Editorial Review

Following the success of the first edition, the updated and revised DC Comics Encyclopedia offers even more incredible DC detail and imagery than the original. 48 brand-new pages include major updates on characters and storylines (including the recent "Infinite Crisis" story arc). This spectacular, up-to-the-minute encyclopedia will delight comic fans of every age. ... Read more

Reviews

Nice Hardcover Collection, October 4, 2004
Many folks for years have been wanting DC to revisit their Who's Who series from the mid-80's, an A to Z covering of characters. This new hardcover fits that bill in a solid, colorful volume. The wrap around cover by Alex Ross is beautiful and eye-catching.

As for the book's interior, it is obvious a lot of effort was put into this. Four main writers handled the text portions, with art taken from hundreds of artists across the decades.

Naturally, there will be a few errors that creep into something such as this. I found characters in group shots mislabeled, and the occasional wrong fact in an entry. These things probably should have been caught in final proofing. I can forgive them though as they are few and far between.

The one thing that becomes painfully obvious to this long time comic reading fan is that the focus of this tome swings heavy to the post-Crisis universe (understandable as that is what the current continuity is - stuff reorganized and introduced since 1986). This tome makes it obvious that continuity is in fact constantly in flux, being rewritten and reworked. The book is uneven in that at times it takes both old and rewrites into account. Examples include the Legion of Super-Heroes stuff and the Doom Patrol relaunch from earlier this year.

Still, it is a nice coffee table tome and good for quicky research on characters and such.

A nice guide to the DC Characters, November 20, 2004
Some people may gripe over that their favorite character got only a small entry in the book but I was surprised at how complete this book was.

Lets face it, unless DC reprints Who's Who you are not going to get a complete guide to the DC characters, this book is made to represent as many of their characters as they could. I enjoyed the entries about the lesser known characters and being given updates on some of the heros and villians I had followed but lost touch with.

The DC Comics Encylopedia makes a nice gift for any comics fan.

Awesome information, September 24, 2005
I really didn't know what to expect when I bought this book. It was just something to help me figure out who some of the characters were in the DC universe. What I found was a history of EVERY character DC has ever created! There were some really obscure characters in there dating back to the 1940s that I had never even heard of.

If you're into DC comics, it's well worth the price. I know I've had hours of fun reading the different entries on not only the characters I knew but many I didn't.

A very good try..., November 19, 2004
As a fan of DC comics and a collector of its 'Who's Who' series from way back I was very pleased to see a large, hardbound encyclopaedia of the DC Universe. Flipping through it at my local bookseller's left me pretty pleased with the work overall and so I purchased it to go over in more detail later. The Devil, as they say, is in the details. Going over the book more closely the reality of a work this size hit home: they missed quite a number of characters (some obscure, others not so obscure) and the formatting left something to be desired. I'm an old-school fan, pre-Crisis in many senses, and some of my favorites were simply not there; any version of The Harlequin (NOT Harley Quinn), a number of the less-used members of the Titans (Teen, New or otherwise), just to mention a few. I recommend this book for the artwork, primarily, and for -most- of the information contained therein. With word of a second printing, I'm hopeful that then next one will have more space.

A fun way to view DC's history, January 30, 2006
Using the encyclopedia format to look at the myriad characters created over the course of DC Comics history is a clever and fun idea. Illustrated with art from a variety of time periods and treating the characters as if they actually existed, the authors have created a book that is valuable for any fan of comics. Little known characters, events that might have been missed, and some fairly obscure references combine with the well-known mainstays of the DC Universe (Superman, Batman, et.al.) to make for a fairly comprehensive history. Sure, there are a number of errors in listing heroes and villains, illustrations not showing the character being discussed, and even details about the characters that will not satisfy the fan looking for perfection, but for the fan who just wants a concise way of looking at the characters of a company that has been around since the 1930's, this is an enjoyable read.

A totally enjoyable experience for the DC comics fan!, December 26, 2005
As other reviewers have pointed out, this is a re-imagining of the old "Who's Who" concept that DC ran in the '80s. That said, this is probably as brilliant and well-executed a collection as you're ever going to find.

There are errors, and there are a few omissions, but overall the effect is astounding. The major characters are given their just due, while even folks who appeared in one-off series long ago get a mention. The biographies are solid and make for compelling reading, and just seeing how rich the history of DC is is enough to give any fan an appreciative pause.

In short, this is simply an incredible book. Highest recommendations, and one that you'll treasure for a long time to come.

It is great, but wheres Constantine?!?, December 4, 2005
You have Swamp Thing, you have the Sandman, you have Death, you even mention John as one of the great team ups (with the Swamp Thing) but Constantine doesnt have an entry of his own? Come on!

In reality the DC Comics Encyclopedia is a great resource, I recently recieved it as a gift and I love it. The only reason it does not get 5 stars is that it has a few strange omissions and here and there the information seems lacking. Overall its a great effort and a worth addition to your library, be it as a reference guide to the DCU or simply as a coffee table book with a fantastic Alex Ross cover.

Recommended. :)

The DC COmics Encyclopedia, October 5, 2007
It's hard to determine the worth of a book, but don't judge this book by its cover. Why? Well for starters it is a great A to Z resource of DC characters packed in one book. There is not much else around so this book is fine. It does clearly address that the information may be outdated due to current depictions of these characters according to DC Comics. So the book is current up to 2004, but now outdated.

However in doing such a project there are errors that occur. The decision not to include characters altered or who never existed because of the Crisis on Infinite Earths was not the best of intentions, as it causes further confusion by ignoring the past, in particular if decisions by DC Comics are updated.

The layout of major characters in a 2 page spread, secondary characters in one page spread, and third place characters in half page spread, and minor characters in smaller captions were clear enough to read and refer to. However it would have been clearer and better if each caption for some characters who shared the same name were separate instead of labeled as I, II or III in the same caption. Some were, which was easy to read and clear, and yet some were in the same boxed caption which was hard to read. That part was annoying.

Now the decision to list a characters first appearance, despite revamps of origins or history were frustrating. Some had their actual first appearance correct, but others did not, and were listed by their revised appearance. Here is a list of the characters who appeared earlier than listed in this book: Angle Man; Circe; Dr. Psycho; Fire (Green Fury); General Zod; Giganta; Global Guardians; Hippolyta; Huntress; Jack O'Lantern; Leviathan (Colossal Boy); M�nel; Peacemaker; Seraph; Spark; Starboy; Steel II; Steppenwolf; Timber Wolf; Villiany Inc.; Von Gunther, Paula; Zoom. Now if all characters were treated the same, that is the first appearance from their new history, then that would be fine, but this is not the case. For example Steve Trevor, despite the new history is listed as All-Star Comics #8, but Hipployta was listed as Wonder Woman #1 when in fact she too was in the same year and comic as Steve Trevor.

Now some characters were altered because of the Crisis or never existed, so revisions such as Prometheus III were mentioned, but I and II were absent, this is fine as it gives a reader knowledge there were other versions before hand. The rank in number implies there were previous versions. As a result there are notable errors such as Cheetah II (Deborah Domaine) who was omitted, so Cheetah II in this book should be III, III should be IV to avoid confusion. Silver Swan I (Helen) was erased, but in this book I should be II and II should be III. Otherwise who is Mirror Master II? Only Mirror Master I and III are mentioned in this book.

Characters such as Lump were not even titled properly, so you had to read the listing to work out who has been given a 'blank' entry.

Where is Etta Candy, Batwoman and Bat-Girl, Hawkgirl I, Queen Bee Zazzala, Red Tornado I (Ma Hunkel), Star Sapphire (the Secret Society version), Time Trapper, White Magician? Surely these characters are just as important, if not more so than some other minor characters listed.

Also the idea of not mentioning the Crisis is fine, if that were the case, but why show a back flash of Gaucho (page 123) with a pre-crisis Wonder Woman when they never met in current continuity? Pictures of the silver age JLA stating Black Canary was a founding member when it is clearly Wonder Woman in the pictures is just plain confusing.

In any case, due to the events of the Infinite Crisis of 2006, some of these entries are now void, as some silver age history has been restored. So in the end it was best not to avoid the "actual" historical listings of characters. By listing properly their actual first appearances, despite current changes would avoid any confusion. This way, even with revisions in current comic books, the encyclopedia would then be accurate enough.

In summary it would be great if they did an updated edition with a brand new cover and just stick to the historical basics and not base the Crisis as a starting point. List actual appearances as they were made, otherwise a reader who picks up a copy of say Wonder Woman Archives would note that Giganta appeared first in 1943 and not in 1998. If there are revisions in the entries themselves then that is fine as long as the historical appearances are accurate. Why then is Seraph listed as first appearing in 1982 when he appeared the same year as Ice-Maiden in 1977 who was credited correctly? It seems the author of this book was biased for some reason.

Again it is not a bad book, but only because there is no other encyclopedia with DC Characters such as this. Not bad, a little inaccurate, but not too bad.

This is a pretty deep source on DC Comics, February 22, 2005
As soon as I've laid my eyes on this encyclopedia, knowing more about it on the Internet, I decided to buy one copy for me. After all, you don't find such a book easily, not even at the best comic shops. This book doesn't intend to be a definitive guide, but a compreensive guide on DC Comics characters. Well, they surely did a very nice job. The illustrations are great and the information on each character is reasonable. Of course a few characters are missing, so what? This shouldn't be a problem. At least it's not a problem for me. Would you care for a piece of advice? Don't miss it. The DC Comics Encyclopedia will turn out to be a marvellous coffe-table book for the entire family.

Excellent overview of DC Comics history, June 24, 2006
I do not have this book, but it is ironically in the reference section of my local library.

The sections on the heroes and villains are good and explanatory. Along with good text descriptions, various pictures abound in this book. The book covers both major and minor characters in the DC universe.

Admittedly, the book is before Identity Crisis and other major DC comic events, but covers 1930's Golden Age up to early 2000's Zero Hour.

A great book for those with the intense desire or money. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Comic book devotees as well as the most uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.

Reviews

Great for learning the craft of comics (and for classroom use), September 8, 2006
"Making Comics" is true to its title -- it's very well suited for folks eager to learn the craft of "making comics." I teach a Sequential Art class at California State University, Fullerton and I have made it a required reading book, because it so solidly articulates the elements of comic art from the perspective of the artist. McCloud has been teaching comics at workshops and guest speaking engagements across the country. His having been in the teacher's seat manifestly helps make his points all the more applicable and meaningful. For instance, McCloud uses examples from comics from around the world (Asian mangas, Eurocomics or BD, Western superheroes and alternative comics) that will resonate with modern audiences who perceive comics as more than the "mainstream" superhero comics. "Making Comics" casts the same clarity and passion that made "Understanding Comics" so compelling, and it is not as speculative as "Reinventing Comics." Readers of "Understanding Comics" may find that "Making Comics" covers a lot of the same ground, and that is inevitable (so if you are more into analyzing comics rather than making your own, "Understanding Comics" is for you). In a nutshell, Making Comics is a solid starting point for budding and eager comic artists!

The Great McCloud Comics Trilogy- 3 of the Best-Ever, December 12, 2006
Want 3 of the best-ever books on the general topic of comics? Here they are! (each generally sold separately)

1.*Understanding Comics- A *landmark* & bestselling examination of the medium. A comicbook on comics! While I try not to use the "genius" label *too* liberally, with Understanding Comics it really seems to fit(!). 5 Stars!

2.*Reinventing Comics- Maybe his best *looking* book (in my opinion), it's basically split into 2 sections: The 12 Revolutions in comics; and then basic Internet/Computer/Web Comics. It's the least popular & practical in the Trilogy, yet I still really like it! 4-1/2 Stars.

3.*Making Comics- It's like Understanding Comics refined, as well as a "hands-on" introduction to the medium. It's the thickest book of the three, dealing with the most critical questions involved in the comics creating process. Since making comics basically means writing with pictures, McCloud begins with this. How many panels do we need? What should they contain? What's the clearest way to communicate our ideas? He first helps us with these things, and then moves to our real center of interest: characters! How to create and illustrate interesting characters is a central theme throughout. Once we establish our pictures & characters, words can be added to complete our ideas. He explains various ways to do this, basically refining his ideas in Understanding Comics. Perspective is only barely touched upon here; most books similarly briefly mention it. He explains that it's a difficult yet necessary part of the picturemaking process, and that it can actually be quite fun(!). He also touches on eastern/western differences in comics, explaining how & why Japanese methods are still gaining in influence. Common materials & equipment professionals use, as well as common philosophical approaches are included. It's basically Understanding Comics made even more practical & clear- with many added hints, tips, and tricks along the way. It competes with that 1st title for most popular in the Trilogy, and it's highly recommended to anyone who wants to make comics! ! I like it! 5 Stars.

In conclusion: The 1st is genius; the 2nd is fascinating; the 3rd is highly refined- get this great McCloud comics trilogy today!

For any fan of comics (even if you can't draw), November 24, 2006
When it comes to artwork, I am at the stick figure level. My talents for making visual art, whether painter, comic book artist or whatever, are, at best minimal. At first glance, therefore, it might seem that I am not the right audience for a book like Scott McCloud's Making Comics. I am, however, a long-time comic book fan. The advantage to Making Comics for a drawing layman like myself is the same as watching a "making of" documentary of a movie (or listening to a DVD commentary). You gain a better understanding of what you are looking at.

Unlike a painting, comic strip writing is a sequential art, a depiction of a series of pictures that, typically with text, tell a story. McCloud gets into the narrative aspects of comics writing immediately with a chapter on writing with pictures in which he discusses how the sequence of pictures (or panels) typically relate to each other. For example, panels can go from moment-to-moment, depicting a single action as a series of moments (like showing a baseball player swinging a bat. A different panel transition is action-to-action, showing a subject doing a series of actions (panel one shows the player hitting the ball, two shows him running, three shows his sliding, etc.). Besides these choices of moment, there are also choices of frame (essentially, point of view), choice of image, choice of word and choice of flow.

McCloud also goes into how to draw people, how to blend word and picture, how to build worlds, and, in the only chapter that is really specific to actual artists, what the tools of the trade are. There is a lot in this book, and it's all told with McCloud's easy going narrative where a depiction of himself guides us through all the ideas.

Part of the magic of comics is the way the reader's mind fills in the gaps, an idea that McCloud first introduced in Understanding Comics. With a couple dots and a line, we can see a face. When we see two panels, one showing a player swinging at a ball, the next with him making contact, we "see" the motion even if it's not really there. Similarly, we feel like it is actually McCloud talking to us, even if it's really just a picture of him (and making is nothing like what he really looks like).

In short, this is a brilliant book. I am not a huge fan of Reinventing Comics, but Understanding Comics is a classic and this book follows right in its footsteps. If you enjoy comic books (or comic strips), this book is a must-read, even if you can't draw.

The Robert McKee of Comics, January 4, 2007
Scott McCloud has distilled the content from his previous two works (Understanding and Reinventing Comics) into one very accessible graphic novel. If a person is more interested in comic language, I suggest reading "Understanding Comics". It provides a framework for analyzing the comics form and is more intellectually stimulating. "Making Comics" has wide appeal and is perfect for younger folks with interest in using the medium to produce comics. Most of all it's a fun read.

Decent work in an under-served field, April 3, 2007
This book has two audiences.

Many people will have come to this book through Scott's earlier "Understanding Comics," and read it to further their understandings of comic book history and the evolution of the comic-book language. I do not come from that direction and can not offer a review on those grounds.

Where I come from is as a long-time scribbler trying to learn how to tell a story in comic-book format. I learned of this book through mention in the blogs of practicing story-board artists, and as I understand it, it is one of a very small number of books to deal in detail with that part of comic book are that is larger than a single panel (Will Eisner's book is one of, perhaps the one, standout.)

There are a lot of "how to draw comics/manga" books out there. The vast majority of them deal with what is inside the panel. (The vast majority of them, particularly the Americanized Manga ones, tend to be less "Here's how to draw" than "Here's something I drew. Now just draw like that!")

(Ben Edlund drew a marvellous satire of this in a filler strip titled "How to draw The Tick."; "First draw a sphere. Now draw a horizontal line bisecting the sphere. Now draw The Tick, holding a bisected sphere.")

Scott is dealing with the interaction between the panels. How you break a story into parts, how you organize, how to develop moods and settings, how to pace. I could only wish for more. Perhaps the format is a bit at fault. The illustrations are lovely but too often serve more as a supporting visual for what is basically talking-head commentary. And the commentary, the meat of what he is saying, is crammed into balloons and margins and perhaps ends up being less complete than it could be.

In many cases, though, the integration of text and picture is useful and elegant.

There are odd surprises in what he chooses to cover with what depth. The treatment of various panel arrangements that work (and don't work) is surprisingly brief (perhaps there wasn't much more to say?) But there is an absolutely wonderful section on drawing facial emotion that is almost long and detailed enough to be a book on its own.

Perhaps my greatest quibble with this book is Scott can not quite step away from a larger perspective of the evolution and purpose of sequential art. He ends too many thoughts with "But who knows what the future will bring?" How about a few more didactic pronouncements on good storytelling methods, and save the musings on Art with the leading capitalization for his other books.

Scott, wisely, spends very little time on tools and perspective, and essentially no time at all on basic anatomy and drawing. However, the pages on drawing backgrounds and character design -- among others -- are great little refresher courses. But you need to know how to draw before you go into this book. You need to look elsewhere for human anatomy -- even elsewhere to find out how to lay out that perspective grid Scott shows off to good effect in several drawings. In fact, that old standby "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" makes a pretty good companion piece to this book as it give a good basic orientation to comic book page terminology, simple linear perspective, comic-book anatomy, pencilling and inking.


All in all, not the best book there could be on figuring out how to go from a script to fifteen pages of little boxes -- but one of the best books you can find that goes into any detail on the subject.

And, of course, it is a delight to read. Marvelously illustrated, cleverly scripted -- and one of those books that will send you scurrying to your own drawing pad, eager to try out some of the things he suggests.

LIBRO OBLIGATORIO, January 12, 2007
Si hacer comics fuera una religion, Scott seria el profeta.
Este, junto a sus otro 2 libros, es uno de los indispensables en la biblioteca del artista del comic. No importa el nivel en el que te encuentres, tanto para novatos y expertos, la lectura de making comics te lleva mas alla de lo que tipicamente un libro de "como hace comics" ense�a.
Este no es un tutorial de como dibujar de cierta manera o de hacer guiones, sino una guia de como aplicar tu estilo y recursos de la mejor manera... y seguir descubriendo tu propio arte.
Muy inspirador.
-----------------------
If "comics" were a religion, Scott would be the prophet.
This, with his other 2 books, is one of indispensable in the comic artist's library. It does not matter the level in which you are, for novices and experts, the reading of Making Comics takes you beyond which typically a "how to" book teaches.
This it is not a tutorial to draw certain style or to write scripts, but a guide to apply your style and resources at your best... and keep discovering your own art.
Very inspirating.

Best Storytelling Resource Around (not just Comics), April 21, 2007
This is by far the best book I have read when it comes to defining and breaking down the elements of the visual story. As the author states, there are some things that a well chosen image can say better than any words could hope to, and vice-versa. He does a fantastic job of describing in detail when and how to choose the appropriate image, word, or combination of both. The book is second to none when it comes to teaching the storyteller how to create the most compelling readership experience possible.

AND ~ this book is not just for Comics, but for ANYONE interested in telling a story with images. Whether those images are drawn, painted, photographed, or digital art. Definitely a MUST READ for anyone interested in creating a "VISUAL STORY".

Disagree with review below--this is a remarkable book!, October 2, 2006
The previous reviewer accuses Scott McCloud of lacking the authority to write a guide to making comics. But McCloud's book is based on clear demonstration, not on authority.

McCloud does a remarkable job of showing--not just telling--the reader about how details of characters' expressions and body language reflect their mental states, how different "camera angles" and types of panels control the flow of the narrative, how the way an environment is presented affects our relationship to it, and more.

Reading the book, I encountered insight after insight about things that I had noticed intuitively about comics but never really been conscious of.

A Must-Read for All Comic Artists, August 23, 2008
Scott McCloud's "Making Comics" is a must-read for all aspiring comic artists. This book is very different from other comic technique books. While most other books will teach you how to draw characters or backgrounds, this one teaches you how to tell stories. McCloud goes in depth into what makes a good story through pacing, image choice, layout, words, facial expressions, among many other factors. All of the instruction is given in comic form, so it is very easy to see how the techniques are implemented since he shows you right on the page. I particularly like the section on facial expressions. He has a very inventive method of using basic facial expressions and then mixing them to create totally new facial expressions. It has to be seen to be believed.

If you're thinking of starting to draw comics, or if you're on the edge of giving up comics because you just can't get it right, this will give you the inspiration to keep trying. If you're a great artist, then you'll come to a better understanding of the techniques that you use. I definitely recommend reading this book.

An Excellent Book For Everyone, June 19, 2008
When my grandparents got me this book, I didn't think it could help me. I was looking for a "How to Draw" not a "How to Write". This book proved me so wrong. I couldn't believe how much fun it was to read, and it helped me a lot too. Almost everything I thought I knew was proved wrong and after reading it I felt like I understood comics so much better. As well as making me better at writing comic books, it made me a better writer altogether. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in comics or in just plain writing or art. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Here are 100 of the most important, most incredible, and most bizarre comic-book covers from DC's incredible archives all perforated and ready to display in your apartment, dorm room, or cubicle. From Action Comics #1 and Batman #1 to lesser-known heroes like Mister District Attorney, this oversized compilation features every major milestone in DC's extraordinary history: Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, Watchmen, Fables, 100 Bullets, and much more.

On the reverse of each poster are images of related covers and entertaining commentary, often with remarks from the cover artists themselves. Complete with a foreword from longtime DC Comics veteran Paul Levitz, this amazing anthology is a must-have item for any comic-book fan. ... Read more

Reviews

A Great Collection -- the family loves it!, September 6, 2010
I'm now the coolest guy in my house.

I was most intrigued by this book's seeming inclusion of so many of the classic, even iconic DC covers over the last 75 years. It includes 100 covers (in a ready to frame size and perforated for removal it that is your goal), and they move along at approximately a cover per year (though not adhered to rigorously, and the extra covers make it possible to slow down during the epic times). Each cover has an explanation on the back that informs of the date, artist, and all of the significant surrounding facts about the cover, with two other smaller covers that provide context.

But the fun was only beginning when I opened it up at home. I was able to show my wife some of the more "fun" moments in DC history -- she love "groovy" Emma Peel Wonder Woman from 1968, and got a snicker out of little Speedy and his heroin needle when DC "attacks youth's greatest problem . . . DRUGS!"

But the kids like it a whole lot more than I was anticipating. They sat on the bed and lovingly turned the pages over and over, and have carried all around the house. The giant pages really pop and make them want to ask questions about Krypto or Jimmy Olsen. They tend to be much more fascinated by the older covers than the more recent ones.

Most of all, this book does a good job of combining the "essentials," the must have covers from DC history, but also the more odd ones that make for good conversation with comic book fans as well as "civilians."

Why not glossy?, October 4, 2010
I think this was a very nice selection of covers, covering the scope of the history of DC. My main problem is that DC printed these "suitable for framing" posters on flat matte paper. They would have looked much better glossy, though I'm not sure how badly that would have affected the price. DC also printed many of the covers from straight scans of the books, leaving many golden age covers faded, with wrinkles and missing edges, looking less than perfect. DC should have performed some simple work to make these older covers look vibrant and new.

Good but could've been better, September 5, 2010
This collection of poster-size covers from DC Comics' storied history leans heavily on the Golden and Silver Ages and breezes through the more recent past. I appreciate the efforts to include overlooked genres (e.g., licensed titles such as Mr. District Attorney, teen titles such as Binky and the romance titles), but was surprised at the dearth of more recent work (the Vertigo Doom Patrol, the 5YL Legion, George Perez's WW, most of the JLA's history) and odd selections for others (like a Superman/Demon cover for Action to represent Byrne's revamp). It also looks like the book purposely avoided iconic covers by Adams, Hughes, etc., to avoid competing with recent books of those artists' work -- a misstep for a book aimed at casual readers interested in seeing the best of the company's history.

Great piece of history in the palm of your hand, November 22, 2010
This is a fantastic 75th anniversary book to help celebrate DC Comics. The book contains 100 ready to frame posters, with additional covers of the series mentioned on the back of the posters. The ready to frame posters are perforated and tear right out of the book. They measure about 13 x 11. The covers look like scans of the vintage comics, and some show their age. I guess they decided to show comic covers with creases to depict the age of the comic. I enjoy that better than having them digitally airbrushed. It looks more like a piece of classic art. If you are hesitant in buying the book because you don't know what ready to frame covers there are inside, here is the list of the 100 covers in the order they show up in the book.

1.New Fun #1 (1935)
2.Detective COmics #11 (1938)
3.Action Comics #1 (1938)
4.Detective COmics #27 (1939)
5.Superman #1 (1939)
6. Adventure Comics #40 (1939)
7. Detective Comics #31 (1939)
8.Action Comics #19 (1939)
9.Flash Comics #1 (1940)
10.Batman #1 (1940)
11.Action Comics #27 (1940)
12.World's Finest Comics #3 (1941)
13.Green Lantern #1 (1941)
14.Sensation Comics #1 (1942)
15.Superman #14 (1942)
16.All American COmics #51 (1943)
17.Sensation Comics #38 (1945)
18.Superman #57 (1949)
19.Mr. District Attorney #12 (1950)
20.Sensation Comics #109 (1952)
21.Our Army at War #20 (1954)
22.Mystery in Space #22 (1954)
23.Superboy #55 (1957)
24.Strange Adventures #79 (1957)
25.Showcase #12 (1958)
26.Adventure Comics #247 (1958_
27.Leave it to Binky #60 (1958)
28.Tales of the Unexpected #33 (1959)
29. Strange Adventures #100 (1959)
30. Action Comics #252 (1959)
31. Action Comics #255 (1959)
32. Detective Comics #275 (1960)
33.Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #53 (1961)
34.The Flash #123 (1961)
35.Showcase #34 (1961)
36.The Brave and the Bold #42 (1962)
37.Superboy #99 (1962)
38. Action Comics #296 (1963)
39.Justice League of America # 21 (1963)
40. Superman #164 (1963)
41.Falling in Love #62 (1963)
42.Heart Throbs #93 (1964)
43.Brave and the Bold #58 (1965)
44.Girls Love Stories #121 (1966)
45.Detective Comics #359 (1967)
46.Action Comics #361 (1968)
47.The House of Mystery #174 (1968)
48.Beware the Creeper #2 (68)
49.Wonder Woman #178 (68)
50.The Hawk and the Dove #2 (68)
51.Angel and the Ape #1 (68)
52.Green Lantern #76 (70)
53.Detective Comics #405 (70)
54.Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #106 (70)
55.Girl's Romances #154 (71)
56.Mister Miracle #2 (71)
57.The House of Secrets #92 (71)
58.Green Lantern #85 (71)
59.The House of Mystery #195 (1973)
60.Wonder Woman #205 (73)
61.Shazam! #3 (73)
62.Prez #3 (73)
63.Plastic Man #11 (1976)
64.Detective Comics #475 (78)
65.Weird Western Tales #53 (1979)
66.Weird War Tales #89 (1980)
67.The New teen Titans #1 (1980)
68.Ronin #1 (83)
69.Swamp Thing #34 (85)
70.Crisis on Infinte Earts #7 (85)
71.Batman; The Dark Knight #1 (86)
72.Watchmen #1 (86)
73.Action Comics #587 (1987)
74.John Constantine: Hellblazer #1 (88)
75.Batman: The Killing Joke (88)
76. Animal Man #5 (88)
77.V For Vendetta #1 (88)
78.The Sandman #1 (89)
79. Detective Comics #626 (1991)
80. Superman #75 (93)
81.Wonder Woman #0 (94)
82.Preacher #1 (95)
83. Kingdom Come #3 (96)
84.Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (1999)
85. Detective Comics #745 (2000)
86.Catwoman #2 (2002)
87.100 Bullets #33 (2002)
88. Wonder Woman #184 (2002)
89.Batman #608 (2002)
90. Fables #18 (2003)
91.Batgirl #45 (2003)
92.The Last Man #16 (2004)
93.Detective Comics #792 (2004)
94.DC: The New Frontier #6 (2004)
95.Green Lantern #1 (2005)
96. Arkham Asylum Anniversary Edition (2005)
97.Batman Year 100 #1 (2006)
98. All Star Superman #10 (2008)
99.Action Comics #863 (2008)
100.Batman #679 (2008)

It's NOT a book of 100 of the most influential covers or anything, so just take it for what it is, a poster book, and you should be happy. I highly recommend this book.

2.5 stars - A disorganized hodgepodge which looks like a rush job, November 24, 2010
Before I discuss the content, a few words about the quality of the book...

100 covers are reproduced in a large format (9" x 13.5") on each right hand page of the book. On the back of each is a paragraph about that cover, along with 2 much smaller reproductions (2.5" x 4") of related covers. Each page is scored so it can be removed and be hung on a wall. The printing is flat matte finish, not glossy.

The good news is that the large format is great, and it's nice to see the covers presented larger than actual size. The bad news is that it appears that the covers are direct scans of books from someone's collections and at least 20% of them are in less than fine condition. So we see a lot of creases, stains and a few other aberrations that could have been cleaned up with photoshop or simply wouldn't have been there at all if better originals had been used. (As a glaring example, in the very brief introduction, Paul Levitz discusses the significance that 1963's Justice League #21 had on his life, but the reproduction of that cover is one of the worst presented.) The newer covers look best and many have been reproduced without the UPC code; others look muddy with poor color separation and questionable contrast. There is an index of the covers, but it's basically useless because there are no page numbers in the book, so good luck finding the one you're looking for! And despite the fact that the physical dimensions of comics changed over the years, all of the covers are presented in identical size, which means many of the covers are a bit cropped. Would it have been so hard to present the covers in their original dimensions? Finally, the flat matte reproduction negates the colorful snap that these covers had on the newsstand.

As to the content: With 75 years of DC Comics covers to choose from, selecting just 100 of them for a book is a pretty impossible task (do the math -- that's 1.25 covers per year), but there seems to be no overall rhyme or reason as to what made the cut. Some covers are milestones (Action #1, Batman #1, Superman #1), some are graphically stunning (Detective #745, Harley Quinn #1), or memorably artistic (Batman #608, The Killing Joke); others are forgettable (the various romance covers) or truly embarrassing (Prez #3, Angel and the Ape #1, Wonder Woman #178)...and some are just plain run-of-the-mill. I would have preferred something thematic to give the volume more structure (e.g., if each cover had been selected by a comics pro with a paragraph or two as to why it was chosen; or only milestone covers; or a true "art" focus).

As you can see from other reviews, some people liked it a lot more than I did, so I suggest you take a look at this book in a store before buying. I received it as a gift, but had I seen it in the store, I wouldn't have bought it for myself. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A boxed set of the first two volumes, just in time for the holidays, designed by the Award-winning graphic novelist, Seth! Ships shrinkwrapped.

The first volume, The Complete Peanuts 1950-1952, covers the first two and a quarter years of the strip (October 1950 through December 1952), and will be of particular fascination to Peanuts aficionados worldwide: Although there have been literally hundreds of Peanuts books published, many of the strips from the series' first two or three years have never been collected before—in large part because they showed a young Schulz working out the kinks in his new strip and include some characterizations and designs that are quite different from the cast we're all familiar with (Among other things, three major cast members—Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus—initially show up as infants and only "grow" into their final "mature" selves as the months go by. Even Snoopy debuts as a puppy!).

The second volume, The Complete Peanuts 1953-1954, begins with Peanuts' third full year and a cast of eight: Charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty, Violet, Schroeder, Lucy, the recently born Linus, and Snoopy. By the end of 1954, this will have expanded to nine. Linus still doesn't speak (except, on a few occasions, to himself, à la Snoopy), but Schulz begins laying the foundation for his emergence as the most complex and arguably most endearing character in the strip: garrulous and inquisitive, yet gentle and tolerant. And he evens acquires his "security blanket" in this volume! Meanwhile, Lucy, an infant just a year ago, has forcefully elbowed herself to the front of the cast, proudly wearing her banner as a troublemaker or, in Schulz's memorable phrase, "fuss-budget." The strong, specific relationships she sets up with each character further contributes to making her central to the strip. (She has earned her cover status on this volume.) This period's significant new character is Pig-Pen, who would remain one of the main cast members throughout the decade. And then there's Snoopy. To readers unfamiliar with the early days of the strip, Snoopy's appearances here will no doubt come as the biggest surprise. Although Snoopy has started talking/thinking to himself, he does no imitations (except for one brief shark impression), he doesn't sleep atop his doghouse (much less type or fly a Sopwith Camel), and has no fantasy life—in fact, he doesn't even walk upright! But as we know, he is merely biding his time, and his evolution continues its fascinating course within these pages.

Peanuts is the most successful comic strip in the history of the medium as well as one of the most acclaimed strips ever published. (In 1999, a jury of comics scholars and critics voted it the 2nd greatest comic strip of the 20th century—second only to George Herriman's Krazy Kat, a verdict Schulz himself cheerfully endorsed.) Charles Schulz's characters—Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and so many more—have become American icons. A United Media poll in 2002 found Peanuts to be one of the most recognizable cartoon properties in the world, recognized by 94 percent of the total U.S. consumer market and a close second only to Mickey Mouse (96 percent), and higher than other familiar cartoon properties like Spider-Man (75 percent) or the Simpsons (87 percent). In TV Guide's "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All-Time" list, Charlie Brown and Snoopy ranked #8. ... Read more

Reviews

Full-size books, jackets on each volume, November 5, 2004
Both books included in this boxed set are exactly the same full size as the separately-published volumes, and both books contain full book jackets. In short, this are the same books as the separate volumes, with an added attractive slipcase.

Fantastic Collection of Where it all Started, May 8, 2005
I loved Charles Schultz's 'Peanuts' strip when I was young. My parents owned perhaps a half-dozen paperback collections of strips that I read over and over again in addition to his daily strip. As I reached adolescence, however, Peanuts seemed to become less relevant and amusing and I drifted away from it, losing track of a childhood friend. Occasionally I would see a strip in the paper and get a chuckle out of it, but it was no longer a daily fix. Not until Schultz shocked the world by ending the strip as his health problems grew worse in early 2000 did I take the time to go back and look at just what I'd been missing over the years, at which time I was disturbed to see that even fifty years after starting the strip, Schultz's work was funny, topical, and even occasionally poignant.

With that in mind I decided to go back to where it all began with this beautiful collection of the first five years of Peanuts strips, and I'm quite glad I did. Peanuts tends to fool the reader with its use of children as primary characters; we assume that it is a strip written not just about, but for children. Nothing could be further from the truth. Schultz uses children, yes, but the themes he explored with those characters went far beyond typical childhood troubles. Schultz's everyman, Charlie Brown, speaks to everyone who has ever doubted themselves for a moment, which is to say, he speaks for us all.

Going back to the beginning not only demonstrates why Peanuts quickly took off, it presents a marvelous look into the evolution of the strip. Who knew that some of the characters we know so well today were absent from the early years? We get to see the arrival of Lucy, the queen fussbudget, her brilliant younger brother Linus, and the prodigy and Beethoven fanatic Schroeder, as well as the developing relationships between Charlie Brown and the neighborhood gang. The two books are a treasure trove for all, but will be of particular interest for readers unaware of how Charlie Brown and the rest got their start. The strips are augmented with numerous essays and interviews about Peanuts bookending each volume and serving as a kind of cultural barometer for the wide-ranging influence of Charles Schultz.

The books themselves are well-made and packaged inside a handsome slipcase, making them an attractive addition to your bookcase when you're not poring over them. Both volumes are hardcover with sleeves and should last a lifetime of reading.

Truly does Peanuts justice, January 19, 2005
Let's get one thing straight, Fantagraphics pulled out all the stops on these books. The reproductions are magnificent and all the strips are bookended by great interviews.

As a long time fan of Peanuts I have only started to truly appreciate Sparky's amazing talent. I read Snoopy books religiously as a child but put them aside in my late teens and twenties as I thought them too childish. I have recently come back to read the strips again with a fresh mind and am amazed by Schulz's talent to say so much about us as people in only 4 panels and a few well-place pen strokes (perhaps only matched by Bill Waterson of Calvin & Hobbes fame).

The true joy of these books (and I haven't finished reading them yet, but I digress) is seeing the progression of characters from day one. Snoopy is just a puppy with an upturned nose who doesn't talk. Heck, for quite a while it is not even clear who he belongs to! Slowly characters are introduced into the neighbourhood. It was amazing to see a baby Schroeder introduced and immediately play Bheethoven on his toy piano.

All in all, an amazing purchase. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Happiness is The Complete Peanuts!!!, January 11, 2005
Good grief, here it is!!! For all of us Peanuts fans, lying awake at night under our security blankets, dreaming of the day when ALL of those classic Charles Schultz cartoons would finally be reprinted in lovely collectible, box set form, here is the premier installment, covering the first four years of Peanuts strips 1950-1954, with a promise of one new two-year collection per year to follow in subsequent years. Here are Schultz and his creations, ready to remake the world of the funny papers forever. We see them VERY young, full of promise and hope, yet already tempered with the real-world insight that would make them the most idolized comic characters in history. For those of you who are new to the Peanuts story and looking for your favorite characters, you may have to wait until subsequent volumes are published; 1950-1954 contains only Charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty (NOT Peppermint Pattie; she wouldn't make her first apppearance for over a dozen years), Violet, Snoopy (as a puppy), Pig Pen (in the second volume), and Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus (all introduced as babies in the first volume). Charlie Brown is the main focus of the action at this point; he would remain so until Snoopy and the other characters outgrow their "baby phases" and become more central to the action a few years hence. Fans of the strip in later years may be surprised by the look and feel of certain characters; Charlie Brown in particular, alternates his usual melancholy persona with a brash, almost cocky attitude at times. Even as a baby, bright-eyed Lucy is demonstrating the cheerful selfishness that later gave her the title of world's champion fussbudget, while fellow female cast mates Patty and Violet take catlike turns sharpening their claws on Charlie Brown, who refers to himself as a "spiritual scratching post" at one point. Early on, Snoopy is thoroughly cute rather than the wonderfully amusing dog we would all know and love later. Still, his unique inventiveness is already starting to show: rather than catch a balloon in his mouth to retrieve it, he resorts to bumping it along with his head. The packaging of Complete Peanuts is glorious, and the added materials, from an extensive interview with Schultz in volume I to a forward by a star-struck Walter Cronkite in Volume II, are wonderfully insightful. Even though many of these early incarnations of the characters often behave differently from their later counterparts, and even though Schultz was not yet at the peak of his abilities (his "glory years" really start about 1954, the last year of this set), the fabulous packaging, wonderful added materials, and above all, the completeness of The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 make this a must-purchase for the Charlie Brown or Snoopy fan in your household. Good Grief, indeed!!!

Jacket answer!, November 3, 2004
The COMPLETE PEANUTS BOX SET includes the books WITH jackets, no matter where you're ordering it from. Box set = slipcase + both books + both jackets. --The Publisher

Beautiful Editions Of The All-Time Classic Strip, May 28, 2005
This two volume set from the earliest years of "Peanuts" is absolutely gorgeous. The strips are all here in the original order, and are immaculately produced. I was born long after these strips ran, and these are the cleanest copies of these strips that I have ever seen. The books are beautifully bound and come in a very sturdy slip jacket, which will last a lifetime if cared for.

The strips are interesting to see the early innocence of the characters, which are all dramatically different stylistically than they were in later years. Snoopy in particular is very different looking, and has no lines in these early strips. The progression of the characters over the years is fascinating to me, particularly the development of Charlie Brown and Snoopy into the nexus of the strip.

Although I was born long after "Peanuts" began, I still remember reading the strip as a young child, a habit I kept until Schulz passed away. These are wonderful books and I highly recommend them to anyone of any demeanor anywhere at any time for any reason.

Thank you Charles Schulz. We miss you.

The Birth of Peanuts, August 29, 2005
I have been a huge fan of Charlie Brown and Snoopy my entire life. I have collected books and movies and whatever else I could lay my hands on, but this collection is the best by far. Starting with the very first Peanut strip, you see personalities traits and characters that slowly change over the years and answers to questions you never knew you had. It was very enlightening to see Charlie Brown kick a football and to discover that Lucy wasn't the first girl to give him problems doing so. I highly recommend these books for the young or young of heart who just like Charlie Brown and pals never grew up. Charles Schulz we'll miss you.

Complete 2-book Set : Identical as the books sold separately only cheaper!, April 20, 2006
The Complete Peanuts is definitely complete! It's a real collectors' item! Hats off to Fantagraphics Books for initiating such an ambitious project though their release schedule (releasing only two books every year - it will take twelve and a half years before the entire collection is published) leaves one frustrated.

Each book contains 2 complete years of Peanuts - one of the funniest comic strips of all time (IMHO). So this two-book set contains the first four complete years of Peanuts in its entirety and a little extra. Please note since the strip started in October 1950 as an added bonus we get extra three months (October-December 1950) of peanuts in addition to the four complete years (1951-1954). Did I mention that this is the complete collection.

Note that both books included in the boxed set are exactly the same ones that are sold separately. The books also contain full book jackets (i.e. if desired can be shelved separately). As of this review date it is cheaper to buy the two-book set cheaper than to buy them separately and we get an added attractive slipcase with the two-book set.

Recommended.

A New Way to Appreciate Schulz's Artistry, November 1, 2005
These volumes treat Peanuts as art not just entertainment. First of all, there are insightful essays in each volume from people who know comics and love Peanuts. Next, the physical volumes are beautiful and wonderfully present the strips as they appeared at the time. Then there are the strips themselves; has any artist noted the passage of the seasons with as much simple, bittersweet joy as Charles Schulz in Peanuts? That is truly one of my great joys of reading these comics compiled rather than as a daily strip. The way he subtly notes the first snow of autumn, or a spring shower is unsurpassed in any artistic medium and gets me in touch with my connection to the larger world as well as my own mortality. Finally, it surprised me how quickly Schulz reached his mature style. By the early part of 1953, the look and the nature of the major characters is pretty much Peanuts as we know it today.

another rave review for the beginning of "Peanuts", August 2, 2008
I am in my mid-forties and am enjoying this wonderful journey back into my childhood. Although I caught Peanuts and Schultz in the 1960s, I still grew to have this huge spot in my heart for the world of Peanuts. As an adult (I think) now, I can also enjoy the strip for its sometimes unexpected, intimate peek into the life of Charles Schultz.

It is, therefore, with great joy that I started at the beginning, pre-Peanuts, when Schultz's comic strip was named "Lil Folks." It is fascinating to see how early he had developed some characters' features (Lucy and Charlie Brown). It is also possible to see how far Snoopy comes along as a character with a ripe, expansive internal life, when he was still "just a dog" in the 1950s.

I won't bore you with the details; if you're a Peanuts fan, you already know who's who and all that. Suffice to say that, for Peanuts fans or those wanting an overview of the Great Charles Schutlz's work, this is a fine place to start the journey.

I loved this set so much that I would rate it more than 5 stars if I could! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Celebrate the landmark 40th edition of the comic collector's Bible! Since 1970, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide has been the definitive guide for comic collectors and dealers alike. All new insights, features, and data, along with the most comprehensive listing of comics all new entries in the Overstreet Hall of Fame. Perfect for both new collectors and seasoned enthusiasts.Acclaimed artist Mark Chiarello (Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop) supplies the Batman cover. ... Read more

Reviews

comic guide, August 29, 2010
The summary pages from the different comic dealers are very helpful each year. I especially enjoyed and learned from the section at the end of the guide also, which was a very detailed report about the many variant comics that are around.Jon Martin McClure updated his earlier research in an efficient, informative,and enjoyable writing style.This,for me, was one of the best guides ever.

Each year it gets better, September 24, 2010
I got my first Overstreet in 1978 and have been an avid fan since then of Bob Overstreet's wonderful guide to comics. Basically, this book is like the textbook of Comics 101 and you should study it cover to cover, every day for 365 days (or until the next volume comes out) and you will ALWAYS find something to learn. Covering comics in all forms from the Victorian Age to the Modern Age, the guide puts the most amount of info on each page so as to be informative but not confusing. My one qualm - the paper tends to tear if you grip it to strongly, but that doesn't happen often. You would do well to purchase this for the wonderful guide to understanding comic fandom as well as the variants that are out there in the comic world. GREAT STUFF!!

Check out Comics Shop, October 8, 2010
Overstreet has a great history, but if you want something fresh check out Comics Shop, a new full color price guide. It features 3,000 color images and series overviews. And it's also $5 less than Overstreet. I picked up Comics Shop and am really pleased.

Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Vol 40, September 21, 2010
Great stories, history, pop culture, advertising, market reports, and of course prices! Nice color sections highlighting top artists and ages of comics. Softcover, Hard Cover, and online versions are available.

treasure, August 22, 2010
I've been using Overstreet since '75 and am glad to have the new listings. Must keep track of the value my collection

Overstreet Comic Guide, August 23, 2010
Overall satisfied. Packaging could have been better as the lower page corners were bent ... Read more

Reviews

1000 Comics: A Journey to be enjoyed, November 4, 2009
To this day, I feel that comics should be fun, and the first thing about this book is that it is fun. What a great eclectic list.

What surprised me most, however, is the wave of nostalgia that hit me. I lived through so much of this and it was great to see old friends back: Little Dot, Lulu, Dennis the Menace, Jerry Lewis and some that I had forgotten Sugar and Spike (Four entries!). Not just at comics from Marvel and DC this book gave a change to look back, but also a chance to catch up.

Tony still has the heart of a fan. I was concerned that this would be another one of those list where some "lectures" about what was good and bad. Instead Tony takes us on a personal journey through a life in comics, his life, and remembers the fun stops. He does in so brief, thoughtful and even funny references. These are observations, not notes to a thesis. For example:

On Iron Man in TOS #39, "His origin will be changed periodically to accommodate new wars."
Sadly true. (ery true. I fear we will not run out of wars for the new generations.)

Wonder Woman #108 "I bought the issue when no one was looking!"

And while he might have thought "Little Archie peaked too early" it is interesting that his comic is placed next to the Atom! Who was also little.

Yes, there is Fin Fang Foom, Konga, Menace, the Fantastic Four, Uncle Scrooge (who has a barroom brawl described as "Jack Kirby with Ducks!") But Tony takes his time to remember some of the most important comics that can be forgotten because their publishers are no longer around, like Dick Briefer's Frankenstein.

I thought this would be a book to read in a day, but it has stretched to a week. Now I want to go back to the candy store where I got my comics in the 1960s and 1970s re read them. Or go back to the 40's and pick up Pep Comics, Fun Comics and even Young Romance. Or a few new ones I know nothing about.

And it is a beautiful, colorful book, laid out and arranged just right. If you are thinking of just buying this for a gift for a new reader, or an old one: don't. Buy this for yourself. (Alright, buy two).

Note: Don't go nuts. I am sure someone will review this and say Tony left this out or didn't put that in. Of course, this is only1,000 comics. As I said earlier, is not just the list, it's the journey that should be enjoyed.

The 1 Book About Comics You Must Read!, November 28, 2009
This is the book for you if you are either: 1) a comic book reader, 2) interested in the history of comics, 3) a fan of comic book writer Tony Isabella or 4) a human being.

It covers, as the title implies, 1000 of the best comic books ever produced in the USA. Isabella, a veteran comic book fan and writer, has selected these for both the casual comic book reader and the seasoned veteran. Lots and lots of information about the time period, the creators, the publishing history and the characters.

Absolutely top notch!

The book gives hope to Isabella's sentiment that today is the true Golden Age of comics, December 18, 2009
You can see the evolution of the comics industry through these pages, brought to you courtesy of Tony Isabella, "America's most beloved comics writer and columnist," who writes and reviews for Comics Buyer's Guide. Isabella has been writing comics for four decades now, and he's perhaps best known as the creator of DC Comics' Black Lightning, the first African-American superhero to get his own title at DC.

But it's Isabella's perspective as a fan, not a creator, that feeds the joys of reading 1,000 Comic Books You Must Read. You can see the growth of the industry in the book, but also the changing of the readership. As we travel from a time where comic books regularly sold millions of copies every month to the present, where the numbers are much, much smaller, we see the transformation of our culture's tastes and habits unfold before our very eyes.

The original Superman comics from the late 1930s kick off the collection, a nice tribute to the man of steel, without whom the format of comics would be vastly different, if it existed at all. From there, we move on to the 1940s, where the Golden Age of superheroes really began. All the classics are here: Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Archie, plus the wild military and adventure comics of the day (and even wacky things like Daredevil Battles Hitler). Each two-page spread is a trip to a distant past that seems not so far away through comics. Although excerpts from the comics are not included here (Isabella does give a brief synopsis of each story inside to show why they're being picked), just the covers themselves tell an interesting story. Some of them are gorgeous (the painted image of Captain Marvel Adventures #18, which introduces Mary Marvel, for example, is striking), some of them are so enticing that you long to look inside.

Isabella introduces each decade of comics history with a brief overview to give you an idea of what was going on in comics at the time. It's interesting to graph the number of pages devoted to each decade: the '90s get fewer than 20 pages devoted to them; the '70s and '80s combined get the same number of pages as the '60s. But also telling is the fact that the current decade gets 45 pages and sees the inclusion of several important graphic novels (Persepolis, Blankets, Sentences). The book gives hope to Isabella's sentiment that today is the true Golden Age of comics. As he puts it, "Readers can enjoy both the new groundbreaking material now being published and, thanks to affordable reprints, the classics of the past."

-- John Hogan

A few glaring Omissions but quite good, May 31, 2010
Longtime comic book writer and reviewer Tony Isabella presents a gift for comic book fans...his picks for the 1000 comic books you must read. Now note that this isn't necessarily meant to be the greatest comics although certainly many would fall into that category, or perhaps most important might even be more appropriate. Isabella has segmented his book by decade beginning with the hero who started it all, Superman, an continuing with a look at each decade leading off with the 1940s and continuing to new Millennium.

A picture of each and everyone of the thousand comics is included along with the issue #, artist and writer credits, publisher, and date. Isabella then gives a one paragraph note about why the issue was included in the book. The diversity of titles is extraordinary! As comic fans we sometimes get wrapped up too much into superhero titles. Comics, especially back in the 1940s and 1950s were an incredible mixed bag: action, war, horror, humor, detective, science fiction, romance, and westerns all enjoyed their eras of popularity and they are well-represented in the book.

Yes the major issues are hit upon: .Marvel Comics #1. Flash Comics #1, More Fun Comics #52 (the First Spectre), Detective Comics #27, All-Star Comics #3...the key titles of the Golden Age are all included. But what's also included is the lesser known books like Quality's Police Comics #1; Jumbo Comics #48 with its fabulous Sheena cover; Frankenstein Comics #1; and Santa Claus Funnies in Four Color #128. I was especially pleased to see Isabella did not overlook many of the great 50s and 60s humor comics like The Adventures of Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope. Disney Comics are well represented as well.

Could I argue on a few things with Isabella? Sure..like how the new Millennium section gets a longer section than the 70s, 80s, or 90s and the decade is not even over yet. Still, the 60s gets it due justice as arguably the comic book industry's most important decade with fifty pages of content. Sure we can say there's books that should have been included. 1974 saw the first appearances of two of Marvel's most popular characters of the past 25 years, The Punisher (Spiderman #129) and Wolverine (Hulk #180) and neither are included. But hey, that's what makes books like this so fun.

Isabella even gives you tips on how you can find these must reads. I'll give you a tip , too, be a millionaire!

Fire up the Batmobile. This is gonna be one sweet ride., May 24, 2010
In this book, "America's most beloved comics writer and columnist" selects 1,000 comic books you must read. The covers of the comic books are shown, along with a brief description of the contents of the comic in question. This is a hardcover book with high quality paper and all the covers are printed in color. A really fun book that highlights a lot of quality comic books from the beginning of the comic book era to the present. But it would cost you a fortune to actually buy all the comic books featured here, if you could even find all of them.

A strong choice for any comics fan seeking a review of the format's history, December 12, 2009
Since the 1930s, comic books have had their place in society. "1000 Comic Books You Must Read" is a guide to the best of what comics have to offer throughout their history. From 1938 and Superman's first appearance in action comics, to the popularity of the modern graphic novel, there is much comic history to enjoy within the volume. "1000 Comic Books you Must Read" is a strong choice for any comics fan seeking a review of the format's history.

Clownishfellow, January 31, 2010
Not what I expected; however it is an enjoyable reading experience bringing back memorie3s of comics I read a looong time ago

An amazing book., October 18, 2009
With 1,000 Comic Books You Must Read, author Tony Isabella has created an invaluable reference and an amazingly entertaining read. The book is visually stunning and the detail offered within the content is delightfully presented. I hope to see another volume, perhaps "The NEXT 1000 Comic Books You Must Read", in the near future. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Amazon.com ReviewProduct Description
An entire generation has become fascinated with the stealth, ferocity and wisdom of the ninja--the epitome of the Japanese "tough guy." Ninja Attack! is the ultimate reference for those who want to know more about them and their legendary lives. This book covers the most unforgettable ninja in history, ranging from the leaders of ninja clans to solo artists, occult masters, warlords who used their cunning to help their climb to the top, and vicious assassins and warriors. Each of these real-life figures is presented with a full-page illustration, smaller illustrations and photos, along with detailed descriptions and anecdotes about his life, weapons, weaknesses--and how he met his end. While the book is research-based and factual, it is most definitely not a dry history tome. Instead, it is a lively and accessible source of entertainment that provides readers with a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and history.

Fascinating Ninja Facts from Ninja Attack!

1. The masks that we’ve come to associate with ninja are largely a work of fiction, as are the infamous all-black outfits. In reality, ninja wore outfits that let them be as unobtrusive as possible. Most dressed like farmers, both because it worked well as camouflage in a nation of farmers, and because most of them really were farmers.

2. In Japanese, the word “ninja” is written with the kanji characters meaning “clandestine” and “person.”

3. Body odor was a significant issue for ninja, as a strong scent could lead to one’s hiding place. They generally avoided highly aromatic foods such as garlic, chives, or onions, and meat, and bathed fastidiously.

4. Ninja watched their weight carefully, as one might expect for people who spent inordinate amounts of time hanging from rafters or crouched beneath floorboards. The ideal weight was said to be no greater than a full sack of rice: 132 lbs.

5. Mochizuki Chiyojo remains the only female ninja of whom anything is even vaguely known. She created a squad of female intelligence operatives known as “walking maidens” who criss-crossed the country in the guise of holy women, entertainers, and prostitutes, gathering information for their masters.

6. Although in popular culture ninja are often portrayed as wearing chainmail shirts or hoods, the weight and noise made these useless for the average ninja mission, which relied on stealth and avoiding the enemy.

7. With his eye-patch, rakish good looks, top-notch sword skills--and the ability to stop a sword between the palms of his hands--it’s no wonder that 17th-century ninja rival Yagyu Jubei has been the star of countless comic books, films, and historical dramas. A classic scene early in Akira Kurasawa’s Seven Samurai, in which a talented swordsman is forced to kill a challenger who refuses to admit defeat, is supposedly based on a real-life incident from Jubei’s travels.

8. Momochi Tanba, seemingly a middle-aged farmer, was actually an extremely powerful figure in the early 16th century, who personally trained and commanded a vast army of ninja. He was so dedicated to subterfuge, that he split his time among three separate residences, each one with its own wife and family.

9. Upon becoming Shogun in 1716, Tokugawa Yoshimune established Japan’s first true, clandestine intelligence service:the Omwa-ban, aka “the Gardeners.”

10. In 1853, four heavily armed American warships sailed unannounced into Urago Harbor, just south of modern-day Tokyo.Unknown to Commodore Matthew Perry, the fleet’s commander, Sawamura Jinzaburo Yasusuke, often called the “last ninja,” secretly boarded one of the American ships to gather information about the mysterious foreigners. He returned with items he took from the ship:two loaves of bread, two cigarettes, two candles, and two pages of a document, written in Dutch and believed to be personal writings.

Reviews

Another wonderful, well-written and highly entertaining book by Yoda and Alt., November 23, 2010
Were you one of those people that watched Sho Kosugi films when you were younger? Watched Kung Fu cinema on television in hopes that "Super Ninja" would be televised? Purchased ninja clothes and weapons online so you can be like those ninjas you watched in the movies?

Well, if you were one of those type of people, then "Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai and Outlaws" is definitely a book for you! And also a book for those who love stories about real life (and fictional) ninjas in general with some added samurai warriors to make this book even more enticing.

Back again are Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, the husband and wife team who wrote the 2008 book "Yokai Attack!" featuring Japanese mythological spirits and monsters with a humorous take on the subject, the duo does the same with their ninja (and samurai)-driven book by featuring historical facts about these individuals and their affect on Japanese pop culture many, many years later.

As a child, I have always been into ninja storylines and like many kids back in the '80s, we had access to ninja magazines from our local supermarket and purchasing the latest ninja gear via mail order was not too difficult. Granted, my parents were not exactly the accepting type and when they found ninja stars and a sai in my closet, needless to say, my collection of ninja magazines were trashed and my hopes to becoming like a ninja were dashed.

Well, fortunately, we had a Japanese American student in our school who claimed his father learned ninjitsu from a descendant who trained from one of the last living ninjas, Grand Master Masaaki Hatsumi but when I went to undergo training from my future ninja teacher, to find out that training would be conducted at his home in a trailer park, needless to say, that moment was the end of my pursuit of trying to become a ninja.

So, the next years of my young teenage life of following ninja was through "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (the black and white comics), whatever was shown in film and the popular "Ninja Gaiden" video game series on the NES and of course, early ninja anime. Needless to say, I wished I had a book that was easily accessible on ninja adventures when I was younger, something cool that would feature other ninjas and their adventures. Stories that would show us why they were so bad ass!

Well, fortunately we now have a ninja book that is not about training or the history of one man, this is a book that goes into the story of various men in Japanese history who were dedicated to the life of the Shinobi, those who have lost their way and those who were active in trying to exterminate the various ninja clans.

"Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai and Outlaws" was thoroughly researched and similar to Yoda and Alt's latest book, a good dose of humor added as well. Also, provided with each chapter on an individual are cool illustrations by Yutaka Kondo.

The book is broken down in various chapters. The book features "The Illustrated Ninja" which gives the reader information on history, milestones, ninja warring nations, ninja terms, style and weapons, tools, techniques and how the lived. But the main portion of the book deals with a certain ninja individuals.

In the chapter "Ninja Ninja", we learned about characters such as Mochizuki Izumo no Kami, Togakushi Daisuke, Hino Kumawaka-Maru, Momochi Tanba, Mochizuki Chiyojo and many more. In fact, if you play many video games or watch many ninja films, names such as Hattori Hanzo, Matsuo Basho, Sawamura Jinzaburo Yasusuke are also feature.

In each chapter featuring these men, an illustration by Yutaka Kondo are featured and next to it is a file information on that ninja. From their birth-death, occupation, cause of death, nicknames, hobbies, preferred weapon, clan affiliation and confirmation of that ninja's existence.

So, for a ninja like Hattori Hanzo, we learn how he is part of the Iga Clan and he uses a spear. His occupation was a "Jonin" (master ninja) and the chapter would go into describing the man, the moment of their glory, how they died and information of how these ninjas are respected in today's culture. In Hanzo's case, The Hanzomon Line in Tokyo goes to the Hanzo Gate which was a part of the imperial palace.

The next chapter titled "Ninja Gone Bad", we learn about ninjas such as Ishikawa Goemon, Nippon Zaemon, Fuma Kotaro and Kosaka Jinnai who turned to a life of crime. Goemon who was once with ninja Iga clan and after his clan were hunted by Nobunaga's successor Hideoyoshi Toyotomi and Goemon used his skills for profit (which was forbidden). Unfortunately this ninjas arrival to a village was leaked and the ninja along with his young son were boiled to death in an iron cauldron of oil and his death would influence the name of an iron tub as a "Goemon-buro" (Goemon bath) in Japan.

Another ninja, Nippon Zaemon was like the American gangsters of the early '30s who would rob the rich and was on the front of the first wanted poster in Japan and featured is the actual text from Zaemon's wanted poster.

The chapter "Ninja Magic" would focus on ninjas of fiction (and some who were real) in Japanese culture such as En no Ozunu, Kashin Koji, Katoh Danzo, Jiraiya and Sarutobi Sasuke & Kirigakure Saizo. These ninjas used magic and were hunted down by Hideyoshi Toyotomi.

One of the more popular ninjas to use magic were Jiraiya (a name familiar to manga and anime fans of "Naruto") who partnered with his sidekick Tsunade and together they fought against injustice. In Japanese folk tales, Jiraiya was able to summon a large toad and how Japanese pop culture of today has made Jiraiya a major pop culture ninja icon.

The final chapters would deal with ninja rivals, which were typically samurai who fought against the ninja such as ninja rivals Miyamoto Musashi, Yagyu Jubei, Tomoe Gozen, Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Hanegawa Heizo. While most of these names are well-known samurai, Yoda and Alt, make sure to showcase the ninja connection with these samurai. For example, with Miyamoto Musashi, one of the stories of this legendary warrior is how he defeated a warrior named Musashi at the age of 13 and due to the weapons and the location of the duel, it is likely that the man Miyamoto beaten was actually a ninja.

And then there is the chapter of ninja users such as Shotoku Taishi, Takeda Shingen, Sanada Yukimura, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Yoshimune. Powerful individuals in Japan during that feudal era who would employ ninjas (shinobi) as spies. One of the most notable figures covered was Takeda Shinen, a man who would create his own spy network in Japan centuries before the KGB and CIA using trained agents who worked covertly as traveling priests and shrine-maidens.

The final chapter would focus on the ninja destroyer, feudal lord Oda Nobunaga, the man who would conquer Japan and would constantly become the target for ninja trying to assassinate him. While Nobunaga is a man who is covered quite a bit in Japanese books, probably the most interesting story was how Nobunaga had an African man nicknamed Yasuke among his retainers. I have never heard of an African man working with Nobunaga Oda until I read this book and found it to be quite intriguing.

Overall, the presentation of how this book was written was well-done. The authors definitely made it a book that is fun and reader-friendly, but most of all, it is quite obvious that they did their research on each ninja and samurai and how these popular icons of ninja and samurai glory have been portrayed in Japan today or how they had some influence in Japanese pop culture.

The book is rather thorough and informative and for the most part, I had a great time reading this book as it features a lot of information on ninjas and their lifestyle as well as covering the time period in which many of these clans existed.

"Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai and Outlaws" is another enjoyable, awesome book and yet another home run for the the married duo Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt. Highly recommended!

Really Cool, October 28, 2010
This book was better than i expected! Action packed and interesting. A must read if you are interested in Assassins, Samurai and Outlaws! Also, cool graphics. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

A terrific introduction (or refresher) to our nation's ruling document, October 16, 2008
Every American should read this book! It really does an amazing job of presenting every element of the Constitution - from the history of the Revolution to the debates over the various articles and amendments - with clarity while never seeming to talk town to its audience. Hennessey and McConnell do a terrific job of explaining some of the Constitution's more complicated concepts (Electoral College, anyone?) while even managing to make it fun. I would recommend this for anyone from high school age up, but I would really recommend it to anyone who really craves a better understanding of why our government structures sometimes seem so wacky.

Can you see our Founding Document?, October 25, 2008
So many people nowadays talk about the Constitution, its provisions and its history. I wonder how many of them actually read it, and even more so, understand it. Bringing the Constitution to the American Masses, Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell have done so in a fairly unique and inspiring way: threw the form of a graphic novel.

Part Constitutional primer and part history, The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation is a pleasant meandering through the visionary paper that founded our government. Hennessey and McConnell's job is not easy; taking this document and making it accurate, relevant, and real to today's audiences, with a sense of whimsy that graphic novel allows, is quite the balancing act. They accomplish this with a smart blend of historical information, interpretation, and graphics that illustrate, sometimes fantastically, the concepts they discuss. For example, in discussing the role of the judiciary, the character walks around with a Supreme Court building head. Odd, but appropriate.

They managed to squeeze in most major cases that the Supreme Court has ruled on in its years of existance; from Marbury to Roe V. Wade, especially as they amplify parts of the Constitution (whether you agree with that amplification or not). Placement is accurate, and iluminates their points well. (One would think that someone could pass this book on to a certain VP nominee, and get her up-to-date on some of the most major cases!).

One drawback to the book I found is the general failure to list the actual parts of the Constitution it was discussing, especially in the realm of the amendments. I often was sent scurrying to my iPhone (to which I've downloaded a free Constitutional app!) to read the actual language of the provision, article or amendment. The lack of the words baffles me. Would it have been that difficult to insert them?

Still, I loved this book. It's a quick read, enjoyable, and catches you quickly up on the document that everyone claims to know, but few do. I highly recommend this book for your own reading pleasure. It's unique, accessible, and very, very informative!

The United States Constitution, A Graphic Adaptation, October 20, 2008
A well researched book about the United States Constitution. In today's world with so many questions regarding rights of citizens and branches of our government, this is very helpful in better understanding the basis of our Constitution and the reasoning behind its writing. This would be an excellent textbook for high schools to encourage students to develop a sincere interest in our government and how it works. I stongly recommend this book to those who wish to broaden their knowledge of the United States Constitution.

Fabulous! Jam-packed with fascinating information, November 17, 2008
The authors and artists involved with creating "The United States Constitution : a graphic adaptation" have done a masterful job of conveying the complexities, history and controversies associated with the US Constitution into a graphic format. The 3/5 Compromise, in which African American slaves were counted as 3/5 of a person or the purpose of allocating seats in the House of Representatives is conveyed by showing human beings with slightly more than half of their bodies showing. The conflict between states and the federal government is shown by the various state birds in conflict with a bald eagle. The various factions and interests (large states, small states, etc.) battling for control over government are shown as various individuals pulling wires to hold up an ungainly, smoke-belching machine, piloted by the Founding Fathers, as it maneuvers on a high wire. Creative, apt images are used to indelibly portray lofty and seemingly abstract principles.

Controversies are put in historical context. The current battle over the Second Amendment -- giving citizens the right to bear arms -- is put in context of the world of the late 18th century in which the amendment was written. "Persons" (inhabitants of the country) are contrasted with "the People" (those with legal rights). Whatever your position on the 2nd Amendment, this distinction is instructive. The book also provides some insights into the Constitution's development and interpretations over time. The language of incorporation, born with the 14th Amendment ending slavery -- shows how limitations on the Federal government -- such as the inability to establish religion -- were placed on the states as well. Cases where the Supreme Court has reversed itself are noted, notably Plessey v Ferguson and Brown v Board of Education. Only in one case (the discussion of the Marbury v Madison, which established judicial review by he Supreme Court) did the book fail in its efforts. Evidently, that case is way too convoluted to convey with anything but words and ideas.

If "The United States Constitution : a graphic adaptation" had a political agenda, I wasn't aware of it. Instead, it impressed me by including the wide panoply of persons touched by the document -- first whites, blacks and Native Americans, and eventually women, Asians, Hispanics and others. The book is eye-opening and informative -- all but the most committed legal buffs are sure to learn something.

Read this primer first, March 12, 2009
Hennessey and McConnell mix it up quite a bit to present the US Constitution - not only a summary of each article and ammendment, but the ideas behind them and often the historical settings in which they were formed. Often a brief history lesson is used to show what the particular concept was meant to address; other times, hypothetical examples are used. The graphics vary much the same way - sometimes a simple story is being told; other times, an abstract concept is presented in totally original symbols and sci-fi like images.

This is a very accessible approach to what would otherwise be a dry read. Though the text of the constitution itself is only partly quoted, the substance and explanations come across in a well balanced fashion. And, often, the changing interpretations over our history are presented as well, offering a vision of a Constitution that will continue to be re-interepreted and evolve.

A great way to get the meat of this critical document in world history into the mind of a middle- or high-school student.

An honest and inspiring look at our founding document, January 11, 2009
This brilliant graphic novel tells the unvarnished story of the development and amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The book is no hagiography of the document or its authors. Hennessey and McConnell point out the flaws in the Constitution and its unfortunate application to restrict the rights of many Americans.

In total, though, this book, like the best history books, inspires both an appreciation for past events and a desire to improve conditions going forward. Hennessy and McConnell are to be commended for furthering the cause of Constitutional literacy. Get this for every middle- and high-school student you know, and get a copy for yourself, too.

Highly recommended.

Fresh look, November 27, 2008
I'd purchased the graphic novel for the Sept. 11 Commission Report published by the same company and they did a great job of taking tough concepts and making them accessible through images more than words. When I saw they released a graphic novel about the Constitution, I figured it would be in the same vein...it was. The author succeeds in wedding the history of the Constitution to the story of its evolution. It's a great review (and celebration) of our nation's key text presented in compelling, easy to read form. This book should really be in classrooms across the nation because of its easy access to a rich Constitution education. Don't think because it's a graphic novel that the subject matter is presented in anything but an honest review of the underpinnings of the U.S.

Valuable gift for junior high school and up, November 23, 2008
This "quick read" reminded me of many things I had forgotten and taught me a number of things I don't remember ever knowing. It will make a great gift for ages 12+ because people can learn and retain information about the Constitution not only by reading the text but also from the pictures. Many readers will want to delve further into issues raised in the book, either pursuing the author's recommended reading or searching the internet. I particularly liked some of the analogies which explained Constitutional issues by comparing them to everyday experiences. --- Claude, age 60

The Balancing Act of All Time, April 4, 2009
In our modern punditocracy, fewer and fewer Americans understand how the Constitution truly works, especially those who hype it the loudest. While alternative education methods like graphic depictions still face criticism from skeptics, this book might just be what the doctor ordered for high school or college students whose civic knowledge has been polluted by a lifetime of uninformed political propaganda. Writer Jonathan Hennessy does a fine job explaining many of the Constitution's intricacies while busting a lot of myths, and manages to stay politically realistic while pointing out the American inequality that the Constitution has not always been able to conquer. Artist Aaron McConnell contributes fairly dramatic artwork that is clearly influenced by hard-hitting golden age pulp comics, and he uses a few very poignant tricks to point out America's not-so-noble past, such as drawing slaves as having three-fifths of full bodies.

The constitutional information imparted herein is robust and effective, but note that a largely procedural document like the Constitution does not always lead to smooth storytelling, so this book's narrative is a bit awkward and disconnected in places. But Hennessy and McConnell really make the Constitution come alive in ways that all readers can understand, and there will be some surprises in store for those who think they know what the great document is all about. That's already a better civics education than most Americans are getting these days. [~doomsdayer520~]

A supplement, not a replacement, October 15, 2009
I really enjoyed this and found the style helpful in understanding the points of the Constitution and its amendments. However, it was difficult at times to know what were actual quotes from the Constitution and what was paraphrasing. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Any long-time comic book reader will relish this blend of scene re-creation and social analysis, November 16, 2009
Any comics or graphic novel library needs THE SUPERGIRLS: FASHION, FEMINISM, FANTASY AND THE HISTORY OF COMIC BOOK HEROINES. It provides a cultural history of comic book heroines and asks whether their fantasy world has connections to our own, offering a fine survey of different super-women in comic history and crime fighting. Any long-time comic book reader will relish this blend of scene re-creation and social analysis.

Interesting Survey of Women in the Superhero World, July 2, 2010
The thesis for "The Supergirls" is obvious; Mike Madrid explores the depiction of women in the superhero world, and as one might expect, he concludes that more often than not, they have been mistreated. The text is presented in a very accessible fashion that does not pre-suppose much familiarity with the characters and stories he cites throughout, though I do feel he should have done a clearer job explaining a few major industry-wide events. For the most part, the book is structures chronologically, beginning with the late 1930s/early 1940s, and concluding in the 21st Century. Wisely, though, Madrid has constructed each chapter around a theme specific to each era. This means that each chapter is, essentially, its own thesis essay within the frame of the overall book.

I do wish Madrid had been more specific in naming the creators and editors of the stories he referenced. Most citations simply lay the blame for mishandled characters at the feet of their publisher, but more often than not he doesn't even identify which publisher was responsible for a character's woes. Maybe it's just a by-product of earning my degree in history, but I felt this was relevant information that the reader shouldn't have to supplement on his or her own. After all, it was individual men and women who made the choices about the content of the issues that hit the stands; Madrid suggests by omission of their names that some faceless order simply decreed how things would go.

Also conspicuously absent are any insights from anyone within the industry. A spattering of quotes taken from previously published interviews appear, but it seems that either Madrid was uninterested in, or more likely unable to, interview anyone for the purpose of this book. It may not seem to matter, but it gives this the feel of one of those "unauthorized biographies," where the subject is not actively represented to defend against any accusations against it.

Madrid bandies about spoilers for characters's fates throughout. You may never have read a single comic book featuring Ms. Marvel, and while Madrid may rouse your interest, he will likely quash it by the book's end, because there's a sense there's nothing for you to find in the material itself that he hasn't already told you. So, while this is written with the non-enthusiast in mind, it rather perversely lessens the need some readers will feel to explore the subject material for themselves.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that Madrid's scope is largely confined to a few characters from the DC Comics and Marvel Comics rosters; indie characters are largely ignored. And, strangely, Madrid discusses Batman as much as, or more than, any other character throughout. Batwoman, Catwoman, Batgirl and Wonder Woman are all evaluated vis a vis their relationships with the Caped Crusader. Which, really, is ironic given that Madrid argues throughout that women characters have been unfairly defined by the sensibilities of their male creators for their male readership.

Great, quick read, October 20, 2009
It's a great history of female superheroes in comic books and how they reflect society and its changing values. The book includes all the well-known characters: Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Lois Lane, Jean Grey, Storm, and the Invisible Woman. But also includes a lot of interesting, obscure characters: I didn't realize Batwoman was introduced in the 50s and had never heard of Elasti-girl.

Teriffic Book BUT....., June 1, 2010
The author has done his homework and has a great feel for the comic books through the ages.

VERY disapointed to see no illustrations in the book. It's one thing to talk about Wonder Woman going from Bermuda Shorts to a thong. . . better to see it.

And would have been nice to see drawings of some of the more obscure characters in the book too to refresh my memory.

Highly recommended.

er...more girl power..., January 16, 2010
I really enjoyed Mike Madrid's overview of female superheroines, but i thought it really needed some illustrations to illuminate his points. I realise copyright would have been involved but It can't have been impossible. I just wanted pictures in my head of how the art styles, body types and especially the costumes had evolved over 60 years. All in all a great, quick read which makes me want to explore further...

Fun and informative read!, June 27, 2010

"The Supergirls is a long overdue tribute to the fabulous fighting females whose beauty and bravery brighten the pages of your favorite comics."--Stan Lee

Well said, Mr. Lee.

I'll keep this short. This book was awesome. It's a well researched (very well researched) look at the comic book heroines from Day 1 to present day and how they fit into popular culture. It goes through costume changes, ideal/moral changes, the sexual revolution, you name it.

Did you know Wonder Woman had a bondage period? That Invisible Woman had 2 miss-carriages that changed the way she saw herself as a superhero?

If you're a comic book fan you should read this book. It's a great exploration into the journey of the "Supergirls" we know today. If you aren't... read it anyway.

A comic book history fireworks display, October 9, 2009
This is a tale of unfolding public fantasy. It's the evolution of female heroes through the decades, which ties in with developments in fashion, film, politics and music. In exploring the comic books, Madrid touches off light-shows of memories and associations. It's fascinating and playful. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Spectacular presentation..short on extras, November 24, 2009

How do you examine the Batman mythos in less than a thousand pages effectively?

Robert Greenberger and Matthew K Manning have taken a look at the Dark Knight from his 'creation'/evolution to the present day complex incarnation. To say that Bob Kane 'created' the Batman, would be a quick lie. Batman is the result of years of influences from the Black Bat (pulp magazine), Mary Reinhart (novel), Lew Merril, the Shadow, and many others. In Detective Comics #27, he first appeared, and overshadowed all of his influences.

The Museum includes chapters on

The Coming of the Caped Crusader
Bruce Wayne and His Family
Batcave and Gear
Robin
Gotham
Women of the Knight
the Allies
Batman Beyond
Essential Reading

Each covers complex matters with different storylines in a compelling manner. The graphics have been chosen with care. For instance, the Dick Sprang inside piece is stunning! Scans of existing original art rocks. The promotional items included in the plastic pockets are cool too. The neatest item is the signed Jewish Theatre playbill.

The book is heavy in 'newer' graphics (post 1980) and that is a weakness. There are many artists that I do not see represented that should be, and identification of many of them is not done. For instance, the Batman A to z Book, (pocket) was done by Tom Gill. This is not marked. Page 14 features a tryout by an unidentified artist, if I were a betting man, I would say it is Jack Sparling or Tom Gill again.

That aside, I enjoyed the book and our journey through history. I do understand the difficulty in choosing what to include, and the limitations of space.

With that, I highly recommend this book and await the opening of a DC Museum that has ongoing displays of artifacts, art, and rare items for those so inclined.

Tim Lasiuta

Great, but not Excellent, November 30, 2009
The Batman Vault is the latest in these "Museums in Books" series that both DC, Marvel, and various other studios such as Hanna-Barbara have embraced. They include reproductions of supposedly "lost," or rarely seen items that many fans may have missed coming across over the years.

2009's entry is DC's flagship character -- The Batman. One presumes that next year's will be Superman, but moving on, Robert Greenberger has done an excellent job in researching the DarkKnight Detective's many, many products which have entertained both kids and adults in his sixty year history.

Standouts include the previously unseen Sheldon Mayer (who previously wrote kid's comics Sugar and Spike)booklet "How to Draw Batman," which must have raised quite a few eyebrows in the seventies when the writers and editors were trying to make Batman more dark and gritty.

This eighteen page story is a highlight and should be required reading for all Bat-writers.

Other rarely seen illustrations include: Bob Kane's Christmas cards featuring the Bat-family, the 1960 Bat-family portrait done for that year's Bat-Annual, the Bruce Timm early design for Catwoman that was scrapped during production, a sixties Batman record cover.

While I give kukos for these items, I really wish Mr. Greenburger could have included some more photos of the sixties Bat-toys, which are now commanding thousands of dollars on ebay. For example, the Ideal Batman Utility Belt had some great box art, maybe some more of Joe Gielisa's newspaper strips from the late sixties. Maybe even a CD of some of Bat children's records or one of the appearances of Batman on the 40's Superman radio program.

I even seem to recall some Bat postcards that were called "Bat-o-Grams" that featured sixties art that I picked up at a Custer, SD store.

Again. A nice collection and should provide hours of entertainment, but me being the nit picker that I am would have liked a bit more.

JThree
carolyn@dia.net
Williston, ND ... Read more

Editorial Review

The second volume in the most eagerly-anticipated publishing project in the history of the American comic strip: the complete reprinting of Charles M. Schulz's 50-year American classic, Peanuts.

Our second volume begins with Peanuts' third full year and a cast of eight: Charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty, Violet, Schroeder, Lucy, the recently born Linus, and Snoopy. By the end of 1954, this will have expanded to nine. Linus still doesn't speak (except, on a few occasions, to himself, à la Snoopy), but Schulz begins laying the foundation for his emergence as the most complex and arguably most endearing character in the strip: garrulous and inquisitive, yet gentle and tolerant. And he evens acquires his "security blanket" in this volume!

Meanwhile, Lucy, an infant just a year ago, has forcefully elbowed herself to the front of the cast, proudly wearing her banner as a troublemaker or, in Schulz's memorable phrase, "fuss-budget." The strong, specific relationships she sets up with each character further contributes to making her central to the strip. (She has earned her cover status on this volume.)

Charlie Brown is clearly in transition. Although his eventual, best-known persona (the lovable, perpetually humiliated round-headed loser) is in evidence in many strips, his brasher, more prankish side as seen in the previous volume (foreshadowing Bill Watterson's future Calvin) shows up, too.

This period's significant new character is Pig-Pen, who would remain one of the main cast members throughout the decade. And then there's Snoopy. To readers unfamiliar with the early days of the strip, Snoopy's appearances here will no doubt come as the biggest surprise. Although Snoopy has started talking/thinking to himself, he does no imitations (except for one brief shark impression), he doesn't sleep atop his doghouse (much less type or fly a Sopwith Camel), and has no fantasy life—in fact, he doesn't even walk upright! But as we know, he is merely biding his time, and his evolution continues its fascinating course within these pages.

This book collects 730 daily and Sunday comic strips, the vast majority of which are not currently available in any in-print Peanuts collection, and over 400 (well over half) of which have never been reprinted since their initial appearance in papers over 50 years ago. The Complete Peanuts is produced in full cooperation with United Media, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, and Mr. Schulz's widow, Jean Schulz. Each volume in the series presents two years of strips along with supplementary material in a three-tier page format that accommodates three dailies or one Sunday strip per page. Award-winning graphic novelist Seth is designing the series so that each individual book is sharply recognizable and yet clearly part of a consistent series. Using archival-quality syndicate proofs for virtually every strip in its history, the series boasts the best-looking, crispest reproduction for a classic comic strip ever achieved. The volume's introduction is by revered news journalist Walter Cronkite.

Peanuts is the most successful comic strip in the history of the medium as well as one of the most acclaimed strips ever published. Charles Schulz's characters have become American icons. A Charlie Brown Christmas is as much an annual holiday ritual for families as It's A Wonderful Life. A United Media poll in 2002 found Peanuts to be one of the most recognizable cartoon properties in the world, recognized by 94 percent of the total US consumer market and a close second only to Mickey Mouse (96 percent), and higher than other familiar cartoon properties like Spider-Man (75 percent) or the Simpsons (87 percent). In TV Guide's "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All-Time" list, Charlie Brown and Snoopy ranked #8. ... Read more

Reviews

Another Winner In A Tremendous Series!, November 9, 2004
The second volume of the proposed 25 volume "Complete Peanuts" set contains all of the Peanuts strips from 1953 and 1954. It continues the exploits of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Schroeder (the latter two have grown up quite a bit since the first volume from 1950 to 1952) as well as Linus, who although still a baby begins to show the intelligence that would be a large part of his personality for the life of the strip. We see Pig-Pen introduced in this volume as well as what many Peanuts fans consider the "lost character", Charlotte Braun. This character, who appeared for about a two-week stretch in late 1954 and was never heard from again had the fussbudget personality that was later assumed by Lucy. Having only seen one strip with Charlotte before getting this book, I have to say that Charlotte was annoying in her short tenure in the strip and Charles Schulz probably knew it was best to cut his ties with the character. But she still is a fascinating part of Peanuts history.

If you get this book, you will notice that the quality of the reproduction of some of the strips are less than average. There is an explanation in the book that many of the early strips were lost from the Schulz collection and that there are not many copies of newspapers around to pull the strips from (their next best option) and that microfilm (where most newspapers are usually kept) is usually not acceptable for reproduction. So for some strips, they used the best they had. Sure, it would be nice to have pristine copies, but at least I'm glad something is there.

All-in-all, it is another masterpiece and I can't wait for the next volume, which will be the strips of 1955 and 1956!

These kids were NASTY!!!!, November 11, 2004
Maybe in its latter days Peanuts became more of a cute kids strip, but in its early days it epitomized childhood cruelty. Sandcastles are cheerfully kicked and smashed to the ground, kids constantly discuss why they hate each other, they manipulate each other for personal gain, they yell, scream, throw things, hit each other, kick other people's possessions and on and on. It's an onslaught of bare raw human nature in the form of little human blobs. Pure Id reigns in this domain.

Lucy comes of age in this volume. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the January 24th, 1954 Sunday page (pg. 167). She kicks everyone's prized possessions across the room while yelling "That's what I think of your 'ol stamp collection!!" and "That's what I think of your ol' stupid marbles!!" The last panel has all of the kids running after her mob-style as she pleads "I'm frustrated and inhibited. And nobody understands me." Another strip has Lucy whacking poor baby Linus on the head. When Charlie Brown pleads "What did you hit him for?" Lucy replies "Because he was there!" (May 24th, 1954, pg. 219). She's pretty nasty throughout to pretty much everyone. But she also has a whimsical side such as when she's counting stars or raindrops.

Charlie Brown's metamorphosis into the loser we all know starts to gain momentum. Early on he could be defiant, obnoxious, loud, or cunning. By the end of the volume he's more depressive and shunned than ever.

Linus is still a baby throughout, but some words emerge, usually in defiance of Lucy's nasty schemes to get him in trouble. The security blanket shows up also for the first time. Even Charlie Brown experiments with it.

Schulz also took some risks in May, 1954. He introduced visible adults into the strip for the first (and probably the last) time. A series of Sunday strips finds Charlie Brown and Lucy playing in a golf tournament. They are surrounded by adults. The juxtaposition of very realistically drawn adults and little abstract circular kids makes for a disorientating visual experience.

Pig-Pen appears for the first time in 1954. He's more of a one-gag character and not as strong as the rest of the crew. The same can be said for Charlotte Braun. She appeared then disappeared forever in late 1954. Her gag? She talks too loud.

And of course Snoopy. There's loads of great Snoopy strips in this volume. Many are purely sight gags, but Snoopy does begin to "talk" around this time. One of the best Snoopy strips is October 11th, 1954 (pg. 279) where Charlie Brown tries to take Snoopy's picture. It's purely visual but a sure sign of things to come.

It's amazing that strips featuring old cathedral televisions and radios, and Brownie-style cameras can still evoke outloud laughter. The humor strikes at many different places, and works on many levels, from the physical to the intellectual and thus appeals to many kinds of people. Something lurks here for almost everyone. Some people could even find parts of the strip depressing. After all, kids get socially shamed, shunned, physically hurt, abused, and abandoned over and over. But depicting the entire cast as cute children somehow turns these situations into comedy. They all seem innocent, but they are anything but. In fact, part of Schulz's contribution was revealing the underside of the cute and innocent. These strips seem to tell us: just because something IS cute doesn't mean that it's incapable of cruelty. He helped expand the possibilities of the cute 'lil cartoon character.

Even though the strip later fell headfirst into rampant commercialism, these early strips reveal an energy and edge unmatched in most mainstream comics (even today, especially today). When the golden age of newspaper comics gets a historical review sometime in the future, Peanuts will likely stand out as the exemplar of the medium.

Lastly, Fantagraphics comes through again as the champion of classic comics. This volume continues the great design and layout of the first volume (though arguably the strips could be bigger and the Sunday strips could be in color). Walter Cronkite introduces and a short Schulz biography closes. Keep them coming.

Where have you gone, Charlotte Braun?, January 3, 2005
This second volume in the Complete Peanuts series is even better than the first one. Charles Schulz really started to come into his own by this point. The characters are closer to the Peanuts characters we all came to know and love, although they are all younger at this point. Two new characters were introduced in 1954, they being the legendary Pig Pen and the soon-to-be-forgotten Charlotte Braun. Pig Pen of course is famous for being the dirtiest kid in the world. Charlotte Braun is obscure for being a girl who talks too loud. This is great stuff, and all Peanuts fans should get this book.

A classic masterpiece, December 8, 2004
The Complete Peanuts 1953 To 1954 is the latest in a series of anthologies created to collect the entire Peanuts comic strip series, including daily and Sunday strips. Featuring an introduction by Walter Cronkite - who expresses wistful reminiscence at losing his one and only chance to meet Schulz before his unfortunate passing - The Complete Peanuts 1953 To 1954 continues its early years of the strip by introducing the staple character of Pig Pen to the cast of Charlie Brown, Shermy, Violet, Schroeder, Patty, Lucy, Linus, and Snoopy. Mirthful, whetted, keenly observant of childhood disappointments and cruelties, The Complete Peanuts 1953 To 1954 also offers some key insights into the early days of the strip before it settled into conventions more familiar to later readers. Snoopy still walks on all fours; Linus is too young to talk yet; adults occasionally speak off-panel and can even be seen (from a three-year old's point of view that is). Observe Lucy's amazing golf prodigy talents, and a fascinating strip that may well be genesis of why she torments Charlie Brown every year by yanking away a football before he can kick it - for Charlie Brown himself has mercilessly yelled at her for being personally unable to kick a football further than a few inches! A classic masterpiece, and member of a series that is an absolute must-have for true fans of Schulz's genius.

Magnificent II, November 11, 2004
It is such a pleasure to read through these early Peanuts comic strips. There are so many things to discover: the first appearance of Linus, Lucy as a champion golfer, the brief first appearance of the security blanket.

Admittedly, some of the discoveries are real surprises: adults speak, Snoopy verbalizes (albeit in his head) and Charlie Brown does always lose. Still, it is a joy to see how Schultz developed in these early years and began to find his voice.

This series of books is turning into one of the great collections of all time.

An interesting look backwards, January 25, 2007
I've always loved Peanuts. As a kid, I especially enjoyed the TV shows, but of course everyone loves Snoopy, and the other characters, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, and Pigpen, are all very fun. As a result, when my wife got this for me for my birthday, I was fascinated to see how far what we know as Peanuts had evolved from what it started out as. Charlie Brown still has that shirt with the stupid stripe on it, Lucy has her hair with the two little bobs at the sides below her ears, and Pigpen (who makes his debut here) is followed by a cloud of dust (most of the time). But Snoopy is very very different from what we're used to, spending all of his time on all fours except when he's begging, and being much more dog-like than he was in later strips. He's even drawn differently, with a sharper nose and a more dog-like body. There's another girl (named Violet) who I don't remember from the more recent cartoons, and Patty (no Peppermint) is a pretty straightforward girl, not the tomboy who called Charlie Brown "Chuck" all the time. Linus can't even talk yet! This was one of the biggest surprises: to me, the Peanuts kids were always frozen in time, but apparently Schulz aged them in the first years.

I enjoyed this collection immensely, and I'm now determined to buy more of this collection.

A Classic Collection, January 22, 2007
This is the second book in the series and my 12 year old daughter loves both. Once she was reading the first book she wanted the next one too. Seeing how the characters began is fun as well as the old drawings. And seeing them evolve in personality and age is great. Snoopy's antics get more and more animated, Linus is a baby, and there is the introduction of Pig Pen! He actually cleans himself up, but then decides he likes himself the way he was. I got the book for my daughter at Christmas. We've read several pages each night and are now almost done. I guess we'll be getting the next one in the series. If you are a Peanuts fan, these classic comics are definately worth collecting!

A Masterwork Continues, November 29, 2004
In this second volume of the Peanuts collection, we continue to see Schulz's world as it evolved towards what became its glory years (late 1950s to late 1960s). Charlie Brown is still a smart aleck, but gradually his professional victimhood is taking form. Lucy is still sweet and babyish at the beginning of this volume, but by the end she is definitely moving towards her loud mouth, abrasive, loveable self. Snoopy is becoming less doggy and more human (we get to imagine the inside of his doghouse for the first time), and Linus is showing signs of genius even though he can't speak yet. We also see some favorite characters for the first time, noteably Pig Pen, and get to see some failed experiments, such as Charlotte Braun, a loud mouth who moved into the neighborhood for awhile but obviously didn't work out.

I was also interested to see some indirect allusions to the real world of the mid 1950s in these early strips, such as one character's refusing to incriminate himself (he must have been watching the McCarthy hearings on those old TV sets!).

This is a fun volume which presages some of the finest Peanut moments, which we'll be able to see again in coming years, thanks to this series' creators.

Funny, October 13, 2008
This book is really funny. Lucy is the most funniest in this book. There are 380 lost comics shown in here. As it says in the front flap of the book we also meet the one-joke but hardy Pig-Pen, and the no-joke, forgotten Charlotte Braun. A really great book.

a testament to Schulz and his creative genius!! (Volume 2!!), February 20, 2006
Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy Van Pelt. Snoopy, Schroder, Violet and the curly-haired Patty. Some of the most well-known members of the Peanuts gang are here in this, volume II of the collected works of Charles M. Schulz.

Peanuts is, of course, one of the widest-read and most visually recognizable comic strips of all time. Charles Schulz began drawing the Peanuts strip in 1952 after an initial success of Peanuts-like characters in a strip called "Lil' Folks," and continuted to draw each and every strip himself, by hand, until his death in the year 2000. By my calculation, that makes something over 17,500 comic strips drawn by one man (Schulz refused to hire any assistants to help him with the daily strip and insisted on drawing, lettering and inventing the story line for each day). This is the second book cataloguing and celebrating each and every one of those strips from the very beginning to the very end. A new volume of strips will be published twice a year until the year 2010 or so.

It's fascinating to see the slow evolution of a favorite character, especially one as popular as Charlie Brown whom I grew up with and consider a personal (albeit fictional) friend. In this second volume Charlie begins to take on his infamous wishy-washy personality, though not directly and not in all situations. Charlie can get angry and argumentative, and on occasion even haughty and overbearing, which may strike younger readers as a bit incongrous.

Also, as this is only the 2nd year that Schulz was drawing the strip, there's a lot of things that are different in 1953 than modern audiences are used to. Snoopy, for example, still walks on all 4's and has not begun sleeping on top of his doghouse yet. Indeed, in a few strips you can see the FRONT of his doghouse, which is a rarity (in no animated films, for exaple, do you ever see the front of his house), and Woodstock the bird has not made his appearance.

Pig-Pen makes his grand debut about 1/2 of the way through this volume and in the early years there are a few appearences of him actually cleaned up and looking nice (for all of 1-2 frames before getting filthy again).

Schroder was introduced early in 1952 and was a Beethoven-obsessed, toy-piano player since the very beginning, but it wasn't until 1953 that Lucy (who is still younger than Charlie Brown) began showing interest in him.

Linus appeared late 1952 as well, and is still a bit of a baby in '53 & '54, not talking much though still funny. It isn't until late '54 that he begins his life-long association with his blue security blanket, but when he DOES, readers know instinctively that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

there is a character named Patty, though it's not the tomboyish, D-earning, sandal wearing Peppermint Patty who shall appear in the mid 50's (if I've got my Peanuts history correct). The bespectacled Marcie and Franklin (who would earn Schulz bags of HATE MAIL for incorporating a Black character into the strip) also are still years away.

To read Schulz is to see a master storyteller at work. One of the things that made Peanuts so popular (and, indeed, unusual) was how wise-beyond-their-years the characters were and the total lack of adults "on camera." Prior to Peanuts, the only children featured in comics were wiseacre kids like Little Iodine. Charlie's philsophical, but amusing, observations on life caught the hearts and imaginations of readers back then and will do so again for modern audiences.

For anyone who is a Peanuts fan, this is a great time to be alive as each and every one of those 17,000+ strips shall be bound between covers and preserved forever. And I... I shall read each and every one!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

For any writer who wants to become an expert comic-book storyteller, The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics is the definitive, one-stop resource!

In this valuable guide, Dennis O’Neil, a living legend in the comics industry, reveals his insider tricks and no-fail techniques for comic storytelling. Readers will discover the various methods of writing scripts (full script vs. plot first), as well as procedures for developing a story structure, building subplots, creating well-rounded characters, and much more. O’Neil also explains the many diverse formats for comic books, including graphic novels, maxi-series, mega-series, and adaptation. Of course, there are also dozens of guidelines for writing proposals to editors that command attention and get results. ... Read more

Reviews

A solid introduction, but it leaves you wanting much more, January 1, 2003
"The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics" is author by Dennis O'Neil, who wrote some of the classic Green Lantern and Batman stories (usually drawn by Neal Adams). In this volume O'Neil covers the various methods of writing scripts, procedures for developing a story structure, creating well-rounded characters, and more. Although most of what is covered in here is basic to all forms of writing, O'Neil does keep the focus on how these key concepts apply to the writing of comic books. The book is divided into two parts, with an appendix:

Part One: (1) What are Comics? is answered in terms of a comprehensive vocabulary of comic book terms such as speech balloon, story arc, and inker; (2) A Full-Script Versus Plot-First compares the latter, which is the Marvel method developed by Stan Lee, with the former, the traditional approach for writing film and television scripts, with the strengths and weaknesses of each; (3) Story Structure provides a listing of the basic kinds of structure used in comics, including a detailed look at different examples of "The Hook"; (4) Creating Drama looks at the importance of keeping the action going and offers a key distinction between suspense and surprise; (5) Subplots presents the advantages and inherent dangers of subplotting; (6) Characterization spends as much time talking about dialogue and humor as well as about the hero and other characters; and (7) Script Preparation is about the physical act of writing and producing something that can be turned over to an artist (assuming, for the sake of argument, you are not going to do the whole comic book yourself in the spirit of Dave Sims, the early years).

Part Two starts by covering the rules for different types of comic book stories: (1) Miniseries give you a title with a predetermined number of issues, usually between three and six; (2) Graphic Novels are, for want of a better definition, long fictional narratives (sidestepping graphic novel miniseries like "The Dark Knight Returns"); (3) Maxiseries are essentially longer miniseries, like "The Watchmen" or "Crisis on Infinite Earths"; and (4) Ongoing Series, which are the staple of DC Comics and include titles like "Action Comics" and "Batman" that have been published continuously for over 60 years. Basically the same general rules are applied to all of these forms, with a different balance of consideration. The rest of this unit looks at (5) Story Arcs as ways of doing a miniseries in an ongoing series; (6) The Levitz Paradigm for tracking plots and characters over the course of multiple issues; (7) Megaseries, which is O'Neil's newly coined term for stories that cut across multiple titles for the same characters, such as Batman's "No Man's Land"; (8) Adaptations, which in this case applies not to turning great works of literature into comic books but rather adapting Batman movies back into the comic books that inspired them; (9) Continuity, or rather three types of continuity; and (10) Denouement, which is O'Neil's final pat on the back to his readers.

The Appendix has Mark Evanier's thoughts on "Writing Humor Comics," and a list of suggestions for the Comic Book Writer's Library. Overall, the book is much more descriptive than anything else, which ends up being both its strength and its weakness. Still, O'Neil does try to crystallize his thoughts into specific rules whenever possible. If anything, O'Neil is guilty of trying to cover too much and sacrificing, to some degree, depth for breadth. Throughout "The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics" the best examples are when O'Neil can go into detail (especially if it is regards to a comic we have actually read). The book is illustrated with examples from comics throughout DC's history, but the best examples are rough or finished pages paired up with the pages written up for the artist by the writer. This is where we get our best sense of how comic books are written and produced in the real world.

The companion volume to this work, "The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics," is written by Klaus Janson. There is actually a minimum of overlap between these two volumes, which offer a complimentary approach to the creation of comic books. These two DC volumes are worthy additions to the limited library that every aspiring comic book writer/artist should own, which would include Will Eisner's "Comics and Sequential Art" and "Graphic Storytelling," Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics" and "Reinventing Comics," and even John Buscema's "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way."

Great for basic knowledge, July 16, 2001
First off, I'd like to do the mini-review for those with limited attention spans: "Buy This Book".

Following is a list of why I think you should buy this book:

1) Although it's about comic books, in my opinion, many of the lessons Dennis O'Neil teaches in this book are valuable for writing in general, especially the point he makes about never letting the reader get bored.

2) It's doesn't cost a arm and a leg.

3) It's well written. O'Neil's style is very fluid and natural, sometimes funny, and always very clear on the lessons he wants to teach.

4) It's full of examples. Almost every page in the book has an example from a comic book or script that clarifies and illustrates O'Neil's points. Half the fun in this book is reading the examples.

5) It's short. 120 pages long, and about half the book is examples.

Reasons you might want to not buy this book:

1) It's pretty basic. It rehashes a lot of material experienced writers may have already learned.

2) It doesn't hold your hand. O'Neil doesn't tell you a single method and have you go through it step by step. The book is very general, and is meant to enhance your existing writing abilities, rather than give you a single recipe. ;-)

Very helpful, but I did expect more., July 22, 2001
When I saw this book, I thought it would be a great way to pick up some tips ... and it was, but not as many as I had hoped for. It's great for beginners, but for anyone who has been at this a while (like myself), it seems pretty dumbed down. Another bad thing is that I expected a book and I got what looks like a trade paperback comic. It's fun to read, but I just think there is more to be said. This book focuses more on format & structure than content. And even at that, O'Neil (an outstanding writer) spends half his time saying how there are more than one ways to do anything, and this way may not be the right way for you. HOWEVER, I was able to get a few useful tips and pointers from its 128 pages. Personally I feel that if you can get JUST ONE useful tip from it, then it's worth the .... And I did get several, so I'm happy with it. But don't look for writing tips on how to make compelling characters (there is a breif bit about it, but not much). This book is more about style and format. But at the end of the day, I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who wants to write comics. Format & structure are very important. As I said, if you can get just one tip from it, you've got your money's worth!

DISAPPOINTING., December 11, 2003
Half of this thin volume consists of B&W repro's of DC comics pages. 3/4 of the rest consists of tips cribbed from Hollywood Screenwriting books. (Note to O'Neil, comics are not movies. Or TV shows.)

What's in the guide specifically for comics writing? Well, the answer to one beginner's question - "What format do I use?" is: "There's no one right way." The answer to another beginner's question: "Do I write out the whole script, panel by panel, balloon by balloon, before the artist gets it, or do I just write a plot outline for the artist, then script the captions and balloons after the penciller is finished?" is: "There's no one right way."

Mr. O'Neil repeats "There's no one right way" about 53 more times, just in case you can't read.

The only thing interesting and worthwhile here is "the Levitz Paradigm" a way to organize plots and subplots across different issues or even across titles. But as O'Neil notes, nobody gets a chance to do anything like that at DC unless they have already been working there for many years.

O'Neil has been writing comics a long time. He must know what he's doing. Maybe he can't articulate it. Maybe he doesn't want to release the REAL secrets and foster competition.

I just don't know.

Not What I expected, October 3, 2003
Although the book covers the various methods (2) of writing scripts, procedures for developing a story structure and creating well-rounded characters. It is not thorough enough to help the reader make solid decisions. Basically, this book gets you off to a good start. However, you will need to suppliment this book with more material that goes in depth. For ex: When the book discuss the methods of writing scripts, it does not introduce a method at all. Instead, the book shows 2 examples of previously written scripts. Thus, introducing the reader to the idea of writing a script, but you'll need to get a book that goes deeper into script writing to be successful. Overall, it was good reading and introduces the basics.

Best book on writing I've ever read., January 3, 2006
I've read about a dozen books on writing and screenwriting, and most have been very helpful, especially J. Michael Straczynski's "The Complete Book of Screenwriting." None of them, however, have just laid it all out like Dennis O'Neil's book. While Straczynski's tome can tell you everything you night ever want to know, O'Neil's book tells what you what you MUST know, and very clearly lays out the basics, without which your story will not work. It's short - and half illustrations at that - but insightful and concise.

It is written specifically for the fast-paced, melodramatic writing style of comics, especially action comics, but it's lessons are useful in any story.

I especially like that it is not about teaching you how to write, but about utilizing tools that will clarify your writing, or help to get you out of a bind.

A 101 Course for Comics Writing, June 21, 2001
When I heard this book was coming out, I was very excited. No other book, to my knowledge, was specifically devoted to writing in the comics medium. One nice aspect of the book is the presentation of the printed comic page along with the scripted text. While the book is tight and focused, it is still just an introductory course. Anyone reading this book will still want to do further research, as the text suggests. However, O'Neil's prose is witty and engaging, and the book is an entertaining read. My few complaints aside, this book is a complete pleasure to read.

Add This to the Reference Shelf!, April 26, 2002
This is one of the best references a writer interested in the field should own. I'm currently working on a script to submit to a publisher. Already it helped me avoid a couple of the common pitfalls. The author provides excellent insight reinforced with illustrations on writing for the genre.

Not at all a Bad Start, March 30, 2004
As an experienced, published writer in just about every genre EXCEPT comics, I came to this book expecting a simple, cookie-cutter, step-by-step guide that would have all its readers producing identically-plotted stories. I was pleasantly surprised. O'Neil leaves out the obvious (i.e. Rewrites happen. Deal with it.), and focuses on the "Why" more than the "How." Is it as easy as copying an existing comic? Of course not; anyone who would say that is naive. O'Neil talks about how to READ that existing comic, not as a piece of entertainment, but as a piece of writing. I'll use this in my writing classes as well as for myself.

GREAT BOOK FOR BEGINNERS, July 2, 2001
If you're a beginner when it comes to writing, as I was, then this book will be of great help. The author, Dennis O'Neil, has been writing comic books for a long time and has worked on some of my favorite Batman stories (such as the critical and commercial success "No Man's Land" series). In the book, O'Neil discusses different types of writing formats, such as plot-style and full-script, as well as the basic three act structure used in everything from screenwriting, playwriting, (and yes) comic book writing. On the downside, it's a little short and can be read through quickly. But don't let that stop you from buying it. There's a lot of information within its pages for people who don't really know the basics of comic book writing. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A biography and “best of” collection showcasingthe man who co-created Marvel Comics.70 years ago, a new publishing company named Marvel Comics stuck its toeinto the first waters of the comic book industry. Before they became a pop culture powerhouse publishing famous superheroes like Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man, Marvel’s first ever comic book featured a daring newanti-hero named the Sub-Mariner, created by legendary artist Bill Everett. 70years later, Everett’s watery creation continues to be one of the pinnacles of theMarvel Universe of superheroes, as attested to by its recent option as a majormotion picture.

Bill Everett invented comics’ first anti-hero in 1939; an angry half-breed(half-man, half sea-creature) that terrorized mankind until uniting with the Allied Forces to conquer fascism’s marchacross Europe during World War II. But the reasons to celebrate Bill Everett’s monumental career in comics books don’tstop with his water-based hero. Everett was a master of many comic genres, and was one of the pre-eminent horrorcomic-book artists in the 1950s (before government and societal pressures led the comics industry to censor itself withthe imposition of the Comics Code Authority), producing work of such quality and stature that he ranked alongside theartists who produced similar material for the justifiably lauded EC Comics.

Bill Everett: Fire & Water is the latest book from Blake Bell, author of the acclaimed Strange and Stranger: The Worldof Steve Ditko, and is being produced in cooperation with the Everett family. It will feature the definitive biography ofthe man and his career, and how his personality informed his signature character, before his untimely passing at the ageof 55 in 1973. The main focus, however, will be the stunning display of artwork that few artists can match in breadthand quality. From the superhero and horror genre, to the mid-west, romance, crime, and suspense, Bill Everett was amaster of the medium — all on display in this coffee table art book that is destined to ensure Everett’s place at the tableof premier comic book virtuosos. Full-color throughout ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent look at an underappreciated artist, October 4, 2010
Bill Everett died in 1973, almost forty years ago, and I'm pretty sure that this is the first book ever to be devoted entirely to him. Fortunately, it's an excellent book, recounting Everett's life and career from his childhood to his death. Even more impressive are the large, beautiful reproductions of his artwork, which take up more then half the pages of this book. I would recommend this for anyone who is interested in comic books, especially the Submariner, and fans of the Golden Age. One of my favorite books.

Wonderful book, October 11, 2010
I don't know what the complaint is re: Amazon's description of the book, but I bought the book through Amazon and the book was as described. It is light on text, but gives a concise biography of Bill Everett that conveys the essence of the man. Many pages (color as well as black and white) of Everett's artwork. A very nice book overall. ... Read more

Editorial Review

ESSENTIAL COMICS VALUES ALL IN COLOR!

COMICS SHOP is the reliable reference for collectors, dealers, and everyone passionate about comic books!

THIS FULL-COLOR, INDISPENSABLE GUIDE FEATURES:

• Alphabetical organization by comic book title
• More than 3,000 color photos
• Hundreds of introductory essays
• Analysis of multi-million dollar comics' sales
• How covers and splash pages have evolved
• An exclusive photo to grading guide to help you determine your comics' conditions accurately
• Current values for more than 150,000 comics

In addition to the thousands of comic books from such publishers as Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image, this collector-friendly reference includes listings for comic books from independentpublishers, underground publishers, and more! ... Read more

Reviews

Superior to Overstreet in every way, October 25, 2010
First, hats off to Overstreet for providing the reference standard comics guide for 40 years. It's a legacy that will last, and my own bookshelf is filled with Overstreet price guides of various years.

That said, with the financial troubles at Gemstone, and the unwillingness of Overstreet's editors to move with the times, this time-honored tome is reaching the end of its useful life. Enter Comic Shop.

Comic Shop has everything that Overstreet has been lacking...a very useful collector's guide for new (and old) collectors, vivid colors on every page, realistic pricing that serves the buyer, and even underground comix, something Overstreet has mysteriously refused to list for its entire 40-year run...even though they've tried their hardest to push seldom-seen or collected "Victorian" comics.

Comic Shop isn't just a price guide, it's a history of American comics, and you can open it up and read something on almost every page about a comic line, a comic creator, or the collecting industry. Well done, Maggie Thompson and company.

The only price guide you'll read!, October 8, 2010
As one of the editors of our first full-color comics price guide, I have to say that I'm ecstatic at how outstanding this book is.

We wanted something more in a price guide, and Comics Shop is the result. Comics Buyer's Guide Senior Editor (and Comics Shop Co-Editor) Maggie Thompson, who's been collecting comics since the Golden Age and part of fandom since its beginnings, was bowled over by the first office copy of the book. "I didn't realize how much fun it would be to read," she said.

Drawing on the experience we've gained in producing price guides for more than three decades and the more than 150 combined years of comics knowledge of our three editors, Comics Shop is much more than just a list of comics and prices, it's a guide to comics! You will know more about comics after reading Comics Shop.

And, as an added bonus, you can register for a chance to win one of 10 promotional posters signed by cover artist Mark Sparacio. Sign up between now and Nov. 5, 2010, at [...].

Comics finally get justice, November 23, 2010
It's one thing to love comics, to get swept away in all the color, grandeur and childhood escape. I could go on all day, but I know I'm preaching to the choir.

But it's quite another to love reading about comics, to immerse yourself in them after peeling away the pop culture veneer.

The new Comics Shop does a killer job of doing just that. This first-time buyer's guide from Krause Publications weighs in at a whopping 800-plus pages (and at least five pounds), and already lays claim to the title of the only full-color comic book price guide on the market. It's a beauty, too. And the full-color isn't wasted on some newsprint stock, either, since they printed this on some nice heavy, glossy stock.

But this book shouldn't be judged by its cover - or pages, or its nearly 200,000 listings of comic books circulating out there. The best, and smartest, part of this tome is that solves that classic conundrum of drawing new fans without alienating current readers. Its lengthy illustrated introduction draws in rookies while dropping just enough eye candy and nostalgia for even the most jaded veteran fans.

Feature include grading system explanations, photo grading guides with hundreds of covers images and a wonderful breakdown of how those iconic covers and gorgeous splash pages have evolved over the decades.

Comic books finally get justice this year, with a price guide as fun to read as the comics themselves.

In Living Color, October 7, 2010
This book is stunning! I've been waiting years for a color guide to comic books and it has finally arrived -- in a big way. What I like about the book is that it features more than 3,000 color images and dozens and dozens of covers run full page. And it still costs less than Overstreet! In addition to that, the book provides hundreds of series reviews. I find that very helpful because there are plenty of comic book series I'm not familiar with, and now I am. I really bought the book for the color pictures but I find myself reading it more than any other guide I've ever owned. It's almost unfair to call it a price guide because it provides so much more than values. Really enjoy it.

An entertaining and informative price guide, December 16, 2010
Krause Publications has been releasing comic-book price guides for
many years and the process has been one of constant evolution. The
company's most recent effort is Comics Shop [$24.99], a hefty full-
color trade edition by Comics Buyer's Guide editors Maggie Thompson
and Brent Frankenhoff with ComicBase developer Peter Bickford. It
may not be comics' best-known price guide, but its nearly 900 pages
offers some things not found in Overstreet.

Comics Shop takes advantage of its color and slick paper to present
over 3000 color comic-book covers. Some of these covers are full
pages in the volume's introductory material and the rest are within
the price guide itself.

The introductory material mostly sticks to the basics: how to use
the book, frequently asked questions, market trends, and a heavily-
illustrated grading guide complete with examples of condition and
defects. But it also features two lively articles by Thompson: one
on recurring cover themes and the other on the great stories inside
comics. The articles in Comics Shop, even the "basics" pieces, are
much better written than in other price guides where, to my mind,
the writing tends to be dry, lifeless, and repetitive.

Rather than list estimated prices in a range of grades, Comics Shop
lists prices in near-mint condition with these prices derived from
"monitoring online sales, shop sales, and auction sales." Included
with the alphabetical listings are entertaining and often enticing
summaries of thousands of comics titles. I'm just through the "A"
section and have already found several series I would love to read.

Bickford is the creator of ComicBase, "the most comprehensive and
critically acclaimed software for comics collectors." This price
guide benefits mightily from his work.

Thompson and Frankenhoff - full disclosure here - are dear friends
of mine and two of the very best editors I've ever worked with in
my nearly forty-year comics career. Their experience and way with
words make Comics Shop an incredibly useful resource that is also
a delight to read.

Overstreet might be the standard for comic-book price guides, but
Comics Shop is a worthy competitor. I think comics collectors and
fans benefit from having both books.

For decades I've been reviewing comics and related items in "Tony's
Tips," which leads off the review section in every monthly issue of
Comics Buyer's Guide. If I were reviewing this book there, I would
give it the full five out of five Tonys.

� 2010 Tony Isabella

Editorial Review

Between the classic films of Walt Disney in the 1940s and the televised cartoon revolution of the 1960s was a critical period in the history of animation. Amid Amidi, of the influential Animation Blast magazine and CartoonBrew blog, charts the evolution of the modern style in animation, which largely discarded the "lifelike" aesthetic for a more graphic and often abstract approach. Abundantly found in commercials, industrial and educational films, fair and expo infotainment, and more, this quickly popular cartoon modernism shared much with the painting and graphic design movements of the era. Showcasing hundreds of rare and forgotten sketches, model boards, cels, and film stills, Cartoon Modern is a thoroughly researched, eye-popping, and delightful account of a vital decade of animation design. ... Read more

Reviews

'Thought I'd Died and Gone to Cartoon Heaven, September 25, 2006
Like many of my peers, as I grew up, my interest in animation gravitated toward the full animation of the Golden Age: Robert McKimson, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, et al, for a long while disdaining any form of animated minimalism, even the kind represented in this book. By the age of 7 or 8, we had come to associate Top Cat, Deputy Dawg, The Flintstones, The Jetsons and all the minimal animation that had once been among our favorites with shoddy cheapness. (Even as a small child, I remember several of us sitting around talking about cartoons, and laughing to scorn at the way the same background tree kept passing every couple of seconds in Hanna-Barbera chase scenes. We wondered, did they think we weren't catching that?!) 'Limited animation', those dread words, became poision for all us growing young animation fans.

I'm not sure when my respect and interest in minimal/modern animation returned in a changed form, but I think it had to be in the mid 80s, when the best of UPA appeared suddenly on a couple of VHS tapes: Gerald McBoing Boing, The Tell-Tale Heart, Unicorn in the Garden, Christopher Crumpet, The Rise of Duton Lange, Family Circus, etc. On the rebound, the '50s fine art/graphic design style of these cartoons knocked me out. After seeing these shorts, I started seeking out more examples of this style of animation in old TV commercial reels, and then started noticing the style spilling over into point of purchase, packaging design and magazine ads of the period. By this point, I was a fatally hooked "modern."

This book will throughly scratch the itch of those baby boomers whose earliest TV memories may include those brief Tom Terrific segments from Captain Kangaroo, as well as the younger reader who will feel the irresistable draw of a very strong retro style. The pictures (and there are a ton of them) are pretty, and instantly evocative, and the text hits a smart median between scholarly and entertaining.

Five stars. If you have anyone with any level of popular art/film/animation/graphic design interest on your Christmas list, I'd bear this book in mind.

Eye and mind candy-for lovers of animation and all art & design, August 30, 2006
This long awaited book is a typically clever, eye-popping treat from Chronicle Press. The author is a well-versed authority on this particular aspect of animated cartoons--the brilliant, trend-setting and still-potent design of the 1950s. Arranged in chapters alphabetically by studio, each page is filled with treasures in color and line. Inside you'll find beautiful examples from such famous studios as UPA("Gerald McBoing-Boing", "Mr. Magoo", "Rooty-Toot-Toot", etc.), Warner Bros(the work of Maurice Noble in tandem with Chuck Jones, among others) and Disney--and many almost unknown studios whose output is liberally displayed. It's all inspiring, and it's fascinating to realize that although the overrriding fifties sense of style is hot right now, these men and women of the grey flannel past are still way ahead of almost all of us. Amid Amidi's text is intelligent and informative, an apt accompaiment. Artists, animators, cartoon lovers and afficionados of midcentury modern design have to have this.

More biography than imagery, April 5, 2008
I absolutely love 50's (and early 60's) animation styles, so based on the other reviews here I eagerly awaited this book. It was a huge letdown.

First of all, the majority of content here is biographical information about the artists who created this art. As such a nice piece of scholarship and research, and giving these artists their just rewards is a Good Thing. But that's basically all there is.

Yes, there are some images, even quite a lot, but the artwork isn't large or arranged in a manner to make any sense (other than as biographical material). There are a few tantalizingly good images, but the vast majority are small, rather pedestrian and, oddly enough, not particularly indicative of the style of the period.

The author sets great store by "unconventionalism", but in point of fact the art of the 50's and 60's did become conventional -- it became its own convention. And this kind of historical perspective is sorely missing here, in large part due to the way the material is organized (it's strictly a studio by studio look -- no timeline or growth of the art is presented in any way. Each studio is given a page or two, and the studios are listed alphabetically).

If you are into cartoon history *facts* then this book will be a goldmine of information for you. If, like me, you are more interested in the visual aspects of the art then I'd strongly recommend skipping this and spending the money either renting or buying some of the cartoons from that time period that are available on DVD (contrary to the author's opinion, much of the stuff IS available: once again, his bias towards the unconventional means that he overlooks the majority of work of that time period).

Modernistic Cartoons: WHAM-O, August 26, 2006
Forget "limited animation," decline of the "golden age," fairy tales and cuddley cuteness. This gorgeous sampling of abstract cartoon animation design from the dynamic postwar era examines shorts, industrials, TV spots, feature titles. Amidi's insightful comments hint at the delirious blend of bebop rhythm, lefty politics, spatial/tonal compression, and optimistically experimental world-view that fueled the renaissance. An artbook for your Noguchi coffee table that celebrates little-known studio designers and provokes further debate on animation history.

We LOVE this book!, November 9, 2006
Animators everywhere are rejoicing. Finally, someone knowledgable has lovingly assembled THE definititive book on one of the medium's finest hours- the UPA-inspired "fifties style" era of animation. What's really great is that it's not just the short cartoons that most of the fans already know about, like the Gerald McBoing-Boing series, but also tons of obscure TV commercials, movie title sequences and foreign films. The artwork is beautifully reproduced and the text well-written and (as much as possible) super-informative.

Retro-Tastic, August 31, 2006
Cover to cover, the most beautiful book about style in Animation, I have ever had the pleasure to open.

Beautiful Source Book and Treasury, January 9, 2010
An impeccably produced oblong with the lush and precise production typical of Chronicle Books, this is a visual delight for anyone. It is more a source book, an anthology of animation styles, than a serious study of animation-art history. It focuses almost entirely on the 1950s, which is understandable. In our collective pop memory, the minimalist, rather expressionistic look of advertising animation is as bound up with that decade as tailfins on cars. Often this style is called the "UPA look," after the signature style of John Hubley's animation studio. Typical examples are "Gerald McBoing-Boing" and the "I Want My Maypo" commercial. This form of animation used techical shortcuts--scant background, few in-betweens--but tried to make a virtue of these limitations. Excellence in design and inventiveness in storytelling made up for lack of detail.

Parenthetically one should note that this pared-down look also dominated commercial illustration, notably the early Andy Warhol and Tomi Ungerer. Of course, it was probably still-illustration that influenced animation rather than the other way around. When the commercial-art fashions changed, around 1960, the UPA style of the 50s began to look old-hat.

When it first took hold, animators and producers regarded this style as modern and contemporary, and insisted on painting everything with a UPA flavor. Terrytoons, best known for endless cat-and-mouse antics, experimented with minimalism and came up with the spindliest doodle of all, the "Tom Terrific" segment from "Captain Kangaroo."

The style subverted even the conventional product of the Disney animators, as can be seen in old Mickey Mouse Club animated segments (go to YouTube and find Jiminy Cricket's "Encylopedia" song) and in "101 Dalmatians." Here let me make an intriguing segue: the visual style of "Dalmatians" was also influenced by the loose, sketchy line drawings of Ronald Searle. Searle's line came to dominate the 60s and 70s, in both animation and editorial cartooning. The old UPA look, with its spindly lines and 50s minimalism, got swallowed up into that. Probably this was because the dense, inky Searle look was adaptable both to illustration and to animation, while the UPA look was not. You could not draw political cartoons in the style of Mr. Magoo. Illustrators who maintained a 1950 style into the 60s were few and far between. Virgil "ViP" Partch was avant-garde in the 40s and 50s, but his "Big George!" strip of the 1960s never got out of the second-string comic-strip league. When Dave Berg of Mad magazine began his "Lighter Side of..." series in the late 50s, he used a commercial-art style that was a perfect synthesis of Partch and Hubley. Within a few years Berg shed the 50s look for a self-taught naturalistic style.

It should be noted that most limited-animation projects never looked much like either Hubley or Searle. Seamus Culhane, a traditional cel animator from the 1930s, created his own pared-down style. Looking at his old commercials from the early 50s ("I Like Ike," "Ajax the Foaming Cleanser"), you are not aware of any modernistic minimalism. Similarly, Jay Ward, and Hanna and Barbera used the technical shortcuts of the process without drawing attention to them.

Most of the animators covered in this book, and arranged in loose alphabetical order, are forgotten today. The book is fun to dip into and browse through, letting your eyes run over the endless ad stills for cat food and soda pop, drawn many years ago by tiny one- and two-man studios, all working very hard to look like everyone else.

BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!, January 29, 2008
If you are a cartoonist, or animator, or aspiring to be either one, this is the book to have. Hurry before it's out of print!!!

Superlative, June 7, 2007
If you're an animation buff, you won't want to miss Amid Amidi's "Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in 1950s Animation". Lushly paged, and densely packed with generous, colorful, brightly saturated illustrations, "Cartoon Modern" is the cel animation cartoon fan's dream come true - the kind of volume you'd find in a favorites bin in a dream and try to take out into the waking world with you! Amid Amidi is clearly another one of us toon fangeeks: he eagerly sifts through tons of studio, production and biographical information but doesn't skimp on small details only another fangeek would enjoy - intriguing factoids and behind-the-scenes animator gossip relevant to the period abound throughout this thick, heavy book. You will never tire of the clippings, sketches, layouts, articles and character designs. Far from limited to the gorgeous coffeetable book it resembles - don't be fooled by its size and stylish appearance! - "Cartoon Modern" is an authoritative tour of one of American animation's most important creative periods. I personally look forward to more animation books from Amidi, and I hope he will someday take a literary look at the animation of the classic, cartoon modern-influenced 1969-1976 period of PBS's "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company". As a generous portion of "Cartoon Modern" concerns the works of animators John and Faith Hubley, and the Hubley Studios generated a good 40-50% of the animation for both shows, such a book may not be far from the realm of possibility. Superlative.

One the the best books ever!, January 18, 2007
This book is the greatest! Anyone who can appreciate true art will appreciate this book. Its entertaining visually and has great content. ... Read more

Editorial Review

THE EISNER AWARD-WINNING, NATIONALLY BEST-SELLING MYTHOLOGY IS HERE IN PAPERBACK, IN AN EXPANDED EDITION WITH 32 NEW PAGES.

Mythology returns, in a newly expanded paperback edition of the book Entertainment Weekly awarded a grade of A, saying: “Alex Ross brings to his work an unparalleled sense of the real. His heroes–both super and mortal–have weight; they exist in space, and that space is affected by them in ways never before seen on the page.” And so here they are, the incomparable cast of the DC Comics universe: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, the Green Lantern, and the rest of the Justice League as you’ve never seen them before. Mythology brings together the best loved comic characters in the world, brought to life by Alex Ross, one of the most astonishing young artists working in the medium today. The award-winning designer/writer Chip Kidd and photographer Geoff Spear have teamed up to create a book like no other, with an introduction by M. Night Shyamalan, the acclaimed director of The Village and The Sixth Sense.

Ross has often been called the Norman Rockwell of comics, and this book reveals not only his lifelong love of these classic superheroes but also his vision: Mythology takes you into the studio for a behind-the-scenes look at his fascinating creative process. The combination of Ross’s dynamic art and Kidd’s kinetic design makes images from his most memorable stories–including Kingdom Come, Superman: Peace on Earth, Batman: War on Crime, and Uncle Sam–soar off the more than 300 pages.

The new material centers on Ross’s startling new comic book series, Justice, including sketches, preliminary art, prototype figures, and more. Mythology is a book in which every page explodes with the power of the icons it celebrates. ... Read more

Reviews

The magic of superheroes, recaptured, January 8, 2004
Alex Ross brought a new technique and style to superhero artwork that had never quite been seen before in comics. Working almost exclusively in watercolor gouache, he brought a photorealistic style that takes almost everyone's breath away. It marvelously recaptures the essential thrill of comic books: the fantasy of what it would be like if a man could really fly, or run at incredible speeds, or had a magic ring that could do anything. He's often been compared to Norman Rockwell (in his hyperrealism and love of dramatic facial expression), but Ross is his own artist. His intense love of dramatic composition, lighting, and figural motion suggests his roots also extend to the greats of comic artwork, including Dick Sprang, Steve Ditko, Gil Kane, and Neal Adams.

This wonderful collection captures many of his childhood attempts at art and documents not only his changing style but also his creative process (using live and inanimate models, photography, and high-contrast lighting). It also showcases a plethora of his best work for DC, and even includes many rare and uncollected images done for fan publications and even a collector's plates series (!). The fancy-shmancy book design by designer and comics fan Chip Kidd is sometimes a drawback (too many images are sometimes crammed into one doublepage spread, reducing the detail to the detriment of all the images), but the book is terrific nonetheless. It greatly benefits from commentary by Ross throughout explaining what he finds interesting and exciting about each classic Golden and Silver Age comics character.

Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, October 22, 2003
I had forgotten I ordered this until it came in the mail today. It's a pretty amazing piece of work. If you are an artist (like me) it's almost a text book on how to do it correctly. I found the highlight to be the last few pages of the book where Mr. Ross explains exactly how he created the cover from initial concept sketches to photography through finished art. The book also contains several things I'd never seen before or had just seen poorly printed or web versions of. Just amazing. Well worth the asking price.

Incredible Book, October 31, 2003
If you are as big a fan as me of Alex Ross, then rush out a find a copy of this book. No matter what. It gives everything you need to know about his art and the stories behind them. It shows the evolutions of his characters and his backgrounds into how they came to be. If you are in love with comics and the characters then get this. It really shows his love for them as well. From full page spreads to single sketchbook black and white shots, its has it all. Chip Kidd did a wonderful job putting it together and the book is a great read as well. I've been waiting a long time for the definitive Alex Ross book and it's finally here. It's worth every penny.

Visually fantastic!, November 7, 2003
If you have to buy just one published book or comic having to do with Alex Ross, "Mythology" is it. The book is, for the most part, a visual retrospective on Alex Ross' works on DC characters. This edition is thin on text, but heavy on well reproduced yet great artwork. I, being an illustrator myself, really appreciate all the rough drawings and sketches included in the book, because they really show you the methode to Ross' madness.

I also recommend this book for those interested in learning illustration techniques and watercolor. Interestingly enough, you learn a great deal by observing how Ross tries to capture light and color through his work. There is even a page mentioning Andrew Loomis, the great late illustrator and one of Ross' influences. One can definitly see how the artist has drawn inspiration from the golden age illustrators and those of the 40's and 50's. His depiction of Superman is by far my favorit.

Showcasing the world's greatest painter of superheroes..., January 11, 2004
Alex Ross rose to fame with 1994's Marvels, a mini-series that chronicled the Marvel Universe from the perspective of an ordinary person. Yet the comic book painter's career really took off when he began working extensively at DC Comics (the Pepsi to Marvel's Coke). This is largely because Marvel has attempted to strip superheroes of their myth-like aura while DC has more or less embraced it and there is something very mythic about Ross' art. His paintings are larger-than-life, and fully embrace the fantastic nature of superheroes. Common to Ross' work is not only flying supermen, but shocked crowds, birds-eye-views of cities and extremes of light and darkness. Meanwhile his use of vintage costumes and reproductions of classic images resonate deeply in the American psyche, where these characters are held as icons.

Yet his superheroes are also very human in a way. He never forgets Superman's integrity, Batman's determination, or Wonder Woman's pride and makes each hero's defining characteristic evident in their faces. He even paints a wonderfully cheeky Plastic Man.

The coffee table book Mythology is an excellent sampling of the comics books, posters and T-shirts and more Ross has painted for the company. The three biggest focuses are his kindly, luminous Superman, his dark, noble Batman and his almost overwhelming portraits of the all-star Justice League of America. Lesser coverage is given to Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern and others.

Mythology also takes readers behind the scenes of Ross' work. They get to see fully grown men pose in Superman and Captain Marvel costumes as Ross' models and see how a painting develops, step-by-step. There are extensive also looks at Uncle Sam, a series about a homeless man who embodies America's lost dreams (one of Ross' few non-superhero works), and Kingdom Come, Ross' beloved series about the DC Universe's distopian future.

Mythology can be repetitive (How many mighty-looking pictures of superheroes standing together in a chorus line does anyone need?), yet there is no denying that he is the best painter of comic books in the medium's history. His versions of DC characters are bold, captivating and embody all that makes them American icons. For anyone who holds close to his or her heart the creation we call the superhero, Mythology will be a real treat.

A must have for Ross fans (6 stars), October 25, 2003
I have seen Alex Ross refered to as the Norman Rockwell of comic book artists. I would compare him more to Michelangelo, reflecting more of his genius, breaking of the mold, realism, dynamism, depiction of superheroes as divine beings, and being light years ahead of his contemporaries (using this comparison I guess that Greg Horn might be Ross' Raphael). I have been collecting Alex Ross covers, interior art, posters, lithographs, treasury editions, Wizards covers and interior art, sculptures, and busts even before Marvels #1 came out. I have read many of the interviews that have been published over the years, and have had the pleasure of meeting him and seeing him in person three times. I have a scrapbook including most of his published work. In spite of being so familiar with this comic book Michelangelo, I was still awe-struck and amazed at seeing so much of his artwork presented in such a stylized, attractive manner by Chip Kidd. I think it was the breadth and totality of his DC work that is overwhelming. I have enjoyed his art immensely but in a piecemeal fashion, taking it in small doses from month to month and eagerly awaiting each new work as previewed in Previews or Wizard. But to see it all together in a single volume, page after sumptuous page, will leave Alex Ross fans very happy and eager to see a Marvel version of his work. After seeing this book for the first time, it has sky-rocketed ahead to being the favorite and most cherished book in my collection- not only of the comics and graphic art genre but of all my books. If left on a deserted island I will want to be sure and bring this book along to enjoy again and again. The cover from Wizard #99 is reproduced without any copy. This is the only time I have ever seen this image intact and without any additional copy. I think that this would make a wonderful lithograph and was glad to see it presented here. The only criticism I have is that the final three pages were not a gatefold. These pages feature recent covers from Wizards #141 (Bats), #144 (Supes), and #146 (Wonder Woman). Perhaps this will come out as a lithograph or poster in the near future, but it would have been a nice touch to put these three images together in a coherent whole as it was originally intended in a fold out gatefold. Just as Wizard has come out with a second edition of their Alex Ross Millenium Edition, hopefully we will have a second edition of Myhtology to incorporate Alex's future DC art. If so, let's put these images together insted of having them on successive pages. A small criticism in light of how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Highest possible recommendation. Look forward to the Marvel version!!!!

Two decades of Ross' comic book art come to life, March 17, 2006
DC comics fans who love comic art collections must have MYTHOLOGY: THE DC COMICS ART OF ALEX ROSS: it's a newly expanded paperwork edition of the original and displays all the comic book characters Ross' art brought to life over the decades, from Superman and Flash to Green Lantern. Included also is Ross' new comic book series Justice, new sketches, and an oversized coffee-table format which helps display and profile, in full color, Ross' entire line of DC Comics superheroes. An original Superman and Batman story written by graphic designer Chip Kidd, a re-telling of Robin's origin written by Paul Dini, plus new prototypes produced in the two years since the hardcover MYTHOLOGY appeared makes this paperwork a winner genre fans must own.

No real DC fan should go without, December 12, 2003
Here is what I wrote in my column on the website comicbookbin.com (11/22/03):

"I finally got my copy of Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross this week. If you are any kind of fan of the work Alex Ross has done for DC you need this book. A plus for me was the design contributions of Chip Kidd. For size, beauty, vividness, and sheer comprehension, this is it. If Ross put down his pencils and brush tomorrow and say he was moving on to other pursuits, I'd thank him for doing it all in superhero art. I would always encourage more, but he has said all he needs to on the amazing array of heroes and villains of the DC Universe. Alex Ross has always done his best work for DC, so I'm glad the folks at Pantheon Books were able to assemble this in time for the holidays."

BEAUTIFUL, December 1, 2003
Absolutely beautiful. Alex Ross have captured the essence of each DC character in near photographic quality paintings.

This books shows of a collection of his work for DC. Not only that, we are also taken through the steps of creating the paintings. From the inspirations (Queen's album cover) to models to the layout, steps & final piece of art.

He also recommended a few techniques and reference books for any budding artists out there.

It's also interesting to know how Alex's talent surfaced at a very young age. His drawings when he was 3, 7, 9 were included. You can tell that way back then, the kid has talent.

Recommended for all fans of good art, not just comic lovers. It's worth every penny.

The DC mythology as never seen before, July 13, 2005
This book will astonish you even before you open it. The jacket has the images of two of the most iconic superheroes of DC, Superman and Batman, and below the jacket you'll find an unbelievable piece of art showing almost every DC superhero battling versus their respective villains.

With an introduction from M Night Shyamalan, the book presents Alex from his early beginnings as a child trying to create comic book characters and how his mother kind of influenced him (even though he affirms this didn't happen, take a look at her mom's works and try to believe him)

He then presents the DC characters one by one (the Batman session has some pages dedicated to the Joker only, no other villains are shown), the early drawings, original artwork from classics and the homage he has paid for covers, posters or special editions. Analysis on the symbols and the myths of each character are used to describe what Ross wants to project with his images. I don't think it necessary to mention which character has the larger amount of pages dedicated to himself only. You get to see in drawings the creative process he follows when creating a piece, the ideas scratched on a piece of paper, the drawings and possible posing and then the final image. There are pictures I has never seen until I got this book, when I first saw them my fisrt thought was ` I need to frame these', which came up as a bad idea as I would have had to frame the entire book.

The abandoned ideas for `Portraits of villainy' are presented here in the form of pencil sketches that look pretty well, it is hard to imagine how they would have looked if the project had been completed. His takes on Hanna-Barbera, Mad magazine, Alan Moore, the animated style and World's finest are also present.

Then there are pages and pages dedicated to 'Kingdom Come', from the early concepts and ideas, passing through sketches until the realization of the project. The possible prequel that never occurred, `The Kingdom' is also mentioned and the preliminary sketches by Ross are shown.

Uncle Sam is also analyzed near the end of the book in the same way the other projects previously were.

Then we have this section called `The process', in which we obviously get to see how Alex works using the book's cover as example. The final part of the book is a very nice bonus, a Batman/Superman special story written by Chip Kidd and Alex Ross created exclusively for this book.

Indeed a great piece of collection, this book is a must for comic book fans. The hard cover presentation, the paper in which it is printed and the bonus stuff are worth the price to pay.
... Read more

Editorial Review

Whether you simply find watches fascinating or you have an old watch that you are curious about, this book is the one for you. This exploration of the evolution of the pendant/pocket watch is divided into centuries. Each century explores what was happening in the world and how these events and fashions influenced watch making. It includes information on makers, their marks, and even the serial numbers for the American watch movements. Filled with clues, it will help you determine when a watch was made, how it was made, what it is made of, and what makes it tick. The amount of photographs of timepieces in this volume is impressive - hundreds of watches are featured in beautiful color photographs. Cases, dials, and movements are included in the photographs - this book encompasses the entire watch. 2009 values. ... Read more

Reviews

A very good overview of watches development, March 1, 2005
The book is divided in 5 chapters, each one covering one century of watch development. Each chapter deals with case, movement and decorative procedures development. In the end of each chapter you will find a full range of color fotos of watches of that period. The pictures are very beautifull, but not unique: you will find them in The Sandberg's Watch Collection Book. I think that the book should earn just 3 stars, just because it does not have "unique" pictures. However, the pictures were unique for me, since i don't have sandberg's book.

Nice photos with little substance, August 18, 2005
Here's an example of a book that should never have been produced. The author is obviously misinformed and quite frankly, ignorant, regarding watches. The book is riddled with incorrect information regarding watch descriptions, including blatantly wrong jewel counts, movement descriptions, and the repititious "very fine and rare", "fine and lovely", "very fine and very rare", ad nauseum. The author constantly includes "micrometric regulator" in descriptions of pocket watches, that have NO micrometric regulators! The book is attractive, and has some excellent photographs, but, at best, this is a book that needed an author with some watch "smarts".

Not worth the money, July 18, 2007
I was disappointed with this book. There appears to be no organization and the information does not appear to be accurate. I expected much more and this book did not deliver.

Pocket Watch Collecters, July 22, 2004
C Jeanenne Bell did a tremendous job of presenting these beautiful machines for the novice to professional to admire and study. The format, plates and overall style are exceptional. I highly recommend this book especially to persons that are learning the craft. Components of mechanisms are shown, described and explained clearly. I especially appreciate the listing of watch values, even though they should be considered at least a year old, so that they can be charted throughout time. This book is a bargain.

Collector's Encyclopedia of Pendant and Pocket Watches, April 8, 2007
My 22 year old son is starting a collection of pocket watches and he has enjoyed this book. He uses it when he goes online to fine new treasures.
It helps him know what to look for.

Nice book !!!, August 21, 2005
Great pictures,but I have aspected more from this book about movement's and calibres explanation.If you have just started to collect pocket watches,than this book is for you.If you need some details for movements and calibres you will be at the start of your expertise !!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

A Unique View of a Historic Document, September 3, 2006
Comics have come a long way, even since the sixties when intellectuals started taking Batman, Superman, and Spiderman seriously. _Maus_ by Art Spiegelman, for instance, was the serious story of Spiegelman's father in the Holocaust, and Spiegelman's problematic relationship with him; it was a quietly magnificent history and memoir, and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992. _From Hell_ by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell was an examination of Jack the Ripper's story that was as dense as a novel, and with lots of reference notes to boot. If you have been watching comics climb in respectability, they have just mounted upon another rung. It is hard to class _The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation_ (Hill and Wang) by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Col�n as a comic book, for it certainly is deadly serious rather than comic, and it isn't a "graphic novel", the category by which the genre goes now. It is the famous _Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States_ but told in the comic book form. The original prose work, widely praised and even nominated for a National Book Award, was a bestseller when it came out in July 2004. It had 600 pages, while the current one has 133.

Yet this is a condensation of the report, not a dumbing-down of it. Most of the words in it (in the san-serif capitals traditional to comics) come directly from the original report, which is in the public domain. There are some pages that could not have been done better in any format. The book starts with a timeline, four rows extending for twelve pages, counting off the hours of that morning for each of the four flights. The atrocities within each plane and each flight's violent end are drawn, and all readers following the streams will try to remember what was going on at the same time in their own lives that day, and when they started hearing about the crashes. Following one timeline is another, similar one for each plane, showing the "Awareness, Notification, and Response" of flight controllers, the FAA, NORAD, and the air defense sector of the region. Along with maps, these timelines make the flow of the events of the morning comprehensible. The style of the drawings is obviously that of the comic books in which both authors are experienced. These are not young guys promoting a new version of their art. Jacobson, 76, created the "Richie Rich" series and was the editor of Harvey Comics. Col�n, 75, drew Richie, and also Casper the Friendly Ghost, before moving on to the more superhero-themed DC Comics. The book sticks to the original report, although it includes imagined pictures of events that happened within the airplanes and within the towers for which there is no documentation. Necessarily, the book does show that people working within agencies of the government were acting at cross purposes at times during the day, just as the FBI, CIA, and military intelligence had failed in the preceding months to share information rather than hoarding it. The confusion of first responders because of the inadequate communications between them is another illustrated failing. One part of the story violates the comic book rule of showing rather than telling; a caption showing a burning and crumbling tower says, "As time grew short and desperate, civilians leaped from the North Tower upper floors." The artists could not bring themselves to draw such an occurrence.

Of course, as in the original report, there are obvious targets for blame, though the commission admitted it was writing "with the benefit and the handicap of hindsight". With its historic view, Clinton does not get let off the hook, although among the difficulties he had in taking action is listed his preoccupation with his impeachment. The commission's view of how well the current government has done in implementing its recommendations is the last page of the report, and it looks like it gets a D. The phrase "constructive criticism" was coined for an effort such as the commission's, and the comic book version can only help get the word out. "Respectful" is not a word usually associated with the comics, but the authors here have shown respect to the report and to the nation that was under attack that day. They have made a useful and unique book to help us understand the events before, during, and after 9/11.

An Engaging Book for a Difficult Subject, September 4, 2006
I wasn't one of the millions who read the historic 9/11 commission report issued several years ago--or even purchased one. I had no desire to plow through over 500 pages of information and I wonder how many people read the entire document. When I learned about this graphic novel treatment and that it accurately reflected the full report, I ordered a copy.

I'll admit that I don't read many graphic novels but I read every frame and every page of this document. It is a sobering account of the state of preparedness of the United States for a terrorist attack. According to the national chairman and vice chairman of the 9/11 commission, this book is reflective of the tone and spirit of the original report.

Authors Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon have served the broad public with this well-done book. I recommend it for readers of all ages.

Quite an important achievement. Will help you understand the 9/11 Report more clearly than the text alone., September 7, 2006
I am a real fan of serious graphic novels and the use of the form to add power to the communication through words. If you have read, or tried to read, the official 9/11 Report you probably struggled in trying to organize and visualize all the detail conveyed in the words. I thought the report was very well written, but it is still hundreds of pages long and has a great amount of information that is easy to let slip into a cloud.

The authors of this graphic adaptation have long experience in telling stories in comic books and are masters of the form of the graphic novel. As they read the official report they soon realized that they could use their skills to make the information more accessible to more people. Thomas Kean, the former chairman of the 9/11 commissions said of this project "when I first heard about it, I was very concerned. But when I looked at it, it was absolutely accurate." Chair Kean and Vice-Chair Hamilton thought enough of this work to provide the foreword in this book.

I have to say that when I first heard about this book, I had no idea what it was. Would it be an abridged version of the report with photos? When I saw what it was and read it I was most impressed by the amount of information it conveys and how the pictures aid understanding, clarify timelines and activities, and add to the emotional impact of the report.

This is not a dumbed down version of the report, nor does it change the meaning of the report, nor does it editorialize on what it says. This means that the strengths and weaknesses of the report are the strengths and weaknesses of this book. Where you agree with the report (or disagree), you will agree (or disagree) with this graphic adaptation. I think this is a terrific achievement and increases the value of the book. Certainly, the official version has more material than could be presented here (but there is a LOT here - just some of it conveyed in pictures) and must be consulted if you want to debate or criticize the report. Because the authors (artists?) of this book keep the same organization as in the official report, it is easy to compare the two.

Honestly, this is an important part of American history and the official report is important to know. If you have found the official report a challenge, read this version. Get your kids to read it. Have a family discussion about it with everyone reading from this graphic adaptation. We will all be better off when everyone is aware of what really happened that day and what led up to it. Getting pieces of the story or speculation from TV and blogs really are not enough. I showed this book to some college students and they were quite enthusiastic about it and expressed a strong desire to read it because of its presentation format. While I would wish that reading a few hundred pages of text would not be too daunting for such students, the reality in our visual age is that this book will likely be read by more people than the official text (regardless of the number purchased of the official version - remember purchased does not equal read).

I saw a quote from the great Stan Lee and feel that it deserves to be quoted, "Never before have I seen a nonfiction book as beautifully and compellingly written and illustrated as "The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation". I cannot recommend it too highly. It will surely set the standard for all future works of contemporary history, graphic or otherwise, and should be required reading in every home, school, and library." Well, is that strong enough for you?

Thanks to the authors for doing this, for the chairs of the commission for looking it over to make sure it is right, and to Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux for publishing this beautifully executed work.

Excellent Companion Book, September 6, 2006
I have read both the original 9-11 Commission Report and this graphic adaptation. The graphic adaptation is an excellent accessory to the original report.
Although some might find the "graphic novel" look off-putting, it contains the same information in the original report in a more accessible format. The fold-out time-line of the Sept. 11 events in the hardcover edition is an excellent resource all by itself.
The softcover edition has the same information as the hardcover edition at less cost, except the softcover time-line does not fold out.
I recommend either edition for a family library...the graphic adapation for the kids, and/or for adults wanting an easy-to-scan companion to the original 9-11 Commission Report.

Comic Book Read Is No Joke..., October 2, 2006
This review refers to "The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation" by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon...

Opening with a foreword by the Chair and Vice Chair of the 9/11 Commission(Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton), commending the Graphic Artists for their eye opening account of the commission findings, what you will find here is an easy to understand, condensed, but accurately stated adaptation of the commission's findings and their recommendations in trying to prevent such disaster from recurring.

The book written in the format of a colorful comic book,makes it an easy and fast read for all to get a complete grip on the events leading up to, the day of, the aftermath, and the study of the who, what, where and why of the devastating attack by terrorists on 9/11/01. It starts with a timeline of the day the 4 planes were boarded and then taken over, the routes and flight numbers identified,the hijackers movements, and last radio contacts before the catastrophe. The responses by local rescue teams, and government agencies, the twin towers demise, the Pentagon crash, and the 4th plane with the heroic passengers crash in a field, are all grim reminders of that fatal day.

The investigation by the commission digs way back, decades in fact,to follow the course of terrorism. It looks to see if all that could have been done was done. It answers many questions about how Bin Laden and his thugs organized and carried out their missions. All done in hindsight, but still leaves you with a chilling feeling that if more isn't done between the various governmental agencies to communicate with each other, that this may very well happen again. After recounting the signs and the events, and the very serious recommendations for immediate changes, the final act of the commission was to give a report card of the actions and responses to the findings by Congress and the President. As commission member James R Thompson put it: "The results are dismal".

The book is an excellent clear cut look, and informative and easy read of the entire picture.It spells out the past and what may be the future.The facts. And although, done in comic book fashion, this book is no joke.'Graphic Adaptation' means just that. I found it at times very tough to take, and I couldn't read it straight through.. The images of the all too real tragedy, and bloody battles in the planes, stayed with me, for quite some time. So it may not be for everyone.

Thanx....Laurie

Best crafted book in at least a decade., September 2, 2006
What an artform and what fidelity to the subject!!

I am contemplating buying more copies in the first edition just to put them away as an investment. This careful and skilled effort on such an historic topic might never be repeated; the human talent to do something like this might just not be around once the great generation behind this stops its work.

As an educational tool or as its own version of the events that unfolded that horrible day in 2001, tough to put down, January 15, 2009
The 9/11 Commission Report was a surprise hit when it was released in 2004. Clocking in at over 600 pages, the book was still readable, packed with unexpected twists, and far more compelling than most expected. Still, many readers were probably put off by the volume's size. Enter The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, from two legends in the comics business, Sid Jacobson and Ernie Col�n. Their take on the epic tome remains remarkably faithful to the original yet also gives it an impact and effect through astounding illustrations. The errors that allowed this terrorist act to occur on U.S. soil are documented, as are the various studies into why it happened at all. As an educational tool or as its own version of the events that unfolded that horrible day in 2001, The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation is tough to put down.
-- John Hogan ... Read more

Editorial Review

Japan's output of manga is massive, accounting for a staggering forty percent of everything published each year in the country.Outside Japan, there has been a global boom in sales, with the manga aesthetic spreading from comics into all areas of Western youth culture through film, computer games, advertising, and design.

Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics presents an accessible, entertaining, and highly-illustrated introduction to the development and diversity of Japanese comics from 1945 to the present. Featuring striking graphics and extracts from a wide range of manga, the book covers such themes as the specific attributes of manga in contrast to American and European comics; the life and career of Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and originator of story manga; boys' comics from the 1960s to the present; the genres and genders of girls' and women's comics; the darker, more realistic themes of gekiga -- violent samurai, disturbing horror and apocalyptic science fiction; issues of censorship and protest; and manga's role as a major Japanese export and global influence.

Reviews

Sumptuous Artwork, Thoughtful Analysis, August 27, 2004
"Manga" is a first-rate introduction and analysis of one of the world's most significant new forms of art - Japanese comics. The book not only has beautiful artwork, much of it in full color, but also glossy pages in an oversize format. Gravett covers the visual history of manga from Osamu Tezuka to modern European comics that have been influenced by manga. There are chapters devoted to boys' (shonen) and girls' (shojo) manga, gekiga ("drama pictures" - a kind of gritty realism), sexually explicit manga for adult men and women, and a fascinating discussion of less mainstream manga done by idiosyncratic artists and editors. The illustrations are clear, well-printed, and very well selected - Gravett has a first-rate eye for some of the most gorgeous manga artwork, ranging from Riyoko Ikeda's "Rose of Versailles" through Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell, part 2" and the horror manga of Hideshi Hino. Mechas, swordfights, pretty girls, stalwart heroes, nymphomaniac Tinkerbells, beautiful men, Princess Sapphire, Akira, Dragonball - a wide and representative range of manga styles and genres are all included. The hardest part of doing the book was probably choosing what not to include in a finite number of pages! Together with the artwork - which is worth the price of the book - Gravett has written thoughtful, historically and culturally accurate discussions of the social, aesthetic, and political background of manga. These essays are also worth the price of the book. Until now, the only two substantive books about manga as a medium were Frederik L. Schodt's 1983 "Manga! Manga!" and his 1996 "Dreamland Japan." Gravett's book is a worthy successor to Schodt's, and is essential for any fan of manga, anime or cartooning - or anyone interested in popular culture in a globalizing, transnational world. And for anyone else - well, the art is just so beautiful and the writing so well done that you too should get it.

Concerning this book and it's controversy, July 24, 2006
In terms of English language academic works on the subject of Japanese manga, this book is easily in the top five titles in quality, exceeded only by Frederick Schodt's Manga! Manga! Few comprehensive references on manga have ever been produced, and this is something of an update to Schodt's work, which dates from the early 1980s. It is an excellent academic and artistic source--however, this academic nature is what has given the book some of its controversy.

In the United States, the prevalent judgement by parents and many people outside of comic and manga fandom communities is that comics of all kinds are predominantly targeted to young children. In Japan, however, manga is targeted for a diverse audience, from young children, to adults, with genres driven towards female readers of diverse age ranges, which is relatively rare in the US. There are categories of manga directed towards sophisticated adult readers, as well as categories delivering explicitly pornographic or challenging sexual content, or stories written for gay and lesbian interests. Though Japan is somewhat more socially liberal on allowing some access by younger kids to sexual content, these categories are distinctly targeted to different age groups, genders and interests.

Of course, to ignore any single aspect of manga is to sacrifice the broad scope that the art form has manifested itself. Gravett casts a wide observation over as many different categories and examples of manga as he could deliver in a reasonably sized format. Examining the book shows that it is clearly targeted for at least a late-teenage readership if not higher, as Gravett presents historical and business information as a backdrop to the artistic content of the Japanese manga industry. Even despite the sexual content, this is far from a children's oriented book in text content and reading level alone.

As far as the sexual content goes, there are less than twenty pages with sexually explicit content on them, which is only about eight percent of the overall 176 page book. Some readers would naturally find the content objectionable, but the amount and contexts are hardly excessive--and in some cases, such as the work of Maruo Suehiro, the work is of very fine quality of value to students of Japanese comic art. The work may not be to everyone's taste, but it is far from artistically irrelevant.

(Besides which--having seen some wide examples of even harsher sexual material--Gravett's selections are far from the worst ones available).

As a result of the sexual content in this book, it was removed from the libraries of San Bernadino (California) County's Public Library system. Both sides make compelling and passionate arguments, but this has given the book an unfortunate notoriety apart from the excellent academic content. Many of the press remarks (which are available on the author's website) seem to refer to the book as excessively pornographic or x-rated, when much of it is compartmentalized in the two or three chapters dealing with adult-oriented manga in the latter half of the book. Obviously, interested readers would be encouraged to examine the book for themselves before drawing their own conclusions as to whether the book exceeds their own personal tastes or not, but they should also be aware that much of the press coverage seems to have overemphasized the book's sexual content.

It is important to know that for readers interested in an objective, comprehensive source on Japanese manga done with high academic standards, this book is a must. Unfortunately, there do not seem to be many books targeted towards a young readership that are a general reference on Japanese manga, but much of the published content in manga is oriented towards a pre-teen readership, including most of the "how to draw" manga books, Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat and Newtype magazines, and much of the publishing lines of Viz, Tokyopop, ADV and others. There is a wealth of manga content available for kids outside of material which parents would find sexually objectionable.

In short, this book is in no way targeted for children, though of course as a comprehensive examination of manga it includes some content which, on its own, is accessible to a children's audience. With any luck, this book will continue to recieve attention for the quality academic work it offers instead of controversy.

Manga Mania Made Sense, November 11, 2005
It's been six long years since Frederik L Schodt updated his seminal 1983 study, Manga! Manga! World of Japanese Comics. Since then manga's unstoppable rampage across the West has become inescapable. So it's appropriate that someone took stock of this comic 'sub-genre' and updated and re-examined what has become the world's most prevalent comic art form. Paul Gravett manages not only to cover the history of manga, but in doing so explores the social and cultural evolution of Japan from its post-war reinvention to its modem-day literary imperialism. Gravett's book excels not only in discussing such, but also by displaying hundreds of examples of artwork in glorious detail. Everything is here from the crassly commercial Dragon Ball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh! to the grotesque Grand Guignol artwork of Hideshi Hino. It even made this jaded cynic get excited about Nipponese comics once more. No mean feat. Authoritatively written and exquisitely designed, this book demands space on your shelf.

Most up to date and comprehensive guide available, January 13, 2005
In this spectacular book, Paul Gravett captures a brief but thorough historical look at Manga. He reviews the various genres within the Manga art form and gives a well layed out history for the events which have led to Manga's global fame.

Gravett focusses on key events, and covers all of the major authors of Manga who have had a hand in pushing this Japanese art form to new limits. He discusses everyone from Tezuka Osamu -creator of Astro Boy and considered the founding father of Manga; to contemporary artists like Ogure Ito -artist of the super popular teen manga series Tenjou Tenge.

In between his in depth historical analysis of Manga he writes about how all of these creators, key historical moments, and various Manga which have led to become such a popular artform today. With over 500 pictures, this book is an amazing compilation of the historical progress of Manga to the present both in written and pictorial form. Gravett's insite into Manga is not only an educated one, but also an enjoyable read. Anyone interested in learning the real history of the art form must pick up this book!

Respect the Beginning of Alternative Comics, August 20, 2004
If you have a love and respect for Japanese pop art, anime, alternative comics, and history, this book is worth your time. An easy read with a great print reproduction of some of the most important oriental comics ever made. It doesn't pass judgement, try to talk up or down, only shows you some of the amazing works, controversial images and memorable characters that have made this art form so universal. Norakuro Rocks!...and of coarse a whole chaper on Osamu Tezuka (astro boy creator)should be worth anyone's time. (and yes there are plenty of 70's 80's and 90's characters for everyone too).

You'll love it if you're interested in Japanese manga, July 1, 2009
I'm a huge Manga fan and this book is great to help any reader understand the history of Japanese manga.

Not for Children, January 8, 2006
This is a great book about Japanese animation. I ordered it for my twelve year old daughter as a Christmas present since she loves anime. You should be aware that there are many graphic sexual drawings that leave nothing to the imagination. It is borderline pornographic. Expect to tear out lots of pages if this is for children. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The New York Times best-selling series continues!

The Complete Peanuts will run 25 volumes, collecting two years chronologically at a rate of two a year for twelve years. Each volume is designed by the award-winning cartoonist Seth (It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken) and features impeccable production values; every single strip from Charles M. Schulz's 50-year American classic is reproduced better than ever before. ... Read more

Reviews

Snoopy rises..., November 9, 2005
This fourth volume shows Peanuts keeping the stride it slowly established over the first six years of its existence. Here the characters pretty much look as they will look for decades to come. The cast also becomes more solidified with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Pig Pen, and of course Snoopy. Shermy, Violet, and Patty show up far less frequently than earlier. Schulz would add more characters later (most notably Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie), but here he established his core cast.

Snoopy completely comes into his own here, and his image on the cover couldn't be more appropriate. He appears with startingly more frequency throughout 1957 and 1958. By the end of this volume his top spot gets nearly set in stone. And it's not hard to see why. Here the long transformation from the "real" pet dog of the early 1950s to an almost surreal fantasm of a dog nears fruition (he still hasn't put on his WWI goggles or quaffed root beer yet, though). The imitations that began in the last volume continue inexorably here. He becomes a polar bear, a pouncing wild animal, a sea monster, he imitates Lucy, he gets called "ol' Dime a Dozen" and "Fuzzy Face", he imitates a penguin, and, best of all, a vulture. He also begins to really appreciate classical music (he even accompanies Schroeder on violin), sleeps with his head in his dog dish, and violently whips Linus around by his blanket. The extent of his transformation shows on the January 7th, 1958 strip where Charlie Brown says "The teacher told us to make a drawing of a real dog." Snoopy has truly come into his own. And later on, he became the most recognizable character of the Twentieth Century apart from Mickey Mouse.

Charlie Brown continues his quest for something meaningful and positive. But, as usual, some snags occur. He singlehandedly loses the baseball championship, is absent for his team's first win, gets tangled up in a truss of kite strings, and says "rats!" an awful lot. The strip on September 4th, 1957 shows Charlie Brown acquiesing in the very depths of his misery. Linus asks him "Doesn't looking at all these stars make you feel sort of insignificant, Charlie Brown?" He answers, "No, I'm so insignificant already it doesn't bother me." Like most of Peanuts, Schulz brilliantly mixes the sad with the funny.

Some of Schulz's legacy also shows in this volume. At least two cartoons appear here that must have provided some inspiration for Bill Watterson, creator of the incredible "Calvin And Hobbes". A Sunday strip from Jaunary 26, 1958 shows Linus vengefully sculpting a hideous snow monster to devour Lucy's "snow bunnies".
And, on January 18th, 1958 Linus and Charlie Brown wax historical while wiping out on a snowsled. These remind us that Schulz had great influence on more or less all late twentieth century comic strip art. No one yet has emerged from the enormous shadow that "Peanuts" cast on the medium.

One of the volume's absolute highlights is the Feburary 23rd, 1959 Sunday strip. Charlie Brown walks through the neighborhood while the other children scorn, mock, and laugh at him. when he finally arrives home he switches on a radio to hear "...and what, in this world, is more delightful than the gay wonderful laughter of little children?" He gives the radio a good boot. This masterpiece of a strip encapsulates the entire story of Charlie Brown. And this volume helps encapsulate the legacy left by one of the greatest comic strips ever created. Not only that, "Peanuts" not only influenced its own medium, but in the 1960s it influenced television, music, Broadway, and humor in general (especially of the self-deprecating sort). As each volume of this great series by Fantagraphics appears, that influence becomes easier and easier to appreciate.

Can't They Issue These Books Any Faster!, November 4, 2005
This is the fourth book in a proposed 25 book series that will publish all of the nearly 18,000 strips in Charles Schulz' Peanuts catalog. And again, it is a terrific tribute to two years of the man's work, this time chronicling the years 1957 and 1958. Of the four books published to date, this book had many more strips which I was familiar with than the other three. But there were still quite a few strips that I have never seen before, making it another fun reading experience. The strip quality is better in general in this volume as it appears the publishers had access to quality masters to provide reproductions than they had in previous versions (I only noticed one strip that looked a little blurred in this book). Obviously if you have the other three books, you'll be getting this one and you can expect more of the same great quality.

It was also nice to see that the publishers have kept their word where they said that if they found better or more complete strips that they would republish them in future books. In this book, they republish a strip from the second volume where they didn't have a complete strip (they actually had to have an artist draw the missing panels). But somebody out there had the complete strip and it has been republished here and is fully documented.

My only complaint about the books is that 2 books a year just isn't fast enough! The year 2016 is a long time to wait for the entire 25 volumes to be complete!

A Masterpiece Reaching Full Flower, November 6, 2005
In this installment of the Peanuts comic strips from 1957-1958, Charles M. Schulz's world is taking recognizeable shape. Raders who like me were born in the 1950s will begin to recognize the strip as they first read it in the newspapers or in those little 50 cent paperbacks Dell used to put out. Since we now have all the strips instead of just selections, we can see storylines taking complete shape and gags developing and sometimes repeating themselves with new characters and new slants.

Charlie Brown has now evolved into the chronically depressed loser we all love, Lucy is the sometimes sadistic fussbudget, Linus the budding philosopher, Schroeder the Beethoven fanatic, and Snoopy is . . . Snoopy. Familiar themes show up for the first time: Snoopy climbs atop his doghouse (in three-quarter view),Charlie Brown crashes kite after kite and loses one ballgame after another (except when he's home sick!), and Lucy pines away for Schroeder, who's obliviously pounding away at his toy piano.

There are some tremendously hilarious sequences, such as Snoopy pretending to be a vulture, and some intriguing reminders of the late 1950s in which these strips were created: hula hoops, hi-fis, fears of fall-out and bombs from space. These volumes are appearing six months apart, which is far too long to wait, especially since this one promises that the Great Pumpkin will appear in the next installment. Buy this one now and hope that April will come soon!

Another Brilliant Collection, November 17, 2005
Why bother to even review a book we all know is great? Fantagraphics Books is doing the world a service by gathering these strips together and leading each volume off with a forward by an interested writer; in this case, Jonathan Franzen. Still, what it's all about is the strips themselves.

What I most noticed in this volume is how Snoopy is really coming into himself. More and more, he's becoming an amazing character, with his great reactions. The "fuzzy face" strips I still remember from reading them as a kid. (And you know, adults still speak a couple times over the course of these two years. I'd forgotten.)

Anyway, I'm so happy I started collecting these volumes right away with volume one and I intend to continue collecting them to the end.

Collected Classic Peanuts, November 10, 2005
Well, actually, once Charles M. Schulz got up to speed, which did not take long, almost every strip was a classic. Charles M. Schulz is the greatest American cartoonist who ever lived. Feel free to quote me! Fantagraphic Books is owed a heaping helping of gratitude for diligence of publication. Forget those previous publishers that dropped strips from the continuity or even printed the same strip twice in the same title. Leaving dates in the strip insures accuracy, precluding omissions. My, if Fantagraphics only printed the Sundays in color, they would deserve 6 stars!! (So, don't be giving away "Peanuts Jubilee" or other titles that reprinted Sundays in color.) Includes the entire fuzzy-face saga. A must buy for fans, public and school libraries. Hey, academic libraries, bless their pointy little heads, can buy a copy too!

Familiarity DOESN'T breed contempt, November 7, 2005
This particular installment of our semiannual "Peanuts" fix catches "Peanuts" at a point in time when Charles M. Schulz had really begun to hit his stride. Despite a few dated oddities, such as Lucy and Linus spending a week engaged in "stereophonic fussing," the numerous mini- and micro-dramas enacted herein have begun to assume familiar contours. Charlie Brown is now firmly established as the ultimate loser and fall-guy, whose "soul is full of weeds." He drops a fly ball to lose a "championship" game (I always wondered how Charlie's team managed to attain that opportunity in the first place, considering how inept they were), fights numerous losing battles with the kite-eating tree, endures constant insults and humiliation at the hands of Lucy, Patty, and Violet, and braves his first "official" Valentine's Day sans Valentines. (On a more pleasant note, he does begin regular correspondence with his pen-, er, pencil-pal.) Snoopy, meanwhile, has begun to dance and walk upon his hind legs on a regular basis, though he's still recognizably what he himself might call "a plain ol' 'dog' dog." Linus is now thoroughly hooked on his blanket, barely surviving both Snoopy's repeated attempts to steal the prized poultice and Lucy's first attempt to wean him from it by force. The direct references to childhood pastimes (aside from that ol' standby, baseball) are beginning to wane as the characters slip more and more regularly into the "philosophical" mode that would come to be associated with the strip in its next, incredibly lucrative decade. The vast majority of the strips here have been reprinted at some point, making the few "no-see-ums" all the more intriguing to me. (My favorite among the latter: Linus explaining what appears to be a cowboy-and-Indian "fake gunfight" as, in fact, a game of "liberals and conservatives." What would he be using today, multi-megaton bombs?) This comes with my highest recommendation. Big surprise, eh?

At Long Last., December 9, 2005
What can you possibly say in a review of a book like this?

Well, I guess that if you haven't seen the three previous volumes, this is an attempt on the publishers part to reprint all 18,000, yes, 18,000 of the 'Peanuts' cartoon scripts. This particular volume contains the strips from the years 1957 and 1958 (I bet you didn't get that out of the title).

The best thing that I can say is 'it's about time.' And then ask a few questions. Why hasn't this been done before? What's the next strip for which this should be done?

I guess that if you don't know 'Peanuts' like if you've been a time warp or something, you'd want to know that this book is complete with Charlie Brown, Snoopy (the hairy face series), Lucy and Linus (Beetoven is here in strength, along with his blanket) and the rest.

My only complaint, publish more than two a year. At my age I don't know that I'll still be around in 2016.

Encore!, November 16, 2005
The fourth volume of "The Complete Peanuts" series contains more of the same, but in this case there is nothing wrong with that. Only the nine standard characters appear in this book, which is just enough for a baseball team. Charlie Brown remains the main character, but Lucy, Snoopy and Linus are all increasing in popularity. The remaining characters in order of number of appearances from most to least are: Schroeder, Violet, Patty, Shermy, and Pig Pen.

There are numerous strips in this collection which have never appeared before, as well as many classics. There are strips on Stereophonic-Fussing, and Hi-Fi-Fussing; many strips on baseball, including classic sequences where the other team refuses to play and just laughs, where the team is able to win when Charlie Brown is sick, and of course where Charlie Brown drops the fly ball that would have won them the championship (it is never explained how the team makes it to the championship); and the start of the signs advertising Beethoven's Birthday including the number of shopping days.

As with the previous books of the series, this one leaves the reader eagerly awaiting the next release.

The best comic strip ever?, August 25, 2006
There was a time when the newspaper comic strip was HUGE. In the early 1900s, the success of a newspaper was in part due to the comics it featured. That era has long since disappeared, and it often seems that the comic strip is a neglected relic. There are still some good comics out there, but they are getting rarer and the newspapers treat them with less and less respect, cramming many onto a single page that used to hold just a few.

Where does Peanuts fit into all this? Well, it is the most popular comic strip of all time. Does any other strip have anything close to its legacy of movies, TV shows, plays, books and merchandise? And happily, it is deserving of its success; it is arguably the best comic strip ever, and certainly one of the top ten or so. As a result, it is not hard to see why the newspapers continue to publish old strips years after its creator, Charles Schulz had died. They don't stop printing it or allow another artist to take it over. The comic strips overall are a pale shadow of what they once were, so repeats of Peanuts can prosper because nothing new can replace them.

Volume 4 of the Complete Peanuts is where the characters are really beginning to show their full development. We have Lucy, the champion fussbudget and Linus, her philosophical brother with a dependence on his security blanket. Schroeder is the budding musical genius. Patty, Violet and Shermy are mostly supporting characters at this point; they will be eventually replaced by other characters (but not in this volume).

The two key roles, however, are those of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Snoopy is up to his usual antics, pretending to be a vulture, grabbing at Linus's blanket and relaxing in his water bowl. He also starts his practice of lying on top of his dog house, although his first attempts are not all that successful. Charlie Brown is, well, Charlie Brown, the ultimate loser who the Fates themselves conspire against. Kites won't fly for him, pens constantly smear and if, by some remote chance, his baseball team is doing okay, they heavens themselves will open up and rain out the game. His "friends" are often cruel to him (with the exception of the benevolent Linus and the aloof Schroeder). In a way, the main theme of Peanuts is defined in the very first strip (in volume 1) when Shermy says, "Good old Charlie Brown...How I hate him." This seems to be the way the whole world thinks of this hapless character.

Peanuts may seem to some to be just an overrated strip, but I don't think that's so. It may be overly merchandised, but the comic itself is a cornerstone of the genre and one of the most influential strips out there. This volume again shows why Peanuts is one of the all-time greats.

Hitting Its Stride, February 19, 2006
Here the Peanuts gang becomes familiar, as they start hitting the usual topics that would develop and blossom over the years. Every one of the main characters has secured their place, and Snoopy starts his development into the multi-faceted character we know and love.

Probably the best thing about the book is that we watch Charles M. Schultz modify and mollify his characters. In 1957, quite a few of the Sunday cartoons show Lucy becoming too much the bully, abusing her younger brother viciously without cause and causing no end of pain to Charlie Brown. During 1958, Lucy develops a vulnerability and Linus becomes more an actor, sometimes getting back at his sister and sometimes causing his sister's temper tantrum (it's easier watching her blow up when she has a cause). Schultz could have blown things with Lucy, but with a few modifications between her and Linus, a balance is made that makes things more interesting.

Now, here's to next April, and 1959-1960. ... Read more