Spider-Man For Dummies

It’s difficult to believe that Spider-Man was introduced in the last issue of a soon to be canceled Marvel Comics’ Amazing Fantasy #15.

When Stan Lee/Steve Ditko introduced Spider-Man neither one had any inkling that the character would become the most popular character ever created at Marvel Comics.

Old web-slinger/webhead has been around nearly 60 years and shows no sign of ever slowing down.

Spider-Man has become a huge merchandising mecca with movies, TV shows, toys-you name the web-slinger is as popular as ever.

In author Eric Grundhauser’s and Wiley’s new Spider-Man For Dummies oversize, softbound book the entire publishing history of Spider-Man is chronicled from his humble beginning to his current superstar status.

Page-after-page spotlight facts complemented by full-color art of interior Spider-Man comic book pages and covers and other Marvel Comics issues where Spider-Man appeared.

Learn all about his adventures, adversaries, allies, key issues, powers, greatest adventures, tragic losses, huge victories, team-ups and evolving mythos including the introduction of the Spider-Verse and alternate universe’s versions.

For long time web-head fans to those that are just starting to appreciate Spidey’s adventures the book covers everything you ever need to know about Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego: Spider-Man.

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Justice League Europe #1

With the success of its new Justice League title, DC Comics decided to expand on the Justice League name and began publishing Justice League Europe-capitalizng on more worldwide adventures.

Captain Atom heads the new team headquartered in Paris, France.

The initial team consists of Rocket Red, Wonder Woman, The Flash, The Elongated Man, Power Girl, Metamorpho and Animal Man.

Captain Atom is a nervous wreck.  As the designated leader of Justice League Europe he feels tremendous pressure to not only to lead but also guide the League and develop a stellar reputation among the nations.

However someone, or something, is not happy about the new Justice League.

Somehow ordinary citizens start to go haywire attacking the League whose members have no choice but to defend themselves.

Of course this sets off a firestorm against superheroes and things start to escalate out of control.

Fortunately the citizen outburst of violence winds down much like toys that the batteries have run down.

Captain Atom is not pleased and is determined to get to the bottom of the plot to discredit the League.

The same writing team of Giffen and DeMatteis that penned the new Justice League title headline Justice League Europe while the relatively unknown artist of Bart Sears does the pencil honors.

Sears would soon move up to superstar status as his art became more and more stylized.

In Justice League Europe you can plainly see Sears took a lot of time on the art as evident by the tremendous amount of detail.  Pablo Marcos inked.

Justice League Europe was a little (mind you-very little) less humorous than Justice League but the character banter was ever present-especially between The Flash and Captain Atom.  The other characters managed to provide a few zingers.

It’s a fun book, with lots of action, mystery and tongue-in-cheek humor.

Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Inside Your Brain

Often family and friends love to kid me when they look at me and say, “What is going on in that brain of yours?”

What exactly is going on in our brains? Find out with authors Lucy Ann Unwin, Prof. Caswell Barry and illustrator Maria Jesus Contreras in their new hardbound book published by Thames & Hudson: Inside Your Brain.

Kids (and adults) are sure to find Inside Your Brain and entertaining and thought-provoking book.

The small hardbound book with the its brain cutout cover delves into every facet of the brain.

Discover how man has explored the brain through the centuries, what the different parts of the brain do, how science and medicine have mapped out the brain, what injuries to the brain do to the body, the future of brain power, robotics and much more.

It’s an absolutely fascinating look at the brain and what it can do, even when injured.

Simple line drawings and solid colors move the examination along without distracting for the information enclosed. Simple, direct and fact-filled the book explores the gelatinous gray glob of goo we call the brain.  So much has been learned about the brain and so much more is to be discovered.

1 Corinthians 2:5 - That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali

The greatest boxer of all time trades blows with the Man of Steel!  Forced to fight each other by an intergalactic fight manager Superman has his powers stripped and faces Muhammad Ali as a normal human.  The fight is not pretty.

This special oversize one-shot Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali, from DC Comics, lets Neal Adams art really shine.  The two page opening street scene is worth the price of admission.

No one does the human anatomy better than Neal Adams and his talent for drawing clothing, settings, vehicles, figures, etc. is really spotlighted in this special oversize publication. 

The fight choreograph is amazing, as are the alien ship armada sequences.

This oversize issue really lets Neal Adams’ art shine.  The cover features a huge montage of famous people at the time of its publication.

Adams was a master at capturing peoples’ likenesses.

Inside he lets loose with huge detailed packed vistas, incredible aliens and spacecraft and some of the best fight scenes ever seen in comic books.

Sadly, he passed away at the age of eighty. His work stayed as dynamic and dazzling as it was when he first started in the business.

It’s a classic oversize issue that is much loved by comic book fans.

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Understanding Superhero Comic Books

Superhero comic books: to many people they feature a bunch of costumed good guys fighting a bunch of costumed bad guys. The good guys always win.

That may have been true at one time but today’s superhero comic books are anything but predictable and formulaic.

Over the past several decades superhero comic books have tackled every conceivable aspect of society, embraced creativity and dared to push the envelope of what it means to be a comic book.

In Understanding Superhero Comic Books by author Alex Grand (with a foreword by comic book legend Jim Steranko) and McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, explores a history of key elements, creators, events and controversies.

The book explores the origin and genesis of superhero comic books and characters, the creators behind them, controversies, their relevancy to their times, elements explored and other aspects including the popularity of superheroes.

Discover how superhero comic books changed and metamorphosed over the decades, their influence on popular culture and how they continue to evolve, reflect current trends and modify and revolutionize panel-to-panel story-telling.

Isaiah 40:31 - But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Barry Windsor-Smith Storyteller #1

From the same man who brought you Marvel Comics’ Conan The Barbarian and Weapon X now brings you his own creations in Barry Windsor-Smith Storyteller #1.

I look at the series as if what if Barry Windsor-Smith continued to draw Conan in addition to Thor.

Few people realize just how revolutionary this series was.  Not only did Smith write and draw the series but he colored it as well and it features some of the most striking and original uses of a color palette imaginable.

Three features make up the first issue of Dark Horse Comics’ Barry Windsor-Smith Storyteller: Freebooters, the Paradoxman and Young Gods.

In the first story Barry pulls out all the stops and presents a two page spread of an entire ancient city.  Wow!

From there he illustrates a sword and sorcery tale with lots of muscle, loincloths, weapons, attire and paraphernalia.  No one does it better than Barry.

The second tale takes a completely different approach with incredible futuristic technology, amazing visual effects, dinosaurs and aliens.  The third tale combines the best of both of the previous tales.

Is there anything Barry Windsor-Smith can’t draw?  Amazing.

The oversize format really lets his art shine and the color pop off the pages.

Be sure to pick up a copy and discover what a true master of sequential arts can do.

3 John 1:2 - Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Atlas Of Human Anatomy

Way back in the early 1970s when I attended college I majored in art and graphic designer.

As one of my elective classes I choose to take anatomy and physiology class. I figured since I wanted to draw people what better way to understand the human figure than by studying it from the inside out.

I learned all about the skeletal and muscular systems and touched upon the other systems of the body.

While we didn’t study actual cadavers we did examine a real human skeleton. At one point our instructor offered to secure a real human head for close-up examination.

But, because our classroom didn’t have the proper refrigeration and preservation equipment that plan never came to fruition-thank God!

I don’t know if I could have handled dissecting a human head.

Over the years I’ve grown a little less squeamish and have studied various books containing photos of actual human parts. Most books only touched upon examination with few photos of actual corpses.

In John Wiley & Sons, Inc’s book: Atlas Of Human Anatomy, compiled and written by Mark Nielsen and Shawn Miller, the entire human body is examined-and all of its systems, using full-color photos of actual human body parts.

Every muscle, bone, organ and system is dissected, cross-sectioned and shown from all angles.

It’s a little unsettling but fascinating none the less.

I highly recommend this book not only to those who plan to major in medicine but to art students and the curious as well.

Every part of the body is shown and include a full descriptions, proper anatomical names and examinations of how each part functions both as an individual component but also as part of the functioning of the entire body.

The human body is dissected through sections, piece-by piece in a thorough examination of how human anatomy functions.

James 5:15 - And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Roger Moore as James Bond in Moonraker

James Bond in outer space!?  

When a cunning multi-billionaire hijacks a space shuttle and recruits young people in order to populate a space station and the plans to wipe out earth’s population Bond dons a spacesuit and takes to outer space.

It’s lasers, space battles and a race against the clock in Moonraker.

Sideshow Collectibles presents Roger Moore in Moonraker all decked out in his space suit finest.

Sideshow sculptors did a fine job of recreating the features of Roger Moore as James Bond on the 12-inch figure.

Roger’s light brown hair, square jaw, straight nose, high brow, blue eyes and straight thin lips are all there.  

Facial color variations help to make the face look more realistic especially around the eyes and mouth.

The figure’s pre-positioned hands easily hold the accompanying laser gun with its long barrel and silver accents.

Also included are Bond’s wrist laser and a circular Moonraker base with a wire support for posing the figure.

Figure posing is tight with all of the figure’s ball and socket, swivel, hinge and twist articulation point tight and secure.

Clothing shifts realistically over the figure with no binding or unnatural looking folds or creases that includes a light yellow jumpsuit with two large trouser pockets with flaps and buttons.  

The outfit has shoulder epilettes, solid black stripes running down the length of the sleeves culminating into cuffs.  Back strips also run down the sides of each leg.

A silver collar, large silver zipper ring and a Moonraker patch along with a utility belt with two snap pouches and light yellow laceless boots make up the rest of the ensemble.

The trouser pants are bunched with elastic above the boots.

The figure poses in various action stances with its weapon in hand with no shifting or drooping.

It’s a well-crafted figure, featuring realistic clothing and accessories with lots of details.

Psalms 40:4 - Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Bad Apple

Have you ever met someone who likes to cause trouble? They enjoy making things difficult for others and relishes causing problems.

In Bad Apple author Huw Lewis Jones and illustrator Ben Sanders tell the tale of a piece of fruit (Apple) who loves to cause problems. The other fruit and foods suffer with his misdeeds and mischief. But, when Bad Apple comes face-to-face with Snake things change.

Thames & Hudson presents Bad Apple, a small hardbound book with a dust cover, that tells the tale of a trouble maker fruit that tastes the ‘fruit’ of his bad behavior.

What a delightful book. I absolutely love the simple and colorful illustrations, the minimal text and best of all the moral of the story ‘better not be rude when you’re the food.’

Psalms 34:4 - I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Doom Of Dimensions

Are you brave? Do you have what it takes to survive and defeat your foes?

What if you suddenly found yourself floating through different dimensions with no idea of what to expect?

Konami's Shonen Jump Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Doom Of Dimensions sends duelists on a quest spanning dimensions where only the resourceful, clever, brave and cunning can survive.

• A full Box contains 24 Packs, 9 Cards per Pack with 1 Foil Card per Pack. A four 9 Cards per Pack with a token Card Box is also available.
• Doom waits around every turn.
• New Cards serve definitive devastation and defeat all defenses.
• Declan’s “D/D/D” Deck ARC-V are powerful as they shatter the walls between dimensions.

Doom of Dimensions contains:

• 10 Secret Rares
• 14 Ultra Rares
• 26 Super Rares
• 50 Commons
• (25 Cards are available as Starlight Rares!)

Get ready to hop between dimensions in one of the wildest scenarios ever devised for YGO!

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Superheroines And The Epic Journey

Long ago in the 1940s,1950s and part of the 1960s superheroines existed but they were mostly presented as weaker than their male counterprts, damsels in distress and were prone to be man hungry and longing to find the man of their dreams and marry. Some exceptions existed, but they were few and far between.

In the mid to late 1960s things began to change. Women superheroines became more outspoken, independent and every bit as capable as their male counterparts.

That trend continues today in comic book to even larger degree.

Modern superheroines have evolved to the point where they often dip into the dark side of their persona.

Wonder Woman, Black Widow, The Scarlet Witch, Catwoman, Black Canary, Storm, Phoenix and dozens of other powerful female superheriones often skirt the edge between good and evil.

They’ve discovered that often in order to fight evil it is necessary to fight dirty and sometimes use questionable means by which to end a conflict.

In author Valerie Estelle Frankel’s and McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers’ new oversize softbound book: Superheroines And The Epic Journey, the dark side of superheroines is explored along with mystic themes in comics, film and television

Female superheroines often take on the role of warriors in order to become saviors.

All aspects of superheroines are explored from powers, epic battles and epiphanies, role model status.

Superheroines exemplify the expanding role of women in today’s society, taking on various roles and tasks and proving that women are force to be reckoned with.

Acts 17:12

Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Robert Davi as Franz Sanchez in Licence To Kill

James Bond has gone up against some pretty nasty bad guys.  But few have been as ruthless, savage and evil as the drug-dealing Franz Sanchez as portrayed by actor Robert Davi in the James Bond film Licence To Kill.

It’s all-out war as Timothy Dalton as James Bond abandons his 00 status and goes rogue to take out Sanchez who injured his friend Felix Leiter and killed his wife.

Bond has never been so ruthless or cunning and will stop at noting to kill Sanchez and destroy his drug empire.

The film also give the character Q the chance to really shine with some funny clips and scenes.

Sideshow Collectibles recreates the despicable Sanchez with a 12-inch articulated collectible figure.

The Sideshow Collectibles flip lid box has a full-color reproduction of the Licence To Kill movie poster on its front.  Side and back photos feature Franz Sanchez with both the enclosed figure and from scenes in the movie.

Inside and on the back are descriptions of the character, the movie cast list and synopsis of the film.

Inside the figure is cradled in a clear plastic form-fitting cocoon along with its accessories.  A clear plastic panel protects both the figure and accessories and covering the panel is a full-size piece of tissue paper that prevents scuffing.

A circular Licence To Kill base and support wire help to stabilize the figure when posed.

The Sanchez figure’s face looks remarkably like actor Robert Davi with his short brown hair, high forehead, high cheeks, straight nose, small beady eyes with large eyebrows, thin lips and strong chin.

Color variation is subtle,emulating skin tones.

Articulation is smooth but firm with swivel, ball joint, hinge and twist points that move easily and don't cause the cloths to bunch or bind.

The figure’s outfit has a white jacket with no cuffs with two white buttons and two pockets with no flaps.

He wears black trousers, a black,long sleeve shirt with silver buttons and black shoes and socks.

Included with the figure are a to-scale green iguana with a small collar, a submachine gun handgun with grip/clip, short barrel and site, a machete with a black handle and silver blade and a separate ammo clip.

The figure’s hands are pre-positioned to hold the weapons and iguana with no slippage or awkward positioning.  Figure posing is excellent with the figure mainitaining its poses with no drooping or unrealistic bends or awkward stances.

Overall the figure is well designed, features to-scale clothing and stitching and accessories and looks just like its larger namesake.

John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Vinyl Record Collecting For Dummies

Call it an old man crisis, feeling my age, longing for my youth or whatever you want but recently I began collecting vinyl albums and 45s.

I am a child of the 1960s and 1970s. I grew up listening to Folk Rock, Motown, Heavy Metal,
singer-songwriter and relevant, Progressive and Conceptual Rock and Folk music.

Some of my favorite groups and individual singers include Crosby, Stills and Nash, James Taylor, The Moody Blues, Carol King, Creedance Clearwater Revival-you get the idea.

I grew in the Vietnam War era, a huge cultural shift, Woodstock and political upheaval.

A good friend of mine traded a lot of his old LPs and 45s for some of my collectibles such as toys, diecast-etc. I consider it a great trade.

Since I now own a sizable LP and 45 collection I was curious as to how to take care of my records, what’s the best stereo to play them on, what they are worth, what LPs are sought after and rare, how to store them, the history of records and when the time comes-how to sell them.

In Wiley Brand’s Vinyl Record Collecting For Dummies I discovered all the information I could possible want.

Author Dave Thompson has written and compiled an impressive guide about collecting vinyl records. From cleaning to storage the book covers it all complemented by photos, the different genres of music, the artists and so much more.

So, buy the book, set up your stereo, break out the LPs or 45s and get ready to ‘get in the groove!’

Ephesians 5:19
Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. 

JLA/Titans

What happens when you pit DC Comics top two superhero teams against a common foe?

DC Comic Books fans were treated to a massive crossover event starring the Justice League of America and The New Teen Titans in 1998.

Something is headed to earth.  Along the way it has disrupted anything technology biased.

Several JLA and Teen Titans members have faced the technological monstrosity face-to-face and have failed to slow its progress.

Any attempts to slow it, especially by technilogical means, have failed.

For some unknown reason the entity is harvesting the Teen Titans, both past and present, and placing them in incubation bubbles that making them take part in virtual reality worlds.  The Matrix anyone?

As the entity nears earth it launches drones as the mother ship engulfs the moon.

This is an epic story-one that had repercussions through the DC Universe and drastically changed the team dynamics of both the Teen Titans and the Justice League.

When the final culprit is revealed the resulting revelation set in place a mistrust of the superhuman sector with the general public.

This was capitalized on with the various ‘Crisis’ mini-series that followed and contributed to the many ‘rebirths’ the DC Universe went thorough over the following years.

I believe many of the elements that took place in the mini-series affected the DC Universe far more than most people realized at the time.

Like so many of the late 1990 and early 2000 ‘events’ JLA/Titans contributed to the evolution of the DC heroes and villains.  It helped set in place many of the future reboots and reimaginings of the DC brand-some good, some bad.

In years to come many of the proto-event mini-series will be looked back on as important creative engines of change for not only the DC Universe but other comic book publishers universes as well.

Success breeds success even with competitors if they follow the same formula.

Romans 15:13 - Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

He Always Hears

A big “Thank You!’ to Crossway Books for providing a review copy of their book: He Always Hears, by writer Alyson Punzi and illustrator Tyler Charlton.

Before I begin my review I want to throw in my two-cents worth when it comes to writing and illustrating a book for youngsters.

As an illustrator, graphic designer and writer I can testify that both writing and drawing a kids’ book is not easy.

Some may say, “Oh, it’s a book for children so the writing is simple as are the illustrations.” That’s true to some extent.

However, writing simple prose and creating simple drawings is not easy. In fact, in my experience it is harder to tone down writing and drawing than it is to over complicate and detail things.

Here’s why. Trimming back on writing and illustration takes skill. You have to know how much to trim back and still tell a convincing story using words and art.

I’ve found, with my own writing and art, that telling a story with words and art for kids forces me to cut back to the bare essentials. It takes a solid knowledge of proper story structure and drawing techniques to pull it off.

I’ve written and drawn a couple of kids books myself-it was a bear! My inner ‘too much detail’ instincts had to be curtailed and stream-lined. 

My congratulations to both the writer and artist of He Aalways Hears. I especially like the simple prose and subtle and softly blended backrgrounds and figure drawings.

Everyone experiences disappointments, hurts and losses.

In He Always Hears: A Story Of Loss And The Hope Of Things Made New, little Jane learns to trust God when three bad things happen. First her stuffed dinosaur toy gets all dirty and no matter how much scrubbing and washing it can’t get completely clean.

Then her best friend moves away and Jane experiences missing her friend.

Later her daddy gets sick and has to go to the hospital. He might not get better.

Jane’s mom and grandma remind Jane that God loves her and hears her cries and worries. 

Despite what life may throw at us God always listens and promises that he will always be with us. He gives us hope.

He Always Hears is a gentle reminder to both kids and adults that God is our loving father. When we hurt, he hurts and longs to comfort us and be our heavenly Father.

Be sure to check out Crossway’s other books on their website at: https://www.crossway.org/.

Luke 1:37 - For with God nothing shall be impossible.