Titan Books

Wow! This is a real gem of a book. I picked it up without knowing what to expect from a Batman spin-off about Renee Montoya, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by the deft writing and dark, gritty drawing. The reason behind why Montoya's enemies outed her is pretty twisted, showing that the insane mind doesn't realize its own craziness.

I really liked the feel of how the plot was carried out. It was well paced and kind of gave me the feeling like I was watching a cop drama movie or TV series. You could really get a sense of the tone, inflection, and emotion in the character's voices by reading the dialogue. It's nice to find such tense drama in a book.

There is not too much Batman in this version of Gotham City, but Renee Montoya's story kind of leaves you going, 'Batman who?'

Who cares about superheroes? Gotham cops are a million times more interesting. Rarely in comics will you find writing and art of this quality, especially together in one book. Renee Montoya is the most interesting, emotionally complex character that DC has produced in years. See the rest of Gotham Central as well as 52 and Crime Bible for a continuation of her story.

All the characters play out their roles in perfect pitch. The story throws Montoya's life through the wringer and the reasoning behind it just feels, well, twisted enough to make sense in Gotham. I liked the gritty cop's-life tale-telling style and the art complimented the story well. Overall, I loved this particular issue...

Gotham Central: Half a Life is about Gotham cop Renee Montoya. Montoya comes from a traditional Hispanic family. Her parents own a grocery. Their constant concern is that their only daughter is not eating enough, and when is she going to get married and give them grandchildren? That is a big problem for Renee, who is a lesbian and secretly dating a female chef.

When photos appear at work, Renee is mocked and scorned by her co-workers. Her brother confronts her - doesn't she know this will kill their parents? Tell them the photos were doctored, begs Renee. But things go from bad to worse when Renee is framed for the murder of the creep taking the photos. If she didn't do it, who did? And what does Two-Face have to do with this?

The story is right after the year-long No Man's Land storyline that took up the entire Batman comic line for the year of 1999. The beginning of Half a Life contains references to life during and after the federal designation of Gotham City as a condemned disaster area. Highly recommend the five No Man's Land GNs if you haven't read it.

Half a Life is the second story arc of a continuing comic called Gotham Central. And Gotham has never looked this gritty since Miller left for warmer climates. Michael Lark, who deserves immense amounts of money for the unbelievable work that he does, provides artwork that is to die for. It's dark and taut and each panel is perfection. Greg Rucka provides us with a very, very excellent character in Renee Montoya. She is tough as balls, intense, and very human. This is powerful storytelling.

Gotham Central has turned out to be one of the best comics in the past couple of years. Pushing Batman and his cast of crazy villains to the side as cameos and giving us the meat of the cops lives and cases provides hours of riveting reading. And rereading. Because these stories have depths and nuances that you didn't pick up the first time, trust me.

BTW, highly suggest Bruebaker and Lark's Scene of the Crime GN. Good stuff there too! Really good!

Oliver asks Roy to come with him on a trip to recover some things, after he finds out Catman was at his funeral. Roy is shocked when he finds out Oliver asked Shade to clean up, as his 'porn buddy', as Meltzer explains. Oliver points out Shade is immortal, and everybody else around him will eventually die.

An interesting look at what a long established superhero's will might include. Brad Meltzer has again handled the transition to comics very well. Don't know how good his novels are, but he has a good thing going here, and being able to do both makes him a rare talent, and worth following.

He even tracks down the truck from Hard Travelin' Heroes.

This was a great read and is part of a great series. Ollie Queen is one of the most interesting characters in the DC universe and his relationships are what make his stories so appealing. I recommend getting volumes 1-3 first.

This is one of the best Green Arrow stories to date. Brad Meltzer really shows that he can write comics with the best of them and creates a great run of Green Arrow, which is collected here. A really fast read, as I read it in one sitting. Very good stuff.

I had read the two previous Green Arrow trades, "Quiver" and "Sounds of Violence" written by Kevin Smith, and I enjoyed them both immensely, Kevin Smith left the book after issue number 15.

Which from #16 to #21 Brad Meltzer takes over the writing duties.

I didn't know anything about Brad's storytelling other than his current "Identity Crisis" arc for DC. so I was very skeptical about buying this 3rd in the series Green Arrow trade "Archer's Quest", since I had enjoyed Kevin Smiths prior work on Green Arrow so much.

but....BOY, AM I GLAD I BOUGHT IT !!

It's really good, and keeps you interested throughout the entire book, and the ending revelation ! wow !

And it is in NO way a ripp off of the road trip that Ollie took with Hal (Green Lantern) in the 70's. it's more of an ohmage to those classic stories.

Brad writes a Green Arrow story every bit as good as Kevin Smith's run on the book. plus there is none of the "beavis and butthead" type adolescent humor that Kevin Smith peppered throughout his story. (which was my only beef about Kevin's run)

If you don't know anything about the Green Arrow, you will still enjoy this book, but if you know alot about his history or even an adaquete amount (like me) you will LOVE it !!

Kevin Smith brought Oliver Queen back from the dead in "Quiver" and "Sounds of Violence". Brad Meltzer, in his first comic work to date, picks up the book where Smith left off and gives us the best character-driven Green Arrow story ever - a story that brings Ollie back to LIFE!

The premise of the story is simple - Ollie and his long-time ward, Roy Harper (aka "Speedy" aka "Arsenal) goes on the road to find pieces of Ollie's life. Brad Meltzer gives us a story reminiscent of the classic "Hard Travellin' Heroes" on-the-road stories of Ollie and Hal Jordan, but with a twist! While those classic stories showed the duo in search of the true heart of a nation, this story is the search for Ollie's true heart. That makes this story intensely personal and refreshingly sentimental.

It is ultimately an introspective look into who and what is Oliver Queen, a man with ties to almost every important person in the DC Universe, who has more heart than almost anyone and at the same time harbors some of the darkest secrets - and by the end of the book, we see some of those secrets surfacing and the gnawing effect it has on the man. But this book is never pessimistic or bleak. In fact, ever since the beginning of this new series (with Smith's "Quiver"), there is an overwhelming sense of triumphant joy displayed throughout the storytelling. Perhaps this has to do with the very expressive art of Phil Hester and Ande Parks - who are soon turning to be the definitive G.A. artists of our generation. I admit that I wasn't immediately taken to their more "cartoonish" style since most of the great G.A. artists of the past employ a far more realistic art style; e.g. Neal Adams and Mike Grell.

The book also includes the full script to chapter one, a foreword by some senator and afterwords by Brad Meltzer and Greg Rucka along with the reproduced covers and some notes about the creation of those Matt Wagner painted covers.

Lastly, I'd like to say something about the current trends in comics-storytelling. In recent years, there seems to be a general aversion towards stories built over decades of continuity. The clearest representation of this are works of the Nu-Marvel folks - especially those involve in the "Ultimate" books. The reason is simple - books not-mired by continuity make easier "jump-on" points and thus the possibility of hooking new readers. Well, this Green Arrow story, along with those by Kevin Smith, are rooted in DECADES of continuity. And that's why is works! The storytelling acknowledges everything that came before - giving the characters of Oliver Queen, Roy Harper, Dinah Lance, Connor Hawke, etc a surprising amount of depth and emotional realism - while reinterpreting these Silver Age characters with the more-informed complexities of our age. In my book, that's the meaning of "Ultimate" - not rootless but the genuine and best version of something. Take my challenge - give this book, "Green Arrow: The Archer's Quest" to anyone, any non-comic reader, and see his/her reaction. The high chance is that he/she may soon become a fan and start digging deeper to understand the history and background of it all. This is the Ultimate Green Arrow.

Hawkman, to me, is what Conan the Barbarian would've been like if the Cimmerian had been a superhero and been given the gift of flight. There's not really too many capes out there who's more brutal and, shall we say, old-school barbaric than Hawkman. It's why I like him, although the whole incarnation/Thanagar riff is pretty cool too. But, continuity-wise, Hawkman and Hawkgirl have had it pretty rough since DC overhauled its universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. Quite a bit of ret-conning since then, placing Hawkman's history strictly mired in the muck. And then Geoff Johns saunters in and does his magic, serves up an Aspirin to Hawkman's continuity migraine. Golden Age Hawkman? Silver Age Hawkman? Johns somehow makes it make sense. Mostly.

Past lives and rebirths. The Nth metal, destiny, a warrior's spirit, and ill-fated romance. Always ending in murder, only to be reborn again. From ancient Egypt to the planet Thanagar to Midway City, and now to what? This is the endless cycle fallen to Prince Khufu and his princess Chay-ara, begun thousands of years ago. Today, they are Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders, aka the winged superheroes Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Carter Hall, recently returned from comic book oblivion, recalls all his past lives and longs to reconnect with his soul mate. But Kendra Saunders is only now beginning to remember. Initially she doesn't want to have anything to do with Carter, and she's most definitely not down with the romance. But an uneasy working partnership is formed, giving Hawkman some hope. Now the two call St. Roch, Louisiana their base of operations, and specifically the Stonechat Museum. Seems the Hawks can't stay away from the past.

Straight from his truimphant return in the pages of the JSA (JSA: Return of Hawkman (Book 3)), Hawkman got his regular monthly series in 1992. HAWKMAN: ENDLESS FLIGHT collects the first 6 issues of Hawkman's new series, as well as the lead story and assorted entries from Hawkman Secret Files #1. ENDLESS FLIGHT also comes with a 3-paged foreword by Geoff Johns (which breaks down the convoluted history of Hawkman). With James Robinson, Geoff Johns handles the writing duties, and, while the storytelling here didn't exactly wow the crap out of me, it did keep me engaged enough. Turns out Indiana Jones stuff doesn't turn my head unless Indy himself is working it.

Plot SPOILERS follow:

There are two main story arcs in HAWKMAN: ENDLESS FLIGHT. The series starts off with Kendra's ongoing investigation of her parent's deaths. Along the way, she's reluctantly accepted Carter's offer of help. The pursuit of a lead has the winged wonders flying to India, where they get mixed up in a search for a legendary diamond relic called the Third Eye of Shiva. And they also run into some old foes. In the resulting fracas Hawkman is transported to the fabled Battlelands, a hidden reality created by the god Shiva for his descendants. This leaves Hawkgirl out in the real world, facing off a crooked military faction. Everything eventually sorts itself out, and we move on to the next adventure, which guest stars Green Arrow, who's being framed for several murders in St. Roch. Hawkman and Green Arrow - respectively a conservative and a liberal - have never really gotten along, and this stays true to form. But it's fun watching them bicker.

Hanging around these pages is a mysterious and influential St. Rochian who's obsessed with archaeology and who knows more than most about the Hawks. He'd normally get my vote for "Behind-the-Scenes Villain" as he seems to have his fingers in a lot of pies, except that there seems to be someone behind HIS scenes. If that makes any sense.

End SPOILERS.

Penciller Rags Morales and inker Michael Bair provide the artwork, and, by Shiva, it's darn good artwork. In fact, in this volume, Rags and M. Bair treat us to several two-paged spreads of Hawkman and Hawkgirl which are just simply iconic and so very dynamic. Hawkman's never looked more like a bruising, implacable warrior, and Hawkgirl's right there, matching him in ferocity. Of course, their brandishing of menacing ancient weaponry adds that touch of not-to-be-effed-with even more. Also worth eyeballing are Andrew Robinson's original covers. Patrick Gleason fills in for one issue and he's good enough that he doesn't sabotage the series' look.

And let's not forget the timeless love story. Underneath all the goings-on, of course, is the romantic tension between Carter and Kendra. As a teaser for Hawkman: Allies & Enemies (Book 2), I'll mention that a twist is thrown in which alters Carter and Kendra's relationship. But in ENDLESS FLIGHT it's about Carter handling Kendra with the proverbial kid gloves. This is a superhero comic book so a boatload of attention is focused on superhero themes and supervillain beat-downs. But, I tell you, I relish the brief relationship moments between the Hawks just as much as their crime-fighting escapades. HAWKMAN: ENDLESS FLIGHT is good stuff. Give it a go.

I'd like to preface this review by saying that I have this material, but not in this format; I have the original comic books reprinted in this Trade Paperback, and the Secret Files book, part of which is reprinted herein. I highly urge anyone who buys this to get the full "Hawkman Secret Files # 1" comic as well; I find the DC Secret Files books to be indispensable in getting the full impact of the series they cover (besides which, they're tremendous reads on their own merits). In Hawkman's case, the full Secret Files is even more necessary than usual, due to the characters's admittedly convoluted histories. However, everything you need to know is condensed into the files for the main characters, which is not to say you may not want to go back and read the previous stories anyway.

On to the main focus: the first six issues of the current (and brilliant) ongoing "Hawkman" series are here, all of them rating a perfect 10/10 except for # 4, whose sole flaw was that it should have been longer; it's as if the creative team had to cram 2 comics worth into a single issue, although it remains stronger than it should have been if that were indeed the case. The 2-issue Green Arrow arc (nos. 5 & 6) is one of the very best 2-issue arcs I've read in over two decades of reading comic books.

Some random thoughts: Hawkman himself, while never straying from being a noble defender of the innocent and persecuted, is truly the most savage hero the DC Universe has ever seen. The creative team, led by co-writers Geoff Johns & James Robinson and penciller Rags Morales, are so good they can make even a character like the Gentleman Ghost seem not only intriguing but downright intimidating; meanwhile the new incarnation of Copperhead could carry a whole horror movie (or franchise) on his own. Ace colorist John Kalisz is turning in the work of his career here. The use of locales lesser seen in the DC Universe (Louisiana; India; etc.) pays off in spades. Series develops a great supporting cast right from the get-go - that's a must, no series Ever succeeds on title character alone. And of course, the strange relationship between Hawkman and Hawkgirl....

Highest possible recommendation.

Superheroes are, ultimately, romantic fantasies of heroism. Here, we have a character with old-world chivalric values living in today's world. And in this book, we see superhero romance done right.

Geoff Johns writes with passion. He obviously loves these characters. Rags Morales is one of the best artists in comics today. And together they have delivered a superhero story with heart - as in a "broken" one. Hawkman returns from oblivion in the "Return of Hawkman" JSA storyline only to find that the Hawkgirl of this incarnation doesn't even recognize him. She "knows" that he is her husband from all previous incarnations but she just doesn't "feel" that he is. That kind of corny stuff. But done right. With just the right amount of irony and heart-wrenching dialogue - "Partners. That's all we will be. Try to go further than that and I'll fly away so far away that you'll never find me. EVER.", Hawkgirl warns Hawkman.

The second part of the book features a meeting between Green Arrow and Hawkman. These two are the successful revamps of the recent years. And their meeting is a laugh-out riot!

I can't wait for DC to release further TPB collections of HAWKMAN.

Combines the first 6 issues of the current volume, and part of the Secret Files #1. Written by Geoff Johns, and drawn by Rags Morales. I knew next to nothing about the character and his complex history, but had high hopes in the creative team. Hawkman is now a favorite character of mine! He's conservative, and he's not afraid to swing a big hammer at bad guys -- what's not to love about that?

Here's the skinny on Hawk... he has been reincarnated several times throughout history, along with Hawkgirl. They both have a love for history (and usually each other). They both have unique powers (including flight) that come from the planet Thanagar. Until this most recent reincarnation, they have retained the memories of previous lives, but this time HG doesn't remember ever being in love with HM. Green Arrow (DC's idealist liberal) has a 2-issue crossover, and it's brilliant. This is an outstanding "Indiana Jones meets Stargate" type comic. HIGHLY recommended.

Even if I hadn't written the profile pages for this tpb I'd still go out of my way to tell people that it rocks. The introduction by Johns alone is worth the price of admission. Hawkman has been given a new lease on his four-color life and has never flown straighter nor looked better (with art by RAGS MORALES predominantly, the listing up there for Patrick notwithstanding). This is a trade collection that you'll go back to time and again for adventure and mystery.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An earlier collection of the classic strip. the style and look is of an earlier era than the later newspaper strips that I remember growing up with, but are still very nice, and you get to see some of the early adventures here that began to mold both the character and the artist.

There isn't a better story strip from the last 50 years than Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell in the years it was drawn by Jim Holdaway. This volume starts from the beginning of the strip and is one you will read and reread. O'Donnell's writing is top-notch, and Holdaway's art sets a standard that few other other comic strip artists can ever match - and the combination is MUCH greater than the sum of the parts. Titan's presentation is excellent - crisp, large reproduction so the strips really shine. Excellent editorial matter - good introductions and a very useful episode and artist guide to the entire run of the strip.

Over the years there have been several Modesty Blaise reprints. The volumes from Titan are still the best and unlikely to be surpassed. Go for it.

I cannot improve on Mr. Linguini's fine review, but here's mine. Prior to acquiring this volume, I had never read any Modesty Blaise. I'm pleasantly surprised.

The newspaper adventure strip has its special appeal and there is a small but devoted niche of readers for them. I have been reviewing the Checker Book Publishing Group Steve Canyon series, which is wonderfully drawn, imaginative, well-printed and bound, but the reproductions are unfortunately small. Also, I've contracted a seven-year itch after six years' worth of that series. So I tried a little Modesty.

The reproductions here are superb and their size is just right. (A daily strip is about 18 in² compared with the Checker Canyon's 11 in².) The binding is in signatures as are the Canyon strips. The stories have a freshness that is matched by the drawings.

The background story of the heroine is the stuff of legend (I leave it out here), inspired by a real life experience of the author. Her "sidekick" Willie Garvin is nothing like the bearded, buffoonish rustics we see in Canyon and some westerns (Lt. Blueberry, for example): he's her absolutely trusted, trusting and competent lieutenant. This makes for an effective team we care for, even if Garvin does hit no fewer than three women in the first three adventures. Our intolerance for such things today says quite a bit about some of the positive aspects of political correctness. Feminism, with Modesty in the avant-garde, had not yet quite gotten its bearings, but the strong, self-reliant, attractive woman, also being sketched in the co-temporal Avengers TV series, was a beacon for the future. The whole package is very sixties.

I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere, but MB's looks are not conventional - that is, they don't quite fit into the comic strip mold of "beautiful woman." She comes close, though: she is very attractive, as if she's above-average looks-wise and takes perfect care of herself. She has a distinctive look. Whereas the Steve Canyon femme fatales vary in a few shorthand-type lines, Modesty Blaise has a largish nose, a narrow chin and high cheekbones, along with an expression in the eyes that is precisely hers, such that she can't be mistaken for anyone else. Most of the other characters in the series are also clearly distinct from each other. Holdaway's art stands out in this regard. In fact, a lot of Modesty's attractiveness is in her visual expression - a rare achievement in comic art.

This is the kind of strip that might entertain even non-strip readers. The stories are fun, action packed, superbly drawn, and so well paced that we wind up reading them too fast and wanting more when done. I can well understand the cult following this strip has. The Titan books are so well done that they are a sure bet for comic strip collectors or adventure aficionados. The Gabriel Setup is where you should begin: it has the first three adventures plus Modesty's origins. It's my first but by no means my last.

Such warm feelings of when I was a kid and would see this in the newspapers. I'd even taken to cutting out the daily strips and pasting them into an exercise book in an attempt to compile an entire story. Each story is so well crafted; the art is dark and mysterious. Modesty herself is chic and mesmerising and her sidekick Willie is the coolest guy. What a team! Add internationl intrigue to the mix, and you have the makings of true James Bond-like adventure. What an excellent way to pass a rainy afternoon! More please, more!

I used to read Modesty stories scattered across comic book albumes containing various comics. Now finally I got my hands on first five Modesty books, nicely bound, with creator's comments on almost each story. All in one place, at last.

The Season 2 companion to Supernatural is a nice way to check back on certain developments you may have forgotten about different episodes and the characters. I also own Season 1 and plan to buy Season 3 - it's great to read about the behind the scenes goings on and how the cast and crew work around any drawbacks that occur.

I love Supernatural. Anything Supernatural gets an automatic 5 million in my book. I love the extra detail included in each companion that gives more facts on the creatures and the explanation as to why the writters decided to make the brothers go after them. Dean and Sam are the BEST!

Thank you for sending the book so timely and in the great shape it was promised that it would be. 5 Stars

This is an awesome book to have for fans of Supernatural!! I highly recommend it.

The Supernatural Season Two Companion is brilliant. Much like the first companion, it has lots of episode information, quotes, and behind the scenes looks. It also contains episode insights from Ackles, Padalecki, and Eric Kripke. The quick facts and episodic music listings are particularly my favourite. The "Did You Know?" bits are always insightful and really interesting. And, needless to say, the coloured image inserts are awesome.

Overall, I have been really happy with the seasonal companions so far. I look forward to the the third with great interest.

Very informative book chock full of all the information you could ever want to know about the missile and program.

I was expecting the typical academic or historical reference that is chock full of info, but fairly dull to read. As the cliche goes, you can't judge a book by its cover. Mr. Stumpf has done a great job of writing also. He details the beginnings of the program, operational aspects and the fatal accidents which seem to have been forgotten over the years.

He even details the program to turn the old warhorses into satellite launch vehicles and the remaining silo, now a musuem in Arizona.

Like the previous reviewer, I would have liked to seen some info on the Titan II and the Gemini program.

If you're a space or Cold War buff, read this book, then visit the silo/museum in Green Valley, Ariz.

Wow another wonderful cold war missile history book.This book is so imformative it get right down to the nuts and bolts that kept this mighty missile together.If you want to learn about what Titan was and what it did to protect us then get this book now trust me it's that good.

I admire the author for his undertaking. It is like he saw an important piece of history disappearing, and he decided to write a book to put together the source materials before they disappeared. He ended up with what must be the definitive book on the Titan II ballistic missile program from concept to design to installation to operation to retirement. He is to be applauded for this effort because even he probably does not know how much time it took him.

That being said, this book is probably overly technical except for the most detail-oriented student of history. One literally learns every serial number of every missile and the names and ranks of all military personnel down to every team member on every missile crew. I found that intimidating for someone with my level of interest, which is more than the average lay person and less than the professional historian.

The level of technical details is so exceptional that it almost reads like a military briefing book. I wish there had been more about the people, the mission, the Cold War, but perhaps the author thought those matters were better left for others.

For someone wanting to know just what Titan II was all about, this may not be the book. It can be, but it will require a lot of skipping over of the very detailed sections and possibly a second reading if the first one leaves a thirst for more detail. I did not mind the intense level of detail, but I give it four stars for this reason.

Compiled and written by David K. Stumpf (Associate Research Scientist, University of Arizona), Titan II: A History of a Cold War Missile Program is the informed and informative story of the intercontinental ballistic missile program developed by the United States military in the 1950s and 1960s. Each missile was designed to carry a single nuclear warhead, used liquid fuel propellants, and was stored (and launched from) hardened underground silos. The missile sites were based in Arkansas, Arizona, and Kansas facilities, and then were finally deactivated in the early 1980s. Based on a wide range of sources including engineer and airmen interviews and memoirs, declassified government documents, and other public materials, and enhanced with more than 170 drawings and photographs (most of which have never been previously published), Titan II is a definitive, strongly recommended, technological history of a deterrent weapons system that for more than 20 years successfully defended America from nuclear attack.

What can I say? Lots of Pérez art, lots of information, lots of behind-the-stage information about various Titans series throughout the years. Recommended for all fans.
I'm eagerly waiting for Volume 2!!

Top notch retrospective of the early Titans eras. Not quite as good as the All-Star Companion, but enjoyable nonetheless. It's definitely a must-own for Titans fans!

I stumbled on this book almost by accident. It contains numerous interviews of the Titans creators, allowing the reader to get an inside look at the group from the 60s to the mid 90s. The emphasis is naturally on the most successful run of their history-the Wolfman/Perez years of the 80s. Anyone looking for a synoposis of each issue will be disappointed, as this is not the book's focus.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the popular New Teen Titans DC comic book series, Titans Companion is an engaging survey of the history of the series through interviews with creators Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Len Wein, Eduardo Barreto, and other fan favorites. A comprehensive Silver Age section also has interviews with Neal Adams, Nick Cardy, Dick Giordano, among others. Illustrated with black-and-white comic panels and rare character sketches, Titans Companion is a "must-have" for fans of the series, or anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes look at creative decisions in the comic book industry (such as choosing to dress Nightwing, formerly Robin, in dark colors to make him less of a target but exposing some of his chest to appeal to female fans, now that his legs are covered). Very highly recommended reading for all Teen Titan fans.

The Titans Companion is a great source of information for fans of the world's greatest teen super-group. It's formatted with dozens of interviews with just about everybody who's ever worked on Teen Titans, The New Teen Titans, Tales of the Teen Titans, New Titans, Team Titans, and whatever other incarnation the teams had. Cadigan has taken the liberty of breaking up certain interviews (Wolfman and Perez come to mind) chronologically, which allows you take in the Titans one era at a time. Reading from start to finish, it's amazing to witness the transformation from a team of four sidekicks trying to bridge the generation gaps to a horde of dysfunctional, de-aged, gritty warriors.

If you're hoping for a comic-by-comic guide of what happened with the team, stick to the internet. I was able to piece most of it together, but there were bits and pieces I needed some more help on.

The book has TONS of b&w artwork, either reproduced panels or convention sketches--they're fantastic!

As somebody who's never read much DC at all, let alone Titans, I learned that Wondergirl was originally just Wonderwoman at a younger age (ie, not Wonderwoman's sidekick). When she showed up in Teen Titans, all of a sudden an origin had to follow, and it's followed poor Donna Troy ever since! Deathstroke the Terminator, and Vigilante both sprung from the pages of New Teen Titans. Speedy's little heroin addiction apparently never came up in the Titans! And that there were a lot of character's I'd never heard of who've joined the Titans over the years, including the Joker's daughter, who was actually Two-Face's daughter, who called herself Duella Dent and fought as Harlequin (not the Batman:The Animated Series one), and who according to Len Wein in a lettercol of DC's Who's Who #15 "show's up at Donna Troy's wedding and Dick Grayson accusing (sic) her of lying. She admitted to the deception and points to her recent addition of 50 pounds, keeping her out of crime-fighting. Since she was never a major character, nor did she ever have her own series or origin, it was decided to omit her reference (from Who's Who) since she will not be seen again."

Suffice it to say, I'm now dying to find a Titans issue with Duella as an active crimefighter in it, to see how the writer's played it. There's a lot of examples like this, where I felt like I was at a a MENSA party or something. I was mingling, meeting people, and listening to fascinating conversations, the whole time thinking "man, I've *got* to find out more about this!"

-Tom

When I first saw Visions of Armageddon on sale at the bookstore, I often found myself looking at it more and more. So, finally, I bought it.

This has to be a great book on the 1998 blockbuster film. It contains information on all subjects from the film's genesis to final production. Hundreds of lavish photographs and drawing make it even better. It includes interviews with the cast and crew.

However, for people looking for a good book to read, ignore this. The information skips back and forth. One moment they are telling you about how the film began. Then they are telling you about how the special effects were made. Then they are telling about the genesis and so forth. But the lack of definite timeline does not at all hurt the story of the most overcritized film of all time. As Michael Bay said "There is nothing wrong with entertaining people."

If you love the movie, you might want to have it as one of your book collections. It shows the making of the movie & its illustrations. There are also some nice pictures of the cast for those fans who love Bruce, Ben & Liv. Don't miss it!!!

i love this book. it is printed on wonderful paper. it
will last & the fotos are GORGEOUSE! it explains a lot
the stuff behind the scenes & how it was done. more than
just a quickie movie-tie-in. it is worth having on it's
own!

One word on the movie: bad. Still even though the movie sucked, I found myself just peeking at the book while at bookstores. Needless to say I bought the book, and I enjoyed it ten times more then I did the movie. So if you have a choice between the book and the movie, buy the book. You won't regret it.

If you saw the movie, and loved it, go get Visions of Armageddon because it was so good and shows Dreamquest and Vfx how they did those spectacular Special FX. Great pictures from the movie. Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay makes a great team for a fun, high-paced, action-packed movie for the summer! One of my favorite movies of the summer, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ARMAGEDDON GO SEE IT AND YOU'LL BE FEELIN' LIKED YOU GOT OUT OF AN KICK ASS ROLLER COASTER RIDE!!!!

I'm a music student, and one of the courses we must take to complete our studies is conducting. This book is a great way to learn the basics, so anyone, and I mean anyone, can lead a symphony orchestra, on TV or on audio recording, in the privacy and comfort of their own home. But be warned: you'll want to conduct the minute you get to a real live concert! It's an absolute shame this book is out of print!

I'm a music student, and one of the courses we must take to complete our studies is conducting. This book is a great way to learn the basics, so anyone, and I mean anyone, can lead a symphony orchestra, on TV or on audio recording, in the privacy and comfort of their own home. But be warned: you'll want to conduct the minute you get to a real live concert! It's an absolute shame this book is out of print!

This book will not teach you to read music or follow a musical score, but it WILL teach you to hold a baton. It will also show you in detail how to conduct the various tempi (plural for tempo). It will educate you about the various conductors and their styles. I won an opportunity to conducted a live symphony. This book gave me the confidence I needed to actually do it! Good Luck! Have Fun!

If you have ever conducted to the music playing in your CD player, or you went to a concert and dreamed of being the one up on the podium, then this book is for you. It's humorous and very instructional. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys conducting as much as I do.

A music how to, that students and fans will enjoy. NOT altogether serious, pure FUN, yet very instructional. If you have the itch to conduct, scratch it. The Armrchair Conductor will have you conducting your favorite music in a matter of minutes. Well written, suprisingly humourous & accurate.

In less than 100 pages the reader will gain practical and clever insites into the mysterious profession/art of orchestra conducting.

Stretch your listening, stretch your arms out and conduct. Resistance is futile, just buy/try it.