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Watchmen

Alan Moore

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 579 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Has any comic been as acclaimed as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen? Possibly only Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, but Watchmen remains the critics' favorite. Why? Because Moore is a better writer, and Watchmen a more complex and dark and literate creation than Miller's fantastic, subversive take on the Batman myth. Moore, renowned for many other of the genre's finest creations (Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, and From Hell, with Eddie Campbell) first put out Watchmen in 12 issues for DC in 1986-87. It won a comic award at the time (the 1987 Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards for Best Writer/Artist combination) and has continued to gather praise since.

The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the finepace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it keeps its crown as the best the genre has yet produced. --Mark Thwaite

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

Jeff Kinney

Amazon Price: $10.36 List Price: $12.95 Not yet published By: Amulet Books

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Editorial Review:

The highly anticipated third book in the critically acclaimed and bestselling series takes the art of being wimpy to a whole new level.

Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Greg’s father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other “manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily sidestep his father’s efforts to change him. But when Greg’s dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out.

Greg and his family and friends, who make the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books a must-read for middle school readers, are back and at their best in this hilarious new installment of the series, which is sure to please current fans while attracting new ones.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 330 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

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

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Jeff Kinney

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 161 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?

The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to

It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, “Just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.” Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

Jeff Kinney

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 105 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not that impressive but I have another suggestion 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I borrowed this book from my public library and I was at first impressed with the little pictures and the layout of the book which really made it inviting to read. However, on reading it, I don't think there is anything really interesting about this book. It's not even that funny to me. I did read the whole book though. I have a better recommendation. Try « The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole » by Sue Townsend. There is about three in the series and while the first one was written in the 1980s and makes references to UK society and culture, it is a much more sophisticated read and a lot more funny, sad, etc. The Adrian Mole diaries begins when Adrian is 13 and 3/4 years old so a little bit older than Greg but not much more.

Two-star rating overall. Could be a lot more interesting.

Editorial Review:

The highly anticipated sequel to the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling book!

Secrets have a way of getting out, especially when a diary is involved.

Whatever you do, don’t ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer vacation, because he definitely doesn’t want to talk about it.

As Greg enters the new school year, he’s eager to put the past three months behind him . . . and one event in particular.

Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident Greg wants to keep under wraps. But secrets have a way of getting out . . . especially when a diary is involved.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules chronicles Greg’s attempts to navigate the hazards of middle school, impress the girls, steer clear of the school talent show, and most important, keep his secret safe.

Batman: The Killing Joke

Alan Moore, Brian Bolland

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 171 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Coolest Batman Book ever 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Coolest Batman ever

This is one of the best in the entire batman series, and Alan Moore is one of the best comic book writers to come out of the AD 2000 group. Having this in hard cover just makes this one of the more important books on the book shelf, or more likely near where we read every day. The idea behind the killing joke is that we get to see just how bad the Joker could be. We are used to the failed Joker on the TV series, and in the earlier comic books where Batman and crew always Pow the enemy. But this time the story line is darker, and fitting as part of the change in the batman series that started when the original comic book series came out.

This darker batman has bad things happen to him and the people around him. There is a penalty paid for being who he is and what he does, the Killing Joke is part of the foundation of this darker batman that has proven so popular over the last 20 years. Batman becomes real, more complex, and it is the Joker that will lead the way to this more complex darker batman over the next 20 years. The book dives deep into the process of the Joker, who he is, and just how truly insane the Joker has become. Not for kids, but for batman fans above the age of 14, this is the starting book to read, as it puts a foundation for the later 90's 00's batman that we have become accustomed to.

Five star book, worth reading.

Editorial Review:

The Killing Joke, one of my favorite Batman stories ever, stirred a bit of controversy because the story involves the Joker brutally, pointlessly shooting Commissioner Gordon's daughter in the spine. This is a no-holds-barred take on a truly insane criminal mind, masterfully written by British comics writer Alan Moore. The art by Brian Bolland is so appealing that his depiction of the Joker became a standard and was imitated by many artists to follow.

V for Vendetta

Alan Moore, David Lloyd

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 215 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

V for Vendetta is, like its author's later Watchmen, a landmark in comic-book writing. Alan Moore has led the field in intelligent, politically astute (if slightly paranoid), complex adult comic-book writing since the early 1980s. He began V back in 1981 and it constituted one of his first attempts (along with the criminally neglected but equally superb Miracleman) at writing an ongoing series. It is 1998 (which was the future back then!) and a Fascist government has taken over the U.K. The only blot on its particular landscape is a lone terrorist who is systematically killing all the government personnel associated with a now destroyed secret concentration camp. Codename V is out for vengeance ... and an awful lot more. V feels slightly dated like all past premonitions do. The original series was black and white and that added to the grittiness of the feel while the coloring here in the graphic novel sometimes blurs David Lloyd's fine drawing. But these are small concerns. Skillfully plotted, V is an essential read for all those who love comics and the freedom, as a medium, they allow a writer as skilled as Moore. --Mark Thwaite

Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)

Grant Morrison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 67 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good Art; Poor Story 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I liked McKean's artwork a lot when I first read this book but, returning to it today, the style seems overly familiar. In some places the level of darkness and number of symbolic artifacts seems to edge into self-parody.

The basic story is very weak -- Batman walks about the asylum beating up his old enemies. The real emphasis is on how these villians illustrate parts of Batman's character. Personally, I found this less than convincing.

Part of the problem for me is that I have a very low tolerance for paedophilia and torture, and much prefer detection-based Batman stories (such as The Long Halloween).

Editorial Review:

In this groundbreaking, painted graphic novel, the inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over Gothams detention center for the criminally insane on April Fools Day, demanding Batman in exchange for their hostages.Accepting their demented challenge, Batman is forced to live and endure the personal hells of the Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Two-Face and many other sworn enemies in order to save the innocents and retake the prison.During his run through this absurd gauntlet, the Dark Knights own sanity is placed in jeopardy.This special anniversary edition trade paperback also reproduces the original script with annotations by Morrison and editor Karen Berger.

Batman: Year One

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 100 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Origin of Batman 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you ever want to know how Bruce Wayne became Batman, you come to the right book. This book chronicles Batman's origin as well as the origin of his relationship with Gordon. They are basically the main characters in this book and although there are no real villains in this book, it is a great character piece on the lives of these characters, their trials and tribulations, and their struggles and how they are able to overcome or succumb to them. Although not as epic as The Dark Knight Returns, it is a close second. But artwork is just horrendous.

The Rise of Jim Gordon and Batman 5 out of 5 stars.
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Batman: Year One was the first Batman graphic novel I read. It remains my favorite and has sparked me to read other Batman graphic novels.

For anyone new to graphic novels or comics, Batman: Year One is a great place to start. It is fairly brief and quick to read. Frank Miller's writing is engrossing and powerful, yet remains simple and accessible. David Mazzucchelli's artwork isn't overly detailed but possesses substance and the dull colors give the drawings an old-fashioned look. The use of colors, light, and shadows is outstanding and really captures the mood of each frame.

For anyone interested in Batman, Batman: Year One is a must have. Not only is it an origin story of Batman, but it's also Jim Gordon's (later Lt. Gordon) first year in Gotham City. The story focuses equally on Batman and Gordon, soon to become Gotham City's top crime fighters. As the story develops, their long-standing relationship begins to take shape, a relationship that becomes crucial to Batman and Gotham.

Batman and comic fans alike will not be disappointed with Batman: Year One. Even if you're new to the graphic novel medium, Year One is a great first. It is a great example of how good this often overlooked art form can be.

Editorial Review:

Whether you grew up reading Batman comics, watched the campy television show, or eagerly await each new movie, this is the book for you. A retelling of the events that led to Bruce Wayne's becoming Batman, this book combines Frank Miller's tight film-noir writing with David Mazucchelli's solid artwork.

Angel: After the Fall: First Night Volume 2

Joss Whedon, Brian Lynch, John Byrne, Tim Kane, David Messina, Stephen Mooney, Nick Runge

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

Ehhh - It's Okay 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is only the third comic book (or collection of comics) that I've ever purchased but my love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel tv shows prompted me to purchase these items. I was very impressed with Angel:After the Fall Vol.1 and couldn't wait to get my copy of Vol. 2 to find out what really went down the night LA went straight to Hell - without so much as a hand basket to cushion the crash landing.

Sadly, this collection is only OK. The story and plot lines often feel jerky and disjointed and the illustrations by the various artists contribute to the feeling. While each illustrators' drawings were amazing in and of themselves, I found it confusing that a character could morph within three or four pages based on the illustrator. I would often find myself flipping back and forth and studying the images in order to determine who was who. Case in point, look at how each of the artists draw the character of Fred/Illyra. It got confusing when every couple of pages there was such a dramatic change in her appearance, especially when the character was drawn so consistently in the first volume.

Overall, a good book for those who want to know what happened but the stories are largely independent of each other and there is no sense of the coming cliff, the boom, or how the big bad will respond next. Spike, being Spike, has some really great moments and it was nice to see Lorne again. Borrow this book before you buy because it may not deserve a permanent and prominent place on your bookshelf.

Editorial Review:

First Night begins! What happened on the very night Los Angeles went straight to hell, the incident that ended the Angel television series with such a shocking cliffhanger? Why did the team go their separate ways? And how did Connor rise up to become one of Hell's greatest champions?