Great read, even for a comic newbie like me
932267
This is really something I could say is a Graphic Novel without smirking.  I'm no veteran when it comes to comics, but I've lent it out to a few people I know that are, and they rave about it as well.  It's very much like a Fear And Loathing influenced cyberpunk tale of journalism in a future that, for all its random technical advances, is still populated by people and therefore still plagued by the same kinds of problems we face today.
952239
It really is amazing what a good writer can do to breathe new life into an old character.  Matt Fraction's Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon is a prime example of this.  I bought this on the recommendation of a writer friend of mine, even though I was a bit iffy on the idea.  Hawkeye?  Actually being interesting?  I've been reading comics since before Hawkeye even appeared on the scene and had never really regarded him as much of anything more than a Marvel version of Green Arrow, but I trusted this guy's judgment and decided to give this comic a try.  And I have to say it was definitely the right move.  Fraction's take on Hawkeye is nothing less than ground-breaking.  And the best thing is that you don't need to know anything about Hawkeye to enjoy this comic.

Highly, highly recommended.
1159146
The subtle humor of "Does This Cape Make Me Look Fat" can rarely be singled out on an individual page.  There are no jokes and few sight gags to be found within.  Instead, the fun of this volume comes from the fact that, were superheroes real, they might very well be given a manual just like this one.

The book is filled with practical advice for the everyday superhero, written with all the enthusiasm of an educational filmstrip, and aided by lackluster commercial art, points for discussion, and even worksheets.  It takes the ludicrous concept of superheroes and makes it seem laughably real.

There are a few laugh-out-loud moments, but, for the most part, this kind of humor is more likely to leave you with a few faint chuckles, all while providing surprisingly intelligent observations about the superhero genre, from helping you successfully choose and work with a mentor to making you consider what your costume says about you.  This isn't heavy reading, and it doesn't necessarily need to be read in order.  Instead, it's a great volume for flipping through while passing the time, never requiring you to read more than a page or two in one sitting.

As a comic book fan, I find this book endlessly amusing, surprisingly intelligent, and absolutely worthy of repeated flip-throughs.  I suspect anyone with an appreciation for subtle humor will feel the same.
923922
I like comics and sci fi, so expected this to be a double win, and so it was. My only previous experience with manga was&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/MANGA-MESSIAH-Spanish-Spanish-Edition/dp/B00TI2G49C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">MANGA MESSIAH Spanish (Spanish Edition)</a>, which was fine for learning Spanish, but not my favorite artwork. This volume, on the other hand, has beautiful artwork throughout, particularly in the drawing of Esmeralda (emerald in Spanish) herself.

The storyline is also excellent, building up two main characters along with several others, all of which are well-described, with the villains suitably in need of killing, and the sympathetic characters lovable despite any flaws in their appearance or behavior. We learn a lot about Esmeralda and young Hiroshi Umino, who reminds Esmeralda of both her younger self and a mysterious man she seeks across the galaxy. Like Robin Hood, Esmeralda inspires terror everywhere, but actually has a heart of gold for the unfairly oppressed, helping them find the freedom both she and Hiroshi Umino seek so diligently for themselves.

As a newbie, I did make one initial mistake - reading the book from front to back like any other book written in English. Read that way, I spent most of the book confused. Eventually I figured out that having the cover illustration on the back cover and page numbers that increased from back to front meant that I should read it from back to front, which I then promptly did. Much easier to follow that way. Also, within a page, the dialog proceeds right panel to left panel, and then from top of page to bottom of page.

This is labeled Volume 1, with a Volume 2 expected eventually. Although this volume is complete within itself, with most storylines completed, enough mystery remains to easily fill another volume, and I will be eagerly looking forward to reading that one too.

Highly recommended.
4202849
Somehow, thumbing through this comic had never really grabbed my attention - or really turned me off, either. I finally decided to make up my mind one way or the other, and took this first of the collected monthlies home.

And darn well about time, too. Although the premise almost invites bad execution, the stories and artwork both meet very high standards. Artwork by Vess, Bolton, and Kaluta set a high tone, one that the other artists rise to. The stories pull the reader in, too. They draw on the familiar characters of childhood fairy tales, but move them forward in a world of dark forces and dire conflicts. There are no "adult" themes here, but there's still plenty to please a mature and thoughtful reader, and certainly not much for a young child.

I hung back from this title for a long time - well, I've made other mistakes, too. I enjoyed this first collection immensely, and I'm coming back for more.

-- wiredweird
789165
I haven't read comics since I was a teenager in the 60's but I truly enjoyed "Wearing The Cape".  I bought it because it was "cheap" for the Kindle and I has some air miles ahead.  Wow!  I was completely engrossed by the authors very logical imagination of what a world with super humans might be like.  I kept saying to myself "Of Course! That makes perfect sense." The story is engaging with a few twists.  I would like to see more tales in this universe and look forward to a sequel or two.  Highly recommended.
3439446
This is the series that has finally got me into comics. I used to only be passively interested in comic characters and such, never really read any before for the most part, mostly watched comic book movies and listened to podcasts and people talk about comics and such. Seeing this character made me curious and very interested. Also I'm all for more female super-heroes. The costume design is simply amazing, the art and story is solid and is an overall great read. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys comics at any sort of level. Don't need to know much marvel back story with this, especially since it largely takes place in an alternate universe compared to most marvel comic books, but if you're familiar with various marvel character you will find some of this universes versions of them to be rather interesting. It holds up very well on it's own and doesn't rely heavily on anything that came before. I will be keeping up with this series as long as it runs.
3404333
I picked this book up at a local comic store after flipping through because the art intrigued me but with no real expectations. After being able to spend a little more time with the book I found that I'd stumbled upon something really great. Mike Blaney really has a great sense of humor and an imagination like no other. I find myself frquently calling over a family member or co-worker while looking through the book to share the laughs.
1031969
I am not a comics fan per se - I am almost entirely unfamiliar with superheros and the like, but I have lots of friends who love it all so I figured I'd give this book a shot and maybe have something to add when conversations turn in that direction. Turns out it doesn't really matter that I didn't have the background for the topic since this biography also does a great job of detailing the pop-culture and literary/publishing cultures of the time so there is an easy understanding of how Binder's work fit in. There are plenty of photos and illustrations to help identify the real live people and characters discussed in the biography. I will admit, however, that there are still a lot of players and it was sometimes hard for me to keep folks straight. A good book for anyone and, probably, a fabulous book for fans.
693407
As a somewhat noob to comics, and a fan of Deadpool, this was a great buy. Short, with no complex back story and very entertaining. I definitely recommend it!
2701864
I purchased this book in a store, not online, and I literally only watched the series two days ago for the first time and I fell in love with it immediately (even though I spoiled the ending for myself unintentionally by watching the last episode first). I had no idea this comic book came out only a few days ago and I'm so excited! I love this book and it adds character to these people and makes them so much more detailed and interesting and I can't wait for the next volume!
4344550
Scott McCloud does a fantastic job explaining the history, potential, and inner workings of comics as a medium. I was especially impressed with his concise descriptions of visual theory and its particular applications to comics. Occasionally I felt that McCloud's treatment of a topic could have been more fleshed-out (the chapter on color, for example, or his concluding idea of comics as a particularly good form of communication) or that he made some unnecessary generalizations (his definition of art was a bit trite and even misleading). On the whole, though, McCloud's ideas are sophisticated and he is able to communicate them with surprising eloquence to both the art historian and the general public. In fact, though I am an art historian, I learned a good deal from this book.
McCloud's decision to use the comic format to present his ideas is ingenious, and I doubt that prose alone would have been able to deliver his messages with such clarity. The one drawback to the format is that I fear it will only appeal to those who already value comics, and that as a result those who most need to hear what McCloud has to say never will!
741175
Let's get this review started, shall we fellow X-Men fans?

This is a fantastic read and value. Unfortunately, I have limited experience with Marvel and the X-Men in comics, so bare with me if my review seems a little... inexperienced at times. I am a fairly seasoned of the X-Men however. I grew up watching the animated series from the 90's, followed by X-Men Evolution, all the movies, and some games. I've also watched a few other Marvel TV series' and animated features. So far, my brief experience with comics has covered Batman, some Spiderman, some Superman, and lots of Indie Comics. As far as Joss Whedon is concerned, part of the reason I bought this book was because I loved his work on The Avenger's film. I've also enjoyed Firefly and Serenity. I have to say, for a freshmen read, it's not the best. I knew the characters (at least their backstory) from the many other mediums I've enjoyed X-Men in, but without that experience, I'd be completely lost. So if you are new to Marvel and The X-Men, this book is not a very good starting point.

This, of course, collects the first 25 issues of Astonishing X-Men in over-sized format. Marvel takes their printings seriously, as this collection is the best quality print I have. The paper is thick and glossy, and feels almost like I could lift the entire book by one page (though I wouldn't test this). The cover under the paper slip is navy blue with silver embedded print. The collection is bound with thread, so pages won't get creased or fall out. The print quality tromps anything I have from DC. This looks really great on the shelf. I will certainly be purchasing many Marvel hardcovers in the future.

This collection certainly focus' on relationships, which seems to be a reoccurring theme in a lot of X-Men titles. Whether it be the connection the X-Men share as a family, tactically, or romantically, you'll get your fill of it here. This book features heroic appearances from Beast, Colossus, Cyclopes, Emma Frost, the Fantastic Four, Shadowcat, Spiderman, and Wolverine. The book features villainous appearances from Cassandra Nova, Danger, Ord (and others from the Breakworld), Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Sebastian Shaw. Kitty Pryde and her love for Colossus is the prime focus of this piece, but it also touches on Scott and Emma quite a bit as well. Given my past is mostly with the older X-Men, the amount Kitty has mature struggles surprised me. In Evolution, she was your typical bubbly teen most of the time. She's always chipper and upbeat. In this book, she's dealing with deep issues, like the death of her love interest, her romantic involvements, and past mistakes. Meanwhile, Emma struggles with loving Scott, while he still is very much in love with Jean.

The art is amazing. Cassaday has a very detailed style, and uses a very rich color pallet. The story itself is great, but it is directed like a movie, with lots of cuts with dialog from the previous scene lingering into the next, and you often times will see the story centered around characters in different locations, which means there are lots of small cliffhangers to keep you interested and reading. I've heard some people dislike that, but I find myself rather enjoying it.

There is no issue with consistency, since it is the same author and illustrator throughout, and as I've said previously, everything is great. I'm going to be frequently referencing and re-reading this piece. This book comes with the highest recommendation I can give. Read it, and enjoy it.
1520867
I'm really looking forward to the day this shows up in the mail. From the previews I've seen, it's clearly more than a simple encyclopedia, presenting the world of comics with a depth of knowledge merged with a mastery of design. From the preview pages I've seen in some of the write-ups online alone, the urge is to call it "effortless", but anybody who knows what it takes to put something like this together wouldn't make that mistake. The inherent humor is elevated by a breadth of wit that brings a fresh perspective to decades old tropes. Can't wait to have this in my hot little hands.
1981242
I first started to read this out of curiosity, just to see what it was about. Didn't have a clue what this Jiggs is, what it means or anything like that.

I read the first few pages...ok, it's a light comic book, with nice illustrations and short text. Pretty nice.  I kept reading, and the more I read, the more I liked it. I was so curious to find out Jigg's next little adventure that I was now determined to not let this book down until I finish reading it.

I think I will get the other volumes now.
355649
I liked this comic. I was a bit confused by the breaks (are they similar to chapters?) But I enjoyed the story, the characters, and of courses, the superhero-ness! Kamala may be unconventional but she definitely gives the comic a sense of humor. I will definitely be picking up the next one :)
2267431
The title is a tad tongue in cheek and a play on the old classic comic book title, and the first story has more variations on the fan-favorite "team-up" books.  Yet, this book really is a lot of fresh fun and I really enjoyed it.  It was kind of cool seeing Peter with actual friends in both worlds (super and "normal"), which the title makes reference to, and it is done in a very original and believable (for a super-hero comic) way.  Just as the first Chris Reeves SUPERMAN movie used the tag line, "You will believe that a man can fly!", in ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS, you will believe that there could be such people as these, that they could hang out together, like each other and even have these kinds of problems, trying to help each other through them.

The new artist is very good, although I do miss the older artist a bit.  I think I will get used to the new guy. IN any case, the art is just fine.  Bendis' writing is funny, insightful and sounds real, as usual.  He really has "an ear" for dialogue.  He is kind of the "Elmore Leonard" of comics (developing precisely those kind of chops on the pure crime books he did some years ago).

And as per usual in almost every Bendis book I have ever read, he makes me laugh.  There is always at least one line (usually a lot more), that has me laugh out loud.  Never mind all the others that have me smiling.  Who doesn't need more of that these days?

An entertaining read and like all of Bendis' stuff, very re-readable!