Byrne Books

An excellent reference for the keystone and umbrella endangered species of the San Joaquin Valley. Any biologist that works in California should have this fine collection of papers. The species are in peril and it's up to us to do something about it.

One of the good aspects of Mr. Cage (and I don't mean Nicholas, of course!!!) is that he doesn't want to be a world-saving superhero; although he wears a rather flashy costume and, sometimes, goes toe-to-toe with superheavies like "Dr. Doom" (but, then again, who hasn't had a run-in with him in the "Marvel Kingdon?"), he makes it quite clear that he's only trying to make a living, and, if he has to knock some evil guys silly in the process, that is too bad!!!
The stories were all excellent, but the highlights of the book are truely issues 48 and 49 with the beginning of his partnership/friendship with "Iron Fist": "Bushmaster" is one real mean dude, "Misty Knight" can give "Foxy Brown" a run for her money (but "Dr. Claire Temple" isn't a slouch, either) and even those two penny-ante hardcases ("Comanche" and "Shades") look menacing. All his and John Byrne's art, too. Awesome, is it not?
Can't wait for Volume 3...

Okay, so granted the info here is nearly 20 yrs. out of date, but it still is the paragon to which any and all comic book guides should strive to emulate. When Marvel undertook the Delux Handbook series they went didn't hold anything back. The history of even the most obscure characters is delved into with great detail, and the specs on all armor, wepons, etc... is beyond fantastic. Also, the section of each entry relating to the various powers or applications of weapons and armor and such are given great consideration; the authors do their best to give a logical and scientific explaination to each and every one of these subjects, as well as to how said individual got their powers or skills.

I can't say it enough, NO bit of info was deemed too mundane or irrelevant to leave untouched... and the scope of the material covered goes above and beyond the major players of the Marvel Universe. Granted, not EVERY SINGLE last person, place or thing is covered, but they went as far as possible to do so, and no other source book for any single form of writing in the genre has ever been as grand in scope and detail; the more recent Marvel Encyclopedias, although fun and more up-to-date are nothing like the Delux Handbook series, and only the volumes focusing on the Fantastic Four and Spiderman even come close to this land-mark achievement. Also, the wealth of artwork presented here is stunning, though not all of it is the best, the people who put this together did a great job of covering the entries at their best representations over the years.

In this, the 2nd volume (of three, though there is one that came before, the non-delux, and one that is due out that served as a late-1980s update) the latter half of all things marvel from "M" (Magus) to "W" (Wolverine) are covered.

If you happen to have any of the "prestige format" reprints of the series, it might still be worth it to you to pick up these volumes, as those books, which were reprints of the orig. series but collecting 2 issues per volume and on better quality paper, left out several entries per issue that are found in these "Essential" reprints.

There is little to nothing to say that is bad about this series, but I will give a few "constructive warnings" to those interested in buying the series.

1. The reprints, like all those in the "Essential" reprint line of Marvel Comics, are not in color and are in black and white. Personally, I prefer the black and white over the color versions, as it gives it the nostalgic feel that to me makes it all the better.

2. The appendix to the series directs the reader, many, MANY times to appendix entries that will never show, namely any and all refering to any characters, objects or teams simply do not show up, ever, in the appendix of any of the issues. It is possible this was remedied in the late-'80s update, but I never got those when they first came out so I can't say for sure. However, the appendix of alien races, seen in the 3rd volume of the Essential reprints, does not dissappoint.

3. As I said before, this series came out nearly 20 years ago, so if you are looking just for up-to-date info, this series is not for you (and due to the short-commings of the more recent Marvel Encyclopedia hard-backs you pretty much will have to rely on the internet for USEFUL current info., and on-line, its all free!)


All in all, I highly reccomend this volume and the 1st and 2nd to any and all Marvel fans. I randomly picked up and issue of this series in the '90s, and its what truly sold me on Marvel Comics when I first started out. Even then the series was about 10 yrs out of date but it was a big help in getting into Marvel regardless.

Some people are turned off by the black and white reprints like these essentials. But you get so much for the money, and there's hours of reading enjoyment. These essentials are a great way to read or reread comics from the past, without having to fork out the large bucks that the after market sellers are asking. Granted some of these issues are corny, but they're still enjoyable to a 40 year old like myself, who grew up reading these issues.

THE GRIFFINS HAD MONEY. POWER AND POSITION.

ALL THEY CRAVED WAS LOVE...



Anthony Griffin dreamed of going to sea. He got more than he bargained for...

Ceci was a beautiful Acadian outcast whom Antony loved more than life itself...

Sophia defied her family to marry the man she loved...

Rachel tried to control the world around her but lost her husband to another woman's bed...


FIERY SPLENDOR


In the turbulent days of pre-Revolutionary America, they fought for the splendor they knew was theirs...

The density of Elena Karina Byrne's work makes each read rich with possibility. There is a relentless quality to her poems -- "Relentless, I love relentless," she writes in "The Proportion of Broken" -- that keeps the reader riveted. Byrne's poems are catalogs of obsession balanced by a constant examination of language. The dominant currency is desire. This is poetry of the body, and the reader is doused in sensual apprehension and comprehension. These poems make the heart want to beat faster, and it cooperates, with pleasure.

This is a great little book, and I think it would be handy for any beginning vegetarian of any age. These are pretty much basic recipes, many which could be made with limited utensils. I am a seasoned cook, but just wanted some recipes I thought my teens would like, and maybe take on to college with them.

A well written, well researched book that clearly explains the need for phonemic awareness in literacy acquisition. Whether you're a parent or teacher this is a "must read". Don't let Byrne's history put you off either - he might be a psychology lecturer, but this is written in such a way that you don't need a psyc background to understand it.

I bought this book because I had heard the wonderful Agnes Meadows read in Bristol and I was keen to read her new work. I wasn't disappointed, but even more delightful was the discovery that this anthology contained such consistently brilliant poetry. I was moved by the raw emotion of a lot of the work especially Charlotte Ansell's 'I wrote this one for you', but also Ainsley Burrows' last lines in 'As Sure As': Not sure if any of this is real/ Not sure if today is Saturday/ or 1964/ but I know that/ the music that moves you/ is beautiful.

This is a collection that places very different poets side by side and on the odd occasion the jump between successive poets jars but on the whole as Nii Ayikwei Parkes (one of the poets but also the editor) suggests in his introduction, it is possible to reach the "sweet core" of the collection with the "alchemy" of the imagination.

As a big fan of John Byrne's work I have to confess I nearly did not read this book because of the title. Whilst I respect John's beliefs I have to say I am sceptical about God being given so much credit for everything - I am happy to believe in the Universe. To have not read it would have been one of the greatest mistakes I could have made. This book is an absolute joy of plain common sense and wonderful insights into what makes us tick. It offers sound advice on ways to improve our lot in life and connect with who we really are. If like me you have a challenge with the frequent mention of God's all seeing, all knowing abilities I urge you not to be put off. Having read over two hundred self-help books I can honestly say that this ranks amongst the best.