Fantasy Books - Page 12

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 6

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: VIZ Media LLC Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $5.14

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Comics & Graphic Novels
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Much better than animated film. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Miyazaki's graphic novels are MUCH better than the animation. More depth and better story resolution. Visually stunning with tremendous thought and meaning.

Editorial Review:

Nausicaa embarks on an inner, spiritual journey to the heart of the Sea of Corruption, where she discovers its surprising secret. She returns to the land of the living, compelled to share her discovery, but Nausicaa accidentally awakens a God Warrior from its stasis.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 3

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: VIZ Media LLC Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $5.39

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Manga
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General AAS
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Comic Strips -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Much better than animated film. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Miyazaki's graphic novels are MUCH better than the animation. More depth and better story resolution. Visually stunning with tremendous thought and meaning.

Captivating 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Nausicaa is clearly the best of Miyazaki's movies, and, surprise, surprise, the books are even better than the movie. The books add considerable depth to Nausicaa's character and present a more complex story line.

My only complain is that the English version does not have the colorful book jackets found on the otherwise identical Japanese edition, which makes the English version seem a bit cheap by comparison. But it's a minor quibble.

The Adventure Continues! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Nausicaa is an interesting story. I haven't seen the movie but am reading the books in order and finding the books draw me in more and more. I would love to see the movie too and am looking forward to more editions of this series.

Editorial Review:

Nausicaä finds herself on the edge of despair as she comes to realize the full extent of the ecological destruction that's ravaging Earth. Meanwhile, Queen Kushana of Torumekia plots to lead her troops back to the imperial capital and seize the crown. Nausicaä agrees to join Kushana and her people in the fight against the Doroks and her scheming brothers.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 2

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: VIZ Media LLC Amazon Marketplace: 66 new & used starting at $1.60

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> General
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

SCAR IS COMING TO TOWN 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 11 people found this review helpful.

Ed and Al return to the Eastern Front HQ to report to their superior, Colonel Mustang, who hooks them up with Shou Tucker, the "Sewing-Life" Alchemist who is researching bio-alchemy and who has the ability to create "chimeras", life-forms that are a blend of two genetically different organisms. Hopefully, he will give Ed a clue as to how to restore his and Al's bodies. Ed is going to be a little distracted though, as a vengeful man known as "Scar" is stalking State Alchemists and killing them horribly. It's as though when he touches them, their bodies explode! And he's gunning for Ed while he's in the city.

While not quite as good as the anime, this second volume is almost as enjoyable. The heartbreaking story of Tucker and his little daughter is truly a tragic one and exposes Ed and Al to things no normal kids could deal with. Arakawa does a good job of reminding us that they ARE kids intermitently no matter how deep the storyline. I would say that the manga version has a bit more humor than the anime. There are some differences in the two versions so I would highly recommend both. Great book and anime.

Editorial Review:

There are many types of alchemy in the world. Edward's commanding officer, "Flame Alchemist" Roy Mustang, can control fire. Shou Tucker, the "Sewing-Life Alchemist," specializes in the most difficult alchemy of all...biological transmutation, the ability to alter the tissue of living things. But no matter what their power, alchemists are still human. And when a mysterious killer begins stalking state alchemists, no one can escape his vengence...

David Boring (Spanish Edition): David Boring (Bola Ocho/Eight Ball)

Daniel Clowes

List Price: $14.95 By: Public Square Books Amazon Marketplace: 6 new & used starting at $28.52

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Authors, A-Z -> Clowes, Daniel
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Big on pretension and ambition; not much else 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

People are right when describing "David Boring" as ambitious. Ambition, however, does not always add up to quality. (Macbeth can tell you that.) Clowes brings up many themes within this piece, but never expands upon them much. All that remains is a depressingly uninteresting and pretentious narrative that is filled with characters that are hard to care about. It's just an endless barrage of verbs happening to nouns. The structure of this work is, also, of fault. By combining the structure of the three-act play and comic book, Clowes denies the strengths of both mediums. One of the points of graphic novels is to use illustrations to supplant the need for description. With Clowes' over-worded script, the reader is taken away from what the art itself is saying. It seems that the author could have saved space on some panels to leave more room for character development. The characters within this story fail to appeal. Part of this is because most of what the information on each of them is given by the "depression is cool"/Freudian mindset of a narrator that fails to engage and thinks that he is somehow better and cooler than you because he doesn't smile as much. Also, the plot devices are used to little effect. The most obvious case of this is the apocalyptical occurrences that may or may not be happening in the story. (If they do or do not happen, it doesn't really matter to the plot.) Each moment that is built up within the story ends up with a resounding bang of anti-climax. I really tried to like this, but was crushed when trying to find a meaningful justification for my purchase. I was left with a sense of wasted time and a need to write a review for this pretentious book that is, at most, a very depressing soap opera. (Questionable parentage of babies, framing of individuals for crimes, overbearing mother: check.) If you feel you have to read this to make friends, do so. To anyone else, stay away. Read something interesting like, say, the drug information of things, the nutrition information of your favorite morning cereal, etc. David Boring isn't good.

Editorial Review:

Meet David Boring: a nineteen-year-old security guard with a tortured inner life and an obsessive nature. When he meets the girl of his dreams, things begin to go awry: what seems too good to be true apparently is. And what seems truest in Boring's life is that, given the right set of circumstances (in this case, an orgiastic cascade of vengeance, humiliation and murder) the primal nature of humankind will come inexorably to the fore.For those interested in comic art's potential, Clowes's work offers exciting literary possibilities. Boring is Anything but. --Time Dan Clowes

From Far Away, Volume 1

Kyoko Hikawa

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: VIZ Media LLC Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $2.35

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Manga
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Greetings From Far Away- An Overview of the Entire Series 3 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Viz's Shoujo imprint has some of the best epic fantasy/romance manga on the market. From Far Away is comparable to series like Red River, Basara, and Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden in that they focus on the lives and loves of young women with great and often seemingly tragic destinies. I dearly love the above mentioned series, and since From Far Away has recently concluded its English language release, I'll tell you how it stacks up in comparison.

At the heart of From Far Away is a beauty and beast love story set in a fantasy world. The beauty is Noriko Tachiki, a spacey high schooler whose brush with death sends her hurtling through time and space to an alternate dimension. She is the Awakening, a ominous person spoken about in legend who will herald a disastrous time for this new land. The beast is Izark Kia Taj, a handsome, stand-offish mercenary with a terrible fate. He harbors the Sky Demon within himself, which will consume him when he comes in contact with the Awakening. As political turmoil and civil unrest engulf the land, powerful men would stop at nothing to claim the Sky Demon's power for themselves.

The characterization is perhaps the best aspect of From Far Away. Noriko manages to get her act together fairly quickly, and evolves into a plucky, resourceful heroine. Izark, of course, learns about love and stuff. There rather slowly unfolding romance is responsible for the best scenes in this series and any other shoujo comic I have read thus far. Of course, over the course of their journey to break their fates, they meet a colorful cast of side-characters. Another admirable aspect of From Far Away is the way the artist portrays people that otherwise wouldn't be portrayed as heroic as heroes. From a stout middle-aged woman with wisdom and nerves of steel to an aging political administrator, likable side characters drift in and out of the story.

However, the political storyline is the weakest aspect and it shares nearly as much face time as the character interactions. Of course, there is a crew of villains who want Izark and Noriko for their own nefarious purposes. The villains are never particularly well-developed and come across as being crazy evil for the flimsiest of reasons. The political situation of the world was never particularly interesting from the get-go but it is continuously developed throughout the story without ever managing to spark one iota of interest. Indeed, From Far Away stumbles by cementing Noriko and Izark as a couple way to soon. By volume 9, they are pretty much dedicated to each other and they don't have anywhere to go as characters. This leaves five volumes for the uninteresting political storyline to take center stage. Honestly, by the time the final volume was published, I was so sick of the good vs. evil storyline it almost didn't pick it up.

Overall, From Far Away is a series that went on too long. I don't think it helps that it is an acquired taste. After going back over the entire thing, I find it hard to believe that I followed it until the end because the first two volumes are dreadful. I have fond memories of many parts from the middle of the series, and I wouldn't hesitant to recommend it to younger girls that aren't mature enough to handle other shoujo epics like Basara and Red River. However, this just isn't a story that will endure multiple readings.

Editorial Review:

On her way home from school one day, Noriko is unexpectedly plunged into a strange and extraordinary fantasy world. Her troubles compound exponentially when she is rescued and befriended by a handsome young man by the name of Izark. He may be brave and courageous, but inside Izark lurks the darkest evil imaginable. And according to an ancient prophecy, Noriko possesses the power to unleash that evil. Now, inexorably bound together, these two unlikely allies must navigate a world both wondrous and hostile.

Conan: Born on the Battlefield (Conan (Graphic Novels))

Kurt Busiek, Greg Ruth

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Dark Horse Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $9.78

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> General
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> General AAS

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

Great! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

If you enjoy reading fantasy, enjoying a great tale, or just a good read, then you really should read this Graphic Novel. Yes, a graphic novel is nothing but a collection of 'comic' books into one volume and yes, I know how many people look down on comics. However, this is a very good read.

It is the story of Conan's youth in Cimmeria, from his birth until just after the sack of Vennarium. It is written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by Greg Ruth. Busiek as usual shows his depth of understanding not only of the medium, but of his character. Conan was not created by Busiek, of course, but he almost seems to have inherited the same spirit that Howard often mentioned when he talked about the genesis of his Conan stories.

Ruth, the books illustrater is just, how should I put it? If you remember the old Frazetta covers to the Conan books published in the 70's then you should be awed by how much Ruth's art seems to channel that same feeling.

These two do not recreate the feely-touchy-smiley happy go lucky Conan of the live action TV series. They ignore the animated saturday morning shows almost as if they never existed (Thankfully!). They also studiously ignore the almost feminine Conan from Conan the Destroyer (can anyone say Polittically Correct? I knew you could ) and the "Im so stupid I cant stop drooling" Conan from Conan the Barbarian.

These books most resemble the stories by Howard and the very best of the old Savage Sword of Conan series. I remember buying those oversized SSoC comics as a kid. I was as much in awe of them as I am awed by the current crop of Busiek stories.

These books are a great read. Lots of fun.

I would recommend almost anything by Dark Horse in general, but the adaptation of Conan really stands out in my mind. It once again proves that Busiek is one of our greatest living authors in this field, equaled only by Frank Miller (perhaps! ) as well that Dark Horse is, perhaps, the best of the major comic publishers.

Editorial Review:

Writer Kurt Busiek and artist Greg Ruth team up to give you the story of Conan's early life, from his birth on a Cimmerian battlefield to his coming-of-age as a warrior in the pivotal Battle of Venarium. Sewing the seeds of the Barbarian's momentous career, this chronicle of Conan's youthful conquests - both martial and carnal - also showcases master storytellers Busiek and Ruth's work at its finest.

Death: The Time of Your Life

Neil Gaiman, Chris Bachalo, Clare Danes

Amazon Price: $10.39 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Vertigo Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $5.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Horror
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Fantastic art, average writing 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

You see, it's not that this is a mediocre work - it's definitely above average (hence the 3 out of 5 star rating) - it's just that we've been spoiled silly by the brilliant standard of writing, plotting, philosophy and character that Neil Gaiman so generously gave us through the epic run of his, 'Sandman,' series and when we come across a spin-off graphic novel that doesn't quite live up to that standard, of course we're going to be just a wee bit disappointed. With that being said, if you were a fan of the, 'Sandman,' series then you certainly dug the character of Death, and with that of course you have to read this volume as well. While the artwork is brilliant throughout (almost taking on a japanese manga look at times) the writing, sadly, just isn't quite up to snuff. Still, it's a slim enough book to make breezing through quite an effortless and pleasing experience.

Editorial Review:

From pages of The Sandman graphic novels, Morpheus' sister, Death, returns for a second solo outing in a haunting tale of music, mortality, friendship and the power of love in the face of death. Fan favourite author Neil Gaiman reintroduces and expands upon the characters introduced in his acclaimed and best-selling graphic novel Death: The High Cost of Living in this all-new collection. This lushly illustrated and thought-provoking volume comes complete with three brand new story pages to flesh out the story's conclusion and a gallery of favourite renderings of Death by the likes of Dave McKean, Bill Sienkiewicz and many others.

Fullmetal Alchemist 1: The Land of Sand

Hiromu Arakawa

Amazon Price: $15.48 List Price: $19.85 Usually ships in 6 to 10 days By: Topeka Bindery Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $15.47

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Manga -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Manga -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Manga for All Ages. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

FullMetal Alchemist is an AMAZING manga. When I started watching the anime, it was great but that manga was 5x better. It is a true classic and it should be on ANYONES shelf.

My Favorite Manga 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Can only say that I love this Manga, the story is interesting without being too cutesy. Characters are believable and it is easy to become involed.

I loved this book! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

this book is very neat. espescially the series. but the comics dont show everything that is in the show.

Editorial Review:

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world, somewhere between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in these powers to grant their dearest wish, one of them has lost an arm and a leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living iron. Now they are agents of the government, slaves of the military-alchemical complex, using their unique powers to obey their orders...even to kill. But their powers aren't unique. The world crawls with evil alchemists. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are...

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Sagebrush))

Hayao Miyazaki

List Price: $19.85 By: Topeka Bindery Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $12.89

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Comics & Graphic Novels
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Manga -> Fantasy

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

a dissaponting ending. 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 15 people found this review helpful.

I have to say that I went into this series with the expectation that it was going to be better than the movie. I am a huge fan of Miyazaki, and his movie Nausicaa, so when I heard it was a graphic novel I went out and bought the first copy. you wouldn't believe the trouble I had getting a hold of some of these books, but somehow I did it and now I will tell you about the ending.

The series for the most part up to this point was really good, with the 3rd book being my favorite. But the story gets bogged down a lot halfway through this book. the main character, Nausicaa, is so believable in all the other books, but in this one she stops being the lover of all things living and unwilling savor, to destroyer of everything from the past. She completely changes, and not for the better. That's the main reason I didn't like this book.

But another very big reason was because there were simply too many characters to keep
Track of. Let me write them out.

1) Nausicaa
2) Asbel
3) Yupa
4) Kushana
5) Keratowa
6) Ketcha
7) Chikio
8) The Dorok priest
9) The holy emperor
10) The Tolmekian emperor
11) Mito
12) The Jester
13) The god worrier
14) The forest people (there are two of them)
15) The worm handlers (lots of them)
16) The two princes
17) The master of the crypt
18) The crypts Keeper
19) And of course Teto

Wow, I don't even think I got them all. Once Nausicaa starts her journey to the crypt in shuwa most of these characters are ignored and then sort of thrown together at the end. There are so many that Miyazaki HAD to kill a few off, even though I could tell he didn't really want to, and the way some of them die is comical at best.

And lets not forget the ending. Man was is a disappointment. The whole story seemed slapped together, like Miyazaki got board of writing this book and just decided to end it anyway he could. And there really wasn't any ending. The story could have gone on for another book or two, but it just ends so abruptly that I was left with a sense of disappointment.

Overall the series is worth reading, if you can get it for a decent price. The art work and premise are great in and of themselves, and most of the books in this series are great. If you are a Miyazaki fan, or just a fan of the movie, go for it. Otherwise I don't think you could justify the price of getting all seven volumes.

Editorial Review:

Nausicaa embarks on an inner, spiritual journey to the heart of the Sea of Corruption, where she discovers its surprising secret. She returns to the land of the living, compelled to share her discovery, but Nausicaa accidentally awakens a God Warrior from its stasis.

Amazing Adventures Of The Escapist (Michael Chabon Presents)

Michael Chabon

List Price: $8.95 By: Dark Horse Comics Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $0.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Fantasy
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Graphic Novels -> Superheroes
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Publishers -> Dark Horse

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

$18 of Disappointment 1 out of 5 stars.
9 of 14 people found this review helpful.

For those people who are expecting a comics masterpiece from the author who brought you The Amazing Adventures of Kavlier & Clay, save your time and money. This collection of stories is short on pretty much everything that could have made it worthwhile!!!

Couched in terms of "lost adventures" this book features a number of fantastic artists doing questionable work. The whole book is full of ego as Chabon waxes nostalgic about a character who did not exist. If this was limited to the text between the stories, that would probably be ok, but the ego spills over and all of the stories are told with a big nudge and obnoxious wink.

Additionally, this book is very short, very small, and worth nowhere near the cover price.

Editorial Review:

Master of Elusion, foe of tyranny, and champion of liberation — The Escapist! Operating from a secret headquarters under the boards of the majestic Empire Theater, the Escapist and his crack team of charismatic associates roam the globe, performing amazing feats of magic to aid all those who languish in oppression’s chains. The history of his creators, Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay, was recently chronicled in Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. The best of the Escapist’s adventures are now collected into one volume for all to enjoy!

This thrilling volume of Michael Chabon Presents…The Amazing Adventures of The Escapist collects the first two issues of the comic book and features an original story penned by Michael Chabon, the comics debut of novelist Glen David Gold, a new story written and drawn by Howard Chaykin, the painted artwork of Bill Sienkiewicz, and a wraparound cover by Chris Ware!