Comics Books

For those of you new the the series, yes, the manga and anime known as "Wedding Peach" (WP) looks a lot like "Sailor Moon" (SM). Why? Well, not only is it a typical magical girl shoujo (such as "Magical Girl Pretty Sammy" and "Tokyo Mew Mew"), but the producers of Sailor Moon have actually worked on the series. I also find WP different in that it has a more focused storyline (saving love versus saving the whole universe), fewer magical warriors, and one singular body of evil. So, if you enjoy SM or like series but want something more digestable, I highly recommend WP.

As for the sixth volume, I admit, it was rushed. Nao Yazawa, the creator, admits it to being rushed. And frankly, I like her honesty. I do not see many manga writers that own-up to such things; at most, I see them tip-toe around the subject. (Of course, this could just be my experience; if you've read of others that have acted similarly, be thankful.) That being said, the storyline is wrapped up well with a mix of drama, action, and a fitting happily ever after.

I really like this Manga. It has action romance, and surprises around every corner. I reccomend this to any Manga reader. I plan on getting all of the Wedding Peach books.

I love Wedding Peach, and when I found out it was being published into the English language, I was pshyced! I've been into Wedding Peach for about three years, and I never thought it would make it to the USA, but it has. Anyways, this manga was pretty good. It is obvious that it wasn't translated from the original Japanese version, but from the German version because there seems to be german words in the backround scenes that are supposed to be sound effects...kind of strange. Other than that, its worth buying. I definately recomend!

You've just transformed into an angel of love and told that you must fight devils. WHAT ON EARTH JUST HAPPENED HERE!!!?!?!?!?!?!
That's exactly what happens to Momoko Hanasaki, daughter of the angel Celestia. Devils from the Demon Realm are on earth, threatening to steal all energies of love and replace it with hatred. Momoko and her friends Yuri, Hinagiku, and Scarlet are out to battle with the demons as the angels Wedding Peach, Lily, Daisy, and Salvia!
Along the way, new friendships are found, and many secrets are revealed.
Don't miss out on this new shoujo sensation! Be sure to get the anime too when it comes out on DVD in APRIL 2004!!!

This is the volume that actually jump starts the Wedding Peach plot. Before was a very long introduction and character establishment. Now that it has passed, volume three sends the Love Angels into understanding the history of the war they're fighting and comprehending how important their role is. Though the story doesn't become darker, it's a bit somber at times (especially in later volumes) which, I think, most will find refreshing.

Volume three is a reward for getting through the first two, and a nice passage into the final volumes that are definitely worth reading (especially if you've come this far).

Yeats once wrote, "None other knows what pleasures man/At table or in bed." Bil Keane, however, seems to have found in his latest 'Family Circus' opus a treasure-chest of pleasures for each and all of us.

There are some who chafe at the seeming repetitive themes within Keane's major works; I would respectfully submit that all great stories are about life and death, love and loss, fear and triumph. If not Keane, then so go Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz and Callimachus, too, for good measure. It is not originality that spawns thought and wonderment; it is the vessels of those themes (Billy, Grandma, Barfy, PJ) that inspire and enlighten.

Keane, as carrier of these vessels, reminds us of a truth so eloquently immortalized by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Some books leave us free and some books make us free." In 'What Does This Say', it is clear that the tome achieves the latter, with gusto and aplomb.

There is a certain sadness one feels in remembering happy times: turning over the last page of a good novel, and reflecting over the wonders we have just experienced, the characters who have become our friends; discovering old pictures, seeing ourselves in the halcyon throes of youth, silly smiles on our innocent faces; the plangent last notes of a Chopin nocturne, the theme, growing softer and softer now, floating across the room to rest against our face like the rhythmic breaths of a peaceful, sleeping lover.

I don't know how: but Keane captures this feeling, this happy sadness - "Oh heavy lightness," as Shakespeare put it. Billy romps around the yard. He runs all over town. His parents are in love. His family is love with itself, each unto each. Can our lives ever be like this? Perhaps not, but we can watch, watch ever single day, and wrap ourself in that happy sadness. And maybe forget, if only for a little while, the way our lives really are, the way they have to be: our heavy lightness. Thanks, Bil Keane, for that, and thanks to Amazon for letting people express themselves. Thank you all.

I absolutely love this book! It is so, so funny. I have loved the Family Circus all my life. This book is filled with funny moments as well as some touching moments involving everyone. I have developed quite a collection of Bill Keane's "Family Circus" books, and this is another wonderful, funny book to read and laugh out loud about for years to come.

If there is a finer piece of work every written in the history of comics, I have yet to see it! Once again Bil Keane has published an anthology just as sure to raise the bar for his peers in the comic industry as it is to delight his legions of fans. Though he utilizes only a single, circular panel in his art, time and time again Keane has proven that in no way does this format limit his genius of comic delievery. He consistantly produces panels of a dazzling scope and depth, which hide layers upon layers of humor that seem to demand multiple readings. Although enourmously complex and even at times displaying a dark sense of humor, Keane nevertheless is able to keep even the youngest of readers amused through his delightful art and the uplifting messages his panels hide. Sad to say, but since the death of Charles Shultz, Bil Keane has been left without a true peer in the world of comics. ...No, truly each period of human exsistence has produced a select few men whom society can look up to. Just as the Roman Historian Sallust could proudly say he lived in the Republic of Caesar and Cato, and past generations could say they lived in the days of Washington and Jefferson, so can we say we knew the time of Keane and Roy, and thus are we more fortunate than all others who came before.

Hear me people! The scribble on the front cover held up by PJ is not an origianl scribble! I knew I had seen it before, but I could not quite place it. Finally like a bolt of lightning, I sat up in bed at 2:45 AM and knew where I saw that scribble! I quickly opened my bottom drawer and pulled out my copy of the Necronomican. It was right there on page XVIII!!

I only had two hours before I started my shift at McDonald's. It was Thursday morning and that meant I had to be there very early to unload the truck delivery. I looked at the cover of this Family Circus book and could not unlock my gaze on Jeffy. "What does this say?" "What does this say?" "What does this say?" It mocked me, it called me, it demanded my attention.

Then from out of nowhere I got an idea. I opened this Family Circus novel to the LAST page. I then proceeded to read the book BACKWARDS! Then true horror struck my heart.

Start with the last cartoon, write down the last letter of each caption and work your way backwards to the first cartoon where Dolly is trying to take the skin off a cupcake. When you have all the letters written down, this message will appear.......

"Thel is the goddess of lust and desire. She lives for the pleasure of the flesh. Prices slashed at Jerrys, all items must go. Buy one spatula get one free."

Cold chills ran up and down my spine as I deciphered the what I now call the "Da Keane Code". I have quit my job at McDonald's and now work full time at home with a mountain of Family Circus books, the Necronomican, and the Book of Revelation, I believe I can pinpoint the exact time of the Rapture. I will report my findings as I discover them.

Cartoons of the NEW YORKER variety are a long way from comic books or most newspaper comic strips when it comes to social commentary. Byrnes is a well-known practitioner of the slightly cynical cartoonist's art, often giving the reader pause: "Wait -- What did he just say?" Like the businessman asking on the phone, "What's our policy on honesty?" Or the magnate remarking to a younger manager, "When I lost my sense of humor, I lost my sense of compassion, which is how I got where I am today." And sometimes his commentary is sharper, such as with the parents in front of a family camp-tent addressing their youngest child: "I'm sorry, Tommy, you've been voted out."

Thankyou very much for these comics. LOL happen with each of them.

Hilarious is one way to describe the cartoons in here.Especially the few "Adam and Eve" ones..but youd have to buy this book to understand what I mean by that.Heh.The only reason I give it 4 stars is because I admit I didnt quite get atleast 5-7 or the cartoons.But thats only due to my ignorance in the subject that is joked about.

Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of really funny cartoons here. But, given the subjects we could choose from (normal business operations, radical religions, absurd politics, etc.), I expected more absurdity. Twenty of the included cartoons are from the "New Yorker." I have often read an entire issue of "New Yorker" cartoons without "getting" them, although I appreciated the artistic skill involved. Once, I interviewed a cartoonist who had sold a single cartoon to the "New Yorker." He could not explain why the editor had bought the cartoon or why he could never sell another one. Now, Pat Byrnes' cartoons are much funnier than the average. His art, though it looks dashed off, is certainly not. A great deal of thought and effort has gone into these well-crafted pieces. Here's hoping that Byrnes will publish a companion volume of even darker humor. Perhaps, the devil will make him do it. By the way, his introduction is just as humorous as his drawings.

Pat Byrnes's cleverly caustic "What Would Satan Do?" is a collection of the artist's outrageous cartoons on the delights of deviltry. In his amusing introduction, Byrnes points out that the temptation to transgress is all around us; after all, society's moral compass went permanently haywire a long time ago. Therefore, the author decided to profit from the wages of sin by ridiculing such human shortcomings as greed, selfishness, incompetence, sadism, rationalization, one-upsmanship, hypocrisy, insensitivity, and other obnoxious traits that we see all around us every day--but never in ourselves.

The cartoons, some in black and white and others in color, are deliciously satirical and skillfully drawn. Nasty nuns, putrid parents, curmudgeonly CEOs, creepy criminals, and scenes from hell (literally)--they're all here for your reading pleasure. Byrnes also takes aim at reality show hosts, newscasters, computer geeks, slimy lawyers, and other easy-to-lampoon targets. "What Would Satan Do?" is timely and biting social commentary that makes us laugh at the expense of those self-centered and nasty individuals who delight in making everyone else's lives miserable. Although a few of the cartoons fall flat and others may be too naughty and tasteless for some, the book's blend of artistry (I love the facial expressions) and merry mockery make it a good purchase for misanthropes with a sense of humor.

This book would make a great gift for the nerdy-but-earnest sweetheart (or potential future sweetheart) in your life. This book is a series of slice-of-life depictions of new romance. most are funny, a few are poignant, none of them are saccharine. A few (plot-relevant) boner and boobie jokes cut the treacle admirably, and remind the reader that yes, this is a comic about real -albeit weird- people. This quirkiness makes it just that much more endearing for its sincerity.

Sweet comic about relationships and love. My husband & I laughed together over how true it is and how sweet.

THIS SHORT BASIC GRAPHIC NOVEL WAS SUCH A LAUGH OUT LOUD PLEASURE TO READ. PRINCE IS AMAZING! MUCH LOVE TO SCIENCE...

Liz Prince's little work perfectly captures the underrated romantic nuances of love. I immediately wanted to share it with my boyfriend. This would make a really adorable little gift. Very uplifting and warm!

i didn't buy this from amazon (sorry), but i found this comic at a local store in french "tu m'aimerais encore si je fais pipi au lit?" my boyfriend stumbled upon it and started chuckling to himself. i took a look at what he was enjoying and was immediately enchanted myself. each simple 4 panel comic gives you a glimpse into the amazing and mundane moments in a relationship which liz captures so well. i am a big fan and looking forward to more comics from liz!

I am a fan of JTC's comics and was amazed at the encyclopedic extent to which this book goes into his work. The referencing system is complex and takes getting used to, but it permits a great deal of rich data to be catalogued and accounted for concisely. Indispensible for the JTC fan.

This *book* is much better than the internet sites that cover some of the same material. Robert Fowler's "The World of Chick?" is a work of devotion and love for a uniquely American genre that deserves to be catalogued by scholars of Americana.

For those who collect Chick Tracts and ancillary Chick art works this reference is indispensable.

In reading the reviews of "The World of Chick?" most reviewers don't seem to understand that Chick DOES represent a fairly mainline belief structure in the U.S.

Jack Chick is just reflecting standard theology (fundamentalist theology) in his tracts, and by and large, Christian fundamentalists in the U.S. buy all this stuff without flinching. In fact, the whole "Bible Belt" generally believe the following examples -- all of them straight from Chick's tracts: A) Religions that don't accept salvation through grace alone are not "Christian" / save (thus, Mormoms and Catholics are going to hell), B) Salvation -- even at the last minute -- is enough to get into heaven, and C) God doesn't judge on the basis of skin color at all -- but instead, on the basis of one's own belief in a righteous god and a saving Christ on the cross.

I should know, I was raised as one of these fundamentalists. And you know, they're not bad people. Just people who are firmly convinced that they've found the secrets of the universe in the Bible, and that the world needs to learn these secrets as well in order to be saved from a certain doom. (Which, of course, is exactly what Jack Chick's tracts so effectively communicate!)

I actually bought this thinking it would be a collection of chick tracts, but it is not such, since that would violate copyrights. However, what it is, is an extensive catalouge of Chick tracts, and publications. The author manages to construct an encyclopedia of the world view according to Chick. Some may see this as unimportant, but in this day and age, with Christian fundamentalism and all religious fundamentalism growing, it can give an interesting look into a segment of our society.

It is necessary that all serious collectors of Chick Tracts buy this book. Everything you need to know (and much more) concerning the history and printing of Mr. Chick's tracts is here. Read the editorial review and the other customer reviews for more information on this book.

That said, it is even more necessary (a matter of life and death) for collectors (and anyone else who reads a Chick Tract) to realize and act on the FACT that Mr. Chick's "views" are absolute truths and that there is no salvation possible for anyone who does not accept Jesus Christ as his (or her) personal savior. There is no other name by which you may be saved but that of Jesus Christ through faith (NOT through good works).

It is love alone which compels so-called fundamentalists like Mr. Chick to speak as he does; love for sinners and lost souls. One reviewer refers to Mr. Fowler's dedication and love in preparing this book. I thank God for Mr. Chick's dedication and love in preparing his tracts so that souls may be saved.

Laugh at me, be angry with me, call me a bigot and much worse. Good people,I write this review not for myself but for you.

i'm not sure why this collection is so highly rated; maybe it's because it's the end of the claremont/byrne run.
the tpb is a disjointed collection, which goes from the x-men going through the 9 levels of hell a la dante's inferno, to wolverine and nightcrawler in canada fighting the wendigo, to some x-men fighting mystique and the brotherhood trying to kill senator kelly, to kitty pryde and some other x-men trying to change the past and thus the future.
altogether they are solid if somewhat unrelated stories.

ok let me clarify...x-men 141 and 142, the days of future past, is a great classic comics storyline. but this tpb collects some unrelated stories before and after i guess just to be longer, so it kind of throws off the storyline if you think this whole tpb is one long connected story which it isn't.

This are the two comic books that thrust just about every encarnation of the X-Men into a whole new ball game. Did you ever watch the old X-Men cartoon in the 90's where politicians were about to mess with mutants? Remember the Sentinels? How about X-Men Evolution? Sound familiar? What about the first X-Men movie? That's right folks. All these shows have this in common: whole story arcs based on Days of Future Past.

These two comics started it all. It launched ideas for numerous future/alternate timeline stories in the X-Men comics as well. The trade paperback reprints issues 141 and 142, but I hear they added more issues with new printings. Doesn't matter which one you get because to me is the focal point is those two issues. Still getting more comic for your money isn't bad. Especially when they are all written by Chris Claremont (whom I consider THE scribe for the X-Men).

Why do these comics hold so much clout? This was something totally new to comicdom. Stan Lee never fled from serious content, and racial profiling is what you have here. The story shows a future where mutants are stripped of their human rights and are regarded as inferior. The parallels between this story and what happened in Nazi Germany are obvious, but it puts a different angle on the issue that makes it something younger audiences can click with.

The artwork is solid and striking without being gaudy and flashy. The background (future) story you get is going to blow you away. And the "modern" activity will give you the classic team you know and love. There is no reason for any X-Fan not to have this TPB... other than if you have the original issues.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is the epilogue to the Dark Phoenix saga, the swan song for the team of writer Chris Claremont and penciler Johny Byrne as the co-plotters for "The Uncanny X-Men," and the arrival of Kitty Pryde as the newest and youngest pupil in Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters on Graymalkin Lane outside the Westchester County Township of Salem Center. What you will find in this trade paperback collection are issues #138-143 of "The Uncanny X-Men" and Annual #4, where the artwork is handled by John Romita, Jr. & Bob McLeod.

"Elegy" (#138) begins with Jean Grey's funeral and ends with Scott Summers leaving the X-Men for a while. It really is the true epilogue to the Dark Phoenix saga and most of the issue is a walk down memory lane, recapping the history of the X-Men from when Jean first showed up at the school. Fans of the series will enjoy recognizing issues from the past (remember Grotesk and the Living Pharaoh).

The Annual story, "Nightcrawler's Inferno," has a demon who is fighting Doctor Strange yanking the X-Men off into another dimension, leaving Professor X and Kitty behind. This one involves a more classical interpretation of Hell, what with Minos and Cerberus from Dante coming into play, but like most Annual stories seems a bloated attempt to do something big as opposed to the much bigger impact of a solid multi-part story (see below).

"...Something Wicked This Way Comes!" (#139) has Kitty being introduced to training in the Danger Room, and Wolverine and Nightcrawler head to Canada to meet up with Alpha Flight and an old problem. That would be the Wen-Di-Go, who they fight in "Rage!" (#140), while Ororo takes Kitty to dance lessons with Stevie Hunter. Then we get to the two-part story that gives this collection its title and which remains a classic X-Men story.

"Days of Future Past" (#141) begins with Kate Pryde making her way through a New York City slum in the 21st century (remember, these stories were published in 1980). She is meeting Logan and wearing an inhibitor collar that neutralizes her power to phase through solid objects and an "M" that marks here as a mutant (number 187 in fact). At the South Bronx Mutant Internment Center she walks by graves of the victims of the Sentinels, which includes most of the X-Men and all of the Fantastic Four. Only four X-Men remain: Logan, Ororo, Kate and her husband Peter, and are joined by a wheel-chair bound Magneto, Franklin Richards and his girlfriend, Rachel, a telepath. There last hope is to change the future by changing the past, when the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants murder presidential candidate Robert Kelly and others. To do this, Rachel sends the mind of Kate Pryde back to the present to inhabit her body at age 13.

"Mind Out of Time!" (#142) juxtaposes the battle in the present between the X-Men and the Brotherhood, with the attempt by the few remaining mutants in the future trying to keep Kate's body alive and away from the Sentinels. You know how this one is going to work out in the end, but Claremont and Bryne know how to milk the emotions. This two-parter is the reason that fans of the series would want this one on their shelf.

"Demon" (#143) is basically Kitty Pryde "Home Alone," as the X-Men go out to a Christmas party. While doing a basic gymnastic workout in the Danger Room, an intruder enters the mansion and Kitty finds herself going up against an alien monster. I would say that the alien monster actually looks a bit like the monster in "Alien," but you will find that there are other aspects of that film that come into play as well. Basically this is Kitty's baptism under fire and underscores that "X-Men: Days of Future Past" is ultimately about the littlest X-Man.

I am in complete agreement with the other reviewer's sentiments regarding the "Dark Phoenix" saga. There's just one problem: THIS IS NOT A REPRINTING OF THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA!!! This is a reprint of the also classic "Day's of Future Past" storyline, which was also penned by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. That storyline actually consists of only two issues, but for this latest edition the good folks at Marvel were kind enough to also include issues 138-140, and issue 143 in addition to issues 141-142. A wonderful collection consisting of the issues that FOLLOWED the "Dark Phoenix Saga". This book also features one of the best comic book battles ever as the X-men face off against the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. So buy this book people, but please Amazon, get your act together.

Though it's really only a two-issue event with more stuff crammed around it in this graphic novel, everything about Days of Future Past is just plain awesome X-Men adventures from the golden age of Chris Claremont's prolific run on the title. Picking up after the Dark Phoenix Saga, Cyclops quits the team and reminisces about all the events that took place up until the death of Jean Grey, Wolverine gets his classic brown costume for the first time (and gets called Logan for the first time too) as he treks to Canada and takes on the Wendigo. Angel rejoins the team, and Kitty Pryde becomes a new member as well, just in time as the X-Men get a visit from the future, and we get a glimpse at the future world ruled by Sentinels and get to see the future versions of Magneto, Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus get slaughtered. This prompts the present day X-Men to stop an assassination plot of Senator Kelly by Mystique and co., and concludes with a demonic Christmas visit. The art by classic X-Men penciler John Byrne and early art by the great John Romita, Jr. has been remastered here and it looks great, as does the revamped cover by Byrne. All in all, Days of Future Past was one of the best stories from the golden age of X-Men comics, and while not as influential or groundbreaking as the Dark Phoenix Saga that came before it, if you missed out on it, then you've missed out on a great deal.

Taken by itself, this book is a masterpiece of sophisticated humor *and* political relevance masked as a "Super Friends"-like cartoon book knock off. There are obscure references to famous utterances associated with each of the ex-Presidents that I hadn't thought of in 25 years or more. To see Jimmy Carter taking on a villian with the line "I have lust in my heart...to kick your ass." Man, that's funny stuff.

But now, after the terrorist attacks on NYC and the Pentagon, there it is right on Page 1 of the New York Times: "Bush Appeals to Ex-Presidents for Coalition-Building Efforts." Life imitates art to a 'T'. Absolutely amazing.

X-Presidents is a strange, screwy parody which mixes bad 1970s Saturday-morning cartoons, Marvel comic books, and politics into a pastiche of weirdness like none other published to date.

There's a fine line between parody and parroting the liberal party line; unfortunately, while X-Presidents hits the mark most of the time, the authors can't help but devolve into Bush- and Reagan-bashing from time to time. For example, the "From the X-Presidents' Mailbag" section consists of nothing but cheap shots against the three Republican X-es -- and in predictable ways, too: Reagan, Iran-Contra and firing the air-traffic controllers; Bush, Iran-Contra and son W.; and Ford, stupidity.

Also, there are multiple gratuitous sexual references that are simply nonsensical. True, the whole book is gratuitous, but seeing Bush having sex with Babs on every page, or Carter having a threesome with Imelda Marcos and a mystery mullet-dude, lends little to the plot except to make it strangely embarrassing.

These aside, X-Presidents did contain the most hilarious bits of humor I've read in this dark post-September 11 world. Best of all were the peculiar "Archies"-style interludes wherein the X-es play and sing various tunes (yes, they even play the same instruments that the animated Archies did) summarizing the plot action.

This is a bizarre little book, no doubt.

A very clever and extremely fun read. This graphic-novel is a MUST-HAVE for all SNL's 'TV FUN-HOUSE' fans. It has all the elements that we have come to love and expect from 'TV FUN-HOUSE' plus more great stuff that SNL cannot broadcast over network television!

When I first saw the cartoon on Saturday night live I laughed until I fell out of the chair. The same thing happened when I read this book. From the giant tornado hitting an axe factory to our former presidents smoking crack and then singing an American Bandstand-syle song about it (9 out of 10 times it's just plain wrong) this book rocks. Even the little legal disclaimers (a direct parody of real comic book legalese) on the first page are twistedly funny. Buy this Book!

Based on a popular Saturday Night Live skit, this book (for those few who have not seen the segments) chronicles the adventures of what might happen if our former presidents had superpowers and an international mandate to save the world from a vaugley identified evil.

Granted, the animation style screams cheap 70's cartoon, but this is precisely the point of the animated sketches. The humor is subtle enough for adults and others to grasp it, and the undeniably cheesy and fun sketches will keep you rolling on the floor with laughter and guffaws.

Out of all the things Saturday Night Live has transformed into a skit post Wayne's World, the X Presidents is surely most deserving of this tribute, as well as an entire movie of their very own. You don't have to be a political freak or even like the particular presidents featured to know that sometimes something this silly is needed.

Yukinobu Hoshino's 2001 Nights is not your average manga.

With precise and detailed drawings, and a tangible indebtedness to Arthur C. Clarke, Hoshino tells in a series of short stories the future of mankind's journey into space. Beginning with a classic Cold War sf story, continuing on with the discovery of life--of sorts--on the moon, and furthering outward to the utmost boundaries of the solar system, Hoshino tells his stories with steadily increasing imagination, pulling the reader gradually from more mundane hard sf to weirdly handled (but very Clarkeian) cosmic and religious issues in the volume's final, lengthy chapter, "Lucifer Rising," which smacks of Clarke's "The Star" as well as Gene Wolfe's "All the Hues of Hell."

Not only are these excellent comics, they are some of the best sf short stories you're likely to read, though Hoshino sometimes plays fast and loose with science if it helps the plot.

Okay, ditto all the other glowing reviews; I normally don't post my opinions unless it's different from others', but this is one of the few times when a product has got me so enthused that I simply must join in the praise. IT'S GREAT!...I got chills all over just like I first did as a kid when it dawned on me how vast the universe could be, and how alone humankind seems in it...I must say, this is quite an effective "twist" on one's usual expectations of Science Fiction, a twist which actually in effect restores the sense of melancholia which a deep, prolonged contemplation of outer space usually seems to instill sooner or later...

[have edited original today 2008 MAR b/c I finally really do realize that even with a spoiler alert people are just going to read on anyway, of course, and get the surprising though very simple ending, which I was commenting about, and that would just totally destroy the beautiful cumulative effect of reading all three volumes to get there, to that beautiful, majestic, haunting, and chilling vision....]

Has Yukinobu Hoshino done any other stuff, I wonder??? Now that I'm "onto him", I'm gonna go look for his other works....

This is an amazing trilogy (read my other 2 reviews of vols. 2 & 3). The below reviews are so accurate to what I want to say, that I won't repeat them. I love this series. It's some of the best sci-fi comics I've ever read. There's an overwhelming sense of vastness to the universe and a sad feeling for mankind in the stories - no matter how far they get in space, it's still not enough - there's no end to the immenseness!
The stories are wonderfully believable and the Japanese artwork is not the `big eyed', Hello Kitty stuff one comes to expect of manga.
Whoever decided to translate this series for America should be given an award for recognition of intelligent comic work. It's that good. I've read the 3 books several times and they're wonderful with each read.
Each volume ends with an epic tale. Volume 1 has "Lucifer" which is a great concept of an anti-matter universe which may be responsible for the Big Bang theory. Great stuff. Get these books - they're wonderful. This is the way comics should be done!

I bought this book in the spring while I was in college studying comics. When you read so many comics, even the good ones seem to go pale. This graphic novel made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. With mature visuals and sensitive writing Yukinobu Hoshino sows accurately the vastness of the universe and the importance of human destiny within it and beyond it. The occasional over-explaining takes away very little in this epic. A great read by anyone's standards; comics fan or not.

2001: A Space Odyssey is one of my favorite movies for its detailed and believable vision of a future that is still largely unrealized. I was pleasantly surprised to see Yukinobu Hoshino pay homage to Kubrick's visual style throughout much of 2001 Nights, in scenes that were recognizably inspired by the film. The skillfully-rendered black-and-white panels throughout the book are evocative of the silence and vastness of space, yet the human characters are drawn with grace and style, without the occasional cartoonish facial expressions that mar other manga I've read. This stylistic discipline helps to keep the work focused and believable.

Aside from the fantastic artwork, the author lays out a sweeping story of humankind's quest to find its destiny beyond Earth, told in a series of time-separated vignettes. He touches upon issues of cooperation, isolation, exploration, greed and even religion -- and manages to pull this off without becoming trite.

It's pretty tough to describe in words something that is so visually distinctive and compelling. I originally ordered this book on a whim, but it has just blown me away.

Ditko's love for the exceptionally boring teachings of Ayn Rad come into full play in this volume of Action Heroes. Amidst all the daring-do and super baddies, we have super heroes spouting off objectivist clap-trap while lesser men try to get them to compromise to society's mediocrity.

Ditko's art is great, and the pace in these stories is very good . . . until the hero appears in his secret identity to face down faceless armies of dickish citizenry that cramp his style and attempt to convince our hero to stop being such an a-hole.

Captain Atom returns. His powers include, uh, atomic stuff like flying, shooting stuff, lifting stuff, somehow not contaminating stuff, etc.

Blue Beetle plays like Spider-Man with more gadgets and less physical might. Blue Beetle would eventually have his brains used as wall decoration by Maxwell Lord in the prelude to Identity Crisis.

The Question solves mysteries. He's nowhere near as cool as the Justice League Unlimited version.

Pretty good!

Action Heroes Archives vol 2 is definately worth the price that its being offered. This edition has nearly 100 pages more than the average DC Archive edition for starters. This book is filled to the brim with some of steve ditkos best work with the exception of his work on Spiderman, Dr. Strange and his charlton monsters series Konga and Gorgo. This volume has the revamped Caption Atom, Blue Beetle and the Question stories in their full glory. Another nice feature is the addition of the Charlton Bullseye, the black and white fanzine that featured the wrap up of the captain atom storyline featuring his final battle with the ghost. My only complaint is that they didnt include some of the relevant back up stories, I.e the Jim Aparo Nightshade stories which would have fit nicely with this volume. But thats really nitpicking. If you love Ditko, this is a must have. Nobody draws action and human movement with as much excitment and fluidity as Steve Ditko. He's one of the few artists that can tell a story soley with his art. Todays art is simply poses, and much too much reliance on photo references with all due respect to alex ross and others of his style. Reading a steve ditko drawn story is like watching a movie. I sincerely hope they reprint more under rated Charlton stories. Id love to see reprints of Ditko's Konga and Gorgo work. Buy this book.

Those of you who read my review of the first volume of ACTION HEROES ARCHIVES know I was enthusiastic about DC reprinting the Charlton "Action Heroes" in these quality hardcover editions. Volume 2 is no exception, and I'm giving it a qualified 5 stars rating (as explained below).

As I somewhat surmised when Volume 1 was published, in addition to continuing the Captain Atom reprint stories, this volume includes Steve Ditko's Blue Beetle tales -- plus The Question to boot! It also makes sense that Volume 2 picks up the good Captain's adventures with issue #83, considering that issue was the start of big changes for Captain Atom, and also began the back-up adventures of the "new" Blue Beetle, scripted by Gary Friedrich with art by the awesome Ditko. It was during this period that Charlton Comics was attempting to emulate Marvel Comics, and was strengthening the characterization in its stories. (Indeed, shortly thereafter Gary Friedrich would leave Charlton to work for Marvel Comics, and no doubt for a larger paycheck.)

Fan-turned-pro Dave Kaler penned some enjoyable scripts for Captain Atom, beginning his run with CAPTAIN ATOM #82, the last story in Volume 1, and continuing through the "Captain Atom Meets Thirteen" tale (from CAPTAIN ATOM #89) reprinted in this volume. CAPTAIN ATOM #89 was the last Charlton issue published, and as a kid I was bummed out because of that and because the storyline involving Cap's nemisis, The Ghost, had been unresolved. But this volume also reprints the "final" Captain Atom tales with The Ghost ("Showdown in Sunuria" and "Two Against Sunuria") which were only heretore published in Charlton's "fanzine," CHRLTON BULLSEYE. Like the printing in CHARLTON BULLSEYE, these tales are published in black-and-white in this volume.

The Blue Beetle reprints are fantastic, especially the back-up stories originally published in CAPTAIN ATOM, and the first two issues of the Beetle's own comic mag. Reading them is like immersing yourself in the Marvel Comics of 1966-67, and is a delightful treat. Like the Captain Atom bonuses that originally saw print in CHARLTON BULLSEYE, this volume reprints the unpublished BLUE BEETLE #6 cover and story, which only previously saw print in CHARLTON BULLSEYE (in black-and-white both therein and herein).

A perhaps unexpected bonus here are The Question stories, back-up tales contained in the BLUE BEETLE comic plus the full-length MYSTERIOUS SUSPENSE #1 comic from 1968. The "bonus" for The Question fans is the black-and-white story drawn by comics legend Alex Toth, reprinted from CHARLTON BULLSEYE #5 (and also including Toth's cover for that issue reproduced in full color). The Question, of course, was based on Steve Ditko's Mr. A character (first published in Wally Wood's WITZEND), and much later metamorphasized into the Rorshach character in Alan Moore's WATCHMEN.

The only problems with this volume are some of the tales penned by Steve Ditko. Ditko was used to working "Marvel style," both plotting out and drawing the tales, which would later be dialogued and captioned by the writer. How much of this was done on the Captain Atom stories is hard to say, but they seem pretty tight, and my guess is that Ditko at least was working in the "traditional" mode, from Dave Kaler's scripts, on those efforts. But the early Blue Beetle tales have a lot going on, and it appears Ditko was perhaps using the Marvel method with writer Gary Friedrich.

With the departure of Friedrich on the Blue Beetle, Ditko inherited the scripting duties as well (using the assumed name "D.C. Glanzman"). But while Ditko has ability as a writer, he's also had the problem of his Ayn Rand philosophies exerting a heavy influence on his his stories. Mr. A was a perfect example of this (where everything was "black and white," and there was no "gray" in moral values), as is the story "Blue Beetle Faces the Destroyer of Heroes" (reprinted from BLUE BEETLE #5), where the extremes of values are unbelievably comical. The "A Specter is Haunting Hub City" story, originally intended for the unpublished BLUE BEETLE #6, is likewise ridiculous. In that tale we have the public up in arms -- against SCIENTISTS ("It's a plot! The scientists want to rule the world!")! Now, certainly, continuing advances in technology can be used for "bad" efforts as well as "good" -- but some of the Ditko dialogue in this story would make more sense in Mad Magazine. My criticisms of Ditko's writing aside, however, Ditko was still at his artistic peak in 1966-68, and it is an absolute joy to behold his story-telling techniques along with his basic art talent. This volume is worth the price for Steve Ditko's art alone!

A negative regarding the Ditko art is the finale Captain Atom "Sunuria" 2-parter reprinted from CHARLTON BULLSEYE. Apparently Ditko had only penciled those stories, and they had remained uninked for some time -- which would have made sense with no plans to publish them. When they finally saw print, a young John Byrne was called upon to ink them (and it would be interesting to know whether he inked Ditko's actual penciled pages or only phostats). I've never been a big John Byrne fan, having felt that he's never truly taken his artistic ability to its maximum level. Early John Byrne art is pretty rough, as is his inking on Ditko's Captain Atom (which Byrne also lettered, and didn't do a great job there as well). In my opinion, Byrne didn't really make an effort to remain faithful to Ditko's pencils, and the art winds up being downright sloppy in spots.

But that substandard inking involves only 21 pages in this volume, and the remainder of of the Ditko art is inked by Sturdy Steve himself, or by Rocke Mastroserio and Frank McLaughlin. And that work is great!

As noted by Dick Giordano (Charlton's editor back in 1966-68) in his forword, it's unlikely that the other Charlton "Action Heroes" of that Silver age era (among them The Peacemaker, Judo-Master, and Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt) will ever see the reprinting light of day. But the Ditko-driven characters certainly deserved hardcover editions for posterity. Don't cheat yourself -- make sure to purchase both volumes 1 and two of ACTION HEROES ARCHIVES!

This awesome TICK volume collects pratically almost every issue - of Captain Atom, the Blue Beetle and the Question - Steve Ditko did in his second and most famous run working for Charlton after his departure of Marvel Comics. In my opinion, this wonderfull material is FAR BETTER than most of the stuff DC published at that time. One of the "lost" treasuries of the 60's!!If you dig Ditko's Spidey and Doc Strange, BUY IT NOW!!And, by the way:It includes an adventure of the Question by Alex Toth!!

If you want an addition to your library of serious comics..something that will set you aside from the norm; this is certainly a good investment..

I saw these guys at the Alternative Press Expo, looked interesting, I wasn't prepared for how much I was going to like their comics. The stories are accurate,informative and funny. I've always been interested in philosophy, even took a couple of classes in college, but trying to read through their books and understand their ideas was difficult to impossible.

Action Philosophers presents the lives and basic ideas of great minds in an easy to understand way (with humour), citing their major influences and showing their place in the bigger picture. They also provide a reading list if you would like to learn more about your new favorite philosopher. It never occurred to me that anyone could make philosophy fun, but these guys have done it. I'm almost through this book, and I eagerly await the next issue of their comic book. If you want to read a comic book with a little more to it than just *biff* and *bang*, get this book.

While the Action Philosophers series is better used as a gateway drug to some hard core philosophy than a substitute for actual study of the source materials, it has amazingly lucid graphic explainations of both Plato's Allegory of the Cave (vol. 1) and Descarte's Cogito, Ergo Sum (vol. 2).
I give it my heartiest reccomendation. In fact, so long as it's part of Amazon's 4 for 3 deal, I'm stocking up. I plan to give a set to each of my MA professors who teach literary theory, to gift one to my younger brother, and to keep one in my bookbag for work--tutoring high schoolers. AP is quick, portable, and nutritious.

A great intro into some of the great thoughts and thinkers. The humour is very witty. If you like Monty Pythonesque silly intellectual humour, then this book will be a treat.

This is hysterically funny. For anyone who knows the history of philosophy and likes to laugh. Philosophically accurate.

I have never been a comic fan, however I work with two die hard comic guys and they came to me all jittery and excited telling me I had to see this comic book about philosophers. You see, I've studied philosophy for 10 years, edging closer and to the elusive BA. I am a natural skeptic but I caved in and looked. I laughed out loud at least four times merely leafing through the pages. When I had time to sit down and actually read through the "big red thing" I was very impressed at the blending of humor and accuracy. The spin put on these brilliant thinkers offers true laughter while remaining very accurate to the spirit of their ideas. I had to bring the book to my philosophy professors to test them out and to my pleasure they found it as funny and accurate as I! Nothing like a little brown nosing through comics! I am very impressed with this book and I will purchase every issue of the comic from now on! well done=)