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by (Illustrator: Toyokazu Matsunaga)
ISBN: 156931540X
Paperback: 264 pages
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. EX LIBRARY copy in an acceptable condition with reading wear. Library markings present, but no additional markings.
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Customer Reviews
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Volume 1
Rating  (4)
Date: 2003-01-22
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
I stopped reading comics years ago, but there's still something interesting about Japanese manga. Maybe because they're generally better "movies" than actual Japanese cinema. Whereas Western comics are meant to be read, manga is meant to be looked at, with cinematic, wordless sequences that come off more like "movies on paper" than comics like "Spider-Man" ever could. And I've yet to see a Japanese live-action movie that comes close to capturing the freneticism of a manga (yes, I've seen Miike's movies, too. The closest Japanese movies I've seen would be "Versus" and "Shark Skin Man & Peach Hip Girl").Film adaptations are regularly made of manga in Japan; it would be nice to see one for Bakune Young. It could provide the jolt that most other Japanese films lack. A surreal, over-the-top, blackly humorous and violent saga, Bakune Young is far removed from any other manga I've read. Unlike boy-fantasies like "Guyver" or "Fist of the North Star," Bakune Young doesn't have any heroic characters, it represents life as a slap to the face, and generally the worst things that can happen normally do. It also has a hectic, blood-spattered pace. Bakune's an ox of a character, with the brain to match. He stomps through this volume like an unstoppable monster, oblivious and uncaring of the damage he causes. First beating a yakuza thug senseless, Bakune proceeds to wage a war on the mafia, taking the Don of Nippon hostage and holing himself up in the Osaka Castle. A colorful group of characters try to stop him, including a goofy pair of cops, a multitude of the Don's henchmen, and Bakune's former gym coach, whose face is "deformed with anger" at the memory of the humiliation Bakune put him through. My favorite character is probably Johnson Membodeath, a French (?) ninja who appears in the succeeding volumes, as well. Johnson has a knack for going buck-wild and attacking anyone in his way, at any given moment. A fearsome character, but still no match for the Hulk-like Bakune. The artwork is a match for Bakune's mentality. It's harsh and jagged, the work of a deranged child. Like something Bakune himself would draw. Generally I like crisp and detailed art, but here the rough penciling only adds to the book's charm. (I should mention that the artwork gets better with each volume, with volume 3 being exceptionally good.) Highly recommended for fans of Japanese/Hong Kong cinema, Quentin Tarantino's movies, dark humor, and the violently absurd. And it just gets better with the next two volumes.
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Too bad this took so long to come out.......
Rating  (5)
Date: 2001-11-15
....but great comix come to those who wait! Bakune Young has become (at least in my mind) a essential funnybook for the discerning otaku. Now, for those who don't know, Bakune Young is "manga" (japanese comix). However, IT'S NOT FOR KIDS!!! It's quite violent, with lots of black humor, and character designs that seem to have been penned by a talented mental patient. It also seems to be a satire of "ultra-violent" manga that Japan is infamous for. However, I could be wrong about that, and probably am........it reads like a surrealist Japanese "Die Hard". Still with me (again)? Okie-dokie, here goes..............In this volume, everything promptly goes straight to hell. Bakune goes on live TV to request "retainers" for his cause, offering steady pay. The cops manage to slip in their own men, and hilarity ensues. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Renge, the Don of Nippon's daughter, and Purima, her faithful (and tubby) servant. Renge was locked away after she got out of school by her father, because she wanted to take over the XXX clan straightaway. She gets out of her prison by being (seemingly willingly) kidnapped by Shiroyama, who wants access to the XXX clans arsenal so he can kill Bakune Young. (complicated...)
Also, Renge is (A)the new messiah, the reincarnation of Cleopatra and others, with unearthly powers, and determined to save the world (and rule it)......(B) A prize faker with delusions of grandeur....(C) Possibly both.
Anyway, lots of action and plot advancement in this volume, so if you liked the first volume, this one is a must. This is alternative manga (straight from the pages of PULP) at its best! LONG LIVE BAKUNE YOUNG!!!
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A great manga satire, worthy of Yasuji Tanioka!
Rating (5)
Date: 2000-10-01
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
For those of you who don't know, Bakune Young is a Manga. (Japanese comic.) If you don't like comix, or are easily offended, turn away NOW! Still with me? Okay, here we go. "Bakune Young" is, (I hope) a satire of ultraviolent manga. (You know, the ones with fists flying and heads exploding, the kind that tend to make most people ill when you show it to them.) It's the story of of high-school dropout Bakune Shoichi, who wants to rule the world. Unfotunately, Bakune is very ugly, so he can't be a politician. And he's not very smart, so he can't think up a plan to conquer the planet. But Bakune was 6"4" in junior high, and the one thing Bakune can do is fight. Still, what's a foulmouthed malcontent to do? Well, one day the opportunity drops in his lap, when he's "bothered" while he's in a pachinko parlor, by a yakuza. Bakune proceeds to beat the yakuza half to death. Now the Japanese Mob is after his hide, so what does Bakune do? Why, kidnap the "Don of Nippon", the head of all the Japanese Mafia, for a 100 TRILLION yen ransom, of course. Things start to get a little hot however, so Bakune holes up with his hostage in Osaka Castle. Along the way, police, yakuza, ninjas, a sorta-terrifying psyhic detective, and Bakunes' former gym teacher, whose face is "deformed by his anger", collide! Savage satire where the violence never stops, "Bakune Young" is the best manga in years! (If Kurt Vonnegut was a Japanese comic artist, he would have written something like this.) Move over, everybody! The toughest man in Japan is BAKUNE YOUNG!
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by (Illustrator: Toyokazu Matsunaga)
ISBN: 1569316368
Paperback: 256 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Book in good condition with minimal reading wear. EX LIBRARY copy. Library markings present but no further markings or imperfections.
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Customer Reviews
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Volume 1
Rating (4)
Date: 2003-01-22
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
I stopped reading comics years ago, but there's still something interesting about Japanese manga. Maybe because they're generally better "movies" than actual Japanese cinema. Whereas Western comics are meant to be read, manga is meant to be looked at, with cinematic, wordless sequences that come off more like "movies on paper" than comics like "Spider-Man" ever could. And I've yet to see a Japanese live-action movie that comes close to capturing the freneticism of a manga (yes, I've seen Miike's movies, too. The closest Japanese movies I've seen would be "Versus" and "Shark Skin Man & Peach Hip Girl").Film adaptations are regularly made of manga in Japan; it would be nice to see one for Bakune Young. It could provide the jolt that most other Japanese films lack. A surreal, over-the-top, blackly humorous and violent saga, Bakune Young is far removed from any other manga I've read. Unlike boy-fantasies like "Guyver" or "Fist of the North Star," Bakune Young doesn't have any heroic characters, it represents life as a slap to the face, and generally the worst things that can happen normally do. It also has a hectic, blood-spattered pace. Bakune's an ox of a character, with the brain to match. He stomps through this volume like an unstoppable monster, oblivious and uncaring of the damage he causes. First beating a yakuza thug senseless, Bakune proceeds to wage a war on the mafia, taking the Don of Nippon hostage and holing himself up in the Osaka Castle. A colorful group of characters try to stop him, including a goofy pair of cops, a multitude of the Don's henchmen, and Bakune's former gym coach, whose face is "deformed with anger" at the memory of the humiliation Bakune put him through. My favorite character is probably Johnson Membodeath, a French (?) ninja who appears in the succeeding volumes, as well. Johnson has a knack for going buck-wild and attacking anyone in his way, at any given moment. A fearsome character, but still no match for the Hulk-like Bakune. The artwork is a match for Bakune's mentality. It's harsh and jagged, the work of a deranged child. Like something Bakune himself would draw. Generally I like crisp and detailed art, but here the rough penciling only adds to the book's charm. (I should mention that the artwork gets better with each volume, with volume 3 being exceptionally good.) Highly recommended for fans of Japanese/Hong Kong cinema, Quentin Tarantino's movies, dark humor, and the violently absurd. And it just gets better with the next two volumes.
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Too bad this took so long to come out.......
Rating (5)
Date: 2001-11-15
....but great comix come to those who wait! Bakune Young has become (at least in my mind) a essential funnybook for the discerning otaku. Now, for those who don't know, Bakune Young is "manga" (japanese comix). However, IT'S NOT FOR KIDS!!! It's quite violent, with lots of black humor, and character designs that seem to have been penned by a talented mental patient. It also seems to be a satire of "ultra-violent" manga that Japan is infamous for. However, I could be wrong about that, and probably am........it reads like a surrealist Japanese "Die Hard". Still with me (again)? Okie-dokie, here goes..............In this volume, everything promptly goes straight to hell. Bakune goes on live TV to request "retainers" for his cause, offering steady pay. The cops manage to slip in their own men, and hilarity ensues. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Renge, the Don of Nippon's daughter, and Purima, her faithful (and tubby) servant. Renge was locked away after she got out of school by her father, because she wanted to take over the XXX clan straightaway. She gets out of her prison by being (seemingly willingly) kidnapped by Shiroyama, who wants access to the XXX clans arsenal so he can kill Bakune Young. (complicated...)
Also, Renge is (A)the new messiah, the reincarnation of Cleopatra and others, with unearthly powers, and determined to save the world (and rule it)......(B) A prize faker with delusions of grandeur....(C) Possibly both.
Anyway, lots of action and plot advancement in this volume, so if you liked the first volume, this one is a must. This is alternative manga (straight from the pages of PULP) at its best! LONG LIVE BAKUNE YOUNG!!!
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A great manga satire, worthy of Yasuji Tanioka!
Rating (5)
Date: 2000-10-01
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
For those of you who don't know, Bakune Young is a Manga. (Japanese comic.) If you don't like comix, or are easily offended, turn away NOW! Still with me? Okay, here we go. "Bakune Young" is, (I hope) a satire of ultraviolent manga. (You know, the ones with fists flying and heads exploding, the kind that tend to make most people ill when you show it to them.) It's the story of of high-school dropout Bakune Shoichi, who wants to rule the world. Unfotunately, Bakune is very ugly, so he can't be a politician. And he's not very smart, so he can't think up a plan to conquer the planet. But Bakune was 6"4" in junior high, and the one thing Bakune can do is fight. Still, what's a foulmouthed malcontent to do? Well, one day the opportunity drops in his lap, when he's "bothered" while he's in a pachinko parlor, by a yakuza. Bakune proceeds to beat the yakuza half to death. Now the Japanese Mob is after his hide, so what does Bakune do? Why, kidnap the "Don of Nippon", the head of all the Japanese Mafia, for a 100 TRILLION yen ransom, of course. Things start to get a little hot however, so Bakune holes up with his hostage in Osaka Castle. Along the way, police, yakuza, ninjas, a sorta-terrifying psyhic detective, and Bakunes' former gym teacher, whose face is "deformed by his anger", collide! Savage satire where the violence never stops, "Bakune Young" is the best manga in years! (If Kurt Vonnegut was a Japanese comic artist, he would have written something like this.) Move over, everybody! The toughest man in Japan is BAKUNE YOUNG!
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by (Illustrator: tite Kubo)
ISBN: 1591169240
Comic: 200 pages
Condition: New
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. No publisher marks, no shelf wear.
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Customer Reviews
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Into the Soul Society
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-12-26
It's finally time for Ichigo, Uryu, Chad, Orihime and the cat Yoruichi to leave the living world for the Soul Society.
But getting there isn't the least of their problems. Tite Kubo's "Bleach Volume 9: Fourteen Days For Conspiracy" continues our heroes' quest to rescue Rukia from a death sentence, but they run into a new set of obstacles. It's pretty evenly divided between action, slapstick and exposition, but promises to get even better.
Ichigo and Co. narrowly make it into the Soul Society, almost losing Uryu along the way. But as soon as they try to infiltrate the Seireitei -- a walled fortress where the Soul Reapers live -- the little gang is met by Jidanbo, a building-sized Gatekeeper with a fez, who has very strong opinions about manners. He also won't let them inside.
So for the first time, Ichigo gets to show off the new powers he's acquired -- but after he defeats Jidanbo, he's confronted by a deadly Captain, the snakey Gin Ichimaru. The little gang is left sealed outside the slummy Rukon District, to plan the next move of their mini-invasion. Chad also meets up with an old friend who is living nearby.
But after a nasty run-in with some punky boar-riders, Ichigo is reluctant to go see the mysterious Kukaku Shiba, who may be able to get them into the Seireitei. Unfortunately, her brother Ganju is the guy Ichigo fought the previous night -- and even if they don't rip each other apart, Kukaku's method for helping them may be a bit too much!
The ninth volume of "Bleach" kicks off an entire arc in the Soul Society, and it's mostly composed of our heroes racing around causing general mayhem. But these chapters are actually all about getting into the fortress in the first place, and finding out more about the Soul Society. Well, it's not as pleasant and peaceful as Rukia led us to believe -- in fact, it has even more weirdos than Ichigo's hometown.
As a result, the weirdos generate a lot of comedy, both physical (Ganju skidding across a street on his face, Ichigo landing with his head between his legs) and verbal ("Ichigo, huh? What a cute little name that is..." "IT'S NOT CUTE!... THERE'S NOTHING CUTE ABOUT IT!")
And as usual, Tite Kubo does a good job mingling together a hefty dose of poignancy, action, comic slapstick, and wacky characters. Lots of Ichigo fighting powerful opponents and struggling to master new skills, as well as a wall-smashing brawl with Ganju and his boar-riders. But there's also the sweet scene where Chad bonds with Yuichi the parakeet-boy, who is still searching for his mother.
This volume also introduces us to some the Shibas who seem to have some nasty history with the Soul Reapers, and Jidanbo the honorable, kindly giant. The Soul Reapers themselves don't make much of an appearance, but we do see the snakey smiling Gin Ichimaru, and a captain named Aizen who is starting to make Renji suspect that something is rotten in the state of the Soul Society.
"Bleach Volume 9: Fourteen Days for Conspiracy" is a solid little setup for the Soul Society arc, and has plenty of action, comedy and kooky characters in the meantime.
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Good volume for a great manga.
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-06-05
I thought this volume was good as a filler volume to the whole series. There isn't all that much action or story development, but it is the first volume that takes place in Soul Society, and there is some pretty interesting foreshadowing in this one(I won't spoil it for those who haven't gone that far yet).
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Awesome
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-06-27
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
The ever expanding universe of Tite Kubo's masterpiece, Bleach, expands again with this awesome volume.
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I love Bleach more with each volume.
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-05-27
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Tite Kubo, Bleach: Fourteen Days for Conspiracy (ViZ, 2001)
It's time for Ichigo and his companions to head for the Spirit Realm to free Rukia from her death sentence. That, however, will not be as easy as it seems-- when last we left them, they were running through the barrier-- which will kill them if it touches them. And if they expected things to be any weirder in the spirit realm than things are in the human realm, they have quite a bit of rethinking to do... Bleach is one of the most popular manga going today, and it's easy to see why; Kubo keeps the action coming, but Bleach is less action-intensive than the typical shonen manga, with a number of pauses for reflection and a heavy dose of character development in each issue. An uncommonly strong series, and this is a good entry in it. ****
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by Matthew Cook
ISBN: 0809572001
Paperback: 272 pages
Condition: New
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. No publisher marks, no shelf wear.
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Customer Reviews
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Good , dark start for a vanilla end
Rating  (3)
Date: 2008-04-09
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Kirin is a necromancer who does not see anything wrong with it. She uses her powers to help even though people around her are scared of them. The book is well written and grasps the interest of the readeer from the beginning. The encounter with Lia, accepted white wizard who can call storms adds tension to the story. On the other side there is the strange relationship that Kirin has in her own mind with the ghost/soul of her sister. All these elements are put together in the middle of a thrilling battle against alien creatures. Then, on top of that Kirin discovers she is pregnant.
The problem with the book is that after all this build up, perhaps due to the pregnancy hormones, Kirin discovers the horror of her sins, and that all she wants is to be a mother and a good girl. From that point on the book looses quickly tension until it finishes in a battle where Kirin looses her child and decides with her white wizard friend to run away in search of new adventures that I guess will be explained in a next book.
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Impressive Debut!
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-02-28
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
The backcover blurb didn't sound interesting to me at all, but a good friend of mine, whose tastes I trust, recommended it highly so I gave it a shot. It's a darn impressive debut, with a strong female protag who works blood magic and can raise the dead once more to fight, but who is sympathetic in her need to help people, even when those people are afraid of her and the magic she performs. A short fast read and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
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rather boring (spoilers included)
Rating (3)
Date: 2008-02-26
6 out of 7 customers found this reveiw helpful
I had trouble finishing this one. After a promisingly creepy start, the main character suddenly discovers she is pregnant. This makes her change personality from one second to the next, giving up her necromantic ways and getting born again as the worshipper of another god. This wrecked the book for me because it is so unbelievable.
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Seriously Twisted!
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-12-07
12 out of 16 customers found this reveiw helpful
Kirin is really her twin sister who is in her mind due to a bit of blood magic our heroine performed after her sister was murdered by her husband... Why? Because they were twins and she couldn't live without her. OK. And why exactly did a fairly quiet, gentle girl start studying some very black magic? That's even harder to say. Boredom? Curiosity? Or maybe what they say about the quiet ones being the ones to watch out for is true?
But however bizarre and cloudy the motivations, and I'm never quite sure with Kirin!, she's still a fascinating but definitely twisted character. It's just fun sympathizing with someone who creates creatures she thinks of as her children, totally in thrall to her from the bodies and souls of the newly dead... and someone who tends to kill things a lot, even if it is necessary sometimes... I mean, Kirin is no white-washed romantic vampire type who only nibbles and never kills! No, she is definitely a necromancer--using black magic and dark sorcery to kill and to resurrect things and gain power over the dead.
They say that villains do not view themselves as such, and Kirin is no different. She thinks the gods know about her and so she's a part of the plan, despite all the priests and townsfolk crying "abomination" now and then and wanting to run her out of town with pitchforks. The odd thing is that she actually DOES try to be good... or relatively good!
At any rate, her adventures--from the beginning, taking us through her past and in the present when humans are beset by the very inhuman Mor--are quite a roller-coaster, both frightening and scarily fun...
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Stellar First Novel
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-12-04
6 out of 7 customers found this reveiw helpful
I normally don't care for books written in the first person. However, Matthew Cook handled the style extraordinarily well. So well in fact, that I soon forgot I was reading. He was able to take his prose and transport me into the world of his imagination. His characters are vivid and fun with real personalities and lives.
I'm looking forward to the sequel!
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by Matt Wagner, Bruce Campbell, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Steven Grant, Francisco Ruis Velasco, Kilian Plunkett, Claude St. Aubin
ISBN: 1593071833
Paperback: 96 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Book in good condition with minimal reading wear. EX LIBRARY copy. Library markings present but no further markings or imperfections.
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by Mizuki Shioko
ISBN: 0976895765
Paperback: 200 pages
Condition: New
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. No publisher marks, no shelf wear.
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Customer Reviews
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Hot for Teacher Part 2
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-03-18
Kajitsu, Taro, Natsu, and Satsuki are all living together now that Rumiko (their adoptive mother) has fled to Venezuela and their grandmother has died. Slowly all are changing, Kajitsu the most, as she has befriended the ever smiling boy, Tokihito. Upon entering her second year of high school she meets a bespectacled girl name Mano and the Home Ec teacher, Toma, and Akai, the substitute calligraphy instructor. Suddenly, Kajitsu's world is turned on end as she realizes that she may be looking at one of the teachers in a completely un-student like manner.
This series went from non-existant on my radar to sirens blazing. This is so good. I must read the next one. *gush*
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by Brian Michael Bendis
ISBN: 0785111050
Paperback: 120 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Book in good condition with moderate reading wear. EX LIBRARY copy. Library markings present but no further markings.
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Graphic SF Reader
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-09-03
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
A decent enough Daredevil tale. Nothing to rush out and get in fancy format though. Save it for a cheap paperback reprint. I am not a huge Daredevil fan, so that may well be different if you are. This would be a 3.25 if possible in the rating system. Still better than your run of the mill superhero stuff though.
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A Great Stepping Stone
Rating (4)
Date: 2005-09-15
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
This issue is a great stepping stone for the next volume. Again, Bendis makes the characters seem real. With the downfall of the Kingpin, it's a free for all in Hell's kitchen. The Owl is running a drug operation that sells mutant growth hormone that will supposedly give you Spider-Man's power temporarily. The Owl who has always seemed a silly villian to me actually seems more realistic to Bendis. Tired of losing to Daredevil, he beats vigilantes the way we would suppress vigilantes in real life: Using the law. That's right. He hires a lawyer and Daredevil can not legally touch him. We also see the semantic games that is played between the laweyer, the public, and daredevil since his secret is now out.
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One of the Best Comics in Recent Years
Rating (5)
Date: 2003-08-25
3 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
While still facing the aftermath of having his identity outed by a tabloid, Daredevil must now face a former enemy who is trying to control the Kingpin's former territory. Meanwhile, after Daredevil rescues a blind woman from an oncoming truck, she decides to look Matt Murdock up.For fans following the current storylines, this book is more of the same--great writing by Brian Michael Bendis and superb artwork by Alex Maleev and Matt Hollingsworth. Bendis' signature writing style is here: realistic dialogue and credible characterization. Alex Maleev's amazing visuals capture the urban grittiness of the setting perfectly, while Hollingsworth's dark colors help set the tone of the story. The only shortcoming is some of the action scenes that look somewhat disjointed. For fans of Bendis or fans of Daredevil this is a must own. This is another great example why Bendis so reasonably earned an Eisner award on this title and why this is consistantly the best comic on the market. (NOTE: Daredevil-Underboss and Daredevil-Out are prerequisites)
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by Ed Brubaker (Illustrator: Michael Lark)
ISBN: 0785122419
Paperback: 144 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Book in good condition with moderate reading wear. EX LIBRARY copy. Library markings present but no further markings.
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Customer Reviews
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This guy is really good!
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-09-06
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Yes, yes. Daredevil is is really good, but that's not who I was referring to. I was talking about Ed Brubaker the writer of Daredevil since Bendis left. Unfortunately I missed most of Bendis' DD, but Brubaker has run with the ball admirably.
Brubaker loves crime fiction which is how Daredevil has been best written ever since Frank Miller. Brubaker's version is very gritty and realistic. You don't even see Matt Murdoch in costume for the whole first arc of Volume 1. Also Brubaker has brought in some of the classic villains in believable form in this volume. But this is definitely an ongoing mystery punctuated by some swashbuckling heroics. And the personnal life of Matt is just as intriguing and heart-wrenching as his vigilante life.
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Brubaker continues his run, still going strong
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-07-21
In this second installment of Ed Brubaker's run on "Daredevil" (issues #88-93) the story settles into a more conventional mode. Free from prison, Matt Murdoch tours Europe, ninja-style, to find the identity of his recent tormentor, and runs afoul of a trio of baddies before finally piecing together whodunnit. At the end of the book, he has his life back and looks set for more-or-less business-as-usual superhero stories (although I'm sure Brubaker's future plotlines will be appropriately grim and dark...)
The return to normal may seem like a bit of a letdown, but considering how far back DD's legal problems stretch -- a couple of years, real-world time -- even though it's over, the recent story arc was quite an accomplishment. The "out" part of "Inside And Out" felt anticlimactic, but it's still a darn good read. Plus, what a great scene when DD decks a seemingly unstoppable tough guy (Tombstone) by smacking him across the jaw with a sledgehammer! Nice touch of realism there, Ed! (ReadThatAgain!)
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Running with the Devil
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-07-15
As Ed Brubaker's (Captain America, Uncanny X-Men, Sleeper) run on Daredevil continues, we find fugitive Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil, on the run after making his daring escape from prison in the first volume of The Devil, Inside and Out. Daredevil's trek takes him out of the country and across the globe as he searches for the truth behind what seems to be an ever-growing conspiracy that hangs over his head. For Matt Murdock though, things are never as they seem to be, and soon enough, it looks as if things are starting to fall into place. What makes Brubaker's run on Daredevil so good so far is the intricate plotting and scripting he puts into every storyarc. He's crafted an action packed and enjoyable modern super hero romp that can make readers think Brian Michael Bendis never left the title, and that in itself is saying something. Michael Lark's artwork is still a noir-ish and well drawn style in the vein of former Daredevil artist Alex Maleev, and it still suits the title quite well. All in all, Ed Brubaker is slowly proving himself to be a worthy successor to Bendis, and the stage is set for the title to even go to a newer level.
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Not much of a hero...
Rating  (2)
Date: 2007-07-09
While I really enjoyed most of the book and its swashbuckling take on the hero, the ending spoiled it with an illogical and immoral decision made by the title character, that conveniently returned the book to its status quo while making Daredevil into little more than a selfish opportunist.
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The Excellent Quality Continues!
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-06-12
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
I'm a tremendous fan of Brian Michael Bendis' Daredevil, so when the news arrived that he was leaving the title, I found myself distraught. Before Bendis' run, I'd never really cared much for the character. And though many criticized the level of deconstruction he brought to the line, I always found his work riveting and more than entertaining.
That being said, Bendis left Daredevil in enough of a predicament that I wanted to see how this fella--Ed Brubaker--tied up Bendis' loose ends. Brubaker's The Devil, Inside and Out Vol 1 impressed me, but Vol. 2 left me in awe.
Brubaker has somehow, somehow, tied up the many dangling plots left behind by Bendis (I believe they agreed upon this, by the way; Bendis wasn't leaving a mess for someone else to clean up) in a way that was both satisfying and quite cleansing. New plot possibilities have organically arisen from the old, and while everything isn't exactly back to normal for Matt Murdock (is it ever?), I do feel as though Brubaker has set the stage to move on with his own agenda for the character and has successfully exorcised the benign ghost of Bendis.
So, in summation, I would like to recommend the entire current run of Daredevil. Kevin Smith got us off on the right foot, Bendis brought consistent quality and depth to a character I had never before respected, and Brubaker seems to keep all of the best aspects of what Bendis did, but has now brought his own brand of action and noir, further enriching an already rich hero.
~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant
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(Larger Image)
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by Ed Brubaker (Illustrator: Michael Lark)
ISBN: 0785119884
Paperback: 144 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Book in good condition with moderate reading wear. EX LIBRARY copy. Library markings present but no further markings.
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Customer Reviews
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Matt Murdock: "They tried to break me, and maybe even succeeded a bit. Whoever they are, they're going to regret that."
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-02-16
So, this is such a mouth-watering premise: Daredevil in prison, tangling with those he'd put away. Matt Murdock's life had been on a downward spiral for a while now, thanks in large part to writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev. That critically acclaimed creative team has gone, but that's not to imply that things now get rosier for the blind man, with Ed Brubaker (Catwoman Vol. 1: The Dark End of the Street (Batman), Gotham Central Vol. 1: In the Line of Duty (Batman), Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story (New Avengers)) and Michael Lark (Gotham Central Vol. 1: In the Line of Duty (Batman), Terminal City) taking over the reins in 2006. Far from it! Picking up right where Bendis left off, Brubaker makes a jawdropping debut with "The Devil in Cell-Block D" story arc, which tells of Matt's harrowing time spent at Ryker's Island.
Basically, the FBI has incarcerated Matt Murdock for being Daredevil. No hard proof, mind you. Which is part of what makes this storyline so intriguing. Matt - first in Protective Custody, then as behind-the-scenes finagling of his enemies lands him in General Population - is still trying to convince folks that he's not the vigilante of Hell's Kitchen. Somehow, he must find a way to survive while pretending to be helpless and defenseless. Matt runs into various old foes and arch-foes and plenty of scum he himself had put behind bars. The Black Tarantula, Hammerhead, the Owl, the Kingpin...is one of these crime lords the mastermind behind what becomes one of the most tragic events in Matt's life? And, in the aftermath of this tragedy, just how far over the line will the guilt-ridden Daredevil go to get even?
In the outside world, someone has taken up the mantle of Daredevil and is policing Hell's Kitchen. Ah, but who? And why? Meanwhile, an old acquaintance of Daredevil's will concern himself with Matt's plight to the point that he gets himself purposely imprisoned at Ryker's.
Seriously, this is some of the best Daredevil stories I have ever read, ranking just below Frank Miller's legendary stuff. DAREDEVIL: THE DEVIL, INSIDE AND OUT Vol. 1 collects issues #82-87 of the monthly, which features the 6-part "The Devil in Cell-Block D" story arc. If you like your superhero steeped in brooding and noirish elements, then this one's a must. It's also a pulse-pounding and action-packed prison drama. It's fascinating to watch Matt Murdock as he becomes so, so tempted to simply lose it and cross that line. Plus, there's something electric and thrilling about seeing Matt costume-less and viciously jacking people up. Something visceral and gratifying about it. And I think it's plenty ironic that one of Marvel's longtime, most unabashedly violent characters comes in and tries to steer Matt back into the light. He tells Matt: "You're hurtin' a lot right now, Murdock, with good reason. But you don't want to be me. You needed to remember that." His was a cool guest star appearance.
Ed Brubaker knows his Daredevil. I didn't think anyone could adequately follow up on Bendis's great work here, but Brubaker is one hell of a yarnspinner. He knows how to lay down atmosphere and suspense, human drama meshing with bone-crunching action sequences. Bendis is gone, but the Daredevil series hasn't at all missed a beat. Michael Lark handles the art, which is moody and dynamic and perfectly complements Brubaker's gritty, edgy storytelling. In fact, after only the first couple of issues, Lark became my second favorite Daredevil artist of all time (after David Mazzuchelli, who also had an influence on Lark). Now, I've read GOTHAM CENTRAL in the past, which boasted Brubaker as writer and Lark as artist, so I'm not at all surprised that these two guys rock so well together.
So, there it is. DAREDEVIL: THE DEVIL, INSIDE AND OUT, Vol. 1 is highly recommended. And, as a neat bonus, this trade paperback also offers up a transcript, four pages' worth, of Brubaker and Lark providing tongue-in-cheek commentary on the artwork for the first five pages of Daredevil #82. So go grab this, yeah?
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The Baton is passed off Excellently!
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-09-10
When Bendis handed off Daredevil to Brubaker, I wasn't sure WHAT to think. Who is this Brubaker fella and why should I care (I had just started reading comics and most names were unknown to me)? After the finale in The Murdock Papers, I was ready to see the new direction that Brubaker would take the series.
It is the best Daredevil story I have ever had the pleasure to read. He continues the story and takes his own direction, showing Matt as a man who has almost nothing left, and uses the setting to great effect, showing quiet moments of character work within the boiling hell that is the Raft. The explosive second to last issue of Devil In Cell Block D is the best piece of action comics that I have read in my life, and set a new standard on what you can do with the character. The last issue focusing on Foggy is a good issue, if only for the fact that it involves ninjas (yes, turning off critical faculties for NIJAS. How NERDY).
Overall, this is a great beginning to Brubaker's run on the title, and I don't think he's reached this level of quality on anything he's written, except Captain America.
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Graphic SF Reader
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-09-04
Daredevil has finally been busted, and this time for perjury of all things, of lying to the court about being Daredevil.
He gets sent to the Big House. Needless to say, he doesn't have a lot of friends among the inmates, although he is not without supporters outside and on the staff.
Things will get nasty as those inside try to manipulate this new player to their own ends.
A fine Daredevil arc.
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Outstanding Kickoff Story!
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-09-03
This book takes Daredevil off in an exciting new direction and is a terrific jump off from the BMB storyline that preceded it. I highly recommend it to those who have been following the story since DD was brought back from the dead by Kevin Smith.
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Wow.
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-07-20
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Holy cow...! Brian Michael Bendis' long run on "Daredevil" was a highwater mark for the superhero genre, and a tough act to follow. In this seething prison drama, writer Ed Brubaker matches the intensity of the Bendis story arc, and then some. Matt Murdoch is in Rykers Island prison, where a mix of super-powered and super-bad convicts can't wait to get their hands on him. Every claustrophobic prison flick you've seen is evoked, and all the tension and fear and adrenaline serves to show, once again, what a gnarly fighter DD actually is. Following in Frank Miller's footsteps, Bendis and Brubaker have made a bid to elevate DD from second-class status into the same kind of brooding urban uber-warrior that Batman became, and they have succeeded wildly. This volume, which gathers issues #82-87, is one of the most intense, tightly scripted comicbook stories you're likely to read, a real nailbiter, and another big step forward in the Daredevil saga. Highly recommended!
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4.9 stars over the past 12 months (954 ratings)
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5 out of 5: 2009-01-07
Excellent condition-thanks!
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4 out of 5: 2009-01-07
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5 out of 5: 2009-01-07
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5 out of 5: 2009-01-07
On time and as described! Thanks!
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5 out of 5: 2009-01-06
everything as promised
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