Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 10: Hollywood

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04

This is easily the lamest of these trades so far. In the comic, they are making a Spider-Man movie. Just a pathetic plot, pretty much. So, he isn't happy, neither is Dr Octopus, whose wife has sold rights to her story to the producers.

He breaks out, wants to get even, ends up fighting Spider-Man in a plane to Brazil.

Gwen Stacy finds out who he is by breaking into stuff in his room. The rest is rubbish.

spidey rules.......2007-02-02

ultimate spider-man by bendis and bagley is one of the best series out there. not as much action and non-stop bad guy fighting, but a good mix of that and a lot of peter parker being a teenager with problems (girls, bullies, being grounded, etc.) along with his spidey life.
the series is great great great. only a few minor things that could be better:
1. i don't like how nick fury comes in and tells spider-man he's going to work his whole life for him and shield. the idea of peter being...trapped in a web? haha...well it isn't too cool. superheroes need to fight the good fight because they want to, not because shield will go and take away their superpowers (as fury has threatened) if they don't comply. plus the issues where the ultimates come in aren't that great, the whole series gets hijacked by them and not a lot of spidey. imo, the ultimates are easily the worst part of the ultimate universe. beyond ultimate spider-man and the ultimate fantastic four the ultimate universe isn't too great.
2. bendis needs to cut down on the tuchas talk. seriously if parker grew up in nyc today he'd more likely speak spanglish than yanglish.
3. geldoff.

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 10: Hollywood.......2004-10-04

More great work from Bendis and Bagley! This storyline is filled with many comic moments, as well as serious knock-down, drag-out fights between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. The Ultimate version of Doc Ock is no pushover, and he has left quite the body count in his wake since the time of his origin and subsequent appearances in this title. Doctor Otto Octavius considers his life to be completely and utterly ruined and blames everything on Spider-Man. So, he murderous madman has only one goal in life now: a dead or suffering Spider-Man. Spider-Man has always known Doc Ock is dangerous, but by the end of the book, he's taking the guy completely serious. No time for witty banter, as he's fighting for his life and is hurting bad. What makes this story even more realistic, though, is how Peter worries that he won't make it home to his Aunt May. Not only will he probably not be home "on time," but he wonders if he'll make it home at all. Very good writing, in my opinion.

This story also features a major revelation for one of the supporting characters at the end of the book, as well as some closure on the problem of Doc Ock. This book sets the stage well for more development between Peter and Gwen Stacy, which I look forward to. Well worth the time and money, I found this TPB to be very enjoyable!

Spider-Man is not crazy about the new "Spider-Man" movie.......2004-09-09

In anticipation of the summer release of the "Spider-Man 2" movie it seemed like every one of the Spider-Man titles put out by Marvel comics did a Doctor Octopus storyline, with a few Doc Ock mini-series thrown into the mix as well. For "Ultimate Spider-Man," the series that has updated the wall crawler for the 21st century by going back to the beginning and focusing on a 16-year-old Peter Parker living next door to Mary Jane Watson, that mean the six-issues of the "Hollywood" story arc (issues #54-59).

This is the one Doc Ock storyline Marvel offered that up in the summer of 2004 that tackled the idea of Hollywood making a movie about Spider-Man. It is not that Spider-Man ends up in Hollywood, but rather than Hollywood brings the magic of movie making to New York City and Spider-Man's home turf. Aunt May is out of town leaving Peter and Gwen Stacy alone and there is a story on the news about a Spider-Man film about to be made in Hollywood, starring Tobey Maguire and telling the story of a nobody/loser who grabs the world's imagination when he puts on a mask. The kids at school are all excited about trying to get parts as extras in the film while Peter can only tell MJ "I live in Hell." Spider-Man goes down to the movie set in NYC to chastise the actor and director for doing this (although he admits "Evil Dead 2" was cool, in a nod to Sam Rammi). Then Doctor Octopus breaks out of jail; it seems he has heard about the movie as well.

Brian Michael Bendis (story), Mark Bagley (pencils), and Art Thibert (inks) have more going on behind the cameras than they do in front in this six-part story. At school Kong is excited to get a part in the movie but Gwen cannot get past the fact that as far as she is concerned Spider-Man killed her father and Peter is unable to tell her anything different. When Doctor Octopus attacks the movie set Spider-Man has to deal with the insult added to injury because he has to save the actors and crews from the super villain. But the attack was just a reason to bring out Doc Ock's true target, which is Spider-Man himself, and our hero gets to go someplace he has never been before.

Ultimately, the most important thing here is that Spider-Man defeat Doctor Octopus and get home before Aunt May comes back from her trip, because our hero is more worried about being grounded by his aunt than being pounded to pulp by a super villain (which is quite reasonable given what we know about Aunt May's disciplinary inclinations). But there is something even worse in store for our hero beyond that point and the best part of "Hollywood" is the last part, which is pretty much a coda to the big fight. While this one does not end with a bang and the whimper definitely belongs to Doctor Octopus (the Nick Fury of the Ultimate universe is a pretty smart guy who does what needs to be done), it is strongly grounded in the characters. Granted, the action takes a back seat to the character dynamics, but I did not mind it this time around.

"Ultimate Spider-Man: Hollywood" has a nice mix of comic moments (e.g., Mysterio) with more personal ones, especially given the horrible thing that is going to happen in the next volume of the series, "Ultimate Spider-Man: Carnage." Reading these stories again known what lies ahead made several of the scenes especially poignant. I think it is clear that Bendis et al. have a clear view of the big picture and the long term with this particular comic book, which is why the "Ultimate Spider-Man" experiment has worked so well. You can appreciate it on its own terms or you can enjoy the way they work in twists and turns on the original Spider-Man stories. I am happily ensconced in the latter camp and will be for some time to come.

Spider-Man Confidential: From Comic Icon to Hollywood Hero

Average customer rating:

Spiderman, Behind the Scenes...
So, you want to know more about SPIDERMAN

Spider-Man Confidential: From Comic Icon to Hollywood Hero
Edward Gross
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786887222

Book Description

For four decades, Spider-Man has enthralled fans of his comic books and television show. Now, step inside the story behind the superheros growing empire, which is as fascinating as any of his adventures. Entertainment writer Edward Gross tells all in this first unauthorized history of the Spider-Man (a.k.a.webslinger), his creator, and the movie that will catapult him into the public eye. Gross shows how Stan Lees frustration as a comic book artist spawned the creation of a revolutionary comic book hero as he follows Spider-Mans popularity through the 60s and 70s. He provides Spider-Mans fans with a riveting biography of the superhero, a rogues gallery of archenemies, and a behind-the-scenes episode guide to all five television series. Spider-Man is back and this fact-filled, fully illustrated book will become the perfect resource for his millions of fans.

Customer Reviews:

Spiderman, Behind the Scenes..........2003-07-20

This is a great book on all the politics and ego clashes that have gone into making all the various Spiderman incarnations throughout the years, on TV, the cartoons and the films. The one down side of it all is - no pictures. Then, too, it is also billed as an unauthorized bio so it would be fitting that Marvel Comics would not permit any artwork to be used (see the DC Comics approved Les Daniels histories if you want the watered down histories of comic book characters). Particularly of note is why Steve Ditko left drawing Spiderman in the first place (according to the book, he didn't like Stan Lee), why the great Spiderman cartoon of the 1990's was cancelled (network idiocy, according to series writer John Semper), and why James Cameron never got around to making the Spiderman movie (after Titanic was made, he felt he was too big for it). This is a no-holds barred look at the Spiderman franchise, all it's good incarnations and it's bad (like the awful Nicholas Hammond TV show and the last terrible Spidey cartoon, Spiderman Unlimited). It isn't a comprehensive book, but it is a valuable resource for those of us who always wondered why such a great character never received (until recently) a good screen treatment. In the past, according to the book, Marvel Comics was mostly just interested in making a buck on Spiderman, could have cared less how he had been portrayed. These days, since they're owned by Toy Biz, they have an interest, at least - to sell more Spiderman toys. The fact that so many pin-headed executive types have been involved with the character over the years makes you grateful that the character has been as creative as he has. Spidey's greatest villain is not the Green Goblin, it's all those network execs that have kept trying to dumb him down for televison or improve on an already good idea.

So, you want to know more about SPIDERMAN.......2002-10-09

This is another book that capitalizes in the SPIDERMAN HYPE
after the movie, it is mostly a summarized review of the
comics, the Cartoons and the TV series that were made before
the movie.

If you are a new fan of SPIDERMAN and you need to know how
does the story in the comics differs from the one in the
movie, you need to buy this book; but remember that there
is going to be lots of spoilers.

The cartoons descriptions is Okay, including a very rare
summarization of a Japanese Animated version of spiderman
with weird storylines (please skip the chapter, the japanese
transformed SPIDERMAN into a POWER RANGER), unfortunately
there is no pictures to know how these animation looked like;
obviusly there is no reference pictures of the other animations.

About the old TV series, it is mostly a behind the scenes of
the production, with an episode guide and some politics of
the showbiz.

Book Description

By the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

"After all these many years, with nary a competitor in sight nor hindsight, Mr. Hirschfeld remains the master-the undisputed Chairman of the Drawing Board."
-Larry Gelbart

Al Hirschfeld's line drawings are synonymous with the American theater, but his dynamic work for Hollywood films is only now gaining the attention it deserves. This fun, affordable paperback-which accompanies an exhibition at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences-showcases his marvelous artwork for movie posters, billboards, murals, and theater displays with images of film stars from Laurel and Hardy to the Marx Brothers, Fred Astaire, and Julia Roberts; and for classic movies such as The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, and The Manchurian Candidate. The entire world of cinema, as only Hirschfeld could portray it, unfolds in this radiant companion volume to Hirschfeld's New York.
115 illustrations, 45 in full color, 96 pages, 9 x 10"

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding artwork.......2005-04-07

Posters used to publicize movies are an art form that has largely been lost. Modern forms of publicity rely on computer-generated images, web sites and animation. Al Hirschfeld was one of the outstanding drawers of such posters and this is a collection of some of his best. Nearly all depict older movies or the stars of those movies, the most recent poster for a movie is from the early 1990's. There are also some figures of old stars that he drew for postage stamps.
I enjoyed the artwork, but I also enjoyed the nostalgic look back through a history of some of the greatest movies ever made and the stars that made them great. It is a history of the movies from a perspective quite different than reading about the plots and the trials and tribulations of making them.

All Hirschfeld.......2002-02-22

Everything about Hirschfeld was already said. He's a genius. He's the Line King. He's almost 100 years old. And he's alive. Get this damn book. Buy the old ones. Collect them. Buy the video. Cut his drawings from the Sunday NYTimes. Stop buying stupid eletronic gadgets, save the money, and then spend 2 thousand in an original lithograph. I did it. Twice. And there's nothing in the world that can make me feel better. Maybe another one.

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age

Average customer rating:

Behind the Hi-Jinx
Comprehensive look at a dying artform
golden age...what golden age?
Interesting, but often unfair to brilliant directors
Barrier's Tome, Decades-Long in the Making--Finally

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age
Michael Barrier
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons; Revised and Updated (Plume Books)
Masters of Animation
Serious Business: The Art and Commerce of Animation in America from Betty Boop to Toy Story
Animating Culture: Hollywood Cartoons from the Sound Era (Rutgers Series in Communications, Media, and Culture)
Before Mickey

ASIN: 0195167295

Book Description

In Hollywood Cartoons, Michael Barrier takes us on a glorious guided tour of American animation in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, to meet the legendary artists and entrepreneurs who created Bugs Bunny, Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, Wile E. Coyote, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry, and many other cartoon favorites. Beginning with black-and-white silent cartoons, Barrier offers an insightful account, taking us inside early New York studios and such Hollywood giants as Disney, Warner Bros., and MGM. Barrier excels at illuminating the creative side of animation--revealing how stories are put together, how animators develop a character, how technical innovations enhance the "realism" of cartoons. Here too are colorful portraits of the giants of the field, from Walt and Roy Disney and their animators, to Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera. Based on hundreds of interviews with veteran animators, Hollywood Cartoons gives us the definitive inside look at this colorful era and at the creative process behind these marvelous cartoons.

Customer Reviews:

Behind the Hi-Jinx.......2004-03-18

This was a very good book, with a few caveats.

The first chapter, on silent cartoons, is hard going. Not until Walt Disney shows up does that chapter start flowing.

BUT from that point on, until the chapter on UPA, I had a hard time putting "Hollywood Cartoons" down. Barrier doesn't take the usual perspective on cartoons. He doesn't care how they appeal to the casual viewer but how they look to the pro. I didn't agree with all his judgments, but I respect his judgments.

I have read several histories of cartoons, and Barrier still managed to surprise me or say something new. He had the best discussion of the origins of Bugs Bunny I've ever read. His description of the working of MGM's cartoon studio was fascinating, and his views on Bob Clampett and Chuck Jones showed real insight.

Barrier states his opinions strongly. He doesn't like Fleischer or UPA cartoons, and he doesn't think Friz Freleng is worth a lot of discussion. (I would disagree about Friz, but agree on the other stuff.)

In all, this was a fine book on this subject, and I am glad I read it.

Comprehensive look at a dying artform.......2003-10-19

Covering much of the same ground as Leonard Maltin's Of Mice and Magic, Hollywood Cartoons is packed with interesting insights and comments from both the author and those that participated in the creation of an American art form. Michael Barrier's exhaustively researched book covers the Golden Age of Hollywood animation and the movers and shakers that had an impact on the art form.

At nearly 650 pages Barrier's book takes a fair balanced look at Disney, Warner Bros., Fleischer and other contributors to this dying art form. It's actually a perfect companion piece to the newely released boxed set of Warner Bros. Looney Tunes classics. Barrier avoids the Disney worship that marred other books of this type and, like Maltin's marvelous but less indepth book, he manages to point out the key contributions of the most important animation directors/producers of the era.

While it does overlook or give only a cursory overview of some important figures in the industry, Barrier's scholarly aproach manages to recognize the merits and flaws of each studio, their system and directors. Although not as well illustrated as Maltin's book, the pictures do provide a glimpse of many of the essential classics that impacted the art of animation. Since much of the documentation for the creation of some of the early Warner classics are long gone, Barrier has to rely on many of the same sources and pictures as other authors. The book could have been improved if he had gone more to private collectors for rare animation cels, production photos, model drawings and notes. I also would have liked many of these illustrations to be reproduced in color. Seeing them in dark black and white illustrations does little justice to the artistry of these pioneers.

Maltin's book was clearly the work of an informed fan; his approach focused on the creation of many of the important classics but didn't lose track of the fun in the finished product. Barrier's scholarly approach is a bit drier and doesn't quite communicate the excited of Maltin's less authoriative book on the same subject. It's still an important look at the pioneers of animation's Golden Age and, as such, should be read by those who love the shorts from the various eras examined here.

golden age...what golden age?.......2003-07-21

Michael Barrier's "Hollywood Cartoons" is impeccably researched and intellectually sophisticated; a milestone in its way, it also poses a few problems, one being the inescapable conclusion that the golden age of Hollywood scarcely existed at all. Mr. Barrier casts a baleful eye on some of animation's finest: Chuck Jones' "What's Opera, Doc?" is 'an empty triumph'; "Fantasia", hopelessly puerile and retrograde; "The Tell-Tale Heart", recently chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress, 'a total flop'. Even "Pinocchio" inspires more vitriol than praise (too much airbrush, poor planning and characterizations - Disney 'took the guts out of it', etc...) Can't these guys do anything right? Terrytoons are characterized by 'pervasive squalor', and he assures us UPA, once the shining avatar of cutting-edge animation, could be as dull, insipid and uninspired as any other studio. That's good to know. It should come as no surprise that Mr. Barrier feels a special affinity for Disney's Grumpy (Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs) though this he attributes to Bill Tytla's masterful character animation. Hubley's "Rooty Toot Toot" also receives the Barrier seal of approval. But, in general, there are few pearls to be found among the prevailing dross. There's no question Barrier takes his subject seriously...perhaps, too seriously. Lighten up...they're just cartoons!

Interesting, but often unfair to brilliant directors.......2001-03-13

Books on the history of animation, especially the early ones, tend to fall into the trap of Disney-worshipping, which Barrier thankfully avoids. However, in his zeal to prove he is not Disney's lap dog, he unfairly bashes some of the studio's features (including one I consider on a par with the best of them, "Lady and the Tramp.") He gives the same slash-and-burn treatment to the Warner Bros. studio--Clampett, in his view, was apparently nothing more than a second-rate hack, when Clampett in fact hit a period of sheer brilliance in the early to mid forties. "Book Revue", "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery", "The Old Grey Hare" and "Baby Bottleneck" were all Clampett creations, and occupy many of the top slots in Jerry Beck's book "The Fifty Greatest Cartoons Ever." Barrier dismisses them all, as well as Clampett's abilities as a draftsman. I would say he is partial to Jones in his longtime feud with Clampett, but Jones falls victim as well. Still, it is worth reading if you like behind-the-scenes stories of the animation industry.

Barrier's Tome, Decades-Long in the Making--Finally.......2000-07-14

Beautiful, complete, if Disney-centric (but then again, that's the reality, isn't it?) epic of the much-maligned and still underappreciated Hollywood animated cartoon. Barrier leaves no stone unturned in this definitive scholarly thesis on his subject, as well he shouldn't: this thing has been in the works--on and off--for almost two decades. (Only one minor quibble: not enough stuff on the Jones-Clampett feud and other non-Disney political issues.) Animation scholars rejoice!

Fortune and Glory: A True Hollywood Comic Book Story

Average customer rating:

Mandatory Hilarious Reading for Anyone With Dreams of Glory
Familiar but Funny
Talk, talk, talk with repeating images as background
Much better than the book Bendis is trying to sell
Uncommonly funny

Fortune and Glory: A True Hollywood Comic Book Story
Brian Michael Bendis
Manufacturer: Oni Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1929998066

Book Description

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY gave him an A, Hollywood insiders fell all over themselves to praise him, and fans everywhere gave him a full thumbs-up for hilarity. Now, on the heels of his praise and punishment, Brian Michael Bendis puts his sold-out miniseries, FORTUNE & GLORY, into one hefty volume. Marvel once again at the stupidity of Hollywood producers, the vanity of stars like Uma Thurman and Clint Eastwood, and the enthralling mood swings and ego nosedives of a little indie comic-book creator caught up in the maelstrom of the motion picture industry. Presented in a handy 6" X 9" format, this collection features brand-new pages left on the cutting room floor and not included in the original comics. The individual issues are becoming increasingly hard to find, and that's because everyone who read it didn't like it, they loved it. Featuring an introduction by Paul Dini, who himself knows a thing or two about the Hollywood machine.

Customer Reviews:

Mandatory Hilarious Reading for Anyone With Dreams of Glory.......2007-09-06

This is one of the most hilarious true stories I've ever read and it should be read by anyone who has any desire to try to make it in life whether in the Entertainment Industry (Movies, Music, Modeling, Producing, Directing), Medicine, Business, With Beautiful Women, anything. I wish this book was available when I was a teen. Even though its about Bendis's trials and tribulations getting a movie made from his work, the path he goes on is similar for almost everything in life for people who want to succeed: Getting strung along left right and center, getting strung along some more & getting strung along some more after that, trying to reach your goal, without losing your mind in frustration after frustration getting your hopes up & getting them crushed, etc. If you have a teenage kid or daughter, you should make this mandatory reading for them.

Familiar but Funny.......2007-04-05

This is a very funny read, especially the last third when Bendis and Andreyko are pitching "Torso". The jokes are well-paced, and the page layouts are interesting. There's a lot of good advice for cartoonists/writers drawn to Hollywood.

On the downside is the familiarity of the story -- is anyone really surprised by the stupidity of Hollywood types? Also, there's rather too much reliance on repeating panels (although some of it is justified by the humour).

The "Torso" pitch made me want to read the book, but it seems to be out of print, and I couldn't find the movie either. It would be nice to have an update of its status in a future edition.

Talk, talk, talk with repeating images as background.......2006-12-28

I love Harvey Pekar's American Splendor material. I love Art Spiegelman's Complete Maus book. Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is wonderful. Or Crumb's stuff. But reading Fortune and Glory is a worse use of my time than doing nothing--even if I was on an airplane and had nothing else to do.

Bendis reuses too many images with only a change of text. You don't have to look hard to find this; you can see this repeatedly in the first three pages. Additionally, some of his monologues have tons of balloon text segments. One has 24 balloon text segments and I found myself not caring about any of them.

Talk is the thing that this book is about. And it isn't interesting talk. At least if you consider the ratio of words to points as a basis.

I can only imagine that this must be of interest to people who have some sentimental attachment to the hassles of working with Hollywood and want to experience Bendis's every thought.

This comic book does not work at so many levels that it is great to study to see what can be done wrong. Too many images for too little content. Too little variety in the images. Many images being repeated many times. To little content for the amount of words. The story drags along.

I am left with the question: Why was this comic book published?

Much better than the book Bendis is trying to sell.......2006-02-06

You can see in my other reviews that I a) love Bendis and b) did not like Goldfish, so it was interesting for me to read this book, in which Bendis tries to sell his screenplay based on Goldfish to Hollywood. While I can't imagine Goldfish as a movie, it was funny to read about Bendis' experience trying to sell the idea to some airheads in Hollywood.

I've watched my significant other trying to make it as a writer in Hollywood for some years now, and Bendis' experience rang true. Bendis draws himself as a white bowling ball-headed character, with wide eyes, while everyone in Hollywood is drawn with big chins, big grins, and closed eyes. There is a great bit of monologue where Bendis is lying with his head on his wife's lap, looking fetal, thinking something like (sic), "You try not to get too excited, to think about how your boyhood dream is about to either start happening or disappear forever. You try... but COME ON!" I can't tell you how many times this has happened with me and mine.

It was also amusing as a historical document, with Bendis talking about how he is an independent comic book writer, and by independent we mean Not Superheroes. Clearly, now he writes everything for Marvel, including Daredevil, Ultimate Spiderman and New Avengers, so he's gotten over his disdain for the genre. Overall an entertaining and insightful little memoir.

Uncommonly funny.......2004-02-16

Comics generally don't do humour very well. Visual humour is often spoiled unless the pay off is over the page as the eye has a habit of seeing the punchline even as the brain deciphers the text involved in the build up. Written humour is subject to the vaguaries of the writer and the relative peculiarities of the reader. Fortune and Glory is the most consistently funny comic I have ever read, especially under re-reading.

Bendis is usually noted for his dialogue heavy pieces, his crime comics and his ability to depict the urban and the realistic. Here it is his observations on the absurd and the ridiculous that make the comic. Most of the jokes are underplayed: allowing the sheer stupidity of what is being said tell the joke rather than belabouring the point. While his art is suitably cartoony and energetic, it doesn't over exagerrate anything or distract from what is essentially verbal humour.

Book Description

“I wish that The Supervillain Book could be required reading so that all the bizarre knowledge that fans like me have on the subject would be shared by everyone.” – Alex Ross, artist of Kingdom Come and Justice (DC Comics). What would a good guy be without the bad guy? Boring. Drawing from sources in comic books, film, live-action and animated television, newspaper strips, toys, and manga and anime, The Supervillain Book exhaustively explores the extraordinary lives and careers of hundreds of overachieving evildoers. This definitive A-to-Z guide to supervillains—nefarious masterminds, sinister societies, and destructive dominators that have battled super- and other fictional heroes—is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Superhero Book. A must-read for anyone ever enthralled with mythic wickedness, The Supervillain Book investigates each character’s origin, modus operandi, costumes, weapons and gadgetry, secret hideouts, chief henchmen, and minions, while serving a super-sized trove of fascinating trivia. It also takes you behind the scenes, describing the creation and development of these marvelously malicious, menacing, and malevolent characters. Splashing the pages in full glorious color are exciting film stills and comic-book images of villains in action, plus entertaining sidebars galore. The dark side has never been so inviting. “Sinfully good.” —The Daily Bugle. The Supervillain Book contains everything you ever wanted to know about the bad guys in comics, film, and television—all in one complete volume for the first time. The Supervillain Book is an indispensable guide to pop culture’s most menacing masterminds, costumed criminals, sinister societies, and destructive dominators that have battled superheroes and fictional heroes of comics, TV, and film.

Customer Reviews:

Two excellent surveys are recommended picks.......2006-10-15

Two excellent surveys are recommended picks for any library strong in cartoons or graphic novels. Gina Misiroglu ad Michael Eury's THE SUPERVILLAIN BOOK: THE EVIL SIDE OF COMICS AND HOLLYWOOD draws from sources not just in comic books but in film animated TV, toys, newspaper and more, providing an exploration of the plots and lives of definitive evil characters. An A-Z reference organization makes it easy to look up character origins, costumes, weapons, and facts - but this is more than a listing of evil. Discussions also include plenty of history, surveys of early influences, and more.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

American Century: Hollywood Babylon (American Century (DC Comics))

Average customer rating:

Like A DVD to Watch if you Have Nothing Else to Do
Tasteless; without class or wit

American Century: Hollywood Babylon (American Century (DC Comics))
David Tischman , and Howard Chaykin
Manufacturer: Vertigo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Like A DVD to Watch if you Have Nothing Else to Do.......2007-09-23

The "Bruce Wayne" reviewer here is nuts, this is by no means terrible but just something to read and kill time if you have nothing else to do, like renting a DVD to kill time, that you normally wouldn't watch but helped you kill a few hours.

Tasteless; without class or wit.......2005-09-24

Horrible. I'm a rabid fan of detective stories, and I have no problem with them carrying a touch of an erotic edge, but this was just tasteless. The main character looks like a pretty-boy, with his feathered blonde hair and his clueless dialogue. There is no possible way you could become attatched to this loser.

God what a horrible book. The only thing that comes close to giving it even 2 stars is the artwork.

Ziggy Goes Hollywood: A Ziggy Collection

Average customer rating:

Ziggy Goes Hollywood: A Ziggy Collection
Tom Wilson
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Character Matters: A Ziggy Collection
Look Out World...Here I Come!
The Zen of Ziggy
A Little Character Goes a Long Way: A 35-Year Collection of Ziggy Favorites
The First 25 Years Are The Hardest

ASIN: 0740735330

Book Description

Ziggy has been taped to countless computers, tacked to thousands of school bulletin boards, and stuck on refrigerator doors everywhere. So it's only fitting that one of the planet's most popular cartoon characters pays a visit to the most famous community in the world-Hollywood.Ziggy Goes Hollywood is the latest collection of cartoonist Tom Wilson's legendary strip. The pudgy and prized little guy first landed on comics pages in 1971. Three decades later he is read by 75 million people worldwide each day. While Ziggy may be insecure, he is a beacon of hope to the masses who read him daily: His humorous hard luck reminds them to not take life too seriously.While things don't typically come easy for this adorable underdog, he always seeks out the bright spot, inspiring us all to do the same. Within its 128 pages, Ziggy Goes Hollywood captures dozens of those "you-can-say-that-again" moments that have made it legendary.

The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book Icons and Hollywood Heroes (Popular Reference)
Average customer rating:

A fine companion volume using the same A-Z reference format

Good but not great

not what i expected for

Nice , but...

Got a comic fan in your life? Make his/her day with this one

The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book Icons and Hollywood Heroes (Popular Reference)
David A. Roach
Manufacturer: Omnigraphics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Art | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
Pop Culture | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Comic Book Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to Characters, Graphic Novels, Writers, and Artists in the Comic Book Universe

500 Comic Book Villains

Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood

The DC Comics Encyclopedia

DC Comics: A Celebration of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes

ASIN: 0780807723

Customer Reviews:

A fine companion volume using the same A-Z reference format.......2006-10-15

Gina Misiroglu works with David A. Roach on THE SUPERHERO BOOK: THE ULTIMATE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COMIC-BOOK ICONS AND HOLLYWOOD HEROES, which provides a fine companion volume using the same A-Z reference format and surveying all significant characters in almost 300 alphabetically indexed entries. Together these are key references for any comprehensive cartoon or comic library holding, accenting histories with a peppering of color and black and white illustrations from source materials.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Good but not great.......2006-06-14

Was it just me or did anyone else notice a lot of spelling errors in the book? Also under Greatest American Hero they called Robert Culp's character John Mackie and in the show he was called Bill Maxwell. Things like that bothered me and this is no way an "Ultimate Encyclopedia". They hardly touched on comic book characters like: Grendel, Whisper, American Flagg. Really a disappointing book.

not what i expected for.......2005-03-22

First of all i was looking for a book that describes each super heroe's style, character, super powers in detail, even i expected a scala or a chart showing his/her powers, intelligence, agility, dexterity out of say, 10 or 100 what ever. But none is available, just a brief explanation of how he /she is created, and etc. No description of his/her adventures, friends, the very popular speciality etc.

I bought this book with 2 other books "The comic book encyclopedia" (ron goulart) and "500 comic book villains" (Baron's production) and none of them satisfied me.

However only book which provides all superheroes with "pictures" is "The comic book encyclopedia" (ron goulart)this and the other book doesnt even provide picture for all characters but some mostly known ones.

i dont recommend this product for those who is familiar with the super heroes but to those who knows nothing about comics.

Nice , but..........2005-01-25

If you believe that you are getting a book where you will SEE illustrations of many, or even about 10%, of the superheros that there are info/articles on...think again. You may, or may not, read about your favorites and learn some interesting facts, but, you will not see them. Bizarre for a book on a very visual medium. As to the selection of superheroes and the (dis)proportionate length of some articles...well, call it author's choice...or bias. A tad light on the founding fathers, so to speak, of the 1940's. I am immediately selling mine.

Got a comic fan in your life? Make his/her day with this one.......2004-11-28

Their are other comic book encyclopedias out their. Some of them have flashier art (not that this doesn't) or higher page counts. But a when I read through this one I was impressed.

I challenged the book by looking for characters other than Spider-Man, such as MiracleMan and Phantom Lady and was pleased with the coverage they were given. Lots of nice tidbits and indepth coverage of many heroes including their crossovers into other media.

Buy it for the comic fan in your life.

Average customer rating:

Tozzer 2: Special Edition
Rob Dunlop , and Peter Lumby
Manufacturer: Ablaze Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Parodies | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Tozzer makes his long-awaited comeback! In this wickedly funny cinematic satire, some of the biggest names in Tinseltown get their comeuppance. Fans of Star Wars, The Matrix, and other iconic movies will be rubbing their hands in anticipation!

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