Comics Books

Another great compilation of Pearls humor. I especially enjoyed Stephan Pastis' comments that are included with many of the strips. It is very interesting to read what prompted a particular strip or the types of responses he has received. This book includes my favorite strips, featuring Pig's enemy, Annie Mae, the sea anemone, and Rat's attempt at being a counselor.

Pastis' work just gets better and better. He is one of the wittiest cartoonists working today. His three comprehensive anthologies, "Lions, Tigers and Crocs, Oh My!" "Sgt. Piggys Lonely Hearts Club Comic," and "The Crass Menagerie," in that order, demonstrate the progressive growth of his command of the form and his inreasingly sure tragi/comic vision. He ranks up there with Walt Kelley and Charles Schultz. Now, if I could only get him to read my novel, "The Cold Dark Heart of the World."

---Wilson Roberts

Anyone who needs a lot of humor in their lives is in dire need of the work coming out of the disturbed mind of Stephan Pastis. The Crass Menagerie, the third treasury collection of the comic strip Pearls Before Swine, continues the daily "moral" lessons of Rat, Pig, Goat and Zebra ably supported by the ravenous but incompetent crocs, the loyal Guard Duck and a secondary cast of characters who have escaped the mind of Rat as he writes books with questionable life lessons. If you are unfamiliar with PBS, run to Amazon's order form and get all three of these treasuries. The previous treasuries are named "Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic" and "Lions and Tigers and Crocs Oh MY!" Pearls Before Swine is THE comic strip for the twenty first century.

Being a big PbS fan, I snapped this one up without reading the fine print: it's actually a reprint of strips already reprinted in two other books (Brudderhood of Zeeba Eeta Eeta and Sopratos). Pastis has added some funny comments on some of the strips, which prevents the book from being a total rip-off, but if you've already got the other ones, you don't need this one.

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE has grown exponentially in just a few years from being a small, West Coast comic strip to becoming a national powerhouse and one of the best comic strips being published. The strips are sometimes edgy, often relevant, and always funny (even at their lamest). THE CRASS MENAGERIE is the latest collection of Pearls strips and includes about a year and a half's worth of strips. I'm not sure of the exact dates, but if my memory doesn't mistake me these strips ran from about the beginning of 2005 to the middle of 2006.

Many of the strips include notes and commentary by Pastis. Even if you own every other collection of PEARLS, this treasury is worth owning for the notes from Pastis alone. PEARLS BEFORE SWINE remains my favorite current running comic strip, but this collection includes some of my favorite strips of all time from the series, including Pig's remote-controlled heart and the short-lived new neighbor the Orca (Killer Whale). Also featured in this volume is the general physical evolution of the crocs; the introduction and evolution of guard duck from being a violent and somewhat psychotic bird to the best guard animal on the planet; Lil' Bear's trip out West to find the one man who could have united the country; the series about Pig's arch nemesis the anemone; the introduction of the miniature Vikings; Rat's adventures babysitting the BABY BLUES kids; and PEARLS attempt to crash Blondie's 75th Anniversary Party.

The end of the book includes a short section entitled "The Not Ready For Prime Time Comic". Featured are several comics that were either rejected and not published before as well as some strips as they were originally submitted before they had to be edited. There's also one strip that Pastis started but was never able to complete.

Overall, this is a great collection of PEARLS BEFORE SWINE strips and an item that any fan of the strip is sure to enjoy. Also recommended for people who just enjoy reading good comic strips.

This is a pretty good purchase if you want to get mostly up to speed on 'The Darkness' comic. There are gaps here and there, such as events that occur in Witchblade and the Darkness/Batman crossover, but you get the meat of the story overall.

A great buy for Darkness fans. Though it took two weeks just to ship and the sender didnt bother wraping it in any kind of plastic to protect it during shipping so my copy has a few minor rips in the spin. Other then that great condition and a great read.

The Compendium allows you to catch-up on the history of The Darkness with the first 40 issues. Please note, it is missing a few of the cross-over issues like Witchblade #18 & #19, but it tells you which ones so you can get them later if you like. For the price and free shipping, you can't beat it! Warning: this book is fatter and heavier than some dictionaries with its 1280 pages, but so well worth the hand cramps it may cause in holding it. Not for children! After reading this, I recommend getting the Witchblade Compendium #1, as it will tie up a few of the lose ends you get when reading this. Enjoy!!!

I thought that the book was very captivating and over whelming in gory details. I also was taken on a magic roller coaster ride........of emotion. Super awesome until towards end when the new artist and writer took over and f*&%ed it in the @$$.

This is a great collection and my criticism must not be allowed to distract from this. I had not read The Darkness before, having returned to comics after a ten year absence and ordered the compendium on reputation and reveiws alone. The service was great, I was delivered in South Africa on time in pristine condition.

It's hard to comment on this publication without referring to its size. It is huge. While this is a good thing, it is not without its drawbacks. The compendium cannot be read as I would a standard graphic novel in that a degree of discipline is needed. I found myself racing through it missing the artwork and the natural pace a comic has by nature of its original monthly format. While the standard comic can be frustratingly short, nine or ten bound together is a great afternoon's read, taking time to savour each panel. Over 1200 pages is a bit indigestable and I would have perhaps preffered to buy a series of smaller collections to make up the whole. Text close to the spine is difficult to get to without risking the spine and it's not something that would be easily shared with a friend, being a bit unweildy to lend out or have someone help themselves to over a coffee (unless they are a comic enthusiast).

Having said all of this there is still something nice about it being ridiculously huge.

While I am particularly "non-religious", I do find myself questioning the content at times (as enjoyable as it might be). There is a point or two where I was struck than a line was being pushed, such as the offhand killing of an inocent person because its all our hero could come up with on short notice to save himself or the ham-fisted religious references in the Magdelina editions. This is obviously a discomfort I have with the genre itself. Violent dark action/humour would perhaps be less enjoyable if it didn't push the boundry of moral offensiveness. Potential purchasers should know that this one does so more than most and is certainly not for kids.

I am however splitting hairs on what is an excellent collection; the artwork is fantastic, and the humour dark. In my opinion it is the best of the genre.

This was a very unique story that kept you guessing until the end. The characters keep you entertained and laughing all the way through. I am definitely looking forward to the sequel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - a most unusual murder mystery with a cast of characters and a good dose of comic relief. A great surprise ending. Since I learned a long time ago, "never assume anything", this phrase definitely fit this book's ending. Quick and easy read, but entertaining. I have already passed the book along to my sister knowing she will enjoy it and pass it on to others.

I met Fay Rownell at a book-signing and found her fun to talk to. The combination of humor, mystery, and two surprise endings caught me, so I bought her book. As I read it I wanted to predict at least one surprise ending, but I wasn't even close. It wasn't a problem keeping the many characters distinct: Nick's "accent," Tiffany's "gargantuan" boobs, her sister Lydia, the lisping coroner, snake-man Henri, sleazy Ralph, and all the rest. I will be first on line to buy "Life-Shaken and Stirred." (Dorothy) Jeanne Gualtieri.

Pick a night when you won't be interrupted. Once you start you will not be able to put this book down. The author peaks your interest from page one. Can't wait for the next one.

I totaly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. The characters were so funny, I laughed out loud many times. The use of animals as clients only adds to the uniqueness of the book. This is definately one that you don't figure out the ending until you finish the book. I can't wait for the next book. Keep them coming.

This story just keeps getting better and better! What more twists and turns can the author come up with? I'm an adult and I love this Manga. It is a page turner and keeps me on the edge of my seat. What will two Kiras do to ruin the world? Oh my god!

This is an amazing book! And probably even better was the person/company I bought it from. The item arrived fast and on time as promised in great condition.

Light and L off to uni.


The situation gets more complicated as Light is starting university, and at the opening ceremony he is to speak at, he finds he has a co-speaker, who whispers to him that he is actually L!

The cat and mouse game between them continues, and Light's father having a heart attack and the discovery of a new 'Kira' and Death Note do no make anything more straightforward. All the deviousness in this serious can certainly make your head hurt.

This is one of the most original manga ever written. Read other reviewers for great plot summaries. If you are reading these reviews your question must be, "Is this something I want to read?" Death Note, unlike a great deal of manga, you have to read. It has wonderful artwork, some of the best I have ever seen. But, the art does not carry the story, the words carry this story. In volume 1, Light finds the Death Note, and at first it seems like killing all criminals is a good idea. But, by volume 2, you begin to see what the power of the Death Note is doing to Light. Volume 3, introduces a new character to the story that complicates the story line, but in a good way. If this series was a movie it would be considered "film noir". It is dark, with many plot twists, microscopic viewing of the line between good and evil, and how that line can be twisted to suit the person doing the twisting. This manga is a thinking manga. After you finish each volume, you will find yourself thinking about it, worrying over some of the plots like a dog with a bone. think, think, think. Enjoy!

The general summary of the `Death Note' manga: Light Yagami, a High Honors student, still maintains his cool in playing the secretive part of Kira, the murderer who kills inmates with heart attacks. This is all accomplished by the Death Note, a notebook belonging to one of the Shinigami death Gods. The Death Note supplies the rules of how to use it, and Ryuk, the Shinigami owner of the notebook that Light now holds in his possession, has to stick around Light until the Notebook is handed to someone else, destroyed, or Light himself is killed. However, notorious super sleuth known as L is hot on Kira's (Light's) heels in sending the murder to his execution.

In Volume Three, Light manages to get Ryuk to locate the cameras and bugs around his room, planted there by L's authority, in exchange for a place to eat his apples in secret. To fool L into thinking that Light is not Kira, Light pretends to do the things he used to do before the Death Note fell into his life. Light knows that if L is watching him, he cannot screw anything up, and knows that if no murders have been reported while he is being watched, L would know that Light is Kira. To fool the man, Light plants a LCD Television in a bag of chips so all L sees when Light goes into his room is a young man studying hard for his entrance exams while having a snack. L dose not see the section of the Death Note taped into the bag of chips along with the LCD, and that each time Light sticks his hand in the bag, he writes one letter of a suspect's name that he watches while eating chips, then withdraws it. This is one of the many things Light has up his sleeve, but despite this, L is still watching him very closely.

L even comes up to Light in person, proclaiming that he is L after Light graduates from school, moving on to a college. Light, never seeing that L would ever come up to him saying he's L, panics for a while, but then regains his cool and decides that if he was to kill L without anyone suspecting it was him, he would have to be L's closest friend...before he was to finish him off. L himself is wondering whether or not Light is really Kira, but after overstress gives Light's father a heart attack and L sees the corny act that Light gave in his father's presence, L is starting to wonder if Light really isn't Kira. Despite this, he wishes Light work in capturing Kira, even though L still suspects Light to be Kira, if only for a small percentage.

However, when things seem to get worse for L, a second Kira is added into the fold. Now it is a race of time to see whether L or Light will get to the second Kira first to get a fair advantage of the situation. L, to find the whereabouts of the first Kira and to see how he kills his victims; and Light, who would use the second L for his own gain in the execution of L. For the second Kira possesses something only Light knows: the Shinigami Eyes, a deal made by the Shinigami who give humans the power to see the person's name and lifespan by looking at them, though this cuts their own lifespan in half.

This is a really suspenseful volume that really gets you reading. Very recommended.

First off, the artwork is good, the plot is simple and the only reason I dropped a star was because I wanted more. The story does seem to move slowly, with lots of background information dumped onto us, but the setting is strange and interesting, with ideas unlike most stories and webcomics before it, so you need some data to help understand the world. I hope there are more volumes out there.

A very well written and well drawn comic. I have enjoyed it in it's online version and definitely would purchase more should they come around.

On occasion, I feel compelled to try something new. I had never seen the Earthsong webcomic prior to purchasing this book, so I had no idea what this book was about. But the cover illustrations, plus some other good reviews, convinced me to take a chance on it.

It was a good gamble. The interior pages are filled with lush color and beautiful artwork. A quick thumb through it showed me numerous interesting characters with an incredible variety. Then I got around to reading the story. And the story was just as good as the artwork.

Lady Yates has developed an intriguing storyline, with sentient planets (and stars), a quasi-mythology, and of course a conflict. Added to that is Willow, the central character who has no memory (and even the other characters have no clue about her), and is justifiably overwhelmed by the events she is literally dropped into. The other characters also have distinct personalities. Their special talents (superpowers? magical abilities? whatever) do not eclipse the characters or storyline.

The first volume ends far too soon; hopefully there will be many more published. I found myself rereading the book several times, enjoying the glorious artwork and trying to guess where the story would be going. Of course, I quickly sought out the webcomic site too.

Thanks to Lady Yates for a wonderful new story.

The artwork in Earthsong is a fairly unique style, and over time continues to improve as the artist continues the story. The first volume (this one) is actually entirely redrawn, and some of the original story has been revised for the print edition. The result of this is a very beautiful book, cover-to-cover. From the first page spread, which features the main character laying under a beautiful tree, to the pages in which we meet the main villain, this book does not dissapoint either in drawing or writing.

The story is as stunning as the artwork, with character depth being the primary draw for me. Characters like Nanashi, K'thonya, and Felucca become quick favorites as the main character (named Willow) learns more about them, and more about her new surroundings in a quest to find out who exactly, or what exactly she is.

Earthsong is definitely a story that anyone can pick up (it's child-friendly), and is beautifully drawn and written so it will also keep you entertained throughout. The only bad part about it, is when you get to the last page and realize you can't keep going.

There are so many reasons why Earthsong is worth buying. Number one has to be the art though, it's one gorgeous page after the other. The colors are jaw dropping, the characters are extremely well designed, and overall if for nothing else you'll want to buy it just to be able look at something this gorgeous.

But you'll want to buy it for more then that. Because the storyline is as good as the artwork. It's engaging and unique, but has a lot of very familiar tones to it that will entertain sci-fi, fantasy, and even action/adventure fans alike. In my opinion, it's one of the best on-line to print comics since megatokyo.

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

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

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

I thought I'd over extended when I bought it a coupla years ago. Now I see it was a worthy investment. There is so much here. It's actually a heavy book, literally. I can't even dig all into it and it's comics. There's just a ton here and it continues to wait for me to dig further. There are so many stories and you enter a world that you know exists somewhere out there, portrayed lovingly in these pages. Definitely worth getting, though now it's a steeper price. I wonder if it'll cost more in 3 years? 10? Comics with a Mexican flavor yet straight outta the heart of the Chicano life. I dig it. I think you will too if yer considering buying it.

Growing up in an artistic family, I was read Love and Rockets as a very young girl. The drawings, language, and storyline always intrigued me and till this day, I think of Luba as part of my family. She is very real to me, because she is like my mother (really). Such a dynamic, sexy character. People may say that Beto is lacking in his half of the L&R series but I disagree on so many levels.

I started reading Love & Rockets when I was in college in the mid 80s. It blew me away in terms of writing, style, layout. Gilbert is not the best technically, but he more than makes up for it in his storytelling and pacing. I continued reading the stories of Palomar until the mid 90s when other life issues took up most of my time. It was wonderful rediscovering this magnificent work in a single volume. Likewise, Locas by Gilbert's brother Jaime is a superlative body of work (700 pages!). Both volumes should take their deserved place on any comic book lovers shelf.

I've loved the Palomar stories ever since a friend handed me "Heartbreak Soup" (an earlier compilation of a few of the stories). The characters are wonderfully real, the art is expressive, and the strange, strange stories are always entertaining.

What a treat to have all of the Palomar stories in one (huge) volume! I totally agree with the reviewer who said that now Jaime Hernandez should follow suit, and release "Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories" (or whatever title he likes, as long as it's the complete Maggie and Hopey).

I never knew quite where Engima was going to take me until I was finished with it. At times I was confused -- hell, most of the time I was confused. I worried that it would become too preachy or philosophical to be enjoyable; I worried it would fall into randomness and end without making sense; I worried it would fall victim to awkward stereotypes. It did none of these things.

Enigma is a fantastic story, dark and twisted. The art reflects this well; it may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but it's fitting enough that it shouldn't be a problem for almost anyone once they get into the story.

The characters begin simply, and through the events of the story grow three-dimensional so that you can't help but care for them. The villains are twisted and fantastic: Envelope Girl especially is a favorite of mine, though she overall isn't entirely important as a character.

Michael is a twenty-something nobody whose life continues every week in such a repetitive way that it could only be called obsessive compulsive; he wears his underwear according to the days of the week and only has sex on Tuesdays. His world is shaken when the first villain appears, and soon he realizes that they're from a three-issue comic he loved as a child. Titus is the creator of the comic, an older, gay man who was too stoned while writing it to make sense of it himself, though he's praised as a prophet by a group of youths called the Enigmatics. And there's the Enigma himself, alternately loved and hated by the populace of the city he more or less protects, and properly enigmatic himself. And the narrator -- an omnipresent voice with an all-encompassing knowledge of the story, full of scorn and contempt for those he tells the story and for the characters within, withholding knowledge and becoming, as he does so, a well-developed character himself.

And the ending -- the ending is perfect. You may be unsure of the story all the way until then, but the ending wraps it all together, fits every piece into place without a space between. Fantastic.

I attempted to read Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo's ENIGMA series back in 1993 and gave up about halfway through it, seeing it as an indulgent mess that would leave me with no explanations as to what was going on. When the trade was released in 1995, I read the whole thing and was annoyed that a story with so many angles would seemingly just boil down to an issue of the main character's sexuality. Forward to 2007: I pick up the trade during a rebirth of my interest in Vertigo books, read it in one day, and am amazed. I finally got it. Yes, ENIGMA does place a heavy emphasis on sexual preference, but it's so much more.

Michael Smith's routine life is shattered by the arrival of the Enigma, a superhero from his childhood. Battling such bizarre foes as the Head, the Truth, Envelope Girl, and the Interior League (my personal favorites, like something from Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol), it is apparent to Michael that the lines between fantasy and reality are blurring, and clues lead him to believe that he is somehow responsible. Michael tracks down the comic's creator, Titus Bird, and the two of them work to reveal the Enigma's identity and how he came to be. In turn, the Enigma helps Michael to discover quite a number of things about himself, but ultimately, this is a story postulating how four-color superheroes could exist in the "real world". Let's face it... if real people had superpowers, they likely wouldn't dress in garish costumes and speak in purple prose, so how could this happen? Your answer is here.

Milligan's story is excellent, now that I finally got my head around it (gee, it only took me 14 years). There's not one boring bit in the entire book, and the narration is excellent, providing just the right amount of "gotcha" at the conclusion. Fegredo's art is spectacular, as always, with every person and object carefully rendered. A perfect team for a perfect book!

I'm an avid reader of both comics and novels, and must say this is definitely one of, if not The best, graphic novels I've read thus far. Although the artwork is a bit scratchy, it quickly fits in with the mood of the story and even adds to the effect. The story itself deals with many interesting psychological and personal topics including homosexuality, responsibility, disillusionment, and the frailty of the human mind. The characters each have their own quirky, unusual backgrounds that will stimulate your brain cells and draw you into the tale, such as the average joe who was tranformed into a mind-devouring monster after a short chat with a dead lizard. And as you can probably tell by now, this book does have its quirks, so be prepared for a truly unique read.

My problem with this comic is that I really could never like this iper realistic drawing style which boast every single line fo people faces so that even those supposed to be very good looking (Enigma himself and the model Victoria Yes) look deformed.
It was a deliberate choice of course, I simply do not share it.

This booklet is self contained and tells us the story of an average straight boy leading a very average life meeting the -male- hero from the comics he used to read as a child.
The idea fo a comic about a comic is not bad and brings forth some fairly interesting issues: identity, sexual identity, children mistreatment, etc.
I was not overwhelmed by enthusiasm but other people might be.

A lot of gore and some topics (nudity and mild gay sex among them) make this booklet unsuitable for minors.

Brilliant comic with a great twist at the end. Very underated from Vertigo's early days. Offbeat characters like Envelope Girl and Titus Bird bring this book to life paying homage to 70's whacked out comics world. Enjoy! and then what?

If you have always wanted to get the Drizzt stories but can't stand Salvatore's writing style this is the way to go. Great art, great story, fun dialogue. All in one quick to read package. Put it on your summer reading list, or if your a comic geek that is tired of the Fantasy genre being ignored by the big two.

R.A. Salvatore himself claims that this graphic rendition of his famous book is as faithful as it could get. Coupled with Tim Seeley's clean yet evocative illustrations, this book gives old and new fans something for keeps. Kudos to the team at Devil's Due publishing. One could only hope that they extend their work to other Forgotten Realms literature.

The writers and artists that created this book did an excellent job of capturing the essence of Salvatore's first Drizzt book. I had high hopes for this work and was not disappointed in the least. The whole story is told here in an abbreviated but thorough way that, together with the art, tells the story of Drizzt's childhood in a powerful way. The strict and wicked society of the drow is nicely captured. I'd even go so far as to say that the art adds more depth to the original story. This is no substitute for Salvatore's novel, but as a supplement it can bring the story to a whole new level.

One thing I hadn't realized about the drow was that all of their women are so very well-endowed. Either drow plastic surgeons are kept very busy, or female drow just naturally have extremely voluptuous bodies. Personally, I thought it added to the story. Very enjoyable. But seriously, the Underdark (particularly Menzoberanzen) was brought to life by the beautifully detailed art in this book. Some of the artistic representations of various monsters was somewhat different than I had pictured in my head while reading the books (such as the handmaiden of Lloth and the earth elemental), but I'm sure Salvatore approved everything so this must be pretty much how he envisions it. Regardless, this is a beautifully done book that captures the magic of the original Homeland and even adds some depth to the story.

The only complaint I had with this adaptation was the omission of Drizzt's letters before each section. Drizzt's writings add feeling to the novels and I would have hoped that they would have included them in these graphic novels. Maybe they'll consider it for some of the later editions.

Overall, I was very impressed with this book. It does an excellent job of representing the original and is fun to read. Excellent art enhances the story.

The dark elves of the Forgotten Realms live deep underground, in the Underdark, where they plot their revenge against the light elves of the surface, and wage interminable inter-clan wars against each other. On the very night when his clan annihilates another clan, Drizzt Do'Urden is born. He is destined to be special, unbeatable with two swords, and yet separated from his people by a conscience. This is the story of Drizzt, his birth, his coming of age, and his discover of what he is and what he can be.

R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden stories have been a perennial favorite with fantasy story readers, well known for their action and for their gripping storylines. Now, Devil's Due Publishing has brought out the first Drizzt Do'Urden story in graphic novel format, and I must say that it is fantastic! They did a terrific job of capturing Mr. Salvatore's characters, and I thought that the illustration work was excellent.

So, if you are a fan of R.A. Salvatore, or are just a fan of great fantasy, then get this book. You will not be disappointed!

Dark Elf Trilogy Volume 1 is a compilation of a series of comics about the elven ranger Drizzt. I was not disappointed by the book. The art style is attractive and fresh, particularly the eyes, and I thought the characers were well-drawn. The artist really captured the essence of the dark elves, a troubled race.

Peeves? I was a bit annoyed that every female drow seemed to dress as though she shopped at Victoria Secret of the Underdark. Surely in a society where women rule and men are chattel skimpy clothing would be the norm for men? Also, while I love Drizzt, this graphic novel only underscored what a Mary Sue the character actually is. Drizzt is a little too perfect, and his views a bit too modern. I think anyone raised in a society as perverse as the drows would've gotten a bit more accustomed to violence early on. Drizzt is constantly shocked, appalled and amazed at the violence surrounding him.

Still, this was a fast, exciting read. I'd recommend it for older teens and adults. Some subject matter (such as sacrifice), nudity, and demon worship are not suitable subjects for small kiddies.

The world that Jim Woodring has created is unique and very different. His drawing is precise and clear so you have no difficulty understanding what shapes and forms you are looking at, but it isn't a place you've ever been to before. Fortunately, it's just barely familiar enough to be understandable and, also fortunately, it's also so different that it's totally fascinating.
The book consists of a number of short stories or episodes collected from the Frank comic book series. There is no dialogue but Woodring is brilliant at telling a story with pictures. Some stories have an understandable plot and some don't. At least on the conscious level they don't. They often still feel like a story even though you would be hard-pressed to explain why.
It's very satisfying to read/view the Frank stories, but you should probably be someone who enjoys David Lynch, surreal art, sci-fi, fantasy, and jazz.

Sitting in front of a computer screen, trying to think of a title that would truly encompass the spirit of Jim Woodring's insane little fables, only the word "Wow" came to mind. Wow. Regardless of whom you are, what walk of life you come from, even what language you speak, "Frank" will floor you, simple as that.

On first glance these stories look like the drug-fueled dreams of a madman, simultaneously evoking a sense of awe and horror from the reader. The world of Frank, an anamorphic creature that looks like a combination of several different animals, is one that's utterly alien to our own yet oddly familiar. Frank himself is an enigma, at times innocently curious, while other times cruel and vengeful. The creatures, if you could call them that, which share this world with Frank are just as odd: from Frank's faithful companion Pupshaw to the vile and conniving Manhog.

The stories that occur within this world are equally bizarre and seemingly nonsensical, yet underneath the surreal nature of these stories lurks meaning. I won't even attempt to analyze the themes of these tales, as I seriously doubt there is a single concrete message to any of the stories contained in this volume. Every person probably has different interpretations for Frank's world: biblical metaphor, morality tale, apocalyptic fable or just insane fun. You can look as deep as you want into these stories, or just read them for hallucinogenic kicks.

I've never read, seen or imagined anything quite like the world of Frank, and I doubt I ever will. It manages to tap into a universal subconscious, screw around with it, and spit out a couple dozen of insane little stories for your reading pleasure. It's a staggering work of a demented genius and needs to be experienced by anyone who calls themselves a comic fan.

...or something like that. How else to describe beautiful art like this? It is an art that goes well beyond simply capturing our dreams and nightmares. Rather, it brings them back to us along with the whole pieces and scattered fragments that we'd forgotten we'd experienced. Absurd and thought-provoking, it brings joy to our hearts with one moment and shocking fear to our brains with the next. It is as grotesque and sublime as life, but at first glance it looks nothing like it. But once you immerse yourself into it, you will see it and you will enjoy it. I promise you will.

Nothing can be said to describe the experience of reading this book. The only way to understand is to read it yourself -which I cannot recommend enough.

Just buy this book.

I read The Frank Book, and my eyeballs fell out.

I love the Fruits Basket Series and this is the third two manga installment. For those who haven't read the series it's the best ever a must read series for manga fans. The fact that they have made the more affordable 2 book hardback volumes of the series speaks more than anything I could say.

Natsuki Takaya, Fruits Basket, vol. 3 (Tokyopop, 2000)

After a quick re-read of vol. 2 to get my head back into the right place, I decided to continue on with Fruits Basket and see if I liked it any more than I did the first time I tried the series a few years ago. I started reading manga with Fruits Basket and Tarot Cafe, and I wasn't very impressed with either of them. I now realize this is because they're not for beginners; manga conventions are such that, at times, an entire issue of a manga can seem like an in-joke, and an artist's style can be such that most of the characters look similar, if not identical. Takaya and Sang-Son Park (of Tarot Cafe) have both these traits (I'm not sure I can call them drawbacks, but you know) in spades. Now that I have a lot more manga experience under my belt, this is a little easier going, but I'm still having problems telling some characters apart (though Takaya has hinted that in at least one case, this is intentional), and it keeps me from fully immersing myself in the story. I'm going to keep on with it, but where shojo is concerned, I have to say Godchild and Fushigi Yugi really do seem to do it better. ***

If you love mangas and love a story that gives you every emotion a story can give you, then this is the book for you. The main part of the story is comedy but it does have a lot of other emotions to it and there are a lot of plot eliments that will keep you wanting to read. I don't want to give anything away so I wont, you'll just have to read it. ^_^

I own this series in Japanese, and it is a wonderful read! It has all the important elements of a good shoujo manga: it is romantic, twisted, with a shoujo (in the traditional meaning of the word) involved in finding a new family and love triangles galore. It is just a very fun read, no matter the language!

Valentine's day is creeping up on the Sohmas, and for a family that turns into animals when they're hugged by the opposite sex, this could be a problem.

Fortunately Natsuki Takaya doesn't resort to the obvious gags, in the third volume of "Fruits Basket." Instead, she introduces some new members of the Chinese zodiac, brings a couple back into the picture, and sheds some light on Shigure's shady motives for keeping Tohru in his house.

While on an endurance run, Tohru sees a white-haired man lying by the roadside, and rushes to help -- only to find that he's Hatsuharu Sohma, a punky teenager. He and Kyo soon get into a martial-arts (and verbal) free-for-all -- until Yuki collapses from an asthma attack. To get him back home, Haru uses Tohru to change into his cursed form.

Things get even more awkward when Valentine's Day rolls around, and Kyo finds himself being violently wooed by Kagura. And while the four teens go off on a double date, Shigure pays an old visit to his pal Hatori, and hints at the lengths he's willing to go to... for the sake of a "dream of love" he once had. When, of course, he's not torturing his suicidal editor.

And a month later, Momiji unveils a surprise for Tohru -- a trip to a hot spring resort, run by a very easily upset "concubine." Tohru and Yuki are given a chance to relax and unwind in the luxurious surroundings -- and Tohru makes a very surprising discovery about Momiji's future.

Having introduced five zodiac members -- plus the cat -- Takaya keeps introducing new characters, and showing us facets of the established ones. And that takes up most of this volume -- it's one of the lighter "Fruits Basket" volumes, with lots of comic relief ("LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!") usually provided by Momiji, the violently adoring Kagura, and the sickly onsen lady.

Most of the plot is light, frothy character development with a crazy double-date, lots of chocolate, and Haru's story about how Yuki won him over despite his prejudices. But there is some melancholy meditation on how cruel people take advantage of selfless people like Tohru, and some of the secrets that older zodiac members are keeping from our teen heroes.

Of course, this volume also introduces us to Haru, a teen who looks like a raver, but acts like a dignified gentleman. Of course, he has a lecherous, gleefully violent dark side if he's pushed too far. We also get Mitchan, the long-suffering editor who threatens suicide of Shigure doesn't start turning in new books on time ("Then do your job for your own sake! Because if you don't, you're forcing me to make your life as miserable as MINE!").

Shigure himself shows some new facets beyond "lovable pervy troublemaker" -- his intentions are revealed to be almost sinisterly selfish, and though he feels regret he won't change his plans. It's a striking, almost haunting scene, and it shows us a lot about his true personality.

The third volume of "Fruits Basket" is mostly fluffy fun and new characters, but it also shows some of the darker currents that run through the series. Definitely a good read.