Comics Books

I bought this for my boyfriend and he is enjoying it very much. He says that the illustrations are better than he thought they would be. He recommends this book.

Terrific collection of the first six issues of a favorite comics from my childhood. Hard cover, vivid full-color reproduction on high quality paper, with short bios and backgrounds on key players in the comic's conception and production. If you enjoyed Weird Science, this book is a must.

A better job could not have been done with this volume of Weird Science stories from the '50s. The original artwork has never looked better, and the new color renderings are fabulous. The book is also a bit oversized, which I believe duplicates the size of the original E.C. comics. Fingers are crossed for more future releases.

As mentioned in previous reviews I am not a fan of comics. But as usual, EC comics transcend genre. Even though I haven't been a fan of George Lucas in the past few years his foreward seems apt and appropriate for the tome of work that lay beyond.

What can I say of this book that is unique, different and better than other EC titles? For one, the science involved in the science fiction itself is so bad, so camp it is instantly laughable, such as the car from the future with tailfins that comprise 40% of it's structure! Yet the stories themselves, with all the drama, dilemmas and those famous shock endings are as timeless today as when they were written, 50 years ago.

Look people, if you haven't started buying these things yet, give them a chance. I have hated every comic book or graphic novel I ever read except for The Crow, Sin City or the Watchmen. And these stories have none of the graphic action and adult situations that I demand in all my forms of written entertainment, but they delighted me and made me smile like the proverbial child that I am not. While it pains me to agree with everyone else on anything, this time the masses are right. 5 stars.

Here's a listing of this edition's stories:

From the May/June 1950 issue:
1.) "Lost in the Microcosm" by Albert B. Feldstein (Script) & Harvey Kurtzman (Art)
2.) "Dream of Doom" by Feldstein (Script) & Wally Wood (Art)
3.) "Experiment ... In Death" by Feldstein (Script) & Jack Kamen (Art)
4.) "'Things' From Outer Space!" by Feldstein (Script & Art)

From the July/August 1950 issue:
5.) "The Flying Saucer Invasion" by Feldstein (Script & Art)
6.) "The Meteor Monster" by Feldstein (Script), Harry Harrison (Pencils) & Wood (Inks)
7.) "The Micro-Race!" by Feldstein (Script) & Kamen (Art)
8.) "The Man Who Raced Time" by Feldstein (Script) & Kurtzman (Art)

From the September/October 1950 issue:
9.) "Destruction of the Earth!" by Feldstein (Script & Art)
10.) "The Sounds from Another World!" by Feldstein (Script) & Kurtzman (Art)
11.) "Machine from Nowhere" by Feldstein (Script) & Harrison (Art)
12.) "The Eternal Man" by Feldstein (Script) & Kamen (Art)

From the November/December 1950 issue:
13.) "Panic!" by Feldstein (Script & Art)
14.) "The Radioactive Child" by Kurtzman (Script & Art)
15.) "House, in Time!" by Feldstein (Script) & Graham Ingels (Art)
16.) "I Created a ... Gargantua!" by Feldstein (Script) & Kamen (Art)

From the January/February 1951 issue:
17.) "Made of the Future!" by Feldstein (Script & Art)
18.) "Return" by Feldstein (Script) & Wood (Art)
19.) "The Last War on Earth" by Kurtzman (Script & Art)
20.) "The Man Who Was Killed in Time!" by Feldstein (Script) & Kamen (Art)

From the March/April 1951 issue:
21.) "Spawn of Venus" by Feldstein (Script & Art)
22.) "Man and Superman!" by Kurtzman (Script & Art)
23.) "Sinking of the Titanic!" by Feldstein (Script) & Wood (Art)
24.) "Divide and Conquer" by Feldstein (Script) & Kamen (Art)

At first the chapters are really REALLY short, so you are not quite sure what to expect beyond the one liners and "bondageske" theme... then suddenly you find yourself unable to stop and laughing out loud. This one is not for the kiddies though, some very adult themes are thrown around, not much in the way of nudity beyond tight clothes and exposed butts but plenty of innuendo. Honestly, the book is quite the surprise, given the genre I wasn't expecting much in the way of character development or back stories, yet as the book progresses, Adam takes the time to do both and to do so with quick wit and plenty of flair. The main characters are quite likable and funny. However, not everything is funny and bunnies... as Adam gives us a VERY serious look at one bad guy I *dread* to see come back into the storyline. Dude, that guy GAVE ME THE CREEPS. Good job!!!

There're just so many 'Adams' in comics today - Adam Kubert, Adam Hughes, Adam Strange, Adam Antium (sorry...couldn't resist), but surely among the best of them must be numbered Adam Warren, he of the manga-esque art and audaciously worldly sense of humor. I first became aware of him through his Dirty Pair work, and then through his clever writing on Gen 13 (collected in Gen 13: Superhuman Like You (Gen 13) and Gen 13: Meanwhile. So, thus armed, when this little book popped up in my recommendations, I decided to take a chance. I wasn't expecting much.

Boy, was I surprised. "Empowered" is a light-hearted, laugh-out-loud superhero yarn with a postmodern twist and more wackiness than you cna shake a stick at.

"Empowered" is the story of, well, Empowered (Emp for short), a clumsy superheroine (or, as Warren terms it, "superchica") and associate member of the superteam "The Superhomeys." Emp's powers stem from her skintight supersuit, which is always ripping and disintegrating during the team's violent missions, almost always robbing her of her powers. Emp has a number of issues: she's horribly inept, her teammates don't like her, she has no confidence, she has to take on awful part-time jobs to make ends meet, and she's constantly worried if she looks fat in the suit. Her salvation comes in the form of a new boyfriend (a former villain's helper) and a group of quirky pals who help her see that the superhuman life is worthwhile.

The real pleasure of this book is Warren's especially apt sense of humor. There were numerous times during this book that I actually laughed out loud. His sense of timing is impeccable. However, readers beware - there are a number of very explicit scenes in this book. Despite its kid-friendly appearance, this is definitely NOT for children.

I used to be a big fan of Adam Warren's work, but hadn't picked up a comic book in years. A friend brought this little gem to my attention and I'm now looking forward to more in the series.

This first volume has a nice, sketchbook quality with very tight pencils that have opted to skip the ink brush. The story moves at a nice clip once it finds focus, the characters are enjoyable, and the Kirby-esque cosmic entity steals every scene he's in. The only downside to this collection, in my opinion, is an over-reliance on too many short, unrelated chapters at the start of the story. However, the narrative really begins to gel as you go along.

Looking forward to the next in the series.

Artists don't give you what you like. Artists give you what they like. Every element of Empowered; the contrived slang, the exaggerated visuals, and (most importantly) the satirical yet deeply human characters, provides an open house invitation into the gifted mind of the artist Adam Warren.
In the first installment of Empowered we're offered snippets of a rookie super heroine's attempts to be a valuable public servant while forming personal bonds that blur the good guys vs. bad guys divider. The story isn't so much about what happens as how the characters feel about what happens.
'Emp' is the protagonist with more heart than good fortune. Her superpowers are dependent on on a 'super-coating' which refuses to stay on her body for longer than a grand entrance. Though her protection and dignity disappear every other page, her charms never wanes.
Refreshingly there's more sex than violence in this adult graphic novel. 'Delight' is a word typically associated with family oriented material, but this action sex comedy is a true delight. Emp is a delight. Her friends are a delight. Her fourth wall penetrating criticisms of the storyline, the artist and the reader are all delightful. One hopes (and believes) that this series will continue for years without losing its shine.

"Empowered" is the name which a fledgling superheroine has chosen for herself. Her real name is not specifically given, although it may be a variant of "Ashley", as suggested on one episode. She is a twenty-something, beautiful, blonde, and very insecure about how others perceive her.
She has superpowers, not inborn and not inherent, but only as a result of her costume, a high-tech hypermembrane which can stop bullets, give her super-strength, and the ability to cast energy blasts, but which also deteriorates as it provides protection, somewhat like the "shields" on the starship Enterprise.
In almost every battle which lasts more than a few moments, the suit eventually deteriorates to the point where the suit itself is in tatters and her powers are gone, The suit will spontaneously regenerate itself, in 8 to 12 hours, but in the meantime, Empowered is rather a liability than an asset to the team.
To "Emp's" chagrin, the suit provides no more support or concealment than a layer of body paint, so she is acutely aware of people staring at various jiggling body parts when, for example, she runs. She cannot wear any article of clothing either under or over the suit, or it simply doesn't work at all. If she fails to shave her bikini area (or presumeably, her legs or under her arms), the growth is visible through the suit, described as "latex over steel wool", leading to further embarrassment.
She works with a group of heroes who call themselves the "Superhomeys", and they hang out at the "Homeycrib" (if this sounds satirical, it is intended to be). Some of her companions include Sister Spooky (a former classmate who can cast powerful spells), Ninjette (a enemy who eventually becomes one of her closest friends), Proteus (a human who became a sort of anthropomorphic ameoba as a result of a "close encounter" of a very personal kind), Major Havoc (kind of an arrogant jerk with super-strength), and a number of others. Each character has a distinctive personality, some with considerable depth.
The villians who fight the Superhomeys are no less satirical, and every bit as imaginitive. These include giant Ammonites (shelled squids similar to the creature in "It Came From Beneath The Sea"), giant killer robots, supervillians such as "DeathSloth", teams of armored "Stormtrooper" types, as well as simple gangs of armed human thugs. One villian in particular, introduced as "He Whose Name Is Too Scarey To Be Spoken", but also known as the "Blazing Eyed Demonwolf", the "Cataclysmic Snuffer of Civilizations" and the "Eldritch 12 Cylinder Engine of Destruction" is a sort of bodiless galactic entitiy who possesses humans, and who has a recurring role AFTER being defeated to the point where he is no longer a threat, but continues to provide a great deal of comic relief and sage wisdom.
What makes "Empowered" so enjoyable is that it works on so many levels:
The drawings are gorgeous. "Emp" may be insecure with her body image, but she is actually a knockout, as are Sister Spooky and Ninjette (is there such thing as an UGLY superheroine?). Other characters are drawn in such a manner as to emphasize their particular best quality, or superpower, as the case may be.
"Empowered" might be a comic book, but it is not for kids. There are many, many scenes in which she and/or another character is almost completely nude. There are many, many sexual situations. Its all in good fun, but it ALL isn't simply gratuitious, but is often part of the natural development of relationship between characters.
The writing is also very good. There are several themes being developed simultaneously, including "Emp's" strong desire to fit in with and be accepted by the rest of the Superhomeys, their varying individual views of her (in one case including a back story showing WHY one 'homey carries a deep grudge against her), her meeting and gradual development of a relationship with a "special someone" (and the problems associated with this "forbidden fruit"), and her gradual increase of confidence and competence as she continues to take punishment and come back for more. As the stories progress, "Emp" slowly earns the grudging respect of some, the friendship of others, and the heartfelt love of at least one. The dialog between characters is alternately funny and touching.
I happened on "Empowered" browsing in a bookstore in San Francisco, and after reading the first couple of pages, looked for a chair in which to sit down and read further. I laughed out loud so many times reading this, because I had read so many superhero comics over the years, and seen so many superhero movies which take themselves a bit too seriously. This is satire done RIGHT, and what comics like "Inferior Five" and films like "Mystery Men" were trying to be (I liked Mystery Men, although I felt it could have been even better).
"Empowered" is superhero satire which does more than simply mock the genre, but rather, affectionately uses the cliches we've all come to expect to illustrate the human side of the various superheroes, specifically that, minus their various super-abilities, under the skin-tight costumes and bulging muscles, they are people very similar to ourselves.

I came to the Love and Rockets bandwagon late. I first read both Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez a few years ago when I picked up this collection and the "Heartbreak Soup" collection by Gilbert and tore through each in turn.

This is a review for both, which is perhaps a bit unfair. But I feel that both brothers possess a deep, amazing skill for expressing deeply life in all of its pain and joy. The incredible thing is that, so often, the situations the characters find themselves in seem completely absurd, fantastical, surreal...yet the "realness" and vitality of both brothers' work cannot be overstated. I've been reduced to tears by the struggles and successes of Maggie and Hopey, of Heraclio and Carmen; but to mention only these characters doesn't do justice to the power of experiencing the different choices and consequences of each and every character in both series alongside them.

Please pick these up and read them--it is so worthwhile.

I thought I'd over extended when I bought it a coupla years ago. Now I see it was a worthy investment. There is so much here. It's actually a heavy book, literally. I can't even dig all into it and it's comics. There's just a ton here and it continues to wait for me to dig further. There are so many stories and you enter a world that you know exists somewhere out there, portrayed lovingly in these pages. Definitely worth getting, though now it's a steeper price. I wonder if it'll cost more in 3 years? 10? Comics with a Mexican flavor yet straight outta the heart of the Chicano life. I dig it. I think you will too if yer considering buying it.

Growing up in an artistic family, I was read Love and Rockets as a very young girl. The drawings, language, and storyline always intrigued me and till this day, I think of Luba as part of my family. She is very real to me, because she is like my mother (really). Such a dynamic, sexy character. People may say that Beto is lacking in his half of the L&R series but I disagree on so many levels.

I started reading Love & Rockets when I was in college in the mid 80s. It blew me away in terms of writing, style, layout. Gilbert is not the best technically, but he more than makes up for it in his storytelling and pacing. I continued reading the stories of Palomar until the mid 90s when other life issues took up most of my time. It was wonderful rediscovering this magnificent work in a single volume. Likewise, Locas by Gilbert's brother Jaime is a superlative body of work (700 pages!). Both volumes should take their deserved place on any comic book lovers shelf.

I've loved the Palomar stories ever since a friend handed me "Heartbreak Soup" (an earlier compilation of a few of the stories). The characters are wonderfully real, the art is expressive, and the strange, strange stories are always entertaining.

What a treat to have all of the Palomar stories in one (huge) volume! I totally agree with the reviewer who said that now Jaime Hernandez should follow suit, and release "Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories" (or whatever title he likes, as long as it's the complete Maggie and Hopey).

I never knew quite where Engima was going to take me until I was finished with it. At times I was confused -- hell, most of the time I was confused. I worried that it would become too preachy or philosophical to be enjoyable; I worried it would fall into randomness and end without making sense; I worried it would fall victim to awkward stereotypes. It did none of these things.

Enigma is a fantastic story, dark and twisted. The art reflects this well; it may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but it's fitting enough that it shouldn't be a problem for almost anyone once they get into the story.

The characters begin simply, and through the events of the story grow three-dimensional so that you can't help but care for them. The villains are twisted and fantastic: Envelope Girl especially is a favorite of mine, though she overall isn't entirely important as a character.

Michael is a twenty-something nobody whose life continues every week in such a repetitive way that it could only be called obsessive compulsive; he wears his underwear according to the days of the week and only has sex on Tuesdays. His world is shaken when the first villain appears, and soon he realizes that they're from a three-issue comic he loved as a child. Titus is the creator of the comic, an older, gay man who was too stoned while writing it to make sense of it himself, though he's praised as a prophet by a group of youths called the Enigmatics. And there's the Enigma himself, alternately loved and hated by the populace of the city he more or less protects, and properly enigmatic himself. And the narrator -- an omnipresent voice with an all-encompassing knowledge of the story, full of scorn and contempt for those he tells the story and for the characters within, withholding knowledge and becoming, as he does so, a well-developed character himself.

And the ending -- the ending is perfect. You may be unsure of the story all the way until then, but the ending wraps it all together, fits every piece into place without a space between. Fantastic.

I attempted to read Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo's ENIGMA series back in 1993 and gave up about halfway through it, seeing it as an indulgent mess that would leave me with no explanations as to what was going on. When the trade was released in 1995, I read the whole thing and was annoyed that a story with so many angles would seemingly just boil down to an issue of the main character's sexuality. Forward to 2007: I pick up the trade during a rebirth of my interest in Vertigo books, read it in one day, and am amazed. I finally got it. Yes, ENIGMA does place a heavy emphasis on sexual preference, but it's so much more.

Michael Smith's routine life is shattered by the arrival of the Enigma, a superhero from his childhood. Battling such bizarre foes as the Head, the Truth, Envelope Girl, and the Interior League (my personal favorites, like something from Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol), it is apparent to Michael that the lines between fantasy and reality are blurring, and clues lead him to believe that he is somehow responsible. Michael tracks down the comic's creator, Titus Bird, and the two of them work to reveal the Enigma's identity and how he came to be. In turn, the Enigma helps Michael to discover quite a number of things about himself, but ultimately, this is a story postulating how four-color superheroes could exist in the "real world". Let's face it... if real people had superpowers, they likely wouldn't dress in garish costumes and speak in purple prose, so how could this happen? Your answer is here.

Milligan's story is excellent, now that I finally got my head around it (gee, it only took me 14 years). There's not one boring bit in the entire book, and the narration is excellent, providing just the right amount of "gotcha" at the conclusion. Fegredo's art is spectacular, as always, with every person and object carefully rendered. A perfect team for a perfect book!

I'm an avid reader of both comics and novels, and must say this is definitely one of, if not The best, graphic novels I've read thus far. Although the artwork is a bit scratchy, it quickly fits in with the mood of the story and even adds to the effect. The story itself deals with many interesting psychological and personal topics including homosexuality, responsibility, disillusionment, and the frailty of the human mind. The characters each have their own quirky, unusual backgrounds that will stimulate your brain cells and draw you into the tale, such as the average joe who was tranformed into a mind-devouring monster after a short chat with a dead lizard. And as you can probably tell by now, this book does have its quirks, so be prepared for a truly unique read.

My problem with this comic is that I really could never like this iper realistic drawing style which boast every single line fo people faces so that even those supposed to be very good looking (Enigma himself and the model Victoria Yes) look deformed.
It was a deliberate choice of course, I simply do not share it.

This booklet is self contained and tells us the story of an average straight boy leading a very average life meeting the -male- hero from the comics he used to read as a child.
The idea fo a comic about a comic is not bad and brings forth some fairly interesting issues: identity, sexual identity, children mistreatment, etc.
I was not overwhelmed by enthusiasm but other people might be.

A lot of gore and some topics (nudity and mild gay sex among them) make this booklet unsuitable for minors.

Brilliant comic with a great twist at the end. Very underated from Vertigo's early days. Offbeat characters like Envelope Girl and Titus Bird bring this book to life paying homage to 70's whacked out comics world. Enjoy! and then what?

If you have always wanted to get the Drizzt stories but can't stand Salvatore's writing style this is the way to go. Great art, great story, fun dialogue. All in one quick to read package. Put it on your summer reading list, or if your a comic geek that is tired of the Fantasy genre being ignored by the big two.

R.A. Salvatore himself claims that this graphic rendition of his famous book is as faithful as it could get. Coupled with Tim Seeley's clean yet evocative illustrations, this book gives old and new fans something for keeps. Kudos to the team at Devil's Due publishing. One could only hope that they extend their work to other Forgotten Realms literature.

The writers and artists that created this book did an excellent job of capturing the essence of Salvatore's first Drizzt book. I had high hopes for this work and was not disappointed in the least. The whole story is told here in an abbreviated but thorough way that, together with the art, tells the story of Drizzt's childhood in a powerful way. The strict and wicked society of the drow is nicely captured. I'd even go so far as to say that the art adds more depth to the original story. This is no substitute for Salvatore's novel, but as a supplement it can bring the story to a whole new level.

One thing I hadn't realized about the drow was that all of their women are so very well-endowed. Either drow plastic surgeons are kept very busy, or female drow just naturally have extremely voluptuous bodies. Personally, I thought it added to the story. Very enjoyable. But seriously, the Underdark (particularly Menzoberanzen) was brought to life by the beautifully detailed art in this book. Some of the artistic representations of various monsters was somewhat different than I had pictured in my head while reading the books (such as the handmaiden of Lloth and the earth elemental), but I'm sure Salvatore approved everything so this must be pretty much how he envisions it. Regardless, this is a beautifully done book that captures the magic of the original Homeland and even adds some depth to the story.

The only complaint I had with this adaptation was the omission of Drizzt's letters before each section. Drizzt's writings add feeling to the novels and I would have hoped that they would have included them in these graphic novels. Maybe they'll consider it for some of the later editions.

Overall, I was very impressed with this book. It does an excellent job of representing the original and is fun to read. Excellent art enhances the story.

The dark elves of the Forgotten Realms live deep underground, in the Underdark, where they plot their revenge against the light elves of the surface, and wage interminable inter-clan wars against each other. On the very night when his clan annihilates another clan, Drizzt Do'Urden is born. He is destined to be special, unbeatable with two swords, and yet separated from his people by a conscience. This is the story of Drizzt, his birth, his coming of age, and his discover of what he is and what he can be.

R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden stories have been a perennial favorite with fantasy story readers, well known for their action and for their gripping storylines. Now, Devil's Due Publishing has brought out the first Drizzt Do'Urden story in graphic novel format, and I must say that it is fantastic! They did a terrific job of capturing Mr. Salvatore's characters, and I thought that the illustration work was excellent.

So, if you are a fan of R.A. Salvatore, or are just a fan of great fantasy, then get this book. You will not be disappointed!

Dark Elf Trilogy Volume 1 is a compilation of a series of comics about the elven ranger Drizzt. I was not disappointed by the book. The art style is attractive and fresh, particularly the eyes, and I thought the characers were well-drawn. The artist really captured the essence of the dark elves, a troubled race.

Peeves? I was a bit annoyed that every female drow seemed to dress as though she shopped at Victoria Secret of the Underdark. Surely in a society where women rule and men are chattel skimpy clothing would be the norm for men? Also, while I love Drizzt, this graphic novel only underscored what a Mary Sue the character actually is. Drizzt is a little too perfect, and his views a bit too modern. I think anyone raised in a society as perverse as the drows would've gotten a bit more accustomed to violence early on. Drizzt is constantly shocked, appalled and amazed at the violence surrounding him.

Still, this was a fast, exciting read. I'd recommend it for older teens and adults. Some subject matter (such as sacrifice), nudity, and demon worship are not suitable subjects for small kiddies.

The world that Jim Woodring has created is unique and very different. His drawing is precise and clear so you have no difficulty understanding what shapes and forms you are looking at, but it isn't a place you've ever been to before. Fortunately, it's just barely familiar enough to be understandable and, also fortunately, it's also so different that it's totally fascinating.
The book consists of a number of short stories or episodes collected from the Frank comic book series. There is no dialogue but Woodring is brilliant at telling a story with pictures. Some stories have an understandable plot and some don't. At least on the conscious level they don't. They often still feel like a story even though you would be hard-pressed to explain why.
It's very satisfying to read/view the Frank stories, but you should probably be someone who enjoys David Lynch, surreal art, sci-fi, fantasy, and jazz.

Sitting in front of a computer screen, trying to think of a title that would truly encompass the spirit of Jim Woodring's insane little fables, only the word "Wow" came to mind. Wow. Regardless of whom you are, what walk of life you come from, even what language you speak, "Frank" will floor you, simple as that.

On first glance these stories look like the drug-fueled dreams of a madman, simultaneously evoking a sense of awe and horror from the reader. The world of Frank, an anamorphic creature that looks like a combination of several different animals, is one that's utterly alien to our own yet oddly familiar. Frank himself is an enigma, at times innocently curious, while other times cruel and vengeful. The creatures, if you could call them that, which share this world with Frank are just as odd: from Frank's faithful companion Pupshaw to the vile and conniving Manhog.

The stories that occur within this world are equally bizarre and seemingly nonsensical, yet underneath the surreal nature of these stories lurks meaning. I won't even attempt to analyze the themes of these tales, as I seriously doubt there is a single concrete message to any of the stories contained in this volume. Every person probably has different interpretations for Frank's world: biblical metaphor, morality tale, apocalyptic fable or just insane fun. You can look as deep as you want into these stories, or just read them for hallucinogenic kicks.

I've never read, seen or imagined anything quite like the world of Frank, and I doubt I ever will. It manages to tap into a universal subconscious, screw around with it, and spit out a couple dozen of insane little stories for your reading pleasure. It's a staggering work of a demented genius and needs to be experienced by anyone who calls themselves a comic fan.

...or something like that. How else to describe beautiful art like this? It is an art that goes well beyond simply capturing our dreams and nightmares. Rather, it brings them back to us along with the whole pieces and scattered fragments that we'd forgotten we'd experienced. Absurd and thought-provoking, it brings joy to our hearts with one moment and shocking fear to our brains with the next. It is as grotesque and sublime as life, but at first glance it looks nothing like it. But once you immerse yourself into it, you will see it and you will enjoy it. I promise you will.

Nothing can be said to describe the experience of reading this book. The only way to understand is to read it yourself -which I cannot recommend enough.

Just buy this book.

I read The Frank Book, and my eyeballs fell out.

A vast preponderance of our civilzation found this to be quite amusing. I would give it two thumbs up, but our species has no thumbs. Order this book. Immediately. Zoltan out.

My cousin in America gave me this book for Christmas. I have to confess, I opened it early and read it already! I'm glad I did, because I am going to read it again before the holiday break is over! An intergalactic cat.. and it's not as preposterous as it sounds! I don't want to spoil anything in the plotline for you, but this is a funny read, and not just for sci-fi fans! (Or cat fans).

A friend gave me this book to read on a flight. By the time we had landed, I had finished it! I've never read a book in one sitting before! It really never gets boring.

This was a really funny read. I hardly ever laugh out loud when I'm reading, but I did several times while reading "Galactically Speaking."

My reading tastes generally don't go to this type of book, but I was laughing out loud with Galactically Speaking. It's a refreshing change of pace and makes you think at the same time. A fun and interesting book.

This is the second year I have used this as my desk calendar at work. I love it. It makes me laugh all the time and it has just enough room to keep track of dinner dates or appointments.

Good desk calendar; it's fun to relive some of the classic Get Fuzzy strips.

I received the calendar within a couple of days of my placing the order. The service is great and I love to read my daily cartoon.

My daughter loves day by day calendars & Get Fuzzy. It was a perfect match

"Get Fuzzy" is the current reigning champion of comic strips. Anyone with pets (or who loves animals) can appreciate the inter-species conflicts and hilarity in this comic strip (I particularly enjoy Bucky's attempts at world domination and related ventures.) Here, as in years past, some of the best strips have been put together in calendar form to ensure that everyone can have a bit of humor in their daily lives.

I can't imagine not having this calendar in my house; it's always a great way to start the day. Many of these strips are so good that I have cut them out and saved them or sent them to other animal lovers in my life, while the remaining pages become great for scratch paper.

This is a great calendar and I highly recommend it to anyone.

Flipping through the first collection of Gunsmith Cats it becomes very obvious that Sonoda has three main obsessions; guns, cars and hot girls. He lavishes detail on all three of his subjects with glorious detail. Guns are highly detailed: including angles on spent shell casings and notes about the types of weapons used. Cars are drawn in loving detail and Sonoda loves showcasing his cars in action. Then there are the lovely ladies. Sonoda's character design is definitely old school (he worked on the original "Bubblegum Crisis" and "Gall Force") but his character design is appealing and he doesn't hold back on showing his ladies is various stages of undress.

But what about the story? The framing plot involving the deadly brother and sister duo of Bonnie and Clyde Dorman reminds me of 80's action movie madness. It's a simple tale of revenge with Bonnie coming across like a complete nut job and Clyde the dedicated brother. The ending is a bit of an anticlimax, but it acts as a warm-up for the following confrontation with Gray.

There's plenty to love here though. The initial story "Feeding Trouble" introducing our girls and Bonnie captures the feel of the series right off the bat (even if the girls obsessions are over the top). Rally's pursuit of Clyde and the smash up in the alleyway are classic. I also love Bonnie's various weapons and the look on her face when she's taking out her enemies (nut job!). The one shot stories are good too, but Gunsmith Cats seems to work better with the story arcs revolving around one villain or plot.

One thing is obvious from the beginning, Sonoda can draw action. He frames it well, and its pretty easy to follow what's happening, who's shooting at who and how a car ends up upside down wedged between two walls. He only gets better at this creating some of the best shootouts and car chases I've ever seen in manga form.

For me Gunsmith Cats is like a fun popcorn movie. It's a great read between brainier material, and it never lets you down. "Bonnie and Clyde" was the first episode. It's good stuff, but it was going to get better. Overall a solid beginning to a great series.

*** A Note ***
If you've seen the anime one shot "Riding Bean" you may notice that a woman named Rally appears in it. She loves guns and helps Bean out when things get rough. Interestingly enough Bonnie looks a lot like that version of Rally. I always wondered if Sonada was unable to use that design because of rights issues, so he turned his original Rally into Bonnie and then had a new Rally take over (with Minnie May of course). In any case we get Rally vs. Rally in this first book. Weird, eh?

then you'll love the manga. Rally, with her love of guns, and Minnie-May, with her love of bombs, are the most dangerous bounty hunters in the Windy City. In this first volume they run into Bonnie and Clyde, a sister-brother team of hired guns, the most dangerous killers working for the mob in Chicago. A couple of one chapter stories plus a interview with Kenichi Sonoda at the start makes for interesting 'extras' in this volume.
Because of the blood and some scenes in a brothel this is not for kids. Cool guns, cool cars and cool cats. Gunsmith Cats, of course!

While the animation pays more attention than your typical anime to the details of guns, cars, weaponry, and Chicago, the manga does even moreso. The creator's earlier creation, Riding Bean, shows up later in the series. Some of the action scenes are over the top and there're more nudity and sexual situations in the comic. However, this only further distinguishes Gunsmitch Cats from other anime and manga. If you've only seen the DVD, you've barely seen Gunsmith Cats!

This book makes no effort to hide what it is - a no holds barred male fantasty hodgepodge of guns, girls and grenades.

Gunsmith Cats is the story of Rally Vincent (a teenage gun wizard) and her trusty nymphomaniac sidekick Minnie May Hopkins.
Together they work as bounty hunters on the streets of downtown Chicago, running into some rather nasty customers from time to time.

Despite the kinky and mature subject matter, this is quite an excellent book on multiple levels. First, the sheer artistic talent of Kenichi Sonoda is a sight to behold. Whether he's showing you a Shelby GT or a Baretta 9mm, the detail is all there, down to the very last lugnut or safety catch!

Also, the narratives of each episode are quite clever. Sonoda could have easily let the series turn into mindless, violent shoot-em-ups. But what is presented in this book are finely crafted stories, each with their own twist and crafty resolution.

The earlier Gunsmith Cats books (there are 9 total) are better than the last 3, but even those are excellent in their own right.

I highly recommend this manga for anyone even remotely interested in it!!

This is the first volume of the manga series. At the time of this writing, there are only two issues left of the manga to be published, and that will be it unless Kenichi Sonoda decides to write more.

Rally Vincent and Minnie-May Hopkins are bounty hunters in Chicago plus they own a gun shop. Rally is the gun and car expert while May knows how to make explosives. There is also Becky who can dig up any information that might be needed to get a job done.

This volume deals with basic development of the main characters and later, Bonnie becomes the focus as she tries to get revenge for the injuries she blames Rally for. Compared to later volumes, this one is more graphic than the others, and I would consider this R-rated material.

There is much information in the series about cars and guns. I'm not an expert on either, but based on what I read in the letter columns in the individual issues, it seems to be very accurate. None of the letters are published in these volumes.

When my friend told me about this manga 4 years ago my first reaction was "A manga about Igo (or Wei-Chi in Chinese)? Who'd want to read that?!" I resisted for about a year until I finally gave in to his naggings and picked up the first volume...and was completely hooked by the end of it. I immediately went and get a set for myseif, and to this day it has remained on the top of my favoriates (no small feat for someone who has hundreds of mangas and changes favoriates constantly). The story, the artworks, the characters... everything just grabs you and pulls you in and never letting go, and you don't want to be let go. I'm glad that they are bringing this manga to the US, and I'm going to collect the English version as well so I can introduce this wonderful work to my friends who can't read Japanese or Chinese. Do yourself a favor and pick it up, you won't be disappointed. This truly is a title that any manga or anime fans shouldn't do without.

Hikaru Shindo needs money fast and he's getting pretty desperate, even looking through his granfather's attic with his best friend, Akari, for any old junk he can sell. He's short of money because his allowance has been taken away by his parents for his bad grades in school. They manage to find an old Go board with what appears to be a bloodstain on it. Soon after that Hikaru begins to hear a disembodied voice only audible to him and then the voice is joined by a ghostly apparition of an 1000 year old Go player named Fujiwara-no-Sai from the Heian Period. He used to be the instructor to the Emperor, but a rival's plots threw him into disgrace and he eventually committed suicide. But his soul yearned to play more Go, and he has been able to appear to certain people through the ages to help him on his quest to play the "Divine Move". Now he hopes to enlist Hikaru in the drive to that goal.

I've found over the years that I can read manga or watch anime that get me interested in subjects I would never have sought on my own. The game of Go was something I had heard of but had no idea how to play before watching and reading Hikaru No Go. Even though I didn't understand every move being played by the characters I did get the GIST of what was going on, and felt suspense or excitement in what is essentially a mental game instead of a physical one. That is the true triumph of the writer and the artist. Making something that shouldn't be inherently interesting to non-players exciting and entertaining. Yumi Hotta's passion for the game really shows. Sometimes you can get swept up into another's passion through sheer force of will. The characters introduced in Volume 1 are likeable even though Sai is a little too girly for me. There's even a rival for Hikaru to go up against that is his own age, Akira Toya, the son of the best Go player in Japan, and a great talent in his own right. Great book. The anime series is good too.

I am amazed at how powerful an effect these books have had on my children. I mean that now that they have been reading these books they have developed an interest in playing go. They knew I played and have seen my go board but they never asked me to teach them until after they started reading these books. Within two weeks of the purchase of this book my 14 and 10 year old sons were playing go and I had never given any lessons to my 10 year old. They are continually asking me to get more of the series. It is great. I am very happy.

i love this manga its the coolest!!its about a kid named hikuru and he finds a spirt that used to play go and it helps him play go.its realy good i recemend it for all ages!

Yeah! I've seen the whole anime series (in chinese) already, and believe me it's really good! The end is sort of a "you choose" type of ending, so... you get my point.

Hikaru no go is a great manga promoting the ancient chinese/japanese game go. The object of the game is use black and white pieces and occupy most of the board. You can "eat" sections of your opponent's part by totally surrounding a portion of his pieces. Hikaru no go is about a young boy (6th grade) named Hikaru who just happens to find a go board in his father's attic! It seems that only he can see the blood stains on the board and suddenly a human/ghost come out of the board and has been longing to play go for the past hundred years. Sai (the ghost that looks totally like a person) couldn't die and go to heaven until he mastered the "divine move".

At first Hikaru, like any sane person, denys Sai what he wants (to just play go) Then, also like any sane person, consents when Sai's unquenchable sadness causes Hikaru to get sick. In Japan some people devote their whole lives just playing to and become go instructors. The game originally came from China, but it became more popular in Japan. Back to the story, Hikaru goes into a go club and finds that the whole place is full of adults. The suddenly he spots a boy his age and asks to play with him. Turns out, however, that the boy his age named Akira is the son of the best go player in Japan! Sai directs Hikaru in where to put the pieces and he wins without any effort. Akira is naturally shocked seeing that the way Hikaru holds the go pieces is like a beginner, but his moves are from hundreds of years ago! Akira has basically never been beat before, being a go prodigy, so now he has a new goal: to beat Hikaru.

The story progresses and tells about how hikaru gets taught by Sai in how to play the game, and expert moves. Hikaru learns very quickly and goes from a school team, to the city tournament, to applying to become a go instructor for life! It also tells of his struggles to beat Akira and how all the upper go players are keeping an eye on him. It's interesting when Hikaru and Sai go play on-line go with other real players from around the world. You get to see Sai kicking other countries' best player's butts!

Oh yeah, did I mention that only 3 people get become go instructors each year? Akira already got a spot the year before. Do you think Hikaru is up to the challenge? If he does get in, will he be able to compete with people on/above his level?

If you like this manga, I strongly recommend "Whistle!" as well