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The Devil may care about your soul, but Grendel doesn't. In the slick,grim, and powerful collection Grendel: Black, White, & Red, the possessedsuperhuman develops from prodigy to criminal mastermind through a loosely linkedseries of short stories using the skills of two dozen illustrators. Though thestyles vary widely from scratchy to realistic, the theme of using only black andred ink unites them visually and gives rise to abundant creepiness. Thebrutality of the protagonist is unrelenting. Though the reader may gain someinsight into the nature of violence and obsession, even seasoned veterans ofmedia mayhem will find new twists herein. The rare moments of near-humanitybecome all the more poignant in the sea of red. Defenders of comic book artistryneedn't look farther than Matt Wagner's Grendel. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Eww
This is where I decided to jump into the Grendel story, and this is pretty inaccessible. There is a child prodigy named Hunter Rose who grows up to be a crime lord prone to unnecessary outbursts of savage violence, because the woman that he loved very dearly died of an illness. There is also a werewolf named Argent who is trying to kill Hunter, because Hunter personifies evil and Argent is the only one physically capable of stopping Hunter, because Hunter is pretty much untouchable in combat. Hunter wears the Grendel costume that you see in the image of the book cover, but what you may not see is that he is carrying a rather large fork as his weapon. Think about that. This is a grown man who carries a razor sharp two pronged fork.

I'm aware that most all art, and especially comic art, requires the suspension of disbelief; but I think that for someone to suspend their disbelief it requires the person to want to put aside differences because of a compelling story. Hunter Rose is one of the most unlikable protagonists I've read recently, and pretty much this entire story follows his trite life story.

Towards the second chapter of Grendel, there is a section called "Devil's Requiem" where Hunter is remembering his old girl and it pretty much turns into a full on Freakfest. I found Wagner's stab at erotic prose to be really amusing,
"In her arms I was reborn. In her mouth, I was reprieved. In her bosom, reignited. In her valley I was received... Our love bore a lust so sublime." I didn't like it.

That being said, the black white and red color scheme is actually nice, there is negative space all over, and the art really heightens the story. The art is also geared towards adult audiences, there's a bit of full frontal, I can recall a few freaky sex scenes as well as a scene involving a tween prostitute. In terms of explicit violence, there is an entire story devoted to Grendel torturing a low level henchmen for information.

It was pretty gory and I found it disturbing. I happen to have read the "Preacher" series, which is also very gory, and I found Grendel to be a lot more disturbing because of how skilled the various artists are at portraying violence. The violence is not very glamorous, I felt kind of sick after I had read the whole thing.

I don't mind if you disagree with me, because I haven't read any other Grendel material. I write from the perspective of someone who was considering buying this as an entrance into Grendel.

Great, but Who Cares?
This is a collection of short stories about Hunter Rose, the first character in Matt Wagner's Grendel mythos to have been possessed by the dark force known as Grendel. Each of the short stories are beautifully illustrated in diverse styles by such talented artists as Teddy Kristiansen, Tim Bradstreet, Mike Allred, Matt Wager, etc. in a wonderfully clever black, white and red colour scheme. The black and white helps bring out the noir mood of the stories (and is well suited Grendel's black and white costume), while the red highlights such items as the blood and roses closely associated with Hunter Rose and Grendel. This technique is not fully innovative (see Miller's Sin City series and some arthouse movies), but is well done here. The stories are all by Matt Wagner and are, of course, well written. Unfortunately, some aspects of the stories rob them of their full power.

First of all, if you are nonfan and not familiar with Grendel/Hunter Rose, those stories whose purpose is mainly to flesh out his history are not very meaningful. You get a glimpse at his story, but that's it. Secondly, if you are a fan familiar with the characters, the fact that they were only around for a extremely brief, although brilliant run and are now a long dead and forgotten part of the mythos in more recent stories also renders the increased background of Hunter Rose less meaningful (and no new insight into the Grendel entity itself is offered). It is not unlike the black character in Kubrick's version of the Shining: sure, he was interesting in the beginning, but there was no point bringing him back into the story just to get killed by an axe. Mayber Wagner will prove me wrong when he finally takes back control of the series.

Fortunately, I believe it is still possible for readers, even casual ones, to get caught up in the short stories whose focus are more upon nonrecurring characters (thus we get their complete story). However, while those stories are effective examples of noir literature, they are all too brief for the reader to get as tied up with the characters as one would wish and the supernatural/superhero aspects of these stories also take away from their effectiveness.

Matt Wagner covered noir territory far more effectively in his Sandman Mystery Theatre series. Still, this collection is a rather handsome volume.

My Second Grendel Book
This was the second of Wagner's works on Grendel that I picked up, the first being Devil By the Deed. Out of the two I'd have to say I preferred "Devil By the Deed". While "Devil By the Deed" is a completely self-contained story, "Black, White, and Red" is a series of short stories that build on and add greater depth to many of the characters in the former.

While I don't really think you'd need to read "Devil By the Deed" first, I think it would really give you the big-picture of the relationship between the characters and the context in which each of the short stories take place in. You should be able to find "Devil by the Deed" for around ..., so it couldn't hurt to pick it up at least in addition to "Black, White, and Red".

The first story in the TPB is "Devil's Advocate". I liked it so much I was really excited about the rest of the stories. Only later did I find out that it had in fact won an Eisner Award in 1999 for Best Short Story. While the rest of the stories are good, they pale in comparison to "Devil's Advocate". If nothing else you should pick up "Black, White, and Red" #1 just so you can read the first story in the TPB. Depending on how much you like the other material, you can pick up the entire series.

A series of Wagner's short, stark, unforgettable stories
Matt Wagner's Grendel is a character created to explore and examine the nature of aggression and its impact on the individual and on the community. The first to wear the infamous Grendel mask and wield the peculiar two bladed spear was the ruthless, self-directed master criminal Hunter Rose. In Grendel: Black, White, & Red, we are treated to a series of Wagner's short, stark, unforgettable stories, each one illustrated by a different artist and all showcasing the dark world of crime, revenge, the human psyche, and a primal justice that bears no relationship to courtroom law. This is a "must" for graphic novel genre enthusiasts in general, and Matt Wagner fans in particular!

Grendel - The Devil's Inner Side
This book fills in a great many rough gaps left in "Devil By The Deed". Through the many and varied talents displayed in these stories, we are made aware of how he thinks and feels about the world around him. The different authors' takes on where the character came from, how he goes about his business and how he relates to the people in his life paint a vivid picture of how a gifted young boy could become a fiend.

Mr. Wagner first wrote 'Grendel' as an attempt to explore evil through what began as a simple device of reversing the visages of the original Beowulf and Grendel. The dashing villain and the monstrous 'hero' combined to create a world that descended into the chaos described in the later issues of the comic series. "Black, White & Red" illustrates how inevitable that decline must have been.

Overall, this book is an excellent value on a number of levels. A first-time reader will not need to track down "Devil By The Deed" to understand what is going on. The varied writing and art styles emphasize the richness of the world and characters that Mr. Wagner unleashed. And, of course, the reader comes away with a sense of how precious true 'goodness' can be in a world when evil is in such ready and varied supply. ... Read more

Book Description

Dark Horse's horror line launches its new prestige format with this hardcover book filled with original short stories by some of the most respected names in comics. The longest story in The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings is also Mike Mignola's only new Hellboy adventure in 2003! Come along as Hellboy investigates a haunted house and discovers his own unexpected connection to the spirits within. P. Craig Russell (Sandman, Murder Mysteries) adapts Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson's story about a child who leads friends and family into an abandoned house, and Paul Chadwick and his longtime Concrete editor Randy Stradley team up for a creepy short about a haunted suit. In the strangest entry in the book, Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother) and Evan Dorkin (Hectic Planet) recount the legend of a haunted doghouse. With a Victorian ghost story illustrated by Gary Gianni, and an interview with real-life seance medium L.L. Dreller, plus a new Devil's Footprints story and outstanding contributions from international artists Uli Oesterle (Germany) and Lucas Maragnon (Mexico), this is the ultimate book for horror-comics enthusiasts and fans of fantastic artwork. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Gorgeous artwork, spooky/poignant stories...
You've got to love a book that's dedicated to "Hans Holzer, Edward Gorey, and the Fox Sisters"! This was a very enjoyable collection, overall. It was the lovely skeletal figure on the cover of this book that caught my eye, and when I found that "Thurnley Abbey" is one of the stories included, I had to pick it up. It turns out that "Thurnley Abbey," an old favorite of mine, is presented here in text form with a few handsome illustrations, while the rest of the stories are original works by several different graphic novelists, including a "Hellboy" adventure by Mike Mignola. The illustrated stories range from "exceedingly creepy" to "subtly disturbing" to "heart-warming" (not necessarily in that order). These are all ghost stories in the classic mold - very little gore or explicit gruesomeness, but lots of shadows and shudders. I've read stronger tales (and would have given a 4.5 rating if I could), but these were quite enjoyable, and the old classic "Thurnley Abbey" is just as chilling as I remember. This book would make a handsome addition to anyone's ghost-story collection. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Totally different but totally good
First of all let me say that people who are looking for a title themed like Neil Gaimans Sandman, this book is not it. This title ties in a little bit every now and then but that's it for comparisation, it's a totally different ball-park, a totally different sort of comic. What this is is a very fine (non-supernatural) detective story (this particular book collects #1-4, the complete "Tarantula" story-arc) based around "The Sandman", a revamped character from the early days of DC. The Sandman is a guy with a secret identity dressed in a John Constatine coat, an Al Capone hat, a gasmask and a gaspistol, who acts as a secret detective and tries to solve crimes his way.

About the story: An anonymous kidnapper who calls himself 'The Tarantula, is on the loose and he claims his vistims rapidly. He shows to be extremely violent and not fearing any act of brutality to show he's meaning business in getting what he wants. The police are without a clue and don't know where to start. And does the Tarantula really pick his victims so randomly ? Meanwhile the commisioners daughter has taken an interest in a young man named Wesley Dodds who seems remarkably interested in the case, and there's also the mystery of the man who's going all over town wearing a gasmask and carying a gaspistol, attacking people who seem possibly related to the Tarantula.

Like I said, it's not a Gaiman's Sandman type of book but more of a detective book set in a time about 60 years back. While reading it you'll really get the feeling you're watching a police detective series on TV. People who enjoy titles like Sin City and possibly even Top Ten lovers (provided they don't have a problem with this book not involving characters that aren't out of the ordinary) will have a very good time with it. It's a complex story which requires some attention while reading but it's very much worth it in the end. Try it out sometimes because the fact this book was never a big hit doesn't say anything about it's quality.

If Raymond Chandler wrote comics....
I think he would have come up with this character. The Sandman was always, amongst the Golden Age heroes, something of an anamoly - when others dressed in brightly colored spandex, the Sandman wore a gas mask, business suit, fedora, & cape. Matt Wagner & Guy Davis come up with one of the most unique "re-inventions" of the character, creating a horrific image straight out of WWI (with an appropriate gas mask) and putting a unique hero amongst a word where corruption and prestige walk hand in hand. This arc - which may or may not be a "rewriting" of a Golden Age classic (the Tarantula was, believe it or not, the Sandman's first foe) also has the trademarks of classic pulp fiction, including the seedy goings-on of a prominent family, a kidnapping, several murders....

OK, this proves that comics aren't just for adults, and personally, I wish they would release more graphic novels (including the "Man of the Hour" arc, which had a unique take on Hourman). However, let this be your introduction into a unique series that, although never was a million seller, had a charm all its own.

The "other" Sandman, but just as good!
Sure, Neil Gaiman's Sandman gets all the praise, but I prefer Matt Wagner's version of the Golden Age Sandman, which is modified to tie in loosely with Gaiman's stories. This wonderful series ended several years ago, and DC/Vertigo is hesitant to collect the story arcs, for some unknown reason. Thankfully, they at least released "The Tarantula", issues 1-4, for our reading and viewing pleasure. This book adequately sets up the series, fleshing out Wesley Dodds and the supporting characters as has never been done before. Guy Davis' artwork is beautiful, understated, and is the perfect match for Wagner's story. Don't let the fact that this series is "noirish" keep you away (this is no paper-thin Sin City). The story has depth and feeling, and enough plot to warrant multiple reads.

Pulp Detective Supehero Perfection
Nobody has reviewed this book. You're kidding me right? This has to be the finest detective series modern comics has produced in years and no one has reviewed it? Yeesh. The Sandman was one of DC Comics earliest characters, and little more than a glorified Batman clone at best. But Wagner and artist Guy Davis take the walking cliche and make him into a driven individual determined to right injustice. But its the world of the classic Sandman that is so good: its the real New York of the '30s, complete with speakeasies and dives, the Depression, and immigrants; not at all like the WASPs usually populating the comics of the 1930s and '40s. The characters are 3D, especially the Sandman's alter-ego Wesley Dodds and his future girlfriend Diane Belmont. She in particular holds the reader's interest, because she is clearly the most capable detective, even though no one takes her seriously. No one save Wesley. . .and the Sandman. Fans of Neil Gaiman's fiction may know Morpheus, and a little about Wesley Dodds. But they don't know the whole story until they pick up this excellent graphic novel. Sadly, Sandman Mystery Theatre ended its run not long ago, but for the adventurous there's still a chance to find back issues in your local comic shop. Now if they'd only start collecting this excellent series in trade paperbacks, I'd be a happy man. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I could stay in Faerie forever...
...if it's like these books. I first discovered Neil Gaiman and the world of the Endless about eight years ago, and I've been lost in it since. Apparently the brilliant minds at DC Vertigo are as captivated by the story possibilities as I am, for they've turned out another outstanding book.

Molly, the girlfriend of the young sorcerer and "opener" Tim Hunter, has come to the forefront as a major character. Cursed by a jealous Queen Titania, Molly has declared war on Faerie. This is not a story about Timothy Hunter; it's a story about Faerie and its all-too-human inhabitants. Tim does show up, but he's not the most important thing going on here. Along the way we meet: Huon the Small, the faceless "leveller"; Yarrow, the fairy with more strength than she suspects; and the mysterious Selwyn, Titania's closest companion. Some old friends show up too: Zatanna, the backwards-speaking magician whom Tim hopes will be his mentor; and Tala, the cat-eyed queen of evil from the first "Book of Magic".

As always, beautifully written and drawn. Once you've visited Faerie, you won't ever want to leave.

AWESOME!
this latest paperback features the second half of the Rites of Passage storyline and, believe me, it doesn't get any better than this! So many things happen here and all them exciting: the near-destruction of Faerie by Molly, the secret of Faerie, the visit from Hell, and so on. Talk about edge of your seat excitement!. This book has it all! It is truly worth it. ... Read more

Book Description

Welcome to Dungeon, the looniest world of horror and heroic fantasy you?ll ever be transported into! This series, a best-seller in many countries, starts with the apogee of Dungeon, a mighty castle filled with monsters, trolls and goblins kept by a wily bird, the Dungeon Keeper, and the object of desire of many an uncouth and disgusting form of life (and afterlife) and Herbert the Timorous Duck is assigned to defend it! Thank goodness, the Dungeon Keeper has assigned Marvin the Dragon, a blood-thirsty, uh, vegetarian, warrior, to his side ... Read more

Book Description

John Parker had it all. A decorated sharpshooter in the Civil War, he had a promising career ahead of him, a beautiful wife, and a newborn son. But after becoming embroiled in a dark and demonic conspiracy engineered by the Bakerton Detective Agency, he lost everything.Fleeing to the West, a broken man, Parker reinvents himself as "No Man," a heartless gun-for-hire whose only solace comes from hunting and killing the demons who he helped set loose. With Buntline Special in hand, a deadly revolver with a sixteen inch barrel, he blasts his way through a different kind of Old West, where strange and evil beings lurk.This publisher is a new client to Diamond Book Distributors! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Excellent Story with wonderful artwork
This is what I have so far, it is a work in progress I will mention more about the artwork shortly, but is this sound okay so far?

It is my belief that what some of the other reviewers are forgetting about No Man's Land is the story itself. It is the very story told in No Man's Land that drew me in from the first few pages and now has me eagerly awaiting the next volume's release. It is a story which brings to mind the classic westerns, holding all the hallmarks of those classic western stories that people have watched over again in movies and read over again in novels. However, it does hold a slight twist which for me was a further hook to this story, and what makes it unique within the hallmarks of classic western stories it holds.

Many of the classic western elements have been mentioned in the editorial review, a Civil War veteran, a man who has had everything taken from him, a man that as a result has turned into a type of bounty hunter and mercenary, whose tortured by memories of what he lost and whose only true peace comes from hunting some of those that brought such loss to his life. The twist comes through what he is hunting, various demons and monsters. The same ones he was duped into freeing and setting lose upon an un-expecting world.

As to the artwork itself, it fits perfectly with a style and flair of the story matching both the story's pacing and the action of the story. It is also reminiscent of the western style movies and covers of old western novels. Never once did I find the artwork to be overwhelming but in fact found it to help further assist in the telling of the story. It brought further to life the words which were being spoken and told, and for me helped to make No Man Land's that much more enjoyable.

No Man's Land is one, which I very highly recommend, by encouraging you not to compare it or judge it without first trying it for yourself. Upon trying No Man's Land I think you will find a brand new story that is by far one of the most enjoyable stories with an "Old West" setting to be released in any format recently.

Lastly, I do not desire to enter into a debate over what is and is not manga in review, nor is this the place to have such a debate, so I also encourage any future reviews not to try and bring about questions of what is and is not manga at present.

Garbage
What do you get when North Americans try to imitate Asian styles of writing and art that have been overly stereotyped by North Americans?A manga filled with unnecessary speed-lines and screen tones and inconsistent, empty diaglogue.

No Man's Land looked good in those few seconds that I scanned through the pages, and now I wish I had slowed down and taken a closer look.The excessive use of tones is terribly distracting, used seemingly without purpose other than to fill in empty spaces.Speed-lines are used to excess, almost to indicate all movement.The patterned tones look terribly out of place and, as I stated, serve no purpose other than to fill empty spaces.

I found it difficult to focus on the story as I was continually distracted by the tones and had difficulty at times discerning what was happening in the frame, the focal point is obscurred.

If North Americans are going to try and create "mangas" they need to further explore what mangas are and get away from these ridiculous stereotypes (big eyes, big heads, big hair, pages filled with tones).

Save your money and buy legitimate mangas. ... Read more

Book Description

Remember that time when Buffy’s little sister Dawn first found out that Buffy is the Slayer? And then when Angel almost killed Dawn, because no one had told her that he’d turned evil again? Buffy and the gang all have memories connected to Dawn, and only Buffy and Giles know they’re not real. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions as to how Dawn came into Buffy’s life, and where these memories come from. Now, Dawn has vanished without a trace, and the Scooby gang has no clue where to find her. But Buffy will stop at nothing to find her little sister, even if she has to face off against a cadre of crazed, bloodsucking monks and a former Vampire Slayer turned Slayer Vampire! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Serving Slayer Sushi
Set in the fifth season, 'False Memories' finds Buffy still trying to cope with the sudden acquisition of a younger sister. Not only is Dawn every bit as irritating as a sibling can be, Buffy keeps running into memories of Dawn's involvement in old episodes which weren't there all that long ago. Trying to keep her sister out of trouble and sorting out what is real and what is not are becoming major distractions for Buffy. It is bad enough that Buffy has one of the world's toughest night jobs - hellmouth cleanup patrol, now she has a nosy sister as well.

Once again, Sunnydale is visited by a new vampire menace, this time from Japan. Yuki Makimura and her companions, a group of vampire monks, are hardly tourists. While the vampire has no qualms about making sashimi out of our favorite slayer, her real agenda is another thing entirely. Yet when Dawn uncovers some clues to the mystery, but Giles goes all mysterious. Stymied by her watcher, Buffy is forced to turn to the [highly] unreliable help of Spike.

Once again, Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe have joined to create and interesting plot. Dawn is a welcome addition to the 'literary' Buffy world (I had an irritating younger sister of my own). I am at last getting used to the illustration style of the Dark Horse graphic novels. While the artwork is always of very high quality, I kept wishing the illustrated characters would look exactly as they do in the show. That is an impossible task, of course - just my inner perfectionist coming through. The truth is that Cliff Richards, Joe Pimentel, and Will Conrad have again turned out the spectacular artwork that makes good plot and dialogue into something memorable. ... Read more

Book Description

This collection of 2003's Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense one-shots kicks off with a goddess imprisoned in a story by Bastard Samurai creative team Miles Gunter and Michael Avon Oeming joined by series creator Mike Mignola.Guy Davis, artist of the new B.P.R.D. series, teams with Brian Augustyn (Gotham by Gaslight).The Flash creative team Geoff Johns & Scott Kolins team for the first Dark Horse work, and Joe Harris, screenwriter of Darkness Falls, and his X-Men collaborator Adam Pollina reunite for Abe Sapien's weirdest adventure yet.With a boost from the major talents involved in this book, and from the Hellboy film in which they were so prominently figured, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and B.P.R.D. has become comics' greatest new team book. Also includes a brand new story by Mignola and Cameron Stewart. ... Read more

Book Description

An elegant and strikingly stylistic, wordless vampire story, done completely in red ink. Intriguing and clever, it follows the adventure of a man who receives a curious letter containing polariods of vampire victims and a map to the small town where it lives. ... Read more

Book Description

Graphic Classics: Bram Stoker is the seventh in a series of books which present great literature in comics and heavily illustrated format by some of the best artists working today in the fields of comics, book illustration, and fine arts. The book includes comics adaptations of "The Lair of the White Worm", an excerpt from Dracula, plus six other great stories by the great writer, Bram Stoker. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A worthy volume of illustrated adaptations
"Graphic Classics: Bram Stoker" serves up an excellent collection of illustrated stories by horror Grandmaster Bram Stoker. Each tale is either fully illustrated, comic book style, or text and page combined. All of the illustrations are in black and white, and feature a wide variety of styles and flair. This is definitely not the typical art you would find in a DC or Marvel comic, but is much more "arty."

There is plenty of "Dracula," Stoker's number one claim to fame, but there is also enough of his other works to let us know that he wrote more than one novel.

"Lair of the White Worm" is a great tale of jolly, haunted England and the monsters that haunt its green and pleasant land. A comic book style tale, with a Victorian flair in style.

"Torture Tower" shows the danger of being a loud-mouthed American tourist in Nuremberg. Comic book style.

"The Wondrous Child" is illustrated text, with a flight of fancy and a trip to fairy land.

"The Funeral Party" is a one-page illustrated text. Excellent dark humor.

"Dracula's Voyage" is a scratchy rendition of the first few chapters of "Dracula." Very well done.

"The Dracula Gallery" has artists taking a snatch of text as inspiration, then creating a page.

"Vampire's Hunter Guide" is a combination of Van Helsing's text and semi-humorous drawings.

"The Dualists" is an illustrated text piece of two friends and their passion. By far the most gruesome of the lot.

"The Judge's House" is comic book style, a haunted house story.

"The Bridal of Death" is adapted from "The Jewel of Seven Stars." A mummy tale.

Especially recommended to the attention of Bram Stoker fans
Graphic Classics: Bram Stoker presents illustrated novel adaptations of classic tales of terror by Bram Stoker, best known for his classic novel "Dracula." Stark black-and-white imagery by a variety of different artists (Hunt Emerson, Rico Schacherl, J.B. Bonivert, Evert Geradts) adds a stringent and often visually provocative touch to these spine-chilling and narrations which are especially recommended to the attention of Bram Stoker fans and Horror Fiction enthusiasts. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

RECOMAND THIS
This is a comic book that's so creative it hurts. The red hoods being a next of kin of the big band wolf and little read riding hood, having to kill werewolves. This is finally a story of vampires that took a creative new look at it and even rewrote vampire history, not having to stick with the same old rules. For this comic they made there own rules, and it works great. COMPELLING STORY and GREAT DRAWING what more can you ask for. I'm an art student from one of the top schools of art in California, so I know good drawing when I see it.

Vampires By the Numbers
Collecting the first 6 issues of the successful Cliffhanger comic, Crimson - Loyalty and Loss assembles Brian Augustyn, a story teller with an almost Josh Whedon Buffy-esque type ability to tell a mythic tale with a sense of sarcasm and humour, and Humberto Ramos, a penciller with the cartoonic bounce and volume of a Joe Madurieira circa Uncanny X-Men. And therein lies the problem, unlike other writers tackling the Vampire genre (and we've seen alot of movies, television and comics on the topic over the last few years) Augustyn fails to give us some real edge or conversely some unbridled fun in this,the first of 4 Crimson trade paperbacks. I couldn't shake the feeling reading this book that it tries to do too much and ends up doing a little less. Ramos pencils though I cant fall they are accessible and add alot to the feel of the story. Alex, a teenager riddled with teen angst gets bitten one night out with his friends only to later disocer he is not only a vampire but THE chosen one with a special place to play in the battle of good and evil. The cliffhanger endings at the end of each of the six issues would suit perfectly in an issue by issue basis, but here seeing Alex get into a perilous situation only to get out of it without too much fuss diffuses all the climax building, the story arc is a little start-stop, and at times you kinda see the joke/peril/quip two panels ahead. If I sound negative about the book, its because I expected great and I got good. Ramos creates some visually fun characters, and there is alot more spark here than most other books on the market, but in the end this is a decent book and it could have been stellar.

not very good...
I'm not sure if I read the same book as these other reviewers. The plot is sub-Anne Rice drivel about vampires that dress and act like Marvel superheroes, Humberto Ramos' art is a grusome cross between manga style and Rob Liefield, and Brian Augustyn's script reads like Chris Clarmont on crack. All the chracters are always introducing themselves by exclaiming their inner angst as loudly as possible, usually in some cutely spelled comic book "accent". Uhgg... this is all the stuff that embarasses me when I try to show someone that there really are graphic novels worth reading. Give this a pass.

Ultimate Spidey meets U. X-Men meets Blade!
This was a great book, Top-Notch! I read about three pannels in the book store and knew it would become one of my new favorite titles... And it has! It stars young teenager, Alex Elder, who is bitten by a murderous vampire gang late in New York and becomes a confused (Spider-Man), outcast (X-Men), Vampire (Blade). Fantastic story telling and the art... Well now I've got "Ramos Envy." I suggest this book to anyone who can read and has an imagination. Doesn't matter if you have previous vampire readings or never even herd the word, this is right up there with Brian M. Bendis! (Make sure to get the other books!)

Vampires, Vampires Everywhere...
WOW!! This collection of the first 6 CRIMSON issues will blow you away. With its fantastic artwork by Humberto Ramos to it compelling storyline from Brian Augustyn. Sure you might think it's another 'vampire with a conscious story' (which it is) but, it's a 'vampire with lots of new freaky unvampy like powers who is the 'Chosen One to defeat all evil conscious story' story. With a really cool supporting cast with Ekimus (one of the first living creatures on the planet), a voluptiously clad religous bounty hunter babe, the legendary St. George, and his vamp-indian best friend. You'll find yourself wanting more and more CRIMSON after finishing this first compilation. RECOMMENDED to all!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

best of the trilogy
The questions and characters revealed in the first two books of this trilogy further explored in this third entry. A good deal of the book is about fighting and finding allies. Like much of "Vampire: the Masquerade" it is also about using others to get ahead and the effects of doing that on the mind, the emotions and the soul. This time both the effects on Kindred and ghouls are explored. I have a fondness for ghouls and have several players playing these servants in my annual summer tabletop game. Dedopulos does a good job of looking at the newness and horror of newbie Kindred and ghouls both though I wish someone would write more about ghouls in general. I was very pleased to finish this third book. Maybe I'll have good on Theo show up this summer when our rpg group restarts up Vampire.

Pleasantly surprised and very impressed
I had always been put off by RPG fiction - usually because the writing was often less than good. But a friend handed me Slave Ring I was really impressed by the way it was written - it had a different feel to it. I then read The Overseer in a day - I really couldn't put it down - it delved more deeply into the story telling and really fleshed out the characters making them more vivid. So I was looking forward to getting my hands on The Puppet-Masters, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. I knew that it was going to be an important book with everything that's happening in the game world, and I thought it successfully tied up a few loose-ends while leaving a few open for later books. It also continued to bring the characters to life and again I couldn't put it down. I am really looking forward to reading more by this writer!

The Final Nights are upon us ...
This final book to the Brujah (Slave) Trilogy is a good read. I may be wrong, but it's also a nice precursor to the Time of Judgement novel that will bring a close to the World of Darkness (Gehenna). Sorry, if this is a spoiler for some - but I doubt it is ;)

Elements that are hinted at in the previous 2 books are fleshed out and revealed in this one, while others are left unanswered. We meet some notable characters from WoD lore, as well as experience some interesting plot developments that will keep the reader engaged from start to finish.

The Final Nights are upon us ... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Watch what you dissin'!
I first started reading the Books of Magic series about a year ago. I love this comic and thought the Girl in the Box was just as good as any other. This book disserves 5 stars.

Running through the rain with an umbrella of fire.
Obviously not up to the standard Gaiman started out with in the Books of Magic mini-series, but then again it was not expected to be. Only Gaiman can write like Gaiman. The plot is a little hap-hazard and it has a few confusing moments. The significance of Tim's dueling tatoos, what exactly happened to Cupid, what happened to that director guy... there are a lot of plot threads that are totally abandoned or unexplained. But the magic of the story is still in there somewhere. It may not be seen in the monsters and mermaids and fairys. The magic in the book is the beautiful way Tim and Leah and Molly's goofy adolescence is perfectly portrayed (even if Leah is several thousand years old). Good. Not Gaiman good. But good.

Nonetheless A Good Read
When I started reading the series, I thought that the Books of Magic were really great. The illustrations, the storyline, the depth in a graphic novel that is rare in comic books nowadays. When I worked my way to _The Girl in the Box_ , the quality that the previous issues had was slightly tattered, and the story was not so fascinating, but all in all, it's still a great book.

Horrible Writing
Neil Gaiman, who started this series off, is pure genius. Now that his name was on the books, it was passed to a not-so-good writer and a not-so-good artist. Accepting the slight drop in quality, I enjoyed Bindings, Reckonings, and Summonings... but THIS one was incredibly bad. The story takes random senseless turns, and while attempting to be incredibly deep it weaves a senseless truthless tale with no rhyme or reason to it. Such highlights include the English boy traveling to America where he finds these horrible American stereotypes speaking slang with every word, badly, and making dumb puns about rapping. Overall it's a stab at the depth of Gaiman that sees only the wild weirdness without understanding the rules of the game, and at times making mundane human wisdom seem smarter than that of all the worlds of fantasy. If you enjoyed the Books of Magic so far, dont ruin the experience by buying this book.

girl in the box
the strength of the books of magic fades slightly as you dig farther into the series,but eventually it delivers a wonderful story. ... Read more

Book Description

Chiaki is the orphaned daughter of the Archangel Michael and a human woman. Ororon is a devil with a bounty on his head. Together, they struggle to stay alive as the battle between devils and the angelic order rage around them. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Fiendishly Good!
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed The Demon Ororon. First, although the art may not be to everyone's taste, I found the exaggeration of perspective and elongation of the character's bodies to be visually interesting and well-used to help tell the story. My biggest complaint is that the guys all look the same. In my mind at least the lead - Ororon - should stand out from the pack. Still, you get used to style and can usually manage to distinguish between them all eventually. For the most part the drawings are clean and uncluttered although towards the end the fighting scenes required a few minutes to sort out whose body parts are whose. Did I mention the body parts? Certainly not the most horrifying things I've ever seen but there are bitten off fingers, dangling intestines and plenty of blood so consider this fair warning. My only other complaint was with the editing. Really sloppy, with plenty of typos plus some of the fonts used are hard to read. But how's the story you ask?

If you're Chiaki, you're a rather strange, lonely girl who attracts all the wrong sorts of people consisting of spirits and ghouls, while your friends and family abandon you. Imagine you come across a beautiful, bleeding young man and simply out of the goodness of your character, you offer to help. What might you get in return? This is the set up to the very engaging story of The Demon Ororon. For Chiaki, she acquires a demon, but not just any demon. He's the good-looking, cynical, sharp-dressing, chain-smoking Demon King of Hell. And he's having a rather rough time. Being a king sucks especially when you have a bounty on your head, you family hates you, and your friends try to murder you. What do you do?

For saving his life, Ororon grants Chiaki one wish and she decides she wants him to stay with her forever. With this one simple act, these two alienated souls are about to form an unlikely and forbidden relationship that will be complicated by many factors, the least of which is that Chiaki is a terrible cook. While their origins seem the most likely to rip them apart - after all, he's demon royalty and she's the forbidden result of a human/archangel coupling, it is their personal philosophies that will be the true test of their devotion. But before their idyllic life can really get started, the bounty-hunters, angels and ghouls converge, chasing after both Chiaki and Ororon, wanting nothing less than their deaths. Chiaki considers herself to be a good person who never would kill and certainly doesn't believe that Ororon should, yet he freely acknowledges his killer ways, but defends it as a necessary act. If they are going to kill you, can't you fight back to save yourself?

This question, whether it's right or wrong to kill and what exactly does it mean to be 'good' or 'evil' drive the plot of the story. Can two such diametrically opposed people stay together, or will their world-views rip them apart? This first book sets up the characters and a little of their back story before flying forward into confrontation and conflict. I really liked that this will be a fast moving story since it's only a 4 book series. On the other hand, I am enjoying the characters so much, and the questions they represent are so complicated, that I am a little concerned that they can be successfully concluded in such a short work. Nevertheless, The Demon Ororon is proving to be a promising series with unique art and a meaty story filled with complicated, engaging characters.

Style, wit... and good art!
The art is very nice in this one. Stylish, clean, not crowded. Very little of the cutesy silly cartoon stuff you see in other Manga.

The story is about growth and change... or maybe it's redemption and damnation... or maybe it's about being in love... or about values and survival... Or all that and more. It's very well done. I like when emotion is conveyed through action instead of long description; this does that. Definitely getting more when they come out.

Oh, what it's about? A demon King meets a half-angel. She's living by herself when she finds him bleeding on the sidewalk, and she asks him to stay. He's not a nice person. She is. It gets complicated really fast - Aparently angel meat is tasty, and angel spawn are hunted and killed by full angels, and the demon's family may not approve of him being king, and then there's his maid (the half-angel can't cook very well.) And the cat-boy who argues with the half-angel's best friend. Did I mention the Bogey Monsters? Or the ghosts, and the bounty hunter? No? Oh. Sorry. There you go.

Anyways, in the begining it's very spare and clean and surreal; the images are haunting. Then, towards the end, it gets a titch cluttered and confusing, but it's still good.

A Very enjoyable read!
Hey'a Blaze here!

Wow, what to say about this book? I'm still waiting Anxiously for the second installment! ^-^

The story is the basic: Girl finds Guy, Guy goes home with Girl, Guy 'wants' girl, girl.... is a little freaked out. ^-^ Whats kind of wierd for me is that some of the Manga I borrowed from friendsis about the girl who goes to live with the guy, and turns out to be an angel or something and promises to protect him. (I'm not saying anything is wrong with this, it seems that there's just too many G. Novels'out there' starting out like this and I long for a book to start with it's own orginality.)anywayz, back to TDO ^-^, The story has a little of it's own originality; This time, it's the guy who moves in, makes the moves, wears a bounty on his head... and is a demon. (not giving away any suprises). The thing I like is the emotions these characters are given. No doubt Ororon shows interest in Chiaki (the girl), but its the way he expresses it.... he doesn't; Like 'cold emotion'. and this is the freaky part about him. It's like yelling your head off at someone and having them staring lustfully at you with a soft smile.For one thing, There are a lot of 'around the corner' suprises that keeps the story moving along with jaw-dropping moments and its hard to put the book down.

However, the Art is a little shaky and can use some improvement and at first glance seems to be a bit plain. But if you can get over this (With me usually picking Art over story, it took some work to get use to. ~-^) it is overall a Book to get into. By the time you get past the first 10 pages, the art will just stick to you and obviously creates some kind of fonding for you over the stereotype of other Manga. It has it's own style, and besides, who wants to see every Manga with the same style of art? Originality is good indeed ^-^d and very refreshing, I recommend this title to all Manga and anime Lovers! I hope this helped. enjoy!

~*Blaze*~
Guardian of the Wolves

A change of pace from what I generally read...
Most of the time, I read TONS of shoujo. I'm a regular shoujo maniac. I read liscenced and unliscenced manga, so I've read a good variety(and not just shoujo). So, what drove me to by 'Demon Ororon"? Well, I was looking for something a bit different than what I normally read. You know, if you read the same thing over and over, you are gonna want something new!!!

So 'Demon Ororon', isn't necassarily entirely original, but it is certainly interesting, and the art makes it toally different. I was a little off-set by the artwork at first because the chins are so long. The drawing style is very unique, but I have come to appreciate it, it fits the dark story-line.

So the story itself sounds somewhat typical I guess: A girl(Chiaki) takes in a man from the side of the road because he is badly injured and she wants to help him. But he turns out not being a man, but the King of Demons, of course this sounds obsurd to her, but he says he will grant her one wish, she wishes that he would stay by her side forever, and so he will. Soon you find out that Chiaki is very alone, and that is because she has never known her parents, her grandfather whom she lived with died, and her other relatives(you only see them briefly) are nothing but greedy heartless jerks who want the money that Chiaki inherited from her grandfather. So she is quite alone. You also find out that her parents were Michael and Archangel and a woman. So Chiaki was unaware of this, but she knows that she is different and has stopped going to school or out much because she attracts "strange people".

Of course there is A LOT more I cannot explain or it would ruin it for you, but I wanted to give everyone a basic idea of it. There is a fair amount of violence and not really romance, but a deep emotional relationship between Chiaki and Ororon.

If I have one complaint, just like that other review, it is the poor editing.! Couldn't they have done a better job here? I mean this is a major company, I have come to expect better from Tokyopop.!

Anyways, if you're looking for a dark story that has some horror elements and is not a load of rubbish, I suggest picking up Ororon. Its worth getting used to the unique art style for.

God Bless & *enjoy* (...)

excellent book, crappy editing
This was one manga I'd heard of a while ago and was surprised and pleased to find was being translated for the US. When I picked it up at the store, I was definitely happy with the book's content, but disappointed in the publishing. An incredibly amount of printing errors, both spelling and grammatic. That doesn't mean mistakes on every page of course, but in my opinion, the amount in this book is just ridiculous. However, this manga has great artwork, an interesting story, and lots of style. The only thing wrong with it is that it was licensed by Tokyopop. ... Read more

Book Description

Sei Kodo finds that life as a vampire has its ups and downs. Sure, he has faster reflexes and can almost fly, but he is forever searching for a new identity and place in the world, even as he is haunted by visions of Yui, the vampire who awakened him... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Stool
This one has a terrible story. Manga is getting pumped out by the tons and it is discrediting the art form. Some really great stuff can be done in a manga series (like Priest); but this one is about as bad as it gets. If you want sexy clergy and hot teens, buy this book. If you'd like to entertain your brain, rather than your other bits and pieces, start buying the Priest series!

Read It, Love It!
This series is really a great series. The artwork is beautiful, and the story has so many turns. The characters have so much depth, usually not found for characters other than the main character. The first book does a great job with introducing the story. My only problem with the series so far is that book 2 and 3 were a little flat, but that's it. This series is one of my favorites!

SWEEEEEEEETT
I read Volumes 1-4 of this series, and I think it's really awesome. The drawing style is excellent, and unique! And it's also pretty gripping, can't put it down.

The Beginning of an Awesome Series!!!!!
I just started reading Manga a short while ago. I've been reading the "Ragnarok" series of manwha since I started reading graphic novels. I was spotted this series, and picked up the first volume. It seems like besides "Akira" there aren't many "great" stories coming out Japan, since "Ragnarok" and "Rebirth" are both Korean. After reading this first volume, I can't wait to read the next volumes. The artwork is spectacular, with tons of action and humor thrown in. The storyline is somewhat confusing in the very beginning, but after you read a little more, it becomes very engrossing and interesting. If you like beautiful artwork (not the little-kid type of Sailor Moon or Chomps), I definately recommend getting this series. It won't let you down!!!!!!!

Wonderful addition to any Vampire Lovers Collection
Great graphics, as well as a very intriguing story line. I can't wait to see what happens next. If you love vampires, here's one more that you'll love to hate. ... Read more

Book Description

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is back, expanding the mythos of the wildly popular television series. As Sunnydale becomes an increasingly hazardous place to re-kill the undead, the ante is upped as Buffy must again confront her old enemy Selke. And she`s back with bad blood -- a supernatural brew that can dramatically increase a vampire`s powers! Collecting issues #13-15 of the ongoing series. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Title Shortage
This is one of those special moments when you realize that somebody out there in the world of publishing simply ran out of ideas for a title. I have no clue why Scott Allie (the usual editor for the trade paperbacks) decided that 'Crash Test Demons' was the perfect title. Well, a car is crunched (by Buffy), there is a test (Cordelia's) and, of course, where there is a Buffy there are demons. Fortunately, one does not judge a story by its title.

Now for a little continuity. This graphic trade paperback presents the stories from BTVS comics 13, 14, and 15. They also comprise numbers 4, 5, and 6 of 'Bad Blood,' the story of Buffy's conflict with Selke. It is the sequel to the trade paperback of the same name.

"Delia's Gone" introduces us to an entirely new Cordelia. She is determined to help Willow win the intramural quiz-bowl competition when another contestant is vampirized at a bad time (it there a good time?). Selke has her looks back and does a little partying before hatching a plot to take out The Slayer and turn Sunnydale into a meat market.

"Love Sick Blues" finds Buffy trying to figure out where a sudden run of super vampires is coming from. Fortunately, they seem to spend as much time picking on each other as they do making food runs. Of course, Selke and Doc Flitter know what's cooking, but they are not about to share the information.

Angel and Giles try to track down the source of the strange vampires in "Lost Highway." Buffy is trying to make it to a concert one what was supposed to be her night off, but, as usual, a few 'things' get in her way. Selke and the Doc have gone over the edge cooking up a bit of a surprise for our girl with the stake.

Artwork is by Cliff Richards and Joe Pimentel and is up to their usual high standard. The 'extra' in this book is an interview with Cliff Richards (who lives in Brazil) and includes many of the trial sketches that got him the job. Of all the illustrators that have worked on the comics, Richards seems best at capturing the characters as they appear in the program.

Andi Watson's story line is getting a bit erratic as the series progresses. The individual plots compete with the Selke story arc, creating a profusion of scene shifts. This doesn't seem to work as well in the intense format of a comic story as it does in a media where there is more space to grow the story. Even so, this is another 'must have' for the determined Buffy fan.

Great!
This trade collects issues 13, 14, and 15 of the ongoing series. The cover art for each issue is great, and the interior art is crisp and clean. It makes for easy reading. In "Delia's Gone" Cordelia wants to be a quiz champion so she employs a little magic. Things go awry, and in the meantime Selke continues to plot and plan. This issue has some very funny dialogue, I really enjoyed it. Next is "Love Sick Blues" with everyone's favorite -- Spike and Dru! Also, Selke is trying to make some sort of Buffy clone. . .a very good continuation of the storyline. In "Lost Highway" Selke and co. are trying to make their dark slayer but with a few mess-ups. This trade is well drawn, exciting, and well written. Certainly worthwhile.

Too many plots too few pages
Crash Test Demons contains three tales of horror: Delia's Gone, Love Sick Blues and Lost Highway. Selke, an old enemy of the slayer, is the glue that holds the stories together. Just to sweeten the plot Spike and Dru make a cameo appearance with a promise of things to come. The sub plots of a quiz show, a love sick suitor, and Buffy's driving are not as developed as they could be. The art work is very detailed. The characters are well drawn although I believe Willow could be improved. Her face is a bit too rounded. The action sparkles with color. The vampires are quite nasty and entertaining. For those who enjoy graphic novels and especially for those who have read Bad Blood and Remaining Sunlight I recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has taken television audiences by storm and has brought its rabid audience to the world of comics. And now on the white-hot heels of Buffy`s spin-off companion series comes Angel: vampire hero, hunky heartthrob, and new comics icon. Following an encounter with a figure from his past, Angel must now face a horror that he had thought long destroyed: the Hollower, the only natural predator of the vampire. This hideous abomination, however, could hold the key to Angel`s salvation . . . or his destruction! And you can bet that if Angel`s in danger, a certain Slayer named Buffy`s not about to sit on the sidelines! Collecting the three-issue Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel series. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not bad
To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Angel. I certainly am tired of seeing flashbacks to all the horrible things he's done because its the same thing over and over. The Hollower preys on vampires, a pretty cool idea, and you'd think its good that the Hollower eats vampires. However, if he eats a certain amount then he'll turn to humans instead. The artwork isn't too great and the story is mostly fighting and flashbacks about Angel and some girlfriend he used to have. I read other bad reviews but still bought this because the idea of the Hollower was pretty cool. It wasn't what I had hoped. Luckily I got the book on sale at the comic book store but I don't know if it would be more than what I paid for it. I wouldn't buy this again, but if you love stories about Angelus' past, this is for you.

Ehhh...
Well, it's not terrible. The idea of the Hollower is extremely interesting, but the execution leaves much to be desired. It just kind of left me feeling bleh, you know? I'd sit down in the bookstore and read this one, but not buy it.

A disappointment as usual
Unfortunately the art work in this graphic novel and in the B/A comic books leaves a great deal to be desired. This is generally true of Buffy material in most categories (except my new Spike t-shirt). I wonder whether the PTB think fans of the two shows are capable of appreciating better quality art work. I also felt the plot was thin, but that is generally true of Golden's books. They are mostly one tiresome fight after another arranged along a predictable story line with no characterization at all. Of course I buy and read every novel and comic book that comes out, especially during the summer when I miss the new episodes. I find that much of the fan fiction on the net is better than the pulp offerings.

Nothing Hollow about the Hollower
A monster that can destroy vampires seems like a welcome addition to the Sunnydale landscape. But the old evil which Angelus once thought he killed is back. And this time it threatens more than just vampires. The plot bridges Angel's past and present and is far superior to the artwork in this graphic novel. I have only one complaint that Mr Golden didn't save this story for a full length text novel.

Has Promise
Vampires prey on humans, but who preys on vampires? The Hollower begins stalking Angel, but could also bring him salvation.

This story was interesting but a little predictable at times and I am not overly fond of the artwork. Still the storyline will hopefully pave the way for some new grahic novels for Buffy's favourate vampire. Buffy fans will be flocking to the new Angel storyline. ... Read more

Book Description

Artist/writer Bill Bronson takes a mockin' and rockin' look at horror and grrl-power, and comes up with a crunchy mix of tricks and treats he calls "Chicks & Monsters." A multi-flavored package of cruel-to-be-cool comics and painfully delightful drawings, Bronson's work can be described as a kind of punk Charles Addams for the new millennium. Stories include The Postmortem Girls in "The Band Practice that Woke the Dead," The Mothball Jawbreaker Gang in "Clean Up on Aisle 666," and The South Side Saints doing battle with rowdy hobgoblins who don't know when to leave! All this and pages of pin-ups, sketches, and other decidedly demented and morbidly fascinating artwork! For cute witches, hot vampire chicks, and girl golems with crushes on undead - where else would you go for one-stop shopping? ... Read more

Book Description

Every crime scene is unique. But when New York City Police homicide detectives Sam and Twitch investigate the scene of the first of several Mafia-related murders, they find four severed thumbs. Yet these bloody digits are not from anyof the victims. The medical examiner further discovers that the thumbs are genetically identical but their DNA cell structure is in different stages of development. Weird. As the detectives investigate more deaths in the Sangiacomo mob family, they discover widespread corruption in their own department, more bio-engineered body parts and seemingly innocent people dying from a bio-engineered virus. If that isn`t overwhelming enough, Sam and Twitch also find themselves in the center of a Federal Government Internal Affairs investigation where they are being used as bait in their own investigation. Follow Sam and Twitch as they risk life, limb and sanity to track down the meaning of the mysterious Udaku. in one of the most talked-about crime fiction dramas ever. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Awesome, Awesome, and more awesome!
This was an awesome graphic novel! It take two already awesome characters, gives them their own title and makes them even better! If you liked the characters Sam and Twitch in the Spawn comics and the Spawn animated series, you'll love them in their own title. if i could give this book more thanfive stars I would. It was well worth the money and the time. buy it! now!

Strong Ending Saves The Day
I HATE SPAWN. Absolutely hate him. I've read a few Spawn-related books, and haven't liked one of them. I picked up Sam and Twitch: Udaku because of writer Brian Michael Bendis alone. I'm a big fan of his work on books like Powers and Ultimate Spider-Man. So.....

For the first half of the book it seemed like the "Curse" would hold true for Udaku. It just didn't hold my interest. I fixated on the numerous production problems, like- A)- Art being lost in the binding. This was especially troubling in the double-page spreads. In addition, the art itself doesn't flow smoothly; Page after page is crammed with 16-panel grids, and when you put pages like that side by side, the eye doesn't know which way to read- side to side across both pages, or one page at at a time. It got irritating after a while. I mostly blame that on problem B)- The black-and-white fo