Book Description

Fleeing a distant planet and the marauding extra-terrestrial conquerors taking it over, the original Red Rocket crash-lands on earth. Near death, his robot guard made six clones to ensure that his lineage would continue. Each was imbued with a special aspect of the original`s personality. Beginning in the mid-`50s and continuing on into the future, Seven wanders through the history of rock `n` roll. Life isn`t just a party, though, because the evil Enfinites are on his heels the entire time. Features a never before seen, 16-page gallery of rock `n` roll portraits. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

He just wants to Rock
Being a musician and huge life-long fan of Rock 'n' Roll, I enjoyed Red Rocket 7 even more than Allred's Madman. The art, including the brilliant, vibrant colors of Laura Allred, is the usual lively, exciting work that you expect from Mike Allred. His work on Madman, and X-Force/X-Statix is always top notch, and his work on Red Rocket 7 is no exception. One added attraction here is Allred's ability to capture the likenesses of so many of Rock's legendary performers.

In addition to the periodic weaving into the mix of Little Richard, Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones, Dandy Warhols, and other past and present rockers, the core Sci-Fi story concerning Red Rocket 7 and his clone brothers, is fast paced and upbeat. As you cruise through this read, you can really feel Allred's unbridled enthusiasm for this project.

If you're new to Mike Allred's work, start with one of the collected Madman volumes. If you've already experienced Madman, then I doubt you'll be disappointed by the unapologetically fun tale of Red Rocket 7.

Red Rocket 7 - Allred does it again.
I borrowed this little book from a friend of mine, and was blown away. I was familiar with Mike Allreds work with madman and even the new X-Force comic as well as other magical projects, but nothing prepared me for this. As a music fan, there has never been a better fusion of music and comics since the ending quotes from the Watchmen(quotes from the likes of elvis costello, and bob dylan). I basically couldn't put this book down. It was a fun and fast read, and had all the greatest rockers and really didn't leave anyone out, even the punk rock groups of the late 70s and early 80s made it in. I can't stress how much anyone who loves good music, and good comics would enjoy this book. But it's great, i dig it, man.

Red rocketing chair
Don't get me wrong -- I think Mike Allred is a genius, and I'd follow his loony sensibility down just about any path he and his artistic imagination decide to take me. Somehow for me this whole 7-part epic (complete with accompanying movie and CD) just doesn't hold together -- the history-of-rock parts don't lend any real insight, the sci-fi story is too broken-up by the cerebral noodlings. I will say this: the art is stellar, and the colors -- thanks to Laura Allred -- are nothing short of gorgeous.

Red Rocket Rocks!
This is a shining compilation of a short series by Madman creator Mike Allread, about a sort of mystical space being, coming down to Earth and inspiring several great rock musicians. Very surreal. The uniquely Allred pop sensibility is more obvious than in the more famed Madman, and it is a wonderful read.

Not bad, but its no Madman
Basically, Mike Allred tries his hand at a space epic. Not bad, actually, because of the music theme. (Red Rocket 7 is a rock star.) I enjoyed it, and as always Mike Allred's art is excellent, complemented by the consistently awesome coloring by Laura Allred. I recommend it, because its a fun read. ... Read more

Book Description

Battle Royale, a high-octane thriller about senseless youth violence, is one of Japan's best-selling - and most controversial - novels. As part of a ruthless program by the totalitarian government, ninth-grade students are taken to a small isolated island with a map, food, and various weapons. Forced to wear special collars that explode when they break a rule, they must fight each other for three days until only one "winner" remains. The elimination contest becomes the ultimate in must-see reality television. A Japanese pulp classic available in English for the first time, Battle Royale is a potent allegory of what it means to be young and survive in today's dog-eat-dog world. The first novel by small-town journalist Koushun Takami, it went on to become an even more notorious film by 70-year-old gangster director Kinji Fukusaku. ... Read more

Reviews (89)

BANG!
Takami Koshoun, Battle Royale (Viz, 1999)

While I can't find any publication figures on Battle Royale, Viz' blurb on the back assures me it was a runaway bestseller (their words) in Japan, and that the manga which is based upon it has sold similarly well. For that matter, Kinji Fukasaku's film adaptation has very little box office information about it at IMDB, though I am prepared to accept that it, too, was a smash; pretty much everyone I know who likes (or is even curious about) modern Japanese film has either seen it or wants to see it. (Unfortunately, as of now I still fall into the latter category.) It is a film that comes readily to the fore when a Japahorror newbie asks, "so what should I see first?" In other words, in all sorts of media, Battle Royale has turned into something of a phenomenon (assuming one believes Viz' assertions, which I've no reason not to).

Like the not-nearly-as-deserving Da Vinci Code, reading Battle Royale will show you pretty easily what would cause it to become a major bestseller. With a few exceptions (the introduction and first chapter are interminable), Koshoun keeps the pages turning in this six-hundred-plus-page epic. The pace is exceptionally done once you've gotten to page forty or fifty, the subject matter has that "beauty of a particularly gruesome auto accident" feel to it, and the main characters are well-enough drawn that you can at least empathize with them on a surface level.

The plot is exceptionally simple: a junior high school class, forty-two students, are taken to a remote, evacuated island and ordered to participate in what is called The Program. It's a game of sorts in which the objective is exceptionally simple: be the last surviving student. To that end, students are equipped with basic survival equipment and a random weapon or two with which to defend themselves against, and kill, their classmates. There are a few extra rules thrown in to make sure the game doesn't stagnate, but that's the gist of it. And really, what could be more fun than six hundred pages of fifteen-year-olds killing each other?

As a straight genre thriller, the book works on just about every level. It's prime genre writing, right down to characters wandering around with "kill me" stamped on their foreheads and the final battle being, for all intents and purposes, obvious by the time you've reached the end of the first few chapters. In the larger picture, though, it's not quite as successful as the cover blurb and the adaptations would have you believe. It's obvious that Koshoun meant Battle Royale not just as a thriller, but as both a satire on modern civilization and a rant against fascism (how much fascism Koshoun attributes to current-day Japanese civilization is a valid question, but one to be answered with far more authority by a Japanese critic, or at least someone living in the country capable of reading the novel in the original), Battle Royale leaves way too much out to really be effective. Every once in a while, some of the characters stop what they're doing and mouth various platitudes about how awful the government is and how they'd like to strike against it, or how awful a civilization must be that would allow such a game to go on. None of it really works, at least in translation. Ironically, the places it works best are in one student's assessment of the government as unbeatable, simply because despite how awful it is, it works (cf. Mussolini making the trains run on time), which rather undercuts the satire angle.

Another place it fails somewhat, and this is obviously no fault of Koshoun's, is in the English translation. Where other translators might have glossed over some of the Japanese idioms, or at least made them more familiar to human ears, the translation seems almost literal in places, to where the text, especially in internal monologues, sounds like badly-dubbed dialogue from a sixties Godzilla movie. This, of course, leaves the reader somewhat jarred (but with, it should be said, a feeling of amusement).

Despite all its various faults, I will emphasize my earlier statement that Battle Royale is a good-- no, a great-- genre thriller. The back cover compares it to Lord of the Flies, but it seems to me that a better comparison would be to "The Most Dangerous Game," with the twist that everyone is both hunter and hunted. This is one hell of a fun ride, so pony up your E ticket and hop on. *** ½

Non Stop Action
Most people have reviewed this book with their opinions on the social implications and deep meanings. I'll let you and them analyze all you want. From a pure entertainment point of view, this was a non-stop action thriller. It starts right off the bat and doesn't slow down until the last page. Yes, it's sick and twisted in its way, but you will get pulled in. If the dialogue seems weird at times, I think it's because of the Japanese to English translation. I speak Japanese and I thought the enlish dialogue was weird at times. However, the characters are well developed and you start to care for them. Don't worry about following all 42 students and their exploits, the author makes it easy with some simple identifiers for each student. Plus, you can do what I did, make notes and mark them off as they expire. I couldn't put this one down!

The Inner Workings of the Teenage Mind
For his first novel, Koushun Takami decides to take a hypothetical view of how Japan would exist in the present day if they were to be the victors of the Second World War and to further constitute his image, he decided to integrate both his personal satire of the Japanese school system and a look at the high school student's psychology on life. Through these facets, Takami is able to create a powerful socio-political satire akin to that of Lord of the Flies.

The Republic of Greater East Asia is a result of Japanese victory in WW2. It contains Japan itself, China, and possibly several Pacific Islands. Internally, it is a mess of a totalitarian system that keeps itself rigid and ordered in front of the public eye. It has your typical labeling of Americans as "Imperialists" and its own policy of isolationism. More importantly, however, it has "the Program," a system where 50 high school classes are randomly selected each year to participate in an all out fight to the death with weapons. What does the winner of this mentally scarring tournament receive? A lifetime pension (though most likely meager and measly) and a card autographed by "the Dictator."

More importantly, however, are the students themselves. We see their own immature world where they feel as if they are responsible when they are not, their crushes, their academic pressures, their cliques, all in their primes. In the midst of the chaos, we have those who would try to find their "group" as a false sense of security. William Golding succeeded in capturing the savagery of children. Koushun Takami succeeded in capturing the makeshift responsibility of high school students.

Overall, the background, theme, and message is excellent but to understand it completely is a minor problem since the text seemed to be translated poorly. There are some confusing moments due to the texts and especially in some important parts detailing the motives of the government in the story. However, it is quite minor and it only requires a little bit more thinking...and you will be thinking about this book for quite a while after the last page.

All I can say is ..."wow!"....
I purchased this novel because I wanted to see the movie. The movie is unavailable in the United States (not banned, as we are led to believe) and I wanted to see what the controversy was all about.

We all know the premise of the story, so I won't go over it here. I will say that I could not put this book down. It almost immediately dives into the action and almost never lets up. It is bloody, brutal, and merciless as it hacks away one 9th grader after another. This is where the American controversy lies: Do we really want to see kids this young butchering each other? College kids, yes. Older teenagers, sure. But Junior High kids? The first school shooting after the movie is released in America, and the lucky production company will have a lawsuit on their hands faster than you can say Columbine.

After I read the book, I did make it a point to obtain a copy of the movie. You can spend about 30$ on a region 0, NTSC format DVD, that will play on most standard US DVD players. It was awsome but the backstory varied greatly from the novel.

In reference to a review where the dialogue between students is characterized as elementary, the thoughts and actions of 15 year olds in a sheltered society should be elementary. Up until they were forced to fight and die, the most important thing in their world was probably who had a crush on who. It's part of their youthful innocence or immature view of the world.

And maybe the ending was a bit predictable, I mean you know who the main characters are from Chapter 1. But the book is so good, that in my mind, I'm thinking "who cares?"! Nothing is perfect, and opinions are like (you know whats) - everybody has one.

Just get the book. Chances are if you were interested enough to look up Battle Royale on Amazon, you will probably love it.

Butchery and Mayhem
I had my first exposure to the "Battle Royale" franchise through the movie, which I went to see expecting a seriously violent bloodbath. In that, the movie did not disappoint. However, the added sense of dark humour also was a surprise.

The book is also rather violent, and the detail is very graphic. However, the added information, depth of plot and also the characterisations seem to add something more. The characters in the book seem to be people you can connect with in many cases, (though not all). The action is fast paced and keeps you moving all through the story.

On the downer side, I found some significant printing errors in the English version, (which annoyed me a little). Also, some parts seemed a little contrived, though I will not mention which parts. ;-)

As a book, it can be enjoyed on a few different levels, from just a bloodbath to a deeper, critical work on human nature and other aspects of life. I just enjoyed a good read and was sorry to reach the end.

... Read more

Amazon.com

Love Potion No. 9 is the second collection of Oh MyGoddess! stories, the follow-up to the wonderful 1-555-Goddess. While notquite as charming as the first volume, this book still packs a lot of lighthearted fun.Keiichi has been granted a wish by the goddess Belldandy, and his wish is that she staywith him forever. In the first book, Belldandy's sister provides the mischievoustroublemaking. This time around Sayoko and Toshiyuki are the troublemakers, vying forthe respective amorous attention of Keiichi and Belldandy. Artist Kosuke Fujishima has abeautiful style that is simple and appealing. It also touches on a genre that's not well-representedin many American comics: the sports comics. Most of this story takes placeat a multi-part endurance race. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Book 4: Enter Mara
This graphic novel contains five stories in the popular "Oh My Goddess" series. The life of Belldandy and Keiichi continues to be explored with a powerful new foe to interfere in their life together.

The first tale is about Sayoko and Aoshima's attempt to discover Belldandy's secret. The second tale is slightly longer and deals with Keiichi and Belldandy racing as a team for the Nekomi Tech Motor Club in an off road race. Meanwhile Aoshima attempts to prevent them from winning. The third story covers Aoshima's attacks on the Nekomi Tech Motor Club by opening his own club and destroying their club house. Belldandy discovers a buried Shinden experimental plane from WWII which the club must repair in time for the school festival.

The fourth tale has one of Urd's love potions backfiring on her with humorous results. The final tale is a longer one and introduces us to the demon Mara. Mara is out to prevent Urd and Belldandy from doing as they please on Earth and her target is Keiichi.

Bottom line: Another good graphic novel that is a must-have for OMG fans. The intoduction of Mara as a powerful foe to the goddesses is a good one.

A really sweet read
I know I know, this is one of the most sugar sweet manga series there is out there, but I just can't help myself. My heart just melts for the sweet Belldandy. In this volume Keiichi must race against an American couple to win money for his broke motor club. The race is quite interesting especially when Belldandy passes out from using too much of her energy. Also the motor club finds the Shinden a plane prototype thatw as made for WW II, but never made it to the air, but with Keiichi's help its dreams will come true. Also, Demon first class Mara makes her first appearance using Sayoko in a plot to foil whatever the goddesses do. The most interesting story in the book is the title story. Urd makes a love potion that she intends to give Keiichi and Belldandy, but Tamiya makes her drink it, Then she is falling into any guys' arms who metions cherry blossoms. Weird but wonderful stuff. kono manga yonde kudasai!

A fun little read.
In this, the second volume of "Oh My Goddess", Keiichi and Belldandy participate in a big race, Keiichi and his motor club pals must repair the airship 'Shiden II". Urd also experiments with a love potion with silly results. And we are introduced to the evil Demon.

The book contains "Oh My Goddess" Part I issues four and five, Part II issues six, seven, and eight, and "On a Wing and a Prayer" and "Love Potion #9".

As usual, "Oh My Goddess" has a undeniably charming cast of character. Belldandy is the cutest, kindest Goddess around, and Keiichi's timid nature only makes "Oh My Goddess" even more charming. Even Urd, who is is constantly trying to get Keiichi and Belldandy in bed, never got on my nerves.

The pace for the plot is great, espcailly in "The Secret's Out" and "What a Miracle". Suspense is involved, and the plot unravels quite well. "Love Potion No.9" didn't have that degree of storytelling, and it didn't need it. Instead it focuses on humor and choas.

In this volume, we meet Mara, the demon goddess, and Sayoko's desire for the elimination of Belldandy are revealed.

Anyone that enjoys comedy and is looking for an easy to read manga, marked with beautiful art, should get themself's a copy of "Oh My Goddess!". It's not as charming as the first one, but who cares?

Beautiful and whimsical
Fujishima sensei's artwork is incredible! He has a deft touch with humor; presenting some truly risque things in a gentle way -- making you see the humor even as you agree with the characters' shock. There are some sweetly sentimental moments tucked away in these amusing tales and you'll enjoy each and every one. From here on out Dark Horse dutifully follows the original Japanese manga so if you want to find out where this story is taking you, you better start buying!

Hilarious!
Easily the best of the first three Goddess books, "Love Potion No. 9" is another fun-filled escapade through the world of Belldandy and Keiichi. As always, every character is designed with care -- even the despicable Sayoko has her own special charm. This ability to give each character individuality is Fujishima's greatest strength, and it's what sets him apart from other manga artists.

Every chapter in "Love Potion No.9" is delightful; Fujishima's gentle but wicked sense of humor can be found sprinkled throughout the pages. Urd's lovestruck rampage is simply wonderful, as is Belldandy's reaction to Sayoko's videocamera voyeurism. (I'm not saying anymore about it!) And of course, just wait until you get to meet the S&M club ... ... Read more

Book Description

Crafted by acclaimed comics scribe Jason Hall, creator of Pistolwhip, and fan-favorite comics illustrator Roger Robinson (Azrael, Batman: Gotham Nights), all in a value-priced original graphic novel. Cover painting by Society of Illustrators award-winner David Michael Beck. ... Read more

Book Description

Blaze of Glory follows a new Mobile Infantry unit, Tamari's Tigers, and the fortunes of yet another raw recruit in the war against the bugs - William Tanner. The Tigers are sent on a recon mission to find out what has happened to an outpost only to discover Alamo Bay deserted and a recently arrived bug invasion swarm.(****Additional text****) You've read the book. You've watched the TV series. You've seen the movie. You know by heart the tale of Rico, Dizzy and Carmen.But in the war against the bugs, there is more than just one unit...Welcome to the world of Tamari's Tigers. Following the Pluto Campaign, the Tigers are sent on what seems to be a simple search and retrivial mission - a research base called Alamar Bay - but what they find there is far more than they ever imagined - a base overrun with bugs, a planet swarming with the enemy, and a band of survivors who will kill to save their secret research material.And for Trooper Will Tannen, fresh from boot camp, he finds that things aren't the same as the recruitment programmes, as his friends die around him, his sergeant seems traitorious, and his very life is in jeopardy...STARSHIP TROOPERS - ALAMO BAY is the first book in the BLAZE OF GLORY trilogy, chartering the rise, fall and rebirth of Will Tannen, a trilogy that has already been described as 'Sharpe in space'. Written by X-Men writer Tony Lee and drawn by Transformers Artist Paul Ridgon and Warhammer artist Jim Brady, this is a must for every fan of the book, TV series or Movies. This trilogy will give you new characters to care about as well as bringing in cameos from favourites from the original material, like Zim, Rico and Ibanez. ... Read more

Book Description

From the Arctic Circle to the equatorial jungles -- from the most isolated wilderness to the overpopulated city -- any place can be a hunting ground. It all depends on your choice of game. For Predator, that game is man, so he heads to the grounds with the biggest trophies: the Paloverde State Penitentiary. They say that when you kill a killer, all his kills belong to you, and Predator's looking to rack up the big numbers. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Pathetic
Which is sad considering how great the beginning was. The story just completely falls apart and is only slightly redeemed by a pretty cool ending. But, as a whole, it fails sorry.

The main reason is that the artwork is just plain horrid. In the opening chapters it's competent enough but as the story progresses it becomes more and more ugly. I could do better than this. It's a shame considering how brilliant other Predator comics looked.

The Predator is a truly awesome and iconic character. He deserves better than this. And so this is one to forget. Check out Predator: Dark River or Kindred instead. Those are really cool. This is not.

Great book!!
I totally "enjoyed" the storyline. I have been a fan of Mr. Vachss for many years and I was very happy to see him involved in a project like this (I am a big fan of the Predator!).
I did not recognize Cross though (for those of you who know Mr. Vachss' work, you know what I am talking about). He looked so unlike the cross I had pictured in my head. He kind of looked a litle bit goofy. Anyway, enjoyed the comic. Mr. Vachss is a great story teller.
Get this book! It might be hard to get it or to find a copy of it, but its soooo worth it!!
If you have never read any of Mr. Vachss' work, go ahead and start reading. You are going to be shocked!!!

Bye.

Zaida

Predator: Race War
Andrew Vachss doing a Predator comic--it's either an absolute natural, or the weirdest combination possible, depending how ya look at it!

The whole thing started when Dark Horse's Randy Stradley planned a storyline involving a Predator hunting a serial killer. Since the Predator's victims are _de facto_ reps of the human race itself, this came down to the *human* killer, in his battle with the *alien* killer, becoming The Good Guy.

As Stradley tells us--and as one would expect--Vachss didn't think much of that idea. But that was Ok, because he had an idea of his own. Thus was "Predator: Race War" conceived and, eventually, born, as a five-issue series, collected together here.

The cover is, natch, the first thing one sees, and this one, by Ray Lago, is a winner. The Predator, a heavily-armored intergalactic Rastamon, crouches on a prison walkway, menacing and indestructible. It's a thing of beauty, and I'm *not* being facetious.

Stradley's adaptation is clean and tight, as it the artwork throughout--pencils by Raskin & Pelle, inks b Rick Bryant, and colors by Matt Hollingsworth & Pamela Rambo.

"They say that when you kill a killer, all his kills belong to you," the back cover informs us. "Well, Predator's looking to rack up the big numbers."

What better place to do so than the most maxed-out of maximum security prisons in the country? Who could possibly stop this dude?

Who else but Cross & Crew, familiar to fans of Vachss' short fiction and Dark Horse's _Cross_ series?

Be aware that Cross & crew's depiction is a bit different than fans might expect. Tiger has no stripes, fer-instance, and she's drawn a bit...err, *heftier*...than we'd expect. Cross, Fal & Rhino are more in line with the rest of the series, and the Predator is nicely done, especially in "camoflauge" mode.

The "Race War" is a double theme: first, the tension and violence along racial lines familiar to those of us who live in The Real World(tm), second, the war of the *human* race in its various shades against the Predator's alien race.

The "Gallery" section at the end features the series' covers, paintings by Dave Dorman, which are quite simply *damned* cool. IMNSHO, the covers alone are well worth the price. Do yourself a favor and order this one. It's a keeper. ... Read more

Book Description

Dark Horse Comics presents the latest volume of Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... featuring classic Star Wars stories not seen in over twenty years! Originally printed by Marvel Comics, these stories have been meticulously re-colored and are sure to please both new and old Star Wars fans. Fool's Bounty collects issues 68 to 81 of the original Marvel run, along with Star Wars Annual #3. Most of these stories take place after The Empire Strikes Back, as Han Solo's friends continue to search for their lost scoundrel, and this volume ends with Marvel's first story set in the Return of the Jedi era -- "Jawas of Doom." Lando Calrissian is hilariously disguised in "The Big Con," a captured Princess Leia must escape torment in "Death In The City Of Bone," and C-3PO gets his mechanical heart broken in "Ellie." Also highlighted are several rare Star Wars pinups, and an introduction by James Kochalka! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Can't get enough of the Marvel stories. FUN FUN FUN!
To me, this book is like a time machine. When I read it, I'm 12 years old again and eagerly awaiting the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi. What happened to Han Solo? Who is this mysterious bounty hunter named Boba Fett? How will Luke get ready for his inevitable showdown with Darth Vader?

None of these questions are directly answered by this series, but they're alluded to as Leia, Lando, and Luke go on all-new adventures. Like the stupendous volume 4, the art is excellent -- Tom Palmer and Walt Simonson aren't afraid to put our heroes in different clothes, and writer David Michelinie is capable of fleshing these archetypes out into real characters.

Despite the technical differences (the coloring process used in the 80s is crude compared to today's comics), these remain my favorites for Star Wars "graphic novels." If you're into Star Wars and have an open mind, don't miss this run of wonderful stories. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Some actual info.
Ellis. I like him, even if he mocks us 'Merkins ruthlessly.

Since there is currently no information about this collection, I'll provide the blurb from www.warrenellis.com:

"Collecting: PLANETARY/THE AUTHORITY: RULING THE WORLD, and PLANETARY/JLA: TERRA OCCULTA and PLANETARY/THE BATMAN: NIGHT ON EARTH. Illustrated by Phil Jiminez and Jerry Ordway and John Cassaday."

I enjoyed the Authority crossover. In presenting the two sets of characters, he maintains the tones of each: the Authority continue to be a god-awful scary group of super heroes and the Planetary field agents continue to squint suspiciously at the world.

I've not read the other issues included in this collection, though I hear that the better, if sad, nod to JLA is in Planetary 10 "Magic and Loss".

fey, maybe not.
lovecraft was definitely a racist, but lots of people were then so its a non-issue.

planetary is good. especially liked the alternate superman/wonderwoman/green lantern story.

Question- What does this trade encompass ?
Hate to do this but there's little to no info. Does this trade pick up where the Fourth Man left off, encompassing some of the retro history of Planetary ? (Snow's meeting with Holmes and Co.,the Elders' Song etc). Having trouble determinining if this is something I've read or not.

Thanks.

Not always your usual typical subversive Brit-crap
Reading a Brit's (or Scot's--i.e.: Ellis, Moore, Gaiman, Morrison, and ESPECIALLY Ennis) is like the Sinead/National Anthem debacle or more recently, Alanis/Janet Jackson (...) --we Yanks have to put up with a LOT of other lands' interpretation of our icons/morals thru their subersive/"enlightened" eyeballs for the sake of "art" and "fair play"--without filling up a whole page with my rant, I'll just leave it to several points: first, if they don't respect the medium, why do they continue to write for it? Out of all of my aformentioned examples, only Morrison has seem to snapped out of this juvenile behaviour ("Ooooohh, I'll have my hero vomit on Batman's boots, that'll be a larf and p1ss the fanboys off!") and actually shown the medium some respect as in his JLA and now X-Men stints; second: why MUST all of their female characters be total shrews? Ellis is the most guilty of this as he does write strong female heroes but with their collecive personalities, I wouldn't let them lead a church choir, let alone a team of meta-humans; third, why, when they create their own heroes/worlds, do their hates and predjudices magnify even fiercer? Which brings me to Ellis: I tried to read The Authority as I was swayed by all the media hype (caused mostly by Entertainment Weekly) and it was the most vile piece of garbage I've read since Preacher: Ancient History (I'm sure the last would bring smiles to the respective authors faces, as they loooove to shake things up and see that look on your face), the homosexual relationship was the least of my issues as if it was seriously and tastefully done, it may have surpassed the "Northstar"/"Alpha Flight" issues, but noooooo, let's make them a violent, misanthropic, mincing parody of the Superman/Batman mythos--and if you want violent, misantropic, butch AND fascist, let's talk "Jenny Sparks" from that same title--AAAARRRGGHH! (deep breath) Anyway, it was with some trepidation that I picked up the first issues of the "Planetary" series and I was shocked to find I enjoyed MOST of it--oh you still have the "Beyotch from Hell" in the female hero role, the grumpy old man and last but not least the grunge rocker "hero" Seattle left behind and you still have the usual snotty pickings on our literary and historical lions (H.P. Lovecraft depicted as a fey racist? Oy Vey!) but mostly Ellis can control his Alan Moore-influenced spew (did they go to the same commune?) long enough to craft a honest to God conspiracy epic with, well, KINDA-likable character (altho with this new collection, he is now sliding back into his old habits, as how long is "Elijah Snow" going to physically abuse "The Drummer"?) and some, for once, ENJOYABLE twists (the last "Batman" story in this collection is a must read that literally dropped my jaw and was completely unexpected--in short (too late!), keep it up, Ellis and you may have more of my racist, sexist, puritanical, overfed, world-dominating Yankee dollars going into your shabby little pocket...
P.S.: Forgive my misspellings but I wanted to get the above out of my head and onto the web with no pauses, due to the ill-educated, impatient, coddled Yankee thing... ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Very enjoyable
If you liked the Matrix and its sequels, and the Animatrix, you'll enjoy this. There is some clever writing and great art-work. Each story explores a different aspect of the Matrix universe a la the Animatrix. There's a great noir feel to the book as a whole, and find myself returning to it after having initially read it. Very enjoyable.

Some Background might be required...
Just from looking at a few comments on this book, I can see that many who might be interested in buying this book might need to know a little bit about the collection before they read it, or they might not fully enjoy it.

Many have criticized the book for not expounding on the matrix and instead dwell around the foundation of the first film. This is because many of these stories were started before the first film was even released, to be used as content for the movie's website. This is a collection of many of the older stories, and only a few of the more recent comics. For example, the first story, which tells essentially the same story as "The Second Renaissance, Part 1" from the Animatrix was written well before work on any of the sequels had begun. So keep in mind that this book is primarily works based on the world of the matrix before the sequels. For those of you looking for an expansion on the sequels, you definitely should check out the entire collection for free at thematrix.com. And then look for the other volumes to follow that will collect the rest of the comics, which DO expand on what we saw in Reloaded and Revolutions and the Animatrix.

The art has been attacked as well, which is too bad since the purpose was to get more people into comics who might not normally pick one up. Even if you don't like any type of comics, I would still recommend this. Sure, a panel drawing can't capture the splendor of an elaborately choreographed fight scene, but it's not supposed to. The intention here is to tell a good story. For anyone who enjoys the occasional graphic novel, you'll definitely appreciate the collection of very talented artists and writers assembled.

Overall, I would say that while this collection doesn't collect only the best stories from the series, it does collect many of the better ones, including my 2 favorites, making it an excellent start to the books. Instead, this collection is intentionally varied in it's art and story-telling style, so that there's something here for everyone. So if you liked comics like Star Wars Tales, you'll appreciate the variety to this collection. The two outstanding stories here are "Butterfly" and "There are no Flowers in the Real World". They are not to be missed, whether you enjoyed the sequels or not.

To be honest I think there were as many mediocre stories in this book as great ones, but this is offset by the beautiful artwork and the fact that when all the comics are finally collected, it will be an amazing book collection. Since many of the best stories are still only on the website, I'm looking forward to the subsequent volumes since reading them online just doesn't compare to actually having the book in your hands.

I don't care what anyone says, I enjoyed this work
Being a proud lover of all three "Matrix" films, I naturally loved the "Matrix Comics" as well. In fact anything remotely cyberpunk, such as the books "Neuromancer", "Cryptonomicon", "Darkeye: Cyber Hunter", "Count Zero", etc., is now in my possession. I would advise anyone remotely interested in these types of comics or books to get them and tune into cyberspace like only these bodies of work can do!

More of a curiousity...
I found most of the stories in this book to be kind of average. The Neil Gaiman story was pretty good. As for the illustrations that accompanied it, I thought the first illustrations were the best.

Ted McKeever's story is very good because it treats the Matrix like the real world with a character that has great depth for a short piece of fiction. And the art was very original for this story, too.

I also liked "Hunters and Collectors", but I'm a sucker for any loose analogies or retellings of Melville's classic story.

The art, for the most part of this book is great. It's the writing that doesn't perform as well as I expected. Most of the stories don't take any chances or take you to different ground in the Matrix world, with the exception of McKeever & Gaiman's stories.

I'd recommend the book as a curiosity piece to anyone's library.

uncreative matrix stories
I picked this up after seeing revolutions, thinking that it might glean more info about Matrix 2 & 3. It doesn't. The stories are pre-reloaded plot twist, and thus dwell on aspects of the first film without really enlarging them. Some of the artwork is good; so not so good (particularly one story "There are no Flowers"; the scene where the guy starts to fight matrix style is laughable it's so bad, and a devolution of the artistry of the movies). The first story by the wachowski bros. and geof darrow is a re-tread of the one of the animatrix episodes (history of matrix pt.1). I liked the story "Get It?" because it was pretty funny. But basically the book doesn't acknowledge any thing beyond Matrix 1 (except there is one story with Link in it). That was disappointing; and most of the stories aren't that interesting. ... Read more

Book Description

Dark Horse is proud to present a collection of rare material from one of the greatest artists to ever illustrate science fiction comics, the legendary Wally Wood's M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War. Reprinting the first three issues of the Gold Key science fiction epic, this collection represents Wood's total contribution to the series and is a must for any fan of Wally Wood or collector of comic book or science fiction classics. ... Read more

Book Description

In a time after the events of Episode I - The Phantom Menace, half of the Jedi High Council travel to the exotic world of Malastare to negotiate a peace treaty between two of that planets warring factions. But the whole affair is being manipulated by a secret, third party out to assassinate the Jedi! Add in the fact that Malastare is one of the few planets to allow the dangerous sport of Pod-Racing and you can be sure that the Jedi are in for some extreme action! This story features many familiar characters from The Phantom Menace and continuesthe ongoing adventures that bridge the gap between Episodes I & II! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Witty and wild, this doesn't disappoint
Emissaries to Malastare is actually challenging to rate. Its high page count is more like two separate stories; though interconnected, the second different but for its loose relation to the first. The quality of the first fades very noticeably past the midpoint, but with shabbier fare out there this won't disappoint.

And with the Dark Woman starting off the comic with a quick duel against young A'Sharad, there's no need to hide that smile---anymore than why my fascination of this character can be explained. Perhaps it's her sharp tongue and haunting prowess, or the way she disappears in thin air. More likely it's her sharper looks.

The quality of art is smooth and commendable, though not of Twilight's exemplary performance. Malastare is a world with enough diversity for creative opportunity, and with the methane mists of a Podracer circuit parallelling a consular summit, it was well done indeed. But when the business on Malastare ends midway, as does the level of art. The investigation on Nar Shadda has shoddy art quality, unforgivable with the standards now available. A den of smuggler inequity Nar Shadda may be, the art doesn't need to be as badly done as unpicturesque the polluted environment may be.

Dialogue came in a fashionable bag: stylish for all seasons. With half the Jedi Council there to broker a peace accord, you can expect diplomatic etiquette polished to a mirror. The devious players spoke devious, the sybarites their own way.

The world is Dug populated but Gran dominated. Adding Lannik terrorists to the party and you get duplicitous danger swirled with traitorous betrayal. Selbulba is back along with his other Podracer faces, and with the twin-headed race commentators mouthing good humour you have yourself an enjoyable read.

You'll be treated to some nice touches here, from a half-headed Hutt and Villie the shifty Devaronian to revisiting the Smuggler's Moon, where continuity from Dark Empire was faithfully preserved. The Fode-Beed team was hilarious with their advertiser endorsements.

The focus started off with Master Piell and his Lannik ties to the summit, yet A'Sharad and Ki-Adi-Mundi wants their screen time too. Once Malastare is done, Mace Windu and Depa Billaba become the spotlight, thus making this seem more like two tales rather than one encompassing one.

Overall, this is one comic that cannot be missed out on for those seeking both a fun and delightful read.

Now this is Podracing!.. Comic book story and art combined
This is a review of the Dark horse comic called STAR WAR: REPUBLIC - EMISSARIES TO MALASTARE, issues #13 to 18, also known as STAR WARS: ONGOING, VOLUME 3. What ever its name is I am reviewing ISBN: 1569715159 TPB issued august, 2001. It continues the story presented in OUTLANDER following Hett's son as a trainee at the Jedi Temple in Coruscant (or do we now call it corussaunt). Dark horse has placed this comic on its timeline as happening before TPM but the cover says it takes place just after.

This is where Dark horse turns a corner for me with this comic. Most of the art is of 4 star quality. The story is 3.5 stars, so I have to round up to a 4.

Got to thank Dark horse for it's individual pictures of the key characters and names. This is something that is sometimes missing, and when missing it can get confusing, guessing who is who.

The story is interesting. Seems three creatures are from Malastare, Dugs (Sebulba and Podracing are from Malastare). Jedi Even Piell (same race as Yoda?) is from Malastare. The Gran are from Malastare. We also learn that Adi Gallia is of Corellia. The Dugs are slaves on Malastare. Six Jedi go to Malastare to help negotiate a treaty but everything seems to be a trap. The negotiation were timed to take place at the same time as the galaxies biggest Podrace. There is lots of action and the art and inks are very good.

Word of caution. As of the new production procedures that create great looking comics, the binding quality has dropped off seriously. My comics seem to just fall apart with minor handling. This is not a problem I had experienced in the past. You must never touch your comic or open it if you wish to avoid damage to the binding.

Almost there! Even better is ahead!
This is a review of the Dark horse comic called STAR WAR: REPUBLIC - EMISSARIES TO MALASTARE, issues #13 to 18, also known as STAR WARS: ONGOING, VOLUME 3. What ever its name is I am reviewing ISBN: 1569715159 TPB issued august, 2001. It continues the story presented in OUTLANDER following Hett's son as a trainee at the Jedi Temple in Coruscant (or do we now call it chorussaunt). Dark horse has placed this comic on its timeline as happened before TPM but the cover says it takes place just after. i am putting it at -31.6 after NH on the timeline.

This is where Dark horse turns a corner for me with this comic. Most of the art is 4 star quality. The story is 3.5 stars, so I have to round up to a 4.

Almost Perfect 4.5 Stars
For Pod-Racing fans the planet of Malastare is a familiar venue as it appears as one of the sites in the video game. In this installment taking place after, "The Phantom Menace", and prior to, "The Attack Of The Clones", fans get the better part of two storylines. One half of the Jedi Council sets out for Malastare and most of the time the Lightsabers are lit and in use. The action is raised another notch when some familiar drivers from The Boonta Eve Race on Tatooine make command appearances.

There is a great deal to enjoy in this collected series. This is one of the lengthier issues, and unlike some will not leave you feeling the story was thin or rushed. There is a sequence that shows a side to the training of an apprentice that I don't believe has been demonstrated to readers before. And inside the Jedi High Council Chamber the reader is exposed to the rituals that take place prior to a meeting, and relationships between council members that are new as well.

The artwork is key to any of the issues, and the skill of the artists is consistently extremely good, with some full-page illustrations that are excellent. The rendering of some of the characters faces is inconsistent which is not unusual but is something I have never understood. The cover would seem to be a place that would highlight the skills of the artist; in this case it does not. The four Jedi that appear on the cover appear as though they were pasted on a background. One Jedi Master has a Lightsaber that appears to be entering the side of his head, and all the Jedi weapons are ridiculously small. I don't know why the level of effort on the cover was so different from what is found inside, and with possibly one exception is substantially poorer than the individual covers that as always are featured at the book's end.

Over all this is still one of the better collections, and will appeal to those who are fans of this format. ... Read more

Book Description

From 1992 to 1999, Dark Horse Comics was virtually the only source of new Star Wars visual art. Even after the release of the new films, the talented artists at Dark Horse have continued to expand the depth and breadth of the Star Wars galaxy. From ancient Jedi to alien worlds, from fantastic creatures to faster-than-light spaceships, no other publisher has produced so many dazzling images from our generation's greatest mythology.This book presents an amazing selection of covers and interior images from over a decade of Dark Horse comics and graphic novels by some of the finest artists in the world. A visual feast for anyone who has enjoyed the films and a true treasure for the dedicated Star Wars fan! ... Read more

Book Description

Alita's mastery of the lethal Panzer Kunst technique may not help her in volume 2 of this popular series. Her worst enemy may be herself. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Full of Emotion
The sweet Alita is a hunter-warrior and now finds herself in love with Hugo. It seems Hugo would do anything to get into Tiphares. He plans to buy his way into the city in the sky. He does whatever needs to be done to get the money, which puts a price on his head. The ever honest Alita finds that the love of her life isnow one of her prey. Apparently, Alita has made some enemies among the other hunter-warriors, such as Zapan (Alita apparently insulted him in a bar fight in the first graphic novel: Battle Angel Alita). What becomes of hugo, her love and now her prey? And how is Zapan tied into this? It's all in this book! Enjoy!

"Tomorrow is useless to a dead man"
As is true of almost any tale of cyborgs the question of the difference between mechanical consciousness and mechanized humanity is one of the driving forces behind the Battle Angel Alita series. At what point does a combination or brain, spinal column and hardware gain or lose its human nature. In this second stanza in the series, Alita, who was brought back to life in the first volume, re-finds her capacity for love when she meets Hugo, a human boy. Hugo's goal is to make his way from the traps of the Scrapheap to the upper city of Tiphares.

Hugo and Alita seem made for each other, despite the gulf of artificiality that separates them. But Hugo, despite being a complete human is willing to steal the spines out of their original possessors if it brings him closer to the day he can go to Tiphares. This gruesome sideline, and the ghouls he works for gradually eat away at his own humanity until it is clear that he and Alita are really going in opposite directions. Alita will discover her spirit as Hugo gradually loses his soul.

In the meantime, we get a close introduction to the grim nature of life below the city in the sky. Hunter Killers take heads for bounty, people feed on scraps while anything good is sent to Tiphares, and black market ops farm the neighbors for profit. For such as Hugo and Alita there is really no escape, only a dark struggle that can only lead to insanity and death if the dreamer refuses to waken.

Balancing what is almost a post-apocalyptic vision, is Yukito Kishiro's wonderful artwork. He has the same eye for detail that made 'Ghost in the Shell' such a compelling spectacle. The cover art made me wish, for the second time that this series had made it as a feature film or OAV series. If you have been feeling drawn deeper into the world of manga, Alita is a great introduction to Japanese science fiction.

A small treasure...
I don't want this to become another plot summery. There are too many of those anyway. When I found this book I was happy to find a graphic novel that does not present women in as sexual objects. Alita is a girl who can beat up any guy. Why I gave this book 4 starts is that author Yukito Kishiro is lacking something from her writing. I know that it was probably lost in translation. Yet I can't deny that it is a bit dry. Aside from this minor flaw the story is quite interesting.

love... wonderful
the love story in this book is beautiful, it's wonderful, and i luv it because of this. it's sad, rythmatic, and stays this way through the entire book. it DOES end a little suddenly, tho, but don't they all?

The perfect follow-up to a perfect start in a series!
If "Battle Angel Alita" merely introduced us to the amazing cyber world of Yukito Kishiro, then "Battle Angel Alita: Tears of an Angel" builds upon that world and, more than likely, sets in motion the plot.

After her victory over the all-powerful "King of the Maggots" in the first manga volume, Alita now faces her toughest challenge yet: love. Yes, love. While that phrase usually sounds cliched, it applies perfectly in this second manga volume. Alita has it tough to begin with, but when things start to spiral down even further, she must make a choice that could end up destroying her.

Like before, the artwork is beautiful and very detailed. And, like before, "Tears of an Angel" is riddled with violence and blood and gore that sticks it in the section of mature readers who have very strong stomahchs. The story is a superb, miniature masterpiece, and it undoubtedly adds to the internal conflict of Alita trying to find her identity.

This second volume is also featured in the "Gunnm" two episode OVA anime series ("Gunnm" is the original name of the "Battle Angel Alita" series.) Like before, I advise you to read the manga before watching the series, as comparisons will most likely decrease the enjoyment of the manga. But with that said, enjoy "Tears of an Angel". Along with the first volume, the second volume is a superb triumph. ... Read more

Book Description

Award-winning, TV-bound Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot sees long-awaited second printing!

Now a network television animated series, this is the original graphic novel that started it all! Engineered by the award-winning creative team of writer Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City) and artist Geof Darrow (Hard Boiled), Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot is everything you remember about being eight years old and watching movies of giant monsters on the rampage, but with all the magnified detail that you always wanted to see. Miller's buoyant script and Darrow's amazingly intricate artwork grab you by the scruff of your neck and throw you headfirst into the fray! And the deluxe, oversized format makes the dazzling graphics seem even bigger than a movie screen! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Animated series
Where is the animated series? Pokemon killed this show when it came out, I think it got more run time in Spain. Oh, Goef, come out of hiding in France. I know story board work is a lot more money but comic books need you. If a maligned by the network that owns it cartoon like Invader Zim can be in the top 25 at amazon so can Big Guy.

How about a Moon Pig one shot?

Not your grandmother's Miller
The first thing you'll notice is Geoff Darrow's knotty tight sublime hyper-etched artwork, lines running like veins into the architecture and broken glass that is Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot. This is not the Miller of Sin City or DK Returns et cetera,,,,watch him rip away the Chandler influence and dive into Japanese toy culture via Godzilla gggrraaaaaauu. This won't give you a typical Milleresque vision, whatever that means, but it's a cool trip through a world owned by toys and monsters. Great book for kids. Bedtime story and such.

Mass Destruction, H.O. scale
Forget the animated series. It's heart is in the right place.

But this came before the series; it's the real deal.

An applecheeked, Bob's Big Boy-lookin' android teams up with a gigantic, old-school meca-robot to fight evil and save the world.

MEANWHILE: the dry, tongue-in-cheek humor and ultra-violence of Frank Miller teams up with the painstaking, intricate artwork of Geof Darrow to create a buddy comedy of epic proportions.

What's it like?

It's a little like if "Tintin" author/artist Herge read a bunch of old Marvel comics and decided to do a "Godzilla" story.

It's a little like Mutt and Jeff if they were nuclear powered crimefighters up against a bad guy from an anime adventure.

But mostly it's like covering your old model airplanes with rubber cement and torching it good. Then doing the same thing to your H.O. scale train set and your Tyco racetrack. (which nobody should ever do -- read the book, it's better and safer)

Better than a mouth full of honey bees!
I saw the cartoon version of this on the telly the other day, and it dawned on me that I have the originals in my basement. I though I was going to strike it rich for sure, by selling them on Ebay, but no dice. There was another guy selling them, and it looked like he was only going to get about five bucks for them. This made me real sad for the other guy, so I bid a million dollars. I hoped this would make the market catch fire, like my aunts house did when I tried to fix her toaster. Someone told me later that you should always unplug a toaster when you try to fix it with a butter knife. They also told me that the toast is supposed to come out only a little, and not shoot across the room like in the cartoons where one guy shoots toast at another guy like it was a cannon or something.

Okokok, so I found this comic book in my basement, but I don't think anyone would want it anyway, because my basement is really smelly and stuff, and nobody likes a thing that is really smelly, do they? Maybe a dog would. I don't like dogs much.

Buy my comic book, your dog will love it!

I love Frank Miller...but
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Frank Miller. I also love the illustrator Geoff Darrow. Together they produced Hard Boiled, a marveoulous, dark, confusing tale. The problems with Big Guy and Rusty...is that it's all flash and no substance. It's like that prom date you dreamed of all through high school. Pretty, shallow, and um...pretty. And it's short. It could be that this is what the artist and author were going for. It might be that it is built out of a reverence of Astro-boy, Manzinger-Z, and other popular "big-robot" old school cartoons. But for Frank Miller...I'd expect a bit more bite for my buck.

In any case. Three stars. 'Cause it's pretty. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Mister Quimper and the Lords of Intrusion...
The idea of the entire Invisibles series seems to be Chaos vs. Order. You would think order is better than chaos right? Well, according to this series, Order is the worst possible thing bar none next to the apocalypse. Why? Well, for instance, say you walk into a coffee shop, and when you get up to the counter the person hands you a cup of coffee and says: "that's $1.50" or whatever. Now, you didn't even ask for the coffee yet, and you like it a certain way, right? You want a half-caff latte, Or a black mocha, or just a regular, yes? Well, instead you get this unknown cup of coffee, that costs a certain amount and you dont get to know what's in there and you just drink it. You drink it not because the universe is chaotic, but because the universe is ORDERED. Everything is in the right place, but unfortunately, humanity and all its wonderful variation is not factored into the equation. This is a simplistic way of looking at the complexity of a series like Grant Morrison's Invisibles, but I hope I am on the right track.
The order that Quimper and his masters represent is a totalitarian order where your mind is literally controlled by another. Choice is non-existent. All is lost, and nothing can save you.
The chaos The Invisibles represent is that you have every choice imaginable before you (except sometimes you don't), All appears lost (but probably is not), and you get by with a little help from your friends (always a good thing).
I tried not to give too much away of this series while trying to convey the sense of boundless creativity contained in this volume (and all volumes) of the Invisibles. It is truly a masterwork of graphic storytelling and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Morrison has a great talent for endings
Book 6: Kissing Mr. Quimper is a page turner, that's for sure. Grant Morrison has a real talent for ending his major story arcs, and this book, ending Volume two of the series, is no exception.

There are a lot of twists and turns and the story benefits greatly from it. A number of loose ends are tied up and really shows another talent of Morrison as a storyteller. The Invisibles, through most of the previous series, seemed to be messy and out of control, but he reigns it all in and begins to form the whole picture for us.

The last issue is a real testament to the creativity of Morrison. I admit, the added violence in Volume two was surprising, but in the end it all seems to be part of a much bigger plan.

This book has it all and the increased clarity makes the previous stories more enjoyable. There is a real sense of closure in the end.

Isn't it exciting to know there are 12 more issues to read?

Good stuff
What can I say? The man delivers. He mixes everything and does it with talent most of the time. Morrisson is good and getting better. He is still far from Moore... but then... everybody is. The Invisibles is one of the best series ever, up there with the Sandman, Cerebus and all the other good stuff!!!

Better Than Preacher, Better Than Transmet...
This is the near-final and second-best segment of what is possibly the most brilliant, innovative and headache inducing comic book series ever. Grant Morrison's mind is a dark and sticky wonderland, and we should all buy this book and read it and thank him for splitting his head open to give it to us.

_The Invisibles_ rivals _From Hell_ as a work which capture magic in words and pictures. While the series finale, _Countdown to the Millennium_ (as yet unreleased) is the best --it's a drug in comic book form--the entire series should be read with reckless joy, and the continuing hope that Grant Morrison will soon abandon Marvel and start writing things that matter again.

That being anarchist agitprop, of course.

quimper
This isn't just a comic book. If you buy it expecting a simple, mindless read, you're going to be disapointed. If, on the other hand, you buy it with the hope of opening your mind to possibilities you had never before considered, you're in for a hell of a read. When you finish, you'll probably be left with more questions than answers, but then, the Invisibles has never been about answering questions, it's been about encouraging people to start finding their own answers. ... Read more

Book Description

Picking up where the second volume of Checker's reprint series left off, this volume reprints issues 17 through 25 of the original Star Trek comics from Gold Key. Features the original Enterprise crew - Kirk, Spock, Sulu, McCoy, and the rest - in uniqueTrek adventures scripted by famed comics writer Len Wein. ... Read more