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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?"

Probably one of my favorite story arcs in any JLA run. In the story the Martian Manhunter tries to deal with his psychlogical fear of fire. The art is pretty good and the story is told beautifully. No really bad point in it either.

Kelly pulls it off as usual. I was riveted from the start. The setup was actually in the last graphic novel but I just read that one a couple weeks ago. I don't really know that much about Green Lantern or J'ohn's origins so this gave some cool glimpses into what they're all about. Loved the conflicted heroes (especially Superman) who didn't want to kill their long time friend and ally and of course it was cool to see Plastic Man back, he's always loads of fun.

"JLA: Trial By Fire", reprinting #s 84-89 of the JLA ongoing, is a true epic, rich in action, high stakes, emotion, concept, delivery and grandeur, all brought together so perfectly that a single flaw near the end - that would have sapped the impact of many tales - seems no more than a slight glitch. It's a story that both Justice League mainstays like Superman and Batman, and characters who haven't logged nearly as much time to date on the team's roster (such as Faith and Manitou Raven), get to shine in.

In the beginning, something strange is happening across the planet. The most ruthless of dictators, the most dangerous of super-villains, the most remorseless of killers....are changing. Suddenly overcome with guilt and intent on never again returning to their former ways. All this sounds good at first, but as things progress it's getting deeper as various characters are not only 'seeing the light' but are falling into catatonic states, being paralyzed, or being tormented in increasingly physical and vicious ways. The League senses that this is all a lead-up to something even bigger and darker. One of the successes of "Trial By Fire" is that, right from the get-go, it Feels like there's really major, really out-of-the-ordinary threat emerging, something that even the League may not be able to handle. Sometimes when a new storyline instantly introduces a brand new, 'different-than-anything-they've-faced-before' threat to a group like the Justice League, there's a bit of a lack of authenticity to it. You're watching as the new threat nearly makes mincemeat out of everythin in its path, but you don't really believe that this new menace could come out of the blue and just hammer away a team as powerful as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Firestorm, et al. "Trial By Fire" is the exact opposite of that. It feels plausible, frightening, and deadly.

Indeed, the initial wave of incidents is just the tip of the iceberg, and things go from bad to worse for the team. It's not wall-to-wall action from Page 1 onwards though. One of the things I love best about the writing of Joe Kelly is that when he's doing a series, all members of both the main and supporting cast have their own interesting things going on, and weaving very cohesively through the 'big' plots. With as big a cast as "JLA" has, not every character can play a lead role in every story arc. Here, characters like Superman, Martian Manhunter, and Batman are among those taking center stage in the action, but some of the best points in the book focus on characters like Manitou Raven, Wonder Woman, and Major Disaster, who don't overall get as much page time here as they have in other JLA arcs but are essential nonetheless. The ongoing developments between Batman and Wonder Woman - which played an ongoing part in Kelly's run on the series - are done to perfection, and though I'd like to make observations on this aspect, I think it's best that I don't lest I give something away. There's an interesting dynamic between Faith and the Batman as well; although Faith is, at this point, a very new character in the DCU (although she obviously has more backstory than has been revealed) she's one of the least hesitant of the group to produce counter-arguements against the Dark Knight's position, and the often stubborn Bat is more open to her viewpoints than he is with most newcomers. There's good humor tucked away that one might miss if they're not careful, and there's an interesting angle about two characters who seem (and this isn't entirely clear but it sticks out as a possibility) to be developing a mutual attraction that neither one is in the least aware of.

As for the one flaw I mentioned earlier - it happens in the last issue, and while I'm not going to say what it is, it kind of reminded me of the finale to the 1978 Superman movie (uh, I guess I can't say what that is either, just in case anyone hasn't seen it). It's one of those moments where a seemingly imposible catastrophe is averted at the last moment and you just kind of feel like saying 'Oh come on! Even_________ isn't THAT powerful!' A lot of stories would have been crippled by it; this one isn't. (I'll admit I kind of adjusted the timeframe in my own head to make it at least a little bit more believable) It was the kind of moment where just because there's no conceivable way out, that doesn't stop anybody. It was quite out of sync with the rest of the story, and it's testament to how awesome "Trial By Fire" is as a whole that it recovered within mere pages, helped along by emotional impacts so powerful it makes one more than willing to forgive a lone inconsistency. Most of the time I'd bump a book down at least one star for that gaffe, but "JLA: Trial By Fire" was just so good that I can't. Judged as a whole, it's outstanding and gets an extremely high recommendation. 9.7/10

have I enjoyed a story this much about a superhero team fighting to take down a single globe threatening villain. I enjoyed it very much and I will seek out more stories by Joe Kelly. All the characters are tangibly pushed to the edge.

With the whole world going mad, the Justice League of America must move fast to find out what is going on. A rogue telepath is tinkering with the Earth, taking away people's freedom of thought, but who is it? This ordeal will drive the JLA into a battle with one of their own members, a battle they cannot win. But, Batman has an ace up his sleeve; there is one person who can do it...if he can just remember how.

Overall, I found this to be a very good graphic novel. The illustration work is very good (except for they way The Atom was drawn), and the story is absolutely gripping. I'm not sure I would have thought of the bad guy as quite as invincible as he is painted herein, but setting that aside, you do get to see very good graphic novel, fighting for their very existence. So, if you like a good, solid superhero story, then this is the book for you. My eleven-year-old son and I both enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you.

That's right, you can forget what the editorial review says about this collection. Contrary to that writer's opinions (and let's keep in mind they are just opinions) many comic book readers, especially those of the 70's when these stories were originally published, don't want to be empathetic with the characters and do want them to be super all of the time. That writer obsiously did not grow up in this time period when people read comics because they were fun, not because the characters had emotional depth because they were fighting drug addictions, sexual confusion, or childhood abuse issues while trying to be superheroes. Also, there were a lot of readers then, just as now, who got sick of DC's big name characters like Superman and Batman. They were both featutred in so many titles you couldn't swing a stick in a drug store (there were no comic shops back then) and not hit one of their books. Lots of readers loved titles like the revived All Star Comics that gave us less popular heroes. This book did feature the Golden Age Superman in several issues and Batman, now Police Commissioner Bruce Wayne. These stories were not great but for the most part they were a good read. They also offer important insight into the transition between the original Golden Age Justice Society of America and the team we have today that bears that name. Don't buy this collection if you are expecting stories written just like today's comics but if you want some solid tales from the 70's you will like these.

As most of us I read some of these stories like 30 years ago, but now I discovered some others I couldn't read then, and these ones are wonderfully written. You will not find the nonsense reach-as-large-a-market-as-you-can, which cuts any soul from today's graphic novels, but these stories have emotion and consistency, of course only inside the province of fantasy and imagination. The stories are really good, and you will love them, if you had the good luck to know those wonderful characters at least before the unfortunate event known as the crisis on infinite earths.

The Justice Society has always been a favorit of mine and when All-Star was revived in the 70's I relished every issue. Although I enjoy this collection, I wish DC would have just published them as part of the All-Star Archives line, if only so that the books would look uniform on my bookcase.

I've always been a fan of the JLA and JSA.The 70's stories are the ones I like the best bacause the plots were written so you could read an entire storyline in 2-3 issues instead of today where it seems you have to wait for an entire storyto be published as graphic novels thanks dc for publishin these books

If you're a fan of DC's JSA, you owe it to yourself to read THE JUSTICE SOCIETY VOLUME 1 trade paperback. Collecting ALL-STAR COMICS #58-67, plus the origin of the JSA from DC SPECIAL #29, this book presents the "modern" pre-Crisis adventures of the Earth-2 Justice Society, with the original members (Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Wildcat, Batman, and Superman) growing old and gray, and new heroes (Star-Spangled Kid and Power Girl) joining the team. Truthfully, I wasn't expecting much in terms of the writing, but Paul Levitz and Gerry Conway crafted some amazingly tight, fast-paced stories, and the narration is excellent. It's interesting to see how these heroes developed in "real-time" on Earth-2, with Clark Kent becoming editor of the Daily Star, and Bruce Wayne becoming police commissioner of Gotham City, and Dick Grayson now the US ambassador to a more politically-representative 1970s South Africa. These classic characters deal with threats to their personal lives, as well as threats from Brainwave, the Injustice Gang, Vandal Savage, Vulcan, and others.

As for the art... wow! This is a Wally Wood extravaganza. Actually, pencils are primarily provided by Ric Estrada and Keith Giffen, but Wood inks all of the All-Star Comics stories, and his style really comes through. It's amazingly consistent between the different pencilers and looks beautiful. As for the cover by Brian Bolland, well, what more needs to be said? I'm happy to see that DC has a second volume in the works that will collect the rest of the issues in the series. That, along with a reprint of INFINITY INCORPORATED (please, DC?), would be a heaping helping of Earth-2 goodness!

(One more thing: All-Star Comics #58 contains one of the most unintentionally humorous panels I have ever seen, as the Star-Spangled Kid attacks a criminal in his own inimitable fashion. "Chomp", indeed!)

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.

This box-set came in just two days. and in an amazing shape. no damage or nothing.

Makes a perfect read and the illustrations are simply amazing. Its funny, and interesting all in one. If your interested in any type of fantasy games, especially final fantasy or kingdom hearts, this will be the perfect addition!!

What is there to say? Well first off, the animation was fantastic. The perfect combo of anime-manga styling, humorous and yet serious when necessary. The dialogue was to die for. The scenarios fit well and it filled in all the missing pages of the series for me. (no pun intended)

I didn't feel like digging up my lost KH:CoM game and get used to the battle system all over again so I opt to just buy the manga. Didn't regret it one bit! I recommend purchasing the manga whether you're a lazy gamer like me or not. XD

I bought it as a gift for a friend, she seemed to like it so Im guessing its a good item. It beats having to go through the stupid GBA game anyway.

This was an excellent starter pack of Volume 1 and 2 Kingdom Hearts novels. My daughter about knocked me over with excitement on Christmas when she opened these up. The shipment came on time and was in perfect shape.

The best thing ever to hit the eyes is the Krazy Kat entourage a la George Herriman. With the most surrealistic spelling and the most endearing characters in a love triangle (Krazy, Ignatz, and Offisa Pupp), one can find relief from the drabness and the pressures of life. (Was that a brick that just went by?)

Regarding the review below: Sunday Krazy Kat strips were not printed in color until 1934, so the strips in this volume (which covers the period from 1927 to 1928) are presented as they were originally published. While there are many pre-1934 strips that were hand-colored by Herriman, they were intended to be personal gifts to fellow cartoonists and not for publication.

Herriman's color work was indeed wonderful, but as the previous correspondent notes, for two thirds of its run the Sunday KRAZY KAT was in fact black and white, so we've been publishing it in that format.

Beginning in mid-2005, after having wrapped up the black and white period with KRAZY + IGNATZ 1933-1934 (which will contain some of the most difficult-to-find and almost-never-reprinted years) we will be releasing the five volumes containing Herriman's color years, starting with KRAZY + IGNATZ 1935-1936 -- in full color.

Conceptually, Krazy Kat was so simple -- a cat, a mouse, and a dog apparently caught in a bizarre sort of eternal love/hate triangle. George Herriman's art and writing not only managed to elevate this seemingly limited idea for a comic strip far beyond most of its early 20th-century peers, but to place it in the category of art: a weirdly funny, endlessly imaginative, and timeless masterpiece.

Fantagraphics have done an excellent job of reproduction and annotation. The larger format allows you to fully enjoy Herriman's minimalist style, while laughing at the strip's fractured English and visual gags. Chris Ware's cover art for both volumes released so far in this series has also been a real treat, although I personally preferred the cover for the first volume.

Krazy Kat can be enjoyed on several levels, but the editors have made certain you can both appreciate the artistic aspects of the strip and have just plain fun reading it. I am also coming to understand Herriman's significant influence on such later masters as Johnny Hart and Charles Schulz.

Get in on the ground floor (or at most the second floor) of what will be one of the most important reprint series ever, and seek out the first volume.

Comics do not get much better than Krazy Kat. These new editions have brought me out of mourning for the Eclipse series (the single volumes of which sometimes go for $100+ on e-bay). Plus, these are great looking books and each one is filled with extra info and photographs in the introduction and some cool tidbit in the back (this one has a picture of a wooden Ignatz doll complete with box from the 1920s).

Krazy Kat can be classified as art, but hopefully it won't be classified TOO MUCH as art, because it can be appreciated on many levels as well as an artistic one. Krazy's worst fate would be to end up as solely a museum piece for aficionados. Krazy doesn't belong in a museum, he/she belongs in books; which is what makes this series so great. I just wish they could print all of them at once.

Krazy Kat works by means of the tension of 3 forces: innocence, evil, and justice. Krazy is the ultimate innocent who, when Offissa Pup pummels Ignatz with his club, merely says "Those two play so well togedda." Ignatz is evil and maybe obsession. His grand purpose in life is to "bean" Krazy with bricks. He sometimes goes to Rube Goldberg extremes to succeed. Offissa Pup is justice which is sometimes just, sometimes political, sometimes personal. In an old daily strip, Offissa Pup grabs Ignatz and says "To the jail, viper!" When Ignatz replies "Why?" Offissa Pup only says "Because it gives me pleasure." Things get more complex because Krazy loves Ignatz and Offissa Pup often insinuates that he loves Krazy. A futile love triangle and battle of good, evil, and justice gets mixed up in a strange salad.

It is simply one of the best comics ever produced.

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!

I have wanted to get this book for many years now. I read it while going to college. It is a story that has been in my memory for a very long time. It was a shock for me to see (after I read it) that it is much longer than I remember it to be, even though it is short as books go. It is a sad story. Let's hope that things don't work out the way that Mr. Thurber tells us they will. But maybe that's the whole idea: for us to read THE LAST FLOWER, then make sure that its ending doesn't happen. So, everyone, buy the book, and you can help out.

This book had the most impact on my 1940s and '50s childhood. I grew up with it, looked at it time after time, pondered it, felt it. Who said "A picture speaks a thousand words"? James Thurber had a wonderful silent way of reaching the heart. I recommend this book to all parents with children, and to all grown-ups. Of everything I have ever read or seen, this is my #1 book of all time! Please have it out on your table always!

E. B. White thought this was Thurber's best book I agree that it is among the best. Written for his young daughter, it is an anti-war book of the right sort, emphasizing both the inescapability of war hostility and the devastation war causes. It is a perfect book for an adult to read to a thoughtful child--or for any adult to read in any circumstance. The line drawings (cartoons is not quite the word for Thurber's unique visions) are simple and eloquent throughout. The book was prescient when it appeared just at the outset of WWII. The story ends with hope symolized by the one surviving flower that may restore happiness and beauty to the world. It is the flower we still enjoy contemplating, sixty years after Thurber drew it.

This treasure of humanity was practically a Bible and also a constant "coffee table" book in our household when I was growing up in the late 50's and 60's. This is one of those rarest of books that will simultaneously break your heart and make your spirit soar. It only offers (see Thurber's dedication to his daughter) "a wistful hope" - but it will inspire you to nurture every ounce of genuine hopefulness you can muster.

This book had the most impact on my 1940s and '50s childhood. I grew up with it, looked at it time after time, pondered it, felt it. Who said "A picture speaks a thousand words"? James Thurber had a wonderful silent way of reaching the heart. I recommend this book to all parents with children, and to all grown-ups. Of everything I have ever read or seen, this is my #1 book of all time! Please have it out on your table always!

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!

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.

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

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.