Kakaku：
VIZ Media LLC
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Almost time to say goodbye...) 『I'm reading Red River since the first volume and it's one of my top favorite series. Now that I've read the #25, I'm starting to miss Kail, Yuri and all the characters of this amazing story, but one of the great things of manga is that almost all series will come to an end. And in this case a most satisfying one.
This volume starts with Ilbani, one of my favorite characters, showing all his skill and intelligence, he gets Uhri Shalma at last. The main topic Is "Is Juda really Kail's brother?". The king thinks so, Yuri has her doubts. And for Nakia lovers: she shows why she is the great villain and, yes, a great woman in her own way. Her dignity during the storm gives this volume great moments.
Volume #25 is not the best one of the series, I must confess, but it's fully useful to understand the events and the last half of the book is really gripping. When you finish it, you're eager to read the next one, because there are many things to know yet. Is Nakia going to pay for her crimes? What is Urhi secret? Wait for the volume #26 is really a pain, but as I write before, Red River is coming to the end and not deceiving or disappointing its faithful readers. 』
(Stop blaming your husband for your libido, Shuri!) 『I understand that some women like "guilt free" non-consensual fantasies, in which the hot hero can't keep his hands and naughty bits off the "pure" heroine, overcome by the sheer stallion force of his unbridled passion. It's a staple of old-school girlie smut. You're not responsible. It's just his charm. Go forth and fornicate!- vicariously. Both good girl and wanton vixen remain, paradoxically, bound within the same character.
However, you'd think by volume #25 of a series, your main character (hailed, no less, as the incarnation of that very forthright goddess of war, wooing and sex- Ishtar!) would start to act like, you know, she likes doing it! With her husband! The king! Who's hot! And loves her! Doing it with her husband, or fiancé- or whatever it is that makes "ordinary Japanese schoolgirl" (please tell me you saw that one coming) Shuri princess of the Hittite empire, consort to hottie prince-cum-sovereign Kail.
The rather pretty cover does not promise a passive heroine and lusty hero, instead, giving us a demure, brooding prince and his tenderly smiling princess draping him with a garland of flowers. (The flower-strewn cover, in fact, does not fail for a depiction of a girl hailed as Ishtar, Queen of Love.) Nor does it promise a tale of political intrigues, ancient warfare, frequent bloodletting, tainted loves and chilling brutalities dressed up in shojo adventure/fantasy conventions.
Keeping a pretty male villain in a perennial state of bondage and half-undress throughout a volume should be another cue that this is escapist romance with the un-dressings of drama and not a literary manga.
I want to like Red River... I'm a sucker for stories set in the ancient world (Anatolia- old-time Turkey, in this case), for stories in which the supernatural is a force of nature- incomprehensible, dangerous and breathtaking as a lightning storm flashing on mountains over the arid desert- and not everyday window-dressing. Red River has a beautiful art style- and a hoard of jewelry bedecking nearly every character which any self-respecting drag queen would envy. The complexities of a family villain who is not some distant, malignant specter but an ever-present threat (Kail's stepmother) who also happens to fiercely love her children (even if she's not above using them like pieces on a chessboard) is a nice twist in manga fantasies. But making the antagonist an evil priestess- a woman of power and action at home with her passions and sensual nature- in stark contrast to the "good" passive and non-sexual princess gets a bit old. Particularly when the Queen is a heck of lot more worthy of Ishtar than Yuri. I can't help wanting to like the bad dowager queen more than good ol' prim schoolgirl Yuri. At least she knows what she wants- even if the cast and readers seem not to have been fully let in on the secret- and is unrelenting in her quest to get it.
The good and evil of this story doesn't seem half so black-and-white as the jacket summary presents- something which only the otherwise useless Princess Shuri seems to be aware of. In "Evil Queen" Nakia's defense, I wouldn't be keen on a government which inflicted gross physical horrors on the man I loved, either. I just might become a ruthless, murdering "bitch" hell bent on taking down the crown- and my stepson with it. Or a bloodthirsty Hittite revolutionary, at the least. There's something to be said for fierce loyalty to your partner- even when he's been mangled. (And loyalty to the Queen who just may be your best chance at getting justice- or simply even. Some of whose royal children just might be yours.)
While this series intrigues me enough for a light reading (I'm interested in the fates and motivations of the antagonists), I'm not willing to fork out the money to shelve it alongside stories that offer meatier complexities to the dilemnas of love, ambition, revenge, passion and loyalty: Berserk, Arislan, John J Muth's Dracula, Paradise Kiss, Mars, Lucifer, Utena and Basara. Check this one out at your library or the used bookstore. Unless you're into all this.
Thanks to Sequential Tart for first publishing this review in their "Report Card" on April 13th.』 『R to L (Japanese Style)
Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer, and Yuri, a modern-day teen, were thrown together when Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen's plan to murder them both--and their growing feelings for one another--keep getting in the way!
Charged with treason, Nakia is interrogated by the Hittite council of ministers. Nakia denies her guilt and, despite being confined, uses her magic to free her henchman Urhi, who is then suspected of launching a campaign of murderous retaliation against Kail and Yuri. Nakia, however, seems to have made one mistake that could undo all her schemes--overlooking the devastating effect all the intrigue and treachery has had on Juda, her son and intended heir to the Hittite throne!』
Kakaku：
Hermes Press
Not yet published 『Continuing the adventures of Buck Rogers and Wilma Deering in the 25th century, this volume picks up the continuity where Volume One left off, with the next adventure of the world's original and best science-fiction strip. Includes a special 16-page color section with an introductory essay by noted science-fiction writer and pop culture historian Ron Goulart.』
Kakaku：
VIZ Media LLC
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Pulled back in time to Japan's ancient past, Japanese high school girl Kagome finds her destiny linked to a doglike half-demon named Inu-Yasha, who remembers Kagome's previous incarnation as the woman who killed him - and to the Shikon Jewel, or "Jewel of Four Souls," which can fulfill the greatest dreams of any man or monster. Now Kagome and Inu-Yasha must work together to search for the scattered shards of the jewel before everyone's nightmares are given the power the need to come true.』
Kakaku：
VIZ Media LLC
Usually ships in 24 hours 『R to L (Japanese Style)
Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other men. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.
ChargeAs the midnight hour nears, all the Hunters are rarin' to go! With some surprising allies on their side, they launch their blitz against the ruthless Ants. While Chairman Netero is past his prime, don't count this old man out! He's got a trick or two up his sleeve for his battle with the King. But an unexpected turn of events reveal a side of the King that no one could have predicted...』
Kakaku：
Hermes Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Long awaited reprint of this classic comic strip) 『[This is very annoying that I have to recreate my review because Amazon somehow destroyed it]
I have been awaiting this new reprint series for a long time.
I've long been an SF fan, and growing up there were 2 major SF comic strips: Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. But while there have been several complete reprints of Raymond's Flash Gordon, there was only one partial reprint of Buck Rogers: the large hardback edition from Chelsea House. My aunt had a copy, and when I visited her house, I pulled it out and read it. I finally got my own copy, only to find it was a later edition that dropped a lot of the strips (tho added some newer stuff). Because several of the storylines were left unfinished in that book, I wanted a more complete reprint.
This volume begins the reprints of dailies and Sundays. BR had separate storylines in the dailies and sundays. Some strips did this, other later merged them together. So Hermes will be reprinting the Sundays in a separate series of volumes.
This edition starts off the reprint series, publishing the first 7 storylines. While most of this was reprinted in the Chelsea House edition, there is new stuff.
Most people know the basic story, but will be surprised in what really happens in the comic. Buck Rogers is a WWI veteran who falls asleep for 500 years, and awakes in the 25th Century. But in the intervening years, America (and most of the world) has been conquered by "Red Mongols", using futuristic flying ships. So Buck's first job is to help free America. By the end of the book, most of America (the eastern US and Canada) is free from Mongol control.
There are a lot of problems with this strip for modern audiences. Artwise, BR was fairly crude. While typical of many strips of its time, its not the slick look that Flash Gordon became. The technology shown is what someone of the time thought it would be. No sleek jets or teleports or high tech computers. More of large, bulky systems. Flight is by rockets or repeller rays.
And the writing. Dialogue is pretty crude. Wilma is not the independent woman of the future we expect. Several story turn on her jealous behavior that gets almost tiresome. And then there is the implied racism.
The "Red Monguls" are typical early 20th centuary 'yellow peril'. The bad guys at first are the monguls and the 'half-breeds'. While the Americans make peace with the Monguls, I'm uncertain how things full work out. At the end of that storyline, only about half of america is truly free from Mongol control. Does the strip assume that the world is now a free united globe, fighting against Tigermen from Mars and other off world threats? I have no idea.
I do look forward to the next volume, and the upcoming Sundays.
』
(I've been waiting for this book for 25 years!, December 18, 2008) 『 I've loved the Buck Rogers strip for over 25 years but there has never been available a reprint of the strips with all of the stories in order with their titles, chapter by chapter. The reproduction of past reprints has ranged from terrible to so-so. This book is simply fantastic and forever remedies that problem; not only does it have a great introduction by Ron Goulart accompanied by pulp covers, Buck Rogers comic books, toys, movie poster art, Buck Rogers premiums - and even a great picture of the atomic disintegrator gun -the strips are the sharpest, clearest, and cleanest examples of the strip I have ever seen. The book features two strips per page in a 9 x 12 inch format and I couldn't ask for more. The book has the first seven installments of the strip; 582 strips in sequence. The paper is nice, heavy weight and matte. Can you tell I'm a big fan of the strip? I love the dustjacket too, it really grabs my eye and it's also printed on the hardcover as well; my 12-year-old actually looked at the book and commented how "neat" the cover art was, so maybe we'll have a next generation Buck Rogers fan in the house. I'm so happy with the book I've ordered a second copy. 』
(Time at the Art Institute Put to Good Use) 『I owned the atomic disintegrator pistol in the 1930s. It could cut a deep gash in hand-to-hand combat--I hope all those scars have healed.
The girls Dick Calkins drew were incredibly attractive. Up against Al Capp's, less is more.』
(Must have) 『The first Science Fiction illustrated feature that launched a genre. What more need one say? A fan of Star Trek, Star Wars any or all things Sci-fi? Then this book is a must have.』
(oh, for the good old days) 『Though not up there with Gasoline Alley, Krazy Kat, LOA and Terry and the Pirates, Buck Rogers is very enjoyable. The art and stories are primitive yet great fun. This is an old fashioned look into early scifi.
The book itself is big and gorgeous. Only two strips to a page and its stock is outstanding. Dr. Who has his Tardis to visit the past. This book could be yours.』 『Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, the first, best, and original science-fiction newspaper strip is back for fall, 2008! Starting in September 2008, Hermes Press will begin a complete reprint of the ground-breaking newspaper strip that got America hooked on Science-Fiction. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century has it all: space ships, anti-gravity belts, space pirates, invaders from other worlds, nefarious villains, and, of course, heroes! After the publication of Volume One, Hermes Press will issue a volume of dailies every five months and one volume of Sundays every year, completely documenting this historically important science-fiction/adventure saga over a period of five years. Each volume will feature an essay on the strip by a leading science-fiction author to place the series in historical perspective together with documentary materials and production artwork.』
Kakaku：
Abbeville Press
Usually ships in 1 to 4 weeks IPhone 3G used's review (A COLORFUL CAMPY CATALOGUE) 『Whether you're a collector of miniature books or not, this 4" by 4" palm-size volume is both unique and fun. It's well constructed and offers a wealth of pictorial pleasures that can be appreciated again and again.
Batman, Robin, Batgirl, the Joker, the Riddler, and a roguish cast of characters leap across the 300 Batman covers held in this colorful campy catalogue.
First appearing in Detective Comics in 1939, Batman has been a comic hero for well over half a century. In this volume the second 25 years of covers are documentation of the changes that have taken place as the notorious caped figure captured the imaginations of television viewers and moviegoers with his relentless war on crime.』
(very interesting...very tiny.) 『I am a moderately new Batman memorabilia collector so I could not pass up the chance to not only view but own copies of the Batman covers for the first 25 years. This tome does deliver as far as that is concerned. One thing I did fail to notice (I blame myself for this) is the size of the book: 4 inches x 4.5 inches! Tiny folio means just that. The art is still colorful. It is easy to read all of the print. It also includes all of the Detective covers prior to the introduction of Batman (which was really cool). The covers run all the way to 1963 so this publication allows the "reader" the opportunity to appreciate the transition of Batman during his early years. There is a nice, informative intro by Joe Desris. All in all it is a very interesting collectors item. To bad it is so damn TINY!』
(Great item for any serious BatFan) 『An anthology book depicting more than 300 covers of Detective Comics issues. A great item and the size of the book is just perfect ! Having the opportunity to lay my eyes on all those covers was just an overwhelming feeling especially when you are a serious Bat-collector as I am...』
(This book shows covers from Detective 1 through 300.) 『This is a great addition to the collection of any Batman fan. This book provides large, clear images of the first 300 covers of Detective comics, many of which are copies from the famous Mile High collection. It is also great to be able to see those covers at a glance, without having to pull those comics out of my collection. I would like to thank Joe Desris for putting this book together, so that people can appreciate those truly beautiful covers.』
(What is inside the book.) 『This is a great book for beginning Batman fans. I am an obsessed Batman fan. This is the very actual book that got me to really like Batman. Just by looking at the covers you can actually learn a lot about Batman and his fantastic adventures. So if you want to find out about the "earlier" Batman, check this book out!』 『A quarter-century of comic book covers from the Batman series features the Caped Crusader bagging a host of sinister evildoers.』
Kakaku：
Harry N. Abrams
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (I was meant to have this!) 『I for one absolutely love anything with faeries! No not the cutesy ones, but the ones that Brian Froud and Allan Lee has come to illustrate. I first stumbled upon this book on ebay through one of my favorite sellers, but they wanted nearly $30 for it and it was out of my price range. By some miracle I have made up my mind that I have to have this book. So, two weeks later I found this book in my local library used book store and bought the original 70s version for $6.
I couldn't wait to get it home and open it! The drawings are nothing less than amazing. The detail that goes into each one is beyond belief. Mr. Froud and Mr. Lee has illustrated the realm of faerie as it has not been seen before. Tinkerbell may be cute, but this book shows a side of the faerie realm that is not often portrayed. They are portrayed as tricksters and not always friendly. We are shown that faeries aren't neccessarily the cutesy beings that tend to your garden. They are very personal and like to be left alone by humans. Whether this is true in reality or not, I cannot say, but the stories and the details of each drawing are sure enough to make you a believer. I didn't need to try hard to like this, as I believe! I think one thing that most people might not realize is this doesn't mean that if you go to the UK and hang out in a forest long enough, you will see faerie folk. Many books actually emphasize that faeries do not exist in the same plane that we do, and many times they can only be seen in your mind's eye almost in a psychic way.
What makes this book even harder to put down is the fact that at the end of the book there are actual photographs of what may indeed be real faeries. Of course the pictures are quite a few decades old, and the cameras used back then have not been up to par with the ones used now. They are definitely there to see and question whether or not, the sightings photographed may have actually taken place.
This is a beautiful book and well worth owning for any faerie fan. Some of the writing tends to be a bit hard to read as the author wrote it in his own handwriting as it looks, but that's what makes this book even better! This book is full of amazing stories, history and illustrations.』
(Beautiful and Informative) 『I actually found this book in my college library and I just couldn't put it down, so I bought a copy myself! Yes, as some negative reviews say, the cover is slightly misleading, but I think this "fairy glamour" is on purpose--if you take off the dust-cover, the actual cover is quite different! As a lover of all things mythology and folklore, I found that this book actually has mostly accurate information--Brian Froud knows his faeries, and actual folklore and mythology reference books contain similar information to this one--perhaps part of the reason I found it in a college library! The artwork is truly spectacular! Not sure if I'd recommend it for small children (scary images and nudity), but I sure do recommend it for any faery lovers, or those who want some cool drawings to go with their fairy lore!』
(Faeries) 『I haven't had a chance to really look at the book in detail, but what I've managed to skim through I have enjoyed.』
(Perfect for any Froud lover.) 『This 25th anniversary edition book is just as beautiful as the original. It's the perfect addition to any Froud lover's collection. I had the original edition since I was a little girl, but eventually had to share, so I had to get one of my own. I love it just as much now as I did when I was younger. Froud is a brilliant artist, and the explanations he provides for his characters are just as fantastic. Every page is beautifully drawn and painted by both Brian Froud and Alan Lee. It's an excellent book for any artist or fantasy lover.』
(faeries) 『I had this book as a young person and loved it. this is a replacement of a long lost friend. The illistrations are exceptional and the stories wonderful.』 『It has been 25 years since Brian Froud and Alan Lee created the delightful, imaginative, and surprising Faeries-a book that quickly became a massive international bestseller and went on to sell more than a million copies. Readers continue to offer praise: "This is the most influential book I have ever read." "This book is-where are the words to describe it? Magnificent / Fabulous / Beautiful / Moving / Terrifying / Fantastic. . . ."
In celebration of Faeries' 25th anniversary, Abrams is delighted to publish a special edition featuring eight new pages and 20 new pieces of art by Froud and Lee. The artists have also contributed new introductions. Since Faeries first appeared, both men have become tremendously successful and respected figures in the worlds of film, art, and publishing. But Faeries remains perhaps their most enduring work, a superb exploration of the myths, legends, folklore, and fantasy of the world of the faeries.』
『Captain America Steve Rogers is shot and killed in this key issue. Things had already been bad for Cap. He had been declared a fugitive after the Superhero Registration Act demanded all heroes be registered by the federal government. Captain America, seeing this as an invasion of civil rights, led a resistance against this movement, chronicled in Marvel Comic's "Civil War" series. After Captain America discovered public opinion had turned against his resistance, he surrendered to authorities. This issue begins with a sniper firing at him on the steps of a federal courthouse on the way to his arraignment.』
IPhone 3G used's review (Collection of the Original James Blish Adaptations) 『James Blish began adapting the stories of the original Star Trek television series in 1967 in a series of 12 books. Bantam books has collected these books into three volumes, reorganizing them in the process. James Blish passed away many years ago, to the great chagrin of his fans, and D.C. Fontana introduces this collection.
This book is the first book of the set. There are 27 stories, representing the first season of Star Trek. Each story has a title page with a black and white picture from the television episode. The title page also lists the writer or writers, the director and guest stars.
James Blish needed to modify some of the stories a little because of the differences between a television show and a written story. However, the stories match the television shows quite well. Blish does explain in the prefaces to the original books, all of which are provided at the beginning of this collection, the kinds of changes he made and the logic behind them. While he was afraid that fans might be upset at the modifications, these books were well-received when they came out, and the original stories remain prized.
These stories range in quality, as did the original television show. "The City on the Edge of Forever" was one of the best shows in the first season, with Joan Collins as a beautiful social worker. Many other episodes challenge a viewer's mind. "Miri," guest starring Kim Darby, had adults aging rapidly, becoming paranoid and psychopathic. How could McCoy and Spock identify and cure the disease in a one-hour episode? In the "Squire of Gothos," we learn about childhood from a different perspective. In "Devil in the Dark" the crew of the Enterprise discovers a new definition of life, and that life is as protective of its children as we are of ours. There are other stories that were weak, and yet, this television show was the best science fiction available in the 1960s. We treasured each and every show.
Star Trek will forever be one of the ground breaking shows of science fiction. The show was a promise of what was yet to come, and helped to inspire many people to become scientists and engineers. These wonderfully adapted stories, each running about 20 pages or so, are fun to read again, both for fans that saw the shows when they first came out, and for new fans. This book is a wonderful addition to any Star Trek fan's library. Enjoy! 』
(The Brilliant First Season and Now in Print!) 『Some of the best episodes of all the 3 seasons are in this the first season e.g. "The Menagerie" and "The City on the Edge of Forever" and yet we get here very well-written stories that although are not exactly the same as the episodes themselves, we get a greater understanding of what's happening because of the greater details. Watch the eps and then read this.』
(James Blish's adaptation of the first season of "Star Trek") 『In the late 1960s James Blish began writing "The Star Trek Readers," a series of paperbacks in which he adapted the scripts of what was then the late lamented original "Star Trek" series. When first published Blish basically started with what fans voted as the most popular episodes and eventually worked his way through the show's three seasons. However, for the 25th Anniversary editions the adaptations were reorganized so that there were not only three volumes, each representing an entire season. Therefore, "Star Trek: The Classic Episodes, Volume 1" represents the first season in 1966-67.
The volume includes an introduction by D.C. Fontana, and the prefaces that Blish wrote for his original paperbacks, along with the forward Judith Ann Lawrence wrote for "Star Trek #12." The first season episodes are arranged in order of their television appearance: "Where No Man Has Gone Before," "The Corbomite Maneuver," "The Enemy Within," "The Unreal McCoy [The Man Trap]," "The Naked Time," "Charlie's Law [Charlie X]," "Balance of Terror," "What Are Little Girls Made Of?," "Dagger of the Mind," "Miri," "The Conscience of the King," "The Galileo Seven," "Court Martial," "The Menagerie," "Shore Leave," "The Squire of Gothos," "Arena," "The Alternative Factor," "Tomorrow Is Yesterday," "The Return of the Archons," "A Taste of Armageddon," "Space Seed," "This Side of Paradise," "The Devil in teh Dark," "Errand of Mercy," "The City on the Edge of Forever," and "Operation-Annihilate!"
The most memorable story is "The City on th Edge of Forever," because as Blish notes in his footnote the script for the story different drastically from Harlan Ellison's original version (which Harlan shared with Blish). Blish attempted to preserve what he thought were the best elements of both scripts and freely admitted that he might owe apologies to everybody. Ultimately Blish is forced to go with Gene Roddenberry's televised version, where McCoy is the person who gets accidentally gets injected with cordrazine and it is Kirk who acts to let Edith Keeler die, but he does manage to work in Ellison's original ending where Spock speaks to Kirk about offering the universe for love. For years this was the only indirect look we had at Ellison's original script, which was reprinted in an obscure science fiction collection until he included it in a published diatribe against what Roddenberry did to the episode.
Blish was a well-known science fiction author, who has won the Hugo Award for his novel "A Case of Conscience," and what he brought to these adaptations was a great ability to flesh out both the characters and the actions. In many ways these adaptations hold up better than the original episodes, where the special effects are less than what an eight-year-old can do on a home computer today. But throughout Blish shows an understanding of both the characters and the Star Trek universe that was being created, which explains why he was also the author of the first "Star Trek" original novel, "Spock Must Die!"』
『Features 27 stories adapted from Star Trek's landmark first season.』
大満足！北国のホタテ・いくら・ボタンエビがぎっしり！
