Graphics Books

This first brick-like volume contains Giant-Size X-Men #1, and then (Uncanny) X-Men #94-131. This is the whole first Chris Claremont/David Cockrum run, and the more sizeable part of the revered Claremont/John Byrne run. There are a lot of "classic" stories here, including the "Phoenix Saga", the debut of Alpha Flight, "Proteus," and the first part of the "Dark Phoenix Saga" (it seems like an odd place to cut off, but reading these comics makes you realize that there's seldom any clear ending point between arcs; there's always at least two things happening, and one is never resolved in the same issue as the other).

It is, all and all, a hugely enjoyable run, and there are all kinds of first appearances scattered throughout the story. The primary lineup is fairly consistent throughout, with Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Banshee (a lot of people also include Jean Grey in this, but she's not really a team member [she's not mentioned in the blurb on the opening page], but a supporting character, and is usually dragged into the action); Professor X is in the background, and former X-Men Beast, Havok, and Polaris show up several times.

One thing to note is that a lot of people talk about how the modern X-Men comics are too often dragged into stuff that shouldn't really involve the X-Men, and then offer up this period as a counter-example; given that there are several times when the X-Men cross over with, of all things, "Power Man and Iron Fist", for no reason other than Chris Claremont was involved with that series too, this period is perhaps not the best example (the most bizarre of these being Storm venturing back to her birthplace, finding it inhabited by a bunch of junkies who try to knife her, only to be rescued by Luke Cage, who then delivers a lecture of kids wasting their lives). Now, there are a couple of stories that deal specifically with mutants, but most of the time it's just the X-Men in well-done superhero adventures.

As a diehard fan of the 90s "X-Men: The Animated Series", reading this makes you realize just how many of that show's stories were based on the Claremont comics fairly directly; not just the big stuff like the two "Phoenixes" and "Proteus", but also "Xavier Remembers" (#117) and "Repo Man." (#120-121) I actually liked the animated series' version of "Proteus" a lot better; in the comic version, Proteus is a pretty straightforwardly Pure Evil, refers to Joe as "the-one-I-hate," and, for an episode that deals with such a key component of Moira's life, not having Professor X there seems like a real waste. The Animated Series version does something a lot more interesting with Proteus; it focusses on the idea of Kevin as an isolated youth who doesn't understand why his father isn't around, and pursues him despite the clear evidence that Joe is a jerk. It also focusses squarely on Professor X's complicated relationship with Moira, and his attempts to help Proteus. Finally, it uses Proteus to touch on other characters' feelings of rejection because of their mutancy (Rogue), and also on political cynicism (Joe is a "family values" politician who doesn't want to be seen with his son because he's a mutant).

Another thing that's fairly impressive about this run is the narrative flow, which just doesn't let up most of the time. Consider this series of events:

#111 - Beast comes to rescue the X-Men from Mesmero in Texas. At issue's end, they are confronted by Magneto.
#112-113 - Magneto captures the X-Men, flies them to his Antarctic fortress, and imprisons them. They escape, and while Phoenix and Beast end up on the surface, thinking the others are dead, the others end up leaving by a different route, thinking Phoenix and Beast are dead.
#114-116 - While Beast and Phoenix get home and misinform Professor X, the X-Men have an adventure in the Savage Land, including a reunion with Sauron and Ka-Zar, and their first meeting with future continuity-annoyance Zaladane.
#117 - The X-Men get out of the Antarctic, and are rescued by a Japanese vessel on a shady government-sponsored adventure, necessitating radio silence until they get back to Japan.
#118-119 - The X-Men get to Japan, find several Power Man and Iron Fist characters (and one of their villains) there, and help save Japan. They team up with Sunfire once again, and Mariko appears for the first time.
#120-121 - The X-Men catch a flight home, only to be intercepted by Alpha Flight, looking to retrieve Wolverine. Thanks to a somewhat contrived and anti-climactic ending, they fail.
#122 - The X-Men finally get home. Now that's a world tour. It takes several more issues to clarify that the X-Men/Jean and Beast aren't dead, since Professor X has decamped to the Shi'ar Empire with Lilandra, and Jean is off on Muir Island with Moira, Havok, Polaris, and Multiple Man.

One final great feature of the Omnibus is the old Letters Pages ("Mutant Mailbox"), where you get to read people complaining about how Claremont and Cockrum suck, and the original X-Men should be brought back (one letter, in particular, complains about how nothing ever really changes at Marvel, and how they're sure that the old X-Men will be back in action quickly, just like Reed and Sue never stay apart, etc.).

This collection has fallen out of print, so it goes for rather exorbitant sums, but for anyone interested in the classic era of the Uncanny X-Men, this is a strongly-recommended purchase.

The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus volume 1 is a must-have book for any X-Fan. Content-wise you get X-Men #94-131, Annual #3, and Giant Size #1. This features the introduction of the new X-Men, the legendary Claremont & Byrne issues taking us into the Dark Phoenix Saga. If you haven't read these then you're in for an incredible ride. Getting so many issues in an omnibus is like getting 4 seasons of a tv show on dvd to watch. If you have read these there is no better collection than this. Production-wise the reproduction and coloring has never been better (yes, better than the Marvel Masterworks #1-4 which overlap with this omnibus). The binding is solid and built to last. Considering X-Men #94 can go easily for several hundred dollars, this omnibus is a bargain considering how many issues are collected. If you're thinking of getting it...don't wait if you see a copy. Big books like this tend to go (and stay) out of print because of low print runs, the expensive cost of printing, and the amount of space they take up for distributors. Unless you want to end up reading these in a digital form, get the book while there are still copies around. For the massive volume of content, the quality of the content, and the A+ book production values, this is easily the best X-collection ever.

I don't have this book, as its been out of print/sold out for a while; yet I've read all the single issues and like everyone else, this run of Claremont/Byrne is one of the best runs of all time.

Plus I just read on Diamonds website that its being Offered Again!! That means no more $150 copies!! Give Amazon a week or two and this should be available again for retail or even discounted again!

Truly awesome! I wish they could put every x men into one giant book. Bring on X Men Omnibus vol. 2!

This collection of the first 5 years of Claremont's run on Uncanny X-men is a great value. Great quality of the reprinting. My only complaint is minor, that the omnibus overlaps with the first 3 issues in the Dark Phoenix Sage tpb.

Also this book will be getting a new printing in November. Don't pay the marked up prices sellers are gouging for now, just wait. It was in the newest comic solicits from Marvel, it is being reprinted.

A clear and concise exercise to understanding basic animation. As anyone who has ever used Maya can tell you, it's a HUGE program and can be overwhelming in its complexity. So many instructional books throw as much functionality of the program at you as possible, and as a result you end up walking away with only a few tricks that are often unrelated to each other in the context of seeing a project through from beginning to end. This book avoids the clutter and distractions of many of the flashier aspects of Maya and instead focuses on the information required to familiarize the reader with the basics of animation. Each chapter builds upon the knowledge acquired in the previous chapter and is reinforced by well thought out and pertinent tutorial projects.

By the end of the book you will feel ready to take on your own animation projects with confidence.

This is a great book to learn to understand and use Maya. It's well organized and makes you understand not only how to do it, but also why to do it. Recommended.

Park does a skilful job of minimising the amount of maths that a newcomer to Maya needs. Or, perhaps, it is Maya that does that. Anyhow, traditional texts on graphics (think Foley and van Dam) are replete with maths. Usually matrix algebra. But also for the physics of ray tracing etc. What this book demonstrates is showing how to use Maya for many 3D graphics tasks, often without having to explicitly deal with the underlying maths. Like manipulating NURBs or single or multiple light sources. Or dealing with shading issues.

As is common nowadays in graphics texts, there are several colour plates, with cartoon characters made with Maya. Impressive functionality.

I had long wanted to begin the process of learning Maya, but was intimidated every time I opened the damned program. John Park's book allowed me to grow past that fear and build a strong foundation in understanding the program. His instructions are easy to follow and his exercises (included on an accompanying CD) provide real world experiences for learning Maya's basics. Additionally, it is a well-rounded instruction manual that teaches about many aspects of the program (instead of a few particulars). Please buy this book, so Mr. Park is encouraged to release additional manuals!

Park's book is exceptional because it has a simple, easy to follow tutorial format that has you modeling, shading, animating and rendering all in the first chapter. Each chapter builds on the last expanding the skills together as an integrated group. Maya is an awsome program that is fun work with, but its shear size can make it overwhelming for a beginner. Because of this most books either specialize in only one aspect of it, or serve as a general pictorial menu of what you can do but don't adequately tell you how. Park's book stays at just the right level so you feel excited rather than overwhelmed, and by the end you have developed a working knowledge of all the major menu sets, and you have completed a rather sophisticated animation. You can then move on to any other Maya book with confidence, or just continue working with the knowledge you've gained. You don't even have to buy Maya. It comes with a copy of Maya Personal Learning Edition on the tutorial CD.

The Water's Edge is a beautifully-written saga . . . reminiscent of the literary classics that have withstood the test of time-a novel as lyrical and mesmerizing as Derek Walcott's Omeros. Parker's words and descriptions, artistically wrought, have shaped a haunting story that lingers with the reader long after the last page is turned."
RAINELLE BURTON, AUTHOR OF THE ROOT WORKER

"The Water's Edge" was definitely one book I could not put down! I felt I knew these people and what they went through. Parker's descriptions of the ship, the crossing, the tending to different baking fires, were all incredibly interesting without getting bogged down with technical aspects. I especially enjoyed Mary Cooper, Abigail and Ruth (what wonderfully good, strong women), as well as watching young Ben's boyhood's dreams develop into reality. Her creative fiction set to the backdrop of historical facts, made for an exciting, interesting and informative tale. Like all great books, I hated to see it come to an end.

I have read the "The Water's Edge" written by Virginia Bailey Parker. It is an excellent story blending fiction with obvious historical information. Providing the family trees was a wonderful way to help keep and sort the cast of characters. Katherine, Mary, Abigail, and Ben were my favorite people. The book ended well, but too soon. I hope Virginia will write a sequel so I can find out where their lives took them.

I passed the book along for others to read. I am hearing that they also have become enthralled with the book.

Place everything you need for personal survival within your reach before you open this book - because you won't be leaving the sofa until you've read the very last page. Masterfully woven, The Water's Edge brings the early days of Salem to life. This is the way History SHOULD be taught in schools, through the passion and courage of "the people" rather than droning lists of dates and laws. I read the entire volume in two days, unable to pull myself away - even ordered pizza for Sunday dinner so I wouldn't have to put it down to cook. My 76 year old mother read it the next weekend and was equally enthralled. I hope we don't have to wait 20 years for Virginia's next book, but even if it takes that long to write another as wonderful as The Water's Edge, I'll be first in line at the checkout counter.

"The Water's Edge" is a historical novel set in the 1600's in England and the fledgling colonies of the New World. For those who enjoy a storyline that follows a family or group of families through their daily life this will be a great read. The book follows three families from England to the American colonies as they seek a better life. Using the vehicle of a historical novel Virginia Parker does a masterful job of showing the complex relationships between the Quakers, the Puritans, the Indians, profit seekers, and those whose primary purpose was religious conversion. The reader comes to understand the difficulties of life in the colonies and many of the problems and triumphs to be had there. Become a part of the families as you live their hopes, their dreams, and their realities. A well-done, recommended book for anyone who enjoys fiction based on historical events.

Autism is something that has recently been discovered and has yet to be fully understood. Why? Because it comes in many different forms and has often been mistaken for other things.
How do I know?
Like the young boy in this gripping, visually beautiful novel, I have autism as well. It called aspersers, and though my form is rather mild, I've it some road blocks like Sachiko and Hikaru have faced.
Maybe that's one of the reason I have enjoyed this manga so much. I enjoy sci-fi and magic mangas but this one is more inspirational because it confronts something that is popping up everywhere. It shows how working against all odds and trying your best during tough times is all the option. I'm anxious to see how Hikaru grows and changes throughout the rest of the series.

I read a lot of manga. Please understand that my review is that of a manga fan speaking to other manga fans. I didn't pick up this book looking for a book on autism, and you don't necessarily have to be interested in autism to read this book, because it's not really about autism, it's about the people that live with autism.

When I first saw this hugely thick book sitting on the shelf of my local Borders, smack dab in the middle of the manga section, I thought someone had misfiled it. I pulled it out, preparing to reshelve it, when I realized it was a manga! It took mere minutes before I was completely engrossed in Sachiko's plight. I'm so glad I took this book (and the second novel!) home with me. It is, hands-down, the best manga that I've ever read. For manga fans, I'll hit the main points:

The Story:
The storytelling is sweet, sensitive, compelling and funny, and more than once, I teared up in sympathy with the characters, gasped in shocked at something unexpected or got angry on their behalf. The writing is just plain GOOD, well-timed and close to real life with characters wandering in and out of each other's lives, just as real people do. The book is thick, and makes for pleasant reading. Tobe is brilliant at relating situations to things that everyone can understand, without really seeming like that's what she's doing. All in all, the writing and storyline are FANTASTIC.

The Art:
The artwork, I will say to manga fans in particular, is nothing special. Not bad, but also not exceptional, at least in terms of character design. It's easy to see that later (in book two) she sometimes struggles to differentiate her characters, especially the minor ones. However, Tobe is quite skilled at expression, gesture and action, and we all know that some managa artists with tremendous character design lack these important skills, so in my opinion, I'd take it over great character design. Besides, she manages just fine, and if you're confused on one page by who someone might be, it's cleared up in another page or two. Tobe is also highly skilled at drawing what I've come to think of as the "interludes", the small details in frames that you almost miss, but make the story just that little bit better.

The Translation:
Very well done. Unlike some poorly-done translations, the English in this manga was smooth and accurate with few to no (I didn't notice any) spelling or grammatical errors. They also use consistent Japanese honorifics, which is nice, especially if you're used to reading them.
If you're a manga fan, I doubt you'll need the glossary in the back explaining simple terms and common Japanese situations that you're probably already familiar with. However, it's great if you plan on recommending this book to people who don't read manga. After you read it, you'll probably want to recommend it to everyone, regardless of their like/dislike/indifference to manga.

Value:
I paid $15 for it at Borders (compared to Amazon's $10) and even then I say it was a GREAT value. You get about five times as much manga as the normal books, for roughly the same cost. I'm pleased with my purchase!

I stumbed upon this at the library and had to check it out. I read it all and I wished I had this when my child was small and I was going through this. I returned the book to the library and gave it kudos to the staff. Then I ordered a copy--I will recommend and give this book to any parent(s) dealing with austism spectrum disorders. Great book! I love that this was a serial in a Japanese women's magazine. We need more of this in the States!

As a Psychologist, I know a lot about Autism and was very impressed with the fairly accurate representation of children and families living with Autism. This story is interesting in a of itself and is helpful for those who are trying to understand Autism. I like how real and down to earth some of the issues were. It was also very easy to follow.

"The day you were born...the morning sun was very beautiful." WITH THE LIGHT begins like a love letter from a mother to a child, and in a way, it is, although a fictional one. More than that, though, it is an in-depth analysis of a young mother discovering that her son, who came into the world at the first light of day, is different from the other children she knows. He doesn't talk. He cries often, and for hours on end. He doesn't like to be touched or held. He is difficult to understand and relate to.

Gently, and with the aching slowness of gradual realization, Sachiko comes to understand that her son, Hikaru, is autistic. With no understanding of the condition, she struggles to come to terms with what it means and what she can do about it, while her hard-working husband, Masato, pulls away and immerses himself in his career.

WITH THE LIGHT takes all of its principal characters on a long journey of self-discovery. Sachiko longs to understand the way her son's mind works.

The innocence and the tenderness of the scene in which Hikaru finally acknowledges his mother and, in his own fashion, expresses his love is heartbreaking. The ability of the book to convey the complexities of human emotions without getting sentimental or overwrought might be its most admirable quality. Author and illustrator Keiko Tobe at first treats her story almost with the allure of a mystery. Sachiko is driven and determined to unlock the secret behind her son's aloofness, while her husband and his family separate themselves, and even blame Sachiko.

All of which is not to say that WITH THE LIGHT doesn't have its tender moments. It does, but it earns each one of them without toying with the reader's emotions. When Masato struggles with his anger and stress of his son's autism and lashes out at his wife, it's not the cloying stereotype of an uncaring man with no time for his children. Instead, it's all too apparent that this is a man too young to be both an effective father and the star employee his bosses --- not to mention his family and society --- want him to be.

These two volumes run an expansive tale totaling over 1,000 pages, including resource material to help the reader along. A convenient guide to manga helps those who aren't familiar with its style (the book is read right to left; it's surprising how easy it is to adapt to it once you get started), and the editors of this English translation include brief descriptions of elements of Japanese and manga culture to avoid confusion and enhance the reader's understanding. Also included are supplementary materials on autism and translation notes.

WITH THE LIGHT is fascinating to watch unfold. Its broad scope spans years in the lives of this couple and their son, covering not only his development but the relationship he has with his sister, who comes into the family years after her brother. Teachers, doctors, friends and family all play a role, too --- sometimes in a negative, judgmental way, and sometimes with a heartwarming spirit of compassion --- as Sachiko and Masato learn to cope, live and move on. That's the brightness of these two graphic novels and the triumphant nature of its storytelling.

--- Reviewed by John Hogan

If you are a fan of the on line comic series you will enjoy this. If you are not a fan, it will seem a bit ho hum. Bottom line is that this is a good example of the genre, and it has the legs for a sequel, or even a full length feature.

If you loved the xombie webisodes, BUY THIS.
If you haven't seem the webisodes, BUY THIS, and watch them while it ships.

Like most books, this book has a lot of additional depth and really fleshes out the story with additional details not in the 'movie'. The story is great for all ages and genders, I have 3 nieces that are taking turns with the book. I am now waiting for the 4th comicbook that continues the story(James, 2 months is killing me, how about every 2 weeks).

This is a very imaginitive and original story with a suprising amount of philisophical depth to it, I can't really come up with a good comparison that does it justice, if you want to get a feel for the story watch the webisodes, I am sure that like me you will then have to buy the book.

Great Read Luved it,if you like zombie tales theres a nice twist here not a intellectual read but very entertaining it is what it is and its very very good at itAAA

My husband and I love xombie. We loved to watch the online cartoon together so I bought him this book for his birthday and he really likes it.

I am a lover of all things zombie. Finding this fantastic story was one my all time thrills.

I am a zombie traditionalist, liking the classic lumbering Romero zombies of old and any twist on that basic tale. I do like a lot of the variants out there too, ones that are creative and different from the norm, though some I find less interesting that are out there in book form. Others are quite creative and intriguing. This one, with its two intelligent Xombie variants, Dirge and Nephthys, and the colorful cast of characters, living, dead, and alien, is something I found to be exceptionally fun and entertaining.

Dirge is one of the coolest heros I have seen in a while. Sure, he is a zombie, but he is sentient and along with his undead dog Cerberus, has taken on the daunting task of leading an innocent living six year old girl, Zoe, through a city of the dead...a city bent on having their way with her.
On the way they meet up with another sentient Xombie varient in Nephthys, an ancient Egyptian hottie who barely looks dead and knows how to kick some major alien butt.

Oh yeah, the aliens. Well, suffice it to say not all questions are answered in this tome, but there was plenty of action and a great storyline. I had a blast reading this. I just received Xombie Volume 1, Reanimated, which I can't wait to sink my teeth into.

Mafalda's an icon...Through her words, we see a sense of humanity and realism that was hard to find when she was born...She speaks volumes about human nature, without saying much...that's her magic, that's why, 40 years on, she's still so fresh...It's a latin american classic, but her message is universal.

I read these comics back then when I was little girl.
In the 70's Mafalda was one of the most popular comics in the major newspapers in South America. Even now it is still humorous for the whole family, my children enjoy also the DVD.

This book is good, but I bought it thinking it was the complete collection of comics as you can find in little books (12 issues). This is not the complete collection, therefore, I think that "Todo Mafalda" is better.

I grew up reading Mafalda, and it is amazing to see how the political and social criticism that made us laugh 20 years ago still as valid today as it was back then. I was expecting the complete collection of stories, this volume provide you only with a sample of the best of them. But still a great collectors edition item.

Just wanted to say that this is not only a book that tell you about the situation in Argentina in those days (in a very sutil way). This book is going to make you LAUGH. It is a briliant, smart and a sarcastic book. Its characters come to life after reading a couple of pages, and after reading the first one, you just can't stop reading the others.
I had all the book but lost them, and know I want to get them again. The problem is that the shiping lasts to long...
I don't know if I would recomend these books from people who are not spanish speakers.

Wanderfull! I finally really doing it!
(what about character animation cbt?)

DEAR Jason Leong from SINGAPORE PLEASE SEND AN E-MAIL
FOR ME : MAXBOX200@YAHOO.COM
I'M WATING TO HEARING FROM YOU.

I have about 20 to 25 books on max and only 2 other books have valuted my skill level as high as this CD has done.
The CD plays great and flows at an excellent pace. Even the way they teach, gives you some great layout and operational techniques to make using MAX so much more efficient.
Plus what makes this training great is THE TUTOR. He is creatig the model at the same time as he is telling you what to do. Hence you always see his steps even if he skips mentioning it.
I have never been so pleased using one product as I have been using this CD.
As someone wrote earlier the CD is worth 3 times more than what we paid for it.

This CD has greatly improved my modelling skills and knowledge in max. It is like having a teacher there showing you and explaining every step, with the advantage of rewinding as many times as you need to. I would recommend this to the beginner of max modelling. It has certanily helped me out a long way. And Tim Kugler provides great support as well.

What are you waiting for, go buy a copy!
Shan J

I have talk to Tim before the author for this Cd.He's a nice chap.I got hold his disc and when through.I was shocked all this while I bought a lot of books on MAX.But none help through for a successfull modeling.But I went through his stuff its power and easy to understand.he make it so easy to absord....I recommend for Max lovers to go for his CD.

Well done!! My kids could not put this down. Now they have a million questions about the Civil War and about Lincoln. It is a nice change from "Mom, where can I get a radioactive spider bite" kind of questions.
This is a good concept. I hope the publishers expand on it. I would like to suggest that they start from the beginning of North American European settlements in the 16th century and continue chronologically down to present day.

I also read the review from the School Library Journal. That guy should be fired!! He is either a complete idiot or has never seen a real child. I do not understand what his beef with this book is. It is educational and fun for kids. This book is not for him. It is for kids. We need to encourage more quality books like this.

Side note: My kids asked a lot of questions about topics that were related to the book. A little research may be required to answer those questions.

This graphic novel caught my eye when doing a search for
teaching supplements for my grade schoolers. It's such an
amazing yet simple concept-- using graphic novels to teach!
The graphic novel provides a great insight into President Lincoln's accomplishments during his presidency and the Civil War. Not only does the book bring out the varied reasons for the Civil War such as State rights and slavery-- it also presents Lincoln in a unique perspective as a father and human being.

I love using it as a reading supplement for my students -- the illustrations are amazingly detailed and captivating and helps get children interested in reading and learning more!

This graphic novel caught my eye when doing a search for
teaching supplements for my grade schoolers. It's such an
amazing yet simple concept-- using graphic novels to teach!

The graphic novel provides a great insight into President Lincoln's accomplishments during his presidency and the Civil War. Not only does the book bring out the varied reasons for the Civil War such as State rights and slavery-- it also presents Lincoln in a unique perspective as a father and human being.

I love using it as a reading supplement for my students -- the illustrations are amazingly detailed and captivating and helps get children interested in reading and learning more!

Also available in a hardcover edition (097425021X, [...]), Abraham Lincoln: The Civil War President is about President Abraham Lincoln, his dog Fido, and the American Civil War as told in a "graphic novel" format by author Ginger Turner and animation illustrator Saral Tiwari. From Lincoln's path to the presidency, to the Battle of Gettysburg, to the Emancipation Proclamation, to the tragic assassination of President Lincoln, the attention to historical detail is as impressive as the collaborative storytelling abilities of Turner and Tiwari who combine text and illustration to present actual historic events that will engage readers ages 8 through adult from beginning to end because the graphic novel format is especially suited to bringing history alive in the minds and imaginations of the readers. It should be noted for school and community librarians, that Abraham Lincoln: The Civil War President is carefully mapped to the U.S. Department of Education's National Standards for teaching American History.

Rarely does a book combine great art, education, and history like this one. Immediately I see my students pick up on the brillant color illustrations, which really depict the complex emotions of the characters without seeming overly comic-like. Yet I am also impressed by how well-researched the story is. In the future, I will give this to my 4th graders instead of the textbook section on Lincoln.

The first thing that struck me when I opened the cardboard box was the sheer volume of this slip-cased hardcover edition. It's a really thick book, even more so than the Absolute Hush I own.
The art is incredible, I already loved it in TPB, but in this larger issue it really comes into it's own. Batman is more menacing, and everything else is enhanced just enough to give it that little bit more.
I can advice this book to anyone who likes Batman, Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale or just good story-telling.

Loeb and Sale's Batman Masterpiece, this film noir tale builds and expounds on the core foundation of the Batman Mythos. While Miller's Year One Loeb's gangster mystery tales is weaved masterfully and keeps you guessing till the very end. Sale's breathtaking and romantic mastery of black is awe inspiring. Together, this tandem would re-write the book on the " maxi-series " . Their success lead them to bigger stages, but it is this book that put the defining stamp on their already impressive body of work.

The book is beautifully assembled, thick stock pages and crisp and bold color, it is a must have for any die hard Bat fan, a staple to any collection.

7 out of a possible 5 stars *******


Also, highly recommended, " Dark Victory " - can't wait for that Absolute version of that.

Absolute Batman - Long Halloween is an amazing hardcover set of a great Batman story. I really enjoyed the overall packaging of the book - it features oversized art, a beautiful cardboard book cover, and a ribbon placer. This graphic novel contains 13 issues and a decent amount of bonus materials. I found myself reading this 100+ page comic in one night because I was glued to it. I really enjoyed Tim Sale's art - it has a simplistic stylized look to it. One thing I didn't like about this is the fact that it is missing the entire 2nd half of the crime drama, Dark Victory, but it is a great story in its self. The story is a great crime drama / detective story. It really brings back Batman to his detective work that was present in earlier Batman comics. Overall I'd highly recommend Absolute Batman - Long Halloween to anyone looking for a great detective comic or anyone who is a fan of Batman.

The first thing that struck me about the Absolute version of the Long Halloween was it's presentation; hardbound, oversized, page marker ribbon and full color housing all contribute to the first rate production value. Further examination will reveal a dense, twisty tale set against a classic film noir backdrop with a rich ensemble of the Batman peanut gallery. It has a bit of the pulpy feel one gets from Dashiell Hammett and due to the similarity in name I can't help to think of Ray Chandler, who is kinda like the Bushmills to Hammett's Jameson. The Long Halloween is not only well written but also nicely paced for it's near epic length, the gorgeous illustrations not only fit the story perfectly, they nailed down the ambience and the oversized pages really bring this out. If I had a couple more hands I'd give this four thumbs up.

This is an amazing batman comic so pick up if you are a diehard fan of not only Batman, but Jeph Loeb or Time Sale. The story is amazing and I can't wait until they release the Absolute Batman Dark Victory...which is the sequel to this amazing comic. I suggest you pick this up if you are a fan.

Peace...

I have been using GoLive since the Cyberstudio days, and this book STILL florred me on how much useful information it contained. Everything from the "Well duh! I can't believe I didn't know that" to the "WOW" tips are in here.

Simple. Consolidated. Useful.

This book is a great catalyst for experienced as well as new GoLive users. It's great way to learn all those little hidden, new or forgotten goodies in GoLive, whether you want to know how to be a more efficient GoLive user or want to know what you've been missing and don't have the time to learn. This book is a quick, enjoyable, easy read. I'm already looking forward to a "More Tips & Tricks!" book, but it's hard to imagine they've missed any with this one.

Adobe offers GoLive as a powerful tool to build pages in a website. It is complicated enough that the authors of this book present 200 tips, to perform common and useful tasks.

The contents pages show a titular summary of the tips. Given that GoLive is from Adobe, it's no surprise to see an emphasis on the visual presentation of the pages. Typical is a tip about writing links in PDF documents, or another tip about converting an HTML file, and any associated referenced images, into a single PDF document. Of course, there are also several tips involving Adobe's flagship Photoshop.

Overall, the tips seem straightforward to understand and do. This appears to have been a deliberate choice by the authors. The book is most useful if you already have the basics of GoLive. A good companion to a standard text on GoLive.

I recently met the Author Adam Pratt at Mac Designers Conference this year in Chicago and Adam introduced me to GoLive CS, I was hooked within 20 minutes. Reading this book is like speaking to Adam but instead of 20 minutes, it feels like a 6-8 hour training. The book is simple and effective for the beginner and full of tips and tricks for the intermediate user already using GoLive. It covers the basics from setting up the site to advanced features like creating cool Quicktime slideshows with GoLive's impressive QuickTime editor. The book is filled with great resources such as hidden shortcuts (for Mac & PC), detailed descriptions of each object and there's even a resource listing sites that are full of GoLive Tutorials.

Being a Senior Web Developer and College Instructor, I highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars.

One of the best books on software that i ever bought. I've been working with GoLive for quite a while now and just can't believe how many useful things i didn't know about it yet. So many shortcuts that enhance productivity, so many features that i paid too little attention to.
Because of the way it's written - 200 tips, most of them on 1 or 2 pages - it's easy to pick it up at any time, read a minute, learn something valuable and put it down again. And you're almost sure to learn something new with every tip.