950 and became a global phenomenon, with book collections selling more than 300 million copies in 26 languages and television specials rerun year after year. To create this all-new Peanuts Guide to Life we've combed through decades of comic strips to find those single panels which contain such pithy observations as "Babysitters are like used cars. You never know what you're going to get," and bits of wisdom like "Never lick ice cream off a hot sidewalk." Each droll, stand-alone "speech bubble" or punchline appears with cartoon art. The panels are organized into short chapters, such as "Love" and "Life's Little Quirks." For the millions of faithful Peanuts fans, this is a collection of "greatest hits" to cherish and enjoy again and again. ... Read more

Book Description

As the summer approaches, Brandy secretly falls in love with Frank. But around the corner, a catastrophe of global proportions awaits. Brandy must battle her evil counterpart from a parallel universe to save Frank and the animal sanctuary! This is the third collection of the award-winning comic book series, Liberty Meadows. All the comic strips within are completely remastered and uncensored, and this volume also includes a cover art gallery, extensive sketch and illustration sections, plus a complete, never-before-published Liberty Meadows short story. ... Read more

Reviews (66)

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

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

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

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

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

LOOK! CALVIN COMICS!! IN A BOOK!!!
Bill Watterson brings to the table what no other cartoonist can bring: a true artistic, not cartoon, ability. Take just about any Sunday funnies in this book, among others. You will usually see a mass array of panels. They appear to be just a jumble, yet are arranged so that you can easily follow while reading, coming together with a great punchline at the end, or a beautiful portrait of the forest that Calvin & Hobbes walk through, or, both.

What strikes me funny about this strip, more than others, is the intelligent conversations of this otherwise typical six-year-old boy. Some of them I'll have to read a comic a few times over to get the conversation, much less the punchline.

Something ELSE that strikes me is how much of Calvin's ethical conversations about just about anything make sense almost half a decade later. I'm sure it's make sense 10-15 years from now, too. That's what helps make this cartoon so timeless & classic.

Its just too bad that Watterson had to end while at the top, It'd be much cooler if Calvin & Hobbes was still running today.

You should simply just drop anything you're doing & get the book now. You just can't miss out on Calvin's magical world.

A Magical Collectiom
One of the several reasons for Bill Watterson's departure from Calvin and Hobbes is that he wanted to pursue his craft in watercolor. It makes so much sense: just look at some of the background art in this collection and you can see it. (Actually, look at the background cover art, and it looks like Japanese watercolor.) Whatever his pursuits today, Watterson has left us a decade's worth of joy. This collection is just one of several. It doesn't really matter which one you pick up: you will always be guaranteed a few hours' worth of laughter and even a couple of warm tears.

A Strong Finish
This is the last of the C & H strips, and I think Watterson finished on a pretty strong note. I hear people say that Watterson should come back and write more strips. First of all, I think he did good to quit while he was ahead. Second of all, it always bother me when people complain about a writer leaving a series. As if they didn't have a life of their own and had to locked up somewhere and forced to churn out strips for the sake of their fans. If Watterson felt that he was tired of doing Calvin & Hobbes then we have to respect that.

This book has got almost nothing but five star reviews here. So I feel that it's necessary to offer a dissenting opinion. I don't think this is Watterson's best work, and there are signs here that the quality of the strips was slipping. For one thing, while the Sunday strips are intricately drawn, the daily strips seem somewhat sparsely decorated. I think Watterson was putting so much time into drawing the Sunday strips that he had to just rush off his daily strips to meet his deadline. Second and most importantly, I think that the characters and the world of Calvin & Hobbes were beginning to lose their charm to some degree. Calvin was evolving from a hyperactive child to an obnoxious brat, and even though Calvin has always talked alot smarter than your average seven year old, I think some dialogue here sounds wierd coming from his mouth. Also, I think there's too much preaching from the soapbox here, and that sort of thing always gets on my nerves. I don't mean to give the impression that these faults are as bad as I'm making them sound. Most of them are hardly noticeable. I am simply trying to point out that there is a decline here from the glory days of the strip, and that's it's best that Watterson quit when he did before things got worse. He himself probably realized that he was losing his touch a little. I know that there are people who are fans of the strip and feel they have to come here and rave about any book with Calvin and Hobbes on the cover. (There is even one guy who posts the exact same review for every book in the series.) Some people think that's what being a fan is all about. It's the same sort of mentality that would make Star Trek fans go crazy over a Star Trek X even if the Enterprise was shaped like a cereal box. But you can be a fan and still have a discriminating taste. You can still separate the good from the bad. I think giving this book five stars does a disservice to better work like Snow Goons and The Authoritative C & H, which I think were the high points of the series. Anyway, this isn't a bad book. It's still vintage Calvin and Hobbes, and I think Watterson choose the perfect time to hang up his drawing board.

Real Magic
Hobbes is the best animated animal. Even as an animated feline he's better than Garfield. He's the perfect best pal for Calvin and the interaction between them is wonderful. Just take a look at the back cover. I wish I had a tiger like Hobbes. To everyone else he's just a stuffed toy but in Calvin's eyes he the cuddliest cat ever.

The best thing about Calvin and Hobbes is the way Calvin is wise well beyond his years but still has the many illusions of childhood. I think it's the way many of us would like to be. Wisdom without cynicism.

I totally love Calvin and Hobbes. Their adventures are the best and their friendship is real, even if Hobbes is not. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's fair to say that Will Eisner invented modern comic art. A Contract with God has been called the first graphic novel, and its divergence from traditional comics themes and forms highlights Eisner's foresight and brilliance. Dealing with stories and memories from his childhood in a Bronx tenement, he explores the brutality, fragility, and tenderness possible among people living in close quarters close to the poverty line. The four stories here are tough but funny, deep but finely detailed, much like the traditional Jewish stories he drew upon to flavor his own work. Ending reflectively (and perhaps autobiographically), A Contract with God shows us a young man peering out into his city as he decides whether and how to face adulthood. You won't see that in the funny papers. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (8)

It was a very different world
Most of us think of Will Eisner as the creator of a terrific comic of the 1940s called The Spirit -- which he is. But we forget that in this book, first published in 1978, he also practically invented the modern "graphic novel." No superheroes here, just ordinary Jewish immigrant families in a tenement building in the Bronx. There actually are four stories here. "A Contract with God" is the story of Frimme Hersh, who made a deal with the Almighty when he was a boy in Poland, that he would do his best in life and God should look out for him in return. He comes to America, becomes quietly successful, is respected by his neighbors and his synagogue, and things are going okay. Then his adored adopted daughter dies suddenly. God has broken the contract, and Frimme is no longer bound by it, either. It's a very satisfying, Sholom Aleichem sort of story. "The Street Singer" tells of an out-of-work bookkeeper during the Depression who finds he can earn a few thrown pennies singing in the allies of tenement buildings. An ex-diva decides to promote him (for her own purposes), but the money she gives him goes for booze instead. This one is interesting -- there really were street singers in New York -- but I found it much less readable. "The Super," about an authoritarian German building superintendent, is a cautionary tale, sort of, about not messing with Lolitas when they come a-calling, and it's rather a lightweight piece. "Cookalein," however, is a superior work, about the escape of young city-dwellers to the Adirondacks in the summer, searching for social and financial advancement through marriage. There's some delicious irony here. Eisner is generally a very good storyteller of this milieu, and he does it all in black-and-white pen work. He's a master of characterization through facial expression and other detail, and there's a reason this volume has been reprinted so many times in the past quarter century.

Enthralling and beautiful.
A must-have for any fan of the medium of comics. Wonderful stories, fully-realised characters, charming artwork.

True Storytelling
It is an accepted fact in the comic book world that Will Eisner is one of the giants. He has pushed the envelope, single-handedly transforming the medium from one only capable of churning out simplistic kid's fantasies into an accepted vehicle for Art (with a capitol "A!"). The comic book industries highest award, The Eisner, is named after him. All possible accolades are piled upon Will Eisner. Strange, then, that so few comics fans (myself included) have actually read his comics. I decided to change that by buying this book.

"A Contract with God" is a deliberate attempt, the first actually, of using the combination of words and pictures to relate a story of the human condition on par with any works of great literature. It is the first ever "Graphic Novel," printed solely in book form and not merely a collection of serialized stories. Eisner had lofty goals for this slim volume. Semi-autobiographical, he told stories of the Jewish slums of New York around the time of the Great Depression. Being neither Jewish, nor from the East Coast, nor alive during the Great Depression, I was not sure how well I would relate to the book.

Well, because he is one of the giants, Eisner uses words and pictures to bridge the gap between his experience and mine, finding common ground and understanding. "A Contract with God" is entertaining, addictive and enlightening. I can honestly say that I am better for having read it. Go ahead, give it a try.

Magnificent simplicity yet concentrated
Magnificent simplicity yet concentrated in humanistic mechanics. Will Eisner's creation delivers the 1930s in a single drop - the culture, the depression, human relations, the dynamism of emotions. The stories of Fremme Hersch, the Jew who had a contract with God, the saga of the street singer's ill fortune, the tale of emotions as chance intertwines people - all tied by the common element of tenement dwellers gives a glimpse of life in 1930s almost in its exactitude. As the first of its genre, you will be proud to own it and after reading it, you will be saddened to learn that not much has changed for relationships and delighted that not all needs to die.

Jewish fables from the grand master
Will Eisner is, unquestionably, the best comics artist in the world. This book is historically significant because it is called "the first graphic novel." Four stories, each with their own pacing, visual style, and themes.

This would make a great gift for anyone who likes comics or Jewish stories. There is, however, nudity and sex (which is treated with the utmost realism -- this isn't pornography!), so beware of that.

This and all other Eisner is highly, highly recommended. // koby c. ... Read more

Book Description

England 1924: the Doctor and Rose find themselves caught up in the hunt for a murderer. With faceless killers closing in, can they solve the mystery of the Clockwise Man before London itself is destroyed?This is the first of a new series of hardcovers featuring the new Doctor Who from the new TV series. ... Read more

Book Description

Sit on the couch. Speak. Engage in witty banter and share ideas with friends who really understand your predicaments. Sounds like the perfect caf�. Especially if you're a dog. Pooch Caf� is the home away from home for Poncho and his canine buddies. No Collar, No Service marks the second collection of the hip hit strip Pooch Caf�, named for the place where Poncho, Boomer, and the rest of their pals regularly gather to discuss life among the humans and to hatch their plans to catapult all the world's cats into space. But you won't find this spot on Main Street. Its actual location is a canine secret compromised just once when they tried to get a pizza delivered. Poncho is as passionate about his love for his master, Chazz, as he is about his distaste for kitties. When Poncho and Chazz move in with Carmen and her medley of cats, Poncho pals up with "Fish," a goldfish who conveniently speaks dog, to learn the lay of the land. Poncho views his master's new life as a threat to the sacred man-dog bond, despite Carmen's efforts to make peace with Poncho using love, tenderness, and cheese. Good thing there's always the gang at the caf�. No Collar, No Service is the latest saga of a strip that captures the intensity of the human-dog bond in a way that resonates with pet lovers everywhere.

Reviews (1)

Is it THE Sean Hayes ( Will&Grace ) who didthe forward?
Mainstream comic brilliance. Distinctive art, LOL punchlines and great characters make this the best new strip I've seen in years. Muy only complaint is that the book would benefit from more color on the inside. I read it in the NY Daily News every day. ... Read more