Batman - The Dark Prince Charming

"Die Art Batman-Comic, auf die Langzeitfans gewartet haben." - Comic Crusaders

Eine wirklich großartige Geschichte vom gefeierten italienischen Comic-Zeichner Enrico Marini.

Der Joker entführt ein kleines Mädchen (vermeintlich aus dem engsten Familienkreis von Batman?) um den schwarzen Ritter zu einem Verbrechen zu zwingen. Während Harley Quinn sich um das gefangene Mädchen "kümmert" (spannende Gespräche rund um Stockholm Syndrom & Co) und den Joker unter Druck setzt, versucht Batman mit allen Mitteln dieses grausame Spiel zu beenden. Dabei bleibt ihm auch ein heftiges Zusammentreffen mit Killer Croc nicht erspart, über den er an das Versteck von Joker kommen will.

Tolle Bilder, spannende Geschichte - Herr Marini hat wieder einen Meilenstein im Batman Universum gesetzt.

Verlagsinformation: Enrico Marini zählt zu den besten Zeichnern der europäischen Comic-Szene. Mit BATMAN: DER DUNKLE PRINZ hat er eine rasante, düstere Geschichte mit der amerikanischen Superhelden-Ikone Batman inszeniert, die ihresgleichen sucht.

Um Harley Quinn ein ganz besonderes Geburtstagsgeschenk zu machen, legt sich der wahnsinnige Joker sogar bereitwillig mit Batman und Catwoman an. Als der skrupellose Clownprinz des Verbrechens ein kleines Mädchen entführt, wird sein Konflikt mit dem Mitternachtsdetektiv jedoch so persönlich wie nie zuvor. Auf der Suche nach dem Joker kämpft sich ein wütender Dunkler Ritter durch Gothams Unterwelt und gerät unter anderem mit Killer Croc aneinander…

Die grandiose, frenetisch gefeierte Batman-Saga von Top-Künstler Enrico Marini (Der Stern der Wüste, Die Adler Roms) erstmals komplett in einem Sammelband.

Story und Zeichnungen von Enrico Marini

Verlag: DC Comics (Englisch), Panini Comics (Deutsch)
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Simpsons - Kolossales Kompendium (1)

Ausgabe Eins des Simpsons Kolossales Kompendium umfasst ca.180 Seiten Spaß und Spannung mit euren gelben Lieblingen.

In einer Geschichte geht es um Bart der auf einem Rummel lustige Streiche spielt und um Bürgermeister Quimbie der die „Miss Bauernmarkt“ verführen will oder um Flenders, der wieder einmal Spenden sammelt. In einer anderen Geschichte geht es um ungesundes Essen, das bei den Simpsons nicht gerade selten auf dem Tisch in der Schulkantine landet. Als schließlich ein Koch aus Europa kommt und das Junk Food verbietet wollen Homer und Bart das natürlich verhindern. Zum Abschluss kocht Marge Rippchen und andere Gerichte aus Gemüse, und weil Homers Augen stärker sind als sein Gehirn muss Bart ihn schließlich betäuben... Eine abgedreht witzige Story die ein gutes Ende nimmt - einfach gelb! In der letzten Geschichte „Die Simpsons retten die Welt“ geht es darum was die Simpsons zu einer besseren Welt beigetragen haben, zb. Lisa rettet das Ozon der Ozonschicht und Bart zerstört alle atomaren Waffen. Homer entwickelt ein Medikament, das alle Krankheiten heilt. Das führt leider dazu das Aliens die Welt erobern.

Nachdem ihr das Buch dann ausgelesen habt freut euch auf den Taschengeldfriedhof fürs Zimmer, den ihr mit dem beiliegenden Faltbogen selbst basteln könnt. Wieder einmal eine äußerst gelb geniale Sammlung von Simpsons Geschichten!

Verlagsinformation: Dieses kolossale Simpsons-Kompendium vereint die besten Geschichten aus Springfield in einem sensationell spaßigen Sammelband. Verbring einen verrückten Tag mit den Simpsons auf dem Springfielder Jahrmarkt; steh Homer und Lisa in ihrem Kampf gegen die Hitze bei; reise in eine Parallelwelt, in der Bartman, Stretch Dude und Törtchen-Boy Seite an Seite kämpfen und wirf einen Blick in die Zukunft, in der die Simpsons die Erde retten (oder zerstören) werden! All das und vieles mehr erwartet dich im ersten Kolossalen Kompendium.
Mit Sammel-Bastelbogen für "flinke Finger"!

182 Seiten

Verlag: Panini Comics (Deutsch), Bongo Comics (Englisch)

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Batman "The Long Halloween"

"THE LONG HALLOWEEN is more than a comic book. It's an epic tragedy." - Christopher Nolan (director The Dark Knight Rises)

Batman: The Long Halloween is a masterpiece. Jeph Loeb's writing is awesome and the beautiful graphics of Tim Sale fit the Crime Noir background of the book perfectly. It's a murder mystery story set in a grey and dark Gotham City, where Batman needs to identify and catch a serial killer, who strikes on holiadys only.

The book is tight and exciting until the last page, and features lots of the well-known characters we all love - Joker, Riddler, Poison Ivy and even Scarecrow and Mad Hatter. Also the story of attorney Harvey Dent becoming Two-Face is touched.

A epic, thrilling and varied journey together with your beloved Dark Knight!

From the publisher: Taking place during Batman's early days of crime fighting, this new edition of the classic mystery tells the story of a mysterious killer who murders his prey only on holidays. Working with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant James Gordon, Batman races against the calendar as he tries to discover who Holiday is before he claims his next victim each month. A mystery that has the reader continually guessing the identity of the killer, this story also ties into the events that transform Harvey Dent into Batman's deadly enemy, Two-Face.

This edition includes original 13-issue series as well as four additional story pages cut from the original series, which are presented fully colored and restored to their place in the story.  Also featured are sketches and an introduction by the director and writer of The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan and David Goyer.

publisher: dc comics (english), panini comics (german)
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Spider-Man: Blue

"It's about remembering someone so important to me I was going to spend the rest of my life with her."

Spider-Man Blue is a great comic book done by the Eisner Award winning team Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. It concentrates on the the love story of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, his true love. And sadly also covers her death, caused by the Green Goblin. The story is good, the artwork is outstanding! Great tragic romance story about one of our favorite superheroes!

 

From the publisher: What Peter Parker didn't know was that meant Gwen Stacy would only get to spend the rest of her life with him. This is the story of how they fell in love. Or more appropriately, how they almost didn't fall in love. Welcome to Spider-Man's life. Bad before good. It's kind of amazing. So to get the girl of his dreams, he'll have to run the gauntlet of the Green Goblin, the Rhino, two Vultures and a mysterious man in the shadows controlling it all.

Join the Eisner Award-winning team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (Superman for All Seasons, Batman: The Long Halloween, DAREDEVIL: YELLOW, HULK: GRAY) in the story about Peter Parker's first love, Gwen Stacy. Highlighted by the introduction of Mary Jane Watson, it is a critical moment in Spider-Man's life when everything was just coming together - only to fall apart.

publisher: marvel (english), panini comics (german)
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Dracula / American Vampire

"As the Count leaned over me and his hands touched me… a horrible feeling of nausea came over me, which, do what I would, I could not conceal.” — Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Enclosed you find two great comic realisations of the famous Vampire theme. The first one focuses strongly on the novel Dracula, whereas the other one (from the writers Stephen King and Scott Snyder) is a pretty modern interpretation. Both of them them can be recommended wholeheartedly...

Dynamite presents an unprecedented comic book series that tells the complete story of the Lord of the Undead – DRACULA! For the first time in 112 years the tale that Bram Stoker intended to tell is told (including “Dracula’s Guest”!). If you thought you knew how it began or how it ends, you were wrong! Writers John Reppion and Leah Moore are joined by painter Colton Worley for a 5 issue odyssey of life, death, and the blood that flows within us all!

This fully painted series features a massive 32 pages of story and art per issue, each page fully-painted in a rich, moody style by Worley, all under covers by modern master John Cassaday! Moore and Reppion also provide bonus material such as script pages, annotations and samplings of the original text by Bram Stoker!


publisher: dynamite entertainment (english), panini comics (german)

From writers Scott Snyder and Stephen King, AMERICAN VAMPIRE introduces a new strain of vampire – a more vicious species – and traces the creatures' bloodline through decades of American history.

This first hardcover volume of the critically acclaimed series collects issues #1-5 and follows two stories: one written by Snyder and one written by King, both with art by future superstar Rafael Albuquerque. Snyder's tale follows Pearl, a young woman living in 1920s Los Angeles, who is brutally turned into a vampire and sets out on a path of righteous revenge against the European monsters who tortured and abused her. And in King's story set in the days of America's Wild West, readers learn the origin of Skinner Sweet, the original American vampire – a stronger, faster creature than any vampire ever seen before.

Don't miss out as Snyder and King set fire to the horror genre with this visionary, all-original take on one of the most popular monster stories!


publisher: vertigo (english), panini comics (german)
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The Sandman IV & V

The outstanding series goes on...

THE SANDMAN: SEASON OF MISTS
Ten thousand years after banishing to Hell a woman who scorned him, Morpheus, the King of Dreams, has decided to free his former lover. But when the Sandman arrives in the realm of eternal damnation, Lucifer, the first fallen angel, notifies him that he is closing down Hell and he wants Morpheus to have the keys. Now in charge of the gates of Hell, the King of Dreams is bombarded with requests for possession of the empty kingdom by Norse gods, homeless demons, Egyptian deities, Faerie ambassadors, the lords of Chaos and Order, and Japanese divinities. Realizing too late that Lucifer's gift was a veiled curse, Morpheus is forced to make a decision that will affect every plane of existence as well as the universal balance of power.

THE SANDMAN: A GAME OF YOU
...tells a fascinating tale of lost childhood dreams and the power that they can wield over reality. Since she was a child, Barbie has dreamed of a world in which she was a princess. But after separating from her husband, she has ceased to dream and her fantasy kingdom has been savagely overrun by an evil entity known as the Cuckoo. Now as elements of her fantasy world cross over and begin to drastically affect reality, Barbie and her friends venture into the realm of dreams to save its peaceful inhabitants. But against the power of dark and dying dreams, even the combined might of a witch, two lesbian lovers, a transsexual, and a decapitated talking head might not be enough to save two different planes of existence.

publisher: dc comics (english), panini comics (german)
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Fables 1 & 2

It's a great idea to make the characters of well-known fairy tales to the main actors in a comic. You will find the special (or typical) abilities of the different characters (which are known from the fairy tales) also in the tense plot of the comic, which is settled in New York of our time (and space) and where the fable characters have to live among "common humans". So, in my mind it's a really interesting mixture, which is entertaining and exciting - and not for nothing won a lot of awards yet.

From the publisher: In the same vein as best-selling "fractured-fairy-tales" such as Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is Bill Willingham's runaway hit graphic novel series FABLES. No longer just children's tales, Willingham has created a new world for these beloved fables...one that exists within our own.

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created their own secret society-within an exclusive luxury apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side-called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Bigby, Fabletown's sheriff, and a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the culprit is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

From the publisher: Collecting FABLES #6-10, the second story arc of the fan-favorite, critically acclaimed VERTIGO series. Travel to upstate New York, where the non-human Fable characters have found refuge on a farm, miles from mankind. But all is not well on the farm — and a conspiracy to free them from the shackles of their perceived imprisonment may lead to a war that could wrest control of the Fables community away from Snow White. Starring Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

publisher: dc comics (english), panini comics (german)
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Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is the well-known creator of the fine Sandman series and also the author of some great novels. I discovered two great pieces of his work lately:

In "Coraline" he writes about a little girl discovering some kind of parallel universe - intense, scary, exciting. A novel for all ages, even if it might be too dark for younger children.

The book "Creatures of the Night" contains two stories about animals and scary incidents. The first one is about a mysterious black cat, the second one about a foundling girl and an owl. I liked the stories - but I loved the artwork (done by Michael Zulli).

Coraline
The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring....
In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.
Only it's different.
At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits and all the tools she can find if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.
Critically acclaimed and award-winning author Neil Gaiman will delight readers with his first novel for all ages.

Creatures of the Night
From the New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman comes this fine collection, featuring two magical and disturbing stories lushly adapted to comics by veteran painter Michael Zulli (The Last Temptation). Newly rewritten by Gaiman for this graphic novel, these two ominous stories from the author’s award-winning prose, Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions, feature animals and people not being quite what they seem. In The Price, a black cat like a small panther arrives at a country home and is soon beset by mysterious and vicious wounds. What is he fighting every night that could do this, and why does he persist? The Daughter of Owls recounts an eerie old tale of a foundling girl who was left with an owl pellet as a newborn on the steps of the Dymton Church. She was soon cloistered away in a local convent, but by her fourteenth year word of her beauty had spread—and those who would prey upon her faced unforeseen consequences.


publisher: panini comics (german), harper collins, dark horse (english),

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Batman comics - A fine selection

Among other things especially the movie "Batman: The Dark Knight" is the cause for the high popularity of this topic. Despite the fact that I really liked the movie I want to focus a little bit on the roots of this success: great comics! I already wrote about Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns", therefore I want to recommend three a other ground breaking Batman comics - written by three famous artists: Frank Miller, Alan Moore and Grant Morrison. One is about the early days of Batman, one about the early days of the Joker and one is about the most psychotic enemies of Batman - all three stories are exciting and profound, and have become classics in the comics genre!

Batman: Year One (written by Frank Miller, Art by David Mazzuccelli)
A young Bruce Wayne has spent his adolescence and early adulthood, traveling the world so he could hone his body and mind into the perfect fighting and investigative machine. But now as he returns to Gotham City, he must find a way to focus his passion and bring justice to his city. Retracing Batman's first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante, we watch as he chooses a guise of a giant bat, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon, inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a corrupt political system that infests Gotham.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (written by Grant Morrison, Art by Dave McKean)
The inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over Gotham's detention center for the criminally insane on April Fool's Day, demanding Batman in exchange for their hostages. Accepting their demented challenge, Batman is forced to endure the personal hells of the Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Two-Face and many other sworn enemies in order to save the innocents and retake the prison. During his run through this absurd gauntlet, the Dark Knight's must face down both his most dangerous foes and his inner demons.

Batman: The Killing Joke (written by Alan Moore, Art by Brian Bolland)
For the first time the Joker's origin is revealed in this tale of insanity and human perseverance. Looking to prove that any man can be pushed past his breaking point and go mad, the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. After shooting and permanently paralyzing his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl), the Joker kidnaps the commissioner and attacks his mind in hopes of breaking the man. But refusing to give up, Gordon maintains his sanity with the help of Batman in an effort to best the madman.

publisher: dc comics (english), panini comics (german)
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The Invisibles

This comic is another fine product of Mr. Grant Morrison, who is well-known for his brilliant and extra-ordinary writings. This is also true for "The Invisibles", which is about a bizarre secret society fighting the established system. The book is full of intelligent and philosophical stuff, as well as strange and esoterical thoughts about life and theory of conspiracy. You have to read it twice to get all of it - and it's worth it in my opinion.

From the publisher: Throughout history, a secret society called the Invisibles, who count among their number Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, work against the forces of order that seek to repress humanity's growth. In this first collection, the Invisibles latest recruit, a teenage lout from the streets of London, must survive a bizarre, mind-altering training course before being projected into the past to help enlist the Marquis de Sade.

written by grant morrison
art by steve yeowell, jill thompson and others

publisher: panini comics (german), vertigo (english)
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John Woo's 7 Brothers

7 Brothers is a comic about a powerful wizard (known as the Son of Hell) who tried to conquer the world in the 15th century by establishing magical spots in all parts of the world - which should enable him to rule the world. His plan failed back then, but the seed for his evil project has been planted nevertheless... Seven men and a female leader in our mordern world get to know that their fate is to fight against this reborn wizard "Son of Hell" - and have to be successful to prevent the world from collapsing.

Great story-telling, fantastic graphics and very special protagonists will make sure that you won't put that comic down. Ennis and Kang (together with the famous John Woo) at their best.

From the publisher: The first graphic novel from superstar action film director John Woo and written by Garth Ennis. Six hundred years ago long, before history's great explorers stole the credit for their feats, mighty Chinese treasure fleets set sail to reach every continent. These voyages of discovery left behind an evil legacy and a plot by a powerful Chinese sorcerer to dominate the world. The story begins in modern day Los Angeles where an ancient Chinese prophecy must be fulfilled. Seven men with nothing in common but their destinies must face the Son of Hell to save the world.

publisher: liquid comics (english), panini comics (german)
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Death By Chocolate: Redux

This collection of stories about Agent Swete (a rather extraordinary hero consisting of chocolate) covers almost all of David Yurkovich's stories written in this context. Not only the topic is outstandig, also the characters and the plots (about hunting criminals and clearing up crimes - mostly having to do with food in some way) will keep you engaged. The whole collection has been overworked and offers great value for little money.

Agent Swete - an unlikely hero comprised of organic chocolate and a member of the FBI's Food Crimes Division - and his sharp-tongued partner, Anderson, investigate a series of bizarre, food-inspired crimes. Along they way they encounter a variety of characters including an extraterrestrial canine named Geoffrey, writer Ernest Hemingway, an organized crime lord intent upon finding the life-enabling 'eternity pasta,' and an eerie, all-devouring trio known as The Metabolators.

author: david yurkovich
publisher: top shelf productions
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The Sandman: Dream Country

Dream Country is the third book in the Sandman series, and basically a collection of four short stories. Although Sandman, the King of Dreams, plays just a background role in the stories (and doesn't appear in one at all), they are fascinating and prove once again that Neil Gaiman is an outstanding storyteller. It's also interesting to see that less horror elements appear, but instead the stories drift a bit more into the fantasy and mythology genre - a fact which I really appreciate. One of the stories ("A Midsummer Night's Dream" ) also won the World Fantasy Award, and not only because of this circumstance this comic mustn't be missing on your bookshelf.

Featuring the tale that won the World Fantasy Award for best short story, THE SANDMAN: DREAM COUNTRY continues the fantastical mythology of Morpheus, the King of Dreams. In these centuries-spanning tales, the powerful entity known as the Sandman interacts with a diverse assortment of humans, fairies, heroes, and animals as he walks the mortal plane. Including an amazing encounter with William Shakespeare and an interesting take on the origin and first performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," this book depicts the dreaming world of cats, the tragic life of forgotten super-heroes and the folly of imprisoning and torturing a former lover of the King of Dreams.

publisher: dc comics (english), panini comics (german)

Neverwhere

A young man, Richard Mayhew, finds himseld captured in a secret and dangerous London below the London we know - because of helping a hurt woman called Door. Her family has been killed, and she is seeking revenge for their death.

In a fantastic journey with lots of strange characters and scary places (the bad guys Mr. Croup and Vandemar are just stunning), a young man faces the challenge to become a real hero - and it is a thin line between life and death, reality and dreams.

The plot is straightforward, but nevertheless compelling and once again affirms the great narrative abilities of the well-known and bestselling author Neil Gaiman.

The comics adaptation of New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman's acclaimed novel is now available complete in one 224-page trade paperback! Collecting all nine issues of the Vertigo maxiseries, this volume follows the adventures of an ordinary Londoner who stops to help an enigmatic girl and is drawn into a battle to save the strange underworld kingdom of London Below from destruction.

publisher: dc comics (english), panini comics (german)
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Asiaddict!

It was a pleasure to read through this highly original and really entertaining travel guide, coming in form of a comic. A lot of pictures (also some photos) and stories of well-known and less well-known places and sights of Laos, Thailand and Cambodia - presented by the author Mats!? in a funny and sometimes scary manner, definitely leaving a lasting impression on the reader and redefining the genre "Travel guide"!
Read about Buddha, the Khmer Rouge, mystic and real Bangkok and much more in a way you haven't done before - you will enjoy it for sure.

This amazing collection of illustrated travel chronicles the bizarre as well as the mundane experiences of a recent trip through Thailand,Cambodia and Laos.

Wiping off the nostalgic"Shangri-La " mystique off of contemporary monstro-"Cities" like Bangkok; it reveals a more western smearedbellished recent history...with a few "Bombs" dropped in between...
With his flair for details,Mats!? takes us on a journey, littered with landmines , through a landscape of beauty and horror, humor and disbelief.

Witness "Buddhisneyland" a theme park worthy of Walt's. Albeit, on ACID! Fathom! the horror of the "Khmer Rouge." Follow in the footsteps of the Buddha. Down alleys where the shadows are rarely one's own!

The text lays it on thick and is hilarious in its infantilism, and is well complemented by the stunning cartoon very tay*(TM) style that infuses it with the immediacy of a newspaper photo.The book is also illustrated with some stunning photography by Peri B.

Asiaddict is exactly the kind of guidebook you would want to read before going on a trip but not the kind of thing you'd ever find in a normal travel guide. Funny, but also really lurid.


publisher: sparkplug comic books

buy it here!
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The Fountain

The Fountain is an overwhelming experience thought out by the well-known director Darren Aronofsky, responsible for such great movies like PI (one of my all-time favorites) or Requiem for a Dream. In parallel to (or even before) finalising the film "The Fountain" he published the graphic novel, winning the painter Kent Williams for doing the great artwork here. For sure the intense drawings, sometimes looking more than arty sketches, contribute to the fantastic overall impression this book leaves on the reader. So you can't stop to feel with the main character Thomas on his epic journey striving to discover the main secrets of life. In three different ages - as an adventurer, as a scientist and as a explorer - he tries to discover, to force and to overcome life, love and death. Does he have to fail?

This fall, Darren Aronofsky - the acclaimed director behind such critically acclaimed films as Pi and Requiem for a Dream - releases The Fountain, his most ambitious movie yet. Now, in time for the film's greatly anticipated debut, is the softcover edition of last year's sought-after THE FOUNTAIN graphic novel, which earned artist Kent Williams (Blood: A Tale, Havok/Wolverine: Meltdown) an Eisner Award nomination for Best Painter.

An odyssey about one man's thousand-year struggle to save the woman he loves, The Fountain follows Thomas as he feverishly travels through three distinct eras: as a 16th century conquistador battling a fierce Mayan army, as a present-day scientist searching for a cure for his wife's mortal disease and as a future explorer seeking to uncover the secrets of a dying star.

The Fountain graphic novel is a sister-project to the film, which is released by Warner Bros. Pictures and Regency Enterprises and stars Tony-Award-winner Hugh Jackman (The Boy from Oz, X-Men) and Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener, The Mummy). Using the same story as its seed but stretched instead upon the limitless canvas of the comics medium, the graphic novel provides an insider's accompaniment to the movie, providing perhaps the ultimate "director's cut.

publisher: dc comics (english), panini comics (german)

persepolis

In "Persepolis" Marjane Satrapi tells her autobiographical story of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. The book is exciting and frightening at the same time - and despite telling a personal story I had the chance to learn a lot about Iran and it's history.The illustration is kept in black and white and in combination with simple and straight pictures Marjane Satrapi found an original and appealing way of presenting her writings.

Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is an exemplary autobiographical graphic novel, in the tradition of Art Spiegelman's classic Maus. Set in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, it follows the young Satrapi, six-year-old daughter of two committed and well-to-do Marxists. As she grows up, she witnesses first-hand the effects that the revolution and the war with Iraq have on her home, family and school.

Like Maus, the main strength of Persepolis is its ability to make the political personal. Told through the eyes of a child (as reflected in Satrapi's simplistic yet expressive black-and-white artwork), the story shows how young Marjane learns about her family history and how it is entwined with the history of Iran, and watches her liberal parents cope with a fundamentalist regime that gets increasingly rigid as it gains more power. Outspoken and intelligent, Marjane chafes at Iran's increasingly conservative interpretation of Islamic law, especially as she grows into a bright and independent teenager. Throughout, Marjane remains a hugely likeable young woman.

Persepolis gives the reader a snapshot of daily life in a country struggling with an internal cultural revolution and a bloody war, but within an intensely personal context. It's a very human history, beautifully and sympathetically told. (Robert Burrow)


author: marjane satrapi
publisher: ueberreuter (german), pantheon books (english)

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the sandman: the doll's house

The second part of the "Sandman" series continues, and even enhances, what Neil Gaiman has begun with "Preludes and Nocturnes". He concentrates more on developing really interesting characters, and behind the main story of Rose Walker who has become a dangerous dream vortex which has to be taken care of, there are many side stories that are more than entertaining. For example telling the "real" story of Little Red Riding Hood or writing about the happenings at a convention of serial killers. What I liked best is the portrayal of Hob Gadling, a guy who someday decides not to die - and really is successful with his approach and finally even becomes a friend of the Sandman, meeting him in a pub once in a century.

I enjoyed reading "The Doll's House" even more than the first part and I can't hardly wait to read book 3 (Dream Country).

The immense popularity of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is due in large part to the development of his characters. In The Doll's House, the second book of the Sandman magnum opus, Gaiman continues to build the foundation for the larger story, introducing us to more of the Dream King's family of the Endless.

The Sandman returns to his kingdom of the Dreaming after nearly a century of imprisonment, finding several things out of place; most importantly, an anomaly called a dream vortex has manifested itself in the form of a young girl who unknowingly threatens to rip apart the Dreaming. And there's the smaller matter of a few nightmares having escaped. Among them is Gaiman's creepiest creation: the Corinthian, a serial killer with a miniature set of teeth in each eye socket. Because later volumes concentrate so much on human relationships with Gaiman's signature fair for fantasy and mythology, it is sometimes easy to forget that the Sandman series started out as a horror comic. This book grabs you and doesn't let you forget that so easily. --Jim Pascoe


publisher: dc comics (english), panini comics (german)

gangster

This book is about the life of the mobster bosses in Chicago in the roaring twenties. After World War I the people become more and more fun-loving and the demand for (illegal) alcohol increases in times of prohibition - this fact of course benefits the rise of a lot of gangsters, who cooperate with corrupt politicians and fight against each other to maximize their income.

The presentation of this topic is very entertaining, as beside to a general introduction the life stories of the different gangster bosses are outlined, including statistics of their estimated income, time in prison and number of murders. The artwork is, as the previews show, stunning and makes the experience even more appealing.
The book comes in a special format, is printed on high-quality paper and also contains a poster showing all the bosses on one picture.

If you are only slightly interested in this part of amercian history, this book can be highly recommended.

author: robert nippoldt
publisher: gerstenberg verlag
(unfortunately, as far as i know the book is just available in german at the moment)

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hellboy: seed of destruction

in 1944 some crazy sorcerer tries to raise demons to help the nazis. but the experiment somehow fails and a hero with superficial powers - coming out of hell - does exactly the opposite, he supports the americans. the same hero, hellboy, later works in an agency fighting against supernatural phenomena. and this is the beginning of a great, and really entertaining comic with expressive black and white artwork. in this first book lovecraftian creatures have to be fought as well as nazi occultists and all this is based on an eldritch story of a curse spoken over a family of adventurers.
recommended!! i'm really looking forward to volume two (wake the devil), which will be featured here soon.

Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding, Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.

publisher: dark horse (english), cross cult (german)