Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups, Vol. 2

Customer Reviews:

Starts Slow But Finishes Strong.......2007-07-22

The team up stories are great fun. I am a big DC Multiverse fan and enjoy these compilations quite a bit. This volume starts off a little slow with the Brave and the Bold team up of Starman, Black Canary and Wildcat. The worst story of the bunch is surprisingly a Green Lantern story by John Broome. However, Gardner Fox does not disappoint with the Atom and Flash stories. Take these stories for what they are and enjoy them.

Slogging along with the multiple Earths.......2007-06-14

I have always loved the concept of DC's Multiverse, but while some of the initial crossovers between Earth-1 and Earth-2 were pretty heady stuff, reading DC's various CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS trade paperbacks makes it obvious that the company soon became stuck in a rut where those stories were concerned. The fans loved the concept, so DC gave them more, regardless of whether or not the stories were worthwhile.

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS: THE TEAM-UPS VOLUME 2 presents some fun but ultimately forgettable pre-Crisis pairings between the heroes of Earth-1 and Earth-2. Collected here are stories from The Atom #29 & 36, The Brave and the Bold #62, The Flash #170 & 173, Green Lantern #45 & 52, and The Spectre #3. I struggled through most of these stories, due to the stilted writing styles of Gardner Fox, John Broome, and Mike Friedrich. Not that the stories are 100% bad; in fact, the general premises were fine, but the pacing and dialogue left much to be desired. Still, while there's not a lot of bang for your buck, there are some enjoyable moments. The narrative devices featured in the Flash stories were quite innovative for the time. The Atom team-ups were just silly fun. Also, the Spectre story has a nice cosmic horror vibe. Unfortunately, I just couldn't shake the feeling that, at times, I was reading scripts for rejected Superfriends cartoons. While the art of Gil Kane, Carmine Infantino, and Neal Adams is beautiful, they stories just don't hold up. The lackluster cover by Matt Wagner didn't help either - it sure would have been nice to see one from regular artists Alex Ross or Jerry Ordway.

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
Junk
Wonderful
Great Sequel, with some flaws
a good read

Universe X, Vol. 1 (Earth X 2)
Alex Ross , and Jim Krueger
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 078510867X

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

The Celestial at the heart of the Earth is dead, and a war now rages on the planet. The human population is now mutated and empowered, and looking to take over from their guardian heroes.

Mephisto is at the heart of this, but Captain Mar-vell is leading a revolution, and looking to bring an end to Death.

Junk.......2007-05-24

This Book is an absolute worthless piece of JUNK. How it gets a rep for being some deep piece of Marvel philosophy is beyond me. It is the most RAMBLING NON SENSICAL COMPLETELY PLOTLESS piece of trash I have ever read...Believe it or not, fans of this work, philosphy doen NOT merely consist of a pair of people trading lines like "All meaning is thrown into question." and "Everything-ness is the same as nothingness." God. I thought I was gonna puke. Look, this says it all: There's a point in the story when Capt. America is killed. And, you don't care. Its boring! It doesn't even make sense! A buncha Pilgim Monsters are mad at him! They take im out! What an Epic Ending for Captain America. And of COURSE he hates his country. Sure. Pathetic. And at 384 pages, O GOD it goes on FOREVER! What a waste of my life!

Wonderful.......2004-01-09

I bought both volumes of Universe X without knowing Earth X was the first part of the story and proceeded to read them the second I got back from the store. I absolutely loved them. I imagine reading Earth X first would have illuminated certain areas of the story but everything was explained very well and I thought the story overall was great. I have always liked alternate reality comics, such as "What If".....Peter Parker hadn't gotten bitten by the spider?......Germany used the super soldier formula first?....etc.etc. So when I saw a huge graphic novel written and drawn by Ross and Krueger I had to get it.

While Universe X mentions in passing what happened to some of the more mainstream hero's and villians in Earth X so you don't get lost, I have to go out tomorrow and buy it to get a more detailed account. I recommend this highly! This series is wonderfully drawn and extremely well told. I found it to be entertaining and very enlightening as Krueger's story was at times very philisophical.

Also, since this story is very complex, a high level of knowledge of the Marvel Universe and it's characters is recommended.

Great Sequel, with some flaws.......2003-01-15

Actually it's probably misleading to call this a sequel; its not so much an all-new adventure as it is "Act II". The same trials and tribulations that took place in Earth X are still going on, its just now there are different players and goals. With Earth X, you probably thought every dark corner of Marvel Lore had been fully plumbed. You were wrong, as Ross and co, go even farther, bringing back lotsa characters the average Marvel zombie might have long forgotten (Gargoyle! The Micronauts!)
Like Earth X, Universe X (and this review applies to both volumes) is indispensible and you'll go back to it over and over again.
There are however two problems with the book: the big one being the artwork. It's not bad but a project like this deserves more majesty--something along the lines of what Ross did in Marvels. If painted pages would have been too costly, you would have liked to see some computer enhanced imagery as is so common today. You might have though Marvel would take a page from DC's books --when they've got a big deal story they get Ross the painter or George Perez or someone along those lines. But the art here is strictly run-of-the-mill; it's to the story's credit that it can rise above. I had the same complaint with Earth X, but at least there the drab, grim art complemented the story. Here, the art is too 'comic-booky'. The only part where this is good is in the Spider-Man 'flash-forward' scenes. (you'll see what I mean)

The other problem is the lack of reference material. If you don't own the complete run of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, or havent been reading Marvel comics for at least 20 years you could be hopelessly lost trying to make heads or tales out of this story. I'm grateful that they didn't stick
90 mutants in this epic, and also for the many in-jokes and sight gags, but some of the more obscure people, places and things deserve a footnote of sort so that younger readers wouldn't be completely left out.
Those objections aside, this is a worthy buy.
s

a good read.......2002-12-01

universe x has better art and is easier to follow than its predecessor, earth x. both are highly recommended though

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
Great but unfinished
Confusingly Bad...
Could have been better

Paradise X, Vol. 2 (Earth X 5)
Jim Krueger , and Alex Ross
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785111212

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Loki reveals to the Asgardian gods who Odin is and how he has manipulated them. Mephisto's plotting is also revealed.

Captain America, being dead, is in the afterlife, and still thinks something is rotten, so gather a band of like-minded heroes and decides to do something about it.

They have to find out what the builder of Paradise true motivation is.

Great but unfinished.......2004-07-24

I've loved this the entire X series, the Earth Xs, Universe Xs, and Paradise Xs. They encompass the entire Marvel Universe and redefine it, connecting every flailing strand in the comicverse together. Paradise X worked well to further the tale, though left me wanting more. There were still some loose threads at the end which I hope will be tied up in future X issues (anyone know if there will be some?). Hopefully there will be.

Confusingly Bad..........2004-06-26

Wow, where to begin. This book is horrible. I can't believe I wasted my time reading both volumes. It is one of the most confusing, incredibly muddled storylines that I have ever read. The pacing of the story is awful and Krueger leaves us with an unsastifying ending. I would have expected more after investing so much time into this series. I came into this trilogy expecting an enjoyable read and haven't gotten much from it since book one. The writing is awful and is way too wordy for its own good. It seems that Krueger would be better off writing novels. Alot of the story revolves around no name characters bantering back and forth. The art is not very good as well. I wish that John Paul Leon would have continued with the pencils for these sequels, so at least you have something to look forward to. I guess he was smart to abandon ship before it got really bad. Overall, its a disappointing read. I, once had great expectations for this series but have been underwhelmed. I do urge you to read Earth X, the first book in the series and a very fun read. Earth X had a compelling interesting story with all of the big Marvel names and some beautiful artwork accompanying it. It sort of reminds me of the Matrix movie trilogy. But at least the Matrix sequels were somewhat entertaining. These sequels are boring and will leave you upset and wishing that you never spent the time and effort reading this drivle.

Could have been better.......2004-02-23

This volume completes the Paradise X series and I was disappointed in the finished product. A number of story lines were left incomplete; in fact, the book had a very rushed and hurried feel to it. It was if Krueger and Ross ran out of steam to finish the tale and simply threw something together to make the deadline.

Book Description

The Book of Lost Tales was the first major work of imagination by J.R.R. Tolkien, begun in 1916, when he was twenty-five years old, and left incomplete several years later. It stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor, for the Lost Tales were the first form of the myths and legends that came to be called The Silmarillion. Embedded in English legend and association, they are set in the narrative frame of the great westward voyage of a mariner named Eriel (or AElfwine). His destination is Tol Eressea, the Lonely Isle where Elves dwell; from them he learns their true history, the Lost Tales of Elfinesse. The Tales include the earliest accounts of Gods and Elves, Dwarves, Balrogs, and Orcs; of the Silmarils and the Two Trees of Valinor; of Nargothrond and Gondolin; of the geography and cosmography of their invented world. The Book of Lost Tales is published in two volumes. The first contains the Tales of Valinor; and this second past includes Beren and Luthien, Turin and the Dragon, and the only full narratives of the Necklace of the Dwarves and the Fall of Gondolin. Each tale is followed by a commentary, together with associated poems, and each volume contains extensive information on names and vocabulary of the earliest Elvish languages. Additional books in this series will extend the history of Middle-earth as it was refined and enlarged in later years and will include the long Lays of Beleriand, the Ambarkanta or Shape of the World, the Lhammas or Account of Tongues, annals, maps, and many other previously unpublished writings of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Customer Reviews:

BEST BOOK IN THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EARTH SERIES.......2006-03-10

If you like the silmarillion and book of lost tales one, than you cannot wait another day to get this. If you are like me and REALLY LIKE this whole middle earth thing with the trees, music of the ainur. etc, then you absolutely have to read this.

The first lost tales was the first half of the silmarillion, and of course part 2 of lost tales is the rest of the silm. Though a lot of these works are unfinished(certainly the whole tale telling itself with eriol and gilfanon?, yet some seem very finished like the fall of gondolin.

Some people don't think peter jackson did not do a good job with the lord, yet they do admit it was still a pretty good movie. I did not find return of the king NEAR as good as the other 2 movies, but I think that Pete was the best choice as director.

Now the point that I wanna make is that with all of the material from the book of lost tales part 1 AND 2, the silmarillion, unfinished tales, and all the annals I think Peter Jackson could make another epic movie doing 1 of 3 things, or something that I'm not thinking of. It doesn't matter how these are made, I just wanna see them on screen.

1. Make a two-part movie 6-7 hours in total.
2. Make a 3 1/2 hour or 4 hour movie
3. Pick a certain tale like turin or luthien

Any of these things that I have suggested are acceptable to me, but I would be open to any way possiblre to put this on screen.

I honestly feel that with the very strong emotions in these books it could be better than the lord of the rings movies.

`Great was the power of Melko for ill,' said Eriol,.......2005-09-02

`if he could indeed destroy with his cunning the happiness and glory of the Gods and Elves...'

When the hateful god Melko marred the world, the Valar hid within the blessed land of Valinor, abandoning the Elves and Men of Middle Earth to slavery under his terrible rule. This was the time of great heroes who challenged Melko's impossible might. Beren and Lúthien entered Melko's hall to pluck his most prized possession from his crown. Cursed Túrin became a feared enemy of all evil creatures. Tuor fought to save a beleaguered realm. The mighty kingdoms of Gondolin - ruled by King Turgon - and Menegroth - ruled by King Thingol - long provided refuge for the few free people. Finally Eärendel risked all to beseech the Valar for aid. These heroes made terrible sacrifices to rid the world of the greatest evil it has ever known. Ashamedly, as magic faded and the Elves fled from the world, Men forgot these great deeds.

Ages later, the English mariner Eriol sailed to Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, where Elves welcomed him as guest. In grand oral tradition, they recounted to Eriol the tales that should never have been lost.

Anybody who enjoyed The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, which should be read first, will love Part 2. It is also helps to first read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, and, most importantly, The Silmarillion.

Christopher Tolkien continues to expertly assemble and present his father's works. His precise commentaries are essential to understanding J.R.R. Tolkien's mythos.

Some of the stories in Lost Tales are much more detailed than their final versions in the Silmarillion. Lost Tales is a treasure trove of rejected content that really fleshes out the myths.

The Book of Lost Tales Part 2 has six sections.

`The Tale of Tinúviel', one of Tolkien's most popular stories, tells of the triumphant love between Beren and Lúthien. This version is shockingly different than that found in The Silmarillion, and it contains much more dialogue and plot.

`Turambar and the Foalókë' is the stirring tragedy of Túrin son of Úrin (or Húrin). Cursed as a child, Túrin rages against fate with heroic intensity. This account is wonderfully detailed.

`The Fall of Gondolin' recounts the final days of King Turgon's fair city. Ulmo (the only Valar to intervene in Middle Earth during this period) sends brave Tuor upon a divine quest to bring counsel to the doomed realm. This Lost Tales version is staggeringly well detailed. The final battle for the city (summarized in a few sentences in The Silmarilllion) here receives tremendous attention. This action-heavy scene is definitely a highlight of the book.

In `The Nauglafring', Elves and Dwarves battle over cursed gold. This early-abandoned tale flatly contradicts much of Tolkien's other work.

`The Tale of Eärendel' tells of the legendary mariner who now sails the firmament above Earth as a radiant star, bringing hope to men. J.R.R. Tolkien never wrote this story, so this section consists of outlines, poems, and heavy commentary.

`The History of Eriol or Ælfwine' delves into Eriol's life. It clearly identifies Middle Earth as our Earth; for instance, the origins of England and Ireland are spelled out and Rome is presented as an Elvish enemy. Although enlightening, this thoroughly explained setting lacks the mysterious grandeur of LoTR's Middle Earth. This tale was never finished, and Christopher Tolkien shows superhuman diligence in piecing together jumbled outlines and narrative fragments. It is densely commented and makes a slow, though worthy, read.

The Book of Lost Tales shows the devotion J.R.R. Tolkien had for his craft. It is a perfect choice for any Silmarillion fan.

-Zach Zelmar

Essential Continuation to Part One. Tolkien'sEarly Myths .......2005-06-21

`The Book of Lost Tales, Part One and Part Two' by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by son, Christopher Tolkien, is, according to the editor's Foreword, some of the very earliest works written by Tolkien on the mythology of Middle Earth. Many, it is stated, were drafted in the 1920s, nearly ten years before the start of `The Hobbit'.

This is an important fact, as it means that they were not written to `fill in' details of references made in either `The Hobbit' or `The Lord of the Rings' (LOTR). It means that both of these published novels were narratives of a preexisting world of Middle Earth with a history stretching back thousands of years, to the very creation of the world. This supports the sense of historical depth one has when you read both novels. Early in the Foreword, editor Tolkien addresses this very aspect and the danger that the great depth of history felt in the novels may not transfer to documents that lay out that history. I personally do not sense that danger when I read these works. The intellectual effort required to understand the text and tie it together with all the Tolkienania that has gone before is more than enough to keep me busy. This is the basis of my title for this review, `Fantasy for Grown-ups'.

My experience is that neither `The Hobbit' nor `LOTR' books or movies had a strong appeal to the same audience as the literal and virtual comic book works such as Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Star Wars, Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), or even Indiana Jones. The world in which Middle Earth is set is much more subtly different from our world or the world of `Long ago, and far, far, away...' Even in `The Hobbit' one gets hints that the world of Middle Earth is not our comfortable sphereical planet with a different geography but the same physics, chemistry, and biology. One gets the sense that while the great `Gandalf the Gray' may be called a `wizard', he is not a wizard in the same sense as Merlin or a wizard of `Dungeons and Dragons'.

The most important difference between Middle Earth and our world is that this continent is in the center of a great disk surrounded by seas across which are the undying lands including the Elven island of Eressea and Valinor. The next major difference is that there are beings, primarily elves, which walk the earth and which are literally immortal. That is, they cannot die by natural causes. They can, however, be killed in battle, as seen in `The Two Towers' movie with the death of the elven archer allies helping to defend the Hornburg with Aragorn, Theoden, and the Rohrrim. It is also interesting to see that Gandalf possesses an immortality of an entirely different order, as he survives the great battle with the Balrog in the mines of Moria, a battle that would have killed any ordinary immortal elf.

It would have been interesting to see Tolkien deal with immortality in the same way that John Boorman did in his script for the movie `Zardoz', an easily underestimated movie. (Oddly enough, Gandalf is most like the characterization of Merlin in Boorman's movie, `Excalibur').

Another big difference is that the physics of this world is different from our world. Light, for example, simply does not behave like our notions of light. It is much more like a liquid that can be captured in the Silmarils or in the vial give by Galadrial to Frodo in Lorien. This is part of the reason neither Gandalf nor any other character, even Sauron, seems to use much `magic'. What may appear to us as magic is simply bending the different laws of physics to the will of the magician, as Sauron does in creating the One Ring.

These two books are yet another step removed from the `popular fiction' of `LOTR'. `The Silmarillion' was one step removed in being much more like Hesiod's mythology than Homer's epics. The `Unfinished Tales' were another step removed in that they were close to being stories with extensive editorial annotations. These two volumes, which are really one work in two books are reconstructions of even cruder material. Reading them may be about as much fun as reading Frazier's `The Golden Bough'.

Now, reading `The Golden Bough' can be fun for a particularly intellectual interest, but it takes just a bit extra to gain the same pleasure from these works, as they are not stories from a historical mythology which may explain genuine primitive thought and beliefs. They are make believe! They just happen to be of a type of make believe which is more different than just about any other fiction you can imagine.

The greatest insight I get from these myths on the early history of Middle Earth is on the origins of Tom Bombadil and the Ents. While neither is mentioned, there are ample hints that both are beings who sprung up from the bones of Middle Earth itself, independent of any efforts by the Valar. This explains the total difference between Bombadil and every other character in `LOTR' aside from Treebeard and the Ents. The Elves, the Wizards, Sauron, dragons, and probably dwarves, hobbits, and men all arose out of immigrants from `The Undying Lands' or were created by the Valar.

I find the single most interesting character in these pre `LOTR' stories to be the Noldor (elven) leader Feanor. He seems to have the air of Prometheus about him in that he defies the gods (the Valar) without being an evil force like Melkor / Morgoth or Sauron. When Feanor is not on the stage, my interest drops several notches.

These are the first two volumes of the twelve volume `The History of Middle Earth'. While several of the volumes seem independent, I would not venture to read any of them without having read `The Silmarillion'. They will make very little sense without this background in hand.

Tolkien Rediscovered through the efforts of his son, Christ.......2005-05-30

WARNING - if you're not a Tolkien fan, you may find this review rather hard going! You have been warned....*

The Book of Lost Tales 2 is the second of a set of early versions of stories by JRR Tolkien compiled by his son, Christopher. The title is a little misleading as the stories for the most part made their way in a somewhat shortened format into the book The Silmarillion. (In case you've never heard of it, this deals with the first and second Ages of Middle Earth - that is, before both The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings.)

There are 6 actual stories in The Book of Lost Tales 2, which are as follows:

1/ The Tale of Tinúviel

2/ Turambar and the Foalókë

3/ The Fall of Gondolin

4/ The Nauglafring

5/ The Tale of Eärendel

6/ The History of Eriol or Ælfwine of England and the end of the tales

Along with the following:

Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales - Part II
Short Glossary of Obsolete, Archaic, and Rare Words
Index

1/ "Tinúviel" is more commonly known as Luthien, and this is basically a slightly extended version of "The Lay of Beren and Luthien" (if there are any inaccuracies here it's because someone borrowed my copy of The Silmarillion a while ago and I haven't got it back yet...)

2/ This is the story of Turin in The Silmarillion, and is the only version here that I actually prefer to the edited version that appears in that book. This is because there is interesting incidental detail included that is not included in the final version. Not hugely different but still something Tolkein enthusiasts will really enjoy.

3/ This tells, as you might have guessed, of the fall of Gondolin. It is rather wordy and benefited greatly from the greater brevity it was treated to in The Silmarillion.

4/ Most of the narrative of this story about the Nauglafring (Necklace of the Dwarves) failed to make it in any form into The Silmarillion, so this is the only place you're ever likely to see it. In his commentary, Christopher Tolkein explains that much of the original text is in pencil only (meaning it was the first draft), and he is not sure why his father abandoned so much of it. As Middle Earth mythology goes, it's certainly not all that shoddy but would almost certainly have slowed down the incredible narrative drive of the finished product.

5/ This isn't a story as such but an outline of how the story (which was never actually written) was planned to develop. There are some poems which allude to the character Eärendel, and these are included. The pains Christopher Tolkein goes to here to explain how the intended story would fit in with all the others are quite astonishing - he really seems to take unravelling his father's ancient texts and drafts as seriously as a devout scholar might undertake translating sacred scrolls.

6/ Although this is one of the weakest examples of storytelling I have ever seen by the great JRR, it is probably the most interesting in that he seems to be attempting to make a coherent link between Middle Earth and our own world. Sadly this just feels a little too contrived to ring true (taking into account the suspending of belief you must have when reading created mythologies, obviously), and lacks the power and passion of his true Middle Earth writings.

In general the writing is not quite up to Tolkien 's high standards, but then that's to be expected as these represent his mostly unedited work. The one real exception to this is in the second story in the collection, Turambar and the Foalókë, which contains staggeringly good descriptive prose and imagery together with an amazing plot. However as it is not a great deal better than the version Tolkien decided to go with in The Silmarillion, I can't claim (as I am somewhat tempted to do) that this story alone is worth getting the book for.

The appendices etc are very well put together but I can't imagine anyone but a real Tolkein nut being particularly interested in them. And that is the weakness of the whole book, unfortunately - while it is superbly researched and written, and the footnotes and commentary are interesting, it is only ever going to have very limited appeal. Even for myself, an affirmed Tolkien admirer, will probably never go back and read this book again (okay apart from to remind myself what it contained while reviewing it).

Because of this, and I really hate to do so because Christopher Tolkein has done an amazing job with reconstructing lost texts and piecing together the history and relationships of each piece, I'm only going to give it 3 stars and a not recommended. [Sorry Christopher :-( ] If you are a real, dedicated Tolkein fan, however, you will certainly enjoy it. (But then, you probably already have it...)

A great continuation..........2004-03-12

The Book of Lost Tales 2 is a fantastic continuation to the first, taking place right where it left off this book goes in deeper than the first. The Book of Lost Tales includes 6 tales that where apart of the first but explains it with greater detail. This book was edited by Christopher Tolkien, the author's(J.R.R. Tolkien) son. All of the six stories include many notes that help you with the story, and 4 of them include a commentary that Christopher Tolkien wrote. I found the commentary and notes to be very helpful and enjoyable although he refers a lot to The Simarillion so one who has not read that might not understand some of it, and infact the stories that are in The Book of Lost Tales 2 are briefly in The Simarillion, which is also a very wonderful book. These books can be at sometimes a little difficult to read given the ammount of detail and information that they give you, sometimes it is hard to organize all of it but as you read on more things fall into place.

I highly recommend this book, although suggest reading The Simarllion before hand, J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world is quite enjoyable and his writings are full of detail. I also found the appendix and index of words quite useful and very nice to have, it tells you where all the names come from and have referances to where you can find them in this book and others. If you have read Lord of The Rings then you will find referances that are from this book and also The Simarillion that you did not get before.

Overall I thought this book was very enjoyable, although some what tedious at some points, and I recommend it to all fantasy and Lord of The Ring fans.

Average customer rating:

Tedious second book in trilogy

A Slower Read Than The Good Earth

Good Sequel, but I like The Good Earth best

Is Wang Lung Spinning in His Grave?

Exciting story!

Sons (Good Earth Trilogy, Vol 2)
Pearl S. Buck
Manufacturer: Moyer Bell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Tedious second book in trilogy.......2007-04-09

Book jacket says that this work, a follow on the moving and thoughtful The Good Earth, is written as a chinese novel, with its structure and approach. I found it very tedious, with constant repetition of events of daily lives, (how many feasts can one describe in a single book?). I think this is perhaps more of a scholars book now, i.e. one used to illustrate the chinese novel than one which holds interest, or illuminates human nature. Characters are quite formulaic and stylized.

A Slower Read Than The Good Earth.......2007-02-22

Having thoroughly enjoyed The Good Earth, I was really looking forward to this sequel. This sequel traces the lives of Wang Lung's three sons. With all due respect to Ms. Buck, however, I found this book to be a disappointment. The characters here are not as vividly portrayed or interesting as the ones in The Good Earth -- the characters here appear more one-dimensional and less likeable, and it was hard to sympathize with their plight. The writing style seems to differ from that in The Good Earth as well. While the style in The Good Earth was vivid, colorful, poignant and moving, the writing style in this book appeared verbose and awkward. Some of the sections of the book were plain boring and difficult to read through. Overall, love the setting, general story and Pearl S. Buck, but be warned that this book is not exactly like The Good Earth in terms of style and character development.

Good Sequel, but I like The Good Earth best.......2006-06-18

After devouring "The Good Earth," I was dying to read more and see where Pearl Buck would go next with this dynamic family. I found that "Sons" was a good read, but a little slower and not as exciting and thrilling. But true to the original, right as I starting losing just a little bit of interest she would introduce a new twist or turn which made me always come back for more. She is an amazing writer and her insights into the culture are always fascinating. If you really liked The Good Earth, Sons will probably be a fun, quick read, but I don't feel that it is as vital of a work as The Good Earth.

Is Wang Lung Spinning in His Grave?.......2005-05-09

SONS is the sequel to the famous (and thanks to Oprah - newly popular) THE GOOD EARTH. The story begins just where the previous book left off, with Wang Lung a dying old man, hoping his sons will handle his legacy wisely. Of course, they do not.

The oldest son, Wang The Landlord, turns into fat, greedy man who sells off much of the land to pursue hedonistic pleasures. Wang the Merchant, the second son, sticks more to the letter of his father's wishes, but is an opportunistic skinflint who loves silver above all else. These two think always of their position in society and how to advance it, and care more about how they appear in others' eyes than the actual substance of their lives. Their children are spoiled and worthless, just as Wang Lung saw the old lord Hwang's sons become in THE GOOD EARTH. The reader gets the feeling Wang Lung would be disgusted.

The majority of the novel follows the wild, rebellious third son, who becomes known as Wang the Tiger. He ran away from home as a teenager to be a soldier, and this book finds him a young man planning to escape his master and establish his own dynasty in the north. With his trusted companions, Wang the Tiger fights his way to becoming the controlling warlord of a region in the north, and he finally falls in love with a fierce robber girl. (These scenes painted vivid pictures in my mind reminiscent of the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.) Much to his bewilderment, the years go by and his life does not work out as he plans. He ends up with a son he does not understand, just as his father did not understand him.

Pearl S. Buck's plodding, biblical phrasing is not so easy for the modern reader, and I confess that while it was a good story, every page seemed like two or three, and I found myself groaning aloud "Isn't it over YET?"

Exciting story!.......2003-04-07

This second volume to the "House of Earth Trilogy" takes off right where "The Good Earth" ends. I was fortunate enough to find a copy with all three books in one so for me there was no space between the two. Written in the same style of the first novel, this story begins with the lives of three sons of Wang Lung: Wang the eldest (Landlord), Wang the second (Merchant) and particularly, Wang the third (The Tiger). By far the most important and interesting character in this book is Wang the Tiger, who became a powerful war lord. Much was written about his life and how he longed to live the life of a soldier, having nothing but disdain for the farmer's life his father wanted for him. It's an interesting irony, how none of the sons respected what Wang Lung, their father, had left for them. The eldest only interested in the façade of the rich life, the second only interested in money, and of course, the Tiger, whose main purpose was to be a strong and powerful leader.

It's an exciting and sad novel. Reading the evolution of the Tiger's rise to power made the Merchant's and Landlord's lives pale in comparison. Wang the Tiger was a most fascinating character, always obsessed with control not only of others, but of his own inner feelings. It was as if he was driven to be more than human...strong and willful, void of any weakness, void of any softness of heart, setting impossible standards for himself.

Once his son was born, he transferred all of his focus from warring, to raising his son as a warrior like himself. His love for his son, like his love for power, was unwavering, unbending, and suffocating. For example, this was evident in the times when the Tiger noticed that his little boy was so grave and quiet for one so young. Also, though his son did whatever he was told to do, he lacked any spirit or enjoyment in his tasks. Unfortunately, every time the Tiger saw this, he had a moment of clarity, but was quick to ignore or bury it, and thus never really attained the wisdom to forsee what would become of his only precious son.

Book Description

The standard hardcover edition of the second volume of The Lord of the Rings includes a large format fold-out map. Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin -- alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

Customer Reviews:

The Quest continues..........2007-09-03

'The Two Towers', by JRR Tolkien, tells of the continued adventures of the Fellowship after its breaking. It traces Frodo and Sam's journey as they strive to come closer to Mordor, yet in the hard, barren lands, one must have a guide, mustn't they my precioussss?

Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas trail after the Orcs who have taken Pippin and Merry captive, seeking to over take them and free the prisoners. Many leagues they travel over the fields of Rohan, finding signs that are hopeful, as well as those that fill them with dread and doubt. Yet unknown to them, Ugluk, leader of the Orc troop, has troubles in his ranks, for not only does he have fellow servants of Saruman the White with him, there are also emisaries of Sauron. What will Aragorn and his companions find if and when they overtake the Orc host, and what of the strange forest of Fangorn, feared by so many in these untrusting days. What secrets does its tangled boughs hold, and what of this mysterious white clad stanger that shows up once they are in the forest?

RD Williams, author of 'The Lost Gate'

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Greed, betrayal, infighting, and indecision have led the Fellowship of
the Ring to break up. Gandalf has fallen, and Boromir is dead. The rest
of the party is split in two, as Frodo sneaks off with Sam, to go to
Mordor, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Orcs that have
abducted the other two hobbits.

A lot of breaking stuff, fighting and sneaking to be found here.

It ends in a cliffhanger.

Slowest of the trilogy, but still a fantastic read.......2007-08-22

All three of the shorter novels published as "the Lord of the Rings trilogy" are fantastic novels, but the action taking place in The Two Towers is fantastic! This "trilogy" (originally meant to be published as one book) contains lush imagery, rich and detailed description, heart-pounding action and you can really immerse yourself in the world of Middle Earth.

In The Two Towers, Frodo and Sam continue their solitary journey to Mordor, and are eventually overtaken by Gollum (Sméagol). Gollum agrees to guide them to the Black Gate of Mordor, but their journey is fraught with danger (not the least of which is Gollum's dual-personality dilemma). Tolkien cleverly wrote his master epic in six books - two books for each volume which was eventually published. In The Two Towers, the books show the division between the Frodo/Sam storyline and the remainder of the Fellowship. Pippin and Merry become separated from the rest of the Fellowship and flee into an ancient forest full of strange and wondrous creatures. A fantastic journey filled with Orcs, Ents, a confrontation with Saruman and a reunion, not only with the remainder of the broken Fellowship, but with the reborn Gandalf, this chapter of the adventure is definitely a page-turner. Even if words on a page don't tend to excite you, this will keep you enthralled. The world that Tolkien has created in Middle Earth is so easy to lose yourself in, you might not want to come back!

Gold.......2007-07-23

I just finished reading the book, and now I am listening to it starting with the hobbit straight through the return of the king because I read them that way and I think the hobbit is in a way a part of the lord of the rings. its 60+ hours total but its worth it the narrator is great, I would of course recommend actually reading it before listening to it because as the story is a big journey, so is reading the book, its a very long story and part of appreciating it is working your way through it and for those that say "Oh I saw the movies", There is ALOT that the movies left out and gives the story a new feel. Since I read it long after seeing the movies I was not prepared for what I read, there are so many small parts that either were left out or changed slightly that its like reading a story you don't know entirely. I have to say that I love the movies and if not for them I would never have wanted to read the books. If the only way you are willing to experience the book is audiobook only then I still recommend it because they are wonderful books, my favorite actually. If you do read them first, finishing them does feel great, like a journey complete.

Brace yourself for the most action-packed installment ..........2007-07-17

Anyone who read all of The Fellowship of the Ring and bemoaned its supposed slow start or lack of action (misguided souls ... surely God will correct them im the afterlife) will finally find a home in the second part of The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers has the benefit of an established world the author no longer needs to set up, and the story moves along from wonder to terror and back again at a most satisfying pace.

When we left Frodo, he had abandoned all the fellowship except his servant Sam, unwilling to share his seemingly certain destruction with them. Thus, Tolkien splits his narrative. Book III is devoted to the adventures of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they learn the fate of the fallen wizard, Gandalf, and seek to rescue the hobbits Merry and Pippin from the clutches of the orcs. Book IV returns us to Frodo and Sam on the hopeless trek to Mordor. Along the way, they enlist the help of a most unlikely guide ...

Epic battles, walking tree-gods, monstrous spiders, and reintroduction of literature's most tragic villain, Gollum, highlight this most worthy second part of the greatest fantasy epic ever written.

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire fantasy, "Teeth.")

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
One of Morrison's best superhero stories
I enjoyed it!
I remember the original Earth-3 Crime Syndicate
Some good stuff.

JLA: Earth 2
Grant Morrison
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563896311

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A very nice version of this book that again has the Justice League in conflict with the Crime Syndicate. Travelling to each other's worlds, both groups realise that they can not long alther the basic tendencies of reality on their respective homes.

One Earth tends towards the League's ideology, and the other towards the Syndicate's, and never the twain shall meet.

One of Morrison's best superhero stories.......2006-10-09

When it comes to Grant Morrison, he's the Alan Moore of the modern age. He breathed new life into the X-Men for Marvel, as well as Animal Man and Doom Patrol for DC/Vertigo, and of course, JLA for DC. Earth 2 finds Morrison once again writing DC's superteam as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter get their world rocked when Alexander Luthor makes a visit. On his alternate world, he's the only hero, and the JLA's evil alter-egos, the Crime Syndicate of Amerika, have total control. In response to Luthor's pleas, Supes, Bats, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern plan to overthrow the evil empire, but as they soon find out, things aren't so easily done in this alternate world. Morrison has taken the classic pre-Crisis Earth 2 world and used it brilliantly here, making Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick, and Power Ring some of the most evil and coloful villains you'll ever see. Morrison's longtime partner in crime Frank Quitely provides his usual superb art here, so longtime Morrison fans know what to expect here. All in all, Earth 2 is one of, if not the, best JLA yarns you'll ever check out, and it's easily one of Morrison's best superhero stories.

I enjoyed it!.......2006-05-28

It's nice to see the bad guys of earth 3 again. Growing up and reading comics from the 60s, I miss the different Earths (1,2,3,Prime,etc). Morrison must miss those times as well as you can tell he likes writing for characters that don't get attention.
The story is alot of fun and the art is good. Me, I'm more of a Alex Ross, Ditko, Kane or Perez fan, but the art doesn't distract and, at times, adds to the story. Enjoy!

I remember the original Earth-3 Crime Syndicate.......2006-01-30

This is not a "must-buy" by any stretch of the imagination, but if you remember the Original Earth-3 Crime Syndicate, you might enjoy how they flesh out Ultraman, Night Owl, Superwoman,etc. It's also fun to have a world where Lex Luthor is a hero. I hope they revisit them again. . .

Some good stuff........2004-06-20

This is a terrific OGN. I find myself coming back to it repeatedly. But, alas, I am a big Morrison fan.

Average customer rating:

Superior to Volume 1
A Must-Get!
a must have for collectors
Love me some JLA/JSA!
Back stroy for Crisis on INFINITE earths.

Crisis on Multiple Earths (Volume 2)
Gardner Fox
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1401200036

Customer Reviews:

Superior to Volume 1.......2006-09-07

This second installment of 'Crisis on Multiple Earths' is much more effective as a back story to 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'. You will see the original appearance of the Red Tornado (II), who plays pivotal roles in these pages, as well as later in the Crisis, and more recently as a mentor to 'Young Justice'. You will also see what appears to be the first encounter between the alternate versions of Superman. And you will see fun cosmic connections occur between other less obvious parallel characters.

You will also experience a universe shaking battle with a stellar superbeing. The 'awsome' factor of this particular battle is lessened by the silliness of the villain, but overall it's still a good multiverse in peril tale, and a fun read.

The overall quality of the writing and art was more conducive to easy reading than the previous volume of 'Crisis on Multiple Earths'; and the fun factor just felt higher overall.

A Must-Get!.......2006-06-05

In the 1930s and 40s, superheroes were in their "Golden Age," back when Superman had more human proportions and the Justice Society of America had its birth. In the 1950s, the Silver Age of comic book heroes dawned, and a new batch of heroes was born, along with the Justice League of America. In 1961, in FLASH #123, the Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen) met the Golden Age Flash (Jay Garrick), and everyone learned that there were two Earths: Earth-One containing the Justice League of America, and Earth-Two containing the Justice Society of America. But, there was no way that the paths of these two bands of heroes would not cross - again and again!

This book contains four different story arcs, in which the heroes of the two Earths mix. Overall, I found this to be a great book, with some really interesting storylines. If you are a fan of super-heroes, then this is a book that you simply MUST get! I give this book my highest recommendations!

Here are the story arcs:
The Super-Crisis that Struck Earth-Two! (Justice League of America #55, 8/67) and The Negative-Crisis of Earths One-Two! (Justice League of America #56, 9/67): When a series of black spheres arrive on both Earth-One and Earth-Two, they transform four normal people into super-villains too tough even for the JLA and JSA to handle. Who will save the day? You might be surprised!

The Stormy Return of the Red Tornado (Justice League of America #64, 8/68) and T.O. Morrow Kills the Justice League - Today! (Justice League of America #65, 9/68): The Red Tornado, one of the original members of the JSA is back...except that this cannot possibly be the same Red Tornado! A rogue scientist named Thomas Oscar Morrow is out to conquer both Earths, and he has a fiendishly cunning plan.

Star Light, Star Bright - Death Star I See Tonight! (Justice League of America #73, 8/69) and Where Death Fears to Tread! (Justice League of America #74, 9/69): When a creature of seemingly limitless power comes to Earth-Two it looks like doomsday! The JSA calls on the JLA for help, but when the creature plants a hypnotic command on the JSA, it's a battle-royal with the JSA vs. the JLA!

Peril of the Paired Planets (Justice League of America #82, 8/70) and Where Valor Fails...Will Magic Triumph? (Justice League of America #83, 9/70): An evil intergalactic scientist is planning on destroying both Earths by bringing them together explosively. Can the heroes of both worlds save the day, or are they now facing a foe to powerful for them all?

a must have for collectors.......2006-03-03

This, and all the crisis series, were written (and drawn) many, many years ago. Compared to what we read these days it's a completely different story.
Not just some characters are not with us anymore, but the way comics were viewed was a lot different as well. Basically a lot more writing and a lot less put into the drawing quality.
I do enjoy both, a good story and the way comics are drawn today. While it's hard to get a good story these days,
pictures are getting better and better, and if you are selective
you will find some really good pieces of art/work around.
About this one in particular... If you want to have a piece of
history, and enjoy a good story too, don't mind average drawing quality, then this is the comic for you.

Love me some JLA/JSA!.......2006-03-02

Although I grew up with the "Bronze Age" DC Universe, these 1960's team-ups are great, cheesy fun. You can really sense the changes coming when Denny O'Neil took over the writing, he brought the characters into the "relevence" of the late 60's/early 70's but still maintained respect for the older Golden Age JSA. Good stuff & recommended.

Back stroy for Crisis on INFINITE earths........2005-05-27

What has not been said about the the three volumes of the Crisis on Multiple Earths books is that they are a collection of JLA story arcs that first introduced the concept of the multi-universe. These stories help you understand why DC needed the Crisis on Infinte Earth story. The first volume covers events on Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-3, and Earth-A. If you want to understand what the heck that means you'll have to read the books.

Crimson: Heaven & Earth - Tome 2 (Crimson)

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
This is proof its good!
Pretty good, but...
The plot thickens
Refreshing Reluctant Vampire Tales

Crimson: Heaven & Earth - Tome 2 (Crimson)
Brian Augustyn
Manufacturer: Wildstorm
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563896478

Book Description

Teenage vampire Alex Elder returns in this second Crimson collection. Alex is struggling to accept his vampiric fate, and vows never to kill a human being in his blood-thirst. He is also caught up in a battle between the forces of vampirism and the beautiful but deadly Scarlet X, member of the Red Hood, a secret organization dedicated to wiping out supernatural beings.

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Alex Elder is still a young vampire that is not too keen on being a vampire, he has enough problems with all the teenager things, hormones, etc., without having to have vampire super powers, a want to be girlfriend that is a literal killer, angels, monsters and all sorts of other problems to deal with.

You find out the backstory of the Red Hood bunch here.

This is proof its good!.......2002-06-06

I got my great grandma to read this AND Enjoy it! 80 years old and willingly reading a comic (a gory one at that)! What else to say besides that this just dives deeper into the Crimson plot and reveals secrets about Alex's "Chosen One" buisnes, and my favorite part of the book: Explanations on The Order of the Red Hood!

Pretty good, but..........2002-03-18

I've read all Crimson TPB's. Brian Augustyn's script is getting better as the story unfolds, and guys who do computer coloring are really great. As for the pencils, Humberto Ramos draws very well (his style resembles that of Greg Capullo), but I find his habit of rendering over-elongated figures with small face, big hands and enormous feet quite irritating. I respect his style, every comic artist distorts or emphasizes some features on his figures, but this is tad too much...If it wasn't for this, I would give this comic four stars.

The plot thickens.......2001-07-21

This is truly a (good) continuation of the first Crimson TPB ("Loyalty & Loss"). If you haven't read that get it first, or don't bother at all. Things won't make sense. This book (which collects #7-12 and the "Dynamic Forces Premiere" issue) starts off with sort of an interlude issue. In it Alex meets the 'Heavenly Host', also known as the group of archangels who do the Lords' bidding. They've come down to judge wether Alex should be allowed to live on (being a vampire and all) or that he has to be terminated. Help comes from a rather unexpected/surprising side. This is really the most fun issue of the trade where the cliches about angels' manners are shattered and some sick humor is going on. After that the main story goes on it's way again and I really would like to lable this book 'the clearification-TPB' because after we first met a lot of the main-players in the first TPB, here is much explanation about the legacy's, past deeds and motives of each of them (like Lisseth, Ekimus, Scarlet X, streetcop George etc.). That AND we are told the origin of the 'Clan of the Red Hood'. All this explaning luckily happens during the story (so it's not a collection of facts like in the beginning of th first issues) in which a lot of different parties of interest are after Alex for different reasons. Some good, some bad. It all leads to some pretty heavy confrontations and some beings show to have a great power potential (like Ekimus).

Like I said in the beginning, you should realize when you buy this book that it's really a must to first read the volume 1 book to make any sense of it. It's one big "going deeper into already introduced characters" and it won't make sense if you just dive in it without knowing what's gone before. To first buy the other volume won't be a waste of money though because it's at least as good as this one. For the people who HAVE already read the first volume, you should know that the story is a lot more serious and violent (as in "big-gun-violent" not so much gory) than in the first trade and now the focus is really more on the plot than on punchlines, which it has but a few. It doesn't take anything away from the fun though and if you liked the first TPB this one won't let you down.

Refreshing Reluctant Vampire Tales.......2000-09-03

Having picked this book up by sheer accident, I've become intrigued and involved in the storylines and rich background of this series. No only is the art top notch and the story compelling, Alex Elder is a lovable, friendly Vampire with some fun and sometimes scary friends, as well as diabolical enemies. I've not enjoyed a graphic novel as good as this one before. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a taste for a downtrodden hero.

Average customer rating:

How Good It Is

Q-Ko-Chan 2: The Earth Invader Girl
Ueda Hajime
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345492099
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

THE EARTH-INVADER GIRL!

Kirio Muji has been adopted by an adorable robot named Q•ko-chan and is taking part in a battle against octopus—like creatures, mind-controlled aliens, and his own government. But now a whole hoard of robots like Q•ko-chan has shown up–and when his hated sister Furiko is adopted by the most powerful robot, the battle reaches a shattering climax.

With a mix of thrilling adventure and ultra-cute robots, Q•ko-chan is a manga event not to be missed!

Customer Reviews:

How Good It Is.......2006-11-13

If you aren't familiar with Hajime Ueda's trippy two-volume FLCL, get ready, cuz the similarities are many. Both FLCL and Q-Ko-Chan have cute girls, giant robot battles, jaded protagonists... and the most confusing story ever told. Some may say "How can you get confused if the book's nothing but pictures?" Oh trust me, it happens continuously. At times it's utterly bewildering; you just have to accept it and move on. But Ueda's high-contrast, edgy art saves the day. So in the end I had everything to like and nothing to hate about Q-Ko-Chan, the Earth Invader Girl (Four stars is still good stuff, donchaknow).

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