No comments about Emma: Volume 6 (Emma).

2 comments about Wetworks, Vol. 1.

1. So here's some background: Whilce Portacio was one of the original seven artists who founded Image Comics back in 1992. Whilce's contribution to the cause was WETWORKS, which didn't debut until 1994 due to the illness of his sister. The original WETWORKS centered on dirty ops soldiers, who had bonded with golden symbiotes, which granted them unnatural powers. These soldiers then ended up tussling with the undead. This series ran from 1994 to1998, for 43 issues. In 2006 Whilce Portacio revived WETWORKS. This trade paperback, WETWORKS Book One, is 136 pages long and reprints the prelude stories from the EYE OF THE STORM ANNUAL (2003) and COUP D'ETAT AFTERWORD (2004) and the first 5 issues of the relaunched WETWORKS title.
   
   The plot now, and possible SPOILERS:
   
   When the break-in of a U.S. Air Force base results in the theft of an "extinction-level" device and twenty-seven bloodless corpses by someone who is invisible to cameras, Colonel Jackson Dane is called on by the military to assemble a new Wetworks team and investigate. Dane agrees, with the proviso that he gets to pick his own team.
   
   Colonel Dane ends up with a small crew. One recruit is the vampiress Persephone (code-name: Red), formerly the Blood Queen's right hand, but now a bit on the skids and drug-addicted. Then there's the weird, lab-created Ab-Death (or Dustwalker), who has an affinity with and access to the Deadworld ("It is best to think of me as amphibious. I can be alive or I can be dead."). Another of Dane's caveats for reforming Wetworks is the rebooting of the android, Mother One, a close friend and a valuable asset of Dane's who currently lies in a dessicated state (she basically died in the last series). The resurrection attempt proves to be a success, and Rachel Rhodes (Mother One) is soon reactivated. And, finally, Sebastian Ashe, a werewolf lawman, enters the picture.
   
   As usual Dane and company must fend off the Night Tribes, a clandestine society of supernatural races consisting of vampires, werewolves, demons, liches, sea devils, etc. Or, to be more specific, it's the longtime enemy, the vampires, whom the team targets. But, this time, also, members of Wetworks find themselves transported to Thea Mater, a horrific parallel earth where vampires, not humanity, had risen to dominance. They go up against one Simon Vascar, a superior undead who, unlike the vampires of Dane's earth, retains his intelligence when undergoing the "frenzy," the condition in which vampires change into their monstrous forms. And, it turns out, the root of the problem goes back to scientists meddling with a rift in the Bleed. The Bleed, for the uninitiated, is that strange realm which connects parallel universes. Oh, and there's also the matter of a creature called the soul eater hanging around in Deadworld.
   
   SPOILERS end.
   
   WETWORKS has always been a blending of sci-fi, horror, that military cool and bravado, and high-octane action, and it's no different now. Britisher Mike Carey (whose stuff I enjoyed in X-Men Vol. 1: Supernovas and Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 7: God War) comes on board as the new writer (more on that later, sadly), while Whilce Portacio handles the interior artwork (for the first 6 issues, anyway, until health issues surface, after which he's relegated to cover artist status). I've always liked Whilce's pencils, and, here, he's solid yet again. Now, on to what sucks.
   
   There's an initial lack of accessibility in the first few issues for new readers, a dearth of background fill-in, as Carey seems to assume that readers will already be familiar with the existing characters, as well as events in the previous series. Newcomers to WETWORKS don't even learn until later of the truce between humanity and the vampire nation (kind of a key plot). Carey's storytelling is routine and, in fact, suffers from a certain lack of clarity and flow; the plot tends to confuse and isn't all that gripping, to begin with. It's weird that I wasn't more into it because I definitely dig lycanthropes and the undead, but I think Carey's writing was a factor. New characters are introduced (Ab-Death and the werewolf Sebastian Ashe), but, to me, they come off as cardboard-flat. The old characters don't fare much better (more play is actually given to the main adversary, Simon Vascar). This story arc is a lengthy one, which gives Carey perhaps too much leeway to tell his tale, although he does eventually fill in the blanks. But these pages could do with some tightening up. I'll say this, I do like the concept of the parallel earth of Thea Mater. Still, I, for one, expected better from Mike Carey. All in all, WETWORKS Book One hearkens back to the generic Image titles in the 1990s, which were across-the-board desperate for character development.
   
   So, a word to the wise, WETWORKS Book One doesn't live up to the promise of the cool characters and premise, wasting Whilce Portacio's artistic contributions and leaving the reader ultimately unsatisfied. And, again, the fault lies in the muddled story and the somewhat clumsy narrative pacing. There's a hanging sense of incompleteness in the air. However, if you've invested time and some green into this trade (and if you actually get hooked enough in the story), then you almost have to get your hands on Wetworks, Vol. 2, too, which continues the Simon Vascar story arc. And those interested in the early tales of the original Wetworks team might seek out Rebirth :WETWORKS, which collects the first 3 issues of the first series.
   
   But, this volume here, I think I'll give it three stars and a marginal, marginal recommendation, based on the neat concept and the artwork, even if the story's execution underwhelms. And, who knows? Maybe WETWORKS, Vol.2 will be an improvement (even though Whilce Portacio isn't much in that one).



2. The premise of a black ops team being organized to battle tribes of vampires is an intriguing one, as are the entities that comprise it. In this particular case that includes, among others, a vampire, a cyborg, and a difficult to categorize individual named Ab-Death. Plus they are joined by a werewolf who also happens to be a sheriff. Talk about an eerie cast of characters. Mike Carey's compelling tale takes this group of supernatural misfits on a mission to hunt down a powerful rogue vampire with an unknown evil agenda. As if he wasn't problem enough, other questions arise as to whether or not the vampire among them can be trusted not to choose sides, and of the entire vampire nation, which currently has a truce with humans. Along the way we learn about such interesting vampire lore as the frenzy, the moment when their uncontrollable blood lust occurs, and the aura capax, their ability to mentally control people. And what or who is the blood box? Carey's well crafted story adroitly sets the stage for a grand finale. Unfortunately this trade ends without any final resolution which, while frustrating, did not greatly detract from the enjoyment of it.

No comments about All-New Atom (Book 2): Future/Past.

1 comments about Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Volume 1.

1. excellent well worth the cash if you are a scare fan this will raise your hair

2 comments about The Story of the Incredible Hulk (DK Readers, Level 4).

1. The entertainment value of this basic summary of the Incredible Hulk's story in Marvel Comics is high, and should certainly capture the attention of the proficient young readers. It's quite literate with good vocabulary for the reading level. Importantly, though it's fun. While conveying the spirit of the comic book character, Teitelbaum brings in related bits of information aimed at increasing the young reader's knowledge while stimulating youthful curiosity into learning more about the Hulk's literary predecessers, about early concerns about nuclear energy, about the cold war and its anxieties, about the fields of scientific research along with other topics.

   The emphasis though is on entertainment which is what should draw the young readers into reading it, strengthening reading skills and expanding their knowledge at the same time.




2. I remember reading the first few issues of the Incredible Hulk comic book when they first came out. The early sixties were an incredible time for the development of new comic book characters. This was the most intense phase of the cold war and humans were beginning to send probes and people into space. Some of the dangers of exposure to radioactivity were known, but enough was unknown so that the comic developers could use it as a basis for the development of superpowers.
   The cold war and radiation form the foundation for the origin of the Hulk. Dr. Bruce Banner is working on an enhanced radiation nuclear bomb. It produces a large amount of gamma rays and when a Soviet spy betrays Banner, the bomb goes off and Banner is engulfed with gamma rays. They change his body so that he is transformed into a large, powerful green being. In later issues of Marvel comics, exposure to gamma rays is repeatedly used to create additional mighty beings.
   While I liked the lesson in the history of comic book characters, the best part of the book is the lessons in history and science. Teielbaum spends some time explaining the cold war, the fifties "duck and cover" that all American school children practiced on a regular basis, the power of nuclear weapons, and animals that are relevant to the cartoon characters. This is a lesson about the world that children will find very easy to absorb.
   Children generally love comic books and if they are properly done, they can also learn science and history. This is a book that is properly done and it can be used as a science lesson/entertainment interlude in the later years of elementary school.

4 comments about Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase Volume 1 (Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase).

1. I was very satisfied with the product. I came in in a short amount of time and was in good quality. It was also very interesting.



2. Another vampire manga? Well...this ones a little more for the shojo and gothic lolita crowd.
   
   Kouhei is a photographer working for a spiritual investigation magazine. The problem for him is everytime he takes a picture a ghost appears somewhere in it. He is part of a long line of spiriualists and psychics, although his only real ability is spectral photography. He and his crew are at an old castle in Europe which is rumored to be haunted. While taking pictures from far outside the castle, Kouhei notices a young girl on one of the towers.
   
   Later that night, Kouhei goes in to investigate. He finds the girl inside. Her name is Hazuki, and she sweet-talks him into kissing him. It turns out that Hazuki is really a vampire, and the kiss is supposed to make Kouhei her servent. However, Kouhei is psychically immune to all forms of possession, and he's also very thickheaded. Then, Hazuki's guardian comes after the both of them, but Kouhei escapes the castle. Unbeknownst to him, Hazuki also is now free of the bonds placed on her within the castle, and she follows him back to Japan.
   
   Once she catches up to him, Hazuki convinces Kouhei to help her find her mother. Hazuki's mother was seduced by a powerful vampire lord, and he placed Hazuki in the castle to keep her to himself. Since her father was now gone away, Hazuki could search for her mother, but she needed the help of her "servant" to do that.
   
   This is a pretty good and intriguing manga. It's funny and well drawn, with an engaging storyline. Hazuki's habit of wearing different outfits(primarily ones with cat ears)make it a good selection for cosplay fans.



3. The idea is simple - a vampire girl, named Hazuki, is trapped in a castle in Europe and wishes to escape so she can search for her mother, in Japan. A cameraman, named Kouhei Midou, helps her escape (to save his own skin) and they both end up in Japan.
   This manga is less horror and more fantasy. Even with vampires, magic and psychic mediums the story line feels weak as if the artist didn't really know where to go with the plot or what to do with the characters. While slightly interested by the events within the book I don't feel the need to rush out and buy the next volume.



4. Kouhei would like to be a professional photographer someday but no mainstream magazine will take his work because he has the unusual ability to capture ghostly apparitions on film. So no matter what or who he takes a picture of, there's always this spooky shape hovering around them! The only time this comes in handy is when he does freelance work for the editor of Occult Magazine, Hiromi. In their latest collaboration they have travelled to Germany with Kouhei's cousin, Seiji, who also happens to be a powerful psychic. They have come to do a story on the legendary Schwartz Quelle Castle, a gigantic edifice that comes with a ton of local legends about its past and tales of things that go bump in the night inhabiting its walls. Kouhei's other talent is that curses and assaults by supernatural beings have no effect on him, which makes him the best guinea pig to see what will happen when a human enters the castle. Little does he know that inside is a young vampire girl named Hazuki who has been held against her will for years, waiting for someone to rescue her. In addition to her rescue, she also wishes to make this knight in shining armor her submissive slave with a bite of her fangs!
   
   I read this first volume of the manga after I watched the first volume of the anime, but actually the manga came first. I found the manga just as enjoyable, even though the cuteness factor had been taken down a notch. For example, in the anime, Hazuki wears actual cat ears, while in the manga, they appear to be more symbolic and appear just in certain scenes. The horror element of the first episodes of the anime have also been toned down, so we're basically left with the cuteness and humor. What sets this manga apart is the sense of abandonment that Hazuki and Kouhei share, having both lost their mothers. Actually, that causes the first big fight between the two, because Kouhei tells Hazuki that her mother left her, not knowing what the true story is. Hazuki gets so mad she forgets the time and almost gets stuck on the streets as the sun rises! The dynamic between the two lead characters is still evolving so you can't tell whether it's going to be romance or more a brother-sister relationship. Nice art and the story has a lot of potential.
   
   I would also recommend the anime version. Another manga with a similar storyline of a girl vampire that's worth checking out is Chibi Vampire. Also the anime and manga of Full Metal Panic for a similar relationship dynamic.

5 comments about Simpsons Comic on Parade.

1. I ordered this booked a few months ago and now think that it has some of the best Simpsons books ever. My favourite issue was issue 27, it was about scientists fixings homers brain so he was a smart person and not a dumb one any more.



2. this is a good book because it will make you laug



3. Simpsons, Comics on Parade, is the second Simpsons comic book collection I've gotten so far. If you look on the page for the Simpsons Comics Spectacular you will find another one of my reviews. After reading both of them, I would definitely recommend the Simpsons, Comics on Parade, because of the variety of stories jam-packed in it. My favorite would have to be issue #25 because it seemed the most like a real Simpsons TV episode. I could imagine everybody saying everything, and it had a great plot as well. KEEP IT UP GROENING!



4. The Simpsons Comics carry on in this edition, but it seems to be a slight sag here. The first edition, in which the political parties come to town seems to drag. But, we get some classics, like "They Saved Homer's Brain". It's not up to the classic that was Simpsons Comics Extravaganza, but it's better than some stuff from Simpsons Comics Spectacular.



5. I have a dozen Simpsons comic books and read them all over and over again. On Parade, though, is my least favorite. Like all the books, the artwork is awesome and it has all the popular Simpsons characters, but, unlike the other books, most of the comics have very weak endings.

   "Send in the Clowns": A "devastating mass of hot air" is headed towards Springfield. The Presidential campaign, that is. It even includes big-eared third party candidate L. Ron Percent. Nice idea, but the story doesn't really go anywhere.

   "Homey Alone": Just when you thought every Simpsons character has been the subject of a comic strip, here's a strip starring Li'l Homey (Homer as a kid). Homey is left home alone and sets up a burglar trap. Who comes knocking but "eaglette" Li'l Mrs. Krabapal selling cookies. Again, a weak ending to a promising strip follows.

   "Marge Attacks": Frustrated with the lack of quality programming on the tube, Marge writes a letter to Mayor Quimby. Quimby campaigners think riding on Marge's wholesome apron strings will be the way to get the morally challenged mayor re-elected. Again, the ending could have been better.

   "Diner Violations": Funny short starring Springfield's finest, Lou and Eddie.

   "Game Called Because of Pain": Itchy and Scratchy short with a baseball theme.

   "Get Off the Bus": Sideshow Bob attends to his prison duty of cleaning the school buses and decides to fight for the cause of school bus safety (why Bob all of a sudden is concerned with the safety of children is unexplained). Ironically, Bob boobytraps Bart's seat so that, when Bart is hurled to a gruesome death, changes will be made to save the lives of others. It's up to Otto to save Bart and his classmates. This comic is one of the better ones in this books.

   "They Fixed Homer's Brain": They saved the best for last. Homer needs money to buy Lisa a new saxophone after he broke her old one. In typical Homer fashion, he volunteers for Prof. Frink's intelligence experiment. Homer jumps from "Fat Albert" intelligence to "Albert Einstein" intelligence after a single pill. Looks like he won't be needing that copy of "Lying Around Eating and Burping for Dummies" he ordered from the library.

No comments about Showcase Presents: Justice League of America, Vol. 3.

2 comments about Super Heroes: A Modern Mythology (Studies in Popular Culture).

1. This book forever changed the way that I read superhero comics. Reynolds discusses the factors that are present in virtually every superhero comic since Superman was created. Some are apparent (devotion to justice, secret identitities), and some are subtle (lost parents, accountability only to one's own conscience). Virtually all factors are recapitulations of the developmental struggles of the primary audience of these comics: adolescent males. Reynolds continues by illuminating the grand, mythical nature of the comic-book universes, all stories blending into one vast "canonical" story, each comic becoming part of a larger continuity. This continuity shares several features of classical mythologies, which Reynolds explores in depth, citing the X-Men, the Watchmen, and the Dark Knight Returns series (among others) as evidence. Read this, it's great.



2. In Superheroes: A Modern Mythology, Richard Reynolds does an excellent job of dissecting some of the origins of the superhero genre. Beginning in the 1930s and 1940s, he lays bare some of the prevailing ideas and iconography and puts superheroes in context. Reynolds also does an able job of analyzing The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore's Watchmen, as well as certain superhero origin stories. This book's only disappointment comes from the fact that his analyzes of superheroes' mythic origins don't go far enough - those looking for explicit comparisons to assorted mythic pantheons or full-throated examinations of how superheroes fall into legendary templates (except those of the Joseph Campbell variety) will be disappointed. However, an excellent and important read for anyone interested in comic books.

5 comments about The DC Comics Action Figure Archive.

1. I have never written a negative review like this before, but I felt the need to because this book is just plain terrible. When my pre-ordered copy was finally delivered by Amazon last week I was thrilled to open it. What I saw bled all that joy away - terrible layouts of empty space with intermittant pages of jumbled images, no packaging listings, no detail about the line or the creation thereof, and incomplete and/or damaged loose figures shown as examples. Five minutes later I was thoroughly disappointed, and decided put it down and to sleep on it before picking it up again.
   
   The next day's reading was even worse. The layout problems were visually uninteresting, but the research of this book and content thereof are absolutely lacking. The only packaged items in this book are not to be found between the covers, but rather hidden on them - if you remove the slipcover the front and back hardcovers show the only packaged items this book offers. Of the figures that are listed only a third of them offer images of any kind. Of the images offered the vast majority are either Batman or Superman figures, figures made after 1994, or both. With the images that are there, even for a single character like Batman, the images are often not to scale, and therefore do not offer a scale /size comparison that to me seemed like a virtual "gimme" in a book of this kind. The vast majority of the figures shown are shown in images are from one toy line - DC Direct. While this is a fine line that I own many of, there are dozens of lines that are ignored either in large part or entirely while it retains an undue focus on modern toy lines. Additionally, many of the figures shown have either incorrect accessories and body parts or both. This is hardly archival.
   
   There is not a single figure listed before Captain Action (by IDEAL, not Mego! For goodness sake, you have a packaged example of the line on your front cover piece! How can you make this mistake?) and many lines are that come afterward are omitted either by choice or by ignorance. There is only a small block of text for each "listing", which gives only the manufacturer, the toy line, and the date of initial sale. While this information can be found on even the most rudimentary fan website some of the listings that are written here are either apocryphal (or at least wildly inaccurate). Some are listed as being produced for a different line or by a different manufacturer, and some that are overlooked in their entirety. These listing errors occur from the more obscure lines of the 1960's all the way to toys created in 2007 (The errors of the Justice League Unlimited line really frustrated me - all of the correct information can be found with a few clicks on the manufacturer's website).
   
   To sum up: this book is visually uninteresting, poorly researched, heavily weighted towards Batman, Superman, and the DC Direct toy line, the listings are often inaccurate and/or incomplete, and images that are there are not satisfying. This book is in no way archival, unless the author chose to archive his personal collection (which would explain the undo weighting of the selected images offered herein). Save yourself the time and hassle of returning this book (as I have) and simply do not buy it in the first place.
   
   Try instead Mego 8" Super-Heroes: World's Greatest Toys! by Benjamin Holcomb if you would like a great book on Super Hero Action Figures.



2. Being born in the early 1960s,I have had lots of DC action figures growing up,this book does not come close to having all the DC action figures.Most of the figures covered in this book are from at best early 1990's.I'm definately thinking about sending this book back.If I could,I would have giving this book a negative 5 stars because of its title.Buy MEGO 8" SUPER-HEROES:WORLD'S GREATEST TOYS! this book brings back good memories.



3. This is a great book to casually leaf through but not entirely thorough. As far as I could tell the author has at least listed every DC figure made, but I personally would have liked pictures of every item. I know that sometimes may not be possible, but a book like this is likely to be used as a reference guide and photos of every item would have been more useful. Still, I liked it and if you collect this sort of figures you will enjoy this book.



4. I'm not sure why I bought this - impulse I guess (darn your targeted marketing Amazon!)
   Do you really want to know how many stupid versions of Batman Kenner made? Some of the pages include information about the DC Universe, which is nice, but I think if it were a true archive, it would have images of the 300+ Batman toys made.
   If you are sometimes obsessive, don't look through the book! You'll see that many of the toys were sold exclusively to Target or marketed exclusively in other countries. If you can collect them all - invite us over to see! (And explain how you display them.)



5. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1Z1QHAFVEUXZG This is a brief video that shows you a little bit about this cool book.