Comics Books

In the Empire's Service is one of those parts in the Rogue Squadron series that has healthy doses of action, camaraderie, suspense and a "feel" to it.

The stand alone stories have ended. It's time for Ms Isard to claim the Imperial throne, time for Rogue Squadron to show their flying skills, time for the performance to really kick in. Unlike other issues, this one has a genuine feel to it, where power and politics have some major characters decide the day.

The art is similar to Battleground:Tatooine, which I didn't think much of in that issue's review. Here, where you don't have Tatooine and Ryloth deserts to inhibit your artistry, the lush vista of Brentaal saves the day. Character faces just aren't rendered in enough detail, and at times the features in the frames just look a bit small in size.

That notwithstanding, Fel makes up in dialogue what his rendered art misses. A brilliant but loyal pilot straddled with a fool for a superior that's too-often semi-attired and looks quite like a roman emperor, you feel for him. The Rogue pilots don't miss out on their lines too, and a range of emotions are showed which help to convey the seriousness and delicacy of the mission.

Action is hot and intense, and even though Imperial politics is what allows the Alliance to take more and more of Brentaal, you can bet Fel's going to make them fight for it. This is war, and it reflects well in how the captions were chosen. A level in the N64 Rogue Squadron game was based on the last mission here, so it's fun to view it differently. The Telsij lady you briefly meet---and gasp at---from her sight in Mandatory Retirement is explained here.

Dendo is back, armed with his flashy cape and quick-finger trigger. New Rogues are featured to make up for attrition, and you'll like Koyi Komad's interaction with them. Her character, short as her appearances are, just shines out from the page.

Overall, the sketchy feel of the art had me rating this a star less, but In the Empire's Service is just too good to give any less. It has it all, what you could want, and certainly worthy lightening your purse a few Imperial credits less indeed.

This is another good and exciting comics. Finally i get to meet the legendary pilot of the Empire as well as the Star Wars universe - Baron Soontir Fel. He remained a mystery until now, and kept the comic alive and exciting in leading the remarkable 181st squadron.

Stackpole takes over writing the series and immediately kicks it into high gear by throwing the Rogues right into the midst of the war. The Republic is beginning its campaign for Coruscant and starts by heading for the Core Worlds. In this case, the first step is Brentaal, the rich and influential Core world.

This arc is unique in that it gives both the Rebels and Imperials almost equal time. The faces of the Empire are many, and this arc shows a depth to it not acheived in anything else thus far. The scheming by Ysanne Isard is great, while you also see the varying faces of the Empire on Brentaal itself. Admiral Lon Isoto and Baron Soontir Fel are both Imperials, yet completely opposite characters. Isoto is an incompetant, vain, corrupt, lazy, and perhaps even slightly insane man, while Fel is a very smart, strong, moral, yet somewhat flawed figure. He is the greatest pilot in the Empire, and serves that Empire not because of who leads it, but because of simple loyalty to its people. As time goes on, it becomes more and more apparent to him that perhaps his view on things was flawed, and perhaps he need to rectify it. Along with Grand Admiral Thrawn, he is perhaps the best Imperial character to come out of the comics and novels.

The Rebels are interesting as well, and the Rogues are for the only time in the series at full strength. Balancing the stories of 12 pilots is not easy, but as events transpire some paths are split and some interconnect. Some, like Wedge, Tycho, Janson, Ibtisam, and Nrin, get more time, wheras ones like Dar Keyis and Standro are forced into the backdrop. But that's alright, for reason I won't get into lest I spoil things.

The art by Nadeau perfectly fits the whole 'war movie'-type feel of 'In the Empire's Service.' His technology and cityscapes are, as always, superb, and although his faces may be a little choppy at times, each person has his or her own face, which is very important with such a large cast. And David Nestelle's coloring prowess is once again demonstrated. Never slips, always consistent, always fitting the scene perfectly.

And who can forget the cliff-hanger last line of the series?

Bravo to the creators of 'In the Empire's Service'. They've produced one of the most insightful, well-written examples of 'Star Wars' ever published, and the series' lack of sales is truly shameful. Highly, highly reccomended work.

In The Empire's Service is the sixth Rogue Squadron comic series, and it happens to be one of the, if not the, best. Taking place not long after the comic "Mara Jade: By The Emperor's Hand," this is the first title in the "Rise of Isard" story arc which will link all of the remaining comics in this series, and lead into the novel series. And it is just a great and classic story. No more of those stories where the Empire is thrown in only as a convoluted plot twist, where various rogues and scoundrels uncover secret caches of Imperial ships and weaponry. This is a straight up Alliance vs. Empire story. It's full of good art, good dialogue, a plethora of dogfights, and lots of humor.

In this story, Sate Pestage has basically assumed Palpatine's role at the head of the Empire, and is struggling to hold it while an alliance of various other high ranking Imperials (the "Cabal") is also seeking to gain control of the Empire. Enter Ysanne "Iceheart" Isard, who, while presumably advising both sides as to the best way to defeat the Rebels is actually expertly playing them off against each other. Taking her advice, Pestage vows to hold a wealthy Imperial world, which the rebels promptly start planning to liberate. Thus begins the power struggle between Pestage, the Cabal, and the Rebel Alliance on Brentaal.

As I've said, this comic has an awesome number of dogfights, and it introduces several new Rogues to make up for attrition in the last comic. In addition, it introduces Salm and his wing of Y-wings, as well as Imperial fighter legend Baron Fel and his feared 181st Fighter Group, which is basically the Imperial equivalent of Rogue Squadron. Also, Kapp Dendo and his SpecOps squad show up again. The art is nice and easy to follow, and the pilot chatter is good as always. Unfortunately, Baron Fel is somewhat stiff, starting as just a perfect superpilot, but he does evolve into a more human character by the end of the series. Also, why is Plourr still with the Rogues? Wasn't her return at the end of the previous comic just a very temporary reprieve from her duties on Eiattu?

Just as a note of interest, you'll notice that the main battle in this comic was adapted as one of the levels in the Rogue Squadron 3D game for PC and N64.

Overall, this is an excellent comic, one of the best Rogue Squadron stories out there. Definitely and highly recommended.

This is one of the greatest SW comics I have ever read.The Art and writing just meld in a perfect mixture. Stackpole's script is awsome, with its comedy, drama, and pain. The essentials of Star Wars are all here. The continuity between this and the X-Wing books is also nice, as this was the first four issue story arc in the 'Rise of Isard' arc of books, comprising a total of 12 issues. The plot is excellent, introducing what has become one of the most popular EU characters, Baron Soontir Fel. Nadau's pencils are great, with facial expressions and explosions all rendered realistically. Nestelle's colors are, as usual, are stunning. This is one book that belongs in all comic lovers and Star Wars maniacs Library's. 5/5.

Naraku has tricked the demon killer Sango into thinking that Inuyasha slaughtered her whole village and has even given her a Shikon shard to keep her battered and dying body alive long enough to satiate her revenge! Inuyasha and pals ARE at the demon hunter village, but not for the reason Naraku lied about. They have come seeking out the origin of the Sacred Jewel. They will find out the true story of its creation IF they can convince Sango that they're the good guys and girl of this story, and that Naraku is her family's and village's true killer!

What can I say about Inuyasha that I haven't said already? Tons! I came to the manga after watching all the anime episodes of Inuyasha up to its current releases, so going back to the beginning of the story is like rereading old history, but it's cool. It still galls me the extent to which Naraku has ruined so many people's lives, and really in the end, he's doing this all out of love for Kikyo! Spurned or impossible love makes for dangerous motivations. I think that's a stroke of Takahashi's genius, that one of the most evil villains in manga operates out of love. Another thing I think about after reading Volume 10 are the great characters. Takahashi has made them all likeable and complex with their own motivations and goals. If just one of these main characters was annoying or difficult to like, it would've ruined the whole series. With Sango, we've finally completed the assemblage of heroes that has killing Naraku as their main goal. Let the hunt begin!

I love Inu-Yasha and this manga is great as the rest are. I especailly like this one because it starts with the second half of when Sango, my favorite character, comes in.

This book is great I like the part were sango throughs her boomer rang[the boomer rang bone] at Inuyasha. The main story is sango thinks Inuyasha slayed her village so she goes after him.
with non stop action and plenty of humor this book is amust get for any Inuyasha fan.

...she also has a major grudge. Naraku has tricked her into believing that it was Inu Yasha that murdered her village, and she is out for revenge. Using her incredibly big boomerang (it's taller than she is!), she attempts to slay the innocent dog demon. But when wounded, she is cared for by her prey. Of course, when she finds out Naraku's plans, she is none too happy. After telling the group a story, she joins up with them.

Things will definitely get more interesting from here on out...

KONICHI WA ANIME FANS! And those of you who aren't, Konichi Wa anyways! I LOVE this book (I love almost any anime...but that's besides the point). This book is probably the 2nd best in the Inu Yasha books that have come out. It's great because Lord Inu Yasha and the gang are joined by Sango. Miroku's thrilled about that, as well...BUT let's not get into that, hm? ANYways, Kagome rocks (as always) and Sango is soooo cute! There's a lot of action in this one (not half as much as some of them...but oh well). I suggest you read this because it's a mix of adventure, comedy, and a lil romance (none for Miroku, unfortunately for him, but let's not get into that...ANYways...) So, it starts off where they left off. Sango going to get her revenge on Inu Yasha. Afterwards, They meet up w/ the Water God, who's a big meanie in my opinion. SAYONARA! P.S. Read other books by Rumiko Takahashi!

after reading each of the inu yasha books, like ten times each, i can truly say that this is my favorite. in this book inu yasha comes face to face with kikyo again, and kagome finds out how inu yasha truly feels about the two of them!! this book is filled with close calls, violence, creepy villains, comedy, and of course--romance! what else could you expect from rumiko takahashi-the queen of romantic comedy?! sure, fifteen bucks is a lot to dish out for a 200 page comic book, but it is TOTALLY worth it for inu yasha, and it always WILL be!! BUY THIS BOOK!

To me Inu-yasha is the best cartoon and comic book series. In this book Kikyo comes back to take care of some unfinished business to do... wonder what happens... sorry don't want to spoil it for others, just read it you'll love it.And for the people who love this book watch the cartoon series on DVD ...

Wow! Thus was a great book. It was easy to read and has a great plot. The drawings are exquisitetly done. The emotion in the story realates well to real life.

The Inu-Yasha series is one of the best mangas yet! It tells the story of a girl named Kagome who suddenly gets transported to anciant japan, were she meets a half demon named Inu-Yasha. They go on a long journey to "get back" the shards of the Shikon Jewel that gives demons ultimate power, and on the way they meat new people and fight many battles.
In this volume, the team are faced against Naraku, the enemy of Inu-Yasha. He tells of how he turned Inu-Yasha and Kikyo against eachother back on that faitful day, when the jewel was stolen. While that is happening, Kikyo is gathering souls to keep her body living. Then, Kagome meets Kikyo one night, were she is imprisoned by her. But it gets worse when Inu-Yasha meets Kikyo face to face. There, Kikyo enchants Inu-Yasha in her spell. There is no one able to help him, not even Kagome. Will Inu-Yasha get away from Kikyo's deadly grasps??!

This book is soooooooo cool! I don't exactly own it (i'm borrowiong it from my best friend), I think I can give a pretty basic idea of whats happenig(based off the TV shows). Well, after Inuyasha pushes Kagome through the well that seperates her world from Inuyasha's, she goes back(of course, cuz they can't continue the series without Kagome)! Then they find naraku and they find out all about him and how he came to be and all that. Then they find out that Kikyo is still alive(god forbid) and Inuyasha goes and kisses her in front of Kagome and Kagome gets mad and Inuyasha gets mad and they all get mad and then Inuyasha says he really did have feeling for her, but she's asleep! ASLEEP!!!!!! There are nice sound FX, though, to make up for the [disappointing] ending (so it's only [disappointing] in my eyes...)!

Kikyo must really hate Inuyasha because she gave most of the Shikon Jewel fragments to Narauku, which increased his power to such an extent that he can actually create new demons from his own body. One of his incarnations, Kanna, an eerie white haired young girl has captured Kagome and Sango's souls in her magic mirror, along with some villagers. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Miroku battle against Kagura, another part of Naraku, that can control winds. On top of all this, a THIRD incarnation of Naraku shows up to kill our heroes!

So far from reading this manga and watching the anime, I haven't really seen any logical rationale for Kikyo's granting Naraku the Shikon shards. I mean, it doesn't make any sense. Is Kikyo thinking that the more evil the shards become, the greater the ritual will be if she or Kagome ever get around to purifying it? Or does she want to kill Naraku at the moment of his triumph if he gains all the shards? Or is she just playing with him, allowing him to be overconfident in his powers? No matter how you slice it, I don't get it. Hopefully, it's not just a contrivance to extend the series. The relationship between Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Kagome is a pretty complex one which gives some much needed gravitas to all the battles going on this volume. I think it was also a cool move by Takahashi to give some of the parts of Naraku individual will, which sometimes can lead to outright rebellion, especially with Kagura. She wants her freedom, even though she is a part of Naraku. Inuyasha is an excellent manga, but after 16 volumes of great stories, saying this has become a bit repetitive.

Finally the 16th vol. of Inuyasha! In this thrilling novel, one of Inuyashas secrets is revealed and the secret will not only shock you but keep you guessing. This secret could be the fate or future of Inuyasha! First off we find Iuyasha and the others battling the wind witch Kagura. We also find out that her sister Kanna has stolen kagomes soal! Will Inuyasha be able to save her? And what is that strange mirror she carries around? Then later Inuyasha and the others meet another incarnation of Naraku, Goshinki. This demon has the power to read minds, when Inuyasha starts to battle him he predicts Inuyashas every move! Not even Kagome can help him. How can Inuyasha beat a demon that knows what your going to do before you do it? Then comes the first real shocker... Goshinki breaks the TETSUIAGA!(Real shock huh.. I warned you) With his blade gone Inuyasha is being beaten to death. When it looks as though Inuyasha is dead the second shocker comes into play Inuyasha... turns into a... full demon! Can Kagome save Inuyasha, will the Tetsuiaga be broken forever?...KAGOME and INUYASHA FOREVER!!

I'm from Korea and I've read lots of comic books but Inuyasha was so far THE BEST. I've read till volume 33 and it gets more and more exciting everytime! I read all of them in Korean and Japanesse but I've read one of them in English. The English version is kinda weird cuz they talk strangly. I think the japanese and korean version was better. In volume 16, Inuyasha will be turning into his demon form! And his tessaiga breaks but he gets it fixed again. Everyone HAS to read this, it's a great book!

this rocks, fans of inu yasha everywhere should enjoy it. i live in japan now, but i started reading inuyasha in america. let me just say it only gets better and better. rumiko takahashi is brilliant! try some of her other material.

All of the Inuyasha books are excellent but this book takes the
story to an all time high point. There are many twists and turns during the whole series and now there's a big question about Kikyo and Naraku. The books are really good if you like Japanese animation and love fantasy or action stories. I highly suggest the Inuyasha books!!!

I love this series. The writer of this comic new exactly what he was doing when he write this. If there was an American TV show of this I would watch in an instant. Alas It seems the availablilty of this comic is some what sarce where I live. You would think living near chiacgo and being next to a bunch comic stores would help right? NOOOOOOO! I can't find the second volume anywhere. (Except for here.) It seems this is a classic example of what I want to is what other people don't seem to be to interested in. I love watch the character Jan talk about food and how he can really manipulate to be just about anything he wants it to be. The only problem is that DIAMOND DIRECT DIDN'T HAVE ISSUES 2 AND 3! Comic book distributors didn't have the freakin' comics! I went to other store only to see the had all the later issues. My quest must continue!

I highly recommend this series to anyone who has even a mild interest in cooking and/or the 'Iron Chef' tv series. This is shonen but, hey, I am still hoping Jan & Kiriko will end up as a couple eventually. Maybe Okonogi should lock them in the freezer together.

This is Volume 8 in the 'Iron Wok Jan' managa series and it packs a lot of goodies! First of all, it winds up the spring roll battle where Okonogi surprisingly enough becomes a serious contendor! Food critic Otani has not given up his long-standing grudge against Jan and uses his influence to place the mysterious Gogyo in the Head Chef position at Hotel Mirage (yes, that was Dan's position . . . ). But who are the two mysterious girls bearing a gift to Otani at the all-star opening bash at the Mirage? And a hyped-up televised battle begins between Gogyo and Jan (to be continued in Volume 9).

I absolutely love this book. A must-see!!!! Its tell the story of a young hot-shot, extremely cocky chef, Jan Akiyama, working at the Gobancho Resturant as a traniee but he is extremely proud to think that his cooking is better than others. He still have much more to learn. Sure, the comic genre will blow your big mind away when he comes up with something unique and creative dishes yet strange and bizzare. Its also feature some cool little martial art moves in the competition. Jan is not the only one, but there are other new prodigy in the cooking field is Kiriko Gobancho, and Cilene Yang (Big busty girl) complete against him as well. Each of them have different cooking philosophy. This comic will sure laugh your roundy belly till you pee in your pants. This is cooking manga managed to keep the reader entertaining than the cooking television. Buy it, I recommmend it.

This is volume one of the "Iron Wok Jan" series- new volumes are coming out on a monthly basis. It's a bit shy of 200 pages, b&w, in the original Japanese format (that is, backwards). This volume introduces us to cocky young chef Jan, who cooks only to defeat his opponents! If this sounds over the top, it assuredly is- but you'll be caught up in the high melodrama and the bizarre recipes. Now that Food Network is out of new episodes of "Iron Chef," there's no better place to get that "they're eating what?!" thrill.

If you're curious about those small-format books with numbers on the spines that are taking up an ever-increasing amount of space in your local bookstore, or if you think manga are only about kung-fu psychic robots from outer space and saucer-eyed girls in sailor outfits whose magic unicorns help them become popular at school, the "Iron Wok Jan" volumes (17 and counting, last I checked) are an excellent place to see what the field has to offer.

All the ingredients (excuse the expression) of classic shonen manga - that's Japanese for "comics for boys" - are here: the grandfather whose memory must be honored, the stern mentor, the stammering sidekick, and the cute girls (who in this case are packing 42G casabas under their cooking uniforms). Then you have the stare of determination and the overcoming of obstacles. And of course you've got to have lots of gaping mouths, sweat beads and speed lines. It all adds up to a dementedly intense narrative that somehow manages not to take itself very seriously.

Volume 4, for example, has the arrogant demon-eyed Jan Akiyama fiercely competing against his proud but virtuous colleague Kiriko Gobancho and the vampy Celine Yang (who for some reason is translated as a southern belle) at the "Iron Chef"-like 1st National Chinese Cuisine Cooking Contest "to become the greatest chef in Japan". Although Jan and Kiriko have made a side wager that the loser must leave the restaurant where they both work, there is even more than that at stake. Ultimately this is a battle between the three contestants' respective *philosophies* of cuisine.

Jan, of course, insists that "Cooking is a competition". "I'll bathe you all in blood!" he taunts his rivals at one point - lolling a Gene Simmons length tongue. "Akiyama's cooking knows no defeat!" By contrast, Kiriko says that "Cooking is about heart" - and demonstrates it by choosing a dish that she invented to help kids eat their vegetables - "Coral noodles! This is my weapon!" And Celine, as befits a woman with her spectacular bust, holds that "Cooking is about abundance" - "To me, cookin's about how far you can go with flavah, aroma, and beauty."

Once the battle begins, the reader is treated to some bravura flurries of action cartooning at its best - especially when Jan pulls out the knife-shaved noodles trick handed down to him by his dead grandfather. (Who naturally appears spectre-like in the background to exhort him to valor.) Anyone who has enjoyed the original "Iron Chef" will feel right at home with the proceedings - complete with know-everything Dr. Yukio Hatori-style commentary by Kiriko's uncle as he observes from the stands filled with gasping awe-struck spectators, and Kiriko's post-battle reflection that "I did the best I could! There were no oversights."

So whose cuisine reigns supreme? Well, you would have to get Volume 5 to find out - since manga storytelling takes up vastly more pages than American-style comics. But if you enjoy food or authentic glimpses into a truly foreign culture, and don't mind some "salty" language that would never make it into one of our kid's titles, Jan will deliver the goods.

Or to put it in his own boastful words to the judges: "Got it, fellas?"

Cute. Simple. A lovely guide book to one girl's adventures in Japan. So don't look for millions of pages of details. This is about her and her two friends and their journey to the VOLKS store in Tokyo by way of Kyoto. The cartoonist happens to also be six feet tall. It is a sketchbook and guide to many of Japan's little delights and, sometimes, tiny problems. It has a glossary and a appendix of websites of hotels, food places, stores and so on.

Seriously love this book. It's a fun account of Ms. Major Steinberger's travels in Japan. Not only are you taken through her own experiences as a foreigner, but you're also given little cultural tidbits that are just as interesting. Plus, the illustrations are fabulous. I look forward to more from Aimee in the future.

I purchased this book because I had heard of it in a chat forum and was already familiar with the author/artist. Most books don't keep my interest long enough to get through the book in a day or two, but this was impossible to put down. Aimee's lovely sketches and playful comments kept me laughing at the turn of every page. Her useful information will fuel anyone dreaming of a trip to Japan into setting the date after reading this book. I am excited to visit the places she mentions and share in the wonderful experiences she wrote about.
What a brilliantly lighthearted way to address the ups and downs of tourism.

A+

I picked up Japan Ai not really expecting much. I thought it'd be a cute read, but not something I'd really read twice, let alone buy. I was pleasantly surprised when I flipped through the pages. Steinberger's eye for details is amazing when it comes to describing her travels through Japan. Some people may be decieved by the seemingly simplistic artwork on the cover that the storytelling is just as simplistic, but they'd be amazed. The author's passion for travel, anime/manga, & hobbies comes through on every page. Fans of anime, manga, & cosplay will get into the journal because of the detailed information about those interests, but the average person will get drawn into the journal for the attention to details. It is easily accessible to most people. I would consider it a good guide to read before going overseas so one can plan out where to go, as well as knowing what to expect if you are a english speaking traveller.

This is an adorable little book, a charming story of a fangirl's adventure in visiting her favorite type of doll's birthplace. Who wouldn't want to go on an adventure like this! The artwork is clean and lovely, a unique style that made this book a delight to read. It really makes you want to go to Japan! It's cute, it's pleasant, it's a very much worth picking up.

I'm a long time reader of Jonah Hex from years ago when it first came out. I was very disappointed with the way the artwork in the Hex series basically ruined a fantastic character and comic series.
I was NOT disappointed by Face Full of Violence. It is 100% pure Jonah Hex all the way and the artwork is great just like the original series was.
Great stories, great artwork and inking, I hope they make a hundred of them because I would buy them all. If you've read any of the original series, this is a must buy.

I remember Hex from the day, this Hex looks a lot like Eastwood...but still has (some of) the spirit of the original HEX. I wish they would bring the old back in a colour compilation.

Once again the team of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti deliver with the goods. In the wake of western shows like Deadwood taking off DC has brought back probably their most prominent western character Johna Hex.

Now this is where I say something prolific and inspiring to make you want to buy the book. The truth is, it's more then worth it and even if you're not a western fan, like myself, the books still worth it. It had depth, great character moments, and the pretty art you all go crazy for.

Buy it damnit.

One of the most underappreciated characters in one of the most underappreciated genres in comics gets resurrected and reinvigorated thanks to the writing tandem of inker Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. A duo who worked together on a series of holiday-themed Punisher one-shots (none of which were anything if at all to write home about mind you), both writers are firing on all cylinders with Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence, which collects the first six issues of the revamped series. Instead of focusing on one continuing storyline, Face Full of Violence contains six seperate stories all involving our favorite scarred outlaw, as he pursues kidnappers, has run-ins with those from his past, and generally takes on all comers without blinking an eye. The stories themselves are gritty and violent without going over the top in terms of gore and profanity (this isn't a Vertigo title, it's under the DC banner), but it retains plenty of attitude and a mature tone that isn't seen in mainstream comics too often these days. The art by Luke Ross and original Jonah Hex artist Tony Dezuniga is nothing short of great, making an already sweet package even, well, sweeter. All in all, if you dig old western comics or have fond memories of a man named Hex, this is a must own.

In a comic medium of decompressed stories and multi-part crossovers, Jonah Hex completely exposes an old school tradition by crafting clever, witty and meaningful stories in stand alone issues. Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Luke Ross are able to take a classic DC character, in a under appreciated genre, and captivate the audience. This collection offers readers a little taste of what the monthly title has been able to deliver on a monthly basis. Very happy that I've been getting the monthly title but this trade will sit on the bookshelf with some of my other titles.

This graphic novel is the best of a David Mack's incredible Kabuki series. It contains the most beautiful, yet unusual art for a graphic novel while also following an intriguing story line that helps the reader see the world differently.

I love the current Kabuki series from Marvel comics called KABUKI: The Alchemy.
And Metamorphosis is the story that comes right before it.

It is absolutely incredible.
Some of the best writing and covers so many ideas. Even articulating a very reosonable and sophisticated theory on one character's understanding of the meaning of life.

And it is actually 288 pages not 280. Including a full 9 issues from the complete story. It tells a complete story on its own, and is even more compelling how Metamorphosis and the current ALCHEMY compliment each other and unite to tell one larger story in continuity.

It elevates the graphic novel format to fine art and literature.

The Kabuki series creates and sustains a visual intensity that has to be seen to be believed. If nothing else, the range of media is incredible - one image might contain watercolor, collage, lettering, and computer processing. The next might be three or four other media.

This is not a book to read once and put down. It deserves more than one reading, maybe many readings, to capture everything in this story. The plot itself is well done but ordinary. It's the imagery that can't be absorbed at one sitting, including lettering and private notes. These additional texts don't drive the story along the plot line. They do, however, sustain the mood and express the characters' inner experience of their situation. There is no clear dividing line between text and artwork, though.

Other artists may use experimental media and non-linear text as a substitute for technical skill. Mack uses the media to express his skill - his drawing is outstanding, and he clearly has a passion for figure.

I have many favorites among comics, each for different reasons. Mack's Kabuki is a favorite among my favorites.

Frankly, a piece of comicdom art-- a real groundbreaker. This graphic novel, and the whole Kabuki series, moves comics into areas that the genre should have been going for years-- namely, using the art form for one of the things it can do best-- telling a story visually. Mack's ability to bring together both the story itself, and _how_ that story is told into one, completely interdependent form is amazing. The full color paintings and ink drawings that Mack does are beautiful and visually compelling, and his use of the whole page (versus simple panel by panel exposition) is refreshing and well worth the time one can spend poring over a page looking for all his details. The story itself, a dark one of beautiful assassin "secret agents", is nether here nor there. However, what he does with that vehicle is mezmerizing. The depth of Kabuki's character is real, what she experiences internally is real, and the growth she moves through is real. Get it just to see what a graphic novel really can be-- an art form entirely its own, a merging of visual and literary mediums. Read it over and over to be awash in an obvious labor of love. Psychologically engaging, visually stunning. It's unlike any other comic I've seen yet-- transcends the comic genre, even as it moves the genre into a new level.

David Mack worries me. He's taken the art of drawing comics to a whole new genius dimension. Nobody else has ever welded story and image like this, with so many ways to express everything: museum-quality watercolors, perfect pencil drawings, spiraling text, doodles, origami, abstracts, traditional japanese inks. New ways to show movement, memory, fights. One fight is drawn in calligraphy on a sheet of music; another is laid out as a board game; another is caught in the blur of a black-and-white video camera shooting in the dark. All this, while his heroine is trapped in a mental asylum for former female spies and assassins.

Here's a warning: fans of action/adventure, this book is not for you: move on to the next Kabuki volume, Scarab. And if you've read Skin Deep and are waiting for the story to move on, you find yourself in a long, almost demented version of the previous book. Kabuki makes her padded cell into a cocoon and slowly, obsessively rehashes personal elements of identity. Her metamorphosis occurs gradually as she transcends her mistrust of herself and her fear and longing for her past, by accepting gifts from another inmate, discovering the beauty of her own acts and story, sharing herself with her enemy. But that's a terribly flat way to put it.

The way David Mack does it, he can wring your soul out by chiseling in layer after layer of philosophical questions answered in a variety of metaphors. He brings new meaning to the term, tortured writer, and very nearly locks himself down and his readers with him in the asylum. He narrowly escapes at the end of the book, but not until he's imprinted on your mind both the pain and uncommon beauty that genius, whatever form it takes, carves into people. Glad you made it out alive and well, David. Thank you and take care.

I sometimes enjoy reading to my son from my old Calvin and hobbes comic books, even though many of the strips go over his head and some of the others aren't really appropriate for a six year old. Among our favorites are the classic "Spaceman Spiff" Sunday strips, where Calvin is piloting his spaceship and fighting evil monsters, before he suddently finds himself jerked back to drab reality, often paying a price for what he did in the real world while his mind was in outer space.

For me, this book read like a series of Spiff strips. Although this superhero ("American Eagle") stays on planet earth and has a cute "Bug Lady" sidekick, the theme is the same--he repeatedly gets caught up in his imagination too much and gets a little bit carried away. Since the author is not constrained by the comic strip format he can also stretch out the artwork more, which helps keep the book enjoyable during the 1,000 or so repeated readings that your child will no doubt request (if he's anything like mine was, anyway). Lots of fun for parents and children alike.

This book is a big favorite in our house. My son loves to read it and look at the pictures. He is not quite 2, and I can't keep him away from it! It's also a fun read for adults. It has it all: action, adventure, comedy, and a moral at the end (that's not overdone). It's a great comic-type book without the stuff we don't want our kids getting into too young. The illustrations are fabulous, and the transitions between make-believe and reality are excellent. I highly recommend this book to anyone with young children.

I think we've all seen the toys-come-to-life-when-we're-not-around fantasy in roughly 70 millions different forms of media over the years. Far less common, but no less a part of children's daily lives, are stories in which kids pretend to be superheroes. They exist, but few are so carefully thought out and amusingly illustrated as George "First Book" O'Connor. Choosing to present his picture book in a graphic novel style (and earning himself a mention at the New York 2005 Book Fest as a result) "Kapow!" is a novel telling of three kids, their world of make-believe, and the consequences of major roughhousing. It's not a particularly original idea or a huge departure from already existing picture book superhero tales (like "The Adventures of Sparrowboy" or "Traction Man Is Here!"), but it's probably going to be VERY beloved of certain children in certain households.

A small boy is playing with his blocks when, with a simple removal of his jacket, he becomes the muscly chin-clefted American Eagle. Joining up with fellow superhero Bug Lady, the two ignore his mother's warning against getting too into their play and trap a dangerous panther (or housecat, depending on how you look at it) in a cage (washbasket). Then it's off to stop The Rubber Bandit from robbing the First National Bank. At this point, however, things get a little too crazy. In the midst of the heroes epic battle a bookcase plummets to the floor. Now it's up to American Eagle to do something actually heroic. Will he tell the truth to his mom, or will he succumb to the temptation to lie? Tune in to learn more this week in the exciting picture book extravaganza, "Kapow!".

Like fellow fearless cartoony illustrator Kevin O'Malley (author of "Lucky Leaf" amongst others), Mr. O'Connor is not afraid to place his story within a contemporary setting. Some author/illustrators chicken out when it comes to books of this nature and feel safer placing their story in the 1950s, or some such silliness. O'Connor, however, isn't afraid to contemporize his tale. The mom of the American Eagle kid reminded me a little of the mom in Bob Graham's, "Let's Get a Pup, Said Kate" but with less tattoos. And she's still doing laundry, so don't expect any breaks from stereotypical gender roles or anything. There are fun little details within the seemingly straightforward story though. While the book never comes on out and says it, I suspect that the poor kid wrangled into being the Rubber Bandit is probably American Eagle's little brother. Try removing the cover and comparing the picture underneath to the one printed on the cover too. Also, I was happy to find that American Eagle's duckish baseball cap never changes expression, though the mouth below it (his mouth) might.

The leaps between viewing these heroes as spandex-wrapped adults and costume-laden kids will be enough in and of themselves to garner a fan base. It's nice to note that the story is a pretty amusing one as well. Though it doesn't do anything particularly new or original, this is bound to help get Cartoon Network junkies into the whole reading thing. A useful book.

This book is great. My kids ask to read it at least once a day since we got it a couple weeks ago. It appeals to my 2-year-old, 4-year-old, and 6-year-old at different levels. The switch back and forth between imagination and reality is very well-done and the colorful illustrations are excellent. Plus, every Mom will appreciate the little moral at the end (don't worry, it's not too preachy.) One of my favorite things about this book is that it gives kids credit for being thinkers and doesn't patronize them. I hope your kids will enjoy it as much as mine have.

Comic books have outgrown the kids who are supposed to read them in recent years. Most of the time, they're simply too advanced for the age group that I was a part of when I picked up my first comic. "Kapow" does a fine job of bringing the comics genre back to the 4-7 year olds in a friendly and creative setting that will certainly appeal to these young readers. Adults who might be concerned that the book delves into the similar violent and angry sub-culture that comic books themselves sometimes enter into should rest assured that "Kapow" is more about make-believe and playtime and correcting mistakes than about anything else. It should also be noted that the book does a nice job of integrating "minority" characters like Bug Girl into the storyline without making it a book about integrating minority characters. This might seem small, but not many books do this these days. "Come On Rain" comes to mind, and I'm sure there are others, but I thought it worth noting.

Krazy and Ignatz are unique in the history of the comics and highlight the Golden Age when "Little Nemo," "Maggie and Jiggs," and "The Yellow Kid" were right up there with this strip, George Harriman's salute to wit, whimsy, and the English language. Did I mention Jewish and Italian dialects from New York City? Anyhow, language and imagination all worked together in a desert landscape with Turner skies above and some of the most marveous comic characters walking the sands below. Who else but Herriman could do a daily comic--for years--about a cat with a bow around its neck, a cat that was either male or female depending on what happened in the life of the reader that day, a cat in love with a mouse whose only aim in life was to bean the cat's head with a brick, then to be arrested by Officer Pup! It's the stuff that dreams are made of but, unfortunately, those dreams have faded away.

What can one say about Geo. Herriman's "Krazy Kat"? The wonderful, colorful world of Coconino County is captured beautifully in this all-color Fantagraphics collection of Sunday pages. Geo. was a true poet and his words and art join together (like Chinese calligraphy/poetry/painting) to create an self-contained universe of wonder, humor and all-too human foibles and desires. Let's see - Krazy (cat) loves Ignatz (mouse); Ignatz despises Krazy; Offissa Pupp (dog) loves Krazy but Krazy is unaware and Offissa Pupp's love is unrequited. It's all so krazily wonderful I really kan't deskribe it!!!

It's probable that anyone considering the purchase of this book is already familiar with Krazy Kat, but just in case...

The entire strip is based on a love triangle, with a gender-ambiguous cat (Krazy) that is in love with a mouse (Ignatz) who is irritated by the cat and throws bricks at his/her/its noggin. The cat takes the bricks as a sign of love, however. A dog (Offisa Pupp) is in love with Krazy and tries to protect him-her-it from the mouse and the bricks, frequently jailing the mouse.

The strip has a fairly small cast of characters, mostly animal, and the goings on take place in front of ever-shifting landscapes. The effect is surreal: from one panel to the next, two characters could be talking without much change in their positions and posture, yet the background changes completely. The art is probably a love it or hate it proposition. It is scratchy and might resist some readers' esthetic sense. On the other hand, I know many people who automatically exclaim "I love Krazy Kat!" and the art is part and parcel of their appreciation. At any rate, the price of this full-color book is low enough to take a risk. Personally, I love the art: Herriman conveys surprise, movement, force and speed better than most or all of the comics masters, including Caniff, the superhero artists, Uderzo and possibly Hergé, with an apparent ease and simplicity of line.

Complementing the art is a patois (especially Krazy's) that is, at times, sheer poetry. The title of the book is drawn from an utterance within. There are deeper messages, such as the law of the excluded middle, or some gentle jabs at our lack of color blindness or cultural references that can slip by us because they are from an era now 70 years old.

There are two introductions. One of them, "The Kolors of Krazy Kat" on Herriman's complex ethnicity, is particularly apt in this, the book of the strip's first color Sundays. The other is by a fellow named Bill Blackbeard, whose efforts have saved portions of this and other strips from oblivion and in some cases from outright destruction. His work has rescued an important part of our cultural heritage.

In addition to the introductions, there are photographs as well as reproductions of beautiful Herriman water colors featuring his characters and backgrounds. The book was put together very conscientiously - even lovingly.

Krazy Ignatz is the sixth volume of the Krazy Kat reprint series - but it's the first volume to appear in full color, representing the comic strip's color appearance in June 1935 after being a black-and-white Sunday strip. The new color format has been digitally cleaned for sharp appearance - better than the original strips - and harvests a wealth of Krazy Kat and non-Kat materials from Herriman archives from 1935-36. Krazy Ignatz is a 'must' for any KK fan.

Many comic strips rely a lot on variations on a theme. The classic example would be Peanuts. There were dozens of Peanuts strips that involved Charlie Brown trying (and failing) to kick a ball that Lucy was holding. Even though the idea was the same in each, the execution differed from strip to strip. Years earlier, the same could have been said about Krazy Kat; how many different ways can a mouse attempt to hit a cat with a brick? As it turns out, many ways, each interesting in its own way.

For those unfamiliar with Krazy Kat, the three main characters in the strip are Krazy Kat, Ignatz Mouse and Officer Pupp. Krazy loves Ignatz, who in turn, dislikes Krazy. In fact, Ignatz is constantly beaning Krazy in the head with a brick, an act that Krazy interprets as one of affection. Meanwhile, Officer Pupp loves Krazy and hates Ignatz, constantly arresting the mouse for assault. (While Ignatz and Pupp are definitely male - Ignatz is even married with children - Krazy's gender is much more indeterminate, occasionally referred to as male, sometimes female, but usually left completely uncertain. Personally, I think of Krazy as male, but mainly so I am consistent in what pronoun to use.) Of course, just as not every Peanuts strip involved kicking a football, not every Krazy Kat strip involves Ignatz's efforts to obtain a brick and throwing it at Krazy, but usually the idea is at least lurking in the background.

What makes Krazy Kat special? It's hard to describe exactly. It is certainly different from any comic strip around nowadays: it has much less of an emphasis on punchline humor and instead relies on pure absurdity (or should I say "kraziness"). Even in its time, Krazy Kat was mainly successful due to the patronage of William Hearst, as well as the praise of such well-known figures as e.e. cummings and Walt Disney.

This particular volume covers the Sunday strips of the latter part of 1935 and all of 1936, the first period in which Krazy Kat was in color. Despite some obvious errors by the original publishers seventy years ago - such as times when Ignatz is blue or green - Krazy Kat works as well in color as in black-and-white. There are supplemental materials as well, most notably an essay on Krazy Kat's creator, George Herriman, the controversies regarding his racial background and how it was reflected in his work. Although interesting, you can skip this stuff if you want and go straight to the comics: Krazy Kat is kompletely kaptivating!