Graphics Books

This collection, as the other 4, are one of the best comics you can read! Great! Yuo must have it!

As a satirical cartoonist, Gary Larson has no peer. His biting and hilarious insights often require a great deal of thought before you get the point. If you are not familiar with the reference used to create the cartoon, it is unlikely that you will get the point.
For example, on page 42 there is a cartoon showing deer engaged in an excavation project with a mounted cowboy observing them while perched on a hill. The caption is "Where the deer and the antelope work." If you do not know about the song, "Home on the range", then you will not understand the joke. Another example on the same page shows three frogs lying among cattails holding wine bottles. The caption here is "Yeah, I remember Jerry. Good friend of mine ... You know, I never understood a single word he said, but he always had some mighty fine wine." Once again, if you are not familiar with the song "Joy to the World" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, the joke will most likely pass you by.
Gary Larson is a genius, where that quality is manifested in ways that are twisted, yet profound. This book is hilarious.

gary larson is one he best cartoonists ever! you have to travel to the far side! all of his comics will have you thinking! its great! buy it, you'll love it!

Here's another omnibus edition of Gary Larson's weird, wacky and utterly hilarious cartoons. To enter Larson's world is to enter a world where animals have meaningful conversations, bugs make their homes in nice suburban houses, flies fly planes etc, etc. Certainly not the mainstream kind of cartoon but for anyone who likes 'off the wall' type humour this is a 'must buy'. Absolutely hilarious.

Larsen is the world's greatest cartoonist. Too bad he retired. I have envelopes filled with his cartoons clipped out of the newspaper (10+ years ago!) that I still can't bear to throw away. So I suppose this book was a good idea. It will take up less space than several bulging envelopes.

For younger people who can't remember his cartoons in the paper every day, you need to hurry up and start collecting his books so you can always be within arm's length of a smile or a laugh.

Also, I love the story about the "Jane Goodall Cartoon"

--George Stancliffe

While I enjoyed this collection, it doesn't have as much depth as Flight #2. The imagery in general doesn't take you to a unique universe like really great comics should. Some of the writing is quite mundane which makes this collection seem like second string work. However, in a field ironically devoid of real creativity the stories are still some of the best to be seen. Perhaps the amazing level of Flight 2 was just too hard to sustain. Despite the general, everyday, autobiographical nature of many of these stories there are still enough gems that create their own unique world that I recommend this book to all serious admirers of the comic genre.

I love this one...and ordered a copy for myself after seeing it at the library. Unique, colorful, clever imagery and stories in comic form that are not to be missed. A real treat after a long day. I have not read issues 1 & 2 yet myself, but heard several times that this one is even better than both those prior editions.

It's an amazing book, I did not expect to find treasure like this :)
I really love the fact that different artists have put their short comic stories. I get to see different styles, stories and very diverse ideas. Amazing!

I was first attracted to Flight Vol. 1 because of the story by Kazu Kibuishi, who had done the very entertaining comic Daisy Kutter. As I began to read Vol. 1 I was astounded by the quality of each succeeding story. Most were terrific and even the few could be considered to be "clunkers" were actually interesting experiments that only partially failed for some reason or another. Amazingly enough Flights 2 and 3 were even better. I swear that there's not a bad story in the lot and I'm sure that the upcoming Flight 4 will continue this high level of quality. Cudos to Erik (Savage Dragon) Larsen for using his position as Image Comics publisher to get the first two entries published.

The Flight series books are great! These comics have the greatest comic art I have seen and many of them have very intellectual meanings. Thank you.

These 1st volume of GL's archives shows us the way that hal jordan became the first GL of earth. The mistic and innocence of the silver age is present in those more than 200 pages full of science fiction and outer space stories. John Broome wrote the best adventures , and the art of Gil Kane is excelent ! These re printed edition has extraordinary colors and a very good cover. Let the battle against "those who worship evil's might" begin , and welcome to the game !!

This hardbound volume containing the start of Hal Jordan's Green Lantern adventures is superb. From the quality of the book itself to the great original stories, it's a worthy addition to your bookshelf. You definitely see striking differences when you compare this volume to the Green Lantern graphic novels of today. But there's room for us fans to like both.

I also recommend "Green Lantern: Rebirth". Hal's a hero for the new century as well as the last.

I bought the Batman and Superman Archives before buying the Green Lantern Archives. When I placed them all side-by-side I noticed the GL Archives is much thinner; there's an eighty page difference! Also Sinestro appears in GL# 7, 9 and 12 which will be in Green Lantern Archives #2 just in case anyone out there is buying this for his stories. Even though I mention these negatives, this is a must have for any Green Lantern fan! I would give this book 6 stars out of 5 if I could ... the art is beautiful and the stories are simple but amazing. Go buy this now! Next on the list is Aquaman LOL!

The first Volume reprinting the Hal Jordan Green Lantern series.

As the issues are not affordable this is just the way to enjoy the old stories that we all loved.

Some Classic stories here including the first Hector Harmond and the first glimpse of the Guardians of the Universe.

Far and away better than the current series both story and art.

Looking forward to future issue featuring Alan Scott crossovers.

To create a hit comic today you need to tell the origin in the first issue, begin the exploits in issue 2 and kill a character in #3, just to stay alive. When Green Lantern was reworked in the pages of Showcase - in the 60s - this was not the case. Broome and Kane's SF masterpiece takes a full year to unfold GL's origin; and this is how it should be. Giving bits and pieces of the complex tale of an intergalactic police force while providing good characterization and admittedly somewhat gimmicky stories, Green Lantern is a blast, and one of the few comics of the era with a strong Science Fiction bent.
I leave it to others to review Gil Kane's art but suffice it to say that Green Lantern, some 40 years later, is still thought of as his character. Enjoy!

Having perused many books on animation, illustration, etc. and having purchased a few I thought this was pretty cool. The coloring style may not be for everyone, but the book is helpful in many areas. I thought the quality of the work was not as good as GURU's book, and I would recommend that book over this one. That being said, you may be able to pick up different points from each, as I did.

There are a lot of books dedicated to Photoshop, for improving photos. Which is understandable since that's what Photoshop is mainly for. There are few books that go deep into the art possibilities. (and I have quite a few Photoshop books).

This book is heavy into comic related art, mainly, how to color comics and really make them pop. But don't let that stop you if you are not into comics. This book helps with taking simple line art and making into a good pieces of art or graphic quality. It covers scanning, stitching, layout, and it full of coloring tips from end to end.

Forget 2-dimensional line art. This book takes a basic line art and shows you how to make it fantastic visually. There are so many ideas here, it will keep you busy for quite sometime. Highly recommended.

I use this book as a teaching tool. Fantastic. If you are need to know digital color and the all the means (printing, and so on) you need this book. The best book of it's kind. Very well done.

I've just started coloring a comic, and I wish I had purchased this book before I started! It contains SO MUCH information, from scanning, to prepping your drawings for coloring, to flatting and finally to coloring itself. Sure, some of this may be in the Internet here and there, but never in one place and never, ever explained so well.

In addition to the valuable information on coloring, he also includes some invaluable scripts from Hi-Fi, which removes the tedious process of setting up your channels, etc., as well as a script for color holds and finishing up the page.

All I can say is this is the best resource I've found on computer coloring for comics. In fact, it was so good, I ordered copies for two friends.

This book is an excellent resource. The authors are talented colorists, but more importantly for the reader, they're people with real experience teaching others how to color comics professionally.

There are a hundred ways to do ANYTHING in photoshop -- what I love about _Hi-Fi Color for Comics_ is it stops to explain WHY they do it the way they're showing. I've colored a lot of comic pages and other illustrations over the years, and have my own way of doing things. I'm changing a lot of my approaches for the better because of this book.

The book covers Hi-Fi's "house style" of coloring, but the meat of the book is valuable for all styles of colorists. You've got to flat well, you've got to produce good backed-up blacks, all the rest. No matter what coloring style you're shooting for, my bet is you're going to pick up some valuable tips from this book.

And finally we have the included cd -- it's not just some sample files for practice and a couple custom brushes, it has a number of complicated photoshop actions that are serious high-quality time-savers for colorists. Any one of the actions would be worth the cover price alone.

Just starting out? This book will tell you what you need to know.
Experienced colorist? Boost your productivity, get this book.

The Ultimate Comic Book Fight, Hulk vs. Hulk. Hulk in thrown into the future where his future self controls everything. That pretty much sets everything off. One of the finer moments in Hulk History. So just buy this, now, and be preparded to see how a real Hulk Story is written.

This grafic novel, shows the powerful hulk can be, in a caotic future, that he can kill all the marvel universe if he is mad enough, the drawings are fenomenal, if you don't like the hulk character, with this book sure you will change your mind

by NOT buying this masterpice when i had the chance! My Library had a copy and i took it out, read it and loved it! i thought that i could just go back there for when ever i had a craving to read this great story, but now it's listed as "missing," i.e. some kid borrowed it and never returned it. Now it's out of print, hard to find, and when u can find it it's pricey. Well, it's availble here and i'm gettin' my copy before the're all gone, and if you like the
Hulk or super-hero comics in general, buy this baby while you still can.

What can I say that hasn't already been said by others? I have read and re-read this book many times. It is one of the best Hulk stories you'll ever read and the art is great, too. Almost no prior knowledge of the Hulk is necessary to fully enjoy this masterpiece. Buy this thing now!

Another masterpiece from the mind of Peter David, Future Imperfect is praised by fans and critics not only as some of his best Hulk work, but as some of his best work overall!

Brought forward in time ninety years and arriving in a post-apocalyptic future, the Hulk is beseeched by a group of resistance fighters to take down the being responsible for all the devastation. A being known only as "the Maestro."

But the battle won't be a simple one, for the Hulk soon learns that the Maestro is none other than a bizarre future incarnation of himself! Driven insane by decades of persecution, made even stronger by the free-floating radiation of the era, and having nearly a hundred years more experience than his younger self, the Maestro will rank as the Hulk's greatest challenge ever...... assuming he survives it.

Featuring art by George Perez and colors by Tom Smith, Future Imperfect is a modern-classic that belongs in every fan's collection.

Had to consult the manual only once and found what I wanted. This manual is just about the only option should anyone need any help and prior to any calls to customer service.

No question this is the must have reference for mac products...bought the iPhoto and OSX Leopard manuals together...shipped fast too.

David Pogue has always been a favorite of mine. I have his earlier books on Apple OS-X 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5 and always found them to be very useful. The key to this type of book is in the index. You don't read a book of this nature, but instead you pull it off the shelf when you have a problem and for this the index is crucial. You need to find an immediate reference for your problem there in order to locate the solution and in this regard David Pogue has always been tops.

I can highly recommend this volume as well as the OS-X Missing Manuals by the same author.

Packed with great information, well organized and presented in a humorous fashion. I keep it right alongside my computer for reference.

iPhoto '08 is very useful for newcomers to iPhoto. One surprising, to me, plus is that the book actually begins with a couple of chapters that are photography tutorials that are helpful without being too technical. I think this 'missing manual' can help many get the most from their use of iPhoto '08.

I really liked this book. It was short and extremely funny. I personally loved the hilarious quizzes.

I love the Happy Bunny. It was purchased as a gift so hopefully the recipient will like it as much as I did.

If you are looking for a laugh, this book will provide it! Jim Benton's humor may be offensive to some but as Happy Bunny says, "I know how you feel. I just don't care." This book makes a great gift for pre-teens on up. I love Happy Bunny!

It's soooooo funny. Happy Bunny makes me extra happy and my friends too. Happy Bunny is soooooo funny. Boys are stupid. Boys in my class.... when you see them that's all the proof you need.

This might have been the funniest thing I have ever read...I literally could not stop laughing. Terrific quick read that will leave you relating, comtemplating and pontificating all the while with a smile on your face.....

though i dont have this book my friends say its an excellent book and I've seen it for my self and it is definatly a must buy

It so good it has tempted me to buy alot of Magic cards

Richard Garfield is the creator of Magic The Gathering card game. This book gives the reader an in-depth look into the game and shows the beautiful illustration that each card contains. This is a must have for all players and collectors of the card game.

I collect the cards and I don't know how I would have known if they were rare or common cards if I hadn't found this book. It's the best!

If you are a mtg collector, you definitely need this book. Although it is much "thinner" than Volume 1 but it's still a must for any serious mtg collector

Novela ganadora del prestigioso Premio Alfaguara (Madrid, 1998) cuyo jurado fue presidido por Carlos Fuentes. Sergio Ramírez se consagra como un gran escritor con esta documentada y entretenida novela que cuenta la historia de dos vidas tan contrarias como paralelas: la del príncipe poeta Rubén Darío y la del tirano Anastasio Somoza García. Espíe o hágase cómplice de los conspiradores del asesinato! Siga a Rigoberto López Pérez en su entrenamiento para convertirse, a un mismo tiempo, en mártir y asesino. Vea cómo "Tacho" Somoza bailaba al son de un rico mambo de Pérez Prado poco antes de ser tiroteado con balas envenenadas por un arrecho y cellinesco orfebre. Llore o ríase de la esperpéntica y triste historia de la Caimana, la lesbiana más famosa de Nicaragua. Conozca a Margarita, la niña inmortalizada en el célebre verso que da título a la novela. Admire o apártese del bisturí del Sabio Debayle, amigo de Darío y difícil suegro de Somoza. Lea cómo todos estos "dramatis personae" integran humorosa comedia o tragedia sangrienta. Sergio Ramírez, respetado político y escritor, conoce la espada, y conoce la pluma. En esta novela nos ha obsequiado con literatura seria, con gracia original, y con estilos y formas modernos y variantes. Creo que este hombre se ha merecido los ciento setenta y cinco mil dólares del Premio Alfaguara. En el 2004 fue publicada su MIL Y UNA MUERTES. Como siga así, siguiendo los pasos de García Márquez, Ramírez podría un día llegar a recibir el Nobel.

Whether you are Nicaraguan or not and whether you know or do not know about their history, this is something you definitely need to read. Ramirez wrote an excellent story from history's point of view with a great touch of imagination. Furthermore, there are touches of humor throughout the whole story that will suit the reader in the right moment. The author has succesfully written a story which contains history as well as fiction. I do not want to say more for it will be better for you to discover what a great story this. Yo will also enjoy the book for it is rich in culture ...

Esta novela es más de lo que dicen los demás lectores que la recomiendan y que por aquí han dejado sus comentarios. Es el ejemplo claro de cómo un autor como Sergio Ramírez utiliza su talento literario para narrar en forma novelada, artística y educativa, y con alturas universales, eventos históricos que a primera vista pueden parecer cansinos y efímeros relatos de provincia. Si, por otro lado, usted no es de los que siguen de cerca la literatura hispanoamericana -centroamericana en este caso,- y no necesariamente quiere añadir este tomo, materialmente más perdurable a su colección, le recomiendo la edición de bolsillo de Punto de Lectura, también de la editora Alfaguara, disponible a mitad de precio. Después de todo, es la misma novela, sólo que más barata.

Even if your native language is Spanish, this is a hard book to read and comprehend. But what an unforgettable experience it brings to the reader! This book will haunt you and impact you for a long time. It is one of the best books of modern Spanish literature. A must read!

The poetry is definitely missing from this novel. It is beyond me how Sergio Ramirez could portray Ruben Dario, the greatest Nicaraguan poet and one of the greatest Hispanic poets ever, as a womanizer and a drunkard. He is a disgusting character. To make things worse, Ramirez does not reveal Ruben Dario's brilliance as a poet, omitting the poem that gives the book its title (Sergio: not everybody reading the book knows the poem by heart). The good side of the book is the story relating to Somoza's assassination, though the sexual innunedoes are very strong here too. Whether or not the assassination plot is fact-based, it is interesting and sort of a cliffhanger. Rigoberto Lopez-Perez, the hero/assassin, has a poignant story; the description of Somoza's first lady is unforgettably humorous. Nevertheless, this could have been a better book.

When I started to read manga's I was always looking for something new. Not the same old "shoot 'em up" or "magical girl" story but something unique. Mermaids Scar is an excellent example. I recived this novel with much delight, and was even more enthralled with the series afterwards. Rumiko Takahashi gives a reader an array of emotions that help to create one of the most emotional and interesting novels to read. It is well worth your money to purchase this book, I guarentee you will not be disapointed!

Like the Mermaid books that preceed and follow it, this work is a masterpiece. This is an edgy, disturbing horror story with likable characters and a friendly drawing style. People who started with Inu Yashu should try the Mermaid stories next. (Mermaid Forest is the first of three). They may notice some similarities between the two heroines! Anyone who enjoyed the video should also read the manga, since the story is slightly different, and the second part of this book was never animated. Enjoy!

Rumiko Takahashi is better known for her romantic comedies than for dark fantasies. But her brief Mermaid series is an excellent display of Takahashi's dark side, in a world where a handful of humans who eat mermaid flesh become immortal, and the rest turn into fishlike, monstrous creatures called "lost souls."

Like the other two collections of Mermaid stories, "Mermaid's Scar" focuses on the immortal duo Mana and Yuta. In "Dream's End," Mana encounters a lost soul who has somehow retained his human soul, turning him into a tormented monster. "Mermaid's Promise" brings Yuta back to where he once met a young girl who fell in love with him -- and who has somehow been brought back to life as a soulless creature. "Mermaid's Scar" brings Mana and Yuta to a town where a woman somehow recovered from deadly burns -- and discovers an immortal boy with a horrifying secret. "The Ash Princess" goes back to 17th-century Japan, when Yuta was still wandering alone. Here, he finds a travelling old man and his young daughter -- a girl brought to life with a mermaid's liver.

Perhaps the most common comparison to the Mermaid series is the action/fantasy/romance series "Inuyasha." However, the Mermaid stories have none of the humor and goofiness that pop up in "Inuyasha" (although the story of the undead, tormented ex-girlfriend is quite familiar). The tone is melancholy, sometimes outright macabre, with a few sweet scenes of romance between the two immortals. Perhaps the best scene is the hauntingly lovely last moments with Nae and Yuta.

The relationship between Yuta and Mana is pure Takahashi -- they love each other but somehow won't admit it (and Mana gets pretty jealous at times). They stick with one another through thick and thin, and occasionally show little indications of how they actually feel. ("It sounds like you've fallen for me," Yuta says half-jokingly at one point)

Takahashi's dark "Mermaid's Scar" is a fantastic mixture of dark fantasy and gently understated romance. Sweet, terrifying and deeply satisfying.

This is a very, very violent manga, even by MY standards. Even though it's JUST a comic book, I often found myself cringing and flinching just looking at the drawings (I didn't even flinch while reading 3x3 Eyes, but this one... just the way things are drawn makes them look REALLY painful)... speaking of that, the art is very good, obviously Takahashi-style. Anyways, even though it is SO violent and bloody, it is actually quite enjoyable. In fact, after reading it I almost completely changed my taste in manga and went on the reading more violent ones instead of the usual silly ones, and even drawing one of my own (heh heh don't ask!). Yes, it really entertained and inspired me! Nice, creepy story! Hard to believe it was created by the same woman who made Ranma 1/2 and Lum!

Legend has it that whoever eats the flesh of a mermaid will be granted eternal life and youth. Yuta is one of those who have received this "gift". But is it really a gift? Yuta has been forced to watch his loved ones age and die through the years. For five centuries he has roamed the world searching for a "cure", or for someone like himself. As fate would have it, Yuta chances upon a girl named Mana. She too has been bestowed with immortality like Yuta. Together they travel through Japan longing for a normal life. Soon, they meet others who have also experienced the mermaid's "gift". But as they soon discover, mermaid's flesh affects each person differently. Yuta and Mana are just the more fortunate ones...

Rumiko Takahashi's Mermaid Series is really quite a masterpiece. Each chapter presents a different tale and yet everything is tied together by the main characters, Yuta and Mana. It's like a group of short stories unfolding inside one main plot. It's not episodic, as the stories can stand alone. They are, however, greatly enriched by the base storyline about the legendary mermaid flesh. It's really quite an inventive approach, and I really admire Ms. Takahashi's imagination. The overall atmosphere is grim. The tone is serious, as darker facets of human nature are revealed. Everyone wants a piece of the mermaids, and all for various reasons. Greed, vengeance, selfishness... they are the driving forces in the pursuit of the elusive mermaid flesh. Yuta and Mana are plunged into the situation, being immortals on an unending quest for something... even they cannot be sure of what they're truly seeking. The art is simple in style, yet pleasant to look at and effective -- as is always the case with Ms. Takahashi's works. Panel layout is quite conservative if compared to her later works like "Inu-Yasha". The Mermaid Series definitely is a suspenseful page-turner which will leave readers very satisfied. Each volume packs a lot of punch. It's a pity because this is not enjoying as much exposure as "Ranma 1/2", "Urusei Yatsura", and "Maison Ikkoku" are. In some ways, this series is even better than Ms. Takahashi's more popular works.