Reviews (1)

Classic silver-age story-telling...
The work of Broome/Infantino/Giella shine again in this third collection of Flash's adventures from the silver age. Any comic reader from the 60s will not have to be convinced of the quality of these tales. Story-telling at its best! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

Layers of mystery wrap Planetary: All over the World like rice candy. Follow the enigmatic heroes Jakita Wagner, Elijah Snow, and the Drummer as they excavate the secret history of the world from its wealth of bizarre happenings. Though the characterization isn't sparklingly brilliant--the "insane" Drummer behaves more like the A-Team's Murdock than a believable madman--the stories are both broad and deep, exploring a web of conspiracies and shadowy superheroes that manipulate and "protect" our world. Clever retellings of primal comics myths are interlaced with X-Files-esque secret government tales, and they drive the reader back and forth to collate evidence; the characters can't do all the work. Illustrator John Cassaday mirrors Warren Ellis's script from circumspect to sublime, befitting the best successor yet to the pulp comics of the 1940s. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Clever, Deconstructionist Meta-Fiction But Not Much More!
Warren Ellis is often touted as the heir of the Moore-Morrison-Gaiman throne as the new king of "mature" comic-book writing. Reading his "Planetary" comic, I have to disagree. And I'm not the only one. Check out some of the discussions going on at the Barbelith forum to see what I mean. Ellis comes from the cynical British fraternity of comic-book writers who think they are so far above "mere superhero-spandex books" but since the majority of American comics are in the category of the aforementioned "superhero-spandex" type, they are forced (reluctantly and with much disdain) to write within that genre. I'm not making this up. Ellis himself admitted to this in countless interviews and articles.

Therefore, Ellis had to struggle to acquaint himself with this whole mumbo-jumbo of the superhero esoterica. And to him, it's all about archetypes and formulaes (Batman as the Dark Avenger, Superman as the Christ-like icon, etc.) Having stripped the superhero myth down to its bare bones, Ellis attempts to write a story around them. Therefore, he introduce us to Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner and The Drummer in "Planetary". Three "mystery archaeologist" who set out to figure out the whole superhero esoterica. In this first volume, we have an examination of the pulp-heroes of the 1920s/30s, we visit Japan for a look at the inspiration behind its famed monster movies (e.g. "Godzilla") and finally, we end up in Hong Kong for a John-Woo-type balladic bullets work.

The whole thing is very interesting but ultimately comes off as just a clever, deconstructionist piece of meta-fiction but not much more. It's ultimately very empty. It's almost like a writer who's not really trying hard enough to write a good superhero story so he deconstruct others' works into mere formulaes. In addition to all that, Ellis presents the whole thing from a very cynical mode through the three very obnoxiously unlikable main characters. That's "Planetary". Clever, pretentious and empty. I gave the book two stars mainly because of the fantastic art of John Cassady.

In closing, I'd like to say something about superhero comics. It's not just formulaes and archetypes. I mean, you can deconstruct anything, any genre, that way and then go off to brag that you've mastered the whole thing. Superhero comics is the great American myth and its characters have been with us for decades. Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, etc. It's about the romance of chivalry. It's about the soap-opera of relationships and loves. It's about values and people who still believe in them. I'm thankful that it's far richer than the insipid stuff presented by a self-proclaimed know-it-all like Warren Ellis.

Didn't want to stop reading, didn't want it to end!
I know I'm reading a great graphic novel when I'm torn between wanting to read it straight through to the end in one sitting and forcing myself to take it slowly to make it last as long as possible. This is one of the great ones.

Planetary is sort of a cross between the X-files and Allen Moore's *League of Extraordinary Gentlemen*, retaining the "Truth is out there" paranoia of the former and the basic premise of the latter (extraordinary humans brought together by unknown "boss" to solve mysteries). Instead of drawing from 19th century Victorian literature (a la Moore in League), however, Warren Ellis instead delves into Nuclear Age comic book-mythos: 1940s Doc Savage-type supermen, Monster Island, a vengeful, supernatural ghost-cop and a lost, inter-dimensional spaceship requiring willing humans to pilot it back home, respectively.

As a previous reviewer mentioned, Ellis re-casts alot of comic book characters into the mix, few of whom fare too well in this X-Files-esque world(Doc Savage doesn't age,sleep ,eat or presumably go to the bathroom for over 50 years; the Hulk is buried in a 5-mile deep hole till he dies 40 years later; Godzilla, Gidhra and Mothra are all worm food; and the meeting between heroes of 2 dimensions a la Justice League/Justice Society ends with all but one member dead.)

Chapter One introduces us to Planetary's version of Mulder and Scully - one a surly, hundred yr old cold manipulating newbie to the group with a mysterious past; the other a butt-kicking, one-dimensional, A-typed personality whose in it soley because it keeps her from boredom. The group is rounded out by the crazed Drummer (who serves as the wacky yet technologically proficent "Lone Gunman")And it just keeps getting better!

I look forward to more from this series!

Cross your fingers
If Ellis manages to finish this series and pulls off what he's hinting at in this book and its sequel, this series will be equal to Talbot's Adventures of Luther Arkwright. (Some wag named Don Ersperm said Talbot wrote the pinnacle.) This is top-notch insanity by one of the most focused brains in comics.

The art is science fiction Art Nouveau, which makes it utterly unlike anything else in comics. Nobody comes close to Cassaday in illustration in comics.

I really hope DC publishes the final package in one of those oversized hard cover volumes that Marvel's making now.

Interesting idea flatly carried out
I like the premise behind this book, which I won't get into since 22 other people have already fleshed that out, as I usually like Ellis' ideas. Yet plans and their executions are two different things entirely (think episode 1). Now I will admit that most of the classic characters encountered in "All over the world and other Stories" were lost to me and I had to look them up online after reading, but that doesn't change my opinion upon reading them with this knowledge. The fact remains that the dialogue is poor, character development ZERO (minus a bit by Elijah Snow), and stories only brushed over instead of developed. This treatment of the individual plots made them seem so cheap.

As for the idea that Ellis has good ideas but poor(er) execution, check out Mek where the central idea is cool but it comes off as cheap and cliché. Also to be noted here is the fact that Planetary was already done by The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The subjects differeent, basic idea the same though. Approach this book with a taste for fairly shallow, quick, entertainment, not a taste for high adventure, stellar writing, or deep character and other development.

Part of a greater whole.
Planetary: All over the World and Other Stories is O.K. This book is a series of (mostly) unconnected vignettes about a team of investigators looking into strange phenomena. It's basically X-Files meets superhero comics. The plots are decent and the art is nice. On the whole, though, it feels a little flat. Very little character development is present in these stories.

The subsequent volume "The Fourth Man," however, really picks up the pace in terms of a continuing storyline and character development. I would recommend getting both of them together, since this first volume is a little weak on its own.

Also (and this is a little nit-picky), for "mystery archaeologists" they don't seem to do very much archaeology. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Returning Daredevil to form
The introduction of the Marvel Knights line was the first step of many in Marvel Comics undergoing an overhaul. Daredevil wasn't selling anymore, and the stories had degenerated into predictable and rather lackluster storyarcs that were only a shell of the classic Daredevil stories of years ago. So, Daredevil was re-launched under the Marvel Knights banner, with artist Joe Quesada brought on board, and none other than Clerks and Chasing Amy director Kevin Smith brought on board to scribe the Man Without Fear. This TPB collects Smith and Quesada's eight issue Guardian Devil storyline in which Matt Murdock/Daredevil finds himself at the center of a would-be conspiracy with a mysterious baby who is proclaimed to be either the savior of the world, or the anti-christ itself. At the same time, Matt's old flame Karen Page returns, as does the deranged assassin Bullseye, and tragedy soon follows. Smith's story manages to do the character justice while paying homage to previous Daredevil storylines. Joe Quesada's art on the other hand has it's up's and down's. The art as a whole is solid, but his character models look too much like caricatures at times. The only real problem with Guardian Devil is with the story. Frank Miller brilliantly injected the notion of catholic guilt into the character, and while Smith manages to do the same, the underlining theme of faith in God is just unnecessary. That aside though, this was the beginning of some of the best stories to ever hit Daredevil, followed by various runs by David Mack and Brian Michael Bendis, and this volume is worth picking up for alone as a precursor to those brilliant storyarcs.

Magnificent - The Best Daredevil Since Frank Miller
Although not a lifelong fan of the horned one's saga, I've always found myself drawn to the character, perhaps as a result of Frank Miller's involvement ("Born Again" is one of my favorite graphic novels of all time). It was with some reservation that I approached this, a filmmaker's attempt at writing comics. I needn't have worried.

This is the best Daredevil since Frank Miller took pen to paper to mess with Matt Murdock's life. Kevin Smith shows us more of the surprising depth he began to reveal in "Chasing Amy" and the struggle within the character, torn between being a victim and being a champion, is beautifully rendered by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti. Also noteworthy: despite the darkness of the storyline, Smith smartly douses the plot with humorous references throughout: the "Devil Cave" story told by Turk, the "Tall buildings in a single bound" line (a pointed remark to Smith's one-time involvement in writing the script for "Superman Lives").

Featuring grand drama to match any of the landmark graphic novels in the genre this is the best comic I've come across since Kingdom Come. My apologies and kudos to Kevin Smith: Sir, I now mourn your disengagement from the Superman script. I hope you will come back to this title soon.

Decent Daredevil story, destroyed by the graphics
I only recently discovered Daredevil (ironically enough, NOT because of the movie), but since then I've read every DD comic I could get my hands on through the library - which is most of them. I particularly enjoyed Frank Miller's "Man Without Fear" and "Born Again." "Parts of a Hole" and "Underboss" were also quite good.

This story was - ok. It had a lot to say, and it said it well, and it has lots of repercussions for future storylines, which a less daring author/publisher might not have allowed. But the characterization of DD was... I guess he just wasn't Frank Miller's Daredevil - the one who repeatedly tried to tell an assassin, "I don't want to kill you. Let her go." He wasn't the Daredevil I fell in love with.

Mostly, though, I couldn't enjoy the story because of the drawings. The scenery, as I recall, was ok, but the characters were annoyingly caricature-like. Meaning, the characters (DD, in particular) have feet and hands that are very disproportional to the rest of their bodies. And Matt is repeatedly drawn with cataracts. Why is that? And that's not to mention the perpetually-furrowed brow (caused, apparently, by the effort involved in always rolling his eyes back. The eyes of the blind sometimes do roll back, but I can't imagine that there would be much muscular effort involved). And lets not go into the perpetual sneer...

All in all - decent story, fair characterization, bad graphics, okay book.

Definitive Daredevil
I suggest to fellow reader & buyer who is interested to buy this particular title to instead go to "Daredevil: the man without fear !" by Kevin Smith,amazon price at $20.99 ($29.99). To clarify a thing or two. This book actual title is Daredevil vol. 1 Hardcover. It contain issues of entire Kevin Smith run issue #1-8 & david Mack other runs. From issue # 9-12, 14-15. But to easily go there if you are interested pls. type as I'd mention above under the "............". The reason I'm recommending this book instead, is because this version is HC, has more issues including David Mack's run.

The HC version is a highly recommended reading. If you will, I suggest you browse through that version instead.

disappointed
I think Quesada should stick with doing covers, because it is very difficult to know what is going on when he tries to tell a story between them. And Kevin Smith should stick with movies... then again, after seeing Jay and Silent Bob, maybe he should retire all together. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Classic tale written by two excellent writers
Back in the mid-80s Chris Claremont and Frank Miller joined creative talents to write the first 4 issure Wolverine miniseries. It had great plot, great art and excellent characterization of Wolverine. That story showed that he wasn't just a psycho killer. Now that story is collected here and is a must have for Wolverine fans.

classic
This is one of the classic Wolverine stories. It's Chris Claremont and Frank Miller teamed together--and that alone should tell you how great this is. I remember when it came out in the original 4 part limited series (which I have). It's great. And now with this TPB I don't have to reread the original comic books and risk damaging them. And have I mentioned that this series is great?

ggod story
loved the story logan fights for his love than meets a new girl yukio rules here and it's good to learn how she was hired by the hand to kill logan but then turns on them cause she loves wolverine and is jealouis of mariko it's sad to see that this ninja theme with wolverine would be repeated to death over the years still this is a good story glad shingen's dead and too bad mariko died later on and logan never got over her death.

a good surprise
To tell you the truth, I have never been a fan of X-Men or Wolverine. Yes, I've probably just read all of the wrong comics... except this one. I can remember sitting in a local book shop and reading this trade paper back all the way through. I was blown away. The writing is good, great infact, and the old-school art is actualy very good.

This is one of the best comics I've read. Almost anything Frank Miller touches turns out good, and this is proof of that. I enjoyed this read, and I think most anyone else would as well.

One of the great classics of comic book literature!
But what else could it be with two of the greatest comic book professionals ever teaming up to add much needed dimension to a character that was at the time a little flat. The fact that this story idea was created and plotted as Claremont and Miller were driving back from the San Diego comic book convention probably helped fuel some of the angst that the poured into revamping Logan's character.

This story cements Wolverine as a Ronin, a Samurai without a master, and shows him one of his greatest loves, the tragic Mariko Yashida, who is still one of my favorites out of Logan's vast bevy of beauties.

Whether you're a long time Wolverine/X-Men reader and somehow managed to skip over this one, or a fan of the movies and looking for a place to start, I highly recommend this graphic novel.

Just a note, if you are just beginning, please check out the Essential Wolverine volumes 1-3. For the money you get a lot a great reading and even more insight into this enigmatic mutant. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Could Have Been Better.
The illustrations are pretty cool; full of color and movement. Some of the situations that arise when the two universes crossover are also interesting, e.g. Ben Reilly (Spider Clone) hitting on Louis Lane and the King Pin taking over the Daily Planet. Some of the battles were also interesting. And the creation of the Amalgam universe makes for an unique twist. That's the good stuff.

Now for the bad. All of the fights are too short. Most get a full page, while the major battles run about three pages. Some of the fights are so short the outcome doesn't make sense (Silver Surfer and Green Lantern would have lasted much longer) and at least one (Batman vs Captain America) was not a fair outcome (Batman lost because he hit his head in the sewer saving Captain America).

Besides that, the story is rather convoluted, not making much sense (not that comic books ever made much sense). The heroes act like a bunch of idiots; they fight each other like a bunch of mindless pawns, rather than joining forces and putting together a plan like the rational beings they are supposed to be.

It seems that the project had too many writers to stay focused and as a result, what could have been an amazing, marvelous, spectacular comic was just average.

A very good mega-crossover graphic novel
The wall between two realities is breaking down, and people are finding themselves pulled across into a different reality - a place with different cities and towns, and different heroes and villains. Facing a war of all against all, the keepers of the two realities have decreed that the super-powered beings of their realities must fight it out, the winner take all! And so the battles begin - Thor vs. Captain Marvel, Namor vs. Aquaman, Flash vs. Quicksilver, Robin vs. Jubilee, Green Lantern vs. the Silver Surfer, Catwoman vs. Elektra, and so much more. Who will win, and what will the resulting reality look like? Read this book and find out!

OK, where do I start? First of all, this is a lot of story to pack into such a small book, I could easily write one that was as thick as the New York City phonebook! What this means is that each interaction between super-beings is bound to be short, which many will find disappointing. Secondly, as neither DC nor Marvel is going to sign on to a project where their superheroes come off looking second-best, you do realize that somebody somewhere is going to pull a rabbit out of their hat.

But, that said, my ten-year-old son and I both found this to be a fun and highly enjoyable read. Admittedly, when one of our favorite superheroes got defeated by a rival, we objected. But, overall we thought that they did a good job of producing a very good mega-crossover graphic novel. My son and I both highly recommend this book to you!

Huge let down.
I came in with modest expectations. I was hoping to see reasonably lengthed battles and a interesting story. What I got was...well the opposite. The battles were bland and short. Green Lantern and Silver Surfer is a great example. GL and SS simply fly into each other and the victor is left standing over the loser. The battle takes only two pages to finish. The Superman and Hulk battle is decided with 4 punches. The Aquaman V.s Sub-Mariner fight lasts one page. I feel cheated to have bought this. They should have released each match as a separate comic. DO NOT BUY THIS!

Mindless fun but ultimately not deep enough
Alright. This book is very shaky in terms of why these universes are coming together. I just thought that instead of developing this huge overdone story behind why the two universes cross over, we should have seen just the fights and made them longer than they are. Hulk vs. Superman was four pages, I kid you not!!! I also think that the fights should have been better thought out. Namor vs Aquaman? Namor would totally win, but this book decided to not face the facts. I also didn't understand that this was part of that whole Amalgam stint that was going on, where the characters meld into one another and form new ones. Overall, if you like mindless action and a subpar plot, go for it. Oh yeah, the art is done by someone new on almost every page, so don't get your hopes up, it kind of stinks all together.

There's no way to get it wrong
If you're a comic book fan you'll now how expected this crossover was, so there was no possible way to get it wrong. I'm not saying that it couldn't have been better, as a matter of fact not all fights were intresting, but the interaction of the two universes goes beyond that point. Peter Parker and Clark Kent working together, Batman fighting Bullseye, the Scarecrows terrifiying Louisa Lane, Gambit driving the Batmovile, are all exiting moments.
About the fights the best one by far is Superman vs Hulk, and the most dissapointing is Wolverine vs Lobo.
Claudio Castellini's pencils are AWSOME, I mean this guy draws in a very unique stylle, making even the boring caracters intresting, it's a shame that he didn't pencil the entire story.
So if you like the DC and Marvel caracters you are going to enjoy to read DC vs Marvel. ... Read more

Book Description

The early adventures of Marvel's First Family continues, featuring showdowns with the Incredible Hulk, Namor, Dr. Doom and the shape-shifting Super-Skrull, who has all the combined powers of the FF! Plus Ant-Man, Spider-Man and the mysterious Watcher! ... Read more

Reviews (28)

The Big Seven are back!
For several years, DC Comics allowed one of their most venerable and hallowed team books to languish. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, the last comic to tell the stories of DC's premiere super team, had become populated by castoffs, also-rans and never-will super heroes who would do much better sitting in the back issue bins than they would on the racks posing as Earth's mightiest defenders.

Now, in JLA, DC has brought back the core seven: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. Most of whom comprised the original Justice League way back in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #28 in the early Silver Age of Comics.

Avant-garde comics writer, Grant Morrison takes the helm in this new JLA series and begins his run of wild, over-the-top, blockbuster epics featuring DC's mightiest. I don't want to spoil the secrets of this first tale, but suffice it to say there are some great twists and turns in the story. Morrison draws the reader in by pitting our heroes against a menace that seemingly can't be beaten because the public at large doesn't WANT them to!

Anyone who's ever wanted to fly like Superman, worn a bath towel around his neck to play Batman or loved the DC heroes in any way shape or form will love this book. Morrison has an uncanny ability to pull the reader's strings with these characters. You find yourself rooting for them uncontrollably as they face down a menace that only THEY can see and understand even in the face of widespread disdain by the public. They're heroes because they choose to be. Not because of the fame or fortune, but because it's in their very being.

Howard Porter, while not my favorite artist by any stretch of the imagination, is good at visually telling Morrison's epic story and great at conveying the personalities of each and every JLAer. If you missed out on this series when it came out, here's a cheap way to get the back issues (they're getting more expensive by the day!) and read one heckuva terrific comic story.

A New World Now The Seven Are Back
The magnificent seven: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern, united again to face the dangers too big for one sole superhero to fight.

Before this story arc, it's pretty safe to say that the Justice League was in the dumps. Far from its glorious days of yesteryear, it had divided into things like Justice League Task Force and Justice League Europe, stripped of most, if not all its cool characters. None of the heavyweights were on the team until Grant Morrizon decided to inject new life into the series.
They restarted it and this is the first arc.
This is what defines the Justice League nowadays: world threatening danger, each bigger than the last, all put down by the world's mightiest superheros.

The first time I read this, it blew my mind. It deals with the appearance of several alien superbeings of incredible goodness, who seem to surpass even our own heroes. But it doesn't take long to see that they are in fact staging an alien invasion. Once again, the heroes band together to form a new league: The Justice League America, JLA.

There are limitless nuances to the characters, and this is where I fell in love with Batman. This is truly a guy who could take out Superman.

The first in a great series. Don't miss it.

great beginning
It was a great begining to the JLA series and all that I have to say is that the JLA could woop the Avengers or X-mens sorry butts any day.

DC'S BIG GUNS RE-LOADED
Grant Morrison's "New World Order" revives the Justice League of America with style, wit, and lots of eye-popping action (the latter courtesy of some outstanding artwork by artist Howard Porter). When the mysterious Hyperclan, a team of nomadic superhumans who evidently want nothing more nor less than to turn earth into a Utopia, touch down over the White House only DC's greatest superheroes have a chance when they step out of line. Morrison's script does a lot with limited space, and with a few deft touches turn some of the comics world's most polished icons into flesh-and-blood super *people*. These are DC's big-leaguers: Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash, Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman, and they are indeed the JLA as it was always meant to be. Having said that, the Justice Society of America actually came first and by all rights might even be more powerful than the JLA, but it is indeed the JLA that has been DC's standard-bearer since the Silver Age. And stories like "New World Order"--adventure, excitement, great interraction between disparate but unified heroes, and a world to save--are why.

Morrison wrote these stories in a beach...
I have no doubts that Grant Morrison is one of the great writers in the comics medium, with excellent works such as: Invisibles, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, etc.

But, sometimes, great writers just want to get some money and get involved in works where they don't need to make much effort to be awed. This is the case of mainstream comics such is the JLA. Morrison didn't need to use his talents to write these stories, it was only to join the main DC characters together, create some villains, find a "cool" artist, and produce some silly plots... Then, he got a lot of readers...

I (yes, myself) was one person that was induced, by a lot of marketing, and by the name of the author, to buy this book and the second book "American Dreams".

I just have to say that I had to make a great effort to read this first book entirely, the second one starts with a story so bad that it was disgusting to finish reading the rest.

I only may conclude that I was deceived! Yeah, I and many of other readers, we were conned by the Morrison's name in the cover of these comic books.

This is certainly not one of the best works with JLA (the Keith Giffen one, just to mention, was by far better than this one), nor Grant Morrison's best work. Indeed, the "stories" (if we can call them this!!!) are so undeveloped that it seems to me that Morrison wrote most of them in half an hour and just sent them to the artist, with a message: "draw as it pleases you, comic moron fans will buy anyway". ... Read more

Book Description

Why are so many of the superhero myths tied up with loss, often violent, of parents or parental figures? What is the significance of the dual identity? What makes some superhuman figures "good" and others "evil"? Why are so many of the prime superheroes white and male? How has the superhero evolved over the course of the 20th and early 21st centuries? And how might the myths be changing?

Why is it that the key superhero archetypes - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the X-Men - touch primal needs and experiences in everyone? Why has the superhero moved beyond the pages of comics into other media?

All these topics, and more, are covered in this lively and original exploration of the reasons why the superhero - in comic books, films, and TV - is such a potent myth for our times and culture. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

interesting light reading
I am a fan of comic book superheroes; I try to see all the major Hollywood movies on superheroes like X-Men, Batman, Superman, etc... I am also a fan of the Sunday comics. But I have never read a comic book. So I picked this book up last month thinking it would be a good way to learn about comic book lore and history. This book accomplishes that. It covers the origins (and conclusions) of all the major comic book heroes. It also goes a little into the history of the authors / creators / publishers of these comic books.

The pace is quick, the book is short, and most teenagers should be able to read the whole book in a weekend. But as a piece of literary criticism, it is okay. This book to the comic book genre is like having one Cliff Notes book for all of Shakespeare; you sacrifice depth for breadth. Overarching themes are emphasized over storylines of the individual comic book heroes. There are a lot of interesting facts though; such as Harry Potter being an orphan, just like Batman, Superman, and the Hulk. In all, this book is worth reading if you have the time to spare. I definitely would recommend it as reading material for a college class on say 20th century American culture, or Mass Media / Entertainment. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

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

Reviews (7)

Companion piece for this great graphic novel
As great as this graphic novel was by itself, I know of one helluva great companion piece in the form of a book entitled "The Adventures of Darkeye: Cyber Hunter" whose odd manner of having log-entries over chapters seems almost like the script for a graphic novel, even though it is in the science fiction/high-tech and cyberpunk genre along with books like "Cryptonomicon", "Snow Crash", "Prey", and "Altered Carbon". Very fast-paced and visual as well as being very exciting due to its action-packed pages.

Highly Enjoyable! Great Stories Like First Time Kingpin.
I have really enjoyed these Essential Spider-Man books! Sure the originals are the best with the exciting colors, etc., but it is fun to read the continuing storylines in one book. My favorite is the introduction of The Kingpin. It is part of a long storyline running two to three individual comics, all set to the backdrop of the turbulent sixties. Mary Jane, for instance, is a "hippy chick!" If you like Spider-Man, you'll certainly enjoy the thought-provoking stories of Peter Parker's struggles that made this a beloved series.

John Romita (Sr.) takes does Spidey's classic villains
John Romita (Sr.) took over the penciler chores for "The Amazing Spider-Man" with issue #39, the famous issue where the Green Goblin found out Spidey's secret identity. Volume 3 "The Essential Spider-Man" covers issues #44-68 as Romita and writer Stan Lee try to find a way to follow up that most memorable beginning. What you will find within these pages are more of the multiple-issue story lines that proved so successful in the previous year with Spider-Man taking on the Lizard (#44-45), Kraven the Hunter and the new Vulture (#47-49), the Kingpin (#51-52, 59-60), and Doctor Octopus (#53-56), the new and old Vultures (#63-64), and Mysterio (#66-67).

Looking back at these comic books from 1967-69 from the perspective of the 21st century, it becomes clear that there is a major changing of the guard regarding Spider-Man's main villain. Granted, the Green Goblin is always number one on the list, but he has that amnesia problem. But in this third volume we see what is arguable the last of the great Doc Ock stories (the good doctor takes a room with Aunt May and Spidey ends up with amnesia), and the big debut of the Kingpin, who is featured in five of these issues. Eventually the Kingpin would become the most formidable foe of Daredevil, but at this point in his evolution he is New York City's new crime boss. Stan Lee had come up with several wannabe crime lords for the Big Apple over throughout the Sixties but none of them really worked (remember Fearless Fosdick?). With the Kingpin, Lee and Romita strike the mother lode (and I whole heartedly look forward to see Michael Clarke Duncan play the Wilton Fisk in the Daredevil film).

Besides the standard fare of J. Jonah Jameson's pathological hatred of Spider-Man and Aunt May's continual frail health, the new element in the world of Spider-Man is the emergence of Gwen Stacy as Peter Parker's love interest. Of course, we know what happens to Gwen down the road and what ultimately happens with Mary Jane Watson, but that does not detract from all the soap opera fun this time around. I always think of this as sort of the Archie period for Spider-Man, with Peter as Archie, Gwen and Mary Jane as Betty and Veronica, Harry as Jughead and Flash as Reggie. Think about it, people, it is not that farfetched an interpretation. Note: Pay attention to the evolution of how Romita draws Gwen. There is a as big a difference from what you see of the rather severe looking Miss Stacy in issue #44 and mega-babe who feels weak as a kitten in Peter's presence by issue #68. When it came to drawing the ladies in the Marvel Universe, Gene Colan was always my favorite (especially when he did the Black Widow), but Jazzy Johnny Romita (Sr.) was always a close second.

Buy this
It's cheap, it's more than 20 issues, and most importantly, you'll love it. You'll speed through this thing faster than you thought possible. The sub-plots, mainly Peter Parker's relationship with Gwen Stacy, is absolutely invigorating. You'll read every last page of this, I guarantee it. John Romita, Sr.'s gorgeous art doesn't hurt, either. Buy it.

Great Book
If you love classic Spider Man this book is for you. I cant wait for volume 4 ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Issue number 3 should not be missed!
The reason I give this four stars, not five, is because I didn't like the first two issues collected very much. They are OK, but the series really gets going with issue 3, in which he battles Miphisto for the first time and which is one of the greatest Marvel comics ever! I didn't really care much for Silver Surfer before reading this issue, which captures his unique personality, nobility and charm extremely well. I read the issue without any prior knowledge that issue 3 was regarded as a classic so there was no preconceived notions on my part. I liked it based on its merit alone. Later, I found out that the story is highly regarded in many circules and all I can say is that it truly deserves to be called a classic. Issues four and onwards maintain a high quality also, although not as good as the flawless issue 3. And Buscema's art is brilliant. As much as I like Kirby, he draws the Silver Surfer much, much better. This is even better than his early Conan work, in which he kind of drew Conan looking a bit too weak for my tastes. And I never really held Stan Lee in such high regard before reading the Masterworks volumes. I always thought he was just a self-promoter but his work stands well on its own. The fact that he and Kirby created so many classic characters is testament to his talent as a writer/creator.

The "Shakespeare" of comics!
Such is how I have always viewed the Silver Surfer since his first introduction, along with his billions-of-years old Master, Galactus, since their first appearance in a "Fantastic Four" comic. And this graphic novel does justice to the cosmic saga of the Silver Surfer. Just as true sci-fi and cyberpunk books do justice to their themes, like "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Childhood's End", "I,Robot", "Ringworld", "Redezvous with Rama", "Neuromancer", "Mona Lisa Overdrive", "Cryptonomicon", "Prey", "Snow Crash", "Cyber Hunter", and so forth. These would've all made great graphic novels by the way.

Classic Surfer!
Marvel Comics beautifly reproduces the classic issues of the Silver Surfer in these books. The Masterworks are just that, Masterworks! For many people cost is an object for the original comics. This is the best way to get those classic stories of yesteryear that made Marvel Comics so great. This is a fantastic addition to your existing collection.

Silver Surfer: Ultimate Superhero
When I first saw and heard of the Silver Surfer, I passed him off as another corny superhero that was once sitting on the comic book racks. Then my brother got this and I saw the cover, saw how awesome, how glorious he looked, spanning the skyways on his surfboard.

I read it. Nearly brought me to tears, it was so beautiful.

I think what sets Norrin Radd apart from other heroes is his morality, his kindness. Other superheroes are models of virtue as well, but do they fully understand total rejection? Do they manage to spout hundreds of morals as they battle that issue's villain? Norrin Radd does.

I have seen and heard of many superhero movies, and I enjoyed some of them. But the Surfer can only be appreciated in his original form, in his first few issues.

John Buscema is an excellent artist and glorified further Stan Lee's already glorious story. This is the ultimate comic book super hero and there is nothing I can say to praise it worthily.

Norrin Radd, you may have lost your true love, you may have been stranded on a foreign planet, you may have been given the neverending quest of acceptance, but Norrin Radd, you have made your mark.

timeless collection of SS stories in one HC; M. Masterworks
"Marvel masterworks vol. 1: Silver Surfer HC" comprises collections of original comics culled from the series #1-6.This is the original title of the hardcover, not the deficient text stated above only as "Silver Surfer". This masterwork volume is a superlative book of the Silver Surfer. His creator and earliest writer Stan Lee, indeed deserves every accolades he garnered and much more. John Buscema, the artist , forthrightly delivered that is apparent on his artworks. He should be highly-lauded for transcendently composing the pre-eminent Silver Surfer's form through his indelible imaginations. His Silver Surfer artform is definitive. Each issue from its earliest comic format contains 40 pages.

The earliest stories of Silver Surfer are basically angst-ridden, depressing & good vs. evil ladden-tales. Silver Surfer often confronted an adversary of evil incarnate, such as Mephisto and the Stranger. The author apparently wanted to emphasize his foes persona more lucidly to contradistinguish our hero antithesis persona to his foes. The metaphoric good vs. evil. Also, the earliest yarns stresses the Surfer grounded adventures on earth. From the pages of Fantastic 4, Galactus furiously incarcerated the Surfer on Earth, after he deemed that his erstwhile loyal servant betrayed his faith and trust to him, thus, a judgement is made by Galactus, in his opinion, served best both of their interest. The Surfer earliest stories focuses firmly on his early encounters with mankind. Society, in effect, evidently do not sympathize with him, his stay on our world, his credences & his offer of help. In fact, on the contrary, they rendered thir reply to him in the form of fear, hate & violence, due because the Surfer is largely misunderstood by our society.

Silver Surfer issue #1. This issue basically tackles a wide summary bits of Silver Surfer previous comics appearances, mainly extracted from his introductory and earliest appearances from the FF comics. This issue mostly recount the Surfer past. From his originated homeworld Zenn-la, and on Earth, after being decreed by Galactus to stay forever on our world. This issue touches a debris of subtle memories of Norrin Radd, his former self, Zenn-la & Shala-Bal, his paramour. His adventures on Earth is worth basking about, such as his fight vs. the Hulk & the memorable initial emcounter with the treacherous Dr. Doom. The intention of this issue is to rehashed old tales of SS for new & old readers alike, in preparation for the upcoming series. A satisfying re-introduction issue.

Silver Surfer issue #3. The introduction of Mephisto. Mephisto has always been widely-considered as the principal and enduring nemesis of the Surfer. As stated in paragraph 2, Mephisto is an evil incarnate, while in contrast, the SS is the personification of good. The 2 of them are basically the black and white, in regards to each other distinct individual identities. This is one of the most memorable and best SS issue created. The definite high point is the introduction of Mephisto into the realm of the Surfer's annals.

Silver Surfer issue #4. This issue features the Surfer(manipulated by Loki) against the mighty Thor. One-on-One, in a battle of strenghts. A rarely seen scenario. A valuable historical issue.

Silver Surfer #5. This is one of the best issues of Silver Surfer ever created.He faces his nemesis, the Stranger, but the significance of the story is in the effective portrayal of loneliness and alienation. The Surfer is terribly lonely from his prolong stay on Earth. With the help of his new friend Al Harper, an individual fellow as alienated as the Surfer, they tinkered a means for the Surfer to flee our world from Galactus' eternal punishment. In the middle of the two, is the Stanger.

The HEART of Silver Surfer is his heroic yearnings to aid people in dire needs, to the greatest & obssessive extents of sacrificing himself heavily, for others. An example of this statement can be traced thru Silver Surfer: Parable TP, in the end, after risking his life and ultimately saving them from Galactus, the people still covet for a leader, which was once galactus' domain before he was repelled away, the people seek for the Surfer to govern them, but he deems otherwise. He believed it is paradoxical and counterproductive to rule and assume the leadership mantle, he deemed instead, people needs convictions to firmly rely and believe on themselves. Hence, the Surfer did the unthinkable, he feign-ly corrupted himself with treachery,but with the sole purpose to stir them from the bleary truth, thus, he was forcefully disencumbered by the loathesome people & became once again an outcast.

The Silver Surfer is also well-known for his nobility and self-righteousness. These characteristics are not prevalent on other Marvel superheroes, with the exception of Thor, during the Stan Lee era. Endowed with these affirmative characteristics, it is apparent to tracked it through his roots which is on Zenn-la. Zenn-la, a world of highly-technologically advanced & with highly-civilized citizens, as first portrayed by Stan Lee. More than his favorable upbringings as Norrin Radd by his loving parents, Norrin Radd is a wrought, as was fashioned, an end-result or a by-product capably produced in whopping numbers by their forward world and its citizens.

Silver Surfer is also famous for its depressing tales, as well as also its other characteristics-- loneliness and alienation. Stan Lee's objective is to form the SS into a tragic character, with stories emphasizing his loneliness & alienation in the forefront. The author portrayal of SS's loneliness and alienation is accurate and touching. Leafing through the pages, one can see & feel for the Surfer. It were evident that the earliest stories were intended for the SS to be that way & be feared and loathed by people, because he is vastly different from us.

The repercussion of the Silver Surfer character to the world is spare, when compared to Stan Lee's more popular character, Spider-man. Silver Surfer is not a gargantuan success, unlike Spider-man. Why people did not instantly swept off their feet in droves are explainable. Silver Surfer rather attracts to a specific crowd as opposes to the more mainstream crowd. They are hardcore comic readers, who are at least tingly aware with the character; heavy & dense readers-- of adult or mature comics; mostly males; & those who will appreciate complex & profound superhero characters.

But the essence of Silver Surfer in context to our contemporary time rings very true & timely. Sadly, that is not the case, if only people will strive to make this world a better place. A shangri-la. Like Zenn-la. We all could be better off than we are today. Nevertheless, the SS proves to be an enduring figure & had the potential to be even more influential in its role , in context to our society.

Kudos to Stan Lee and John Buscema for creating one of the most important & inspiring paragons. The two of them, during their time, had churned out their best endeavors, not only as the historical significant contribution into the field of comic industry, but also in regards to their best ever personal efforts supplied. Particularly Stan Lee, who as most of us know, he is the spear-head & pillar of "early Marvel", as he single-handedly pioneered by creating all inimitable Marvel superhero characters that we come to love, such as Spider-man, X-men, Fantastic 4, Iron man, Silver Surfer, etc. During that era, a circulating signals were reverberating quite strongly-- that these Marvel characters are harbinger of significant importance for future to come. That harbinger is referring to us. Or today.

Highly recommended for its timeless stories & collectibility. An excellent buy for its long-term value. Buy it.

P.S-- this review is indeed referring to MARVEL MASTERWORKS VOL. 1: SILVER SURFER HC. Although the text listed above by Amazon's is incomplete.It is listed as only "Silver Surfer". And the picture embossed on this hardcover volume for your assurance, is solely depicting the Silver Surfer riding on his surfboard and simultaneously waving his left hand, with the dark background as it depicting the sky/galaxy. Try to click onto the picture & check for yourself if it is indeed is MM vol. 1 HC. The issues comprises this volume are issue #1-6 as had been indicated in the picture. Thank you.. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

GIL KANE's Spider-Man
This answers the question, "When exactly did AMAZING SPIDER-MAN as a series go completely to HELL?" No-it WASN'T when John Romita stopped inking. It WASN'T when Gwen Stacy was murdered (which, after all these years, it turned out it was John Romita's...idea). And no-it WASN'T even when Stan Lee stopped writing "his" main character!!! NO!!! It was when GIL KANE started DRAWING the [darn] book, THAT'S when!!! Kane's people are UGLY, his anatomy is AWKWARD, and his storytelling has NO sense of fun or humor about it at ALL!!! Most of these I'd never read before, and I got the book mainly because it was a CHEAP way to fill these huge gaping holes in my Spidey collection. MY GOD!! Reading these is like watching the 6th season of HUNTER. Sure, Dee Dee McCall was still there, but the whole tone, balance and focus of the show had gone terribly astray, thanks to Fred Dryer's massive ego getting in the way.

There's a few issues with pure JOHN ROMITA art, which are a joy to behold compared to the rest. (Romita plotted "Vengeance In Viet Nam" all on his own, it was his big Milton Caniff tribute!) There's also a couple near the end which had Romita pencilling over layouts by JIM STARLIN! But overall, the tone of the series had gotten very dark, downbeat and pessimistic. In a word-- unbearable.

For anyone who'd wonder why I have NO interest in reading ANY new Spider-books ever again, here it is. I have BOXES of the stuff in my back room, and don't have the time for that right now-and that's the GOOD stuff! To me, there are 2 and ONLY 2 Spider-Man artists who matter-- Steve Ditko and John Romita. Everybody else is just wasting their time trying to fill their shoes. 30 years is a LONG time for a character to be living off his past reputation!

Stan "the Man" Lee ends his run as the writer of Spider-Man
Volume 5 of the "Essential Spider-Man" covers the end of Stan Lee's run as the writer on his most famous comic creation. Lee wrote through issue #100, then Roy Thomas penned issues #101-104, Lee returned for issues #105-110, and then Gerry Conway (the man who killed off Gwen Stacy) became Spidey's scripter with issue #111. Spider-Man's artwork features some major revolving door action as well, with John Romita (Sr.) inking Gil Kane and then doing the pencils again, then Kane taking over with a different inker, then... (you get the idea). Anyhow, the cover is wrong because John Buscema does not do any of the artwork (brother Sal does some of the inking); it is Conway's name that should be there instead.

Anyhow, this volume includes several pivotal moments in Spider-Man's history: the death of Captain Stacy, the infamous Green Goblin/Harry Osborn on drugs trilogy where the comic did not receive Comics Code approval, and the 100th issue where Peter Parker decides to concoct a magic formula to take away his spider powers and ends up growing two extra sets of arms instead (talk about weird science, huh?). The Marvel tendency to try and be realistic pops up as well as Flash Thompson returns from Vietnam with a story to tell. There is a nice bookend effect to this volume, which begins and ends with Doctor Octopus. I know the Green Goblin is the most important of Spider-Man's villain (knowing Spider-Man's secret identity sort of makes that a moot point), but overall I think some of the best Spider-Man stories involve Doc Ock, and it is not just because of the similarities of their animal totems. Also includes in these issues are Spider-Man visiting Ka-Zar in the Savage Land and the first appearance of Morbius the Living Vampire (a character that I could never take seriously). But then there is the Gibbon, a "villain" so bad even Spider-Man laughs at him.

It looks like Volume 5 might be the last of the "Essential Spider-Man" series, although this is just a bad hunch on my part. After all, Stan Lee stopped writing the comic at this point and the key issues of what would be the next volume are currently available as "The Death of Gwen Stacy." I have to admit that I do not mind that these comics are in black & white; certainly this helps to keep this a remarkably inexpensive series and the strengths of some of these artists (most notably Steve Ditko) actually stand out more without the color being added. There is also something to be said for not having to take your comics out of their bags to read them (or for having to pay big bucks to go out and buy all these back issues). I am looking forward to picking up some more of the classic Marvel comics from the Sixties in this format.

Truly Enjoyable!! Tells the Original Storyline in Movie!
My only complaint is that the book opens halfway through a continued comic with Spidey battling Dr. Octopus that should have included the comic just before. I actually haven't finished reading this yet because I have been enjoying it so much that I don't want it to end! I have read a chapter or two (monthly issue) each night. After just seeimg the movie SPIDER-MAN, I bought this on an impulse. I found it fascinating to see the "real" story as told by Stan Lee of how Peter Parker felt about Mary Jane (MJ), and there is an exciting battle with the Green Goblin that explains much about that character. In fact, even the first storyline of how Peter became Spider-Man is retold. What made me sad, however, was to realize that the movie messed up a wonderful opportunity of bringing these "classic" comics to life and instead followed a mediocre script that was inaccurate to the early comics. No wonder I hate how Hollywood retells historical events just for "entertainment value!" Still, these are fun and priced inexpensively. ... Read more