Sin City, Book 7: Hell and Back

0 comments Monday, February 15, 2010

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From amazon:
In the Town Without Pity, good men are hard to find. Enter Wallace, a man of mystery. He's a nice guy who's very good at killing people. Out for an evening drive along the beach, he meets the woman of his dreams - and she's trying to kill herself. Why? And who are the shadowy cabal of power brokers who wrench her from his arms? When will all hell break loose?

Comics legend Frank Miller, creator of the groundbreaking Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, pounds out his longest Sin City graphic novel to date - a bare-knuckle barrage of brutal action, dark secrets, and heroic sacrifice. What the hell - it's a love story! The most recent story in Miller's gritty crime saga, Hell and Back includes color sections and pinups by a who's who of comics luminaries.

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Sin City, Book 6: Booze, Broads, & Bullets

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From amazon:
The most diverse volume of Sin City material available, Booze, Broads, & Bullets, showcases Frank Miller's vignettes and color experiments from throughout the years of his groundbreaking crime series, and includes art created especially for the original collection. A good entry point for new readers wondering what Sin City is all about - or longtime readers who can't get enough - Miller has painted a gritty, decadent, and gloriously dirty portrait. Have a taste of the city ... just one little taste. Just one.

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Sin City, Book 5: Family Values

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From amazon:
Marking a departure for Miller from an entire career of serialized stories, this 128-page epic spilled out of him all at once... and you can't help but read it the same way! Family Values is a milestone among Miller's work, allowing him enough room to tell this classic story of grit and revenge exactly the way he wanted to. With deadly Miho running on roller-blades, Dwight running on adrenaline, and the Sin City mob on clean-up detail, this yarn from the Town Without Pity is not to be missed.

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Sin City, Book 4: That Yellow Bastard

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From amazon:
In a Sin City short story, "The Babe Wore Red," Frank Miller deviated from his stark black-and-white artwork by adding tiny bits of color throughout the story. The girl's dress was red, her lips were red--you get the picture. In That Yellow Bastard, the fourth Sin City graphic novel, Miller's experiment with yellow ink is also a tremendous success. The setup is simple. On the last day before he retires, Hartigan, an old cop, gets a call about an 11-year-old girl who has been kidnapped by a lunatic. Hartigan has got just one more thing to do before he retires: save the girl. Saving her is the easy part, because Hartigan has uncovered something really bad that is not going to stop until it catches up with him. That Yellow Bastard is nerve-racking to the very end.

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Sin City, Book 3: The Big Fat Kill

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From amazon:
With The Big Fat Kill Frank Miller is at it again with another comics packed with guns, lovers, losers, and surprises. In Sin City's Old Town, the prostitutes run the show. "The cops stay out. That leaves the girls free to keep the pimps and the mob out." Sounds like an OK place, right? It is until a pushy, loud-mouthed guy who has had one too many drinks comes into Old Town and gets himself killed by the ladies. When they find out who he is, they realize that "it'll be war. The streets will run red with blood. Women's blood."

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Sin City, Book 2: A Dame to Kill For

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From amazon:
This is Frank Miller's second Sin City story. While it doesn't quite match The Hard Goodbye, it's a damn fine example of comics noir in it's own right. The lead character this time around is Dwight, but fans of Marv will be pleased to know that he shows up here in a supporting role. This story takes place prior to, and concurrently with, "The Hard Goodbye". In fact, you can see Marv enacting some scenes from "The Hard Goodbye" in the background of panels here. Anyway, the story is about how Dwight's ex-girlfriend Ava comes and asks him for help. I don't want to give away the story, but it may seem a bit familiar to fans of film noir. Despite what may seem like a predictable storyline, I loved it because it is so well told and the art is beautiful. This is not one of the stories that is being adapted for the Sin City motion picture, but the sequel to this book, The Big Fat Kill is in the movie.

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Sin City, Book 1: The Hard Goodbye

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From amazon:
Legendary artist Frank Miller opened a noir opus in Sin City. This critically-acclaimed triumph-honored by both an Eisner Award and the prestigious National Cartoonists' Award-combines the pulp intensity of writers like Spillane and Cain with the gritty graphic storytelling that only Miller can deliver.

Sin City is the place-tough as leather and dry as tinder. Love is the fuel, and the now-infamous character Marv has the match ... not to mention a "condition." He's gunning after Goldie's killer, so it's time to watch this town burn! Frank Miller is one of modern comic's first talents to publish a comic book that he created, crafted, and owned. That book is Sin City, which grew from the wellspring of Miller's passionate desire to create a comic book with two distinct qualities - it wouldn't be a superhero comic, and it had to be a crime comic. Enter Marv and Goldie. And a psychotic killer. And a crime-drenched town. And a corrupted diocese.

Sin City is a town like no other, but most places resemble it in one way or another. In real life, thugs live everywhere and women sell their bodies all the time, but if everyday life is a storm, Sin City exists in the eye of a hurricane.

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300

0 comments Sunday, February 14, 2010

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From wikipedia:
300 is a historically-inspired 1998 comic book limited series written and illustrated by Frank Miller with painted colors by Lynn Varley.

The comic is a fictional retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae and the events leading up to it from the perspective of Leonidas of Sparta. 300 was particularly inspired by the 1962 film The 300 Spartans, a movie that Miller watched as a young boy. The work was adapted in 2007 to a film of the same name.

From amazon:
The armies of Persia--a vast horde greater than any the world has ever known--are poised to crush Greece, an island of reason and freedom in a sea of madness and tyranny. Standing between Greece and this tidal wave of destruction are a tiny detachment of but three hundred warriors. Frank Miller`s epic retelling of history`s supreme moment of battlefield valor is finally collected in a glorious hardcover volume in its intended format-- each two-page spread from the original comics is presented as a single undivided page.

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Hard Boiled

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From wikipedia:
Hard Boiled is a three-issue comic book mini-series written by Frank Miller and drawn by Geof Darrow. Its first issue was published by Dark Horse Comics in 1990. In it, Carl Seltz, an insurance investigator, discovers he is also a homicidal cyborg tax collector who happens to be the last hope of an enslaved robot race.

From amazon's customer review:
Haven't bought a comic in a while. Hollywood, having finally admited to running out of ideas has turned to the great and ultra-cool comics (Hellboy, Sin City, V for Vendetta, etc) in order to make some dough, has once again sparked my interest in graphic novels. I bought this one based soley on the art and was not dissapointed.

The ultra-violence can get a bit tedious (If you like tons of bloody naked people getting mauled by flaming vehicles....then prepare for your boat to float), but overall its not a bad read.

The story is ok. Not amazing but interesting never-the-less.

The cool thing about this book is the illustration. Which, is a virtual "Where's Waldo" of advertising icons, naked people, drug parephanilia, blood, and robots. Folks who say you can reread this a few times just to look at the amazing detail are telling it to you straight.

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Frank Miller's Bad Boy

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From wikipedia:
Bad Boy a one-shot comic book by Frank Miller and Simon Bisley and published by Oni Press. It follows the story of Jason, a young boy who comes to realize that the couple he thinks are his parents aren't his parents at all, and his world isn't what it seems to be.

From amazon:
Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents a brand-new hardcover production of Bad Boy by Frank Miller and Simon Bisley! Bad Boy features Jason, a little boy who comes to realize his parents aren't his parents, and that he's part of a sterile experimental community. Originally produced as a strip for the British Edition of GQ, Bad Boy is now a powerful piece of graphic fiction as only Miller and Bisley can produce!

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Frank Miller's Ronin

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Ronin is a comic book limited series published between 1983 and 1984,
by DC Comics. The series was written and drawn by Frank Miller with
artwork painted by Lynn Varley. It takes place in a dystopic near-future
New York in which a ronin is reincarnated. The six-issue work shows some
of the strongest influences of manga on Miller's style, both in the artwork
and narrative style.

From amazon's customer review:
Probably the most unappreciated of Miller's work, "Ronin" is nevertheless one of his greatest achievements. It was originally shunned by many because of its wild combination of art styles and overall departure from Miller's typical work, but it is this uniqueness that makes it so memorable. Miller creates a convincing, if unrelentingly brutal, vision of the future, and fills it with strong characters you'll never forget. The story unravels in a fascinating way, as the reader realizes that nothing in the story is what it appears to be. I won't spoil it for you--just read the thing. You don't even have to be a Miller buff to enjoy it--any fan of good science fiction will find this one hard to put down.

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Batman: Black & White, Vol. 1

0 comments Wednesday, February 10, 2010

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From amazon's customer review:
I got several Batman graphic novels recently and get one out when I have a block of uninterrupted time for it. I thought that given the short-story format, that I'd leave this in the car and read one or two stories when I had a few minutes to kill. Sure - that's what I say when I get a box of candy too - just one or two at a time - make the box last for a month. LOL - I got going and finished the whole book in one sitting. The short stories are not all great, but even the weakest is worth at least three stars. Some of the others are wonderful. The most unexpected were the best: "A Black and White World" a Neil Gaiman story which features Batman and Joker in a way you've never seen them before, and "A Slaying Song Tonight" a Batman Christmas story.... who'd ever think of that?

The art is varied - which is the point isn't it. Some I liked a great deal and others didn't move me, but each reader will have different tastes. I learned about some artists with which I wasn't familiar. I'm new to comics and graphic novels, so this was a great way to gain some exposure to some legends.

A previous reviewer seemed to feel the black and white art limited the artists. I thought the short story format and the black and white art boiled the work down to it's most powerful essence. The stories didn't waste a word. The art didn't hide behind color. It was like each story was stripped down to the bare essentials.

And no comic character is more natural for a black and white treatment than the Bat. It was like a film noir movie marathon!

Volume One at the very least is a must-own part of any Batman collection. Highest recommendation!

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All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder

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From Publishers Weekly
Miller, the man who kicked off the grim and gritty era of superhero comics with the 1986 Batman tale The Dark Knight Returns, returns to write the iconic character once again in a series that takes the tropes of superhero excess and explodes them into satire. Miller casts Batman as an obsessive lunatic who enlists traumatized children into his war on crime, calls himself the goddamn Batman and is prone to cackling maniacally. Sex and violence are constant preoccupations, but even during sex scenes, Miller can hardly keep a straight face.

After a shared rampage against corrupt cops that includes the interjection, Eat glass, lawman! Batman and heroine Black Canary celebrate with an intimate encounter on a burning pier during a lightning storm. Although the bombastic, repetitive narration and decompressed storytelling (two and a half issues pass before Batman and Robin leave the Batmobile) often borders on hilarious, Miller aims for more obvious jokes later in the series. It's an over the top in-joke for the superhero crowd, though its irreverence may not have the most zealous and serious superhero fans laughing. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again

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From amazon:
The Dark Knight Strikes Again is Frank Miller's follow-up to his hugely successful Batman: the Dark Knight Returns, one of the few comics that is widely recognized as not only reinventing the genre but also bringing it to a wider audience. Set three years after the events of The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again follows a similar structure: once again, Batman hauls himself out of his self-imposed retirement in order to set things right.

However, where DKR was about him cleaning up his home city, Gotham, DKSA has him casting his net much wider: he's out to save the world.The thing is, most of the world doesn't realize that it needs to be saved--least of all Superman and Wonder Woman, who have become little more than superpowered enforcers of the status quo. So, the notoriously solitary Batman is forced to recruit some different superpowered allies. He also has his ever-present trusty sidekick, Robin, except that he is a she, and she is calling herself Catwoman. Together, these super-friends uncover a vast and far-reaching conspiracy that leads to the President of the United States (Lex Luthor) and beyond.

The Dark Knight Strikes Again is largely an entertaining comic, but much of what made The Dark Knight Returns so good just doesn't work here. Miller's gritty, untidy artwork was perfect for DKR's grim depiction of the dark and seedy Gotham City, but it jars a bit for DKSA, which is meant to depict an ultra-glossy, futuristic technocracy. Lynn Varley's garish coloring attempts to add a slicker sheen, but the artwork is ultimately let down by that which worked so well for DKR--this time around, it just feels sloppy and rushed. The same is true of the book's denouement, which happens so quickly that it leaves the reader reeling and looking for more of an explanation.

Moreover, DKSA is packed full of characters who will mean little to those unfamiliar with the DC Comics universe (e.g., the Atom, the Elongated Man, the Question).Perhaps the book's biggest failing is that where The Dark Knight Returns gave comic book fans a base from which to evangelize to theuninitiated, The Dark Knight Strikes Again is just preaching to the converted. Comic book superhero fans will find much to enjoy here, but others would be better off sticking with the original. --Robert Burrow

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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

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From amazon:
If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil) is probably the top contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. The great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argued that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this.

Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task. Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham?

It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite

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Batman: Year One

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From amazon's customer review:
It's January 4th, and Gotham City witness two arrivals: the arrival of Lieutenant James Gordan, and the return of millionaire Bruce Wayne. Wayne and Gordon both see that Gotham needs to be cleaned up, but each has his own ideas of how it should be done. While Gordon begins his cleaning under the eyes of the press, Bruce Wayne assumes the identity of a bat and begins cleaning up the city under the cover of darkness. But, with the two working from such very different angles, confrontation is inevitable, and out of the confrontation comes...friendship?

This book was published in 1988, containing BATMAN #404-407 (1987). The quality of the illustrations is a bit lower than one has come to expect from more recent graphic novels, but the fact is that the story is excellent and makes the whole book a great buy! As with the stories of the Golden Age comic books, this story pits Batman against an array of regular bad guys, rather than super-powerful super-villains (although the genesis of Catwoman is included!), which I rather enjoyed! Overall, I found this to be a great introduction to Batman, one that keeps up the excellent tradition. I highly recommend this book!

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Superman: Birthright

0 comments Tuesday, February 9, 2010

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Written by Mark Waid; Art and cover by Leinil Yu and Gerry Alanguilan;
A new softcover edition collecting the 12-issue miniseries that features the entire modern-day retelling of Superman. Superman's origins have been imagined and reimagined over the years. Here is a new take on the character's roots.

Superman: Birthright retells the early chapters of Superman's story, from escape as an infant from the doomed planet Krypton to arrival as reporter Clark Kent at the Daily Planet and his first public exploits. Writer Waid puts his own spin on the legend, rethinking nearly every aspect of the venerable character while remaining respectful of his established history. Waid wisely integrates ideas from the popular TV series smallville but doesn't slavishly follow its innovations; for instance, a young Lex Luthor befriends Clark in high school, but unlike in the series, his sinister nature is clear even then. Waid similarly tweaks the rest of the well-known cast, from Lois Lane and Clark's other Planet colleagues to Ma and Pa Kent.

Ironically, though he updates the character, Waid evokes Superman's pre-World War II incarnation, whom his Depression-reared creators kept engaged in righting society's ills. Leinil Francis Yu's stylized artwork is expressively dynamic to the point of caricature, but this larger-than-life visual approach befits the retelling of a myth.

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Superman: Secret Origin

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Superman: Secret Origin is a six-issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank that has long been announced but finally launched. Superman's origin story, most recently told in 2003's Superman: Birthright, has received numerous retcons and changes in the aftermath of the DC Comics event Infinite Crisis. As such, Superman's origin story in the current DC Comics continuity has yet to be told.

This story therefore features what Johns and DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio are calling a "definitive" telling of the origin story of Superman, dealing with his life in Smallville, his first adventure with the Legion of Super-Heroes, his friendship and eventual bitter rivalry with Lex Luthor and his arrival in Metropolis and at the Daily Planet. Dan DiDio decided to have Secret Origin run as its own mini-series, instead of within a Superman title as Johns had done previously with Green Lantern: Secret Origin. DiDio said, "They’ll be doing the definitive origin of Superman as we’ve seen it all take place, and incorporating the changes that we’ve seen or suggested since Infinite Crisis." The series' first issue was released on September 23, 2009 and will run through February of 2010.

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Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes

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From amazon:
Superstar Gary Frank joins writer Geoff Johns for an epic story teaming Superman with an adult version of the Legion of Super-Heroes. When he was a boy, Clark Kent was isolated and alone until he met this teen team from the 31st Century. Today, it's been years since Superman saw his childhood friends. Why haven't they returned to visit him? What's become of the symbol of Superman in the future? And just why is the future so dangerous for Superman? They warned him away, but now he's determined to help his friends -- even if it means his life!

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Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 2

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From amazon's customer review:
SUPERMAN: NEW KRYPTON Vol. 2 reprints SUPERGIRL #35-36, SUPERMAN #682-683, and ACTION COMICS #872-873, this collected story arc helping to set the stage for the 12-issue SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON maxi-series (which I'm digging very much). This volume, as well as the volume preceding this (Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 1: Birth), illustrates that where and how you were raised plays an integral role in determining your adult worldview. Where it truly counts, there's more of the Kansas farm boy in Superman than there is the godlike extraterrestrial. Even so, with one hundred thousand Kryptonians suddenly walking our planet and rubbing elbows with him, Kal-El's Earth upbringing clashes hard with his alien heritage. Going into this bunch of issues I wasn't sure which side he'll end up on. But I did know - and you knew, as well - that this storyline is going to force him to choose. And this, with Clark still very much reeling from Jonathan Kent's death.

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Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 1

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Product Description:

Best-selling writers Geoff Johns (INFINITE CRISIS, GREEN LANTERN) and James Robinson (STARMAN, JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE) unleash a massive storyline that changes Superman's life forever!

After a devastating battle with the alien villain Brainiac, The Man of Steel learns that a piece of his home planet Krypton survived - the shrunken, bottled city of Kandor! And when the city is grown to normal size, it looks like Superman finally has the connection to his past he's been missing all his life as thousands of Kryptonians are suddenly able to walk the Earth. But his happiness soon turns to dread as relations between the Kryptonians and humans dissolve, and the two cultures face a massive clash!

This is just the beginning of a 9-part mega-event that alters The Man of Tomorrow down to his core.

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Superman: Brainiac

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Product Description:
Before he came to Earth, the people of Superman's homes planet Krypton had battled Brainiac, a cold and callous alien obsessed with the control of knowledge.

Now, Brainiac has set his sights on destroying Earth and finishing off the Last Son of Krypton once and for all. This epic battle will change Superman's world forever.

Editorial Reviews:
From School Library Journal, Grade 9 Up. Facing off once again with his old foe Brainiac, Superman is shocked to learn that the coldly logical supervillain was responsible for the disappearance of both an entire Kryptonian city and the death of hundreds of Kryptonians. When Brainiac turns his sights to Earth and adds the city of Metropolis to his collection of miniaturized specimens, the Man of Steel must confront a far more powerful and cruel opponent than he ever dreamed of, and Supergirl must overcome her own misgivings about her power in order to stop Brainiac's robotic minions from destroying the Earth.

This somewhat standard tale of Superman confronting an evil alien bent on destroying the world is enlightened by realistic characters and dialogue as well as some heartrending displays of emotion. With a fair amount of graphic violence, this is a somewhat darker Superman than some audiences may be comfortable with; that said, the plot is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The artwork is excellent, with wonderful use of color. A fine general choice for collections in need of solid superhero titles.(Dave Inabnitt, Brooklyn Public Library, NY)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Superman: Last Son

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From School Library Journal:
Grade 7 Up. When an asteroid that he recovers proves to be carrying a living Kryptonian boy, Superman is initially overjoyed, even going as far as to convince his long-suffering lover, Lois Lane, to adopt him. Although Kryptonian-hating Lex Luthor attempts to kidnap the child with the help of the grotesque Bizzro-Superman, he is easily defeated, and all seems well until it becomes apparent that the boy's parent—the fiendish General Zod, freshly escaped from the limbolike Phantom Zone along with a host of henchmen—is intent on finding the youngster and turning Metropolis into his own personal kingdom. Once Zod imprisons Superman in the Phantom Zone, the hero must break free and turn to the one person he despises most for help—Lex Luthor. Detailed enough for longtime Superman fans but also accessible to new readers, this is a fast-paced and well-written work, and fans of the classic 1981 Superman II film will enjoy the return of evil General Zod. Furthermore, the conflict between Superman's loyalties to the human race and his pride as a native Kryptonian are explored in a nuanced and interesting way. Although the book includes a pair of difficult-to-remove and easy-to-lose 3-D glasses, this still is a fine first choice for most collections. (Dave Inabnitt, Brooklyn Public Library, NY)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Kingdom Come

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From amazon's customers review:
This is probably the most beautiful graphic novel I've ever seen. Alex Ross is a national treasure. His art is matched by a strong story which contrasts the eternal qualities of legendary heroes like Superman and Wonderwoman with the moral ambiguities of a rapidly changing world. I know its herecy to quote Peter Parker in a DC comics review, but if great responsibility is supposed to come with great power, can even Superman know what he should do with that power in every situation?

Walk a few miles beside an elderly, world-weary preacher and witness Kingdom Come for yourself.

This is a unique trip through the DC universe. The device of seeing the ultimate war of the meta-humans through the eyes of a human preacher steeped in the apocalyptic visions of the Bible was masterful. As both a preacher and a comic book fan, this graphic novel really hit home for me. The artwork was phenomenal. stirring and beautiful. The presentation of the moral dilemmas faced by our legendary heroes was epic. There is nothing about this story that I didn't like. BUY IT! READ IT! THINK ABOUT IT! READ IT AGAIN!

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All Star Superman, Vol. 2

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From amazon:
Morrison, Quitely and Grant conclude their fresh and compelling take on the most iconic superhero in comics. Recently, grittier modern-day reinterpretations of classic characters, set outside normal continuity, have become the popular way to do a limited series such as this one.

Morrison's Superman, however, is the same defender of truth, justice and the American way recognizable to generations of comics readers. Now, however, his days are numbered. Slowly dying from overexposure to solar radiation, Superman is faced with the dilemma of how to do the most good in his final days and how to prepare the people and planet he loves to carry on without him. Morrison's feverish style is both a blessing and a curse, as the overwhelming deluge of ideas thrown at the reader confuses even while creating a parallel with Superman's own constant supersensory information overload.

Yet Morrison's writing recaptures the sense of simple wonder and virtue essential to a classic Superman tale. Quitely and Grant's art is evocative of the earliest images of the character, a refined evolution of the bright costumes, skylines and chiseled jaws that adds a dignity and humanity to the characters beyond their cartoonish origins. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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All Star Superman, Vol. 1

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From amazon:
Two of the comics industry's top creative talents, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind JLA: EARTH 2, reunite to redefine Superman based on the timeless, essential iconic elements that everyone knows about the Man of Steel.

In the first volume, the World's Greatest Super-Hero rescues a doomed group of astronauts on the surface of the sun when he's exposed to massive amounts of solar radiation no one could possibly anticipate how he'll be affected - except Lex Luthor!

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Superman: Red Son

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From amazon:
Strange visitor from another world who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands… and who, as the champion of the common worker, fights a never-ending battle for Stalin, Socialism and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact.

In this startling twist of a familiar tale, a certain Kryptonian rocketship crash-lands on Earth carrying an infant who will one day become the most powerful being on the planet. But his ship doesn’t land in America. He is not raised in Smallville, Kansas. Instead, he makes his new home on a collective in the Soviet Union!

From the mind of Mark Millar, the best-selling writer of THE AUTHORITY and Wanted, comes this strangely different take on the Superman mythos. Featuring art by Dave Johnson, Kilian Plunkett, Andrew Robinson, and Walden Wong, with an introduction by film producer Tom DeSanto (X-Men, X2: X-Men United, Transformers), this Deluxe Edition also features an extensive sketch gallery by Johnson, Plunkett and Alex Ross.

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Swamp Thing Vol. 6: Reunion

0 comments Sunday, February 7, 2010

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From amazon's Customer Reviews:
Sowing the Seeds. Here is the final installment of Alan Moore's tremendous and groundbreaking run on the Swamp Thing series, collecting original issues #57-64. Moore brings to a precise ending his take on the character and his breathtaking development as an elemental spirit, but with plenty of room for future writers to continue the series. We also see the apotheosis of Moore's strong horror (and increasingly, sci-fi) writing, which both resurrected and revolutionized this comic genre. At the beginning of this particular collection, Swampy's spirit is still drifting in outer space, and Moore takes him on a series of adventures that illustrate his very "fertile" imagination. Swampy restores fertility to Adam Strange's nuclear-damaged planet, accidentally mates with a lonely bio-mechanical space station (in a great example of speculative sci-fi), and accidentally enslaves a sentient plant civilization but amends his misdeed with help from the local Green Lantern associate. Moore brings his run to a close by finally reuniting Swampy with his true love Abby, as he ponders his place as an elemental god on his home world.

The artwork continues to astound as well, with Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala handling most of the duties during this period, while colorist Tatjana Wood continues her moody and praiseworthy work. This is the stupendous ending to one of the great series in comics history, and also one of the best graphic novel collections. [~doomsdayer520~]

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Swamp Thing Vol. 5: Earth to Earth

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From amazon's Customer Reviews:
If you've read the prior collections in this series and you thought things couldn't get any better, well you ain't seen nothing yet. This installment of the Swamp Thing graphic novel series contains just six issues from Alan Moore's run (#51-56), but that does include the double-sized blockbuster issue #53. In any case, quantity is meaningless here because Moore and his artistic team have reached the dizzying heights of their powers, unleashing the most mindboggling and gutwrenching stories in comic history. The basic subplot running through the series at this point is Abby's arrest for immoral conduct while Swamp Thing was off saving the universe, and her escape to Gotham City. As Swampy is searching for his true love, she is being held by the authorities in Gotham. In the overwhelming "Garden of Earthly Delights" (issue #53) Swamp Thing unleashes his full elemental powers on the uncaring city that imprisons his lover, and even temporarily defeats Batman in the process. Sadly, Swampy is supposedly assassinated by government agents, and finds his spirit floating in outer space.

This is where Moore's imagination really goes into overdrive, giving us the highly unique and moving story "My Blue Heaven" (issue #56), a tremendous tale of loneliness and soul-searching, where Swamp Thing is blue in more ways than one. This episode is also another pinnacle for the artistic team, and much credit must go to colorist Tatjana Wood for her moody and unconventional work. By this point regular artists Stephen Bissette and John Totleben had mostly moved on - Bissette was only doing the covers and Totleben's only major contribution is "Garden of Earthly Delights." The artistic torch had been passed to the outstanding team of Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala, who barely miss a beat in keeping the series' haunting and lovely artwork rolling. The only sad thing about this edition of the Swamp Thing series is that fact that Moore's run would soon come to a close.

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Swamp Thing Vol. 4: A Murder of Crows

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From amazon:
How did the DC character most noted for simplicity handle thehyper-complexity of the Crisis on Infinite Earths? In the ever-able hands of Alan Moore, Swamp Thing: A Murder of Crows rises above the mid-1980s corporate reorganization to grant our hero his apotheosis into his current plant elemental form. Fans of John Constantine will eat up the smart-aleck astral con man's performance throughout, and the central struggle--uniting good and evil against something much bigger and older than either--is classic Moore. The art is bold and beautiful, organic by necessity, and contributes as much to the reader's suspense as the script. It seems that Moore et al. have spent so much time transcending their medium that they may have created a new one of their own. --Rob Lightner

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Swamp Thing Vol. 3: The Curse

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From amazon (Customer Reviews):
The Best of Swamp Thing
This collection reprints the best issues of Swamp Thing. For those not at all familier with the character, it is an excellently written and drawn comic about a good swamp monster battling evil (and is much better than that description makes it sound).

Notable in this third volume of the series, which reprints the beginning of the "American Gothic" story arc, is Moore's greater use of social critique, elevating these stories above mere entertaining, well-written horror stories. By combining fantastic horrors to such real-life horrors as racism and sexism, these stories are far more effective than any in the earlier collections at terrifying the reader.

In "American Gothic", Swamp Thing is sent scurrying to different parts of the U.S. by a manipulative figure (Jon Constantine) to battle all of the classic horror figures (vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc.), but each are handled in an absolutely brilliantly unique and new manner. For example, there is a whole town of vampires living underwater, completely shielded from the sun, in the process of, for the first time, living communally and cooperating to breed a second generation of vampires that are more powerful and horrific (the dedication of the vampires to family is contrasted by the dysfunctional families of the normal humans). The title story, "The Curse", is a unique Werewolf story, tying in the monthly transformation according to the phases of the moon to the menstrual cycle. The Curse was controversial due to its misinterpretation by illiterate readers as being a sexist comment on PMS when in reality it is an extremely feminist story condemning society for its male-driven fear and shunning of the feminine, and the subjugation of women into sexual objects or housewives.

The American Gothic story arc does not conclude in this issue (although the individual stories can be enjoyed on their own) so hopefully a volume 4 will follow.

By this point, Moore was also using word games in his text more frequently (read carefully) adding an extra level of enjoyment. This collection also contains the first appearance of Jon Constantine, and it is a period I miss. Here Constantine is a totally mysterious, manipulative character whose only real power is his mysteriously obtained knowledge and who always adds an element of dark humour (he is still a great character, but far less mysterious, and he now has magical skills, the extent of which appear to change from appearance to appearance).

This collection represents, if not Moore's best, then the best of Swamp Thing.

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Swamp Thing Vol. 2: Love and Death

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From amazon:
Editorial Reviews
What Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben accomplished during their time on the comic book series Swamp Thing shouldn't be underestimated in the history of comics and, specifically, the history of horror comics. The modern comics landscape has been changed by the Vertigo line of books--an imprint that traces its roots back to this version of Swamp Thing. By taking a horror character fully entrenched in a superhero world (as silly as that might seem), this creative team put a new face on horror comics and on horror in general. Swamp Thing: Love and Death is the second collection of the team's work on the series, presented here in full color. Don't let the mediocre Swamp Thing movies fool you, this book is filled with sophisticated suspense and terror.

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Saga of the Swamp Thing: Volume 1

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From amazon (Reviewed by Tim Janson):
In 1984 DC comics hired a relatively unknown British comic writer and gave him the assignment to write Swamp Thing. Moore was given basically free reign on the character since the title was slated to be cancelled anyway due to poor sales. But then a funny thing happened...Moore revamped the character and his origins and changed everything fans ever knew about him. Thus Swamp Thing was saved from the axe and would continue on for 12 more years. Moore's run on the title has gone onto become one of the most critically acclaimed in comic's history.

This book reprints the first 7 issues of Moore's run from #21 - 27. Actually Moore took over one issue earlier but it was #21 that changed everything. In this issue, Swamp Thing, who was thought dead, has an autopsy performed on him by the Floronic Man who discovers that the creature has no human skeleton or organs...thus he is not, and never was Alec Holland as we had always thought. Instead, when Holland died, the swamp absorbed his memories and conferred them onto the creature that would become the Swamp Thing. We of course would later learn that Swamp Thing was actually a plant elemental and just the latest in a long line of such creatures. The Floronic Man would eat one of the tubers off Swamp Things body and go onto a psychedelic trip that would put him in touch...and control of all plant life on Earth. Swamp Thing would battle him over the course of issues 22 - 24.

Issue #25 was a landmark in that it introduced, although didn't name, one John Constantine, the Hellblazer. This would begin a three issue story arc where Swamp Thing battled a fear demon called the Monkey King with help from Etrigan. This book begins a marvelous run that for me culminates in issue #50. Great art throughout by Steve Bissette and John Totleben who came aboard on issue #21. A fantastic book!

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DC Universe: The Stories Of Alan Moore

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Publisher: DC Comics
Release: January 11, 2005

DC Comics took every DCU tale written by Alan Moore and put them in one trade paperback collection, "Across the Universe: The DC Universe Stories of Alan Moore (Paperback)" which features 16stories by the writer. This is a collection of stories Alan Moore wrote for DC in the 1980's before becoming one of the most famous writers in comics history.

Written by Alan Moore Art by Jim Aparo, Jim Baikie, Brian Bolland, Paris Cullins, George Freeman, Dave Gibbons, Klaus Janson, Kevin O'Neill, Joe Orlando, George Pérez, Kurt Schaffenberger, Curt Swan, Rick Veitch, Al Williamson and Bill Willingham Cover by Brian Bolland Don't miss this exhaustive collection featuring the World's Greatest Super-Heroes as interpreted by one of the most acclaimed authors in comics!

From amazon:
The Worlds Greatest Super-Heroes as interpreted by one of the most acclaimed authors in comics today.The work of Alan Moore (WATCHMEN, V FOR VENDETTA, LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN) in the DC Universe during the 1980s is now considered a benchmark for great stories with fresh approaches to iconic characters.This volume collects such well-known classics as The Killing Joke and Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

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Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

0 comments Thursday, February 4, 2010

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From wikipedia:
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" is a 1986 comic book story featuring the DC Comics character of Superman. The story was published in two parts, in the final issues of the series Superman (Vol. 1) (#423) and Action Comics (#583), both published in September 1986. Written by Alan Moore, pencilled by long-time Superman artist Curt Swan, and inked by George Pérez (Superman) and Kurt Schaffenberger (Action), the tale incorporates the Mort Weisinger-era style but has a distinctly modern twist. The story was intended to close the book on the original character's history subsequent to the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and in preparation for the following The Man of Steel reboot by John Byrne, and was Swan's final major contribution to the series, though he would later occasionally return for special occasions.

From amazon:
An unforgettable hardcover collection of WATCHMEN writer Alan Moore's definitive Superman tales that is sure to appeal of readers of his BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE graphic novel. Moore teams with Curt Swan, the definitive Superman artist from the 1950's through the 1970's, to tell the final adventure of the Man of Steel featuring his last stand against Lex Luthor, Brainiac and his other foes in "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW?". This volume also includes Moore's classic early collaboration with WATCHMEN illustrator Dave Gibbons, "FOR THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING", in which Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman find Superman held captive by the villain Mongul in the Fortress of Solitude and dreaming of an idyllic life on Krypton courtesy of a wish-fulfilling parasitic plant known as the Black Mercy. Both tales are considered two of the top five all-time best Superman stories among fans.

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Alan Moore's The Courtyard

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From wikipedia:
Alan Moore's The Courtyard is a 2003 comic book adaptation of a 1994 prose story written by Alan Moore. It was adapted for comics by Antony Johnston, with artwork by Jacen Burrows, and Alan Moore as "consulting editor". Originally planned to appear in Alan Moore's Yuggoth Cultures and Other Growths, it was published as a standalone release by Avatar. The plot centres around an FBI agent who specialises in "anomaly theory", being assigned to investigate three seemingly-unrelated murder cases in Red Hook. When the investigation leads to a night club, and onto the apparent use of a drug named Aklo, the agent soon finds things are not at all as they seem.

From amazon:
Just in time for the sequel in 2009, Alan Moore's haunting masterpiece, The Courtyard, is available in color for the first time! The most celebrated writer in the industry, Alan Moore, teams up with brilliant artist Jacen Burrows, to unleash this timeless tale of Lovecraftian psychological horror. FBI man Aldo Sax has an amazing service record with the FBI. His legendary skills at piecing together the most baffling of cases has gotten him assigned to what may be his most confusing case yet. Several murders - no, more like lethal dismemberments - from the most unlikely of suspects just don't addd up. And what few leads there are, all point to The Courtyard. This special collected edition of the series features an introduction by Garth Ennis!

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Houdini: The Handcuff King

0 comments Tuesday, February 2, 2010

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From goodreads by Loyd:
Houdini:The Handcuff King is a straightforward slice of the life of Harry Houdini. It's nicely drawn, and appears to be written for a student's reading level (there are also study helps in the back of the book). The authors make some assumptions about Houdini's escape techniques, and even if they are accurate, they describe things that only Houdini himself would know. The book does a good job placing the reader in the pre-electronic media time period and some of the prejudices of the day, and describes the loving relationship between Houdini and his wife Bess.

From amazon:
Harry Houdini mesmerized a generation of Americans when he was alive, and continues to do so eighty years after his death. This is a "snapshot" of Houdini's life, centering on one of his most famous jumps. As Houdini prepares for a death-defying leap into the icy Charles River in Boston, biographer Jason Lutes and artist Nick Bertozzi reveal Houdini's life and influence: from the anti-Semitism Houdini fought all his life, to the adulation of the American public; from his hounding by the press, to his loving relationship with his wife Bess; from his egoism to his insecurity; from his public persona -- to the secret behind his most amazing trick! And it's all in graphic form, so it's fresh, original, and unlike anything previously published about this most fascinating of American showmen.

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