Book Description

Darth Vader wants Luke Skywalker -- alive. Prince Xizor, the largest trader in the galaxy, wants Skywalker dead. And Skywalker, along with Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids, have a goal of their own: rescue Han Solo. But Solo has been encased in carbonite and taken by the most notorious mercenary in the galaxy, Boba Fett, who intends to deliver him to Jabba the Hutt. It's a clash of good against evil, of right against wrong, and it comes to a head in the Shadows of the Empire . . . Featuring all your favorite characters from the Star Wars motion picture trilogy and a score of new ones, Shadows of the Empire is everything a Star Wars fan could hope for. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Excellent novel. Definetly worthy of Star Wars universe
This book deals with all that happens between "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." One of the main charactures is Prince Xixor. He seems to be another of the Emperor's cronies. Like Darth Vader. Han Solo is frozen in carbonite. Leia and Luke are trying to find him and bring him back to "the land of the living." Anyone who enjoys watching the movies and reading the books should read this book without delay.

Many will read this and not put it down until they're done!
All right, Star Wars fans! You waited for the story of what REALLY happened between the Movies (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) and now you got it! Wondering "How did Luke all of a sudden become a Jedi Knight in Return of the Jedi?"? Or maybe "When did the second Death Star start?"? Well, here it is! And if you liked the game... You'll LOVE the book! Han Solo is frozen in Carbonite... Luke Skywalker is becoming a Jedi... And the Empire has the alliance in their grasp! What will happen? The suspense is endless. The battles in this book go into so much detail, you'd swear you were actually there! Pick it up... YOU WON'T PUT IT DOWN! The best Star Wars book to date! Experience Shadows of the Empire!

Luke takes out Vader Enemy
This is a review of Shadow of the Empire which is available as a hard cover book of 340 (ISBN 0553574132) pages, a comic (isbn 1569711836), a novelization of 176 pages (isbn 044013036) and audio cassette (isbn 0553100890). This story tales places between ESB and ROTJ. I always felt it was one of the more important stories of the Expanded Universe given that Xizor became an action figure as did Dash Render and his ship (Outrider). The whole gang is in this one even Han, though is encased in carbonite. We get Vader, the emperor, Fett, Guri, Boosk, 4-Lom, Jabba, Zuckuss and Wedge along with the regular gang of heroes.

Apparently Dark horse did have available any pictures of Lando or Leia because the artists did a lousy job of drawing them. Most of the time Luke was OK, but sometimes he looked like Jessica Lynch. They did do a great job drawing Fett, Vader and dash however.

Everyone is searching for Han, but he has not be taken directly to Jabba. Xizor has risen to lead Black Sun which has thrived since Darth Maul wiped out the old leadership. His newest ambition is to replace Vader as #2 in the empire. Xizor orders Luke killed knowing that Vader wants him alive. Then Xizor captured Leia.

This is one of my favorite of all the EU stories. Steve Perry has created a new and exciting Journey. The novel is 4 stars and the comic is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Considering that Dark horse released this in 1997 before some of their awesome new production techniques, this is a very well done comic. The abridged audio cassette is good quality, but at on 2 ½ hours to much is cut.

Not too bad
As with so much of Star Wars, you pretty much have to read the book it ties into to get it all. The effort on LucasFilm's part was overall admirable, although the problem remains when you have large numbersof people who don't read both genres of comic book and novel.

The highlights here are the scenes with Boba Fett and the bounty hunters. The main character material seems almost as filler tie-ins and even the art seems to lax a bit in those categories.

The pencils are good for the most part, while the coloring tends to vary. I've not too fond of Cary Porter's coloring, as it tends to be unrealisting and not dramatic at times. Once again, these flaws tend to be more visible in the 'main-character' plotline.

Buy it if you want some nice Bounty Hunter interaction and the like.

Intersting filler-in for the novel
Whereas the Shadows of the Empire novel was focused on the normal character, the Rebels and Vader and the new Xizor, the comic's point of view is mainly that of the scum of the galaxy, the bounty hunters and Jabba and his goons. That is where it makes its biggest mistake -- it can't stand alone.

It's laudible that they tried to give an alternate perspective in the comic so fans wouldn't feel like they were just rereading the novel, but on the other hand it doesn't make sense unless you've read the book. Characters just show up and aren't explained, and events that are quite big in the story can't be emphasized enough in the comic due to space restraints. It would have been a much better idea to instead of paralleling the novel, to adapt it entirely to comic form, plus add the bounty hunter stuff.

The art was mixed. The droids, Fett, Vader and most of the bounty hunters looked good, but the more humaniform characters looked messed up and unrecognizable. Leia and Lando in particular looked bad, Dash was strange, and Xizor looked horrible; he wasn't even consistent from panel to panel.

Fortunately, the locations were pretty good, but where this comic shined were the spacefights, dogfights which would do a Rogue Squadron comic proud. There was some interesting use of tactics, all the ships were drawn very well, and the lighting effects and engine glow were very good.

Fett was another problem in this book. He talked too much. We already know he's one of those silent but deadly guys; why authors feel the need to have him give corny one-liners, talk to himself and gloat to his enemies is beyond me. The dialogue throughout the comic was decent, but there were quite a few corny or unecessary lines.

A last note -- this comic was released before it was quite established exactly what bothans looked like, so they are kind of messed up looking.

As a companion for the novel, this comic worked fine, but as a stand-alone piece, it is below par. If you like Star Wars, or if you're a big Shadows fan, then I recommend this one. If not, don't bother. ... Read more

Book Description

For 25 years, fans have wondered about the Clone Wars. With the release of Episode II, audiences witnessed the events that started that epic conflict. Starting this year, LucasBooks is chronicling these historic events through comics, adult novels, middle grade fiction, audio books, short stories, and more - revealing the all-important events that occur between Episodes II and III in preparation for the latter's release in 2005. This volume collects the first issues of Dark Horse's ongoing Star Wars: Republic comic book that chronicle the Clone Wars, starting with issue #50. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

5 Stories providing key details about the Clone Wars.
This is a review of Dark horse TPB Star wars Clone Wars Volume 1 The Defense of Kamino (CW-DOK) and other tales. It collects Republic series 49 and 50 plus Jedi Mace Windu. It takes place 1 TO 3 months after the battle of Geonosis but before the excellent novel SHATTERPOINT, year -21 BNH on the timeline.

It was amazing to read this comic jus a couple days after finishing Shatterpoint. The coordination between Dark horse and Del Rey is a thrilling thing. After the hideous results of NJO the whole Expanded universe prequel effort is spine chillingly amazing!

Story one Sacrific. This story takes place 1 month after the battle of Geonosis and is another glorious effort from the team of Ostrander and Duursema. This story includes Zenex, who is of the same race as Xizor, future head of black sun. We also see Aalya Secura as a jedi after her trials and tribulations earlier and her master Quinlan Vos, a favorite of my son and I. The story and artwork are superior. The decision as to coloring is puzzling, as it seems to mute and darken the whole visual effect. And why color the light sabers in predominant white with only a hue of color around the energy blade? Dooku and our buddy Sidious are of course in this story.

Story 2 The Defense of Kamino is broken up into 3 tales.

Tales A. Brothers in Arms. Good story with impressive artwork and awesome coloring. The coloring is still done as if in a dark atmosphere, but the inker Parsons was created a richer for satisfying visual look than we saw in story one. The pencil work by Duursema is awesome as usual, and the drawings of Ben and Anakin are perfect.

Tale B Jango's Legacy is very good, but I have one negative comment. Duursema must not have given Thompson the pictures of what Ben and Anakin look like because he didn't do a very good job. Stephen, you got to be more careful when drawing someone that everyone knows. Good job otherwise.

Tales C. No End in Sight. This has an awesome space battle that is a visual marvel on all levels.

Story 3. Schism. Features Windu and is another masterful job by Ostrander - Duursema and Parsons.

ONE OF MY PET PEEVES HAS BEEN THE BINDING PROBLEMS WITH THE COMICS MADE IN CHINA. THIS ONE HAS SEEN SOME ABUSE ALREADY AND IT IS NOT FALLING APART IN MY HANDS.

This story here ties into the movies and other comic so well and, with only minor complaints, is a visual marvel, is it OK to mention the enemy?, that I am awarding this comic SOMETHING I RARELY DO... 5 STARS.

Excellent artwork, good stories, definitely worth getting
I highly recommend this trade paperback collection. It contains some of the best Star Wars comics to come out in a long time.

As mentioned above, it contains Star Wars: Republic #49 and #50 (a double issue), as well as Jedi: Mace Windu (which was also a double issue). These were the first Clone Wars comics that Dark Horse published.

The artwork is really outstanding. Star Wars fans are really in for a treat thanks to Jan Duuresma, an exceptional artist who draws the characters really well, and also delivers exciting, dynamic action sequences. The coloring is also very good in these issues.

The stories are set after Attack of the Clones, which is great because we are seeing the Clone Wars unfold in real time. The consequences of the Battle of Geonosis are being seen throughout the galaxy. As Count Dooku said, "This battle is far from over. This is just the beginning."

The characters are handled well. Anakin and Obi-Wan make appearances, and Mace Windu gets the spotlight as he tries to deal with Jedi Knights who have had it with the Republic. In addition, the new female Dark Jedi, Asajj Ventress, appears in this collection. She will be appearing in the upcoming Clone Wars cartoon. You also get to see the first appearance of the ARC troopers, a new version of the clones.

This is a great beginning to the Clone Wars and I look forward to future installments. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Ultimate Spider-Man's first encounters with the Kingpin
There are some noted examples of a writer coming in and revitalizing a comic book by tinkering with the fundamental nature of the character, as Alan Moore did with "The Swamp Thing" and Frank Miller accomplished with "Daredevil." But starting from scratch, as Marvel is attempting with "Ultimate Spider-Man" is a much rarer attempt (e.g., John Byrne starting over with Superman). However, writer Brian Michael Bendis is well aware of the high stakes game he is playing and through this second trade paperback collection of comic book stories ("Ultimate Spider-Man" issues 8-13) the results are quite admirable.

At first glance the obvious intent here is to condense the story of Spider-Man. In what we know consider Volume 1 of "The Amazing Spider-Man" Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin, does not show up until issue #50 (and really did not become the monolithic New York City crime boss until Miller worked the character into "Daredevil"). Here he catches Peter Parker's attention in issue #8 and it is Spider-Man's attempt to bring down the secretive crime lord that creates the story arc of this collection. This means that we get to avoid the Terrible Tinkerer and other abominations from the early years of Spider-Man under Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. On the Peter Parker side of the equation we pass Betty Bryant and Gwen Stacy and go immediately to Mary Jane Watson.

The theme of these stories is that Spider-Man, who is in point of fact almost sixteen years old, is in way over his head as a superhero. The Kingpin proves this by taking about a half dozen pages to defeat Spider-Man and toss his unconscious body out the window. Spider-Man's early attempts at crime fighter are so inept that he actually contributes to the idea that Spider-Man is a criminal, making it easy for J. Jonah Jameson to trash the hero in "The Daily Bugle." In the end it is as much Peter Parker as his alter-ego that scores an initial, tentative victory over the Kingpin; plus Spider-Man's verbal battle with the Kingpin is a minor comic (as in comedic not as in book) gem.

But Bendis is interested in doing more than creating a more streamlined version of the story of Spider-Man. In the final issue of this collection he unveils a radical change in the whole secret identity part of the character's dynamic. It will be interesting to see how this plays out (especially since it kills one of the my all-time favorite scenes from the original "Amazing Spider-Man"), but I have to admit I appreciate the character's motivation for doing so. The Spider-Man story is enough of a soap opera without resorting to the more inane traditional elements of the genre. All in all, this is a first rate retelling of the tale, enjoyable both by those who are well versed in the character and those who come to this series in the wake of the blockbuster film.

The pencils of Mark Bagley and inks of Art Thibert create a unique artistic interpretation of Spider-Man (think Titian inked by Todd McFarlane) and Peter Parker (whose can match Mary Jane strand for strand for hair in the face). I am not sure if the credit goes to the writer or the artists, but bonus points for having the saved new and improved Electro from having to wear one of the worst costumes in the history of comic books.

SPIDERMAN DONE RIGHT!
If you're a long time fan of the Amazing Spiderman comics, if you're a new reader, or if you're just curious about this character before the Sam Raimi film hits on May 3, 2002...THEN THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

Brian Michael Bendis is the best thing to happen to Spiderman since Stan Lee and John Romita. He's got a firm grip on the character and successfully manages to put a 21st century spin on things so both old and new fans can equally enjoy. Peter Parker is portrayed even more realistically here than he was in the classic run of the original title. Here's a hero with worries, problems, goof-ups, and oh yeah...superpowers.

The first Ultimate Spiderman collection "Power and Responsibility" is arguably one of the Top 5 story collections in Spidey history. With "Learning Cruve" Bendis proves that he is not going to have a sophomore jinx.

This collection of stories from the Ultimate Spiderman comic series covers issues 8-13. Inside we're treated to: Peter still struggling with his powers and his new role as a hero, Spiderman's clash with the Kingpin, an Ultimate spin on J.J. Jameson and the staff of the Daily Bugle, and revamped characters of The Enforcers and Electro.

There is no way to give the story justice in a review. You need to read and enjoy Learning Curve like any Spiderman fan should...with a smile on your face!

The most consistently well-written comic today
"Learning Curve" is the second volume of Ultimate Spider-man. Ultimate Spider-man is Marvel's seperate brand of comics that, in a sense, are "new", seperated from 42 years of continuous storytelling. The idea is that any new reader would be hopeless trying to read modern comics since they can't first go back and read the 1000+ issues that proceeded it. So Ultimate Spider-man takes a familiar hero, Spider-man, and starts him from the beginning; a whole new story for readers to enjoy.

What is amazing about this series is that it has caught on not just with new readers, but with long-time comic fans. This is because not only does it have clean, accessible art, wholesome writing, and completely accessible and fun dialouge, but it features a "truer" version of Spider-man than the one in the regular comic. In the "Amazing Spider-man" comic, Peter Parker is married, has a job, nothing very interesting for comic readers. In Ultimate Spider-man, he is still 16, still in high school, still struggling to balance a girlfriend, classes, internship, all while putting in swingtime as the misunderstood webslinger.

This collection, number two in the series (I recommend getting number one first), features Spider-man's battle with the Kingpin. The story is chock full of intelligence, with things going on as they would in the real world. No comic book death traps, no silly villians. The final battle with the Kingpin is not only well-written, it is one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in a comic book. And the final chapter features a great moment in the very real and heartfelt relationship between Peter and Mary Jane, a relationship that gets more real and more interesting with each succeeding chapter.

Buy this book, hell, buy the hardcover with volumes one and two if you can find it. It's worth reading, and it'll be worth taking off your shelf in years to come. Good for kids and adults.

Loved it!
If you're collecting this series, this is a good one! I enjoyed it. Still, if you're starting there's a limited hardcover with the whole series its 1000 pages! That's the one I wanted my friend has it but getting them one by one is good too.

this one was ok
This one was okay, it was fun going from page to page with spidy and the art work was wonderful, except for the first two pages ... Read more

Book Description

The Essential Tomb of Dracula series continues featuring tales of Dracula through the ages - from when he first became a vampire and eventually Lord of the Undead to his resurfacing in modern times. Collects stories from Tomb of Dracula Magazine #2, 4-6, Dracula Lives! #1-13. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

I've been waiting my whole life for something like this
I would have sold my soul to Satan to have this book when I was 10 years old, Their in black and white..... who cares! This book has the first 22 Spider-Man comic books ever made! The actual comics themselves would cost thousands, this book is only 11 dollars! It was really a great thing and meant a lot to me, I was obsessed with Spider-Man when i was younger and would constantly wonder what the first few Spider-Man comics must have been like, i would have paid 11 thousand dollars for this book without blinking an eye, this is truly a great gift by the Marvel Comics people and any Spider-Man fan should buy this, or they simply arent a Spider-Man fan at all. I would have killed for Amazing Fantasy 15 alone, let alone the rest of them!! And they are really great stories, its kind of sad to see how Peter and Betty split up after time, and amazing to see the first appearances of Spider-Man's worst enemies, though the Green Goblins first appearance was disappointing, but who cares! It is simply the greatest thing anyone could ever get for 11 dollars, fantastic book, but I must warn you if you buy this book you'll be hooked and you'll have to buy the other 4 books or you'll go crazy! INCREDIBLE BOOK!

Not too shabby at all
This book is really good and definently a must-read for Spider-Man fans. It's got great art by Steve Ditko, spectacular stories by Stan Lee, and great characters like Peter Parker and J. Jonah Jameson. Unfortunently......

Its incredibly corny. If you're like me, and you don't really mind that too much, go ahead and get it. Its actually a pretty good laugh. But if stuff like communisium being the evil behind everything (and I DO mean EVERYTHING) and villains that pop up out of nowhere without any explanation (or any promise of one, either) bothers you, I would skip this and go to Essential Spidey Vol. 2.

Spider-Man: The Hero That Lives On!
The Essential Spider-Man Vol. 1 is awesome, y'all! After watching Spider-Man: The Movie, I bought it and loved every minute reading it! All issues are in black and white, but who cares! I'd rather get the first issues of Spider-Man in one book, than looking around everywhere, spending precious dollars for the same issues but in color. If you like the movie, you'll definetly like this!

What I like best about this book is it introduces some of Spidey's major villians:

Dr. Octopus (a.k.a. Doc Ock)
Dr. Doom
Kraven the Hunter
The Chameleon
Mysterio
The Vulture
The Scorpion
Green Goblin
The Sandman
The Ring Master
The Enforcers
The Lizard
Electro

And there's guest appearances of The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and the Hulk!

A must-buy!

Nuff said, y'all!

These graphic novels are truly NOVELS
I love graphic novels as much as the next collector and have just about everything listed by Amazon. Not exactly everything, but a great percentage. This graphic novels should actually be rated and listed the same as regular novels, because the dynamics of their stories, not just the fantastic artwork, takes you away to places that novels, such as STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, CHILDHOOD'S END, FOUNDATION, RINGWORLD, STAR TREK novels, DARKEYE: CYBER HUNTER and so forth, take you. All are extremely imaginative and have visually-gratifying narrative/dialogue not too far removed from graphic novels such as this or any other. Broaden your minds, but hang on to the graphic novels as well!

This like so totally rocks, dude!
These comix are awsome! the battles are stylized and spidey actually looks like they hired a choreographer for his fights! this book rules and i am gonna get the other essential spider-man real soon. buy this!!! ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Revisitation is a comforting thing.
While "Death: The High Cost of Living" had a more intriguing storyline, I still loved "Death: The Time of Your Life." The story features Foxglove, a minor character in the first Death graphic novel, and her lover, Hazel. Their trials and tribulations--including Foxglove's sudden rise to fame and the dynamic of having a son, Alvie--are illustrated (no pun intended.)

While the story isn't fleshed out as much as it could be, it was still a very enjoyable, engrossing read. The illustrations are beautiful and the emotions were dead-on and lacking in cliche, usually a given in Gaiman & co's work.

Foxglove must have been modeled on Ani DiFranco (another reason to love her!) but we don't really learn enough about Hazel. And as mentioned in other reviews, Death is far from the main character here. However, as I've stated, there is a lot to like here, and I do believe this qualifies as a must-have for Death--and Sandman/Gaiman--enthusiasts.

(Also an excellent introduction for those not familiar with Gaiman's world, or the world of comics at large.)

Live each day as though it were your last.
A spin-of from DC/Vertigo Comics wildly sucessful "Sandman" books about the kind of dreams, this is one of two paperback collections featuring Death of the Endless, the Sandman's sister, a the deceptively youthful looking personification of Death in the form of a young woman.

Reminescent of the old adage, "live each day as though it was your last", herein Death comes to take a young child, but instead allows a young mother to make a deal for extra time, and the young mother's companion is forced to decide whether to continue pursuing a lucrative but draining and ultimately unsatisfying career as a pop star or, well that would be giving away too much. Like it's predecessor, "Death: the High Cost of Living", this is a mildly cautionary tale about the necessity of figuring out what's most important in your life and pursuing it in the time you have. Recommended.

Fantastic art, average writing
You see, it's not that this is a mediocre work - it's definitely above average (hence the 3 out of 5 star rating) - it's just that we've been spoiled silly by the brilliant standard of writing, plotting, philosophy and character that Neil Gaiman so generously gave us through the epic run of his, 'Sandman,' series and when we come across a spin-off graphic novel that doesn't quite live up to that standard, of course we're going to be just a wee bit disappointed. With that being said, if you were a fan of the, 'Sandman,' series then you certainly dug the character of Death, and with that of course you have to read this volume as well. While the artwork is brilliant throughout (almost taking on a japanese manga look at times) the writing, sadly, just isn't quite up to snuff. Still, it's a slim enough book to make breezing through quite an effortless and pleasing experience.

At least Death isn't as dumb in this sequel
I wasn't particularly impressed with "Death: The High Cost Of Living", which is the prequel to this book. The only reason I read this sequel is that I purchased both at the same time. Actually, I wound out liking this "Death" book better than the first, though it is less about Death and more about living.

Death has a little more power in this book, and is not as silly or giddy as before. Taking the side characters Foxglove and Hazel from "THCOL" and centering on them, this book continues with Foxglove's career taking off at a phenomenal pace. Hazel's baby Alvie is now born, and Hazel stays at home while Foxglove is out making appearances and records. On top of which, Foxglove has been advised by her manager not to reveal the nature of her lesbian relationship with Hazel.

But unknown to Foxglove, Hazel has made a deal with Death in her attempt to save Alvie's life. Foxglove is now not only going to have to choose between her family and her career, but also between life and death.

Three stars is still as high as I can go for this tale, and that is purely out of respect for Neil Gaimen. In all honesty, I dislike "touchy-feelie" books and this one has "syrup" written all over it, along with more cheesy song lyrics to be subjected to trying to finish the storyline. Gaimen's other works are much better, and if you like his books and his Sandman series, save these little "Death" graphic novels for last. They are not worthy of his other works and should be purchased only to fill in the holes in your collections.

I had bagels and hot dogs..
This is definitely not the best Gaiman work, nor is it even close to the standard of Sandman.

While it is quite a good read, it is very quick with little depth, with a completely bizarre introduction from Tori Amos, and the character of Death is not quite the powerhouse woman I imagine from Sandman. Lets not forget the unusual end section regarding unsafe sex..of all things. The graphics are generally below the standard of Sandman, and the supporting cast are very poorly explored.

Both she and Sexton are quite cute characters, and her brief offering of life is nice touch. Cute again, even. This is what Death; the cost of living remains...one of the shallower cuter parts of the Sandman. I am suprised Gaiman did not expand the story, it definitely had the potential. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great promise of things to come
I thoroughly recommend this book to Spirit fans, but not necessarily as the ideal introduction to the Great Spirit.
This volume is The Spirit's springtime.
"The Spirit" at his greatest was characterised by excellent stories, well paced, superb viewer angles in the art-work, and wonderful tension built by the ambiguity in the relationships between the Spirit and the regular characters.
In this volume the stories are good, and the pacing and the angles are developing. The cast of characters is only in its infancy.
The masterpieces are yet to come in future volumes.

Not the work of Eisner, but includes some of the BEST!!!
Eisner contributed only plots and some loose layouts to the stories in this volume, but some of the strips still rank among the best Spirit stories. Now, the OVERALL quality of the strip isn't as good as the post-war Eisner years, but certain individual ones are as good as it gets.

A particular highlight is the Spirit's first encounter with Diana, the huntress who stalks him like a beast. It won't ruin you enjoyment of the story to tell you it's hilarious when the Spirit SPANKS her and sends her off crying. Not exactly politically correct. Heh.

The Spirit Archives Series
Will Eisner is the only comic book artist to ever have his work shown in a museum of art. His most important work is the Spirit. The Spirit Archives series has brought together all of his work, that was printed in a weekly newspaper insert. However, after the work found in volumes 1 and 2, Eisner was called to active duty and served in the army during World War II. The Spirit carried on, but it was drawn by other artists. Eisner's work does not pick up again until the stories found in Volume 12 of the Archives series. The work in Volumes 3-11 is fine, but it is not the work of Will Eisner.

return of the composer
It is already said by others here: Eisners return to the Spirit didn't pass unnoticed. You see the quality raise immediately.
His replacements during wartime where merely telling stories with pictures.

Will composes words and drawings to a never before seen unity.

The most inventive streak of the most inventive of comics
For the sake of completeness, DC re-issued all the previous sets of Sunday newspaper "Spirit" supplements created while the strip's creator, Will Eisner, was off serving during the war. But those comics by other artists (issued as #5-11 in the SPIRIT ARCHIVES series) are nothing compared to what Eisner produced before the war and certainly nothing like what he produced after it. The last book in the series ended with Eisner's return to the series with his "Christmas Spirit" story for 1945; this volume is all Eisner and shows how he had become if anything even more inventive both artistically and in terms of narrative during his absence from "the Spirit." The collection introduces (and shows the exeunt) of Blubber, Ebony's Aleutian Indian replacement as the Spirit's assistant, and it also introduces the great post-war villain, Mr. Carrion (and his pet buzzard Julia). But it is most noteworthy for some of the most inventive art and narrative that have ever been produced in the comics medium , particularly in the stories "The Fly," "The Last Trolley," "Magnifying Glasses" (a brilliant comics metacommentary on perspective), "The Bucket of Blood" and "The Rubber Band." This shows the beginning of probably the best work (and certainly the most original) done in the comics medium since "Little Nemo in Slumberland." ... Read more

Book Description

Few have made an impression on the comic book industry quite like John Byrne, from his legendary run on the X-Men to his ground-breaking Superman: The Man of Steel. When he took over Fantastic Four in 1981, the First Family was never the same. With riveting stories and cinematic storytelling, Byrne's run on the Fantastic Four redefined the characters themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Byrne's real hallmark FF work was later...
The Fantastic Four were a major part of my comic collection growing up, and I remember how much I enjoyed John Byrne's run on the FF in the early 80s. Buying this book was part of my ongoing effort to collect some of the best stories I remember from my years collecting comics to share with my two sons. I really do feel that this time period was the golden age of comics, and I want my boys to see these stories along with standards-bearers like the Daredevil-Elektra and Dark Phoenix tales.

Unfortunately, I'd forgotten that the first few issues of Byrne's second FF run were really a set up to what follows. With the possible exception of issue #236's Dr. Doom tale, they were largely the kind of stories that filled a comic between longer epics, with less substance. As a result, what you really have in this book is a series of short vignettes spanning one, perhaps two issues. Most pay homage to the history of the Fantastic Four, which is great, and Byrne's illustration is as excellent as usual. In the end, I would've purchased this reprinting anyway, but the great stories - including the amazing Galactus tale and the Gladiator/X-men story of issue #250 - happen later in the run, which I believe is being released in July.

Byrne's Legendary FF Run Starts Here!
When I was in Grade School, every kid I knew collected Comic Books. We would all get together every Friday in the Lunchroom and swap Comics, try to get each other to try different books, etc. I remember the excitement that we all felt when the first issue of John Byrne's Fantastic Four came out....the feeling of greatness that we all got when we read it. Everyone agreed that there would be no passing this book around- we'd all have to get our own copy every month.

So, with a real feeling of nostalgia, I picked up Volume One of Fantastic Four Visionaries. The stories hold up amazingly well, even after Twenty years. Byrne doesn't do a flashy overhaul of The FF (Like he did with DC's Superman..); he simply returns the group to their most basic element: They are not a Super-Hero group. They are a FAMILY, and Byrne, for the first time since the Lee/Kirby run, has them ACT like one. They bicker. They squabble. They tease each other, but they do it with love. When one is in trouble, the others rush in to help. They have more at stake when they're in a battle than the fate of The Earth: They have to worry about the Family members they're fighting alongside.

The stories in this volume are really just warm-ups for the stories that will (Hopefully!) be included in Volume II. The FF runs into Alchemical creatures sent by Diablo; Johnny (The Human Torch) Storm tries to clear the name of a dead man; The Earth is saved by the most powerful man in the World, while The FF are battling The Living Planet, Ego. A strange alien is coerced by winos (!) into helping them rob Banks. The FF welcome a new member, and help the Inhumans relocate to the Moon. Most importantly, they have their fondest wish granted by their greatest enemy: Dr. Doom. This story is perhaps the most poignant FF story ever. The emotions that Byrne imbues the characters with in this story are totally believable. The only beef that I have with the book is this: It would have been nice if Marvel had re-mastered the color. (And Byrne's stories are too wordy!! But that's just a small quibble.)

Fans of The World's Greatest Comic Magazine will love this book!

Only the beginning...again!
I've always loved the Fantastic Four. To me they represent the very best of what the Marvel Comic universe is all about. Created by the legendary duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Fantastic Four formed a thematic bridge between the Timely Comics era of B-movie style sci-fi/horror and the Sixties superheroics of the Marvel Age. They were pulp adventurers fighting aliens and subterranean monsters -- but with superpowers. They didn't even wear costumes in the their debut issue! Lee and Kirby did their best work on the book, introducing characters like Doctor Doom, the Inhumans, Galactus and the Silver Surfer to name just a few.

After Kirby left the art chores on the book and Lee later stopped writing, The Fantastic Four took a long (decades long), slow slide into complete generic mediocrity. In 1981 long-time comics fan-turned-pro John Byrne, hot off a pencilling stint on the ascendant Uncanny X-Men, decided to try his hand at his old favorites...The Fantastic Four. This was made more interesting by the fact that he intended to write and draw each monthly issue alone, with only a letterer and colorist assisting. Although he was a top young talent at the time, not many people believed he would keep a monthly schedule, let alone make the book interesting enough to read. But Byrne had a plan...

"Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne" collects the first eight issues of his triumphant five-year run on the book, and highlights Phase One of the Byrne FF Plan: Get Back to the Basics. For his first several issues of there's not even a visual cue that the book isn't set in the Sixties; the street clothes, dialog, art -- even the coloring! -- is straight out of the Lee/Kirby days. In effect, it's retro yet so bereft of irony that it's classic! These issues are a love letter to the days when the book was great and also a little work therapy to get Byrne (and the book) in fighting trim for the real battle: returning the Fantastic Four to it's rightful spot as "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine". The pinnacle of this phase is the return of Doctor Doom in Byrne's now-classic 20th anniversary story, "Terror in a Tiny Town".

Byrne's sixth issue marks the beginning of Phase Two: Shake Down the Status Quo. After declaring that he's finally found a cure for Ben Grimm's disfiguring transformation into The Thing, the stretchable super-genius Reed Richards proceeds to screw him up even worse -- and permanently -- by 'devolving' Grimm back to the even uglier lumpy orange oatmeal look that he had immediately after his initial cosmic ray accident. Then the Inhumans are forced to move their entire homeland, to the Moon to escape death from the pollutants in Earth's atmosphere. Oh, and Johnny Storm's shy girlfriend turns out to have flame powers almost as powerful as his own!

My singular complaint with collection is that it ends just when Byrne is hitting his stride on the book and just before Phase Three of his Master Plan: Really Big Changes. Being arguably the best work of his career and definitely the best post-Lee/Kirby era for our titular heroes, I can only hope "Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne, Volume 2" is coming soon!

Byrne fans won't be disappointed
If you're a fan of Byrne, these stories certainly will not disappoint you, although they could have chosen better yarns to put together in a TPB. Most of these are slightly above average -- the Ego battle, the revelation that Frankie Raye is a human torch, and the Inhumans moving Attilan to the Blue Area of the Moon -- but the others are just average. For a "Visionaries" TPB, you expect top-notch vignettes. You get it here....almost.

Fantastic Four Visionaries
I can't believe its been twenty years since this first came out. This book contains the issues #232 through 240 of FF where John Byrne assumes the roles of writer, penciller, and inker. The artwork is stunning and often reminds you of Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott at their peak. Byrne's writing is inconsistent, though. While he has a lot of interesting ideas (Thing mutation, Frankie Raye transformation, and Doctor Doom anniversary story), his ideas become overly complicated and his stories tend to become very wordy, especially in sequences where Reed tries to explain things to the rest of the group. While the Doom and Inhumans stories contained here are great, the Spinnerette and Ego tales are uninteresting (not coincidentally, these two are not part of the regular FF rogues gallery).

This is, in essence, a microcosm of John Byrne's work. Great artwork, great ideas, but wordy and complicated stories...all of which are hallmarks of his career whether it be in FF, X-Men, or Superman. If they continue the FF Byrne Visionaries sequence, the next volume will contain better stories. ... Read more

Book Description

Daredevil found new life under the pen and pencil of Frank Miller, and his vision of the Man Without Fear is highlighted in this third volume, collecting the complete run.In this collection, Daredevil once more takes on New York City's criminal underworld, angered over the prevalence of drugs in the schools.Along the way, he has to first compete against and then fight the Punisher, who has a deadlier method for dealing with pushers.

Daredevil also finds himself foiling the Kingpin of crime's latest machinations while precariously handling a crumbling relationship with Heather Glenn.

When the dangerous Hand return from Japan, Daredevil needs help but his last ally against them, Elektra, is dead.Coming to his aid is the Black Widow, an old lover, who only further complicates Daredevil's emotions. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Excellent, an absolute must have
The highlight of Frank Miller's legendary run on Daredevil, Visionaries Volume 2 collects issues 168-182; introducing Elektra and beginning the classic saga which would lead to her death. In this collected volume, DD tangles with Turk, Sewer King, the Kingpin, and the deranged assassin Bullseye; culminating in the classic battle between Bullseye and Elektra which left her dead. Miller's cinematic style artwork and superb storytelling perfectly control the pace of the story, something that is nearly impossible to do in comics. However, while this is an essential book and all, the dialogue can be a bit cheesy and grating at times, but if you can look past that, you'll find one of the greatest stories ever to be written in comic history. If you're new to Daredevil and like this, pick up Miller's Born Again which manages to be even better than this.

From Humble Beginnings--Comic History Was Made!
Five stars for this collection of very decent Daredevil stories is more a tip of the hat to an historic moment in comic history than it is to the actual contents. Without the work of Frank Miller represented in this exact book, you would never have seen a Daredevil movie, guaranteed! For a few years before Miller took over the art chores of the Daredevil comic back in the very late 70's, it was a second tier (maybe third) Marvel title and was on the verge of imminent cancellation. The stories and villains had been so lame for so long that the book was on sale bi-monthly and was ready for the ax. That is, until Marvel gave a promising young artist named Frank Miller a shot at the title and it quickly turned into the (STILL) heavyweight champion of comics. It simply doesn't get much better than Frank Miller's work on Daredevil.
This collection features Miller as an artist rather than a writer as his own stories don't appear until Visionaries Volume 2. And what an artist. Back in the day, the gritty realism and innovative design work accentuated by the inking of Klaus Janson rocked all of us young comic geeks to our collective bones. Quickly evolving from standard comic fare to eye popping visuals, Miller began establishing himself as a cornerstone of modern comic creators.
While Miller's amazing art style dominated the page and quickly won him a shot at writing the title, the scribe of the stories in this volume was the current DD writer of the day Roger McKenzie. When Miller turned up the art a few thousand notches, McKenzie answered back with some great writing of his own. McKenzie gets lost in the shuffle and often gets no credit, but as these stories attest, it was he who was a key figure in establishing a number of things Miller used so well in his run on the series. In these stories, Bullseye becomes the front-runner for making DD's archenemy list, the mob captures a major portion of Daredevil's attention, DD and the Black Widow finally end their long-standing on-again-off-again relationship, reporter Ben Urich becomes a major player in DD's life, Turk and Grotto begin their unfortunate association with old Hornhead, and the Gladiator becomes a tragic rather than a ruthless bad guy. McKenzie also worked with Miller on a duo of stories that made the Punisher a major comic player, but these tales appear in a later volume due to the Comics Code Authority's stand on drugs back in the early 80's. Although Miller had a hand in some of the stuff that went on here, you can't neglect giving McKenzie his due for getting the ball rolling in high fashion. Daredevil #164 which is re-printed here and written by McKenzie is one of the top ten Daredevil stories of all time and possibly the best Daredevil origin story ever.
Miller is and always has been an innovator. While many of his generation have spent much of the past decade churning out the same old thing, he has continued to evolve and experiment and blow the socks off of the comic world (sans the Dark Knight 2 fiasco which simply seemed to be a very fat paycheck). This volume is where Miller really began the ride (he did some earlier and mostly forgettable work for Marvel re-printed in The Complete Frank Miller Spider-Man if you are a completist). The stories presented here aren't the best around, as Miller got very adept very quickly with his own writing, but they are still better than most comics of their day to this one. Daredevil #163 which is re-printed in this volume speaks to Miller's absolute tenacity. Although written by McKenzie, the concept was his--"What if Daredevil had to fight the Hulk?" When this was posed to his editor, comic apocrypha claims that the editor laughed and said, "So what happens in the second panel?" Needless to say the story runs for the full 18 pages. Daredevil fights the Hulk. So what happens in the second panel? How does a blind lawyer with moderate super abilities go one-on-one with the jade giant and survive? Well, you'll just have to buy this work and let Roger and Frank tell you themselves.

Daredevil Becomes Great
During Frank Miller's first nine issues on Daredevil, numbers 158-161 and 163-167, the stories were written by Roger McKenzie with Miller supplying pencils. (Number 162 was a non-McKenzie/Miller fill-in issue.) It was only with number 168 - the first issue in this collection - that Miller was handed the writing chores as well. That's when Daredevil, since its inception in 1964 one of Marvel's second tier books, truly hit its stride.

In his very first outing, Miller slammed a home run when he created Elektra Natchios, ninja assassin and Matt Murdock's (Daredevil's) old college girlfriend. Miller has since admitted the basic plot skeleton was lifted from Will Eisner's famous old Spirit story containing the first appearance of Denny Colt's ex-girlfriend Sand Saref, including the idea of the hero's old flame becoming in the present his criminal enemy, that she was turned evil by her father's violent death, the final kiss on the docks, etc. That doesn't change the fact DD #168 is an incredibly powerful piece of comics storytelling - just not as blindingly original as some people like to believe.

Frank Miller was hardly comic books' first writer/artist. Jack Cole with Plastic Man; Neal Adams with Deadman; Steve Ditko with The Question, Mr. A, The Creeper, E-Man, etc.; Jim Starlin with Warlock; Dave Sim with Cerebus; all predated Miller. But he did weigh-in as an outstanding member of a group that's never been large.

Not to come across like I'm downgrading Miller's accomplishments here - I'm not - but it's worth noting that, for a first time big league comic book writer and neophyte penciller, he had a powerful support team. Marvel Comics' then-Editor-In-Chief, Jim Shooter, one of the greatest writers of comics' Silver Age, and even then penning some of Marvel's best stories (he STILL had it, and in spades), took an early interest in Miller's Daredevil and, as Miller put it, "proceeded to kibitz ferociously." Klaus Janson, a seasoned comics pro, had inked Miller since his start on Daredevil, and (another Miller quote), "had to sand down many a rough edge, and rescue many a panel outright." McKenzie and Miller had spent countless hours discussing the character before Miller ever soloed. So the kid had just a wee little bit of help.

None of which changes the fact that under Miller's tenure as writer/artist, Daredevil began to absolutely kick butt. McKenzie, long before Frank Miller showed up, had already begun the metamorphosis of DD from a second rate Spider-Man, instead casting him as a second rate Batman. Grim 'n' gritty, doncha know. Miller, combining his love of hyper-violent Japanese manga like Lone Wolf and Cub with a penchant for hard-boiled crime writers like Jim Thompson, took that basic idea and ran with it. Under his aegis, Matt Murdock's world became a battleground against street thugs, gangsters, hitmen, secret societies of assassins. Demonstrating an artistic sensibility heavily influenced by Eisner, rooms became chiaroscuro landscapes cut by light and shadow. The Kingpin, a laughable Spider-Man foe, was elevated by Miller to the pantheon of Marvel villains, a grotesque giant ruling New York's underworld with an iron fist inside an iron glove. Bullseye, a minor DD baddie for years, became then and forevermore Daredevil's Joker, his arch-nemesis. In these stories we find love betrayed, murder, revenge, psychosis. Our hero was driven by violence and loss to the very edge of insanity - and maybe just a tiny bit beyond.

All heady stuff, the likes of which comic books had never seen. It was a time, and a comic, where you almost literally couldn't wait 30 days for the next issue. I was there, and I loved it. For those of you who weren't there, or, like me, already own these issues but just want the stories in this square bound, paperback, heavy slick paper format as well - so you can hand the book to Frank Miller Daredevil virgins, showing them how great these stories are without cracking the seal on your mylar encased, backing boarded, mint condition originals - you NEED this book. Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Volume 2 collects some of the greatest super-hero comics ever.

Still fresh after 20+ years
I haven't read the issues collected in this trade paperback but when I read it, my respect for Frank Miller has gone up off the scale. Even though it was written in the early 80s, the plot, the pacing and the way he told the story is still compelling, fresh and exciting unlike similar Marvel Visionaries collection. Frank Miller's run has not only defined Daredevil. It has defined comics as well.

Brilliant
This first collected edition of Frank Miller's (The Dark Knight Returns) brilliant run on Daredevil features some of the best storytelling to come out of Marvel in years, and the best Daredevil storyline to ever be published. Collecting all the classic issues that let readers read their favorite blind vigilante tangling with his arch nemesis the Kingpin of crime, the insane assassin Bullseye, and the mysterious group known as The Hand. But Miller's run was most notable for the introduction of Elektra: the beautiful assassin who was the love of Matt Murdock's life, and the tragic enemy of Daredevil. Miller's writing gave the Daredevil/Matt Murdock character more depth than he had ever had before, and the fact that when a new character is introduced (Elektra) and dispatched not long after and the reader actually cares, that in itself is a milestone in the comic biz, especially Marvel Comics. The showdown between Elektra and Bullseye gives me chills to this day when I read his dialog; I'm still surprised the comic was printed way back when considering the comic code. The art may turn off some readers, but it manages to grow on you (just like Miller's art on Dark Knight Returns). All these years later and all the writers and artists that have come and gone like Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada, John Romita Jr., and others (regardless of how great work they all did on the character), it is Frank Miller's which still remains the best. The mega budget feature film which starred Ben Affleck was mainly based off the events from these issues, and if you enjoyed the film than you should definitely pick this up. ... 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

Reviews (5)

The Fables Team Has Done It Again!
Wow! When I heard all of the buzz around Fables (starting many months ago), I was skeptical. I thought it was a silly idea for a story, and had no chance of surviving very long. Oh, how I was wrong on so many levels. I purchased the first Fables tpb from amazon.com because of the cheap price (deciding to give it a shot to see what all the hype was about). I figured that, if I didn't like it, I would only be out 10 bucks. The first tpb blew me away! It was some of the best storytelling I've read in 10 years of serious comic book collecting. I rushed to order the second tpb (Animal Farm) and was surpised to realize that I loved this one even more. Once the characters have been established (all of the fairy tale characters from your youth, as if they were living in our world today), the Fables team can cut loose with comedy, drama, action, and even romance. I cannot wait for the next tpb to surface!

A brilliant fairy tale thriller
Bill Willingham's "Fables" is hands-down my favorite comic book being published today. The first volume in the series was a great mystery (and I urge you to read that before reading any further, since it's impossible to review this book without running the risk of spoiling the outcome). This time out he takes the turn of a political thriller. Snow White and Company visit the Fables farm, upstate, where the non-human refugees from fairy tales and folklore live. She finds herself caught in an uprising, fomented by enraged pigs (shades of George Orwell here) and backed by a surprising ally.

While "Legends in Exile" was a wonderful inaugural story for "Fables," it is here that the series really begins to hit its stride. The artwork is beautiful and the story is imaginative and sharp. This is a series that will take its place next to "Sandman" as one of the all-time greats.

Fun, Innovative Title
Trying to patch up their strained relationship, Rose Red and Snow White travel upstate to visit the Farm where the nonhuman Fables are forced to live; but they run into trouble when they find a revolution-caused by Goldilocks-turn to violence.

Bill Willingham once again creates another winner, improving upon his first story arc with more characterization and some humor. There are numerous litererature references and some of the absurd situations and obscure fable characters are rather humorous. Mark Buckingham's pencils aren't spectactular, but are quite good for portaying the numerous human characters as well as the many animal characters. Buckingham's pencils are very similar to Medina's artwork in the previous arc, but he improves upon the human characters, making them look more dramatic and lifelike.

This book is recommended for readers looking for something different than super hero stories. This new, innovative book is definitely worth checking out.

NOTE: This is a DC/Vertigo book and is suggested for older readers due to language and blood/gore (a comic book equivalent to a PG-13 or R-rated movie).

A worthy addition, with literary references
In this second installment of the "Fables" series, we find ourselves on the "Farm" where the Fables who cannot pass as human have to live. Discontent has been brewing up there for quite a long while, and while I don't want to spoil the story, I will say that rebellion does break out.

As always, the look at "modernized" people from famous stories is fun, and I have to say that while I didn't agree with a lot of what the revolutionaries did, I could understand why they finally rose up.

For a little extra spice, there are a lot of references to a famous literary classic scattered through.

Exceeding The Hype
Bill Willingham continues to deliver great reading material in his second storyline of the Eisner Award winning series "Fables".
The story is still about the exiled fable-folk and their community existing alongside the mundanes (non-fable folk).
The characters from the first book are back and they are in for a new conflict.

This time the focus of the book moves away from the mythical city of New York and on to "The Farm", where the unfortunate fable folk who cannot pass as humans live in seclusion.
Snow White heads to the farm to try and teach her sister, Rose Red a lesson and hopefully patch things up between them.
They soon find out that the residents are planning to get out of the farm in an all out rebellion.

Willingham did very good on characterization in this book, he gave the characters identity, there are more fable appearances in this book which makes it more interesting. Mark Buckingham did a superb job continuing the designs drawn by Lan Medina.
And like the first book, this trade paperback offers bonus materials such as Bill Willingham's early designs of the characters, and sketches of the covers done by James Jean.
This is one title that every fantasy, fairy tale, mystery, and even crime enthusiast should have. ... Read more

Book Description

Back in the day, Guts the Black Swordsman was a top slayer for The Band of the Hawk, an elite mercenary unit led by Griffith, whose calm demeanor and callow beauty belied his fighting prowess and steel will. While in a king's employ, the attraction between the king's daughter and Griffith and the growing favor of the king towards the Hawk leader raises the hackles of the king's jealous son, who plots to have Griffith summarily assassinated. But if the plot fails, the king's son will likely have to deal with Guts and his titanic broadsword, and the results of such confrontations are rarely pretty... or easy to clean up. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Reviews (22)

Truly amazing. Needent I say more. :P
Fruits Basket (or Furuba as it's known to many fans) is a truly amazing manga.

From the title of it, you would expect it to be very hentai-ish, but it's not. In my opinion it has to be the cleanest manga that one can possibly stand. (IE it's not so clean and happy go lucky as Hamtaro *shudders* Hamataro is evil, pure evil). Well I got off track. This review has spoilers abound so beware if you haven't read the manga (or seen the anime).

Fruits Basket is about a girl name Tohru Honda a girl with a heart of gold and truly a wonderful person, whoes father died when she was very young. She is now 16, her mother had just died in a car wreck, and she went to live with her grandpa on her fathers side. (Because her mother and she were not exactly on speaking terms with her mothers side of the family). Her grandfather has to get his house remoldeld for some distant relatives on his side of the family so Tohru has to move out for a while. He told her to find some friends to stay with.

Not wanting to be a burden to any of her friends Tohru decides to rough it, and she finds a tent and campsout for about a week, on the Sohma familys property (not knowing of course). One day while walking to school she comes across the Sohma family household. She looks around in it for a while and comes across some stones with the Chinese Zodiac on it. Than she run's into Shigura (who is the year of the dog) and Yuki (her high-schools "Prince" He is the year of the rat) Later on in the story we are introduced to Kyou (the year of the cat, who is not in the zodiac because he was betrayed by rat). And this is where the trouble starts.

The Sohma family is cursed and therefore whenever they are touced or huged by a member of the opiset sex of someone NOT in there family, they turn into the animal that they are the year of. Tohru finds out this secret, and therefore she might have to have her memories erased from her. What will become of our poor Tohru? Find out when you read the manga! And belive me, you will. It is a must read.

Now I odviously left out a lot of details from this manga, but I didn't want to give away the whole storyline, that would be quite dumb wouldn't it?

Also this manga is printed in the original left to right reading format, therfore preserving the original artwork and sound-effects. It makes it even more enjoyable. All in all this manga is a must read. It's kinda of a comedy/romance, kind of. And it's shojo, so it's more or less going to be apealing to the femail gender a little bit more. That's not to say that a guy wouldn't like it. It has quite a bit of action in it (not like Trigun action) more martial arts action. But it is a must read. And I really hope my review helped. Do you believe it was written by a 16 year old? The reveiw I mean.

Just thought I'd mention this
I was depressed for several days, then I went to Border's and bought some manga, one of them Fruits Basket #3. I swear, I felt so... happy afterwards! I'm serious, every time I read Fruits Basket, it just puts me in such a good mood... it's full of hope and compassion without seeming forced or sappy. Natsuki Takaya really has a talent for this! In this volume, after Momiji was talking about "The Most Foolish Traveler in the World" story in the "funny" stories book, and how he related it to Tohru, I actually cried, and I rarely cry over manga! XD Most of my favorite mangas are the more serious or sinister kind for older audiences, such as Confidential Confessions, Petshop of Horrors, Uzumaki, etc. and I'd never thought I'd enjoy a series like this. But I love it and it's one of my favorites... even though it sounds a little rediculous in its description (turning into animals when hugging the opposite sex ^^;) when you actually read it, it's really enjoyable, touching, and funny, and the characters all have deep personalities. I highly reccommend Fruits Basket!!

Great!!!!!!
I love this manga!!!!

Clean and sweet, without being sappy, Fruits Basket is a really cute story about a sixteen year old orphan named Honda Tohru. One day when walking through the woods, she discovers a strange house. Under further investigation, she finds that the house happens to be the home of none other than the prince of her school, Sohma Yuki. When Yuki and his cousin Shigure find out that Tohru had been living in a tent, they immediately take her in. However, Tohru soon discovers their family secret. The Sohmas are the bearers of the "juunishi" (zodiac) curse. When their bodies grow weak, or when they are embraced by a member of the opposite sex, they transform into their designated animal of the Chinese zodiac, or in Kyo's case the outcast aka the cat.

I have only read two volumes of the manga, but I own all four anime dvds and love them. It starts out sweet and gentle, but the end, of the anime at least, is dark, depressing and to use a word I hate a real "tear-jerker." I cried. A lot. Even so, it was wonderful. Don't not buy it now because you think it to be dark and full of pain and misery. It's not. Every {good} story needs some dark pasts, mental scars, and evils. Otherwise, how did the villian become a villian, why is the good guy good? There would be no motivation. GO buy the manga. NOW.

Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket in general is a touching series that really makes you look at yourself--when you see what these people go through, and see that they can still smile, you'll wonder if crying was/is ever worth it in the first place.(But of course, we all don't have a cute little bordering house-maid to give us the wisdom we need in those times.)

Anyways.

The book can be described in a few words; really sweet. In this book we meet a new character, Hatsuharu Sohma(though you may have seen a little of him in number 2), who has a 2 sided personality. That's all I know--I have yet to buy the book.

But if *I* like it so much without even having seen it, then who says YOU won't like it either?

Fruits Basket just have something special about it. It's like a parasite--it weasels into you and embeds itself into your heart. I think everyone can find something they like about it, even male otakus(otaku=anime fans, though not all are pale-faced doughballs)...

Now. Go. Now. Grab all the money you have and waste it(heh) on Furuba(Fruits Basket) stuff. OR YOU SHALL DIE WITH THE HAUNTING KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU MISSED OUT ON SOMETHING GREAT. Heh-heh-heh. Bye. ^^;

fRUITS bASKET
The book starts out with a young girl,Tohru, who with the death of her mother is living alone in a tent. She then meets the Sohma family who is suprised to hear that she lives near by, because all the land in the area is owned by them.
She goes to school with her new found friend Yuki who is the popular handsome guy of the school. Later you find that for some reason Yuki hates cats as they walk together. Yuki and Tohru go their seperate ways, but later that night Yuki finds Tohru living in a tent and he takes her in because she dosn't look well.
In return Tohru cleans the house to earn her keep. Then a boy named kyo challenges Yuki to a fight. As they fight Tohru falls and keeps her balance by hugging Kyo. Kyo then transforms into a cat.
Thoru freaks out and then everyone else in the family transforms into a different animal.
They explain that their family is cursed wwith the spirts of the Chinese Zodiac. Each family member is possesed by a different animal spirit and when under great stress or embraced by a member of the oppisit sex they transform.
This first book takes you through the events of the first 5 episodes of the anime.
This first book is awsome and is followed up by more just as good! ... Read more

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