Amazon.com

The third book of the Sandman collection is a series of four short comic book stories. What's remarkable here (considering the publisher and the time that this was originally published) is that the main character of the book--the Sandman, King of Dreams--serves only as a minor character in each of these otherwise unrelated stories. (Actually, he's not even in the last story.) This signaled a couple of important things in the development of what is considered one of the great comics of the second half of the century. First, it marked a distinct move away from the horror genre and into a more fantasy-rich, classical mythology-laden environment. And secondly, it solidly cemented Neil Gaiman as a storyteller. One of the stories here, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," took home the World Fantasy Award for best short story--the first time a comic was given that honor. But for my money, another story in Dream Country has it beat hands down. "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" has such hope, beauty, and good old-fashionedchills that rereading it becomes a welcome pleasure. --Jim Pascoe ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Uneven, but worth it for the last two
"Dream Country" contains 4 unrelated stories about Dream and Death. The first story, "Dream of a Thousand Cats" is an amusing tale, but it does not deserve an entire issue to tell. It could have easily been one of the stories told to Rose by the old women in "Kindly Ones" and taken up only a few pages.

The second tale "Calliope" is much better, but is still missing that Gaiman magic. It does however, introduce us to one of Sandman's great loves and mother of his only child. It's a good story, but it's unoriginal.

The third tale is the real treat. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" takes off from a chapter in "Doll's House" where Dream tells William Shakespeare to write 2 plays for him. Shakespeare and his troop of actors perform Midsummer Night's Dream on a grassy hill in the English Countryside for the actual fairies that are represented in the play. It's a wonderful story and the art is just breathtaking.

The last one, "Facade", doesn't include Dream. Instead it focuses on an obscure super-heroine of the 60's and how she longs for a normal life which is granted by Death. It's a moving story, the kind of super-hero tale that only Neil could write. Super powers may be great, but being a normal person would be much more appealing sometimes.

All in all, Dream Country is not the best collection of Sandman stories, but "Midsummer Night's Dream" is the single best Sandman issue and actually won a slew of awards. It's worth checking out for that tale alone.

Great introduction to the series...
Yeah, I know it's not the first volume in the series. But I don't think Neil Gaiman really hit his stride until Dream Country. As this collection is a bunch of stand alone short stories, I think it makes an excellent book get people hooked on the Sandman.

There's Calliope, a one-hit novelist's muse really is one of the muses. He rapes and abuses his muse -- bad news when her ex comes to the rescue. Creepy, creepy story. Best of all, the collection includes the script to this story.

A Dream of A Thousand Cats... A charming tale that shows what cats dream of, and why those dreams will never be reality.

A Midsummer Night's Dream .. The real Oberon, Titania and Puck (and other fairies) attend the first performance of Shakespeare's classic play. Simply magical with superb art by Charles Vess.

Facades ... The life of a has-been superheroine. It takes a silly and forgotten character and makes her painfully human.

All of these stories are must-reads -- each told with different styles. What a wonderful way to sample what comics can be.

Time to take a breather...
Dream Country is a great little book. It feels good to take a break after surviving The Doll's House. If you are planning on reading the Sandman through and through, you should definately catch up on this volume before entering Season of Mists. None of the stories are essential--although some of them will heighten your enjoyment of future volumes if you have read them first.

All in all, a little book with big meaning, that is both engrossing and greatly enjoyable. Not to be skipped.

More Stories from the Realms Beyond
In between the glorious and groundbreaking story-arcs of 'Doll's House' and 'Season of Mists', Mr. Gaiman took some time off with four individual one-issue long stories in the Sandman universe; these are collected in 'Dream Country'. Technically, it can probably be considered the least important of Sandman collections, and should take second priority to volumes 1, 2, 4 and 5. Still, 'Dream Country' is Gaiman at his best, and each of these stories is important and well worth the purchase. If you're a Gaiman fan, it's an essential part of your library.

The stories in 'Dream Country' are important in the development of the series because the Sandman himself, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, plays in them only a background role. That was the foundation for one of the elements that made the series great - that it's not just the story of one hero; the hero can be himself, an active character, but just as often he is simply the essence of something bigger. That is precisely the role Morpheus plays in 'Calliope' and 'Dream of a Thousand Cats', both with splendid dark artwork by Kelley Jones. 'Calliope' is a splendid philosophical tale of urban mythology that shows Gaiman's unique and original attitude towards storytelling and inspiration.

'Dream of a Thousand Cats' Is my favorite in this collection and probably the most underrated story in the Sandman catalogue; though 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is the celebrated story that made history by being the first 'comic book' to win the World Fantasy Award (for best short story of the year), I personally find 'Dream of a Thousand Cats' to be superior by far. Though it tells a very small tale, and one that is without significance in the greater continuity of the Sandman saga, it's gorgeously written and has a great atmosphere about it. It also gets across Neil's ideas about the importance of dreams and stories better than any of the others. The artwork, to, is brilliant.

'Facade', finally, is probably the weakest story in the collection. It's important, if nothing else, for being the first story in the Sandman series in which Morpheus does not appear at all, even as a guest. Instead, it features his older sister, Death - one of the Endless and one of the most lovable characters in Gaiman's universe, as well as does a great job in resurrecting a forgotten character from DC's history, Element Girl; Neil does as amazingly in rasterizing her as he did with other old comics characters like Lyta Hall AKA The Fury, or the absurd Sandman character from the 60s.

Last but not least, there's a delicious bonus for those who buy 'Dream Country' - the complete, original script to 'Calliope'. It's rare indeed for a writer to reveal to his readers his work in progress, and this script is fascinating to both fans of Gaiman and aspiring writers of graphic literature, as it gives us a precious glimpse into Neil's precise and masterful scriptwriting process. All this and more reasons for buying 'Dream Country', especially if you're hoping for a complete Sandman collection. It's one of the best 'comic books' you can find.

Must-read Sandman short stories
The earliest two Sandman collections are good but the third, Dream Country, is great. The book features four single-issue stories in which the saga's title character, the mystical king of dreams, moves to the background (he is not even in one tale). His preeminence will not be missed, however because one cannot read stories this smart, imaginative, creepy and all around superb and feel that anything is lacking.

The first story is "Calliope," in which a one-hit novelist enslaves an actual muse and becomes as productive and popular as Stephen King. The author is not a cruel person, but he cannot set her free if he wants his flow of ideas to continue. Gaiman provides a thoroughly creepy dissertation on the madness of writers and Kelly Jones' darkly astounding drawings of attics, faces and shadows perfectly complements the tale.

The second is "Dream of a Thousand Cats," in which a feline prophetess shares her vision of a cat-ruled world; one that is open to her brethren if they only believe. Gaiman creates a religious outlook perfect for these slinky, self-satisfied animals and, just as in "Calliope," Jones' art is a major asset. Personality and mystique are translated wonderfully in his cat eyes and cat body language. This is Dream Country's best story and one of the best issues of a comic book series I have ever read.

The third, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," famously won the World Fantasy Award for best short story, the first and only time a comic book has done so. In that tale, Shakespeare and his troupe perform the title play in front of the fairy creatures it is based upon. It is a wonderful parody/tribute to the renowned playwright.

The fourth, "Facade," is one of two times the use of a superhero in a Sandman story works (The other is the story acrh The Kindly Ones, which practically stars Lyta Hall, formerly The Fury). The hero is Element Girl, a sidekick to Metamorpho who vanished in the late 1960s without much notice. "Facade" tells of how her super-powers turned on her, how she became a tormented agoraphobe and how she finally found release.

Dream Country is Sandman at its best; an intelligent and unique series that not only represents comic books at their best, but speculative fiction in general. I cannot recommend this volume more highly. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Comics ain't all about superheroes
Well, the best ones are. Sorta. Watchmen, Squadron Supreme, Wanted, Authority and Top Ten. If you're still telling your friends why they should read these (even if they won't) then I strongly recommend you check out Ex Machina.Along with Sleeper it's one of the best reviewed monthly comics from the past couple of years that no seems to be reading.Here's hoping being collected into a trade paperback keeps it being published; I like getting my fix monthly.But I'll be buying a couple of these as gifts.

One of the Top 5 Comic Books of 2004
Brian K. Vaughn has crafted a parallel New York City that feels absolutely real and populated it with 3-dimensional human beings that go far beyond comic book stereotypes - a legitimate spiritual descendant of Alan Moore's Watchmen. Summarizing the plot would be selling it short, because there are multiple layers at work here - superheroing, politics, the human condition - and Vaughn's barely scratched the surface so far. If there was ever a comic book that could seamlessly transition to traditional fiction, this is it. Unfortunately, that would mean missing out on Tony Harris' eye-popping artwork.

For anyone that thinks comics are about men in tights and cartoonish "BIFF! POW!" visuals, Ex Machina will set them straight. As a native-New Yorker, I'm jealous that there's no Mitchell Hundred for me to vote for mayor. As a comic book fan, I'm glad to see a book like Ex Machina being published regularly, and to much-deserved critical acclaim. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Absolutley beautiful work!
This is comic book work at it's best. J. Scott Campbell is a master of anatomy (and not just the girls..), perspective, mechanical illustration, and over all sequential art. I myself am an aspiring comic book artist, and the the art just left me a gasp. I also found the sketch book just as inspirational, if not more so. But this is not just a title for wanna be's (like myself) or comic art nuts (again, like myself), but also for serious collectors of the medium, as each book of the collected Danger Girl series is number and signed.
The story has alot of humour, and action that would leave many movie scripts for dust. The story itself may draw criticism for being similar to Indiana Jones's first movie, but Campbell admits to being a huge fan of the film, so it's not surprising it has influenced him so obviously. The characters are well 'developed', shall we say, and unique.
Over all, I truley am overwhelmed, mostly by the art. I recommend any comic book collector, and especially J. Scott Campbell fans, to add this to their library's asap!! ... Read more

Book Description

Student and teacher. Man and... man. Taboo upon taboo is what Hikaru and Shima have to overcome if they want to pursue their feelings for one another. In this final installment of the two-part "Passion" series, Hikaru and Shima's relationship takes on a more serious tone when the pair begins to see each other regularly every weekend. They agree to have this arrangement until Hikaru graduates. However, Shima eventually seems to tire of it. As Hikaru's graduation draws near, will his relationship with Shima, his teacher, end as well? ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (5)

Caesar sets a cat among the pigeons...
After a drunken Legionnaire is heard making insulting remarks about Julius Caesar, Caesar decides to give him a present-which he in turn sells to a Gaullish Innkeeper for a meal and some drinks.

The innkeeper, Orthopaedix, comes to the village, we know so well, with his wife and daughter, setting in chain a breakdown of cohesion there, as a dispute over the Chieftainship of the village, Obelix falling in love, and the refusal of Druid Getafix to make magic potion makes for another rollicking Asterix adventure.

Once more, a lot of fun.

Not the best...
Well, its Asterix, so of course its wonderful.It certainly is not the best one, though.Rome has a new tack for conquering the village, one that causes even more dissension then usual.The addition of a rather annoying girl who seems to wrap all of the men around her finger is a sorry newcomer who just doesnt live up to the normally delightful characters.Of course it has all of the elements that make Astrix wonderful, and it is true no collection would be complete without it.

Get 'em all
If you have never readix an Asterix bookix you are in for a treat.Lots of material that is over the head of youngsters.Buy..read..enjoy..then read again.Timeless...And, if your copy falls apart, replace it...cheers

A fine book, but cheaply made
The paperback edition of this book fell apart in my hands -- and on the first reading no less.The replacement copy did the same thing.

As good as always
in this book, a soldier that finished his 20 years in the army is given land as a good0bye gift. Ofcourse, its asterixs village. he sells it to a bartender for some drinks, and the bartender takes his family out there.They are suprised to find the village is inhabited, and they had beentricked-the land never belonged to anyone but the people of the village!they decide to just move into the empty inn there. Lots of things follow:the bartenders wife is so mad at impedimenta, she makes her husband runagainst vitalstatistix for chief, obelix tries his best to impress Zaza,the daughter of the bartender, romans attack the village, and much more.You gotta read this book! ... Read more

Book Description

The world's deadliest living weapon just fell into the wrong hands. It's Wolverine vs. the Marvel Universe in the best-selling, blockbuster storyline that will have Logan shredding his way through the X-Men, Fantastic Four, S.H.I.E.L.D., and more!How does Wolverine end up fighting to destroy everything he holds dear? Collects Wolverine #20-25. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A patheic story, the dark ages of comics...
Today the comic book industry is employing crack pots and lunatics to write stories. Mark Miller being among them.His story here is just plain awful.A nutcase Wolverine, gore and foul language flying all over the place,and a video game style ending make for really bad experience reading it.Ever visit Miller's web-site, you will see what a "no class hack" he really is. It's enough to feel sorry for John Romita Jr's artwork here, It does little to improve the story.At a time when comics sales barely make 200,000 copies a month, and publishers are now lying to say that sales are so great.It is easy to see why when the companies are putting out junk like this, They don't care anymore.

The best Wolverine story in a long time
Greg Rucka's run on the relaunched solo Wolverine title had it's share of up's and down's, and upon his departure after signing an exclusive deal with DC, Marvel enlisted Ultimates scribe Mark Millar to take over the book and inject some life into it, and boy does he.Beginning with an investigation that leads to the discovery of an alliance between Hydra, the Hand, and an organization called the Dawn of the White Light.This alliance has a grand scheme, and Wolverine is in the center of it as he finds himself being captured and obeying the voice in his head: telling him to kill.Soon, Nick Fury, Elektra, and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. are on his trail in an attempt to bring him down as a brainwashed Wolverine sets his sights on taking down the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Elektra, and even his fellow X-Men.The surprisingly edgy storytelling by Millar is a welcome addition to the character, while the pencils by the great John Romita, Jr. with inks by Dark Knight Returns inker Klaus Janson give Enemy of the State an awesome look.If you missed out on the single issues and you're a Wolverine fan, definitely pick this up, and by the time you get to the last page, you'll be salivating to see what happens next. ... Read more

Book Description

Comics godfather Osamu Tezuka tells the story of Buddha's life like it's never been told before. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Inspirational saga continues
Tezuka's extended story of Buddha's life and times continues with this third volume. The emphasis here is on the stories of several monks, and the interrelationships with the growing cast of secondary characters Tezuka uses to frame the story. Siddhartha begins following Dhepa, who ran afoul of Tatta's gang in the previous book. They in turn gain another follower, a young child of surprising challenges and gifts. Siddhartha experiments with ascetism and suffering, but continues to grow in compassion and healing.

In a parallel story, we read of the early life of Devadatta, a historic character with a significant part in the Buddha story. We see the young child Devadatta's early character formed in fear, resentment and bestiality, as he is used and abused by various people. Though his story includes a stay with the monk Naradatta, who has been in all three books, he seldom gets good treatment.

Tezuka continues to tell this long and complex story in an engaging way, often with humor, and occasionally with great beauty and solemnity. Those who have followed the journey to this point will be eager for the next book. A map included to show the geographic area of the story helps with perspective. ... 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

Book Description

Mace Windu leads an elite Jedi strikeforce against an army of trained killers in a demonstration of Jedi power and resolve... Aayla Secura must confront her former Master in an effort to retrieve the plans for a weapon that has already destroyed one world... Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker must joins forces with a renegade Jedi to prevent a fleet of warships from falling into the hands of the enemy...On whatever field of battle the Jedi find themselves, their greatest challenge is to remain true to their teachings and to the ways of the Force! ... Read more

Book Description

They were visionaries. Explorers. Imaginauts. They were Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. And like their creations - the Fantastic Four - they continually strove to overcome the impossible and achieve the extraordinary. Now, the first three years of their landmark run on Fantastic Four - issues #1-30 and Annual #1 - are collected in one oversized volume. ... Read more

Book Description

Aahz gets an unwelcome visit from two blue-skinned bruisers and a small magician wanting Skeeve to cough up the dough for an extremely large bill that he skipped out on. Knowing that Skeeve has many faults, but welshing on a debt is not one of them, he enlists the aid of Chumley and Massha to go with him to the last place any self respecting Pervert would ever visit...the mall! Once there, they discover that the mall rats have created a scheme to steal customers' credit cards. Realizing that Skeeve is a victim of identity theft they set our to set matters right and to clear their friend's name... ... Read more

Book Description

At the end of World War II, American costumed-adventurer Lobster Johnson led an Allied attack on Hitler's space program, but not before the Nazis were able to launch the first man into space. Now, after sixty years, Hellboy is partnered with an artifical man - a Frankenstein's monster implanted by Bureau scientists with a bomb - to travel to the ruined castle in Norway to intercept the returning capsule, and its single passenger. . .the conqueror worm. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Divide and Rule
Julius Caesar's opponents in the Roman Senate are putting him under increasing ridicule, as a result of the continued resistance of the tiny village in the north of Gaul, which refuses to submit to Roman hegemony.
His latest plan involves the use of an agent, who has a remarkable talent to cause enmity and conflict, wherever he goes.
Before he gets to use his cunning in his attempts to neutralize the village, we get to observe his talents, with all who he comes into contact with.
Before long, Tortuous Convulvulus has sown the seeds of slander, jealousy and calumny in the Gaullish village, causing Asterix, Obelix and Getafix to leave the village.
Can our friends once more foil the Romans and preserve the independence of the village?
This Asterix album comes complete with a handy little battle guide, and once more is filled with the puns and wit we have come to expect from Goscinny and Uderzo.
In this album we get to examine the divide and rule tactics of the Roman Empire, which where used so well by the British Empire, and in the 20th century the Communist Empire. It is also used today with great effect in one party states to neutralize opposition.

If you like Asterix...
... you will love this book!The story is typical Asterix andthe color and puns are just as side-splitting as ever!Add this oneto your personal comedy library!

Classic Gaulish adventure!
In this book, the great Julius Caesar attempts once more to destroy the well-loved Armorican village on the seaside of Gaul. He sends a Roman agent to sow the seeds of strife between Asterix and his people.

Whetheryou're a newcomer to the world of Asterix and Obelix the Gauls, or an oldfan, this particular book is one that is definitely worth owning. The waythe authors so easily entwine history with fiction and comedy is priceless.

Priceless tale
This is a must read for everyone. This comics illustrates how politicians play double cross with people. Just read it for fun & then think whether the situation is same in today's real life as well!

This book is quite clever and very humourous.
I would recommend this book to any one. I have read several times and Ienjoy it just as much every time. Not that many people have heard ofAsterix, but you should really get this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Whether she's weaving hilarious, sprawling tales while babysitting the terrible tot Alvin, keeping her chubby chum Tubby and his clubhouse cronies in line, or making nice with the friendly ghost she catches reading "People Stories" in her bedroom, Little Lulu is both "Everygirl" and an undeniable one-of-a-kind! Dark Horse Books is proud to present, for the first time ever, the complete run of John Stanley and Irving Tripp's legendary run of classic Marge's Little Lulu comics in convenient, reader-friendly paperback volumes. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the most classic comics ever published, Little Lulu is an all-ages treasure, with stories funny and fresh enough to stand the test of time. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

First 5 Little Lulu Comics
While this is 'volume 3' of Dark Horse Comics' reprint series of Little Lulu, it actual reprints the first 5 of the 10 "Four Color" Little Lulu comics (#74, 97, 110, 115, 120) which were published before Little Lulu got her own title.Hopefully volume 4 of the series will reprint the last 5 of the Four Color issues. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Very Touching Volume in an Excellent Series
The fifth collected-edition of "Fables" is a much more subdued affair than "March of the Wooden Soldiers".It contains several smaller stories that advance further many of the overall plot lines lingering about Fabletown.

First, we learn of Cinderella's more devious nature in "Cinderella Libertine".The less said about this story, the better, simply because its impact lies in its ending.No point spoiling it.

Next, we get a couple of "War Stories", as we follow Bigby Wolf into his past as a spy for the Allies during World War II, on a mission that never officially happened, as Bigby leads a squad of American troops to a castle behind enemy lines.

Finally is "The Mean Seasons" proper, as King Cole discovers he was perhaps not as popular as a mayor as he thought, and his successor, Prince Charming, learns actually governing a city requires a lot more than charm.His new administration, including Beauty and the Beast, also find the elaborate system that Snow White and Bigby have in place to keep the city running smoothly.

Meanwhile, Snow White gives birth to Bigby's litter, moves to the Farm (where the "nonhuman" looking Fables must stay) and meets her father-in-law.Others leave Fabletown for various reasons, including Bigby, who is not allowed on the Farm.And some invisible creature is killing various residents of Fabletown.

While "March of the Wooden Soldiers" was and is my favorite storyline, I have to say that I found "Mean Seasons" to have quite the emotional impact.Writer Bill Willingham, after carefully building the status quo of the series for three years, has swept it away, while paying attention to the logical consequences of those changes. The result is a very touching volume in this excellent series.

DC has wisely fast-tracked this series for trade-paperback format.That's a good thing, since it's an excellent series.I anticipate future volumes. ... Read more