Comics Books

Martinusen writes with confidence in this sequel to "Winter Passing." She paints believable characters, beautiful landscapes, and conflicts that aren't oversimplified. Although the book stands alone, the tie-ins to the previous novel are well handled.

The story starts with a heart-rending hook: Kate Porter's husband disappears during their trip to Venice. The only evidence of any wrongdoing is a broken blue tile. Three years later, she has no answers and is going on with her life. Soon, Kate is dragged into a plot that involves family secrets and national sins. The search for the truth will lead her back to Europe and the heart of the Nazi evil.

I had two complaints while reading. First, on the trivial side, the city of Corvalis (Kate's hometown) is actually spelled "Corvallis." I lived near there, so this inaccuracy tripped me up throughout. Second, the meaning of the blue tiles was anticlimactic and felt forced. Still, this is a story that is so much stronger than those issues and deserves to be read for entertainment and enlightenment both.

"Blue Night" has its dark side, but it won't leave you feeling blue. I can't wait to read the third book, "North of Tomorrow."

Set in Oregon, California, Venice and Austria, Cindy Martinusen's wonderful book, Blue Night, is a compelling, suspenseful read, the next in the Winter Passing trilogy.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. Kate Porter's plight as she attempts to put her life in some sort of meaningful order after the disappearance of her husband, Jack, was a heart-tugger. She was all that a heroine needed to be: tender, brave, frightened and adventureous. I loved coming alongside Kate, walking with her as she tried to find Jack and solve the mystery. Since I didn't want it to end, it made me happy that one more book in the trilogy was yet to come.

Be sure to consider Cindy's books when you are looking for a good read. They are terrific!

I thought this was a great book. I loved it and I would recomend it. I hate it when I'm reading and the book is totally predictable, but this book wasn't at all, and that's what kept me reading. I also liked how it has stuff in there about God.

I read the first book, Winter Passing, about a year ago. I picked this one up recently and didn't put it down until I was finished! I look forward to many more books from this author.

This book was the best book I have ever read. I picked it up for a book report for my Church History class. I had 3 days to read it, and because it was so good, it wasn't that hard. The way she rights is very good. Kate Porter was a great character and so was Lukas. If you are even debating getting this, get it! You'll love it.

After seeing this listed in my recommendations countless times, I flipped through a copy in a store and promptly ordered it from Amazon. If you miss The Far Side or were a fan of Gahan Wilson then you will feel right at home in this collection. But unlike Larson and Wilson, this comic is penned by two creators. One loves thinking up cartoons while the other can actually draw. I don't know which of the two is more twisted but they sure work well as a team.
The cover cartoon of a game of spin-the-bottle among a bunch of cats and one dog has the wonderful feature of working on more than one level. I think it was the Camel/Dromedary Peace Talks that really snared me. Once I had read that one I was completely hooked. I was only sorry that there were only two collections currently available for order. If you like cartoons that inspire laughter and not just smiles then you need to check these guys out.

Our newspaper pulled Brevity because "some readers didn't find it funny". What kind of reader wouldn't love this book? I just can't figure it out. We laughed ourselves to tears. I pick up the book and read one of the comics for the 10th time and it's still funny.

"Ah, Garbanzo, you are a noble bean..." Support good humor. Buy this book.

Like any cartoon books, there are a mixture of hits and misses but the funny ones are laugh out loud funny. I bought it as a Christmas gift for my husband and he loved it too. It is a little reminiscent of Far Side cartoons in terms of being iconoclastic and outrageous but I personally like Brevity better. I would have bought the entire book for just his one panel about Lassie, Timmy and the bear. Lassie is about to bail on Timmy who is dangling from a tree and in immanent danger from a bear. Lassie's says something to the effect of "Timmy how are you ever going to learn if I keep stepping in to help you." The author is not just a shadow of Larson, he is out and out funny in his own right.

Guy & Rodd's BREVITY also offers up powerful one-panel strips: these featuring a somewhat simplified drawing type but one packed with biting commentary and tongue-in-cheek humor. A level of sophistication will lend to appreciation of these zany revelations.

I consider Brevity to be one of the best currently running comics. It is very similar to the Farside, by Gary Larson, in its zany humor. Brevity is not quite as good as the Farside, but it comes very close and is consistently funny. This collection was very good, but I think it would have been better if it was put into color. One strip which I believe was originally printed in color has a leprachan who received a rainbow burn (like a sunburn only rainbow colored), however since the comic is in black and white you would have to know that already to get the joke. One plus for Brevity is that compared to the Farside there are much less were you are just left wondering, "Wait I don't get this why is this funny?"

NOTE! I am actually seventeen, but I'm also lazy and didn't want to do all that extra work. ^_^ My review is below.

From the very first page--which shows Sakura crying over her brother's loss of magical power *cough*Yue's fault*cough*--to the last, you will be hooked on this volume. I speak from experience. It is the absolute cutest volume of the entire twelve-book series. There are no flaws in it whatsoever. *SPOILER!* My favorite part is where Sakura-chan finally confesses her love to Yukito-san. *SPOILER'S END* But anyway, please pick up the original first six, read them, read Master of the Clow 1-3, then take a deep breath and read this one. I was absolutely thrilled with my purchase, and I have a feeling you will be, too! Elissachan has spoken.

Card captors is about a 5th grader girl with the magic of the clow cards which are these cards that each have there own magic.When Sakura relizes the clow master is going to die she must find out the 2 yes 2 people who will take his place. It is pretty easy to guess who they are but still reading the books is still alot of fun. Very cute books. Like in the second book Sakura gets attacked by a giant teddy bear!The art is great too.Great book for all ages and Tokyo mew mew and Salior Moon fans.(to tell you the truth I like this book even more then Salior Moon ^_^!)
~*~Purin~*~

This continues along from the plots in the previous comic, which you should get before purchasing this or you'll be lost.
Summary:
The Tomoda kids host a cafe. There, Sakura confesses her feelings to Yukito. And then we can't forget about Clow Reed, who continues to test her. Later, we find out about Clow Reed, Kero, and Yue's past. If you want to find out about more stuff leading to the next book.

This is the best book in the cardcaptor collection.Sakura tells Yukito that she loves him but finds out that she does not love him in a #1 kind of way but as a father.Li helps her fell better .She desides to make a kinmoyo for him so that Li can go to a festivel with her and Tomoyo(my favoite character)you'll love this book if you're a card captor fan.

I will read them all! By the time I'm done, the sweetness of the series will probably have rotted my teeth out, but at least I will be a happy toothless person. In this book, Sakura finally deals with her feelings for Yukito, along with the usual battling of the Clow Cards. Sakura's talk with Li about her feelings for Yukito was, I think, the best reason to have this book. The Cardcaptor books always make me smile, even during a reread, which is as good a reason as any to get something, I think.

This book honestly made me feel like how could yu watase write this book so sad, but then I read the last volume (volume 14) and i said "Now I know why she wrote this book the way she did, and I wish that everyone could read the 14th book and be as happy as I am now". Yu Watase is the best artist and writer that I know.

I started on Fushigi Yugi originally through the anime, then resorted to the manga three years ago. This has become my longest series and this volume is one of the best I have read. The action has met its climax and the rival priestess has gained her soldiers before Miaka did, making everything more interesting. And the highlight in the manga in my opinion, Nakago's cold kiss with Tamahome. ^.^ Ok so it wasn't exactly what the events were leading to but one of my favorites.

Anyhow, I do like especially to this point how both Yui and Miaka have progressed and to this day, Nakago remains one of my favorite villains. If you are in to FY for the long haul, buy this one as well as the others to follow and complete your collection.

When i first read this book i could not belive what Aki did to Aya in the Libray of the school and Yuhi. The great thing is Toya starts to get his real memories back If you havent owned any of these books i really think that you should get them their really good. :)

This is a review of both a volume of Fushigi Yuugi and Ayashi no Ceres. Because Amazon.com links to both series, I will review both volumes.

This is volume twelve of Fushigi Yuugi. It is a wonderful volume. Miaka and Tamahome are a great couple. They have a wonderful love story. In this volume, Tamahome hugs Miaka and comforts her after the events from the last book. Miaka and Tamahome are girlfriend and boyfriend and each other's true love. When Miaka and Tamahome learn that now they can become intimate, they must face a decision. A war is coming, and Miaka knows what may be comign ahead. Miaka hugs Tamahome and says that he can make her his bride. Miaka and Tamahome kiss. As they kiss, they have a very romantic and sweet scene. When they are interrupted, they share a sweet moment. Tamahome hugs Miaka and tells her that they will continue this on their wedding night. They have a very sweet scene. When Miaka learns that she and Tamahome may have to separate, Tamahome hugs her and they appear in her world. Tamahome's love for Miaka let them be in her world together. Miaka and Tamahome hug that night. Yui finds out that they are in her world together. Miaka and Tamahome walk into town and Miaka shows her world to Tamahome. Miaka and Tamahome walk happily arm in arm through town and have lots of loving and romantic moments. When Tamahome and Miaka are on a date in a restaurant, Tamahome finds out the truth of how Miaka entered his world and must make a decision. This is a wonderful volume.


In Ceres, Tooya finds out that his memories were implanted into him. Aya returns to herself. It is revealed that Miori is not Tooya's old girlfriend. Tooya tells Aya he's sorry he can't remember their relationship, but he still loves her. He leaves to rediscover himself. Aya transfrers to a new school. Yuuhi is there too. Shiso threatens Aya, telling her he will kill Yuuhi if she doesn't leave him. Aya pretends to be cold to Yuuhi to protect him. Tooya realizes that even if he can't remember Aya he still loves her. Tooya returns to Aya and they reunite and kiss. Tooya asks Aya to elope with him. They move in together. Aya and Tooya have the place alone one night and kiss. They make love and share an intimate night. They go through the days happily. Later, Aya and Tooya go on a journey. Aya is hurt and Tooya awakens her. He greets her in bed and they kiss. They share many times together. Later, they visit an island and Tooya regains his memory and reveals to Aya that they knew each other before. Aya and Tooya go home and Aya kisses Tooya as he looks up their island.


Both stories are great. Miaka and Tamahome are a great couple. Soa re Aya and Tooya. Miaka and Tamahome are a wonderful couple. Both stories are great. I have read the entire series of both manga volumes and they are both wonderful.

Another uniquely Yuu Watase manga.

Ten was another one, like 5, where everything happens at once, but it is a better one to leave off on if you have too.

Poor Aya is alienated, the people in school think she is a slut because of Aki, and to keep Yuhi safe she has to be terribly mean to him. She is really alone with Shurro and Chidori gone. But it isn't all bad Toya realizes, again, it doesn't matter that he doesn't remember Aya a part of his heart does and that is enough. Aya saves Toya by destroying the hypnosis machine that took Toya's memories, so he remebers her. He comes to save her and Alec helps them both to make an escape.

Alec poor thing felt bad about what he did to Toya and couldn't do that to Aya. He is so cute isn't he.

This one at the end is like an action movie. The illustrations are just gorgeous. I am waiting for 11.

This is my all time favorite yaoi and remains my number one even as my manga library grows. Yugi Yamada's artwork is beautiful, her story-line amusing, sweet and dramatic all at once. This is most definitely a must read for any yaoi fan. Steamy scenes, lovable characters, and a plot that makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

this manga is pure brilliance.

consistently wonderful art, storytelling, characterization, sense of humor. the main character's sarcastic streak had me rolling. just read the first 2 pages, and you'll see what i mean!

sexy.

all of the smut was VERY sexy. just graphic enough, but not so much that you feel you're watching bad porno, and not so little that you feel gyped and are certain the characters feel that way too.

i yearn for a volume two. this manga is my #1 top favorite manga EVER. (followed closely by love recipe, and second by the 'little butterfly' series.)

buy it. love it. pet the cover. re-read it again and again.

If there is one thing I learned from this manga it is that beer inexplicably causes hot men to grope each other. (Of course, this is in opposition to what I learned in college, but no matter!)

In `Close the Last Door', the main character is Nagai, hopelessly in love with his old college friend Saitoh, who is getting married. He drowns himself in alcohol and is taken care of by Honda, who offers a special `comfort service' to the crying man. The path after this follows Nagai and Honda as they spend more `special' time together and brushes upon Saitoh who is beginning to rethink his thus far platonic feelings for his beloved Sempai Nagai.

I found several sections to be absolutely hilarious. Cute, innocent Saitoh dealing with the intrusion of Honda by behaving in an unexpected way and any scene with Nagai with his ex-girlfriend are pure gold for me.

I summation: though the story can be considered predictable, this is a light, fun, refreshing and entertaining read. As another reviewer mentioned: Get this!

I am surprised by how much I like this. Close the Last Door is definitely Yaoi as it focuses on relationships among white collar workers, from break-ups with girl friends, to denial of one's sexual orientation to finally embracing it. The centre plot is the triangle relationship among 3 twenty something guys, Nagai, Saitou and Honda. Nagai "thinks" he is in love with Saitou as a person (nothing to do with the fact that Saitou is a man), refuses to admit he is gay but is infact attracted to Honda. Sweet Saitou is abandoned by his bride on his wedding and seems to bear more than respect for Nagai whom he clings to. Honda is the interesting seme, outwardly cool but inwardly just as insecure, as he vied for Nagai's attention. Fast paced and often humorous the relationship and characters development is an engrossing read. And of course the sex from just initial gropping, while pretending to be drunk, to hot coupling is quite quite erotic. I hope Vol 2 is not too far away.

I have to admit to a history with this title. So many years ago, I struggled to translate the raws. Something about the artwork, the layouts, the smoldering looks, just caught me, and I *had* to know the story. Needless to say, with my pitiful, measly scraps of self-taught Japanese, I never knew much about the plot. So my soul was singing with ecstasy when I saw than June had published Vol. 1.

"Close the Last Door" starts out with Nagai Atsushi attending his junior's (Saitou Toshihisa) wedding. Not only has he been Saitou's extremely supportive senpai all these years, Nagai has been madly in love with him, as well. So he's understandably despondent over Saitou's marriage. Drowning his sorrows in alcohol, he ends up at the bar sitting by Honda Kenzou , a co-worker of the evil bride. With Nagai being too angry and hurting (and drunk) to be thinking clearly, and Honda-san lending a sympathetic ear, the whole story comes out. Nagai ends up passing out, and Honda-san helps him to a hotel room, even though he doesn't quite understand why he's helping this stranger out so much. Soon, some sexual sparks fly, but it seems to take both Nagai and Honda by surprise, and they back off pretty quickly.

The next day, Nagai finds out that Saitou's bride has left him, the very day after their wedding! (wow!) So Saitou's back to relying on Nagai and crying on his shoulder. Incredibly, it seems that Nagai may have a chance at Saitou, after all. Yet, why does he still have thoughts of Honda, even when he doesn't want to? This sets up the rest of the volume, a love triangle of sorts. Nagai still loves Saitou, so he can't understand his own feelings for Honda--and when it comes right down to it, can he really accept that he's--well, gay? And now, Saitou almost seems willing.... Throw in an ex-girlfriend, the runaway bride, and the story has a nice mix of gentle complexity.

On the surface, this story seems like a re-hash of so many boys' love stories, but underneath there is much more. I adore Yamada-Sensei's skillful drawing of faces, bodies, and especially her eyes. I can see the intense attraction between Nagai and Honda; I can see it in their eyes, their faces, they way they touch. Each time Honda and Nagai are even in the same room, I feel my heart beat faster. When they come together, their kisses make me swoon. The sexual chemistry between them is intense, and seems to build upon each encounter. I particularly like the touches of realism--no perfect first-time sex here! And sometimes things are awkward and comical. I love the careful attention to character development, making the mundane seem vital and new. They're not buff, macho stud-muffins, nor are they wispy, delicately beautiful youths. They seem like real men--real men filled with incredible sexual energy! There's also a fair bit of comedy throughout the story, which lightens the mood delightfully. At the end of the volume, I wanted to see these characters again, to get to know them better. Overall, it's sensitive, genuine, and hot, with a teaspoon of angst thrown in for seasoning.

Now, I have heard that the publishing company has not come forth with a date to publish volume 2. If they choose not to put out Vol. 2, that would be a crying shame, as we get to meet Honda-san's two older brothers--well, I think they are brothers, but I'm not too sure (poor Japanese, remember?). Anyway, that story looks just as fabulous as this one, being that Honda's big brothers are just as awesome and sexy as brother number 3. And we get to see Honda-san and Nagai from vol. 1 return (as far as I can recall). Please buy "Close the Last Door" and enjoy!

In a final note, I have to wonder about Amazon's decision to post reviews on boys' love manga from Publishers Weekly. It's obvious from their reviews that they neither appreciate nor approve of boys' love stories. While they are entitled to their opinion, I don't feel they need to intrude on the enjoyment of boys' love aficionados. We're not interested in their negative opinions, and they are certainly unhelpful in every sense of the word. Only someone who wanted to be convinced *not* to buy a boys' love manga would find them of any use. It's almost as if Amazon is trying to discourage the purchasing of these books.

This is one of the more artistic manga I've read, both stylistically, prose and storywise. This is not a 'beginning at the beginning and read through the end' story, there are jumps, gray areas, things left unexplained that the reader has to put together, etc. Overall, I like it, but someone who is used to a more straight forward style may find it pretentious, annoying, or just plain bad.

Clamp goes on on their most exquisite manga so far on this second instalment of Clover. As the first volume, art talks for itself, and having the music/poem blending nicely on the story makes things even deeper, as you start to learn more about Sue's past, her relationship with the singer Ora and why everyone seems to be after Sue. Compared to the first volume, there's much more happening, so readers who felt uneasy with the plot may feel safer reading this than the previous one.

This volume hints on the next one, which is related to Ran's past (so actualy vol. 3 is a prequel to the story). If you enjoyed the first volume, then this one will pay your money back.

This is one of clamp's most beautiful works, it is so sad and touching it really brings the story together. Suu and Kazuhiko finally make it to Fairy Park and the ending is so amazing you never guess what happens. But you really find out more about Suu and the song that she sings. Clamp is renound for their artwork and it is so beatiful, between the amazingly detailed work and the way that they aranged the manga is so amazing. Because they arranged it in a very simplistic way with a lot of blank space but when there is art it is so beautiful and flows so well. The charaters are so complex and, this is just so amazing. You really can't desribe it. I recomend all of Clamp's work, whether is is magical girl "Card Captor Sakura" or the wonderful story line of "Magic Knights Rayearth". Also I highly recomend "Wish" it is another of Clamp's works and not avalable in English.

A cyber-fantasy, Clover is all at once symbolic, touching and astonishing. Playing on a familar theme of people with special powers who were once experimented on by the government, Clover cleverly sidesteps cliches. As is common with other CLAMP works, CLAMP tries to throw an interesting art twist into their story, with Magic Knight Rayearth they played off of the style of RPG video games. Clover uses the style of a film, with an airy arrangemnet of panels and scart-yet-detailed art. There is lots of white and black space and panels seem to float on the page. The plot itself is haunting, with anghst, love, and sensuality. The lives of the characters and delicately interwoven and they break obsticals that are infact themselves. The relationships are interesting and bring the plot together with a crechendo. There is no shortage of twists to pull you along and it promises not to disapoint.

The second volume of Clover finishes off the main story. In fact, you'd be best of reading it just after finished volume one as it literally picks up where the first one left off.

This volume also has the real emotional wallop of the story. Volume One sets up the world the characters live in and the basic plot: former government agent Kazuhiko is assigned to take a young girl of unknown origin to an amusement park in a dark, future society. En route, of course, they run into opposition and a couple allies.

The real pay-off is when the two arrive at Fairy Park, and we learn why Kazuhiko was chosen, his connection to the girl, her desire to go to the deserter park in the first place, and her connection both to a song constantly playing in the background, and the singer, Kazuhiko's dead love Ora. There's some action, some destruction, some death, but the focus is clearly in this volume on the girl Gingestsu, who hasn't really seen too many other people, and the reasons why. The themes are similar to the desires of David the robot in Spielberg's movie A.I., though for different purposes and less "happy" ending, leaving the characters feeling haunted by the young girl, what she could do, and why she did what she did.

This book is an excellent reference for pop-culture (and comic book) fans. It does a great job of covering the comic book industry and world since the 50s. It's really complete and entertaining, and very intelligent

This is a lively and insightful history of the men who created the Silver Age Super Hero comics at Marvel and DC. It also features some material on the more important post-Silver Age creators such as Frank Miller, Alan Moore and Scott McCloud. The narrative contains history, inside information and analysis of the work. It flows well and reveals a lot of the history of both the industry and the characters. The comic book heroes of the title are the creators. While it does not offer a comprehensive history of comic books, or even super heroes comics as the Golden Age is not covered, for what it is, it is the best book available and strong enough that one need not wish for more.

Gerard Jones and Will Jacobs have written a wonderful history of comic book heroes from the silver age (late 50's) to the present (mid-90's). It is an important book in providing the background details of the industry and also in its portraits of the creators of the various comic books. For one such as myself, who grew up in the middle part of this period, it combines a delightful mix of nostalgia with a healthy mix of cynicism for the business side of this industry. I was surprised that the twists and turns within the industry could often match for interest the myriad of confusing sub-plots that were being developed within the pages of the comics themselves. I was also pleased at the examination the authors provided of the fictional heroes themselves, even including the authors, at times, strong opinions. The book felt like a dialogue late at night with another expert fan of comics with often heated disagreements but always with a lot of fun and much insight. A highly recommended read.

In a perfect world, this book would be less necessary than it is. Because "The Comic Book Heroes" is one of very few serious works of comics history - and certainly one of the most detailed I've seen - it's forced to bear a weight that Jones and Jacob's writing isn't completely up to. Not that it's bad, by any means, and it's clearly a labor of love for its authors, but it's weirdly partisan, especially as it begins to cover more recent comics, and Jones's experiences as a comics writer, and his opinions of his peers, come into the foreground. If this were a "my life in comics" sort of work, then that'd be okay, but given that the book's presented as an objective history, the opinionated (and occasionally bitchy) tone feels odd and out of place. Still, for all its problems, it's a serious study of a subject that is sadly underrecognized, and, as such, essential reading for any student or reader of comics.

Along with Jim Steranko's work on golden age comics, this is the best comics history there is! Instead of the nostalgic and illustrative emphasis of Steranko's books, Jones and Jacobs bring a rigorous critical approach to comics from 1956 to the present, not shirking from questioning the reputations of some accepted "classics" while finding value in some works previously derided or ignored. Their history encompasses the business itself, the personalities involved, and the growth of comics fandom, as well as the content of the comics themselves. The text is always entertaining, sometimes hilarious, and always stimulating and informative. There are few really essential critical works on comics, this is definitely one of them, and as fun a read as the comics it discusses.

It's getting harder and harder to come up with new things to say that will convey how much I enjoy reading these old Peanuts strips. This comes from a period where I am less familiar with the strips themselves, so there are some surprises for me.

In this volume we find the strips that will be the inspiration for the animated special, Snoopy Come Home, in which we find out Snoopy has an owner before Charlie Brown who is ill and in the hospital. This is the era where Franklin makes his first appearance, giving Charlie Brown one of his rare emotional boosts. There is also plenty of Snoopy as the WWI flying ace and numerous baseball games.

All in all, as always, this volume is a great collection of wonderful Peanuts comic strips. Charles Schulz rarely disappoints.

(Prospective buyers of this volume should be aware that the first edition has an error: the May 1, 1967 strip is printed twice, leaving the May 3, 1967 strip missing. Later editions of this volume are supposed to correct the error and the missing strip will also be printed in the 1969-1970 volume.)

Tongues are stilled to silence. Commentary fails. By 1968, the neurotic and often surreal Peanuts comic strip ruled newspapers' daily fibers. Another decade would roll by before any real competition emerged. Though Ruminations on the 1960s rarely include "Charlie Brown and Snoopy," their utter ubiquitousness in papers, magazines, toy stores, television and, after 1969, film makes that lacuna seem almost irresponsible. The stunted ageless self-conscious Freudian windbags were simply everywhere. Only very recently, following Charles Schulz's passing, the closing of the Mall of America's "Camp Snoopy" and the glacial disappearance of Peanuts reruns, does its grip on popular culture seem at an ebb. Nonetheless, historians of popular culture will doubtless continue to acclaim Peanuts as the pinnacle of the comic medium. Especially as the classic comic strip format fades into history, with the inevitable dissolution of newspapers into web bits, Peanuts represents something that will not likely occur again. Thankfully, Fantagraphic's magnum opus, "The Complete Peanuts," lets readers revisit the strip's colossal 50 year run. Fanatics unite!

This ninth volume includes every strip, including Sundays (though not in color), from 1967 to 1968. By this point the development of the strip's main characters plateaued. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Sally, Peppermint Patty, and the "birds" that would become Woodstock (next volume - try to hold it!) appear in familiar form (though some characters began to appear with less frequency, such as Violet, Frieda, and "Pig-Pen" - Violet's appearance on the cover remains a little enigmatic since she appears only 15 times in minor roles; "Pig-Pen" only appears 3 times). Snoopy's "WWI Flying Ace" transformation (in the previous volume) arguably represents the strip's peak. This level of quality was maintained until the 1980s. Schulz became a multimillionaire in charge of a global empire. Peanuts gradually seeped into every possible crack, including junk food and insurance. Snoopy became as recognizable as Mickey Mouse. This cultural domination did not ruin the comic's self-consciousness or self-deprecating undertone. As profits and honors soared, it kept reflecting on the lives of losers, misfits, and the depressed.

As with all volumes, this one contains many highlights, including: Lucy sort of meets her arm wrestling match in "The Masked Marvel" ("Succumb you dark-haired fiend!" 2/14/67); Snoopy attempts to compete in the Grenoble Olympics, only to be deterred by an ocean (12/21 - 12/22/67); Snoopy trips over a blighter (5/11/67); Linus pats birds on the head, which many find socially unacceptable; the birds rebel (5/22 - 6/3/67); "Bird Hippies" appear (7/12/67, 7/13/67, and 11/1/67); the baseball team loses again ("Winning isn't everything, Charlie Brown..." "That's true, but losing isn't anything") and Charlie Brown trades Snoopy to Peppermint Patty's team. Guilt ensues (11/8 - 11/20/67); a rare and bizarre front view of Snoopy (1/13/68); "Even stupid questions have answers!" (2/21/68); The "Easter Bunny" (later "Easter Beagle") appears (4/14/68); Snoopy tries to find Petaluma with a globe (4/30 - 5/1/68); a proverbial "sad" strip: "But who cheers up the World War I flying ace?" (5/16/68); Bird chomps on worm, Snoopy gets sick (5/20/68); Lucy serves "Goop" (5/27, 5/28 and 6/1/68); a proto-Marcie, named either "Clara," "Sophie," or "Shirley," appears at Peppermint Patty's camp (6/18/68); Birds carry election signs (7/1 - 7/6/68); Franklin appears, for the first time, on the beach (7/31/68); Charlie Brown finds out the truth about Lila, and Lila appears - a rather bizarre sequence (8/20 - 8/31/68). Here's yet another great collection in a series planned to continue until 2016. That's exhausting even to think about. But please keep them coming!

The Complete Peanuts 1967 to 1968 continues Fantagraphics Books' marvelous definitive compilation of Charles Shulz's iconic newspaper strip, including both daily and Sunday strips (all strips are reproduced in black and white). Featuring an introduction by John Waters - which draws the reader's attention to Shulz's uniquely expressive art style when drawing facial expressions such as a "total-warfare frown", and his starkly accurate portrayal of the crushing humiliation of defeat. In the 1967 to 1968 comics, Peppermint Patty tries to trade Charlie Brown five baseball players for Snoopy the shortstop; Charlie Brown makes a new friend in Franklin (who is initially scared off from the local neighborhood when Linus tells him about the "Great Pumpkin"); and Snoopy (a.k.a. the "Masked Marvel") and Lucy get into a championship arm-wrestling match! Like all previous volumes in the series, The Complete Peanuts 1967 to 1968 is highly recommended for comic lovers of all ages and backgrounds, and simply cannot be praised enough.

As America careened into the ghastly late 1960s with its pop culture literally fracturing in pieces, "Peanuts" stood virtually alone as the one creation with quite literally something for everyone. As revealed in this latest collection (and many earlier ones - virtually all of the strips in this volume have been reprinted at some time or other), the psychological discourses and keen personality conflicts that had boosted the strip to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s were still very much a part of the mix, but they now existed cheek-by-jowl with Snoopy's burgeoning fantasy life, the initial introduction of ethnic diversity into the "Peanuts" "universe," and Schulz' first tentative stab at fashioning an entire continuity around Peppermint Patty, his one true breakout character of the decade. While some fans may have chided Schulz for not taking sides in the cultural conflicts rocking the nation, hindsight reveals that he had the right idea all along. The "Peanuts" strips of this era are still eminently fresh and readable in a way that a dog-eared copy of "Crawdaddy" or "Ramparts" is emphatically not.

Fantagraphics' back-cover blurb claims that Snoopy's identity as the "World War I Flying Ace" had "almost entirely taken over" his personality during this time. To the contrary: this era saw ol' Snoop go in so many different directions, both frivolous and un-, that it's a true challenge to list them all. On the serious side, we get the saga of Lila, Snoopy's previous owner, whose letters torment Snoopy (and, by extension, the baffled Charlie Brown) in a couple of powerful continuities. In the sequence that inspired the plot for the movie "Snoopy Come Home" (1972), Snoopy rushes to Lila's aid after his ex-owner goes to the hospital. Granted, Snoopy doesn't temporarily decide to return to Lila for good here, as he did in the movie, but it's easy to see why Schulz latched onto this relatively short sequence as ideal screenplay fodder. Snoopy also seeks psychological help from Lucy after hearing strange noises in the night (and needless to say, Lucy doesn't take kindly to being paid in dog food). After concentrating on "Red Baron"-battling shtick early in the volume, the beagle later kicks into high gear with visits to The Masters, the wrist-wrestling championship in Petaluma, and (at least until an ocean unexpectedly gets in the way) the Olympic skating finals in Grenoble, France. He also finds time to run for political office (don't ask me which one), wield an "iron paw" as the demanding new manager of Charlie Brown's baseball team, track Lucy as a secret agent, and pose as a "Cheshire Beagle." Snoopy hadn't gotten to the point of taking over the strip just yet, but one can sense Schulz beginning to lean ever so slightly in that direction.

The introduction of the black character Franklin in early 1968 is often cited as Schulz' acknowledgment of the changing racial climate of America and his need to get with the multicultural program. Schulz did get some flak from bigots who complained about Charlie Brown inviting Franklin home after the pair met at the beach. In retrospect, the flap hardly seems worth the trouble, as Franklin never developed a truly distinctive personality (nor even a "hook," as did the equally bland Schroeder with his Beethoven-mania). Earlier, Schulz essayed a lighter touch in diversifying the cast when Peppermint Patty, making one of her then-regularly-scheduled Summer pilgrimages to the main cast's neighborhood, brought along the pint-sized Mexican/Swedish slugger Jose Peterson. One can almost hear Schulz chuckling to himself, "Let's see how they try to categorize THIS guy!" Alas, Jose never officially appeared again, nor did he speak so much as a word of dialogue.

Peppermint Patty herself is still a fairly minor character at this point, with Schulz still working out some details - PP isn't even calling Charlie Brown "Chuck" consistently yet - but the June 1968 continuity in which she goes to summer camp represents a watershed of sorts. Rather than meeting Charlie Brown, Linus, or any other familiar figure at camp, she shoulders the burden of leading lady all by herself, taking charge of a trio of younger girls, one of whom (Clara) is the proto-Marcie. (For the record, Clara isn't the first one to call PP "Sir"; that honor goes to the freckled, pigtailed Sophie, who complains of homesickness - that is, until she meets Snoopy, who's at the boys' camp across the lake.) From this point on, Schulz permitted PP more and more "screen time" until she became a full-fledged regular. (Just before the camp sequence, PP got star billing in a Father's Day Sunday strip, indicating that she was very much on Schulz' mind at the time.)

John Waters' introduction to the volume is serviceable, but come on, Fantagraphics, isn't it about time to balance the political scales just a bit? Where are the famous right-wing fans of "Peanuts" to give us THEIR views on the strip? Given that Schulz was performing a delicate balancing act at this time, pleasing a mass audience at a time when that was proving harder and harder to do, getting views from all sides would only seem fitting.

In this volume of the collected Peanuts strips Charles M. Schulz's world has reached its peak and, just possibly, started to descend. We still enjoy Charlie Brown's neuroses, Lucy's arrogance, Linus' philosophies, and the other inimitable idiosyncracies of the main characters. We laugh at Snoopy's Red Baron, vulture, and other fantasies, but here and there we start to notice a few things that are missing. Shermy, Patty, Violet, and Pigpen rarely show up anymore and when they do, its just as a walk on part to say a few words here and there. Snoopy's imagination is as fascinating as ever, but its beginning to dominate more and more of the strips, to the detriment of some of the other characters. Its a sad foretaste of the later 1970s, when Snoopy and Woodstock (who makes his first appearances, unnamed, in this volume) basically took over the strip!

I don't mean to denigrate this volume, which is full of classic Peanuts humor featuring the characters at their best, like Charlie Brown's encounters with kite-eating trees, Linus' love for the Great Pumpkin, and Lucy's psychiatry booth therapy sessions. I enjoyed the many topical references to life in the 1960s, some of which may puzzle younger readers. How many people know who Twiggy is nowadays? This volume and the two or three preceding it, will probably be regarded as the Peanuts at its best.

Wow... Those books are hillarious. I found that they show the show on adult swim at 12:30 pm. The language is a little too much for younger viewers but the humor could cover all ages. I recommend the book for kids cause less language and more humor. Great book!

Shinchan was supposedly known as a 'kids' show in China. Well, every kid knew it.. Even I! (I was a kid at those times =s). Now I'm out of china very depressed about how noone dared transalate shinchan (Shao Xin is his chinese name). People thought it was banned due to kids picking it up and saying, "WHat The Heck!?". But finally I saw an ad with Shinchan in it. At first I thought it was 'too risque' but then my mom ordered all the books and I was instantly hooked. True, I was a fan in china, I had 1 japanese shinchan video, and suprisingly found one DVD shinchan set in a chinatown which I got also.(The set contains episodes almost same to some in the manga!) I long await the day someone will put the anime in english or at least list shinchan in a manga convention.
Shinchan is an important lesson showing all artists that you don't have to make your comic look all fancy to be addicting and crazy.
True, shinchan is pretty risque, but the outcome is totally crazy.

(Shinchan's chinese name means 'Little New'!) =)

One day, I was at Borders looking around at the anime (which ive scarcely done since the 5th grade), when I discovered Shinchan...By the next day, I had gotten all 5 volumes! This is seriously the FUNNIEST book I have ever read! Ive read it over a ZILLION times now! Shinchan NEVER fails to raise my spirits! My only complaint is how poorly made the book(s) itself is...Already 5 pages have fallen out! Otherwise, I am VERY pleased with the whole thing! Its the only anime I ever read now! As for him being the Bart Simpson of Japan?!?! Well...I wouldint exactly say that...hes done ALOT more worse things than any Simpson ever has! Also, the author really seems to understand about how kindergardeners think and behave...Shinchan seems so real! As for the artwork...I wouldint say it's BAD (you should see the CARTOON!), but really basic...Overall, I denfinetly reccomend this!

This book was hilarious. Follow the life of 5 year old kindergartener Shinchan Nohara as he causes all sorts of trouble for his parents.
If you didn't already know this is a Japanese comic (manga). Although it's not drawn very well, the humor makes up for it.
For a 5 year old Shinchan is smart at times but dumbfound at others. He already knows pickup lines, uses children books to hide porn at the bookstore and outsmarts his mother. Other times he goes home to ask his mother their phone number so that he can tell the grocery lady so she can call his mother and ask how much ground beef she needs.
Although the book suggests it should be okay for 13 year olds and up, I still thought it had some adult themes to it (from an American point of view anyways. They see things differently in Japan). My only complaint is that the book is read from left to right. The original Japanese version would be the opposite, since that's how they read.
Definitely worth picking up.

The back cover says I quote: "...celebrates the terrible power of destruction and indicency wielded by toddlers everywhere". And it's true and so much FUN!
Each volume of this English translated manga by Comics One contains two stories in color and the rest are in black and white, or with "tones" used in Japan. You get to see what is the life of 5 year old Shinnosuke Nohara,Shinchan being the diminutive of his name in Japanese; he is rude, loud, makes the most innapropiate comments at the worst time, and isn't afraid of exposing his nude body and private parts for all to see. Shinchan is a free spirit in every sense of the word. The stories are very honest, very funny and sincere; and some even typical for the behavior of a 5 year old boy.
The author has included many elements of the typical middle class Japanese family and Japanese culture in his stories, but the translator has cleverly changed some details to appeal American audiences. In the first volumes all names are Japanese then are changed to American names in later issues.
Though Shinchan and his aprents remain eternally young (like the Simpsons) the stories do follow an order and sequence of events in the boy's life, but he is five years old forever, unlike the stories on other anime and manga where there is a beginning, middle and end and the charatcers grow, mature and die or move on, NOT here!
Both the manga and the anime series it inspired are very popular in Japan, and as I recently discovered also in Spain and Argentina. I highly recommend these comics to all who have had to deal with small children or would like to read something funny, cute and semi-obnoxious from Japan.
Shinchan is a real character you'll love him! I know I do!
Personally I cannot wait till the release of the anime in the US.

Brian Michael Bendis' run on Daredevil (Vol 2. Issues 26-81) is by far one of the greatest runs ever produced. In this hardcover are his first two story arcs Underboss and Out, Out being the best of the entire run. Well worth buying used considering it is out of print.

This edition collects Dardevil 26-37, and showcases the beginning run on the series by Brian Michael Bendis (my favorite Comic Book writer) and new series artist Alex Maleev. The storyline is very good (as is just about anything Mr. Bendis writes), and continues the Kingpin's run of rotten luck - something usually reserved for the title character. There is not much "superheroing" in this book, but instead the shift is more to a crime noir type of story - something that is well suited to the character and something Bendis enjoys and excels at writing. Daredevil's secret identity is "outed" and this causes him all sorts of problems. When you get to the end, you are definitely left wanting more. So, if you get this book, you will definitely want to also get Vol. 3 to complete the storyline (at least, complete most of the plot lines).

The artwork in this collection is not my favorite, but it has a distinct look to it that is different from just about anything alse you'll see. The artwork is not nearly as clean and clear as much of what you may see in other books, but it does "fit" the tone of the book, and Bendis seems to love Mr. Maleev's work, so chances are that he'll be on this series as long as Bendis is. Overall, I liked this Vol. equally as well as Vol. 1., but people looking for a traditional "battle of the spandex-clad heroes and villains" will probably not like it as much as I. However, if you're looking for a more realistic, "talking heads" type of storyline, you'll definitely enjoy this book.

This installment of the Daredevil comic series by Brian Bendic and Alex Maleev is another great story in a long line of Daredevil sagas. This story involves the Daredevil's indenity being exposed for al to see. The press hounds Matt for the truth and they report the 'Kingpin is Dead.'

The Kingpin's appearant demise (and apearant is the operative word) was maters-minded by an up-and-coming punk named Mr. Silke. He is a visitor to Hell's Kitchen from Chicago and the opening scene, taken from Shakespear's 'Julius Ceaser' is interesting.

I don't want to review the story as to give anything a way. The Kingpin subplot is actually more inteersting than the Daredevil/Matt Murdock exposed story. But the Kingpin story works because of the Matt Murdock exposed story. It is a nice compliment.

As is a tradition in the Marvel Universe, there are cameo appearances from other Marvel Universe characters; Spiderman, Electra, and the Black Widow all appear, but they hinder this story and bog it down. The appearance of the Kingpin's wife Vanessa, however, gives this story an interesting subplot and lift. She is a character rarely used and Bendis does use her hear brilliantly.

The artwork is of a film noir style and works very well. The story does slow down in some areas and the cameos didn't help; but, overall - this is another great Daredevil adventure.

Daredevil, in my view, is the greatest and most enticing character in all comicdom. Before all of you go out shouting "Jesse Custer" or "Spider-Man" or "Batman" or "Wolverine," let me explain why. He's real and he's the most relatable in the sense of human conflict with others and himself. What sets him above everyone else is that he and Matthew Murdock are essentially the same character. Look at Peter Parker and look at Spider-Man -- there are big differences between them. One's shy, one's flamboyant. One battles bills, the other battles symbiotic aliens. One's more of a nerd, the other's cooler.

But with Murdock and Daredevil? They're one and the same. They're cocky. Arrogant. A bit of a jerk.

Now how does he relate to us simple people, while he's blindly (heh) jumping off rooftops and facing off against murderers? Easy. He's had mental breakdowns. He's lost loved ones after loved ones after loved ones. You can take everything away from him, and you can still not destroy him completely. He fears God, he reveres his father, and he does lose faith in everything, including the creator of all that is good.

He may be rich. He may be a famous lawyer. He may be blind and he may battle crime vigilante-style regardless of the loss of sight. But all he's looking for is meaning in life, and for love. And, in looking for this, he's been hurt way too many times, way more than he should have been. And how have you been in your life?

Has it been painless?

There have never been any tests of strength?

Have you never been alone?

Have you never doubted everything?

His life, no matter how fantastic, has always been one tragedy after another. That's the case for more people than it isn't.

We're all mentally exhausted, and so is Matt Murdock. Within this collection is one of the greatest showings of his strength and his will, perhaps his best. Out of all the Daredevil sagas, this is my favorite. Buy it and believe.

Ever since the Kevin smith relaunch, Daredevil has been amazing. This Volume contains the both the "Underboss" and the "Out" story lines, issues 26-37. Bendis is amazing at crime stories and he took Daredevil and gave the comic a movie feel more satisfying than the one out in theaters now. His story telling of the gritty crime underground, combined with Maleev's unique style, give the book a sense of feel and texture unique in comics.

The first storyline involves the mystery behind the disappearance of the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, who controls all crime in New York. A man named Silke, the son of Kingpin's former partner, is given a second chance and relocates to New York. He gathers a group of Kingpin lieutenants and attempts to overthrow the Kingpin. This begins a series of events that include it being open season on Matt Murdock and a Fisk family reunion.

The second story, named Out, begins with the headline of the Daily Globe (the NY Post in the Marvel world) on April 17, 2002 declaring that Matt Murdock is Daredevil. A media circs begins as old enemies show up to get revenge on Daredevil and Foggy (Matt's legal partnr and best friend), in a well written speech, implores Matt to retire.

The Bendis/Maleev collaboration is one of the best in comics. They will soon be mentioned in the same breath as other great tandems like Busiek /Anderson/Ross or Ennis/Dillon.