Comics Books

This book is simply delightful - my 8-year-old is constantly giggling - he is unable to read it to me for the laughter...He has a high reading level - but kids love it (almost as much as their parents!!) My son really is Calvin (I am a bit concerned he may be getting ideas from the little rascal!!)
LOVE IT!!!

. I like this book because it has funny parts.
. I also like the part when calvin pretends to be GodZilla and destoys Tokyo, which is the buildings that Calvin made in his sandbox.
. I dislike someparts of the book.
. I also dislike the part when Calvin pretends to be a zombie.

What can be said about Calvin & Hobbes that hasn't already been shouted to the heavens by legions of prematurely grown-up fans ?

Calvin is the eternal Child/Id within us all, and Hobbes is his stuffed tiger / best friend / faithful companion in arms come-to-life ... and together they swashbuckle their way through a childhood world populated with drooling monsters of the imagination, screaming ray-guns, carboard boxes turned magical transmogrifiers, and giant tut-tutting adults who are forever dragging us back from our revels by the ear, in order to make us wipe our feet, bathe, eat, do our homework, and go to bed on time.

By laughing at Calvin & Hobbes, we get to vicariously relive some of our own carefree childhoods exploits ... exploits which echo in our adult lives, because (looks both ways) we never actually grew up. Only our bodies did.

Highly recommended.

Calvin is in alliance with Hobbes to combat the monsters that lurk in his imagination. The victims of this battle? Usually, Calvin's hapless parents. This collection is among the funniest as it centers on the darker side of Calvin's runaway train of imagination: monsters, space creatures, icky girls, and nefarious snowmen. Pick it up, or the monsters in the closet will come out as well.

Well, I must admit I have had this book since I was in 8th grade when my best friend at the time gave it to me. I still crack up when I'm going through the pages upon pages of strange situations that Calvin and his stuffed friend find themselves in. Definately a must for any C&H fan and really funny. Buy it.

This book was an entertaining easy read. The detail is as good as any book I've read and entirely what a werewolf book should be. It pulls no punches and gives gory and ravenous details that will truly make you think twice about what's in the dark. A must read for any science fiction lover.

The only book I've read more than once, and thats saying something. A book about a man who spends his days, and nights fighting werewolves. Its so in your face, its absolutely fantastic reading. Brian P. Easton makes it crystal clear right away that the Beast, as werewolves are often referred to in this book, are completely and absolutely vicious and evil. Nothing humorous or cute about them. Not this story. The main character Sylvester is the toughest SOB you'll ever read about. The things he endures physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritally are terrifying. Its hard not becoming what you hate. "The beast will kill you one piece at a time, Sylvester. Bite by Bite", said his mentor early on in the story. I highly recommend this truly exhilarating novel to anybody. Without a doubt my all time favorite book. As good as the vampire masterpiece I am Legend.

If the last 70 pages had been more satisfying this would be 5 stars, easy. But, as it stands we have a disappointing climax, a weak ending for most of the main characters and an unnecessarily long denouement. On the plus side, the werewolves are cool, described as massive, vicious, demonic remorseless monsters, and there's an interesting werewolf hierarchy that's unique to this book. It also violent, and action packed, with a good story and interesting first person narrative. I did find the main character to be a bit cliche, but he was still filled with monkeys. All and all, a good bleak, violent, gritty horror novel/character piece. Recommended for fans of werewolf fiction.

I profoundly regret that this seems to be the only novel produced by Mr. Easton. You don't have to get very far into his prose to decide that he is no amateur as a writer. This book is of exceptional quality for any genre, but is particularly outstanding in the wolfman category. It certainly stands out among today's popular fare of werewolves humanized as sexy heroes in romance potboilers, or as noble saviours of the environment (viz., White Wolf Publisher's lupine Green Peace-niks). In this book, though, the werewolves are all big, truly scary, and irredeemably malevolent toward humanity. Having read about 300 fiction and nonfiction books about werewolves (not counting short stories) over the years, I'd put this in my top 10 of favorites. This novel has plenty of lycanthropic action and gore enough to satisfy any aficionado of the genre. Yet the saga of Sylvester's journey from orphan to manhood as a werewolf hunter is also a thoughtful examination of the psychology of hatred, and how it can make you strong enough to endure incredible sacrifices---yet ultimately rob you of your own humanity. This is the kind of book that leaves the reader reporting for work the next morning still groggy from lack of sleep, because you simply can't put this book down.

I have been a horror fan, especially a werewolf fan for many years. Usually, it's quite hard to find a decent werewolf book. However, this is a great book, and a must read for any werewolf fan out there. It is a bit brutal at times, and the werewolves are not cute and fluffy. But that's what makes the book so wonderful.

Wonder Woman: The Complete History is a delightful book for fans of the character, even if you only know her from the old TV show. The background of her creation by a clinical psychologist was very enlightening.

The illustrations throughout are excellent and all in all, it's terrific book, exceptionally well written by Les Daniels.

I have always enjoyed Les Daniels and his carefully researched books of comics history, but everyone has a blind spot. Wonder Woman is obviously his. This book, beautifully designed as it is, fails to capture what has made Wonder Woman such an enduring character and icon. It's clear on almost every page, Daniels is unimpressed by her. It's fine if he doesn't like her -- no one character can be everyone's favorite -- but it does make for a frustrating read at times when one wishes to celebrate Wonder Woman's unique place in comics history. His fascination with her creator is evident to the point that it seems clear Daniels would much rather write about Marston than Diana. His heavy emphasis on the bondage subtext of the Golden Age incarnation undercuts the more postive surface elements of those stories. Indeed, he sneers at Gloria Steinem's endorsement of those early years, casting great disbelief that there could be anything of substance taken from them.

Also, as another reviewer points out, Daniels gives short shrift to George Perez's post-Crisis revamp. Widely acknowledged by fans as the high point of her modern career, it's strange to see Daniels blandly note the support Perez got from female collegues in overhauling Wonder Woman's character and deride it by calling the later issues akin to ADVENTURES OF MENOPAUSAL MOM (I'm paraphrasing but only slightly). Daniels here suffers from the same fanboy syndrome that infuses the industry these days -- the idea that if HE doesn't appreciate it, it must be terrible. Meanwhile, Mike Deodato's art is viewed favorably, despite that being universely considered a lower point in the post-Crisis stories.

At the end of the book, it really seems as if Daniels only reluctantly churned it out because of a contractual obligation. His Superman and Batman books are excellent and filled with total respect for the characters and their appeal. If only he could've retained enough objectivity for the Wonder Woman assignment. Despite it all, it is a beautiful book and the history is thorough and still fascinating if somewhat subjective. Good for historical nuts, not so good for WW fans.

Not only do you get hte nostalgic book with the history of this heroine, you get the figurine that you can display and become the envy of all your friends! The statue is of classic Wonder Woman, the one from the 50's. She's still wearing the skirt.

This is truly rare. It's fantastic for all collectors and a MUST-HAVE for all die-hard fans!

First off, loved the book. It was nice to read the comments from Lynda Carter and see the multitude of changes that WW has gone through. But I did notice two things, the actress that played Wonder Woman's mother in that tiny demo in the 60's was named Maudie Pricket and the photo of Ms. Carter's costume says it is from the first season and it's not, it's from the CBS years as are the bracelets and tiara on the following page. I know Ms. Carter preferred the CBS years updated costume but the original on worn while fighting Nazis in the more humorous years will always be my absolute favorite! Thanx...

Les Daniels' Wonder Woman: The Complete History is the third book in a 3-volume series (the first two addressed Superman and Batman). While not without its flaws, it's overall a well-researched and enjoyable treatment of the character.

Wonder Woman first appeared in 1941, the brainchild of Dr. William Moulton Marston (writing under the pen name Charles Moulton), by any standard a bit of a weirdo who's remembered today for two things: (1) he invented the polygraph, (2) Wonder Woman, of course.

I could pick a few nits with Daniels' text. In places he does reveal an ignorance on certain topics. For instance, when speaking of Marston's World War I U.S. Army service, he states Marston "rose to the rank of second lieutenant." False. No officer (and I can't imagine someone of Marston's high educational level ever being an enlisted man) "rises" to Second Lieutenant because that's the absolute lowest officer rank.

Daniels is extremely opinionated. How much space is allocated to any of Wonder Woman's creative teams over the decades is very much controlled by how much Daniels likes their work. Obviously the Marston stories, with artwork by Harry G. Peters, are his favorites thus receive the most attention, though he devotes surprising time and positive comment to the generally despised stories written by Robert Kanigher. This is fine. Half the fun of a book like this is getting the writer's likes and dislikes on the character and her creators. Where I part company with Daniels is his low opinion of the George Perez stories of the mid-1980s thru early '90s. Daniels devotes an entire chapter to Kanigher's creation of such fascinating (hah!) characters as Glop (a "shapeless mass of grinning goo from outer space [which] absorbed everything in its path including 100 rock 'n' roll records"), Wonder Tot ("Mommy be proud to see me now!"), and Egg Fu (a Chinese Communist agent inexplicably shaped like an egg the size of a house, who used his mustaches as weapons and had a Charlie Chan speech pattern). After that, it was more than a little disappointing to have the Perez stories, considered by many Wonder Woman fans including myself the character's finest hour (especially the stories on which Perez did the artwork in addition to scripting) dealt with in a mere seven text pages, much of that explaining how they weren't really all that hot.

The only truly major flaw in this book involves its layout. These days, book publishers are terrified of the Internet. And well they should be. However, instead of focusing their efforts on what books do better that the 'net - provide one, continuous, uninterrupted stream of information - publishers' response has been to make their book pages look as much as possible like web pages. Lots of bright colors, lots of sidebars. I hate sidebars. I don't appreciate having to flip back and forth between pages, sometimes reading blocks of text in four or five different locations, to get all the info. More to the point in this particular book, choice of color on some of the sidebars is extremely poor, so much so it's difficult to read the text. Black lettering against a dark blue or dark red background just doesn't make it.

With those few negatives out of the way, this book is a delight. It's all here: a biography of Marston, on to the creation of Wonder Woman, all the creative teams of note and their storylines up til this book's publication date (2000), the Cathy Lee Crosby made-for-television movie, the Lynda Carter TV show, Wonder Woman merchandise, her appearance on the cover of Ms. magazine's first issue, etc. This book is a must-have for fans of one of the 20th/21st Century's most fascinating fictional creations.

I love Calvin and Hobbes. Period. The philosophy, the juvenile humor, the deep quiet truths, seeing the world through the eyes of a 6 year old. Any Calvin and Hobbes book gets 5 stars from me.

This book, just like all the other Calvin & Hobbes books, was an enjoyment to read. I recommend it to all ages of readers.

Calvin is the hero of all children with wildly vivid imaginations. He has great fun with his stuffed tiger Hobbes, going on numerous great adventures, including an attempted trip to the Yukon. Calvin is fairly typical in the sense that such children tend to drive their parents and teachers crazy, yet when they learn to temper and channel their imagination, they often end up doing spectacularly creative things as adults.
Since I was one of those imaginative children who spent all of my time either reading or playing pretend scenarios in the kitchen, I can certainly relate to this inventive misfit. He is hilarious.

First, and foremost, it must be known: All Calvin and Hobbes are great. Yukon Ho!, however, is one that tends to rise above the rest. It's true this is one of the earlier books and includes the 9 verse tune The Yukon Song and has all the great cartoons, but why it seems to be more popular, I cannot say. All I know and can guarantee is that it's funny and is everything Calvin and Hobbes. From the beginning of the book where Calvin is convinced that he and Hobbes have traveled into the future (nope not with a cardboard box) it is too easy to appreaciate Calvin's motives. He's not after the secrets of genetic cloning or the what politician is waging wars with other countries. He's looking forward to floating cities and telling people in the present what he saw. And this is the real beauty of Calvin and Hobbes shows through. It's the quest of a six-year-old to have a good time with a furry friend. Rarely in a comic strip has such devotion and integrity of a kid been so accurately portrayed.

You'll chuckle at Calvin's dad 's explanation of the workings of a carburetor and the hilarious camping trip to a desolate rock that Calvin's entire family embarks on. Rosalyn appears again, and yes, again terrorizes Calvin. Calvin digs up dirt on his dad,which compromises his father's high-ranking position of dad. Calvin tries and fails to be the next Houdini and Susie and Calvin are assigned an a project together. All the way to the new and improved transmogrifier, it's pure magic, purely Calvin and Hobbes.

You can always rely on Calvin and Hobbes to deliver the funnies. And if you're a keen reader, Calvin's unique (if rather skewed) perception of the world with keep the kid inside you alive (I don't mean this literally but as a metaphor). Unless you've been horribley deprived you'll pretty much all remember the magic of a snow storm or a sunset while sitting under a tree or an adventure in the woods or playing Monopoly with a tiger.

The title refers to a series of strips in which Calvin and Hobbes plan to escape the Yukon to be free of the repressions of family rules. Needless to say, their journey is cut short when Hobbes eats the only two sandwiches Calvin bothered to pack.

Any Calvin and Hobbes fan will already own this. Everyone else must buy!

My girlfriend got me into Strangers in Paradise, after reading the first pocket book I was hooked. The characters are really deep and the artwork is equally as good. I recommend this series to anyone interested in relationships.

Terry Moore's series Strangers in Paradise is a fantasic study of modern life and love. It's about breaking down social stereotypes and learning to love a person for who they are not what they are. It's about true friendship and how hard and how beautiful that is. It's about growing up and knowing yourself and being yourself and rising above your history. It's also an action/adventure thriller with twists and turns and plenty of surprises. There are stories within stories. It's a multilayered, many splendored thing. It's such a good read. Read it.

Katchoo and Francine are roomates, and Katchoo has a crush on Francine. Francine loves Katchoo but prefers men. David is in love with Katchoo, but she hates men. This is the love triangle that anchors this multivolume series. In volume one we learned that prior to living with Francine, Katchoo worked for David's gang boss sister, Darcy Parker, as a call girl and also was her lover. She went into hiding when she ran away from Darcy with a whole lot of Darcy's money.

Now in Volume 2 Darcy has found Katchoo and forces her back into her mob with threats on Francine's life. Darcy needs Katchoo in her biggest blackmail project to date. The main theme of the volume is how Katchoo and David, with help from Francine, escape Darcy's nefarious plans.

Terry Moore takes us through three different time periods in this book. The main story takes place in the time when Darcy's plans are foiled by Katchoo. Then Mr. Moore takes us back to when Francine and Katchoo first met in high school. It is in there that we learn about the troubles that have shaped their current inability to develop loving relationships. Then we find that the high school flashback is just a reminiscence of Francine who hasn't seen Katchoo for ten years and is a wife and mother in a loveless marriage. If she ever needed Katchoo's love, it is at this moment.

The book ends with a short fantasy piece where Francine and Katchoo role play Zena, Warrior Princess. All in all, a delightful book with lots of twists and turns to keep you wanting more.

I was late jumping on the SiP bandwagon, but in the end I'm sure glad I did. If it's one thing Terry Moore is good at, is writing stories that pull on the strings of your heart. It's certainly the most unconventional comic to say the least as all of the characters seem like real people, with no superpowers to be found. Yet all of them do have a real villain- reality. The pain of a love relationship gone wrong, gang crime, brutal murders and dissapointment of dying dreams. It is also a book filled with genuine warmth of friendship, romance and happiness that simply doesn't exist in other books.

All in all, I recomment this a must read for any comic fan. I do agree with what the reader below me said, that the faces of Casey and Katchoo are almost identical. But it's still a damn good book and I'm sorry to see that it will soon becoming to and end.

I have to say that I have tried to read the individual comics that comprise this book. I just couldn't really get into the characters and had no desire to read the series. These pocket books are the way these characters need to be represented. With this format, the reader has a greater chance of seeing the depth and all the turns in the lifes of Francine, Katchoo and David. We see how minor characters interact and come back again. I have really come to enjoy these books.

If I had one complaint it would be in the art work. Now stop booing me. The art work is really excellent but the faces of most of woman are drawn the same. It takes me a few minutes to figure out who I am looking at and her role. Fancine is no problem. Just the characters that I believe to be blonde all look the same.

Other than that, the real strength of the series is in the writing which is top notch. I have come to care for these characters and look forward to book 3.

In this 2nd volume of The Complete Peanuts, Charles Schulz refines the 1st 8 characters he introduced in the 1st 2 and 1/2 years of Peanuts. Lucy is a little fussier (she'll be known as crabby later on) and Linus, though still a baby, thinks deep thoughts and is known for sucking his thumb. Charlie Brown is establishing himself as the wishy-washy "loser" (he has his 1st Valentine's Day letdown in this volume). Also, the security blanket is introduced but it's Charlie Brown and Schroeder who endorse it at 1st, not Linus. Lucy admits she has a crush on Schroeder (the 1st in a series of unrequited love affairs). Violet and Patty are more or less reduced to 2nd bananas (they'll later be known mainly to repeat all of Lucy's putdowns to Charlie Brown). They plan a party and decide not to invite either Charlie Brown or Lucy, realizing that "inviting some people isn't as much fun as not inviting people." Schroeder is still a big fan of Beethoven and classical music (he's the catcher for Charlie Brown's team) and pretty much replaces Shermy as Charlie Brown's buddy (Shermy is rarely seen in these cartoons, he's given a crewcut). 2 new characters are introduced but only one of them seems to have "staying power"- Pig Pen and Charlotte Braun. Pig Pen is a lovable slob with soot all over his face and clothes. Charlotte Braun is a loud and obnoxious character, who would later be written out. Charlie Brown's team always loses and Snoopy's imagination runs wild (though he still walks on all fours and we can't read his thoughts that often). The term "blockhead" is introduced here. In fact, Schroeder is one of the 1st to call him that (but not to his face!). Lucy's mother disgraces her by writing The Life and Times of a Fussbudget. The term "Great Scott!" is used often by Charlie Brown (it would later be replaced with "Good Grief!"). In 1 cartoon, Violet and Patty announce they will not play Lucy's games, which makes Lucy quite upset. After a tantrum of kicking and screaming, she agrees "All right, then. Let's play your way." In another cartoon, she kicks around Patty's doll, Violet's stamp collection, Linus' cookies, Charlie Brown's picture puzzle and Schroeder's piano. Later, as she's running away from the angry gang, she complains nobody understands her! She won't let Linus play with her toys but she will let him play with a rubber band. She later takes it away, though: "I didn't mean for you to have THAT much fun with it!" Charlie Brown's pitcher mound is introduced. Linus stands up for the 1st time, but quickly loses his balance when Lucy rewards him with a cookie. In a few cartoons, adults appear in the background (particularly in the golfing cartoons). A lot (but not all) of what wound up in More Peanuts and Good Grief, More Peanuts is featured here. There is also an interesting introduction by news commentator Walter Cronkite.

Must have for that peanuts fan in your life. Be aware this is part of a set...

This is the second book in the series and my 12 year old daughter loves both. Once she was reading the first book she wanted the next one too. Seeing how the characters began is fun as well as the old drawings. And seeing them evolve in personality and age is great. Snoopy's antics get more and more animated, Linus is a baby, and there is the introduction of Pig Pen! He actually cleans himself up, but then decides he likes himself the way he was. I got the book for my daughter at Christmas. We've read several pages each night and are now almost done. I guess we'll be getting the next one in the series. If you are a Peanuts fan, these classic comics are definately worth collecting!

I've always loved Peanuts. As a kid, I especially enjoyed the TV shows, but of course everyone loves Snoopy, and the other characters, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, and Pigpen, are all very fun. As a result, when my wife got this for me for my birthday, I was fascinated to see how far what we know as Peanuts had evolved from what it started out as. Charlie Brown still has that shirt with the stupid stripe on it, Lucy has her hair with the two little bobs at the sides below her ears, and Pigpen (who makes his debut here) is followed by a cloud of dust (most of the time). But Snoopy is very very different from what we're used to, spending all of his time on all fours except when he's begging, and being much more dog-like than he was in later strips. He's even drawn differently, with a sharper nose and a more dog-like body. There's another girl (named Violet) who I don't remember from the more recent cartoons, and Patty (no Peppermint) is a pretty straightforward girl, not the tomboy who called Charlie Brown "Chuck" all the time. Linus can't even talk yet! This was one of the biggest surprises: to me, the Peanuts kids were always frozen in time, but apparently Schulz aged them in the first years.

I enjoyed this collection immensely, and I'm now determined to buy more of this collection.

This excellent series by Fantagraphics continues in volume two of the Complete Peanuts. This volume features an introduction by Walter Cronkite. This book features the introduction of Pig Pen. For an oddity, we also meet the long forgotten Charlotte Braun, who is a girl that looks just like Charlie Brown. My personal favorite character, Linus, begins to develop his personality. Volume two is another 5 star edition.

The DragonBall series has always been known or it's martial arts action, quirky humor, and of course, Akira Toriyama(Dr. Slump). But what happens when you put the 3 first volumes of his acclaimed series together in one volume? You get 3 times the fun!!! In the first volume Goku meets Bulma and Oolong, and the trio set off to find the legendary DragonBalls, which grant you one wish by Shen-long, the Dragon God. Then in the second volume, they must face the evil of Emperor Pilaf, and his crew. Soon after, in volume three, Goku is trained by the legendary Kame-senin, or Turtle Hermit. Will he, and his rival/friend Kirurin, along with mood-swinging Lunch, go to "The Strongest Under The Heavens?" Find out in my personal favorite manga. Highly recommended, 5 stars, or a Grade: A+.

I was never into Dragonball when the anime premiered when I was young, and I did not grow up idolizing it like several other boys of my generation. However, after beginning to appreciate the works of more modern mangaka, I decided that it's time to read on the most influential classic that inspired so many of my favorite artists: Akira Toriyama's "Dragonball".

I will point out right now that this VIZBIG edition is the first three volumes of Dragonball in one large volume at a more economically friendly price. A wise move since the entire series has been available for quite a while now. Not only that, but the page size is larger, giving you a larger view, and two chapters are in full color.

The story, for those who need to know, is that a brilliant teenage girl named Bulma is searching for seven mystical "Dragonballs" that, when all found, summon the dragon-god Shenlong(Shenron in the Funimation anime dub), and he will grant the person a single wish, whatever it may be. On her quest, she runs into a strange young boy named Son Goku who has a mysterious tail and a bo staff that can extend at his will. Added to that, the boy has unnaturally powerful strength and NO knowledge of civilization abroad. What results is one comical misadventure after the other as the two meet more strange and interesting individuals, some good, some evil, as they try to find the remaining Dragonballs.

This set takes you through the beginning, to the meeting of individuals such as Kame Senn'in(Master Roshi in Funimation dub), Oolong, Yamcha, Reich Pilaf (Emperor in the anime dub), and Kuririn (Krillin in the dub)up until the first fights of the Tenka'ichi Budokai ("Strongest Under Heaven" Tournament, roughly).

Those who have watched Dragonball's sequel set, Dragonball Z, will quickly note a greater emphasis on comedy than action, and indeed the manga is silly. I would not recommend this to young children as there is lots of sexual-based humor. While the story is interesting, it only gets to some real interesting stuff near the later half of the entire book when a bit more combat occurs. Two significant cons of the set are as follows:

1. The colored pages. Don't get me wrong, I like colored pages, but the coloring in this set is mediocre at best. While some things, like the backgrounds, are colored nicely, there are inconsistencies in the color of Bulma's hair and Pilaf's skin. Both are colored as turquoise-to-purple and blue-to-green, respectively. Also, this makes the chapters that were once color(now grey-scale in the manga) to look weak in outline and detail, making some panels appear to be poorly printed.

2. Some of the writing. Many know that Viz is big on softened, somewhat childish dialog for some series, but I believe Dragonball is one of the most infamous. They use a lot of contractions for simple words, making them out to be spoken by someone with poor diction("for" becomes "f'r", "what are you" becomes "wha'cha", etc.). And sometimes, the characters say some pretty lame puns that I'm sure were not in the original. Bad like 4kids Entertainment bad(Pilaf: Soba! Are things going okay?! Soba: So ba, so good!).

However, none of this takes away TOO much to the manga, and it is still largely enjoyable to read. Many of the names are translated well, as well as keeping the original names of some objects. There are also several editor's notes to let you know of stuff that needs reference to Japanese culture, and whatnot.

If you've never read or watched this series before, then you'll probably enjoy the cartoony designs and comical characters. There is not much in terms of action, but that changes when Dragonball Z starts. Buy all means, if you want this, get this version, its cheaper and you get more manga for your money.

I have had this comic book for so many years and for so many years i never got around to reading it as it seemed to find a life just lying on my book shelf as an ornament. With the recent re-releases of the DBZ DVD uncut re-mastered box sets I found myself finally being able to watch DBZ as I couldn't before. The reason being that when I wanted to watch DBZ on the cartoon network it was already way to deep in the storyline for me to follow and catch up so I decided to never jump on the DBZ nation. Now with the DVD sets being so affordable and just jammed with so many episodes I couldn't pass the opportunity. So I ended up really loving the cartoon and it did take about 1 episode for me to get comfortable with the English voice cast.

Now DB isn't available on DVD box set uncut re-mastered so I thought I would turn to the comics to see where it all began. I finally read the book on my shelf that's been there for years and I really enjoyed it. I am glad I never threw it out on one of my weekly apartment cleaning splurges. The artwork of course is stellar and I love Japanese comics because they have so many pages unlike US comics that only have about 21 pages. It's nice to see how Bulma met Goku and how Oolong & Yamcha all fell into the scheme of things. I always wondered where Chi Chi came from & now I know. I found the book so enjoyable that I ordered the other 15 issues that rounded up the original DB saga. I found myself just waiting for the next page to turn. The creator/artist does a wonderful job of balancing action, humor, friendship, & dirty jokes all in one. This truly is a piece of art that is a masterpiece to own. It also makes a great quick read on any vacation or bus ride. The version I have is the 1st one published by Viz Comics and is the exact same one displayed here except it has a white cover & not red. It is also a little bigger which I like. I am a bit shocked by some reviews that say it's too racy for teenagers. The comic is in cartoon animated children like format; i doubt it's harmful unless your child needs psychiatric help if a comic book influences them that heavily to want to beat people with a stick that magically extends or imagines that people can sit on clouds that fly you places. I am also certain young children won't find the humor the way a grown teenager or someone in their 20's would. I didn't find any racy or uncomfortable content in the comic whatsoever. Everything is in for humor effect. This comic is for any art lover and any DBZ lover. It's simply the best and one of the best artistic contributions to the world.

i grew up watching the anime so i had no problem getting into this. it is a very creative story and the characters grow on you. give it a chance its not a bad read at all.

Okay, while Dragon Ball isn't my favorite manga, it is probable the most well-known and most celebrated manga to date. And for good reason.

Volume 1 tells the story of when Bulma first met Goku, and they decide to hunt down the dragon balls. Goku's grandfather has died, and he is living alone in the wilderness, so he really has nothing to lose. The stories in this volume leave you wondering about Goku's origin (Bulma is constantly suprised by his mysterious monkey-tail), laughing at Goku's innocence, Oolong the pigs diarrhea, and Yamcha's shy perversion. Dragon Ball is a great manga. It will have you laughing and marveling at Akira Toriyama's unique artwork. If you're a fan of shonen manga but have not read Dragon Ball, do yourself a favor and try it out.

On a side note, Dragon Ball: Volume 1 is rated T for teen (ages 13 and over). I have heard that there are censored versions of the book as well as uncensored ones, and I'm not sure if this is true, but I know that I own an uncensored book. Uncensored, Dragon Ball contains some mild language, some mild violence (a cartoonish monster is decapitated),many sexual jokes (Goku is often "patting" strangers out of curiosity to whether they are male or female), and a generous amount of nudity (Son Goku is seen completely nude, Bulma has a shower scene where breasts and bottom are exposed, etc.) I'd recommend Dragon Ball for those ages 16 and over, despite the teen rating it received.

I just recently purchased a couple of Doug TenNapel's graphic novels after reading an article on the groing craze of expressing world-views through this form. As I scanned the shelves at our local bookstores, I noticed that most of the novels I saw were very unappealing to me. I finally stumbled upon Doug's work and thought that it really stood out from the rest. It is real, raw, entertaining, hilarious; yet a very serious art form. Doug's style is unique. I loved the story flow throughout Iron West as well. It is a story of a very self-centered egotistical outlaw who changes in the end. It takes a few shoves out of the door, but it finally registers with him that being completely consumed with himself is not working out for the good of others. A much needed message for our day.

I give the story and the drawing 5 stars.

I'd never heard of Tennapel, and at first glance, this graphic novel looked a little too cartoony and goofy for my sensibilities. But it had cowboys and robots, so I was willing to give it some leeway. And while it is pretty slapstick and silly, I did end up having a fun time with the quickly paced genre blending story. Yeah, the humor's kind of broad, and the pacing is sometimes too rushed and hectic, but it's hard to go wrong when you combine a card-cheating reluctant hero in old California with elements like evil cowboy robots, a hooker with a heart of gold, an Miwok shaman, Sasquatch, an evil Transformer-like train robot, and the Loch Ness Monster. Somehow, these disparate elements work well together in Tennapel's able hands and fluid artwork. Good (mostly clean) fun.

What an outrageously joyous story. I had the pleasure of meeting the author for the first time at this year's Comic Con in San Diego. Very nice guy, and very humble. Iron West is actually my first exposure to TenNapel's work (besides Earthworm Jim). A friend lent his copy to me. I enjoyed it so much that I had to buy most of his work he had on display at Comic Con.

I highly recommend this book. I am not really into comics, but this is a great great starter to get you into it; if not into comics, then into TenNapel's wonderful creativity and imagination.

Doug TenNapel is an artist of many strengths. Most apparent to the casual observer is his incredible ability as an illustrator; he fashions some truly beautiful images and depicts motion with singular fluidity. His visuals alone would be enough to make his work worth checking out.

But there is much more to this guy than his drawings. He also happens to be one of the best storytellers around, one whose characters and situations are exceptionally compelling. None of the people or events in his stories ever feel like filler or formula. They all contribute beautifully to the work as a whole, be that contribution a thoughtful reflection on faith and morality or be it a good old-fashioned fart joke.

"Iron West," while it does carry a well-stated moral about responsibility and integrity, focuses more heavily on silliness than TenNapel's last few books. Whereas there is a good amount of philosophizing and allegory to be found in his "Creature Tech" (one of my very favorite graphic novels), TenNapel presents "Iron West" as more of a straight ahead romp. But it never, ever feels shallow or empty; it just feels incredibly fun. TenNapel pulls disparate elements--cowboys, robots, and numerous surprises which I would not want to ruin--into a coherent whole. Everything gels, and it does so in unpredictable and constantly delightful ways.

This is one of the most truly entertaining graphic novels I have ever read. I highly recommend it, as well as Doug TenNapel's other excellent books. "Creature Tech" is my personal favorite and an excellent place to start, but "Iron West" is tough to beat if you're in the market for a wild, bizarre, and truly satisfying ride.

Iron West has a sense of action and cool that I just don't see in the vast library of whiny emotional alternative comics that turn up every year. Still, I must admit the thought of a western sci-fi tale didn't really catch my attention at first, but knowing that the art would be great, that was enough to get me sold. Don't get me wrong, the art itself is reason enough to buy Iron West, as I have filpped through the pages just admiring it, but Iron West also has a fun story to back TenNapel's incredible style.

If you haven't figured out by now, the story of Iron West starts out with the protaganist, Preston Struck, being chased down by a group of bounty hunters, when he discovers a race of lethal robot cowboys and has to make the decision to save his town from being overrun. In the process of all this he faces a sasquatch, a shaman who is part of a colony of robot "Injuns" (Indians), and a giant train transformer with a western flare. Like his art, It's weird, and thats what makes it so interesting and worth your time. The whole story is non-stop action just like it should be. Surprisingly this is also the funniest of TeNapels's books and made me laugh quite a few times, something other GN's of this type don't even try at.

Iron West looks great, reads great, and is great. There really is no reason you shouldn't pick it up. Sure, it could have been longer but whats here is so good its more than forgivable. highly recommended.

I reccomend this book to any one. It is a touching story that opened my eyes to the horrors of the holcaust.

I'm ordering my second (replacement) set today-- I've lent these books out so many times, and I didn't get them back last time. I know why... these are books you can't forget, you don't want to lose, books you want to look at again and again and share with your friends. I've read much about the Holocaust and been moved by many stories, but none seemed more real or more human than these incredible comic strip figures. Spiegelman captures his father's attitude and dialect so well that I can hear him speak in my mind. Everyone should read these books, Jew or non-Jew, young or old. We must never forget.

This set of books is so terrifically done that I cannot recommend it enough. I have owned the set for a few years now, and every time I reread the books I notice another facet to the drawings or text that adds something new to the story. The first time you read the books, you won't have time to really look at the pictures, but as you read them again, read slowly and observe at the backgrounds and the other people in the panels.

I can only imagine how gut wrenching this series must have been to write for Mr. Spiegelman, but I thank him for doing so. This story brings the Holocaust down to such a personal level, the people in the story are real human beings whose lives don't just begin and end with the Holocaust. You get to see how they lived before, coped during, and survive with the memories of the war years.

Finally, to this day I am moved to tears by the last few pages of the second book. Although Vladek Spiegelman comes off as a racist miser at times (i.e., a real human with flaws), the reunion with Anja is drawn with such genuine emotion between the characters that it is almost painful to read. Imagine yourself in that situation with your significant other and the scene becomes so intensely emotional that you have to look away.

It helps to have a background in the Holocaust but is in no way necessary when reading this book. It should be part of everyone's library!

A few years ago, when I first read MAUS, I was filled with trepidation at the thought of a comic book about the holocaust. As a holocaust educator, I worried that any trivialization of the topic might do more harm than good. After I finished reading MAUS, I walked away believing it did a better job of communicating the loss, suffering and lifelong consequences better than almost any novel or scholarly work I had ever read.
Spiegleman could have bombed on this one: too much 'comic book' or too much history would have ruined the work and caused a nightmare. Instead, he found the most remarkable juxtaposition of human understanding and tragedy communicated sensitively and sorrowfully, in a way in which those of all ages can identify.
My concerns about the Jews portrayed as 'mice' were quickly allayed: these mice had more humanity than most people. The metaphor was so powerful and 'receivable' that I do not think it would have worked any other way. I would recommend it for High School and above, because of its intensity, but at the same time it's hyper-reality is so magnificent that no one studying the holocaust or Shoah, whether at the beginning level or far into a scholarly career, should escape reading it. It is a masterful classic and has left a lasting impression on me for the entire time of my own studies.
Elizabeth Kirkley-Best, PhD, Director: Shoah Education Project (Web)

Incredibly, this story could not have been told in any other medium - it had to be in comic form.

Vladek's story is amazing and horrible, and though he did not die in Auschwitz, perhaps he did not survive.

Speigleman captures his father's horror, and lack of horror in chilling detail, often with little editorial input.

I reread both books almost monthly, and never tired of putting voices to the drawings.

No simple review can wrap-up the power of these little drawings, or of Vladek's calm recall one of the most regretable events of the last century.

Compelling, frightening, powerful and addictive.

The box set is awsome.
Hard cover, high quality paper and tons of Peanuts.
Must have item!

If you enjoy Peanuts and love to get a sense of when the comics were actually printed - this whole series is for you. A true peanuts fan will love all these sets.

Peanuts in a great presentation and at a good price. What more can you ask for?

I have purchased other volumes of the complete peanuts, and am very impressed as to the quality of the cartoon images, pages, and binding. These are handsome books designed for a long term place on your shelf. At the prices on Amazon these are a great deal. A gift good for any child, or nostalgic adult.

Classic... that's the word that describes it 100%... classic Peanuts!! Nothing better! And it is put together in such a beautiful way all the way down to the binding and box that holds it!! Brilliant content and brilliantly put together!!!