Superheroes Books

Batman: Hush, Vol. 1

Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Beautiful Story 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As a old fan of the Batman series of comics, I was a little suspicious of "Hush" when I first saw it in a books store.

Let me say that my fears were unfounded.

I found myself, almost an hour later, still in the book store, closing the cover and searching for volume 2. The romance and action are all perfectly balanced, not to mention the masterful art of Jim Lee only adds to this masterpiece.

Even if you don't know everything about the history of Batman and Robin, all pertinent information is explained and elaborated on.

Even if you don't like Batman, this is the comic series for you.

Batman gives us some twists and turns 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Batman started out as a dark brooding vigilante who had no problem pounding the pavement to get what he wants. Loeb and Lee seem to capture that flavor in a somewhat convoluted and complex storyline involving yet a new villain who somehow manages to coordinate the lunatics of Gotham (Crock, Poison Ivy, Riddler, Joker, etc., etc.) In addition we have Catwoman and the strange relationship with Batman taking a new twist.
The story is quite complex. Batman and Catwoman team up to figure out the connection between a parade of villains and situations that seem a bit unrelated but enough subtle clues to tie in the connections. Lee's art works extremely well presenting us with broad splash panels and detailed characterizations. I was impressed but there is an argument to be said for lack of innovation. This was a monthly when first published and innovation can break deadlines -- I got that.
My only pet peeve is the complexity of the story. Way too many villains and too many plot twists that make the story impossible in many ways to accept but I was so caught up in the brooding Batman coming to terms with his life that I was able to ignore the ridiculous plot threads that were explained in the end, still feel very contrived. It's still a terrific read that I found fun. More streamlined plots would have made the story richer especially with more time spent with Bruce's boyhood friend.

Batman: Hush, Vol. 2

Jeph Loeb

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

art: good, story: bad. 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Jim Lee's art is fantastic. The only reason I've cracked this book open again after my first and only read is to look at the art, and the art alone.
Jeph Loeb's storytelling is the same as it's always been. Bits are genuinely cool, good characterization here and there- which keeps you reading. But then the guy starts randomly shoving in cheap twist after twist- until the whole thing is reduced to an unintelligible pile.
He ends with little to no resolution on important plot points.
That sort of thing leaves some people wanting more.
I only wonder why I bought the damn thing.

A great story an excellent art 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book presents a new part of Bruce Wayne's life that nobody remembers, the story involve all the greatest villians and friends in Batman universe, but has an open ending that leaves you with more answer and wanting for more.

Nowhere Near as Good as Part I 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Unfortunately, this second volume of "Batman: Hush" falls victim to the same problems that usually plague the second halves of graphic novel series. In other words, the storyline is predictable and the action outweighed by tedious amounts of exposition, as though the author is trying to unravel the previous volume's mysteries as fast as possible rather than allowing the story to unfold more naturally. The artwork is still very solid, but I would have greatly preferred to sacrifice some of the mystery of Volume I (which is excellent!) if it would have meant keeping Batman from long expository ponderings while he's supposedly fighting for his life!

Reading this second volume, I was reminded again and again of the second volume of "Superman: For Tomorrow", which suffers almost all the same problems. Overall, I'd say both series are still worth reading, but in both cases, the first half is definitely better!

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 20: Ultimate Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends

Brian Michael Bendis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best USM in a while 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The opening of the book is a nice change of pace from the recent clone craziness, but it all comes together for one of the most memorable USM endings ever.

Stuart Immonen's art is fantastic! It seems much more emotive than his work on Nextwave and suits the book to a T. He's even controlled his habit of giving women giant, bouffant, 80's hair [for the most part]. Personally, I like his stuff here better than Bagley's, which, while always being reliable and consistent, tends to sometimes lack energy and excitement.

Ten thumbs up! Buy this if you want a great Spidey read!

Editorial Review:

"Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends!" Things are changing in the young life of Peter Parker: Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four is now his buddy - and the hot-headed super hero has taken a liking to Peter's classmate, Liz Allen! But something is horribly wrong with Liz - something that will soon affect the life of every student at Midtown High - including Peter's ex-girlfriend, Kitty Pryde! Collects Ultimate Spider-Man #118-123.

The Amazing Spider-Man Pop-Up: Marvel True Believers Retro Collection (Marvel True Believers)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Enjoyable pop-up with good engineering 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RJD4PK46K9HE2 This is a brief video that gives you a peek inside this interesting pop-up book.

Involving pop-up 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

While is does tell a story, it also gives the reader the information about the characters that is not always apparent in the later cartoon series and movies. It does pop-up on every page, but there are pullout sections with more information about the characters--their "back" story. It involves the reader in the story.

Odd shaped book, but a nice one 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you collect Spider-Man stuff, this is a good addition. The pop-ups are nicely done, especially Doc Ock with all those tentacles. As with all pop-up books, this is not meant for younger children.

Editorial Review:

First in a series of four pop-tastic volumes: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN! Follow Spidey as he makes his transformation from shy bookworm Peter Parker to friendly neighborhood web-slinger. Plus encounter his seven deadliest foes, including Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, and Sandman. Kazam!

The Dark Knight: I Am Batman (I Can Read Book 2)

Catherine Hapka

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Editorial Review:

When Batman sees the Bat-Signal up in the sky, it means that danger is near! He'll need his Batsuit and Bat-Pod to help keep Gotham City safe from its newest enemy—the Joker!

Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl Sticker Collection (Pokemon (DK Publishing))

DK Publishing

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fun and filled with facts! 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

My 6 year old son got this for Christmas and absolutely loved it! First, the book is filled with tons of stickers. Unlike the little DK sticker books that take about 15 minutes to complete, this took him literally 4 or 5 hours to finish. About half the stickers were supposed to go in designated spots in the book while the other half were "extra."

The book itself is a great resource you'd actually want to read again after you finished with the stickers. The first section has about 10 or 15 pages with the Sinnoh region Pokemon grouped by element (fire, electric, et cetera). By each sticker is a little blurb with the Pokemon's name, type, weight, and a little tidbit of something interesting about that Pokemon. The second section has stickers showing the evolution for each of the Diamond & Pearl Pokemon. A lot of the information is a repeat of what's in the Sinnoh handbook, but in a compact, visual way that's more fun to read. Definitely a good buy for any younger Pokemon fan!

Editorial Review:

Containing over 600 reusable, full-color stickers, this 96-page sticker collection includes all the PokŽmon found in the Sinnoh Region, some of which are featured in the hit TV series, "PokŽmon: Diamond and Pearl." Enter the land of Sinnoh, where you can visit old PokŽmon friends and meet new ones, and test your PokŽmon knowledge with an exclusive Evolutions section. Kids can organize their stickers by type with the fact boxes in the book, or use the extra easy-peel stickers to decorate their own folders.

Hulk, Vol. 1: Red Hulk

Jeph Loeb

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Pulp Fiction Hulk 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

THE READING EXPERIENCE: I enjoyed reading this book, but something seemed to be missing. The usual big panel hulk smashing artwork is here, but RED HULK didn't completely hit the Hulk g-spot for me. This is why...

THE BOOK: The Hulk has always existed in the realm of infinite possibilities. What if the Hulk were Red? That is the premise of the book, but we never learn by the end what exactly is going on - and why Red Hulk exists. This will be no doubt the subject of the next 6 issues. We do however get battle after battle with Iron Man! Thor! The Hulk! The nice throwaway style worked well, but I'd liked to have had a bit more under the surface to chew on.

For some other reason - no doubt the colour choice, my brain went back to 1950s Superman when we had tales of Green Kryptonite and Red Kryptonite and each colour meant a different thing. RED HULK has hints of those "differences" but we don't really know why and how RED HULK is a different animal.

THE VERDICT: Worth reading if you're a Hulk Fan, but I recommend that you wait for the next lot of issues to come out so you can get a better view of the story. Otherwise, it may be a long wait.

3.5 stars

Editorial Review:

Superstars Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness will change the way you see the Hulk! In this startling origin epic, the breathtaking events that ended World War Hulk rocket into this brand-new Hulk title. When one of the Hulk's oldest cast members is murdered, everyone turns to the team of Iron Man, She-Hulk, and Leonard Samson to solve the grizzly case. All the evidence points to the Hulk as the killer - but...! Join us for a brand-new story and a brand-new team who loves the Hulk as much as you do Collects The Hulk #1-6.

SuperHero ABC

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Visually engaging read 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love the superheroes throughout. It is so clever and a great way to get my 3yr old more comfortable with the alphabet. This is a favorite book. This has become the book I give as gifts.

Super Hero ABC 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Excellent alphabet book for young boys ages 4 up. They love all of the super heros.

Great for superhero loving kids 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Funny text and fantastic illustrations. This is a great book for any boys or girls who love superheroes. Great for pre-readers and early readers.

Super Terrific 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As a former elementary teacher and now a grandmother, I buy and enjoy a lot of children's books. I found this one by chance on line at Amazon, bought two for my grandsons (3 and 4). I was so impressed I even showed it to my husband who also thought it was just great for young children who enjoy super heroes and are learning their ABCs. This book is funny, colorful, and original. I highly recommend it. I may even buy another copy for my own collection of children's books.

Editorial Review:

Silly and zany, and armed with the most unusual skills, these heroes are out to save the world-one letter at a time! bubble-Man blows big bubbles at bullies, and laughing lass laughs at lawbreakers! together, these one-of-a-kind defenders represent the ABC's in a way never seen before.

Renowned comic-book illustrator bob mcleod has created a full cast of humorous and delightful characters, sure to please anyone in need of a hero to save the day.

Iron Man: I Am Iron Man! (I Can Read Book 2)

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Editorial Review:

Tony Stark invents his greatest creation yet—an iron suit that protects him from danger! At first, he keeps it a secret. But when he sees the power of his new suit, Tony must decide: is the world ready for the truth about Iron Man?

The Chronicles of Conan: Rogues in the House and Other Stories (Chronicles of Conan (Graphic Novels))

Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

It's all downhill from here 3 out of 5 stars.
12 of 17 people found this review helpful.

After the departure of the brilliant Barry Windsor Smith, Marvel's "Conan the Barbarian" reached its artistic peak during the "Queen of the Black Coast" story arc which began with issue 58 and ended with issue 100 (COC volumes 8-12). Following the death of Belit, the series started a steady decline which kicked into overdrive with the departure of Roy Thomas. This volume collects the last of the Roy Thomas stories. I wish I could say that he went out with a bang. Sadly, the quality of the stories here ranges from mediocre to just plain awful. You can't really blame Roy too much. Most of the hardcore REH material was being published in the adult oriented "Savage Sword of Conan" magazine, there was the comics code to deal with, and after the Belit story arc was finished, I guess he was having a hard time coming up with new and exciting stories that rose to the same level of his previous efforts.

The first story "Moon Eaters of Darfar", is okay, as it provides a link to the REH's "Man Eaters of Zamboula" and "Servants of Bit Yakin". I really hate sidekicks, though, and the little Stygian sorceror Erfu is just horrible, and it doesn't make sense for Conan to ally himself with him. Conan hates sorcery, and most of the original stories center around him battling one sorceror or another. Stygian sorcerors, even minor ones, derive their power from Set, the evil serpent god of the Hyborian age. To make Conan's sidekick a junior sorceror makes about as much sense as teaming Indiana Jones up with a member of the Hitler youth.

Sadly, he remains with Conan through several more issues. Next up, an adaption of "Sons of the Bear God", by Norvel Page. Apparently, this was a novel whose main character is a Conan clone; so close in fact that Thomas just changed it into a Conan story. And its bad, really, really mind-numbingly bad, and it goes on for four issues. Of course, its just my opinion. If you like midgets and giant bears, then maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did. It's really hard to take seriously when legions of midgits rush at Conan to be slaughtered one after another while shouting, "The overtall oaf thinks himself our equal! We'll soon show him where he's erred!" It comes off like a Monty Python skit.

This is the Hyborian Age, not Middle Earth. There's a reason REH's world isn't populated with cute little creatures like Hobbits and Dwarves. REH's world is about barbarism vs. civilization, and about survival of the fittest. Dwarves have no place in it.

"The Devil in the Family" is another really lame story, this one involving the son of a demon. Yawn. At least Conan got rid of his annoying sidekick. "Shadow of the Beast" starts out promising, but quickly sinks when Conan goes up against...are you ready...a talking dog. I'm not kidding. Apparently this was "freely adapted" from an non-Conan REH story. Conan fans are used to him battling formidible foes, such as giant snakes and Lovecraftian horrors. Talking dogs just don't rise to that same level. As you'll read in the Afterword by Thomas, even he acknowledges how lame this story turned out.

Roy's final issue, 115, is a double sized issue with special guest star Red Sonja. I wish I could say it was great, but its pretty lame as well. Fans will note that the film "Conan the Destroyer" borrows a plot device directly from this story. However, the plot device was lame and definately not in character for Conan. It doesn't work in either medium.

When I was a small boy I used to subscribe to CTB. Shortly after Roy Thomas left, I let my subscription run out. Now I remember why. Thanks for the memories, Dark Horse.

I gave it three stars because the artwork by John Buscema and Ernie Chan is breathtaking, as always. If you're a sentimental collector like me, you'll want this as part of your collection. However, for the quality of the stories themselves, I can't recommend it. You're better off buying the new Dark Horse series, or the "Savage Sword" reprints. Better yet, forsake graphic novels altogether and just read Robert E. Howard.

Editorial Review:

In the eight decades that have passed since prolific pulp writer Robert E. Howard created his seminal Sword and Sorcery adventurer, Conan, many other scribes have tried to recreate the passion and energy Howard infused into his stories. Few have come as close as comics writer Roy Thomas did during his long and influential run on Marvel's monthly Conan the Barbarian series back in the 1970s. Collaborating with the most acclaimed and talented artists of the time, Thomas wove a narrative tapestry of action, intrigue, and heroism that's as powerful today as it was when it was published nearly 30 years ago.