Comics Books

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!

With more than enough exotic locales, plot twists, and blazing bullets to satisfy my Bond/Bourne spy junkie cravings, LOM was a welcome addition to my bookshelf! More from Mosher! More from Francavilla! Just plain more, please!

The term 'graphic novel' is one bandied about by the media, but for this reader this book LEFT ON MISSION is an alert that perhaps too many serious readers are missing an important concept. After spending an evening thoroughly entertained not only by a well written spy story complete with the dichotomy of the main character in pursuit of an ex-lover as the nefarious rogue agent, but also by some superb artwork beautifully rendered in style and rich color, the opinion of the significance of 'Graphic Novel' gains in stature as an art form deserving of wide attention.

Writer/Creator Chip Mosher has a keen manner of conveying a page-turning story using a tightly controlled amount of written script woven into the many drawings that propel the story visually and emotionally. In tandem with artist Francesco Francavilla and further enhanced by the important and exciting colorist Martin Thomas, Mosher offers a well designed book that manages to hold the eye as well as the mind, making a tense story feel like walking past stills of a film, animated by not only the skills of the artists but also by the participating reader's turning of the pages. It is a unique experience for the novice: for those who know the medium this book doubtless will be a pinnacle of the genre.

Cover artist Steph Stamb enhances the appearance of this book with his high quality art pieces that not only engage the eye to begin with, but also provide visual interludes at pertinent junctures in the book. Some critics may quibble about awarding this book a rating of 5 stars: the great American novel it is not. But as a sample of a book now granted respectability with the designation of a 'graphic novel', LEFT ON MISSION sets a very high standard. Grady Harp, March 08

I disagree with the Publisher's Weekly review. I found LEFT ON MISSION to be unforgettable, containing a haunting quality and an emotional wallop that sticks with you weeks after reading it. What was behind the emotions and motivations of both Emma and Eric? These aren't cookie-cutter characters, but rather complex figures that don't easily fit into pre-determined boxes.

But don't get me wrong--this book still contains plenty of action, thrills, and suspense. Mosher has done an amazing job of creating a sense of time and place. You really feel as if you're in Cuba or Morocco alongside the characters. The artwork is stunning and the coloring is particularly striking and impressionistic.

I'd recommend LEFT ON MISSION not just to comic fans, but to anyone who enjoys James Bond, the Bourne series, or just a good ol' thriller that will keep you guessing.

Left on Mission does everything a great spy film/novel/comic should do an more. Action? LOM pushes the limits of what you can do in a static medium with tense chase scenes and shocking but believable violence (a pursuit in a strobe filled club is stand out). Exotic Locales (Cuba, Ibiza, Morocco) - refreshing to read a book that feels like the author has done serious homework, not relied on wikipedia for his research. And of course, it's a page turner.

All this would be enough for your average thriller fan. But it's also politically relevant without being preachy. And that emotional wallop the previous reviewer mention? The romance feels real...maybe it has something to do with the fact the author's wife wrote "Before Sunrise", one of the best romances of the best two decades.

Left on Mission is often compared to Casino Royale, which is true. But I think it's edginess break-your-heart characters make it closer to Fleming's novel than the good but slightly over the top film adaptation.

You won't find a better spy thriller in comics this side of Queen and Country. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

I loved the comics. I bought them as they came out. I can't wait to read the story as a graphic novel. Loved the characters and the story.

If you're already a fan of the Pickles, this book is a must have. If you haven't as yet met the family, you're in for a real treat! Brian Crane's characters are as endearing as they come. Has it been a long time since you've really enjoyed a cartoon? Give this collection a read. You won't be disappointed.

When the newspaper took Pickles out of it's papers comic section it was a sad day. Now that it's in paperback you can read it over and over and still laugh. I highly recommend it and also the other two books in print.

I can see myself in every cartoon. I have collected them all. How does Crane originate such humorous presentations. I'm glad I bought the book.
DJ Swett

My problem is that everyone has been told about this book after I loaned it to a choir member and they all want to read it.

This is another funny book for those people who are retired and living with the ups and downs of age. The author certainly has a handle on funny things we can relate to especially now that we are in our 70's too. A great gift for those who have everything but chuckles as they deal with getting older.

I bought this book after meeting the author. The book cover doesn't look as pretty as other books but they are wonderful! The writing is marvelous! I learned a lot about the Lewis and Clark Expedition from this book. I was also impressed with the activities that go along with the book. Very nice. I wish I had bought the book on Columbus and the exploration of the New World, it is out of print, but I bet it's good!

This book is full of information and activities that are interesting to kids. Many pieces of information that I never came across in other books. For younger children (4-7), the best one might be Lewis & Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President.

Build a keelboat, learn how to use a compass, carve a canoe - all of these adventures await you in The Lewis & Clark Expedition! Terrific book which makes the Expedition come alive. The activities and illustrations are excellent and have proven to be winners with children of all ages.

What a lot is packed into this brief (112 pages) activity book for children! It's a vivid account of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, rich in adventure, yet also presenting the journey from many political and cultural angles. Activities and lively descriptions bring out not just the physical conditions of the trip, but leadership dilemmas, and moral issues faced along the way.

The book is filled with apt and frequently witty illustrations. Also, numerous intriguing asides about the trip mesh nicely with the main narrative.

Facts are presented; questions are posed. Children are asked to think - and after the mental activity - they'll come away from the book feeling they were there

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, by Carol Johmann, is a fantastic book filled with first-hand information about two of our U.S. history's famous explorers. Johmann includes excerpts from Lewis & Clark's own journals, as well as from some of their fellow soldiers. This lends a great deal of authenticity to Johmann's book, as well as gives the reader a feel of being right alongside these men as they progress on their journey west.
As a home-schooling mom, I especially find Johmann's kid-friendly style of writing refreshing as well as informative. The inclusion of various age-appropriate crafts throughout the book is a great way to stimulate further interest in the reader, and gives the child an even greater understanding of what these two men and their crew dealt with during their journey.
I highly recommend this book. For the home-schooler, this is an excellent social studies curriculum combining intellect with creativity. For public schools, it's a fantastic way to draw the students in and give them a more thorough understanding of the trials and accomplishments Lewis & Clark underwent. For parents who want to give their child(ren) (or themselves) a more informative and well-rounded experience of Lewis & Clark's exploration for westward expansion as well as to determine if a single water route existed across the continent to better accommodate for trade, this is the book for you!
Ms. Johmann, two thumbs up!

With equal parts Loony Toons, light romance and Pin-Up poster, Frank Cho has created a brilliantly original notion here. "Creature Comforts" is a grand addition to a series that will certainly keep its following happy for years to come.

In "Liberty Meadows", two vets (one: a short, bespeckled, star wars geek. the other: a broad-beamed, voluptuous beauty) take on the dubious honor of caring for and looking over a host of quirky, maniacal anthropomorphic creatures. This includes a midget circus bear who fancies himself an inventor, a lunatic frog, and a sweet, naive duckling. Along the way, there are laughs, blunt trauma humor, and a little romance.

Cho's artistic talent for the toony style of, say, Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck is impressive, but nowhere near as incredible as his style of creating Brandy and other female characters. His ability brings to mind the glorious age of the pin-up girl: artists like Alberto Vargas come to mind. Cho's females are buxom, and beautiful, but also fairly reubenesque- nothing at all like the waifish glamour girls we see in magazines today. This is part of his appeal.

Artists and writers could learn a thing or two from Cho, who has created "Liberty Meadows", a hysterical and beautiful comic so flawless that he makes it look easy.

I have discoved Liberty Meadows by accidentally. Since then I have become a big fan of Brandy and all the animals. Just enjoy the spririt and the drawings of Frank Cho!

Get Volume one and then get this one. Well written, well drawn, great story arcs... the Liberty Meadows series is simply the best.

This hardcover trade paperback is an excellent bargain instead of buying the back issues. Again, one of the few comics I would lend to friends, even girls. ;-)

Being a great fan of Frank's strips, just from seeing an ad for his old strip collection 'University squared,' I am now a big fan of this current incarnation and even have his entire comic book series. So why should I even buy these books? For the extra scenes, redrawn strips and colored versions of Brandy!

With Frank's drawing mastery of beautiful women and hilarious images, plus a great sense of humor and timing, this book is a good place to start if you're looking for a good thing to read if you're having Calvin and Hobbes withdrawals.

Frank Cho's "Liberty Meadows" was one of the most original comic strips in years, with its hard-partying, gun-wielding animals and often insane storylines. And things get even stranger with the second collection of strips, "Creature Comforts."

The animals (and people) of Liberty Meadows are still up to their strange hijinks, including Leslie getting A flea (big one), Frank being set up on a blind date, and Ralpha having some problems with a hair growth formula that includes female hormones ("Gimme a kiss, sweetie." "I'm a man, Dean").

But all those disasters pale when a spark ignites the forest around Liberty Meadows, and the inhabitants have to flee a raging fire. The animals escape in a boat, while Brandy ventures back into the fire to find Frank. And Death himself comes to claim Frank... while a hapless copilot accidently looses the experimental H20 bomb on the sanctuary.

Okay, enough seriousness. In the wake of the fire, Frank and Brandy have to room with the animals, and deal with their craziness. Which means coping with Truman's hatred of Thanksgiving, spiked punch, offended supermodels, poison ivy, Oscar getting "fixed," savage beavers, Dean's pig porn ("Miss Piggy's dungeon of delight? Hold it!"), and a techologically advanced toilet that sucks Ralph in. Literally. And of course, a highly competitive wiener dog race that Oscar is training for.

No, it's not your ordinary comic strip. Not only did "Liberty Meadows" stretch the boundaries of what syndicates would allow, but it also was a lot more self-mocking and intelligent. Even in the most absurd situations, Cho can throw in an artistic namedrop ("We're outta anesthetic, Frank. All we have left is this can of Bud and a copy of "Ulysses" by James Joyce!")

Not that most of the humor isn't pop culture related, like driving out the beavers with Barry Manilow, or physical, like Dean getting thrashed by the attractive women he hits on. Artistically, it's sort of the love child of sophisticated graphic art and Looney Tunes.

And the characters are as lovable as ever -- hypochondriac frogs, midget bears, chauvinist pigs, and timid ducks. Frank and Brandy continue their sweet romantic angst, with the dorky Frank feeling that he has no chance with his gorgeous coworker, especially when her sharp-tongued mother and hunky ex turn up.

"Liberty Meadows" only got funnier with the addition of "Creature Comforts," more hilarious hijinks from the animals (and humans) of Maryland's best animal sanctuary.

Another great collection of Liberty Meadows strips. Nobody draws women better. Oh yeah, there's jokes and critters too. Did I mention Frank Cho draws great female characters?

I have all first 3 volumes and I find this TPB hilarious and entertaining.

More fun in this volume, including the Evil Brandy vs. Not Evil Brandy storyline!
Mr Cho constantly shows his skill, with different drawing styles and even 'borrowing' characters from other comic strips.
Perhaps the only drawback with Frank Cho drawing beautiful women is that they all look beautiful. Apart from the mole and the hair Brandy and Jen look identical.

Cover gallery in the back and skecth pages (but not as many as volume 2). Also a three page story added at the back.
If you love Liberty Meadows this is for you, if you don't love Liberty Meadows... don't bother the rest of us while we're reading this.

Liberty Meadows is a hilarious and sadly underrated comic following the adventures of a group animals with issues and the long suffering humans who take care of them.

This collection has the classic 'Evil Brandy' storyline that has to be read to be believed.

My only issue with the collections is that they don't include the Sunday strips which were collected in the comics.

It's a great series read this book.

Crazy animals and geeky humans return in "Summer of Love," the third collection of Liberty Meadows comics. If the "evil Brandy" story isn't enough to snare people, then the slapstick humor, poignant romance and intense geekiness will definitely do.

This volume starts with Brandy's sultry roommate Jen installing a webcam, which captures all of Brandy's half-clothed, undignified moments. Khan the killer catfish returns to wreakhavoc on our friends, Dean coughs up his lungs, and Frank Cho (chimp alter ego) takes us on a guided tour of the animal sanctuary.

Probably the best storyline involves an "evil Brandy" from our dimension arriving in Liberty Meadows, immobilizing the good Brandy, and trying to kill Frank so that she can conquer the world (with her killer Pokemonkey). What stands between her and conquest? Frank, his tough alter ego, and a very P.O.ed Brandy...

But don't think that it gets too serious -- Cho does action and sci-fi exceptionally well in this story, mingled with some oddball humor. But then it's back to weirdness: going to the gym ("Someone get the jaws of life!"), Brandy's nasty mum, going fossil-hunting, to a summer barbecue with a skimpy dress code, and to a mega-geek convention where Brandy is repeatedly mistaken for Lucy Lawless and Lynda Carter.

Geeks, this is your kind of strip. In what other strip will you see the gang going to a con, with a main character dressed as Darth Maul? Or see references to David Lynch's "Dune" flick? No other strip! While civic pride adds to my liking for Cho, the real winning point is the insane sense of humour, and the appeal to our geeky sides.

The kooky animals take center stage, especially with the physical humor, from exploding gas pipes to sports injuries. Exhibit A: Dean coughing up his lungs, and Ralph uses a bellows to keep him alive. On the other hand, Cho provides some sweet romantic scenes, where poor Frank tries to summon up the courage to ask out Brandy.

As always, Cho keeps a mixture of realistic drawings (Brandy, Frank), and cartoonish artwork of all the animals. The one drawback (for women) is the focus on big-busted women; there's ONE male hottie in the whole book. But at least Cho can laugh at this focus, by having Jen toy with male minds, and having Dean hitting on girls and being hit by them in turn. Hope springs eternal for the piggie, I guess.

The animal shelter/looneybin antics continue in "Summer Love," a hilarious collection of Frank Cho's award-winning strip. And that baby picture on the back is pretty darn cute.

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

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

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

I'm glad I got this book. It was a coupla years ago and now oddly it costs less while the companion large anthology book is twice as much. 780 pages, you just can't go wrong. It's one heavy book. And full of lively comics that take you on a splendid journey. Enter their world and find a wide range of human experience of adventures, emotion and life lived. A good place to be. I'd jump on this for under $30.

I'm just going nuts for Fantagraphics lately. They've already granted my wish with their dedication to publish beautiful reprint volumes of every Charles Schultz Peanut strip ever made, and now that they've collected all of the Maggie and Hopey stories from Love and Rockets in a giant 700 page hardcover volume.

The original Love and Rockets comics, which during their initial run, were published for 15 years between 1981 and 1996, featured two incredible ongoing dramas by brothers Jamie and Gilbert Hernandez (with an occasional tale from a third brother, Mario). Gilbert's "Palomar" stories (collected separately by Fantagraphics), and Mario's "Locas" series were published together in each issue, alternating chapters and cover artwork. While Gilbert's work was more gritty, tragic, and adult oriented, Jaime's work, which focused on teenage best friends Maggie and Hopey in a sort of bizarre Archie Comics universe set in a largely Hispanic southern California neighborhood that featured professional wrestlers, punk rock, and lesbian romance. Both works are masterpieces of the comic book medium, but to have the stories separated and published in their own complete hardcover sets is a dream come true. I'll be reviewing Palomar separately, but for now, let's focus on the brilliance of Locas.

Locas may be single best comic book drama series ever created. As a writer and artist, nobody has been able to capture the youth and vibrance of young adults like Jaime Hernandez. Utilizing the black and white page with a skill that only Frank Miller has been able to equal, Hernandez brings out a charm and grace to his characters that is sexy, realistic, and endearing. From the cocky smile of Hopey, to the ever-growing rounded ass of her best friend Maggie, to the smart and realistic dialogue that makes you feel almost voyeuristic spying on the girls' trials and tribulations.

The characters of Hopey, a short haired undersized punk-rock girl with a penchant for chaos, and her best friend Maggie, an expert mechanic and adventurer at heart who struggles with a ballooning waist size, are so well defined, many readers in the letter columns of the original issues would profess that they had crushes on them, or went to school with girls who were just like them.

It's hard to not fall for either of them in this epic that spans a huge period of time, and ultimately splits them apart as they go their own separate ways. The last page, which brings the two together again, is one of the most bittersweet moments I've read in comics since Bill Watterson's final "Calvin and Hobbes" strip.

Jamie has a blast with the series as he features tales revolving around struggling punk rock bands, the behind the scenes world of professional wrestling (and mostly lady wrestlers to boot), and gang life. One saga, "The Death of Speedy" is a brilliantly tragic tale about the inevitable death of a young man, who was a longtime crush of Maggie's for the first 6 years of the book, who makes the mistake of dating a rival's girl on the side. The eventual death scene is done so brilliantly and with such an eerie presentation, that I still get shivers and look around me after I read it.

Considering the high quality of the paper, and the monstrous weight of the book, the $49 cover price is a steal, considering you've got over 50 issues of comic book stories collected in this tome. I read the whole thing again in one sitting and am blown away.

This is as good as comic books get.

On to Palomar...

Jaime Hernandez is simply one of the greatest creators of fiction in the latter half of the twentieth century, period, full stop. As an artist, he belongs on the shelf with the likes of Kirby, Ditko, Eisner, Miller, Schultz, Spiegelman, and Crumb. And that amount of talent is more than enough, but Hernandez is also a brilliant writer, existing in the same rarified air as Kerouac, Wolfe, Salinger, Thompson, Bellow, Singer, and Morrison. His characters are not just drawn well, they're written well, and the combination of images and words creates something entirely new.

The saga of Maggie and Hopey reminds me, in its way, of Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past" in the way it examines these two characters in such loving detail over a long period of time. Maggie, especially, grows from an awkward, confused girl into a headstrong, beautiful (though still awkward and confused) woman as fully dimensional and alive as any in the history of literature. Hernandez's achievement in "Love and Rockets," now finally collected into one giant book as it always felt like it was meant to be, will stand the test of time and passing fashions with the other great works of Western art and become one of the primary sources for information on life in the twentieth century. I don't know what Jaime Hernandez set out to do in 1981 when he and his brothers created "Love and Rockets," but I do know what he finally arrived at when all was said and drawn: genuine greatness.

This is, as far as I know, the complete works of Jaime Hernandez from the original Love and Rockets comic book series. The series is about two punk rock girls, Maggie and Hopey (and their friends and family). Their world is a lot like our own, but with a few changes. For instance, on their earth rocket travel is commonplace, dinosaurs still exist and professional wrestling is a legitimate sport. The science fictional aspects of the strip were eventually dropped in favor of a more realistic style (pro wrestling was never dropped from the strip). The comic started off pretty good, and eventually turned into a great comic. I'm sure Jaime Hernandez himself would admit that his art and writing was much better at the end of the comic than it was in the beginning. Anyway like I said, the comic's main characters are Maggie and Hopey, but there are many supporting characters who get a lot of coverage, too. In fact, there are times when Maggie or Hopey go "missing" from the comic and aren't seen for a long time. The book really hits it's stride after Maggie and Hopey "split up" and have seperate adventures. I found myself getting really caught up in the lives of these fictional characters, reading about them grow from girls into women. This is a big, fat, expensive book, but it is well worth the price. Highly recommended.

I happen to be quite a fan of big, sprawling epics, no matter what the medium may be. "Lone Wolf And Cub" is certainly turning out be quite an interesting one indeed. Continuing the plot from the previous volume, samurai-for-hire Ogami has been seperated from his son Daigoro during a brutal attack by his former masters, the Yagyu. As we begin this book, Ogami is on the search for Daigoro, but on his way he will run afoul of assassins and lone samurai. This volume lays out some great stories, as well as new developments in the series that will keep me reading indefinitely. For those unfamiliar with the series, it's best to start back at the first volume. For me (entrenched in the series already), this is another piece in Ogami's search for vengeance and another piece in the big puzzle of Lone Wolf And Cub.

The Yagyu letter continues to gnaw at Yagyu Retsudo who gives ample proof in Volume 13 of the Lone Wolf & Cub saga, "The Moon in the East, the Sun in the West," that he will go to any length to get his revenge on Ogami Itto. In the five chapters of the manga epic included in this volume is the most shocking act of violence we have yet wetness in this bloody saga:

(64) "The Moon in the East, the Sun in the West" has Retsudo ruminating on how he has sent all of his legitimate sons to be slaughtered by Ogami Itto. But the old man has an illegitimate son and daughter, and horrible plans for them both.

(65) "'Marohoshi' Mamesho" is another one of the fascinating characters created by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. This time around the title character is an old policeman from the capital on the verge of retirement who stumbles across Ogami Itto being commissioned for his next act of assassination. "Marohoshi" has spent his life protecting people and he is not going to let this ronin continue on the assassin's road.

(66) "Spoiling Daigoro" is an offbeat story where the family that hires Ogami Itto persuades him to let Daigoro stay with them while he goes off to do his job. They have a son who is a coward and a weakling with no friends, and the boy's father thinks that having Daigoro around might be good for Suzunosuke. Ogami Itto agrees and thinks go well for a while, but Suzunosuke soon grows tired of hearing his parents praise Daigoro day and night.

(67) "The Hojiro Yaguy" finds Retsudo's illegitimate son planning on using poison darts that can stop a charging horse to slay Lone Wolf. It looks like there is no way on earth Ogami Itto can escape, but, of course, he always has something up his sleeve. Warning: The ending of this one is unexpectedly brutual and shocking.

(68) "The Bird Catchers," is another episode where Lone Wolf and Cub are spectators for the most part as they come across a group of female falconers preserving a dying way of life. But what makes this tale of some significance, especially as the last one in this volume, is that in the eyes of his son, it seems Ogami Itto might have finally gone too far.

"The Moon in the East, the Sun in the West" is another superb collection of stories in the Lone Wolf & Cub saga. Koike and Kojima still manage to provide a new twist and turn in every volume while stringing us out as long as possible with both the short term mystery of the Yagyu letter and the long term quest of Ogami Itto to get his vengeance on the entire Yagyu clan. I read one episode a night right before bed and am almost always surprised to see what new direction each night's story might take. This has to be one of the ten greatest comic epics of all time.

The mystery of the Yagyu letter is apparently forgotten in the five Lone Wolf and Cub tales told in Volume 12, "Shattered Stones." However, one thing that really stood out in these stories is that since he was reunited with his father after they were separated by circumstances, Daigoro has been smiling a lot more:

(59) "Nameless, Penniless, Lifeless" is one of the most disturbing stories in the Lone Wolf and Cub saga. It begins with a woman putting on a sex show for peasants. But what is even more shocking is that the woman has lost her mind and that her husband, whose face is half scared by terrible burns, is the one who talks her into her displays. There is more here than meets the eye, as is often the case in these stories, and the way in which the truth is revealed might remind you of part of Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

(60) "Body Check" is another one of those tales in which Ogami Itto has to use his brains to put himself in a position to use his sword for his next assassination.

(61) "Shattered Stones" begins with one of the most different ways that Ogami Itto has met someone who wanted to hire him for an assassination. On top of that the rules of the assassination are quite different (again, I am reminded of a Western parallel in the novel "Sophie's Choice").

(62) "A Promise of Potatoes" is an amusing little change of pace story for this series. Daigoro is off by himself again, being beaten up by a group of kids, when he is rescued by a con artist who teaches the boy to sit by a bowl looking pitiful as a way of making money. But where there is Cub can Lone Wolf be far behind...

(63) "Wife Killer" is a wonderfully ironic title, which we learn is used to describe somebody who gives away the tricks of magicians, who are known as "hand wives." Noronji Hoya, the Princess of Magicians, who has been using a delighted Daigoro as her "assistant," is about the encounter the "wife killer," an old saki-sotted magician who travels with two thugs who extort money from magicians: pay up or have your secrets revealed. But Noronji Hoya has a better proposition: she will perform a trick and if the old man can reveal her secret she will kill herself; if not, then she will take the old man's eyes.

Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima are back to telling tales in which Ogami Itto is more often than not more of a spectator to the action in which other characters carry the stories. One of the testaments to the greatness of this manga epic is that the title character can be almost incidental to the story and it is still completely riveting. Here we are, not even halfway through this saga, and they are still coming up with new and intriguing variations on the basic themes they established early on. The fact that they can maintain this high level certainly justifies the exalted status Lone Wolf & Cub has in the international world of comics.

"Talisman of Hades" is a nice title, but "Thirteen Strings" is the one you are not going to forget of the four stories collected in Volume 11 of the "Lone Wolf & Cub" magna epic. We had been confronted with a major development in the story as Ogami Itto stole the Yagyu letter. All pretenses were dropped as Reshido Yagyu declared open war on Ogami Itto, but Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima were showing the same sort of audacious subterfuge as their heroic creation, for as Ogami and Reshido crossed blades, Daigoro lost is hold on his father's shoulders and literally fell over a cliff. Suddenly the mystery of the Yagyu letter has become secondary because father and son have become separated. Their search for one another continues in these stories and for the first time we see Ogami Itto express emotion for his son:

(55) "Talisman of Hades" finds Ogami Itto is now putting up pictures of a baby cart where once he had pasted the talismans of meifunado to invite clients of death and assassination. A group of young students on their way to an academy stumble upon the mystery of the signs and when they see the strange ronin slay a "priest" (another Yagyu assassin in disguise of course), they decide they must intervene, forcing Lone Wolf to teach them a valuable lesson.

(56) "Ailing Star" has Daigoro finding a place to stay with an old granny who lives under a rotted bridge in danger of collapse. The locals keep trying to convince the old lady to leave, but she refuses. "Ailing Star" forms an interesting counterpart to "Talisman of Hades" as Daigoro has his own little lesson to impart.

(57) "Thirteen Strings" is an 118-page story where Koike and Kojima come up with their own version of a Kurosawa film experience (the rain during the last acts of the story is a clue). When we come to end of this epic tale, surely "Thirteen Strings" will be one of the most memorable episodes. A runaway horse is about to trample a child in the road when Ogami Itto intervenes. The horsewoman turns out to be the Lady Kanae, Daughter of the Go-Jodai of Odawara Han, and a spoiled brat who fancies herself a samurai. Ogami also learns of a larger conflict between the Go-Jodai and the farmers. Drought has blighted the harvest for four years and the Go-Jodai has tightened the screws on the farmers, who "hire" Ogami to attend a meeting between the two sides (because if anything happens to Chosuke, the leader of the farmers, Lone Wolf will bring word back to the farmers). Go-Jodai has his own agenda for implementing fundamental agricultural reform. Meanwhile, his headstrong daughter seeks revenge on the ronin who has insulted her. But then the rains bring a sudden flood that changes absolutely everything. This is a memorable story of surprising depth, showing that Koike and Kojima are absolute masters of their craft.

(58) "A Poem for the Grave" has Ogami Itto seeking help in finding the secret of the Yagyu letter. This turns into another assassination job, which results in an encounter with another honorable soul who seeks to turn Lone Wolf from the Assassin's Road. The question is whether things might be different this time because of Ogami Itto's separation from Diagoro.

I am in awe of Koike and Kojima maintain this level of excellence through a story that is not even halfway over by this point in the telling of the tale. I continue to savor one story each night at bedtime so that I can think about how it fits into the big picture and the ebb and flow of the story. An absolute masterpiece, not just as a comic book, but as an epic narrative.

Back in the late 80's and early 90 I owned a comic book store. This was one of the items I looked forward to every month. The writing was incredible and the artwork supurb. Out of dozens of issues I can only think a one or two that weren't worth my time.

When I first saw these book at the local comic store I ignored them. After all I had all of the issues and didn't need to spend money on smaller reprints even if they were in the origional format. However with the middle of this issue we have stories that were never published in America before.

It didn't hurt that one of the best stories (and the last) story of the full sized comic was here "Mazohoshi Maeesho" For people who don't know the series that story will say it all. The intro story also paints a path for those unfamilar with the series.

It would frankly be a waste of verbage to describe each story. The quality level is as always so high and the stories so interesting that there is little more to say.

If you never read this series start with #1 and enjoy. If you like me didn't buy it because they were reprints then go wild.