Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind : Perfect Collection (Vol 1)
by Hayao Miyazaki
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (06 October, 1995)
list price: $17.95
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Editorial Review

Hayao Miyazaki is probably best known in the West for his films; My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service are celebrated for their lavish animation and sophisticated treatment of their young heroes. But among his many fans in Japan, his epic manga tale, Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, which Miyazaki later made into a animated movie, is often cited as his greatest work. Indeed, the Comics Journal once described the first volume as "the best graphic novel ever." Many critics favorably compare the story to such fantasy classics as C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia or J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

In Nausicaä, as in most of his work, Miyazaki centers his narrative on a strong young woman who struggles to create peace in a world torn by war. Readers of Homer's The Odyssey will recall that Nausicaä is the name of the Phoenician princess who healed Odysseus when he washed up on her shores. Miyazaki took that character as the inspiration for his Princess Nausicaä, but their worlds could not be further apart. Underscoring the book's deep ecological messages, Miyazaki's Nausicaä is a passionate defender of the natural world, and her ability to commune with the creatures of the forest appears almost magical. As a princess, she is testing the waters of leadership as her father languishes on his deathbed. As a citizen of the Valley of Wind, she has mastered reading the shifting wind currents and air pockets as she navigates the skies in her glider.

Readers learn at the beginning of her tale that the Earth has become a hostile place. Environmental crises have made the forest--known as the Sea of Corruption--into a kingdom of spores and giant insects called Ohmu. The remaining humans huddle in the valleys and sheltered cities while holding on to the remnants of technologies long-since rendered mysterious. Now, the Imperial family has begun a massive campaign to extend its hold on the remaining pockets of civilization. However, intrigue between the reigning Princess Kushana and her brothers suddenly place Nausicaä and her people at the center of a civil conflict that could extinguish the last people on earth. With the grandeur of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and the grace of Miyazaki's Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind is a classic of fantasy literature and one of the finest works ever in the comics medium. --Patrick O'Kelley ... Read more

Reviews (112)

The Best Manga I've Read in YEARS!! Too good to pass up!
I've been a Miyaki fan for years! Of all of his movies and books, Nausicaa is definitely the best one! Miyaki creates a beautifully vivid world and characters that will you will most certainly NEVER forget! This is one manga series (and the movie as well) that I've never gotten tired of. Every anime fan should have Nausicaa in their collection! You won't regret it!!!

More Than A Children's Book
Just like LOTR, children love it, but until they grow well into their adulthood, they will not be able to fully comprehend the essence of the story.
Children, both boys and girls, will love the major characters in "Nausicaa", because children can find all they wish to be in these characters, but most of them would be puzzled (or troubled!) by the development of the story. An exceptionally smart kid may be able to guess some of Miyazaki's plan of the story before he/she reaches Vol. 7, but I dare to bet, he/she will not accept that plan until he/she reaches 30.
This is a great gift to children. They will thank you many, many years later.

not comic, this is art.
I am surprised that USA people watch this comic series in addition to the same title movie.

As you know, Naushika's story don't finish to the movie. The truth story start from reading this comic. Even if Japanase read them, the story is a little difficult, but there are more wondeful things than the minus point.
For instance, the drawing ways. Generally comic(Japanese MANGA) is simple drawing. But the comic is very detailed drawing. They is like art rather than comic.

And in addition to the wonderful drawing,the expression of the character's face is very excellent, for instance joy, sarrow, longing, anger... Mr. Miyazaki can write their expressions very well. There are writers that can write comics very well in the world, but there will not are writers that can write their expressions of face very well.

If there are people that was moved when watched the movie, absolutely we recommend this comis..art series.

You will not waste your money by buying this arts series.

I am sorry for my poor English. ... Read more

Isbn: 1569310963
Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Comics & Graphic Novels - General    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels - Science Fiction    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels   

Akira, Volume 1
by Katsuhiro Otomo
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (13 December, 2000)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $16.47
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Reviews (49)

expansion
akira will expand your mind if you can truly understand the underlying images and symbols.People can learn from a book like akira its sheer brilliance is resplendent within all of its underlying themes.People do not understand what is going on and that is why they do not enjoy ehat is being portrayed. Sometimes you have to put in the extra effort and read the books or watch the movie more than once to understand the full capacity of what Otomo is trying to portray.if you have any questions email me other than that figure it out for your self

Not as violent as the anime movie!
Okay,First off this book is not as violent as the anime Movie,that movie was a blood bath!and this book has only 3 parts with violence,but it does have language and MAJOR DRUGUSE.OK OFF TOPIC,this book was OK it's story is decent,the jokes are funny and the action is cool,so I would say Its a good story.so if you like good stories,you will love this book!

Powerful, enticing story with great animation
The book of Akira, Volume 1 is one of the more massive editions you'll see at a book store.I bought it because it stood out, and looked entertaining on the inside.I was beyond satisfied.
The story immediately draws you in, with haunting images of destruction and a summary of a giant world war.Then, you meet the biker gang, from which most of the main characters originate.Kaneda splits the main character role with his friend, Tetsuo, who gets into a bad accident and winds up becoming a human test subject.These tests give Tetsuo unspeakable power, and all-out anarchy errupts!
To find out more, read the story!It's higher-priced than other graphic novels, but it's a good amount larger and more detailed.
The artwork is also admirable.Katsuhiro Otomo is great at drawing city scenes, especially when they involve explosions. ... Read more

Isbn: 1569714983
Sales Rank: 52044
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Graphic Novels - General    4. Graphic Novels - Science Fiction   

Black & White, Vol 1
by Taiyo Matsumoto
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (08 February, 1999)
list price: $15.95 -- our price: $11.17
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Reviews (5)

Dying to be animated.
The ceaseless soundings of the urban landscape, White's grating patter, Black's interludes of crazed viciousness, and Rat's world-weary cynicism are all ripe for some talented vocal and sound effects work. This is a catchy, punkish little drama, a step to the side of the usual eye-bulging, gaping mawed style of Manga, which'd translate well into motion.

Magnificent
It all comes together.The line quality is in itself endlessly diverting.The vision of the city and its technology and architecture is totally unique.The story... the fabulous, ass-kicking flying boy-hoodlums with hearts of gold, perching atop telephone poles and living in an abandoned car... a techno-post-modern peter pan cast in a deliciously not-anime Tokyo ghetto. These 3 books are incredible.Don't miss them.

thats what friendships are about
this book is one of the best graphic novels i've read.i liked the drawings a lot.simple but spicific.i liked the friendship between black and white. and the freindship between the two kids and chocolate thegangster.i recomend it very much ... Read more

Isbn: 1569313229
Sales Rank: 335758
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Graphic Novels - General    5. Graphic Novels - Manga    6. Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels   

Good-Bye, Chunky Rice (4th Printing)
by Craig Thompson
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (June, 2003)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
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Reviews (13)

GRAPHIC NOVEL AS LEGITIMATE LITERATURE
I got my "Good-bye, Chunky Rice" 6th printing copy last week and read it twice. The first reading, I savored the letters; and the second, I focused on the visual art. Both elements are excellent. The story is not new but with the honest and juvenile yet pure approach of the author made it fresh.In simple words, this is poetry. The visuals are simply delightful. Be prepared to be mesmerized by the author's rendition of the sea. I loved the bittersweet fable with quirky characters. And oh, the ending was pure genius just like the ending of the movie "Before Sunset". I'm glad graphic novelist like Craig Thompson is discovered and accepted by the readers. I congratulate him for delivering a first-rate literature. Write on, Craig. "There are no words" to express how much I loved your work. Bravo!

I would buy anything Craig Thompson produced,,
Honestly, what a wonderfully innovative artist and writer Thompson is. His drawings are absolutely maginficant in both this and 'Blankets', and his tales are sweet and utterly likable. I daresay, at the tender age of 28, Thompson has some wonderful years of graphic novels writing ahead and we are in for some divine and quirky treats.

This little work is bittersweet and kind and sensitive and beautifully texturised. It is also quite a novel concept for this genre, and I daresay I have read no graphic novel which even lends itself to some kind of comparison. Its just delightfully simple and there is so much in the artwork. Every glance warrants a new discovery, and Thompson is already a master at evoking feeling. I particularly loved the frames where Chucky and his mouse love were lying under a quilted blanket and Chunky was telling her not to cry. Just gorgeous.


However, the work is relatively short and can be difficult to follow. It is not flawless, but remains a timeless addition to any graphic novel collection. 'Blankets; is clearly Thompson's incredible and unusual masterpiece, and while both are worth getting, 'Blankets' illustrates how Thompson has developed as a writer and artist in the last four years.

That said, I would still highly recommend 'Good-bye, Chunky Rice.' It stands alone as utterly beautiful work and a gentle and innovative credit to the graphic novel genre.

cute & sweet
good-bye, chunky rice is a short little cutie of a comic & it carries some sweet poignancy about friendship & finding a place in the world, but i didn't find it quite as profound as some of the other reviewers.

i think some of the flashbacks were a bit off-putting as in 'wait, where are we now?" & although chunky rice was certainly a darling little character- what was he searching for? i longed for a bit more depth.

warning! this little book took me under 20 minutes to read- so i recommend getting it from the library or borrowing it from a friend first.if you love it (and most of the reviewers really did), then buy it. it's pretty pricey for such a quickie read. ... Read more

Isbn: 1891830090
Sales Rank: 12161
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Graphic Novels - General   

Out From Boneville (Bone, Book 1)
by Jeff Smith
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 June, 1996)
list price: $19.95
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Editorial Review

After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, are separated and lost in a vast uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures." So begins Smith's charming masterpiece. Like the best Disney and Warner Brothers cartoons combined, Bone had me laughing out loud. I firmly believe that once you read Bone you're hooked for life. The beautiful hardcover packaging is well worth the extra money. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A beautiful start to a top-notch graphic novel series
'Bone: Out From Boneville,' collects issues #1-6 of Jeff Smith's seminal Fantasy-Humor comic series that first kicked off in 1991.Anyone with an appreciation for top-notch comic book storytelling will quickly appreciate Smith's keen sense of compelling, exciting narrative blended in with keen-humor and characterization in every panel.For those not sure what this series is actually about, in a nutshell it can be described as a fantasy epic with strong overtones of humor and adventure populated with compelling characters of human, animal and mythic-being variety.Whether or not you're a fan of the fantasy genre you will nonetheless find yourself compelled with the story from the get-go thanks to Smith's wonderful storytelling ability.Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Completely sucks you in...
Wow. This book will draw you in like an inexorable tractor beam. What exactly does it? The art work? It's great - the part ultra-real and part ultra-cartoon style gives the entire package credence while also nurturing fantasy and surrealism. The story? It's also great - part fantasy parody part adventure ala Crusoe part disturbing evil cult part ridiculous somehow all comes together in a coherent whole. How can a comic have a group of thickly-outlined blobs (Fone-Bone, Phoney-Bone, Smiley bone) that exude entirely different personality traits, a very realistically drawn beautiful woman who becomes the love interest of one of the blobs (Thorn, who Fone falls for), a tough as nails grandma who knows how to fight giant rat creatures and race cows, a group of gangly and stupid rat creatures who are led by even bigger rats and ultimately a creepy hooded creature, a large red dragon with a bizarre sense of humor, and resolve into an amazing and mesmerizing story that any human of almost any age can appreciate? Seems impossible, but here it is!
Volume One begins with the blobs' (Fone, Phoney, Smiley) exile from Boneville. Locusts separate them somehow onto vastly different paths. The story takes some twists and turns but is ultimately about the trio reuniting and finding their way back to Boneville (where a mob apparently awaits them). On the way Fone-Bone meets Ted the bug (and his big big big brother), some rat creatures (who try to eat him, but have issues), Thorn (a beautiful woman who Fone goes gaa gaa over), and Grandma. apparently Phoney Bone has done something that has attracted the "hooded one's" attention, and he has rat creatures (big hairy things with mawfuls of fangs) on patrol. The volume ends with the impending cow races, which Phoney and Smiley plan to fix, to the fortunes of both. Fone-Bone also attracts the attention of the Red Dragon, but for what reason is not answered in volume one.
The interplay of the characters and the artwork make this a great comic book read. It's very hard to put down once started. Also, it's very funny, but not at the expense of plot or character. Great all around.

Timeless storytelling and essential reading
Jeff Smith's "Bone" series is a critically acclaimed but criminally overlooked epic for a reason. Critics recognize Smith's masterful storytelling abilities and are drawn to his mix of all-ages humor and decidedly adult darkness, but the black and white art and lack of superheroes is anathema to most comic book readers, making it a hit only in the "underground" sense.

Thank goodness for trade paperbacks, which have allowed new readers unaccustomed to weekly stops at the comic store to follow this marvelous, epic, enchanting series.

Those new to "Bone" should know this: Throw away the term "comic book." It's a term that for many has become defined by superheroes, but Smith's "Bone" is much more than that.

Timeless is every way, "Bone" is an expansive story about three "bone creatures" (you'd have to see them to understand) that find themselves in a valley peopled with an assortment of crazy and interesting characters. Looming over it all is the menace of a great evil, first glimpsed by the ferocious (and funny) rat creatures, but later revealed to be something much more disturbing.

Smith combines the kind of classic storytelling perfected by the likes of the legendary Carl Barks and Bill Watterson - gleefully funny cartooning with outrageously expressive faces and gestures - with the epic and engaging plotting of a sweeping fairy tale. "Bone" walks a tightrope and walks it well, managing to be something fans of both Donald Duck and Bilbo Baggins can enjoy.

"Out From Boneville," the first volume of nine, is in the grand scheme of things little more than an introduction to the people and places that make up the "Bone" epic. We meet Thorn, the sweet girl who our protagonist Fone Bone pines over, the unnaturally tough grandma, the grumpy bar tender, and, of course, the bones themselves. It's a light-hearted introduction to what becomes a more serious tale, and it's good fun to read.

As a first chapter "Out From Boneville" is hardly representative of what "Bone" becomes, but then neither is "A Long Expected Party" in "The Lord of the Rings." Both ease the reader into what becomes an increasingly compelling, tense tale. It's a nice way to introduce us to these characters.

"Bone" is essential reading that no lover of the comic artform should skip. Little doubt people will still be reading "Bone" 50 years from now. Broad in scope yet personal and quaint, this is a charming story in every way that will long outlast 90 percent of other comic works on the shelf. ... Read more

Isbn: 0963660993
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Bone (Fictitious character)    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Comic books, strips, etc    5. Comics & Cartoons    6. Comics & Graphic Novels - General    7. Fiction    8. General    9. Graphic novels    10. Humor    11. Juvenile Fiction   

Maus II : A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (Maus)
by ART SPIEGELMAN
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 September, 1992)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
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Reviews (28)

Simply Brilliant II
In the two volumes of "Maus," Art Spiegelman has captured the essence of the Holocaust. He focuses his tale on his own family's tragic history, using the strangely-appropriate medium of comic book drawing. Maus II tells the Spiegelman family story from confinement in Auschwitz to the harrowing days at the end of the war through liberation and establishment in America.

Art is a tortured son of a tortured family. Mother and father lived through the Holocaust on their wits and good luck. Now that the war is over, they continue to live haunted lives, never free of the fear and mass murder that enveloped their youth. Art, their American artist child, just barely tolerates his father's obsessiveness and extreme miserliness. The father, while starving in Auschwitz, saved half of his morning rations for trading for shoes or clothes. Now that he is old, he continues to play every nook and cranny of the system in order to save a wooden match or to cadge a free bingo game. The sense of the man's weirdness (and his son's resulting lack of patience) is palpably sad and funny at the same time.

Spiegelman's art is deceptively innocuous, using a black and white comic book style. His tale alternates between the present story of his elderly, pill-counting father in the present and the past story of ghettos, cruelty and death camps. Spiegelman draws his humans with animals heads -- an ingenious way to portray ethnic and cultural differences that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. Jews are rendered as mouse-headed humans, Poles with pig heads and Nazis topped with heads of predacious cats.

Spiegelman's tale is part history, part expiation of guilt for resenting a brother killed during the war and part rage at a family member's suicide. The war never ended for those who endured it, and ripples through time to damage the next generations. That's pretty heavy for a comic book, but Art Spiegelman pulls it off brilliantly.

Great
I am combining volumes one and two. Volume one is great and it is no wonder it won a Pulitzer Prize. Even if you are not fond of comics or graphic novels, if you are at all interested in history (or WW2 specifically), you should try this. I enjoyed it enough that I bought both for my mother-in-law, who likes reading non-fiction historical accounts.

Brilliant
The brilliant continuation of the MAUS story, I think I enjoyed the second part even more than the first.It's in this book that Spiegelman really brings out the connection between what happened then in Europe and what is happening now in America.

This is a more interesting part of the story from a character standpoint.The relationship between Art and his father Vladek is painted in its most frustrating and endearing tones in this volume. An amazing piece of historical fiction, and even better feat of interpersonal storytelling. ... Read more

Isbn: 0679729771
Sales Rank: 12612
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Children of Holocaust survivors    6. Comic books, strips, etc    7. Historical - General    8. Historical - Holocaust    9. Holocaust    10. Holocaust survivors    11. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    12. Jewish - General    13. Military - World War II    14. Poland    15. United States    16. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

From Hell
by Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (February, 2004)
list price: $35.00
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Editorial Review

The mad, shaggy genius of the comics world dips deeply into the well ofhistory and pulls up a cup filled with blood in From Hell. Alan Moore dida couple of Ph.D.'s worth of research into the Whitechapel murders for thiscopiously annotated collection of the independently published series. The web offacts, opinion, hearsay, and imaginative invention draws the reader in from thefirst page.Eddie Campbell's scratchy ink drawings evoke a dark and dirtyVictorian London and help to humanize characters that have been caricatured intoobscurity for decades. Moore, having decided that the evidence best fits thetheory of a Masonic conspiracy to cover up a scandal involving Victoria'sgrandson, goes to work telling the story with relish from the point of view ofthe victims, the chief inspector, and the killer--the Queen's physician. Hischaracterization is just as vibrant as Campbell's; even the minor charactersfeel fully real. Looking more deeply than most, the author finds in the "greatwork" of the Ripper a ritual magic working intended to give birth to the 20thcentury in all its horrid glory. Maps, characters, and settings are all asaccurate as possible, and while the reader might not ultimately agree with Mooreand Campbell's thesis, From Hell is still a great work of literature.--Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (84)

A Brilliant Graphic Novel
When I first started reading graphic novels, which was about two years ago I thought that it was truly pointless because I was not familair with grpahic novels, I thought they were like comic books. I was wrong. The world of graphic novels is complex, and opens vast doorways into regions of the world that exist far beyond, and From Hell is one of those Graphic Novels that catches you by surprise and shakes you to the bone, I strongly recommend this work to any reader. The film adaptation was truly brilliant and compelling, rich with horrors and thrills and saturated with laughs and screams.

A masterwork of historical fiction
For those who are able to countenance the explicit depictions of sex, violence, and unspeakable butchery, Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's "From Hell" is an exquisite depiction of the squalor and degeneracy of Victorian London. Through its dark drawings it indicts a corrupt society that celebrates its degenerate aristocracy while castigating the poor who merely exist to scratch out an existence with the only means left to them. While drawing on the facts of the Whitechapel murders, Moore constructs a fictional story, exploring the minds and hearts of the killer -- here presumed to be the royal doctor William Gull (a theory largely discounted in real life) -- and the social structure that permitted him to exercise his madness. Moore provides what we do not have, a motive for the murders. Indeed, he offers two motives -- to cover up the sexual indiscretions of Queen Victoria's grandson, and to fulfill a mad vision inspired by Masonic mythology and the architecture and geography of London. The Freemasons are again on hand to cover up the coverup. Moore also takes the largely unknown personages of Inspector Abberline and Mary Kelly, the final victim of the Ripper, and brings them to life. For those who, like me, are oppressed by the inevitability of the gruesome murders and the Moore even subtly suggests an alternative fate for Kelly, one not supported by any evidence in real life, but one that was, to me, supremely satisfactory.

From Hell Review
From Hell by Alan Moore proves that graphic novels can join the ranks of sophisticated literature. His well researched engaging novel sheds light on the idea that a well off Free Mason Sir William Gull was the infamous Jack the Ripper. This graphic novel has all the aspects of a beautifully drawn comic and also that of appealing historical fiction novel. From Hell intertwines facts and educated guesses in a pleasurable reading experience.
The art style of the book is dark and gruesome. Panels often reveal much more than their respective dialogue. When reading the novel I often found myself staring at the panels for long after I read all the dialogue. Although this novel is defiantly not the best starter for someone knew to the ideas of graphic novels. It is not like an easy read comic book like Spiderman or other graphic novels like Maus. Once you have conquered other graphic novels From Hell is lovely read.
Although From Hell's plot type is like Maus, talking about a gross part in our history, they have little in common. If you were not a fan of Art Spigelman's very bank clear panels and would like something more dark and sinister, Alan Moore's From Hell is a perfect fit for you. It's style if hard to understand a first I admit since his characters don't keep the same cloths on through the novel, also for the fact that time and settings jump around from panel to panel.
When I was reading From Hell I often found it necessary to study and analyze each picture, which may be time consuming but is very enjoyable. Each picture is dark and detailed to using only black and white; one could say it uses a sort of ink pen style. The pictures really get the message across and you can really feel what the author wants you to feel without paragraphs and paragraphs of boring details.
This graphic novel uses lewd an inappropriate images as well as gruesome Jack the Ripper scenes. Showing scene with hookers is some times needed when they are your villain's primary target. In the book Moore speaks of the Free Masons (which is an underground society for the wealthy and long ago the Free Masons had members like Thomas Jefferson) as assort of dark and creepy organization, Sir William Gull, the proposed evildoer belongs to this group. We see Sir William's childhood and his entry to the Free Masons.
On the whole Alan Moore's From Hell is a well drawn, well written through provoking historical fiction novel which will excited most. As I said before if you are on of those people who have never picked up a comic book in their life, and you are interested in From Hell I would highly recommend it. Yet if you are willing to get into the whole graphic novel scene do not start with this book. It is very hard to understand for a new comer and after I've finished it I can't decided weather its From Hell's greatness or depth that is calling me back to read it again! ... Read more

Isbn: 0958578346
Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction - Horror    3. Graphic Novels - Crime & Mystery    4. Graphic Novels - Horror    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Fiction, Graphic Novels, General    7. Graphic novels   

Watchmen
by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1995)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $13.59
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Reviews (260)

Undoubtedly the best story of the media I have ever read
I picked this up to read on a plane just to kill time. I was expecting the run of the mill graphic novel. What I got was a story so in depth, engrossing, and touching that I could not put it down. This was definitely a welcomed change from the technical books I normally read. The story of the Watchmen actually forced me to feel for the characters in the story, and understand their motives. You grow to respect the characters as more than 2 dimensional storyboards. In this world of masked vigilantes driven to dish out justice as a novelty hobby, they are faced with the concept of a real life superhero changing their very existence, making them obsolete. The younger generation just cannot let go of the concept of dressing up and fighting crime and continue despite the appearance of the "God Among Men". Some do it because they are forced to, some get sexual gratification out of it, some are driven by deep psychological issues brought on by troubled childhoods, and a very small handful do it to make things right. The story has more twists and turns, and really pulls the reader into their universe, and forces them to wonder "Who watches the Watchers" when they go beyond the line. Even if you are not into the whole comic genre, this is a story that will move you.

a fundamental setting with multiple overtones
It's seriously bizarre that a comic book employing the all-too-familiar concept of super-heroes in a good vs. evil combat, -albeit one that goes more and more awry as the end approaches- can be used so effectively to convey such complex ideas.Although a single reading will in no way suffice to get a full understanding of the intriguing story, it is enough to leave a mark. The kind of mark that gets left after reading, say, 1984 or fahrenheit 451, although any comparision would be very unfair.

Watchmen isn't a warning of doom; its a prophecy.however the entire story is only a carrier for an evaluation of human-kind in the present day. There are various perspectives that are presented here, mostly by way of different 1st person narratives.But overriding all those is the writer's own view of things as they are and of things to come. People who kill aren't always villains, and this is one of the most striking things that set it apart from other conventional comic-book heroes. Also, every person(or hero) is distinctly human, with his own weakness, that is laid bare at some point in the story.

What still surprises me is the myriad personalities that the writer was able to deal with within a single story, and to such detail. The messages aren't cryptic at all, and thus are not tough to read, but they do require some thinking to understand them.

Power and Responsibility.......
Read this classic graphic novel with a knowledge of its time....fear and paranoia towards the threat of nuclear war, assassinations of presidents, a lack of trust of those in positions of power in the age of media and subterfuge, and vast modernity sprawling out and producing crime and disillusionment.......Alan Moore takes on all this pessimism and shakes it down with the Watchmen, using the conceit that costume heroes actually exist and are everyday people. The hallmark is that not much here is black and white. The result is a confronting, engrossing, extensive work, which re-invented and challenged the genre and promotes the necessity for individual opinion in readers, by leaving so much firmly in the grey.

In the end we are left to think about whether or not 'The end can justify the means'....and there is a strong echo of Hiroshima here. Obviously it can't..and must never. But here, a global solution to focus people's attentions away from war was to introduce something alien. The question of 'Who watches the watchmen?' underpins and concludes the whole book. It is one of power and responsibility, and the idea of the Watchmen being free from this, to act freely, and to have greater influence than those people who are restrained from acting properly by their systems and nations, is portrayed with unfortunately, similarly threatening results. It can only prompt individual thought and better collaboration through its lesson.

Although it can be a bit too indulgent, and the 'comic within a comic' is given too much space, other elements that should attract you are its realism, its character depth and the unique figure of the Comedian. The Comedian has limited hope for the world; he is the ruthless, Batmanesque, out-for-himself, vigilante. He has seen 'its true face'. He fascinates us as we read The Watchmen, because he goes to a deep place in the comic and in everyone's thoughts, where our attempt to rationalise the horrors and behaviours in ourselves fail...where he 'plays along with the gag', working as a unique force of truth, which is without morals, because there is no hypocracy where there are no morals......The uncompromising Rorschach observes and echoes this. It is where the beginning and the end of the book lie....It is a flawed world, not a good joke....but it is better to play along....? ... Read more

Isbn: 0930289234
Sales Rank: 1100
Subjects:  1. Fantastic fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels - General    5. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Understanding Comics
by Scott McCloud
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (27 April, 1994)
list price: $22.95 -- our price: $15.61
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Editorial Review

A comic book about comic books. McCloud, in an incredibly accessible style, explains the details of how comics work: how they're composed, read and understood. More than just a book about comics, this gets to the heart of how we deal with visual languages in general. "The potential of comics is limitless and exciting!" writes McCloud. This should be required reading for every school teacher. Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman says, "The most intelligent comics I've seen in a long time." ... Read more

Reviews (72)

I AGREE WITH ALL THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWERS . . .
...UNDERSTANDING COMICS is surprisingly comprehensive while being oh-so accessible. Excellent overview and deep in all the right places.

Entertaining read, learned a lot
This is a remarkable book at some turns academic and thorough, at others highly entertaining. "Understanding Comics" is extremely well drawn and written, stimulating the reader in ways that prose or poetry could not.Unfortunately, my knowledge of comics is limited to Herge (Tintin) and Goscinny and Underzo (Asterix), although I've seen more recent work (Batman, 1990s) that departs from linear narrative and the kind of realistic Hergé backgrounds McCloud draws and describes. This book serves as an excellent guide for those who haven't fully considered the form but are willing to learn more about it.

Notably, the publisher categorizes this book as "cartoons/art history." The art history component stretches from prehistoric to abstract expressionist art: seeing the narrator deform from realistic, representational form to Dadaist scribble is one of many aspects that make this book so special. McCloud plays with time and conveys a massive volume of information during this time (it's a quick read). "Understanding Comics" takes an all-inclusive approach that doesn't focus exclusively on comics, but also considers all forms of artistic expression and the rôle of comics within this spectrum.McCloud argues (forcefully) that comics are overlooked in favor of other fine arts - he demonstrates how cave-paintings, hieroglyphics, and even alphabets are all forms of comics, the later a derivative case.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on levels of abstraction on the presence of iconography in the human experience.Even a line on a page has expressive potential, as McCloud demonstrates. I am reminded of readings in Genet and Melville, where tattoos document the human experience and the body becomes a tableau for storytelling. Artists draw, write, direct moving pictures, and create music - this book would argue that no form is superior, but that comics are established, have been forever.

A Fantastic review of a media
Recently, I have started to be a fan of webcomics, and my boyfriend, a long-time comic reader introduced me to this book. I read it in less than a day, and was amazed at how little credit I was giving to this artform, as well as the even littler credit others were giving it.When I finished, I immediately read the sequel: Reinventing Comics, then went to the comic book store and had a good browse around.I would suggest this book to anyone interested in literature, visual arts, and combined medias.Read it! ... Read more

Isbn: 006097625X
Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Authorship    4. Comic books, strips, etc.    5. Comics & Cartoons    6. Humor    7. Juvenile literature    8. Periodicals, Publishing of    9. Techniques - Cartooning   

Preacher: Gone to Texas (Vertigo)
by Garth Ennis
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 March, 1996)
list price: $14.99 -- our price: $10.47
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Editorial Review

Here's a book guaranteed to offend a bunch of people, not only because of its profuse profanity and graphic violence, but because it's the epitome of iconoclasm. Like a brutal accident, you can't watch but you can't turn away. The story follows an ex-preacher man, Jesse, who has become disgusted with God's abandoning of His responsibilities. So Jesse starts off into the wilds of Texas with his hitman girlfriend and new best friend (a vampire) to find God so that he can give Him a piece of his mind. Despite its superficial perversity, this book contains what may be the most moral character in mainstream comics. A cult hit in the making. Fans of Quentin Tarantino take note. ... Read more

Reviews (77)

Not a light reading
This TPB is only Preacher worth byuing. Preacher was published as 66 issue complete story. I read all of them, but first five issues are the best although they are just the beginning.

God leaves his duties, priest gets beaten for exposing everyone's secrets from confessions, and something out of paradise posesses him...few days after, he meetshis ex girlfriend turned hitman and gets acquainted with a strange Irish guy.

Second story arc with serial killer is , well, deja vu for horror fans.

Great start that gets even better...
Loved it!The only reason I'm giving it four stars is because it gets EVEN better as the series continues. This opener though has just about everything a sci-fi chick like me could hope for --it's profane, humorous, has a simple premise with some GOOD twists, love, sex, winged demons, warrior angels, serial killers and of course... John Wayne.This isn't the deepest and darkest graphic novels have to offer-- but it is FUN, intelligent and a damn good ride.Read it!

It was the time of the Preacher... Book #1
Do you like to read? Do you like movies? Then why don't you try Graphic Novels? Comics you say? Don't say that. This stuff is art. Do you like to read? Then why not Graphic Novels? Do you like movies? Then why not Graphic Novels? Why not? Why? Because it can be... "More fun than going to the movies" - Kevin Smith, Director Clerks.

Book #1 must be checked out. It is a DC comic's publication. The title - "Preacher: Gone to Texas", is a two story book introducing us to three core characters, Jesse Custer, a minister who has been zapped with the pseudo power of god by a fallen angel that drops down on his congregation during a meeting, finds himself after in a bar with Tulip, a road bandit and also Jesse's ex-lover, along with an Irish vampire, Cassidy, who has hitched in on the ride, the trio find themselves up against Sheriff Root, the law in Texas, with a demon on their tail who has been unleashed from heaven to track down the escaped pseudo power of God. This story is quite action packed, very funny fowl language and has a sense of humour, although don't expect it to be a very deep character analysis (you will have to fill in much of the gaps for yourself) although the second half of the book about a serial killer at large does not quite capture the ferocity of the first episode, is none the less a very interesting segment that is sort of telling you that the Preacher series can, and probably will go absolutely everywhere and anywhere, and as someone who has yet to read any more in the series I must say that I would get Volume 2 just on the bases of what I have enjoyed here.

Preacher: Gone to Texas is an amazing piece of art to own. It can proudly sit along side any classic volume of literature or sit beside the Mona Lisa. Draw your attention to the cover, Glen Fabry, offers 10 other graphic plates in the book that are almost worth buying another copy for, just to tear out those pictures and put them in a frame, the guiding light for any future budding graphic novel animators, those images are sublime and worth the cost of the book alone.

Even though Fabry is replaced by the core artists, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillion do an amazing job of the layout, meaning do not turn pages in this graphic novel, as some pages are surprises designed to grab you... and they do, so at least allow yourself to be stunned by not looking ahead, okay. That is a general good rule for the Preacher graphic novel anyway... others like Johnny The Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut you could spend days jumping back and across through but these ARTY graphic novels tend to have less plates and more high impact artwork, sometimes covering whole pages, meaning that it is easy to spoil Preacher with just glancing through it once.

I found Preacher to be one of the most engaging Graphic Novels I have seen. It really does bring the next frame or page along at a shocking pace with many scenes leaping out at you and grabbing you buy the throat, WOW! to go along with the illustrated POW! See you at Preacher #2 for a review if you enjoyed the first episode like I did. ... Read more

Isbn: 1563892618
Subjects:  1. Comic books, strips, etc    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Horror    4. Graphic Novels - Horror    5. Fiction / Graphic Novels