Discount The Sandman Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections

Although he doesn't really need to, Gaimain keeps innovating his Sandman novels in new an interesting ways. This work, moreso than any piece proceeding it, feels like a larger collaborations of writers and themes, a series of different dreams, if you will. As a Grecophile, it's also really exciting to see a new relationship develop, between the Sandman and... his son.Get more detail about The Sandman Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections.

Cheapest The Book of Mr. Natural

The book I ordered came promptly and in perfect condition. The bookseller's brochure explained his praiseworthy philosophy and business ethic. This is the kind of store that deserves to have many customers!Get more detail about The Book of Mr. Natural.

Cheap Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown

Many kids will never get the chance to go to camp for real so why not live vicariously through LL and the Summer Camp Shakedown. No reader will need encouragement to read this newest graphic book whether or not they have read the other 3 in the series. Just a fun adventure with all the elements of a good summer read--perfect for the readers edging into chapter books. Look for one of the Lunch Ladies in her hair rollers--LOL!Get more detail about Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown.

Buying Batman: Long Shadows

"Batman: Long Shadows" is a handsome hardback collecting five consecutive issues of the Batman comic book from 2009, encompassing the first of many storylines about Dick Grayson, the first Robin, assuming the mantle of Batman following Bruce Wayne's presumed death. This particular storyline centers on Dick's understandable reluctance to fulfill the role of Batman, and his initial "shakedown" adventures once he does. Penguin and Two Face are used well as the villains here, especially the latter, who immediately suspects that it's not the same man under Batman's mask, a fact that Dick wants to hide from the world at large.Get more detail about Batman: Long Shadows.

Buy Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors

I love Invader Zim. Just putting that out there. Yup... Okay, no more avoiding the topic. I had high hopes for SWBGBoUH, mostly because I read some of it on Google Books and amazon's preview. "Man," I thought, "This looks fantastic!" I immediately added it to my cart! Unfortunately, the big graphic novel glitch cancelled my order, and I had to wait a long time for it to get back in stock, raising my hopes further. When it arrived, I noticed I had already read most of the Squee side of the book, which was mostly great. So I moved on to the second half of random stuff Jhonen made at the same time. Some of this stuff was very clever,But at other times it just fell flat on it's face. For example, the comic about the movie that completely relied on shock value had me busting a gut, but the "Wobbly-Headed Bob" comic just made me depressed. It's like he wasn't even trying to put a funny spin on these horrible situations. Ultimately I'd give this book a higher score if I had not already seen so much of it, so as long as you want to support Jhonen and read this book, I'd just ignore what I said and not read it online, because it really is a good book fort he most part. I'll let you make your own decision.Get more detail about Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors.

Purchase The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1

I received the book quickly and in great condition. My son and I were happy with the purchase.Get more detail about The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1.

Order Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors

I love Invader Zim. Just putting that out there. Yup... Okay, no more avoiding the topic. I had high hopes for SWBGBoUH, mostly because I read some of it on Google Books and amazon's preview. "Man," I thought, "This looks fantastic!" I immediately added it to my cart! Unfortunately, the big graphic novel glitch cancelled my order, and I had to wait a long time for it to get back in stock, raising my hopes further. When it arrived, I noticed I had already read most of the Squee side of the book, which was mostly great. So I moved on to the second half of random stuff Jhonen made at the same time. Some of this stuff was very clever,But at other times it just fell flat on it's face. For example, the comic about the movie that completely relied on shock value had me busting a gut, but the "Wobbly-Headed Bob" comic just made me depressed. It's like he wasn't even trying to put a funny spin on these horrible situations. Ultimately I'd give this book a higher score if I had not already seen so much of it, so as long as you want to support Jhonen and read this book, I'd just ignore what I said and not read it online, because it really is a good book fort he most part. I'll let you make your own decision.Get more detail about Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors.

Shop For Green Lantern: Agent Orange

Agent Orange was a fun read with the only downside being that it was short. Unlike most stories that directly lead into a big event (I'm looking at you, Captain America: Road to Reborn), this book was not filler; it added to the GL mythos by giving us the origin of the Orange Light and Larfleeze, expanding on the Blue Lantern Corps, and setting us up nicely for Blackest Night. It was even new reader friendly for those of you wanting to jump on for Blackest Night, there are some supplemental back-ups in this book that tell you everything you want to know about all the different Corps.

The story starts out with the Controllers trying to take the Orange Ring so they can start their own Corps, and Larfleeze (thinking the Controllers are still connected with the Oans) sees this as the Oans breaking their treaty they made with him billions of years ago. The treaty between the Oans and Larfleeze consisted of the Oans letting Larfleeze keep the Orange Light for himself, making the Vega sector offlimits to Green Lanterns and Larfleeze not bothering them. He annihilates the Controllers, and after their deaths he consumes their souls as constructs of his Ring, making them apart of his Corps.

The twist that Larfleeze is the only "real" Orange Lantern is interesting, and it makes sense that he carries his Orange Power Battery with him , even using it as a blunt-force weapon. Humorously, he won't let Hal Jordan touch it and wants it to stay in "mint condition". We see more of "Scar", the Oan that is hell-bent on bringing the War of Light to fruition, and he declares war on Larfleeze, changing even more rules in the Book of Oa to allow this. Ultimately, the clash between the Green Lantern Corps and Larfleeze is another stalemate, and Larfleeze is sent to attack the Blue Lanterns at the very end (which is probably what Scar's intention was from the start).

Hal's main struggle in this book is dealing with the Blue Ring of Hope that's been forced on him, he finds it difficult to have any hope, seeing hope as useless (you can hope all you want but you have to use willpower to actually get something done, according to Hal). He eventually manages some hope in a cynical and humorous way, and we see the kind of power the Blue Ring holds.

The art's not as good as Ivan Reis but it more than suffices, Philip Tan brings some good character designs to Orange Lantern Corps.

I'd recommend this, even to new readers (though I'd suggest you going back and reading everything due to its high quality).Get more detail about Green Lantern: Agent Orange.

FoxTrot Sundaes: A FoxTrot Collection

I am 50+ but when I found out I had to be stuck in bed for several days with nothing to do, the Foxtrot books came to my rescue. Everyone who visited me borrowed these books, then when I was up and around again, I donated them to the local library. Worth every penny.Get more detail about FoxTrot Sundaes: A FoxTrot Collection.

Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire Review

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Summary: Starts of with four issues of the title story where the Adversary has a meeting to describe possible attacks on the Mundy world. Switches are made to Fabletown and the Farm where new plotlines are forming. Each issue ends with a short 3-4 page story of someone outside of Fabletown that we either have never met before or don't know much of. Then we have a Christmas Issue spent on the Farm and with the Wolf family, this starts with a quick flashback to 1956, where we see enjoy a scene with our long banished Fableton, Jack. Then onto a two issue story where Bigby and family go visit his father. The story is called "Father and Son" and has meaning in several different ways than the obvious one. And finally the book ends with a fun issue called "Burning Questions" where short stories are presented to answer readers questions about things that have never been explained so far, such as " What is Frau Totenkinder knitting?"

Comments: This is a great volume. Nice and thick with lots of action and forward motion of the plotline as well as some plain fun. All sorts of new characters are introduced on the Homelands side, some of whom are obviously going to be big players from now on. Also throughout this whole volume a lot of familiar faces show up, some we haven't seen for a long time. I'm left with a feeling that something new is about to happen in the next volume and am quite eager to continue on. I can't believe I'm getting so close to catching up with this series!Get more detail about Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire.

The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 3: The Crab with the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Volumes in 1) Top Quality

Tintin is a great comic series featuring the young detective Tintin. I recommend this book and all the other books in the series for children who are interested in graphic novels.Get more detail about The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 3: The Crab with the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Volumes in 1).

The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle This instant

How the hell can you go on Amazon and give a book a low rating because you were too stupid to realize you were buying a graphic novel? How is that the novel, author, or illustrator's fault? If anyone deserves 1 star, it's YOU.
There's no logical way to justify giving a graphic novel a bad review simply on the grounds that you yourself don't like graphic novels. You are all retarded.

As far as graphic novels go, I think it was brilliant. It's a nice little insight into Harry's back story and I think the art is good as well. Stupid little details are overlooked as someone else mentioned-like height differences and stuff, but really-illustrators get creative leniency in this department. Worth the purchase.Get more detail about The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle.

How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way Immediately

Not gonna lie--the book is rather dated in terms of its stylistic leanings, but it's still full of practical advice and techniques which any modern artist will find useful. Plus, it's always a hoot to read anything Stan Lee writes!Get more detail about How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.

Batman and Son Best Quality

A cadre of Man-Bats, engineered by Talia's Al Ghul (daughter of deceased crime emperor Ra's Al Ghul) after blackmailing serum's creator Kirk Langstrom, kidnaps the wife of the British Prime Minister at a party Bruce Wayne is attendng too. Batman tries to help but he's defeated and taken prisoner. But Talia's plans for him are different: She leaves him with her (and his!) son, Damian, born of a night of love she stole from him, i.e.: after she drugged him senseless to breed an heir to her father's crime empire with the perfect man, the Batman himself! Morrison does a good job of playing on Bruce Wayne's guilt issues, so that Bruce/Batman takes the kid in, and at the same time he tries to stop her mother from terrorising the whole world with Man-Bats, he finds himself with a mysterious and deadly 11-years old, hell-bent on proving his father his worth, or possibly betraying him to Talia... Tim Drake's/Robin reaction to this is also perfectly played, since Robin has always been the Batman's acting son: At first he storms away in anger, then comes back to help the kid, in a fantastic and admirable selfless way. Morrison drops many bits of clever ad insightful dialogue, and at any time you get the feeling he's making Batman great by exploring his strengths as well as almost surgically examining all of his contorted psyche. Because, for all the good he is and does, Bruce Wayne is still the enraged, obsessed, heartbroken kid he was when his parents were killed before his eyes. How subtly and brilliantly Morrison and artist Andy Kubert show all this! The close-up on Bruce's eyes as he's asked about his parents and says "I grew over it." just says it all. You can pretty much see the unresolved issues there, bordering on sheer and thankfully used for the general good madness. The Batman's violence is also played to the tune Frank Miller set in the Eighties: He kicks ass to extreme points, always stopping before killing and always without guns, but still maing up an impressive show of terror indeed. Lastly, Morrison draws upon Dickens' A Christmas Carol to weave through all of this a cautionary tale of three Batmans gone wrong, bad imitators of our hero and maybe a future heir in a dark time yet to come, in the closing chapter, which reminds us of how Morrison closes his X-Men run with a story set in the future too, bringing the mythos full circle as he explored yet another facet of it and made it eternal. Andy Kubert drwas the hell out of it all too. He has largely outgrown his X-Men days, reaching sheer brilliance in Ultimate Iron Ma and continuing on the same path here. The prose interlude is also not to be forgotten, as Morrisn writes a fantastic and scary and (of course!) deadly funny too Joker tale, throwing Harley Quinn and commissioner Gordon in as well. Threading abit of the same ground he thread in Arkham Asylum, Morrison explores the latest Joker self re-invention, as the madman non-persnality creates a new even more murderous self, who tries anew to start another killing rampage by killing all his henchmen... Until the Batman comes in, and all hell breaks loose in Arkham Asyu. Great story and absolutely fine prose. This is a must for Batman fans and not, and the set up for Morrison's still in progress work on the character, which I for one am very eager to see go on for as long as possible!Get more detail about Batman and Son.

Star Wars: Dark Force Rising Get it now!

This book is shallow, the plot ridiculous, derived. This is plain bad writing. Rich, interesting characters are no where to be found. The plot, twists, leaps of judgement, and dialogue are laughably atrocious. There is no tension. Some examples of bad storytelling follow for effect: how Leia and Chewbacca gain the support of the Noghori, why is a pregnant Leia allowed to travel to a planet filled with assassins?, Mara Jade enlistment of Luke's help, the failure to inject any depth into a political coup, Lando identifying a 40 ghost ship by some upholstery, Thrawn's psychic intelligence and relationship with Caboath, etc... This is zero star quality fiction.Get more detail about Star Wars: Dark Force Rising.

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2 (Deluxe Edition) Buy Now

I can't tell you how much I love this series. The story, the artwork- it is all fantastic. This is a great series to check out if you are new to graphic novels. The plot line could easily be a novel, but the artwork helps convey the story in fewer words than a novel would require. The deluxe editions are much nicer than the standard paperback editions, but I do wish the paper was of a higher quality (that would bump my rating up to 5 stars). The paper used in these editions is thick, but matte (feels almost like thick newspaper to the touch) instead of the slicker paper you get in some graphic novels. I am sure a super deluxe edition will come out in a few years and I'll have to buy the whole series again. (Not that I mind).Get more detail about Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2 (Deluxe Edition).

The Secret Adversary Order Now

I remember watching the shows on PBS from time to time, but nothing beats reading Christie! This is the first T&T mystery, and it does not start small, its about missing documents that could lead to a communist take over of England! Not a bad first case for the pair of adventures!

Totally loved this mystery, I'm sure you will find it delightful as well!Get more detail about The Secret Adversary.

Fables Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons Decide Now

There has been much glowing praise for this volume of the collected fables story, where Snow White and The Big Bad Wolf find themselves under the influence of Bluebeard that I will add just a little more. It is a true delight, well drawn and well written. One of the best graphic lines of the new century!Get more detail about Fables Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons.

Thor: Latverian Prometheus Right now

J. Michael Strackzynski vacated the premises of the main "Thor" title with perhaps undue haste, resulting from his dislike of crossovers. He left the Asgardians stranded behind enemy lines in Latveria, and Thor banished from his own people. An unpromising place to begin what was essentially a filler run (new full-time writer Matt Fraction arrives in the autumn), but that is where Kieron Gillen's run picks up. And, to a certian extent against the ods, Gillen's run turns out to be a big success. Collected here are issues 604-606 of the regular title, as well as the "Sif" one-shot, and an extra from the "Thor #600" anniversary issue previously uncollected. Some spoilers follow.

The three issues written by Gillen are the "Latverian Prometheus" story arc which provides the trade with its title, and a finale to the Asgardians' ill-starred sojourn into the nation of card-carrying villain Doctor Doom. JMS' run ended with them realizing that moving into the nation of a despotic supervillain was perhaps not the best idea, while Doom perserveres in his monstrous experiments using Asgardian bodies to acquire the power of the gods. As a biproduct, he has turned them into grotesque supersoldiers to serve his whim, and acquired a weapon of extreme power that will allow him to challenge even Thor. Thor, meanwhile, is drawn to the aid of his people. Gillen's work with the characters in superb; he writes a far more competent Balder than JMS ever presented, and his Thor is effectively powerful. Kelda, JMS' star-crossed lover, is written movingly. Most of all, Gillen writes a superb Doctor Doom; every other line he says is quotable. Billy Tan does a good job on art (his standard big-chested man is especially suited to Asgardians).

The other contents of the collection are, firstly, a brief anniversary story written by Stan Lee, with art by David Aja. It's brief, and rather on the cheesey side, but that's a Stan Lee anniversary story for you. You'd probably be disappointed if it wasn't like that. Aja is an interesting choice to illustrate something by Lee, and you would think that his gritty realism would contrast poorly with Lee's standard over-the-top style, but somehow it works. The main attraction of the extras, though, is the full-issue-length special focussed on Thor's girlfriend Sif, who went through some big changes in JMS' run, but whose return was handled in the space of a few pages, with little in the way of followup. Written by Kelly DeConnick (wife of Matt Fraction, incidentally), with art by Ryan Stegman, it gives her a bit of solo time (well, it's a team-up with her ex-lover Beta Ray Bill and his new girlfriend, Ti Asha Ra). It's a nice story, and welcome focus, given all the character has been through.

Recommended.Get more detail about Thor: Latverian Prometheus.

Lowest Price A Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Classics Illustrated)

this was the first book i bought using my kindle and i am happy to say the i made a fine choice by buying this book. it made me feel like i would want to do that for a job.Get more detail about A Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Classics Illustrated).

Low Price Cartoon History of the United States

Larry Gonick did it again. He wrote a book that is informative, fun to read, and provides a few laughs. From the science-based books I have where he is a coauthor, I thought he was only a cartoonist/illustrator. But this brief history book certainly shows that he is multi-talented. I was amazed by how much information he packed in this small volume; and it is quite accurate. It takes great talent to do this. Good political cartoonists do this. Occam's razor is at work here! I plan to read some of the other non-science books that he personally authored.Get more detail about Cartoon History of the United States.

Save Fables Vol. 7: Arabian Nights (and Days)

As always, Vol. 7 of fables brings us great art and an imaginative take on old fables. Unfortunately, this one is marred by jaw-dropping cliches and racist nonsense. How unfortunate that BIll Willingham brings his simple-minded politics into his art.Get more detail about Fables Vol. 7: Arabian Nights (and Days).

Discount Smile

This is the story of Raina who just wants to be an ordinary sixth grader. She is going to get braces to fix an overbite but before they get affixed she falls and knocks out her two front teeth. This begins a long ordeal for her, of on-again off-again braces, headgear, surgery and that is just her teeth. There is also an earthquake, boys, and finding real friends. It chronicles over 4 years of treatment and adolescence.

I read this book because a friend who wrote a Graphic Novel column said it was one of the best of the year. I have also found a new fondness for the media over the last year. The specific story intrigued me because of my own experience with braces.

Telgemeir, in her story in this graphic novel, does an amazing job of capturing the experience of wearing braces. It chronicles the frustrations, the pain, the discomfort - all wrapped around the story of a girl growing through adolescence, and finding her true self. Wonderfully illustrated and inked, it was great fun to read. I had my braces from grade 4 to grade 8. I had 21 breaks while wearing them. I also remember my mouth feeling funny when they came off, and feeling weird without them. Raina Telgemeir truly has captured the essence of having braces and living with them day in and day out for year. But this book also captures the experience of growing up, and discovering what you love to do, and finding out what real friendship is about and like.Get more detail about Smile.

Cheapest Preacher Vol. 2: Until the End of the World

I'm a new comer to graphic novels. I band wagoned into the genre around the time Batman Begins came out. So while I don't have much to compare Preacher to I can say that it is among my favorites. I'm not a religious person, but the content may offend the more pretentious Christian. However, I highly recommend this read to anyone interested in graphic novels (religiously affiliated or not).Get more detail about Preacher Vol. 2: Until the End of the World.

Cheap Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics

I got this book mostly for me, a parent, to help me create little story books (or comics, if you will) for my kids, ages 4 and 5. I flipped through the book very briefly in a bookstore before buying it. I thought my kids might be interested in it a bit, but I got it for me. Well, after I got it home, they wanted me to read it to them, and I was surprised by how good the storyline is. They love it! All of the explanations about how comics work (i.e. when the Magic Elf explains what a panel is and what its function is, etc etc) were as interesting to them as the story itself. They like figuring out how things work, and learning how a storybook works is just as interesting to them as learning about wolves or dinosaurs or princesses or whatever. The only problem is that whenever I get the book out to look at the information in the back about how to draw the characters, the kids immediately want me to read to them, so I haven't been able to start creating my own story for them. :)

In conclusion, this books works very well on two levels: it works well as a storybook for kids who are too young to be creating their own comics, and it also works well to explain how to make comics if that's what you want to do. It's great!
Get more detail about Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics.

Buying The Prince and the Pauper (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

It's a book everyone knows but hardly anyone seems to read, notes Jerry Griswold in his introduction to the Penguin edition of this book. Even well-read people who recognize the importance of Mark Twain often regard "The Prince And The Pauper" as kiddy lit. Well, it is written for children, yet in a clever and immersive way adults can enjoy, too.

Tom Canty is a 16th century London street urchin who dreams of becoming a king. Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, dreams of escaping his royal confinement. One day Tom stumbles into Westminister and meets Edward. Both are struck by the fact they are practically mirror images of one another. Edward changes clothes with Tom for a lark, then goes outside to upbraid a guard for cuffing Tom. Big mistake. Now Edward is the street urchin, foolishly protesting his kingship, while Tom adjusts to the royal life.

Twain wrote this in 1881, between "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn." It's darker than the first but lighter than the second, evidence for the theory Twain charted a steady course in his life from cheerful cynic to bitter nihilist. The overall tone of "Prince" is fairly light, with a style that sends up Sir Walter Scott's roundabout locutions. But dark moments occur with bracing frequency, especially as the story rounds on Edward in peasant's garb. He watches executions by fire, witnesses casual crimes, and hears of the depravity people endure under his father's reign.

"The world is made wrong," young Tudor observes. "Kings should go to school to their own laws, at times, and so learn mercy."

There's comedy, too, much of it in what Tom Canty undergoes. In one episode, he discovers it takes a small army to get him dressed in the morning. He also meets another youth whose job is to absorb the corporeal punishment when the young Prince fails his education, a youth who fears he could become unemployed by Tom's instinct for mercy. "My back is my bread" he cries.

The novel is a fun ride and a trip for the imagination, but somewhat indifferent as an adventure story. The main business Edward faces is escaping Tom's cruel father, who turns up rather illogically in several places before disappearing without a word. A subplot involves a down-on-his-luck soldier Edward meets in his wanderings, Miles Hendon; yet the relationship between him and Edward is never explored satisfactorily enough to explain Hendon's selfless loyalty to the boy. Canty's part of the tale falls by the wayside for the book's second half, and never resumes until nearly the end. The novel's conclusion, while satisfying, just sort of happens without any build-up.

All these are admittedly the kind of criticisms that occur to one who is really engaged by the book. "Prince" is very much a pleasure to read, a stylistic detour for Twain that still connects with the kid in all more than a century later.Get more detail about The Prince and the Pauper (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)).

Buy Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1

After months of sublte hints and slight manipulations, the war has finally begun! read the story that truly putt Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Schiver on the map! (Not that they weren't awesome before this storyline). It's the true test of Willpower over Fear! Both sides suffer loses and everything in the GL world is shaken up! Gotta Love epic Space Battles!Get more detail about Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1.

Purchase Weathercraft: A Frank Comic

If you buy this I promise the characters and landscapes will begin to work their way into your dreams.
You will understand it even if you don't think you do. Just wait a day or two...Get more detail about Weathercraft: A Frank Comic.

Order Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns

The preludes to blackest night continue as Hal Jordan and the rest of the lanterns still recuperating from the Final Crisis and the Sinerstro wars.Now they must deal with a new corp of lanterns.We also see how powerful Hal Jordan really is.Get more detail about Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns.

Where To Buy The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists

Instead of many short tales, like in Vol 3, This Volume (4) is one long story of how Lucifer abandons hell and all other gods of the earth fight for it. Pretty interesting! Great art, as usual. Interesting story. Dream is Regal, as always. I'm still wishing Dream looked more young like in Issue 1 and 2, but oh well.Get more detail about The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists.

Shop For Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth

When I started this book, I said to myself, this seems like something I might do if I had more focus and talent. I am not entirely sure if that is true now, or even if that were true would it be something to recommend the title to others. Nevertheless, I did not write this graphic novel, a man by the name of Chris Ware did. He's a cartoonist that was at least one time based in the fine city of Chicago.

First off, even though the subtitle references `The Smartest Kid on Earth,' the novel is a story about adulthood. We see three generations of Jimmy Corrigans fight through the loneliness of adulthood. There are not cartoon adventures, no redemption. Most everything that happens is bad for the characters. I for one did not relate to the characters as feel empathy for them.

The art, I think, helps enforce this sense of loneliness and alienation. The panels are mostly small and illogically ordered. The reader is confronted with relearning the patterns of the storytelling. It is almost a Brechtian disconnect, where you are always aware that you are encountering an artificial construct. This may not be the cup of tea for everyone, but for what it is, it is well done.
Get more detail about Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth.

Astonishing X-Men Omnibus

As far as X-men stories go, it was always the Pheonix story line which was the standard for a great story. That has changed. With Joss Whedon's writing and J.C.'s art, this brings X-Men to a whole new level. This story is amazing. It's exciting, suspenseful, and funny. The art and colors are simply beautiful as well. This is a MUST BUY for any X-Men fan, but also for anyone wanting to get in to the X-Men for the first time. Enjoy!Get more detail about Astonishing X-Men Omnibus.

Incognito Review

As my first foray into Brubaker's work, Incognito did not disappoint. The plot would make an excellent movie: action, suspense, espionage, super powers... Incognito is expertly written and skillfully illustrated.Get more detail about Incognito.

Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 4 Top Quality

The Superman: New Krypton saga began with a thoroughly engaging premise and some interesting characters. Unfortunately, due to slow storytelling and a merely average plot, the fourth volume is unable to live up to the standards set by the earlier installments.

For those who need a recap, Superman has freed the people of Kandor, a Kryptonian city, from the clutches of Brainiac. But these newly liberated Kryptonians quickly realize that they could never regard the Earth as their home, and so they create their own planet, a "New Krypton," on an orbit parallel to the Earth on the opposite side of the sun. Because Zod, Superman's nemesis, is put in charge of New Krypton's emerging military, Superman decides to take up residency on the planet himself so that he can keep a careful eye on matters. He's soon made a commander in Zod's military.

In Volume Four, Superman finds himself temporarily promoted to general while Zod slowly recovers from an attempt on his life. But Kal's transformation into the leader of the Kryptonian military does little for his personality. His usual good humor and compassion now replaced with a wooden and cold exterior, Superman first searches for Zod's would-be assassin, then encounters some Thanagarians, and then spends the latter half of the book investigating the murder of a Kryptonian Council member. If none of these plot points sound particularly exciting, it's because they're not.

And that's the greatest flaw with this fourth installment. While everything here is told in a perfectly competent manner, there simply aren't enough compelling twists, interesting revelations and grandiose battles to engage anyone but the most loyal fans. The earlier volumes were able to convey both the wonders and the fears Superman had for the resurrection of his people. Volume Four, however, is little more than our hero running back and forth to investigate and then solve one problem after another. It's all mundane and sterile, with little insight given into the Man of Steel's own feelings towards the people he encounters and situations he faces. Only at the end does Superman open up and bare his soul. . .a little.

Ultimately, Superman: New Krypton Volume 4 smacks of being more filler than substance--it's more a segueway into the next story than something that is truly significant on its own. That said, fans already invested in the previous books may still find it a worthwhile read.Get more detail about Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 4.

Disney's the Hunchback of Notre Dame This instant

Just a friendly warning: this book does not have a happy ending. It's a heartbreaking, frustrating, deeply upsetting book that will leave you feeling dazed and overwhelmed long after you've finished it.

So why read it? Because it's amazing, that's why.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame", also known as "Notre Dame de Paris" in the original French edition, is a story of contrasts. On the one hand, it describes the beauty and majesty of medieval Paris, while at the same time it exposes the ignorance and cruelty of its people. It shows that those in power are sometimes the ones who are the least qualified to possess authority. And it introduces characters who, while sometimes exaggerated, are incredibly well-developed, and what's more, are never really what they seem.

Archdeacon Claude Frollo, for example, is made up of contradictions: he is quiet, cold, and serious, and yet he is deeply attached to his little brother Jehan and feels pity for the orphaned Quasimodo. He is devoted to God and to the church, but is obsessed with science and with accumulating knowledge. He shuns the society of women, but is secretly consumed with passion for Esmeralda. He is respected for his piety and his great learning, but he has a dark side that frightens even himself.

Quasimodo, on the other hand, is so feared and hated because of his appearance that he has turned his back on humanity, until an act of pity bestowed on him by Esmeralda softens his heart. After that moment, ugly and deformed as he is on the outside, he proves to be a tender-hearted, tormented, and deeply sympathetic character. The chapter "The Bells" was one of my favorites, which showed the degree of his affection toward the bells which had made him deaf. Though he is viewed by society as a monster, in reality he is the only person in the story who seems capable of real self-sacrificing love.

Esmeralda, the beautiful gypsy girl, is not what she seems, either. Sweet, innocent, and chaste in the beginning, she soon shows her true colors when she becomes infatuated with the young, empty-headed, licentious Captain Phoebus, and is willing to give up her chastity and (so she believes) any chance of finding her parents, simply to be loved by him. In the chapter entitled "Earthenware and Crystal", in which Quasimodo presents her with two vases - one a beautiful crystal vessel containing dry, withered flowers, and a crude earthenware vase full of fresh blossoms - Esmeralda chooses the crystal vase with its faded flowers, proving how shallow and superficial she is by showing she is only capable of appreciating outer beauty.

There are a few chapters which diverge from the plot and can get a little tedious - namely, "Notre-Dame", "A Bird's-Eye View of Paris", and "This Will Kill That" - but oddly enough, the author's intimate, conversational narrative style keeps them from becoming boring(at least to me). Walter Cobb, who was responsible for translating the story so brilliantly into English, certainly deserves some of the credit for this.

All in all, as depressing, infuriating, and heart-wrenching as this book is, it's also impossible to forget. And it's the only book I've ever begun re-reading immediately after finishing it the first time.Get more detail about Disney's the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Bone, Vol. 5: Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border (v. 5) Immediately

I remember reading "Bone" as it came out when I was in college and falling in love with Jeff Smith's characterization and sense of wonder. Now I am reading the books again to my five-year-old and I get the pleasure of seeing this fantastic world for the first time again, through her eyes. I can;t recommend "Bone" highly enough. It's a rare book that transcends genre, medium and age.Get more detail about Bone, Vol. 5: Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border (v. 5).

Bleach, Vol. 31 (Bleach (Graphic Novels)) Best Quality

im a fan of the manga and the anime. With the manga there are a few more scenes they can show then the anime.Get more detail about Bleach, Vol. 31 (Bleach (Graphic Novels)).

Simon's Cat Get it now!

As a fan of the Simon's Cat short animated videos on YouTube, I was happy to see this book offered on Amazon. I received it in excellent shape in a very timely manner after ordering it. The book is great fun, lots of single frame cartoons that are so spot-on concerning how cats behave. Great book.Get more detail about Simon's Cat.

Bone Vol. 4 The Dragonslayer Buy Now

I am very pleased with this purchase. I bought this book for my son and he was very pleased with this! Very fast shipping!!!Get more detail about Bone Vol. 4 The Dragonslayer.

Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink': A Calvin and Hobbes Collection Order Now

Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes is a rare treat to the American entertainment world. It's a classic comic strip about a six year old mischievous boy and his make believe best friend: the stuffed tiger, Hobbes. I've been rereading all of the books in this series throughout my life, and I never tire of them. Watterson's magnificent blend of simple childhood humor, advanced appropriate grown-up humor, make-believe and childhood realism make this well written and illustrated comic strip a treasure to have in any household. Both adults and children will love it.

What's worse than one troublesome six year old boy? Answer, 6 of them! All due to Calvin's new device: the duplicator. Now Calvin is getting a taste of his own medicine as his clones are causing trouble with his parents, and Calvin is getting blamed. This is all part of Calvin's imagination, of course, but the storyline reads just as any good sci-fi novel would. This book also features 2 stories with Calvin and his dreaded baby-sitter: Rosalyn. Both are hilarious as Calvin pushes Rosalyn to her limits with his troublesome ways.

This book explores many humorous aspects to the life of a six year old boy. His hatred of school and girls, his wild imagination which at times will cause him to morph into his alter-ego: Spaceman Spiff, and the hindrance of having loving parents who want him to be responsible. I highly recommend!


Darien Summers, author of The Mischievous Hare, a children's book.Get more detail about Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink': A Calvin and Hobbes Collection.

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores Decide Now

As I read through other reviews written I see a lot of complaints about the ending, and I definitely sympathize with these readers. The ending leaves you feeling a bit hollow and unfulfilled, but I think it has more to do with the series ending than with the ending itself. I do not see how this series could have ended any differently.

By book 8 I could not see a conclusion that didn't end with almost the exact events that occurred. There are five conflicting endings and only one could exist. Either Yorick ended up with Beth, 355, alone or dead. Any one scenario would leave you wishing for the others, and yet only one could happen. I say the hollowness comes from the series ending because until the very end there was hope for all three options without picking one. Yorick was destined for a tragic ending one way or another from the moment the series started, but the focus should not be on the beginning and ending. It should be on the adventure in between. It is hard to think of a story with such compelling characters who really made you care about them, and the world they were thrown into played on all their advantages and disadvantages.

I'm sorry it's over, but I'm glad it was ended when it was. Had it been dragged on for five or ten more books it would have been due to filler that ruined the story. I compare it to the Sopranos. That TV series should have been two or three seasons max. Instead it was dragged on for six seasons. So, while the Sopranos has some of the best content of any show ever, I will not watch the series again because I have to wade through so much crap to get to it. On the other hand I will definitely go back and read Y the Last Man.
Get more detail about Y: The Last Man, Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores.

Lost At Sea Right now

If you've read Scott Pilgrim, I recommend that you leave all of your preconceived notions about O'Malley at the door before you read this book. Other than the artwork, this book is nothing like that series. If you're expecting some cutesy book, you're in the wrong place.

Lost at Sea follows the character of Raleigh, an overly timid young teen who is completely at a loss as to who she is. She claims to have no soul, a result of certain actions occurring in her youth. Raleigh finds herself on a car trip with three of her classmates at her school, unsure as to how to interact with them. But as the miles pass by, Raleigh will find herself opening up to her fellow passengers about herself, her doubts & her life.

I really loved this book. I'll admit, it was a bit slow to get into, but it really was a fantastic read. The artwork is all wonderful, which is something I've come to expect from O'Malley throughout the years. I loved how some of the most serious issues in the book- most notably the one major reason why Raleigh is the way she is- are all done subtly. It's up to the reader as to whether or not they pick up on the smaller details. If you aren't careful, you'll miss an entire element of the book that'll take the story to a whole new level.

I would honestly recommend this to anyone who loves a good indie comic. Again, I'll warn the Scott Pilgrim fans that this is a very serious book, so if you are looking for laughs & cute stuff, you may want to pass this one by. I hope you give it a real chance, as this truly is a book worth reading & sharing with your friends. One thing I'll add to this review is that if you like his work, you should also check out his work in the Hopeless-Savages series.Get more detail about Lost At Sea.

Lowest Price True Story of My Life

Art imitates life in this poignant and poetic rendering of the life of one of my favorite childhood authors. Just a great and wonderful read.Get more detail about True Story of My Life.

Low Price Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 1

Matt Fraction has completely understood the character and he shows it in this great series, with 19 numbers of adrenaline.
Unless the difficulties of Larroca to draw some faces, this is all good!Get more detail about Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 1.

Save The Divine Comedy by Dante, Illustrated, Hell, Volume 10

Most of the text is technically there. I downloaded it and was disappointed; many lines are cut off and there are large gaps in the text for no apparent reason. If you're desperate for Paradise Lost, I suppose it's worth it, but I think I will just delete these. If they weren't free, I'd complain, but you get what you pay for :DGet more detail about The Divine Comedy by Dante, Illustrated, Hell, Volume 10.

Discount Jungle Book: Stories

The Jungle Book is a commendable work of fiction. The characters, while somewhat static, are endearing. I recommend those that enjoy The Jungle Book to read Gaiman's The Graveyard Book as well, in order to explore the intricacies of how Gaiman's novel is based off of Kipling's.Get more detail about Jungle Book: Stories.

Cheapest The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 2: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Volumes in 1)

I bought this volume of Tintin for my grandson who is 10 years old. He has recently discovered these books and is a great fan. He is having trouble learning his multiplication tables so I am using these books as a reward and incentive for improving his "times tables" of 100 of them in 2 minutes. The only thing I did wrong is that in addition to ordering the VOLUMES (eventually all 7 of them) I also ordered three individual Tintin books which I later found out were already included in the volumes so I will have to return them. The value is great. If you order two or more you get the Super Saver and that makes the volumes cheaper than from local stores as you get free shipping.Get more detail about The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 2: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Volumes in 1).

Cheap Captain America: Reborn

The second that you buy a book called "Captain America: Reborn", or "The Life and Death of Donna Troy" you immediately want more then a dime a dozen comic book resurrection story that could be summed up in about one issue of a comic book issue. The resurrection of Captain America is something that I have mixed feelings on.

First of all it was obvious that the guy wasn't going to be dead forever (unless this is the first comic book that you have ever read) but it was one of the few times I believed that Captain America died and I was interested in seeing how things went from there.

In my honest opinion they should have held off on it. I know that they needed to bring him back for Siege but "Dark Reign" was so underwhelming that I wouldn't care if Siege never happened. "Captain America: Reborn" is a story that is basically told like a crossover event without the crossovers. The art is very nice, and I did like the writing but the story itself is still just another resurrection story. I really lost some respect for Brubaker when he did this. (Although I lost more respect for him when he had Daredevil cheat on his girlfriend just for the sake of creating more drama)Get more detail about Captain America: Reborn.

Buying The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country

Pretty awesome art. The stories were good each in their own way. But since i read book 1 and 2, i expected 3 to follow, and it didn't. The stories didn't connect to book 1 and 2 so i was thrown off. I like the look of DREAM in book 1 and 2 more. But i like the variety of stories in this book.
I thought the script at the end of the book was a nice touch.
Overall, good, short read with great art.Get more detail about The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country.

Buy Batman: Streets of Gotham Vol. 1: Hush Money

2009 saw a massive reorganizaing of the Batman books and their creative teams as the Dark Knight was apparently KIA against Darkseid in Grant Morrison's "Final Crisis". Among the departing teams was Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen, who had enjoyed an acclaimed success on Detective Comics. But the team wasn't finished with Gotham City as they helped launch "Batman: Streets of Gotham", a new series focusing on Batman as perceived through various Gotham characters. "Hush Money" collects the first arc as well as two issues from the "Faces of Evil" event and serves as a continuation of the Hush storyline begun in "Heart of Hush".

When we last left Dr. Thomas Elliot, his campaign against his childhood friend appeared to have been dealt a fatal blow. His attempt to replace Bruce had failed and in the aftermath, Catwoman and her allies had robbed him of his entire fortune, leaving him penniless. But Batman's death during "Final Crisis" has given Hush an opportunity to continue his original plan and destroy Bruce Wayne's legacy. Dick and Damian's attempts to stop him coincide with the reappearances of Firefly and Mr. Zsaz, leaving the new Dynamic Duo hard-pressed to stop their enemies.

Paul Dini's writing is crisp as always and his understanding of Batman and Gotham City remains as excellent as it was 20 years ago during Batman: The Animated Series. Dustin Nguyen's artwork maintains its Mike Mignola-inspired style and quality, making him another influential Batman artist in the modern era.Get more detail about Batman: Streets of Gotham Vol. 1: Hush Money.