Plymouth Books

BONE's silly fun has returned! The one thing that bothered me about GHOST CIRCLES was the lack of humor, but Jeff Smith has made BONE hilarious again. Gran'ma, Thorn, and the bones have reached the ancient city of Atheia, which is now packed with the survivors of the ghost circles. However, they find out that corruption has taken hold even in the capital city. A new branch of Veni-Yan-Cari (holy men loyal to the dragons) has sprung up and refused to bow to the dragons. Their leader, Tarsil, has assumed control of Atheia and will not let anyone loyal to the dragons live in peace.

All cities have currency, and, of course, Phoney's just aching for a bundle. Once again using Smiley as his assistant, he's trying to locate Tarsil's legendary treasure. Packed with humor, horror (the scene with Thorn walking toward the shadow, oooh scary), and a cliffhanger ending that will leave you groping for CROWN OF HORNS, BONE is back with more!

This was definately as good as all the others hands down 5 stars. The humor certanly rturned with book 8. I loved the part about the "blank sandwiches" (you should look at the expression on both Bartleby and Phoney's faces). All in all still one of the best comic book sieries. Only Problem...MAKE MORE

I love Bone, and I would unhesitatingly give every collection up to this one five stars. This was the first volume that let me down. Jeff Smith had previously concentrated on a handful of very well-developed, very likable, surprisingly complicated characters. In this volume, he expands the cast by about twofold, and most of the new characters are grotesques who aren't particularly engaging. Their most interesting characteristics are their funny-looking eyebrows/nose rings/beards/moustaches/teeth. The city of Atheiea is filled with hundreds of misshapen freaks who don't serve much purpose, and reminded me of Jabba the Hutt's palace. If the dark and intense "Ghost Circles" was the "Empire Strikes Back" of the series, "Treasure Hunters" is the "Return of the Jedi". And "Return of the Jedi" was awful.

I hope that Jeff Smith will be able to handle all the new plot lines and characters he's introduced here. Given that he's Jeff Smith, he just might do so masterfully, but for the first time in this series, I'm doubtful.

And so with "Treasure Hunters," we take the final step before the end of the "Bone" series. In this, the eighth of nine volumes, we see a return to the humor that has run through much of the series ("Ghost Circles" was grim indeed).

"Bone" is an huge story about three "bone creatures" and their adventures in a quaint valley of peasants, hidden princesses, dragons and creatures. Like a dark cloud looming over it all is the menace of a great evil intent on taking over the world. The series starts off lighthearted, but grows to become an epic story rooted in fantasy, without the Tolkienesque elves and dwarves.

This installment bring us into a city rather than the valley that has been at the center of the series. The forward progression for the grand tale is small indeed here. Instead, Smith begins to position all of the pieces of the puzzle for the final climax, while unexpectedly adding a few new pieces - a religious tyrant and an underground rebellion - to make the climax all that much more frantic.

Most of the action in "Treasure Hunters" takes place in the city. Few side plots or diversions outside of the city show up. The result is one of the faster reads of the "Bone" series.
This is the kind of comic tale that will appeal to a wide demographic. Smith combines the classic storytelling perfected by the likes of Carl Barks (Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge) and Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) - characters with outrageous and expressive faces and gestures - with the epic plotting of a sweeping fairy tale. "Bone" manages to balance the two well enough to be something fans of both Donald Duck and Frodo Baggins can enjoy.

There is no doubt people will still be reading "Bone" 50 years from now. Broad and epic in scope yet personal and quaint, this is a charming story in every way that will surely outlast most other comic works on the shelf.

This is the eighth installment of the Bone series. It continues to follow the adventures of the Bones and Thorn. The big change in this story is that it moves from the outdoors to the city. Nearly all of the action takes place in the city of Atheia. Thorn comes closer to understanding her role in the world.

Generally speaking, I love the Bone series, and I have rated all of the previous books with five stars. However there are some weak points in this book which prevent me from giving it five stars. One point is that the shift from the outdoors to the city gives this book a rather cramped feel. I believe that Jeff Smith has a certain talent for drawing outdoor scenes, and that talent doesn't seem to be in use in this book. Another point is that a lot of new characters are introduced, which takes away page space from the characters we already know and love, and what is worse, the new characters are not in the least bit interesting. They are all stock types. Also I cringed to see the appearance of dwarfs and gnomes in the city. One of the points I liked about the Bone series is the freedom it had from the typical swords and sorcery fantasy, but I guess he ran out of ideas.

Don't get me wrong. It's not a bad book. It's just not as good as the others. Of course if you're following the Bone story, you have to get this. Let's just hope that Smith regains his touch in the next book. Oh, and no more gnomes please.

A kitchen sink low-level superhero and villain brawl. Silverman, Hammerhead, Kingpin, Spider-Man, Elektra, Iron Fist, Shang-Chi and Moon Knight, plus the Enforcers.

Much bashage and breakage and defenestration. Throw in the Black Cat and her cradle snatching ways, and a dirty cop for good measure.

A fair bit of fun, in other words.

ultimate spider-man by bendis and bagley is one of the best series out there. not as much action and non-stop bad guy fighting, but a good mix of that and a lot of peter parker being a teenager with problems (girls, bullies, being grounded, etc.) along with his spidey life.
the series is great great great. only a few minor things that could be better:
1. i don't like how nick fury comes in and tells spider-man he's going to work his whole life for him and shield. the idea of peter being...trapped in a web? haha...well it isn't too cool. superheroes need to fight the good fight because they want to, not because shield will go and take away their superpowers (as fury has threatened) if they don't comply.
2. bendis needs to cut down on the tuchas talk. seriously if parker grew up in nyc today he'd more likely speak spanglish than yanglish.
3. geldoff.

This collects issues #79-85 of the long-running Bendis/Bagley series and includes appearances from Moon Knight, Elektra and the Black Cat. With Kingpin absent, Hammerhead hopes to fill the void left in the city's organized crime structure, forcing villians to choose sides and heroes to evaluate which is the lesser of two evils.

Having read the whole series up until this point, I have to say that I really enjoyed this chapter. The writing is spot on for the teen-angst pain of a reluctant superhero. The art is crisp, clean and fun. If you've enjoyed the earlier books, this continues the fun.

This seven-issue story arc (Ultimate Spidey 79-85) tracks the carnage that ensues when The Kingpin's crime cartel comes up for grabs... The prime contender for the throne is the super-gangster Hammerhead, who in his "Ultimate" incarnation is actually one scary dude, ruthlessly violent and coldly calculating, one of the more convincing gang bosses in comicbook history. Hammerhead's gnarly new persona almost -- but not entirely -- makes up for the flat, flimsy characterizations of '70s martial arts heros Shang Chi and Iron Fist, who also appear here, along with Moon Knight, Black Cat and Elektra. It's a major slugfest, with lots of slicing and dicing at the end, a consistently entertaining read, though not quite up to the high standards set by Brian Michael Bendis earlier in the series. If you just want to read a good, fun superhero story, this volume does the job.

This collection is largely taken up by the run in which Brian Michael Bendis attempts to create a version of Venom that's worth reading.

Story-wise, it's pretty well a success. I'd've preferred if it could have been drawn out longer - Spidey wearing the Venom suit for a while and only gradually realising what it was doing to him would have read better than the rather immediate transformation that we get, but it still works okay.

The new backstory for Venom is nice - one of the big advantages of the Ultimate line is the way that, with all the years of experience behind them, they can piece together more tight-knit stories. That works here, bringing Venom in as an essential part of Peter Parker's backstory.

The only real problem is that Venom still looks silly. He's an over-the-top, McFarlane-esque thing that looks goofy and out-of-place in the story. Every time I'd start to get into the story, that ridiculous gaping jaw and writhing tongue would take me out of it.

If you can get past the distracting character design, though, this is a good read, keeping up the quality we've had in the rest of the series up to this point.

ultimate spider-man by bendis and bagley is one of the best series out there. not as much action and non-stop bad guy fighting, but a good mix of that and a lot of peter parker being a teenager with problems (girls, bullies, being grounded, etc.) along with his spidey life.
the series is great great great. only a few minor things that could be better:
1. i don't like how nick fury comes in and tells spider-man he's going to work his whole life for him and shield. the idea of peter being...trapped in a web? haha...well it isn't too cool. superheroes need to fight the good fight because they want to, not because shield will go and take away their superpowers (as fury has threatened) if they don't comply.
2. bendis needs to cut down on the tuchas talk. seriously if parker grew up in nyc today he'd more likely speak spanglish than yanglish.
3. geldoff.

I have read all the books so far and I think there awsome!!!!

A must have in the series!!!!

Once again Bendis has done it again. I haven't really been that interested in Spiderman since I was a kid. When I was a kid, I loved Spiderman. I grew out of it(well, maybe not, just moved onto different superheros). I have picked up the previous hardcovers of Ultimate Spiderman because of Bendis. He has done what I wish all comic book titles would do. Continuity. It's been the same flowing story since page 1. If Peter is hurt, he is hurt for awhile. When Peter and MJ are fighting, they are fighting for many chapters.

What I really like about Bendis is that he "writes the way people talk". His dialog includes stammering, interuptions, emotions. Almost all comic books and a lot of fiction books read like a script.

While I keep going on and on about the writing, let me speak kindly, also, about the art. The artist(sorry, i can't remember off hand) takes what I like about Bendis' writing and gives the razor sharp dialog an even finer point.

I am anxiously awaiting book 4, but for know, I think I'll go back and read 1 through 3.

The grand conceit of the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comics is that they go back to the beginning of the story when the bite of an irradiated spider granted high school student Peter Parker amazing arachnid-like powers. For those who remember the first 100 issues or so of "The Amazing Spider-Man," writer Brian Michael Bendis, penciler Mark Bagley, and inkers Art Thibert and Rodney Ramos have been providing a high intensity retelling of the tale. This time around Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy are fellow high school students of Peter Parker and the fateful encounter with the Green Goblin comes early on. But this is more than a re-imagining of the Spider-Man saga from the very beginning because these stories are informed by our knowledge of what happened in the first decades worth of issues of "The Amazing Spider-Man."

Volume 3 of the hardback "Ultimate Spider-Man" collects the issues previous reprinted in the fifth and six tradepaperback collections. "Public Scrutiny" (issues #28-32) is different from the previous story arcs in that Spider-Man never fights one super villain in the entire book (even though he certainly wants to). This time the main focus is on Peter Parker being Spider-Man, an issue that is addressed on multiple levels, from Peter being distracted at school to Mary (Jane) having a hard time handling being constantly worried about Peter getting hurt (not calling her Mary Jane is the biggest problem I have with these revisions). This latter point comes to a head after Spider-Man has a bad encounter with the police who are gunning for him because he has been robbing banks and killing police officers. Actually, it is somebody impersonating Spider-Man, which is just another part of the growing headache for our hero.

Bendis is taking pains to explore what it means to be a superhero when you are sixteen years old and in love with the girl next door, who is ticked off that Gwen Stacy has moved in with the Parkers. Meanwhile, the whole bit with Nick Fury and the rules of superheroes in the brave new Marvel universe continues to present intriguing possibilities for the future. Again, Bendis and artist Mark Bagley are taking there time with this one; 32 issues into "The Amazing Spider-Man" Peter Parker was a freshman at E.S.U., while here he is only a sophomore in high school. We can only imagine what he is going to go through before he reaches graduation day. "Public Scrutiny" is as good of a story arc as "Ultimate Spider-Man" has presented to date, even without the standard knock down, drag out fight with a super bad guy.

"Venom" (#33-39) is a quantum leap beyond the Stan Lee days of the original comic to retell the story of Venom. At this point in the tale Captain Stacy is killed while in pursuit of a burglar who had gone on a crime spree posing as Spider-Man, leaving Aunt May to offer his orphaned daughter Gwen a place to live. Meanwhile, after defeating the burglar who has been posing as Spider-Man, Peter is stunned to find out that Mary Jane, who has not only been his girlfriend but the one person he trusts who knows he is Spider-Man, can no longer stand the pressure and breaks up with him. In the wake of that shock Peter connects with Eddie Brock, now a student at Empire State University. It seems Peter and Eddie's dad worked together at the lab and Peter thinks Eddie would like a copy of a videotape of their families enjoying a picnic. Eddie is touched, and has something to show Peter as well, something he calls their "inheritance."

Of course, this is the "black costume," now no longer and alien parasite but a genetic bodysuit. While experimenting with it, the suit leaps onto Peter who discovers it has one big advantage over his regular Spidey suit: it repairs the damage done to him by bullets. But when Spider-Man catches up with the burglar who killed Uncle Ben, his new suit literally goes in for the kill. Eventually Peter will go to Eddie for help, and then it will be time for the suit to find a new person with whom to play and Venom, Spider-Man's evil twin, is truly born. One of the improvements Bendis and Bagley came up with for their revisionist version of Spider-Man was the idea that it was Peter's father who was the scientific genius who came up with the webbing formula. They build on that foundation again by working in both Eddie Brock and the Venom costume into the fabric of the Parker family saga, not to mention Curt Connors. Knowing Eddie gives the conflict with Venom more depth and Peter gets to be a smart kid without being a genius on the level of Tom Swift.

The subplot of Nick Fury being something of a quasi-guardian angel and part-time mentor for Spider-Man is continued, and watching Aunt May and Gwen bond is also going to make things interesting down the road, so be sure to pick up The grand conceit of the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comics is that they go back to the beginning of the story when the bite of an irradiated spider granted high school student Peter Parker amazing arachnid-like powers. For those who remember the first 100 issues or so of "The Amazing Spider-Man," writer Brian Michael Bendis, penciler Mark Bagley, and inkers Art Thibert and Rodney Ramos have been providing a high intensity retelling of the tale. This time around Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy are fellow high school students of Peter Parker and the fateful encounter with the Green Goblin comes early on Volume 4 if these hardback editions are the way you want to follow the story.

So, this is such a mouth-watering premise: Daredevil in prison, tangling with those he'd put away. Matt Murdock's life had been on a downward spiral for a while now, thanks in large part to writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev. That critically acclaimed creative team has gone, but that's not to imply that things now get rosier for the blind man, with Ed Brubaker (Catwoman Vol. 1: The Dark End of the Street (Batman), Gotham Central Vol. 1: In the Line of Duty (Batman), Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story (New Avengers)) and Michael Lark (Gotham Central Vol. 1: In the Line of Duty (Batman), Terminal City) taking over the reins in 2006. Far from it! Picking up right where Bendis left off, Brubaker makes a jawdropping debut with "The Devil in Cell-Block D" story arc, which tells of Matt's harrowing time spent at Ryker's Island.

Basically, the FBI has incarcerated Matt Murdock for being Daredevil. No hard proof, mind you. Which is part of what makes this storyline so intriguing. Matt - first in Protective Custody, then as behind-the-scenes finagling of his enemies lands him in General Population - is still trying to convince folks that he's not the vigilante of Hell's Kitchen. Somehow, he must find a way to survive while pretending to be helpless and defenseless. Matt runs into various old foes and arch-foes and plenty of scum he himself had put behind bars. The Black Tarantula, Hammerhead, the Owl, the Kingpin...is one of these crime lords the mastermind behind what becomes one of the most tragic events in Matt's life? And, in the aftermath of this tragedy, just how far over the line will the guilt-ridden Daredevil go to get even?

In the outside world, someone has taken up the mantle of Daredevil and is policing Hell's Kitchen. Ah, but who? And why? Meanwhile, an old acquaintance of Daredevil's will concern himself with Matt's plight to the point that he gets himself purposely imprisoned at Ryker's.

Seriously, this is some of the best Daredevil stories I have ever read, ranking just below Frank Miller's legendary stuff. DAREDEVIL: THE DEVIL, INSIDE AND OUT Vol. 1 collects issues #82-87 of the monthly, which features the 6-part "The Devil in Cell-Block D" story arc. If you like your superhero steeped in brooding and noirish elements, then this one's a must. It's also a pulse-pounding and action-packed prison drama. It's fascinating to watch Matt Murdock as he becomes so, so tempted to simply lose it and cross that line. Plus, there's something electric and thrilling about seeing Matt costume-less and viciously jacking people up. Something visceral and gratifying about it. And I think it's plenty ironic that one of Marvel's longtime, most unabashedly violent characters comes in and tries to steer Matt back into the light. He tells Matt: "You're hurtin' a lot right now, Murdock, with good reason. But you don't want to be me. You needed to remember that." His was a cool guest star appearance.

Ed Brubaker knows his Daredevil. I didn't think anyone could adequately follow up on Bendis's great work here, but Brubaker is one hell of a yarnspinner. He knows how to lay down atmosphere and suspense, human drama meshing with bone-crunching action sequences. Bendis is gone, but the Daredevil series hasn't at all missed a beat. Michael Lark handles the art, which is moody and dynamic and perfectly complements Brubaker's gritty, edgy storytelling. In fact, after only the first couple of issues, Lark became my second favorite Daredevil artist of all time (after David Mazzuchelli, who also had an influence on Lark). Now, I've read GOTHAM CENTRAL in the past, which boasted Brubaker as writer and Lark as artist, so I'm not at all surprised that these two guys rock so well together.

So, there it is. DAREDEVIL: THE DEVIL, INSIDE AND OUT, Vol. 1 is highly recommended. And, as a neat bonus, this trade paperback also offers up a transcript, four pages' worth, of Brubaker and Lark providing tongue-in-cheek commentary on the artwork for the first five pages of Daredevil #82. So go grab this, yeah?

When Bendis handed off Daredevil to Brubaker, I wasn't sure WHAT to think. Who is this Brubaker fella and why should I care (I had just started reading comics and most names were unknown to me)? After the finale in The Murdock Papers, I was ready to see the new direction that Brubaker would take the series.
It is the best Daredevil story I have ever had the pleasure to read. He continues the story and takes his own direction, showing Matt as a man who has almost nothing left, and uses the setting to great effect, showing quiet moments of character work within the boiling hell that is the Raft. The explosive second to last issue of Devil In Cell Block D is the best piece of action comics that I have read in my life, and set a new standard on what you can do with the character. The last issue focusing on Foggy is a good issue, if only for the fact that it involves ninjas (yes, turning off critical faculties for NIJAS. How NERDY).
Overall, this is a great beginning to Brubaker's run on the title, and I don't think he's reached this level of quality on anything he's written, except Captain America.

Daredevil has finally been busted, and this time for perjury of all things, of lying to the court about being Daredevil.

He gets sent to the Big House. Needless to say, he doesn't have a lot of friends among the inmates, although he is not without supporters outside and on the staff.

Things will get nasty as those inside try to manipulate this new player to their own ends.

A fine Daredevil arc.

This book takes Daredevil off in an exciting new direction and is a terrific jump off from the BMB storyline that preceded it. I highly recommend it to those who have been following the story since DD was brought back from the dead by Kevin Smith.

Holy cow...! Brian Michael Bendis' long run on "Daredevil" was a highwater mark for the superhero genre, and a tough act to follow. In this seething prison drama, writer Ed Brubaker matches the intensity of the Bendis story arc, and then some. Matt Murdoch is in Rykers Island prison, where a mix of super-powered and super-bad convicts can't wait to get their hands on him. Every claustrophobic prison flick you've seen is evoked, and all the tension and fear and adrenaline serves to show, once again, what a gnarly fighter DD actually is. Following in Frank Miller's footsteps, Bendis and Brubaker have made a bid to elevate DD from second-class status into the same kind of brooding urban uber-warrior that Batman became, and they have succeeded wildly. This volume, which gathers issues #82-87, is one of the most intense, tightly scripted comicbook stories you're likely to read, a real nailbiter, and another big step forward in the Daredevil saga. Highly recommended!

I have all of the first three "essential Fantastic Four" volumes, and I have no problem at all with saying that this one is my favorite. All the way through to the end of volume 2, the stories were okay, but basically blah as far as super-powered action goes, but almost immediately as soon as volume 3 starts, the intense stories begin. The thing is captured by the enemies of the Fantastic Four and brainwashed, quite convincingly, and since this ain't a mush mag, he doesn't just "break out" of the brainwashing.
The stories move on into the wedding of Reed and Sue that is interupted by just about everyone EXCEPT the Sub-mariner, who up to that point, one would expect to be the first one to object to such a union. This is a wedding unlike any other, full of cameos by every other major super-hero and super-hero team in the marvel universe up to that point.
This volume also contains two of my favorite of the early FF sagas; the time when Dr. Doom stole the powers of the Silver Surfer and the first coming of Galactus.
Although I tend to favor the latter over the former because of its larger cosmic physics and the fact that it implemented more (at the time) revolutionary sci-fi concepts, both have the charm of showcasing a superbeing who threatens the safety and/or freedom of the Earth's people, and who is WAY more powerful than the entire Fantastic Four combined. In both cases, a clever method was needed to pull off a victory, making them, in my mind, top-knotch tales.
But don't for a minute think that this particular fruit salad is without a single sour grape. The original introduction of the inhumans (which, for some reason, I have heard others refer to in a positive light) is also included, and although for the sake of completeness I wouldn't change that...
I mean... I LIKE the inhumans as characters, but their original introduction just stunk. When I first read it a long time ago, I forgave it because I thought I might have missed the issues where they EXPLAINED what was going on, but when I read this volume, I realized they really DIDN'T explain what was going on, which was a big disappointment to me.
My gripes include the fact that they wait quite some time before explaining Triton's powers, thus making him largely unlikable during the first couple sagas with him, the fact that no one ever learns why Medusa was working with the bad guys, no one ever learns the truth about Black Bolt losing his voice, they never quite straightened out who wanted who to go to the great refuge and Maximus just kinda came out of nowhere, as did virtually everything surrounding the character, including but not limited to his involvement in Black Bolt's "accident," the true nature of his powers and how he got hold of Black Bolt's crown in the first place. I'm like Reed Richards. I love knowing stuff. So naturally, I disliked the introduction of the inhumans.
But on the whole, this is a really cool volume containing some awesome stories and some sweet battles and of course, plenty of Ben & Johnny's killer arguments. Definitely worth the read.

Volume 3 of "The Essential Fantastic Four" is the one we have been waiting for because with issues #41-63 and Annuals #3 & $ of "The Fantastic Four" we are talking the period where this truly was "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!" This is also where the FF have their greatest battle, against the threat of Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer, and Annual #3 presents the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Those stories alone would make this particular collection required reading but during this period Stan Lee and Jack Kirby also created the Inhumans and the Black Panther, substantially adding to the Marvel pantheon. But the clincher is that having come up with the ultimate FF story (everything is anticlimactic after you essentially stop a god from devouring your planet) there is another classic multi-part story as Doctor Doom steals the Surfers cosmic powers. Actually, I like those stories a bit more (check out the classic cover for issue #60), but then it is hard for Lee to go wrong with any sort of Silver Surfer story at this point in history.

Also, from an artistic standpoint I think Jack Kirby clearly reached his heights as an artist during this period, but a large measure of credit also goes to inker Joe Sinnot, who replaced Vince Colletta. Just compare the drawings of the Thing in the first story to those in the last in this volume and the improvement is obvious. If you go back to the first volume of "Fantastic Four" repeats the difference is even more striking. Kirby was also experimenting with zip tones, using photographs, working in a lot more in terms of backgrounds for his panels, and indulging in splash pages in the middle of stories. When you think of how long Kirby had been drawing comic books at that point in his career, the fact that his artwork could suddenly improve so dramatically is astounding. In terms of artwork and stories, this is as good as the "Fantastic Four" ever got in its celebrated history. When I think of the FF, the stories in this volume are the ones I remember best.

Although I respect Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for all they have done for the comic industry, and I cannot find it in me to either like or be entertained by their stories. It's because of people like them that comics are widely considered to be childish and immature. The dialogue is some of the worst I've ever read; I can't believe it were aimed at teenagers and adults instead of 5 year olds. The plotting is lame ans there's little in the department of character development (MORE superheroes who use their powers to fight evil and uphold the American way. wow.). I can't comprehed why Mr. Kirby's artwork is so admired. True, he paved the way for generations to come, but look at it! All the men look the same except for their hair color! Artists like Jim Steranko or John Romita Jr., hell, even Steve Ditko, should get as much if not more praise than he. Not to mention all the new talents like Frank Quitely or Steve Dillon or Phil Jimenez. So if you wish to buy this bleak and childish TPB (I refuse to call it a graphic novel!!!) then go ahead...and then buy good comics like The Invisibles, Sandman, and Preacher!

Here began the best years of The Fantastic Four. Writer Lee developed real (albeit sometimes hokey) characters (this is, after all, a comic book) who each spoke in a voice unique to them (often lines of dialogue were attributable even without the pictures), and artist Jack Kirby reached his creative Marvel peak. A must for any fan of the genre, but particularly for the FF afficianado.

These stories teach two important lessons about the collaborative medium that is the comic book (particularly the dramatic/action/adventure/superhero book). The first is the importance of writing. Yes, you can tell a story with pictures alone, and Jack Kirby was better than almost anyone else at doing that. It was, after all, Kirby's talent in this regard (along with Steve Ditko's) that led to the development of what came to be known as "The Marvel Method", with artists drawing and often plotting before one line of description or dialogue was written). But just as the sound era made John Ford a better director (THE IRON HORSE is a very good silent picture; STAGECOACH-- made only a dozen years later-- is a great film), likewise Stan Lee's dialogue made Jack Kirby's great art into a great comic book. You only have to read much of Kirby's later work (especially for DC). While incredibly creative, imaginative, and powerful in its artistic vision, the dialogue (written by Kirby himself) is often stilted and, unless adopting an obvious accent, lacks specific characterization.

The second lesson is finding the right inker. Joe Sinnott's inking of Kirby's FF pencils took everything to a higher level: a vast improvement over Vince Colletta's earlier FF efforts. Yet even this is situational. Colletta's inks of Kirby artwork on Thor was the perfect match of inker with penciller with subject, just as the Kirby-Sinnott collaboration was perfect for the FF (and just as Syd Shores' inks were perfect for Kirby's Captain America). Very few inkers are good for all artists on all titles (Frank Giacoa comes to mind as being able to do this, and maybe Tom Palmer, but not many others).

And so in Volume III of THE ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR, "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" begins to live up to its billing. See for yourself.

This is not only an excellent book, but it is also a classic study at how important an inker is on the penciller. Starting in issue 44, Joe Sinnott took over as inker of Jack Kirby's work and the result is startling. Sinnott dramatically improved the art and brought out the talent that Jack Kirby has.
The stores themselves and mixed, but the Galactus tale still holds well including the introduction of the Silver surfer. My personal favorite is the battle with Dr. Doom after he stole the Silver Surfer's powers. Doom pontificates in all his bravado and the FF finally realize (du) they are out of their league. If you've ever wanted to see why the silver age of comics was the silver age of comics, get this book!

This is a very nice guide to help the novice spotter ID today's aircraft. Small in dimensions (just a little bigger than pocket-sized), but loaded with nice pictures and facts about every major airplane type. A good buy.

Lots of high-quality pictures printed on glossy paper. Facts and explanations.

This book is perfect for the frequent traveler with time on his or her hands at the airport! It is designed to make it relatively quick and painless to find the aircraft you're seeing BEFORE it rolls out of sight -- and I've found that this design works for me.

What's more, the book is the perfect size to fit into the upper pocket on a Travelpro Rollaboard® suitcase -- so it's always easy for me to get to, when that unknown aircraft rolls into view.

The book is very much like "A Field Guide to the Airplanes", in the Roger Tory Peterson tradition -- a way to quickly identify common (and sometimes obscure) aircraft quickly and accurately.

If you're looking for detailed descriptions, or the real difference between a 737-300 and a 737-400, then you'll have to look elsewhere. But if you want to quickly know if that airplane out there is an Embraer 120 or a Fairchild Metro, this is the book for you.

I can't wait for the third edition to appear (hint, hint)!

This amazing book does one thing better than any other like it: it allows observers to rapidly identify airliners. Using its unique system that divides airliners into categories based on number and type of engines and wing configurations, it rapidly guides observers to the identity of the airliner they're watching. Attractively designed, it includes full-color photos and 3-view silhouettes of each airliner, as well as essential information such as cruising speed, size, and range. I wouldn't leave home for the airport without it.

This book starts with a taxonomic chart (match what you see and go to that page) and branches off until you find the right plane group/subgroup. After that you have to flip through the pictures/descriptions in the subgroups to find the right plane. If you're sitting at an airport and have a good view with plenty of time to watch individual planes, this book is tops. However, if you're working at a distance with field glasses it won't really help. I agree that the specs are limited if you're a hard-core spotter. I too am still looking for a book with proportional drawings. However, I think this is the best book I've seen so far. IMHO, when compared with _Civil_Airliner_Recognition_, this book has more practical comparison/distinguishing notes, better photos, and better views for distinguishing characteristic identification.

This is the Comic book that more comics should aspire to be about! Mike Kunkel has really created a deep, personal and beautiful adventure that made me feel like a kid again reading it.

As a lover of animation, the Penciled, sketchy style just sucked me in and kept everything moving across the page. The story is exciting, hilarious and thrilling all at the same time. I LOVE Herobear, and even though I bought all of the individual issues when they came out, I LOVE this collection. The Sketckbook pages are wonderful and really give readers a fantastic peak inside the creative process.

I've enjoyed the individual issues of the comic book since day one, but suffered through long, L O N G waits between issues. As a collected volume, the story makes much more sense and the beauty of the art can be better appreciated. We are introduced to charming, imaginative characters whose storylines aren't completely wrapped up in the final chapter, promising further adventures.
Unlike a previous reviewer, I don't consider the extra, "behind-the-scenes" artwork to be "bad news." Like my favorite DVDs, this collection of extras enhances my enjoyment and makes me feel like I'm in on the creative process.
Buy the book. You can't go wrong with a polar bear in a red cape.

Herobear and the kid is a great, nostialgic book. I cannot reccomend it highly enough to anyone, from a parent who wants to give their child some good wholesome fun, to a jaded cynic who might need to remember their childhood (and pass it on).

This book is a collection of the first 6 issues of Herobear. That's the good news. The bad news is that about 1/3 of the book isn't really stories, just a bunch of sketches with some background info.

The book takes you through the discovery of a Boy and his stuffed bear, who when hit on the nose, turns into a superhero. There are undeveloped hints that if this boy believes in something, it becomes so, thus the mantra "Believing is seeing", typical new age stuff. The book then follows the boy on a few quick fights against a clock robot, but leaves with everything unresolved, including his crush on the red haired girl, the local bullies, his family, and new home. He does get a butler, and finds out he is (*spoiler*), the son of Santa Claus, which pretty much eliminates other kids from associating with him- his powers aren't because he's a kid, but because this little 10 year old has now become the youngest Santa ever. So, for those who want to explain or buy in to this version of Santa, it is quite a story.
Good, rough visuals, but the story is weak and incomplete, and my nephew and niece weren't particularly impressed. Not the best money I've ever spent, not the worst either... *sigh*

Youýre ten years old. And your best friend is a bear. Itýs not just any bear, mind you. Itýs a stuffed toy bear that can magically transform into the stupendous superhero, Herobear. And heýs not only your best friend, heýs your ticket to exciting adventures. Throw in the fact that you have to prepare for having a secret, superhero identity, and still make it to school on time, and you begin to understand the complexities of Tylerýs life ý ýthe kidý in Herobear and the kid.

Mike Kunkelýs wondrous look into the life of an average boy (average for someone with a magic bear) is one of the best things to come along in a long while. Kunkelýs unique style (itýs almost like cartoons on paper) and his well-crafted stories and characters will have you reading ý and re-reading ý this collection many times over and for many years to come.

Tommy Monaghan is a killer. Professionally. A freak alien type encounter ends up giving him some superpowers. Telepathy and x-ray vision, pretty useful stuff.

After this he decides to specialise. He will only kill bad guy metahumans. When he is given a contract on a green haired clown he comes into conflict with Batman.

Quite a bit of this is amusing, too, even though it doesn't sound like it would be. Monaghan is your likeable rogue type.

Garth Ennis is usually at his best when he has total creative freedom on his titles. His character, Hitman (sort of meant to be a super-hero name like BatMAN, SpiderMAN....HitMAN...hehe) was created and debuted in a story involving demons. In fact Hitman's first issue was in The Demon Annual #2. At the time there were other issues to address. Mainly the Demon and whatever thing he's up to. In order to wrap all this up, Ennis first had to continue a similar storyline with demons throughout the first few issues of Hitman's ongoing title. Although very good, it still reads like Ennis really just wanted to get it over with. Hitman, Vol.2 is more the Hitman that we all love. Once the character was established, Ennis had the freedom to move the story arcs into a more 'organized crime' vein. But to know Hitman, you have to start at the beginning which is right here. Garth Ennis' best? Oh, heavens no. But still a worthy read. However if you're new to Garth Ennis, try picking up his best: Preacher.

Garth Ennis is a great writer. After reading his genius Preacher series, I craved more of his great action and witty dialogue. Did I find it in Hitman? Yes, and no.
Movie, television, and storybook hitmen are always portrayed as the coolest kind of hero. They can kill the bad guy simply because it is there job. What makes Ennis's Hitman even cooler is that he has morals. He'll only take out Metahuman or super-crimanal scum. While this sounds like a cool concept, it doesn't entirely come out as awesome as it should.
A big part of the problem with Hitman is that the artwork is horrible. John McCrea's panels look like they're too crammed to fit all the action. And his depiction of the demons in this book are just lame.
Because this is a DC comic and takes place in Gotham City, Hitman has super powers (X-ray vision and telepathy). While he used his powers to great effect, (He threatens to read Batman's mind to reveal his secret identity) Ennis never gives the powers a specific purpose in the story.
This book does have some great highlights, particularly the Hitman's confrontations with Batman. The action-packed ending in Arkham Asylum is great, even though the villian is a real let down.

Just like his awesome series 'Preacher', Garth Ennis manages to create a story that deals with morality, comradery, and bucket loads of bloody violence in 'Hitman'. This first book collects all the major issues that deal with the characters origin; two Batman books and the first three issues of the Hitman series. Although his origin is a bit weak (he receieved telepahty and x-ray vision after being attacked by a demon...go figure) the story quickly skips passed it and gets to the heart of the action. Ennis' usual gallows humour is strongly evident (what happens at a mobsters funeral in the last few issues is hilarious) as is his penchant for nasty head wounds. Albeit, the violence is nowhere near that of the 'Preacher' - he had to tone it down for DC - the writing is strong and McCrea's artwork is great. A fun read from the Irish wonder writer.

People who are looking for a second Preacher, this is not it. This book (which collects Hitman #1-3, Demon annual #2 and Batman Chronicles #4) is the first collection of a far more uncomplicated title, but therefore not any less fun, and the writing-style of Ennis is very recognizable here (and that's a good thing). Uncomplicated humurous (great oneliners) action, that's the best way to describe it. Tommy Monaghan is a Hitman with a conscience (who works in Gotham) who is blessed with powers like X-ray vision, telepathy and a incredibly high skill-level. Powers he likes to "abuse" in his interaction with other people, which makes for some hilarious scenes (btw, don't be fooled by him having powers because this is definately NOT a superhero title). He is different from your regular Hitman in the fact that he only takes on contracts to assassinate meta-humans, no 'regular Joe's'. AND he must see a reason for the killing, he won't kill people who he doesn't see as 'the bad guys.'

A group of demons from Hell who call themselves the 'Arkanonne' want to recruit him to be their representative on earth and send out an agent to go get him. Then Tommy gets hired to kill the Joker and he can make a million bucks with it, but he'd have to go into Arkham Asylum to do so. Meanwhile Batman is keeping an eye on the case (because he is naturally interested in everything that involves the Joker) which turns out to be something a little different from what Tommy had first expected it to be.

Like I said, this book is not as complicated as Preacher was. It doesn't really have a continuity where you have to know everything that has gone before to know what's it's about. It is an action-packed, lighthearted read about a group of Hitmen who are close friends (well some more than other) and it's filled with typical Ennis humor and oneliners (which work very well). The artwork of McCrea also needs to be given some credit because after reading it I can't think of anyone I would have liked to see in his place. The scenes follow up fluently and his facial expressions are really good, a very important factor in the book. So for people who want a deep, complicated story where you need to notice everything to see what's going on, this is not the best choice for you. For people who like Ennis' sense of bizar humor, oneliners and a lot of blood-and-guts packed action this would be more than welcome. One of MY favorite series at least.

A most interesting book I didn`t have time to read until now - I am reading it these days. The binding and other techn. character. are satisfactory - considering the price, excellent.

The book is more detailed about the history of Plimoth Colony from Edward Winslow's and William Bradford's perspective.

This delightful little book describes the first year of the Pilgrims in America. Written to make life in Massachusetts sound like an adventure in a bounteous land, the book ignores the extreme hardship of the first winter and instead focuses on the rich resources of Massachusetts and the relationship the Pilgrims developed with the Indians. Here, the book drives home two points: (1) Europeans had long come to North American to fish and trade. These activities left a mixed legacy that the pilgrims had to overcome. (2) The Indians were everywhere. In fact, the first trip by the Pilgrims to visit chief Massasoit was motivated in part by this fact: Indians families were coming in great numbers to Plymouth to look at the English and interact with them. This was keeping the English from focusing on their farming. A wonderful book!

This is an excellent book. The unknown author ("Mourt") describes in detail the accounts of life during the settlement of the Pilgrims. "He" describes the account in a day-to-day style, accounting for making food, building houses, and encounters with the indigenous peoples. The Pilgrams' travels to find a home and the actual settling are fascinating and well described. I will never think of the Pilgrims or indigenous peoples the same way again. Overall, this book is very insightful.

The language is archaic, I feel I must warn you. But if you can get past that, and you like colonial history, you'll love this one. It will give you a much better idea about the Pilgrams, far beyond the over-dramatized and unrealistically happy Thanksgiving story.

In the colonial stage of America's discovery, Europeans' conception of America appeared to be positive because at this stage the subject was the exploration and settlement of America and that was why Europeans received exaggerating accounts of the New World and its manifold opportunities. The colonizers' tracts and the travelers' accounts exaggerated the romantic attractions of the New World. The vast and abundant resources of the New World were admired, in a propagandistic and persuasive discourse. Both the Puritans and the colonizers (which were often one and the same) wrote exaggerating accounts of their adventures to lure Europeans over to the New World. Mourt's Relation (1622) was written to persuade Europeans that life in Massachusetts was a venture in a plentiful land. The book overlooks the calamities of the first winter and overstates the rich resources of Massachusetts. Yet, it is an excellent read.

The Sandman was a cult comics character in the 90s and The Sandman Mystery Theatre was an update of the Golden Age 1930s version of The Sandman but made in the 90s to keep it fresh. This first entry in the graphic novel series gets the series going. the title character is depicted with trench coat, gas masjk and gas gun, listed in the DC heroes game with godlike psychic powers. An interesting, addicting twist on 90s gothic comics that keeps serious readers interested with an aura of mystery and suspense. Recommended for mature readers, contains at times nudity and swearing, but kept classy and non violent.

Sure, Neil Gaiman's Sandman gets all the praise, but I prefer Matt Wagner's version of the Golden Age Sandman, which is modified to tie in loosely with Gaiman's stories. This wonderful series ended several years ago, and DC/Vertigo is hesitant to collect the story arcs, for some unknown reason. Thankfully, they at least released "The Tarantula", issues 1-4, for our reading and viewing pleasure. This book adequately sets up the series, fleshing out Wesley Dodds and the supporting characters as has never been done before. Guy Davis' artwork is beautiful, understated, and is the perfect match for Wagner's story. Don't let the fact that this series is "noirish" keep you away (this is no paper-thin Sin City). The story has depth and feeling, and enough plot to warrant multiple reads.

I confess: I only collected this book off and on during it's run, more off than on unfortunately, and now, after reading this trade and another, sorely regret my decision. This was one of the inaugral offering from DC's Vertigo imprint, and some probably felt that it was made to ride on the coat tails of the mega-popular Sandman book, but Sandman Mystery Theater stands on its own, mainly because it (for the most part) skews the fantasy elements of Gaiman's series, and instead opts for a noir, hard-boiled feel. The stories here are firmly grounded in the real world (save for Wesley's dreams). The writing is tight and focused, setting up and resolving the mystery in four parts (compare that with the ponderous storylines of today). Along the way, we're escorted into a world of vice, corruption and decadence. And it's absolutely beautiful.

First of all let me say that people who are looking for a title themed like Neil Gaimans Sandman, this book is not it. This title ties in a little bit every now and then but that's it for comparisation, it's a totally different ball-park, a totally different sort of comic. What this is is a very fine (non-supernatural) detective story (this particular book collects #1-4, the complete "Tarantula" story-arc) based around "The Sandman", a revamped character from the early days of DC. The Sandman is a guy with a secret identity dressed in a John Constatine coat, an Al Capone hat, a gasmask and a gaspistol, who acts as a secret detective and tries to solve crimes his way.

About the story: An anonymous kidnapper who calls himself 'The Tarantula, is on the loose and he claims his vistims rapidly. He shows to be extremely violent and not fearing any act of brutality to show he's meaning business in getting what he wants. The police are without a clue and don't know where to start. And does the Tarantula really pick his victims so randomly ? Meanwhile the commisioners daughter has taken an interest in a young man named Wesley Dodds who seems remarkably interested in the case, and there's also the mystery of the man who's going all over town wearing a gasmask and carying a gaspistol, attacking people who seem possibly related to the Tarantula.

Like I said, it's not a Gaiman's Sandman type of book but more of a detective book set in a time about 60 years back. While reading it you'll really get the feeling you're watching a police detective series on TV. People who enjoy titles like Sin City and possibly even Top Ten lovers (provided they don't have a problem with this book not involving characters that aren't out of the ordinary) will have a very good time with it. It's a complex story which requires some attention while reading but it's very much worth it in the end. Try it out sometimes because the fact this book was never a big hit doesn't say anything about it's quality.

I think he would have come up with this character. The Sandman was always, amongst the Golden Age heroes, something of an anamoly - when others dressed in brightly colored spandex, the Sandman wore a gas mask, business suit, fedora, & cape. Matt Wagner & Guy Davis come up with one of the most unique "re-inventions" of the character, creating a horrific image straight out of WWI (with an appropriate gas mask) and putting a unique hero amongst a word where corruption and prestige walk hand in hand. This arc - which may or may not be a "rewriting" of a Golden Age classic (the Tarantula was, believe it or not, the Sandman's first foe) also has the trademarks of classic pulp fiction, including the seedy goings-on of a prominent family, a kidnapping, several murders....

OK, this proves that comics aren't just for adults, and personally, I wish they would release more graphic novels (including the "Man of the Hour" arc, which had a unique take on Hourman). However, let this be your introduction into a unique series that, although never was a million seller, had a charm all its own.