Average customer rating:
- Detailed description of the doors
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The Origins of Renaissance Art: The Baptistery Doors, Florence
Antonio Paolucci
Manufacturer: George Braziller
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0807614130 |
Book Description
In April 2007, three fully restored panels from Ghiberti's legendary doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni will arrive in the United States for the first and only time. The panels, invaluable gilded bronze reliefs from the three-ton, 20-foot-tall doors, will be on view to a huge audience over the course of their travel to Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. Following this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, the panels will return to a hermetically sealed case at the Museum dell'Opera del Duomo.Ghiberti surmounted competition from the greatest sculptors of the age with his elegant and cohesive design to receive the commission for the east doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni.
Twenty-five years later, Ghiberti, having been influenced by his brilliant colleagues, such as Masaccio and Donatello, surpassed himself in his second set of doors, "The Gates of Paradise."
This lavish volume—containing comprehensive texts and 160 brilliant full-color illustrations—serves as an essential and much-needed introduction to one of the most important artistic and architectural landmarks of Renaissance Florence. By detailing each panel and placing them within their larger context of the doors depicting the scenes of Genesis, the book documents the exquisite artistry and craftsmanship that make these such seminal works. 160 color plates, bibliography, index.
Customer Reviews:
Detailed description of the doors.......2000-07-14
This work gives a diagram of every part on all of the doors. It also includes a complete history of the creation of the doors.
Book Description
The varied cultural functions of dress, textiles and clothwork provide an especially cogent lens through which to re-examine our assumptions about the Middle Ages because of the topic's conceptual breadth. Its implications range from the highly theoretical to the very concrete. At one end of the spectrum, questions of dress call up feminist theoretical investigations into the body and subjectivity, while broadening those inquiries to include theories of masculinity as well. At the other extreme, the production and distribution of textiles carries us into the domain of economic history and the study of material commodities, trade and cultural patterns of exchange within western Europe and between east and west. Contributors to this volume represent a broad array of disciplines currently involved in rethinking medieval culture in terms of the material world.
Customer Reviews:
Not an easy read.......2006-03-16
I should probably give this book a '5' because it IS good for what it is. But it put me to sleep before the end of the first chapter.... This is a textbook suitable for an upper-level university class in medieval studies. This is not for the casual reader! If you are interested in esoteric theories, new interpretations of medieval literature through an emphasis on dress studies, and a bit of heavy jargon--this is the book for you.
[This book was recommended to me by Amazon.com because of other titles that I own in the area of historic textiles and dress. I'm afraid that this recommendation just highlights the drawbacks of an automated rating system.]
Book Description
When the University of California Press first published Roediger's Ceremonial Costumes of the Pueblo Indians in 1941, it was immediately hailed as both a beautiful book and the most comprehensive description ever of the making and meaning of the Pueblo costumes of New Mexico and Arizona. It has been widely acknowledged as a classic and eagerly sought after in antiquarian bookstores.
Exactly fifty years after its original publication, here is the book back in print, with a new introduction by the renowned anthropologist Fred Eggan. Roediger's vivid paintings are reproduced once more in full color, capturing the beauty and drama of the Pueblo ceremonies--the turquoise dance moccasins, the tableted headdress of the Zuni corn maidens, the bright-blanketed Kachina maiden, and the buffalo, brilliant eagle, and horned deer costumes.
It was Roediger who first viewed the ceremony and ritual of the Pueblo peoples as dramatic performance, a view that has gained great currency since. As a student of drama at Yale University she was fascinated by the intensely theatrical dimension to Pueblo worship, and it is this original perspective that informs and illuminates her study.
After a brief survey of the history, location, and life of the Pueblo peoples, Roediger embarks on a thorough analysis of the materials used in the Pueblo costumes. She explains both their symbolic significance and their manufacture--from the weaving of cloth and the tanning of leather to the preparation of birds' feathers, evergreens, paints, and dyes. She then provides a meticulous description of the costumed dancer--body paint, garments, ornaments, accessories, and dance properties such as rattles, headdresses, and masks.
In her final section, Roediger explores the relation of the costumes to the prayer dramas, particularly to the reverential, solemn, ecstatic public dance with which these climax. Vivid details emerge here about such rituals as the animal dances from the Rio Grande region and the Rain Dance of the Zuni.
Fifty years after its original publication, Virginia Roediger's book remains the most comprehensive study of the ceremonial costumes of the Pueblo peoples. A book of great visual appeal and unrivaled detail, it will be welcomed back by scholars and general readers alike.
Customer Reviews:
The classic on this subject........1998-07-19
Being interested in this subject from the age of 14, and after searching for this long out of print book, I was ecstatic when I learned of the reprint being published. All the basics are there - what is worn for each ceremony - how it is made or acquired, what is significant about each piece. If you have the chance to visit any of the Rio Grande Pueblos or Hopi or Zuni, please do so before it is too late and these wonderful ceremonies are forever closed to the eyes of the Anglos. Reading this book before you go will give you a much better insight as to what is being seen.
Average customer rating:
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Fabrications: Costume and the Female Body (Critical Social Thought)
Jane M. Gaines
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Binding: Paperback
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philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer
ASIN: 041590062X |
Book Description
Fabrications begins with a single germ in feminist film theory--the "to-be-looked-at" aesthetic described by Laura Mulvey--and pushes it further, considering the pleasures women derive from consumer culture against the social costs they have paid as wife, mother, and worker. Here, American feminist film theory converges with British cultural studies; critics survey the connections between the female consumer and the female viewer, the motion picture industry and the ready wear industry, the fashion in critical theory and the fashion in clothes. Contributors: Jeanne Allen, Sarafina K. Bathrick, Charles Eckert, Jane M. Gaines, Charlotte Herzog, Angela McRobbie, Betsy Holdsworth Nielson, Laurie Schulze, Gaye Studlar, Maureen Turim, Elizabeth Wilson.
Book Description
A new propulsion system devised by the U.S. government puts Mars just days away. It creates interplanetary opportunities unprecedented for the human race. But someone - or something - wants Earth's progression into space to stop. What does that mean to the Ultimates and the Ultimate Fantastic Four! And yes, that mysterious white-and-green figure is Ultimate Captain Marvel! Collects Ultimate Secret #1-4.
Customer Reviews:
A more than solid middle chapter.......2007-02-27
As far as I was concerned, Ultimate Nightmare, the first chapter in Warren Ellis' re-imagining Ultimate Galactus trilogy, was spectacular. While Ultimate Secret doesn't live up to the first chapter of the trilogy, it is a more than solid middle chapter that sets up the pivotal things to come. Taking place briefly after Ultimate Nightmare, Ultimate Secret picks up with Nick Fury recruiting the Fantastic Four to help with a big problem: something called Gah Lak Tus is coming to destroy the planet and obliterate all mankind. What helps make this TPB good is Ellis' reinvention of Captain Marvel (or Mahr-Vell); an alien soldier posing as a human and fighting on our side. Iron Man, Thor, and Hawkeye are also here for the ride, as the stage is set for the apocalyptic events of Ultimate Extinction. Steve McNiven and Mark Bagley provide great artwork, and Ellis manages to churn out a compelling story while further fleshing out the relationship between Reed Richards and Sue Storm like he has during his run on Ultimate Fantastic Four. All in all, if you picked up Ultimate Nightmare, consider this a must read as the end is clearly in sight.
vols 1 and 2 were very good, 3 was awful and ruined it all..........2007-02-14
in vol 2, the kree try to prevent mankind from gaining efficient space travel because they want us to remain earthbound for when the big g hits. vol 2 is very good, however i would not recommend this trilogy because vol 3 is so incredibly awful it made reading the first two volumes a waste of time. in addition, i hate the robot hive galactus idea. yes galactus is supposed to be a world eating force even when he's a big purple dude, but the big guy galactus is way cooler than this stupid idea. i just hope they don't stink up the fantastic four movies with the robot galactus idea (as rumored), but since the first ff movie was pretty bad i really have no hope.
Warren Ellis at his best........2006-11-10
This series was great, the best of the ultimate titles.
Gah Lak Tus is Coming!.......2006-06-29
Coming on the heels of Ultimate Nightmare, Ultimate Secret continues the Ultimate Galactus saga. Ultimate Secret features the Ultimates again, this time teamed with the Fantastic Four and Mar Vehl (the Ultimate version of Captain Marvel), a Kree warrior who decided to help Earth survive Gah Lak Tus's arrival, instead of watching the planet die, as the rest of the Kree are content to do. In fact, the Kree are so determined to see Earth die that they send a horde of robot/alien/bad guys to sabotage the space program (that Mar Vehl helped with) to ensure no Earthlings escape the coming doom.
I'm not typically a fan of the cosmic storylines, but this is the Ultimate Universe so I had to at least check it out. Writer Warren Ellis does a fine job with this series, particularly with the dialogue. The scenes with Thor, the Human Torch, and the Thing literally had me laughing out loud, and Ellis's take on Tony Stark and Carol Danvers is spot-on. The background information Ellis provides on Gah Lak Tus and the death of civilizations is pretty grim stuff, so the snappy dialogue helps keep the story fun. Also, since this is a middle chapter, the ending didn't offer much in the way of a satisfying conclusion, but that is to be expected.
The artwork, as always, is top notch. Steve McNiven (one of the best artists to come along in quite some time) did a fantastic job on the first two chapters, and Tom Raney's work on the last two chapters was excellent as well. It made me nostalgic for the classic Ellis/Raney Stormwatch run (which deserves the Absolute hardcover treatment, in case anyone from DC is reading this).
All told, Ultimate Secret is a worthy addition to the Ultimate Galactus saga and the Ultimate Universe as a whole.
This series is Ultimate!.......2006-06-23
My favorite Ultimate volume, this first issue will literally blow you away!
if you look in the dictionary for the definition of "cool" you will find "Ultimate: Secret."
If you liked Ultimate Nightmare, get this, NOW!
Book Description
This deluxe hardcover collects Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 3: N-Zone and Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 4: Inhuman, plus a hefty helping of DVD-style extras! In N-Zone, it's the beginning of the FF's exploration of the mysterious N-Zone! Young Reed Richards wants to duplicate the accident that changed the four into the bizarre beings they've become and thereby reverse the process. But will their noble attempts at redress cause more harm than good? And in Inhuman, a classic Fantastic Four villain makes his debut here in Ultimate form, turning the Baxter Building into a virtual trap set to capture and eliminate the fledgling adventurers. And what of the other denizens of the skyscraper, including Johnny and Sue's father Dr. Storm? And who has the power to outthink even the most brilliant man alive, Reed Richards? Plus: the first appearances of the Ultimate Inhumans! From a hidden race, she came to steal the heart of the FF's youngest member. She's the beautiful elemental called Crystal! Collects Ultimate Fantastic Four #13-20, Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1.
Customer Reviews:
"Why did you have to be a jerk?".......2006-09-19
Ultimate Fantastic Four (Hardcover) Vol 2 collects three stories: N-Zone, Think Tank and Inhuman.
The first is the 6-issue "N-Zone" storyline written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Adam Kubert. I've never been a big fan of Ellis, although I do have a certain amount of respect for his intelligence and cynicism. The reason is that I've often found his work "too clever, too cold". But somehow his style seemed to fit Ultimate Fantastic Four, as shown in this tale, the previous one ("Doom") and his "Ultimate Galactus" trilogy. The FF comic of the 1960s by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby is a mixture of clever pseudo-science, family soap-opera and the grandest cosmic cornucopia this side of Arthur C. Clarke. Ellis' take is very much all of that but updated for a more sophisticated 21st century audience. It's not enough to have the FF rocketted into space to be blasted by cosmic rays (after all, we no longer live in the Space-Race generation). Instead the FF are part of a Think-Tank project coming up with tomorrow's technologies today! One of the most spectacular of these experiments was young Reed Richards' studies into the mysteries of the N-Zone (the universe just "below" ours). In fact, it was during their first foray into the N-Zone's unstable-physics realm that gave the FF their powers. Our tale here begins with Reed wanting to explore the N-Zone in detail. His excuse was to look for a cure for their genetic alteration - in truth, he was simply trying to satisfy his scientific curiosity. En route, we are given interesting explanations as to the nature of the Human Torch's "spontaneous combustion" powers and the reason why biologist Sue Storm refuses to be "cured" - all done in the Marvel pseudo-scientific manner albeit with more sophistication than before. Finally, we have Reed and company coming face-to-face with a denizen of this other universe, Nihil (or E-Vill, according to Ben Grimm, or "Ultimate Annihilus" according to Marvel Zombies like myself). Manipulating the FF, Nihil managed to come to our universe and landed in Las Vegas. The FF defeated Nihil and his army of Jawas (no kidding!). The tale however ends with the typical Ellis-irony: Reed had been longing for contact with life in the N-Zone since he was a kid. It was his pet project, his obsession. It was why he didn't play football like the other kids and why his super-jock dad alienated him. Here was his chance to prove that his obsession was worthwhile. Here was when he finally made contact with a being from this other universe and he turned out to be a "jerk"! I had to smile at that. Thinking back, most of the early Marvel villains were nothing but "jerks". Ellis merely showed us all this with all his cynical absurdist touch.
The second tale is the 2-issue "Think Tank" by Mike Carey and Jae Lee. This tale is actually your typical comic-book-character-turned-villain-because-of-envy-towards-hero that Stan Lee and company turned out by the dozens in the 1960s. But again, it's updated with a quirky, "Vertigoesque" 21st century touch. Here we have a female Mad Thinker exerting her vengence by turning the Baxter Building into a cornucopia of traps for Reed Richards and company. Jae Lee's art is dark, moody and quirky enough for this type of tale. Seeing that Mike Carey is the new regular writer of Ult. FF, we can be sure that we'll be seeing more of the Mad Thinker in the future.
Finally, we have Mark Millar and Jae Lee to serve up the final tale that introduces the Ultimate Inhumans. This story is really Millar's take on the word "Inhuman" showing a highly-evolved hidden race so committed to their own ideals and rules as to be "inhuman". Millar tried to show this by contrasting the Crystal-Johnny Storm romance with the Crystal-Maximus marriage of convenience. I like this story quite a bit but it's not without its problems. Chiefly, this story should have been stretched out a little more. There's far more to be explored about the Inhumans (an entire race and civilization) compared to even the earlier N-Zone story and that took 6-issues! The end result is that the Crystal-Johnny romance is too abrupt (when did it even start?) for it to resonate with readers. As for the art, Jae Lee is justly famous for his collaboration with Paul Jenkins on the Marvel Knights "Inhumans" maxi-series and I believe that's the reason he was chosen to illustrate this Ultimate Annual. However, the end result is a little too blurry and incoherent to be much good. Crystal's ethereal beauty is a little too clouded by all the dark shades and quirky pen lines.
All in all, Ult FF 2 is a good read and I'll be looking forward to volume 3 that collects Millar's 12-issue run on the title with artist Greg Land.
Still Fantastic.......2006-08-27
While I've never been a fan of the Fantastic Four, I gave the first Ultimate Fantastic Four hardcover collection a try and was pleasantly surprised. Bendis, Millar, Elllis et al's re-imagining of the Fantastic Four as a group of teenagers led by a pair of science prodigies breathed new life into some otherwise tired characters. Volume 1 was enough to hook me on the series, so I've been eagerly anticipating this second hardcover collection.
This volume collects the 6-issue N-Zone storyline by Warren Ellis and Adam Kubert, the 2-issue Think Tank storyline by Mike Carey and Jae Lee, and the Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1 by Mark Millar and Jae Lee.
The N-Zone storyline basically has Reed & Company piloting a heavily modified space shuttle into the N-Zone in an attempt to figure out what caused their powers to emerge and whether it might be reversed. Along the way, they encounter Nihil (the Ultimate version of Annihilus), who follows the Four back home so he can take over Earth (naturally) with his army of what appear to be Jawas...seriously. It's a relatively simple storyline, but as usual Warren Ellis makes it special. His exploration of each member's abilities is enlightening, and his character development and dialogue are priceless. Adam Kubert's artwork is excellent as always. No one draws the Thing quite like he does.
The Think Tank storyline is pretty unremarkable. A psychotic student who was turned away from the Baxter program decides to take it out on Reed Richards and comes pretty close to destroying the team. It was interesting enough, but not on par with the previous storylines. Jae Lee's artwork makes it worth the price of admission though.
Last but not least, you get the first Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual, which was also reprinted in the Ultimate Annuals trade paperback. In this issue, Mark Millar and Jae Lee introduce the Ultimate version of the Inhumans. This was a (dare I say it) fantastic way to close the second hardcover. The brief look we get at the Inhumans is enough to make you wish for an Ultimate Inhumans series. Millar's characterizations are spot-on, and Jae Lee...let's just say nobody else should ever be allowed to draw these characters.
It may be a bit uneven, but the second Ultimate Fantastic Four hardcover contains more than enough quality material to make it worth the cover price (or at the very least Amazon's discount rate). I know I'll be on board for volume 3!
Average customer rating:
- tiny tots FF vs classmate von doom, er i mean van damme...
- This is book THREE, people
- Justin Timberlake? Even better, volume two: "Doom"
- Old stars, new style and personalities, it works
- Some of the worst work by Warren Ellis probably ever
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Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 2: Doom
Warren Ellis , and
Stuart Immonen
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Ultimate Fantastic Four, Vol. 4: Inhuman
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Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 1: The Fantastic
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Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 5: Crossover
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The Ultimates 2, Vol. 1: Gods and Monsters
ASIN: 0785114572 |
Book Description
After a bizarre experiment unexpectedly imbued them with extraordinary powers, high-school genius Reed Richards and his fellow adventurers must learn to adapt to their amazing new situation. But before they can even begin to get accustomed, former classmate Victor Van Damme - who was caught in the same experiment that gave the Fantastic Four their superhuman powers - returns to exact his revenge!
Customer Reviews:
tiny tots FF vs classmate von doom, er i mean van damme..........2007-01-23
1. i don't like the ultimate universe idea at all. i dislike the infinite earths dc junk also. when you have iconic characters i don't think it's good to confuse the average non-comics fan (or even the average comics fan) with earth-2 superman, superboy prime, ultimates nick fury, etc. they water down the legacy and the impact of the great classic storylines and characters.
2. this is nowhere near as good as the lee/kirby fantastic four.
3. despite the above, this is a pretty good comics collection. it's not mindblowing like the lee/kirby ff, and it's a totally different ultimate universe take on the greatest team in comics. it's still a good read though. but just don't confuse the alternative ultimate universe with the real 616 universe.
in vol 2 the FF find their missing fellow classmate van damme, who's started a mind control cult in europe. in my opinion, the ultimate ff books are the best of the marvel ultimate universe.
in vol 3 the FF go into the N-Zone and meet up with Annihilus, who follows them into Earth. A big battle ensues.
This is book THREE, people.......2006-11-29
I'm not sure what's up here; the other reviewers seem to be writing about volume 2, but this, my friends, is volume 3.
I'll admit, writer Warren Ellis didn't snag my attention with his treatment of Doctor Doom in the second Ultimate Fantastic Four story arc, Doom, but he got it for sure with arc three, which takes the young team into a whole 'nother universe. There, in a ragtag city in space, they meet Nihil (the Ultimate revamp of Annihilus), whose universe is dying; cue the supervillain soundtrack, as Nihil spies a route to a younger universe to sustain him.
Granted, Nihil's spaceship looks like a giant, bony pterodactyl and his minions are basically fierce Jawas. But the story is sterling, with the inexperienced heroes dealing with multiversal issues even as they struggle to grasp the extent of their new powers. The dialogue is quick, fresh and witty, and the fights are epic. The Thing in particular does some clobbering on a mighty scale.
Adam Kubert continues to wow readers with his art, which in this book includes numerous one- and two-page spreads that are simply breathtaking.
by Tom Knapp, Rambles editor
Justin Timberlake? Even better, volume two: "Doom" .......2006-03-04
February 21st, I picked up volume two of "Ultimate Fantastic Four," sufficed to say that I was wowed by volume one. The story picks up here just a little more, revealing more about our genetically altered teenage scientists. The writer, Warren Ellis basically picks up where Bendis and Millar left off and adds more personality to the foursome and a nice conclusion to Reed's "estranged family backstory" melodrama. Reed is practically beating himself over what happened to himself and his friends, more in particular Ben Grimm, and wonders still where Victor Von Damne has vanished.
Sue basically tries to deal with Reed's determination to run himself into the ground, while trying to drag him into the Bio-scanner, Ben mopes in quarantine area and Johnny flaunts his good looks to girls and impersonates Justin Timerlake (without acting like him). We discover during Sue's bio-scan that Reed has no internal organs and his body utilizes another way of supporting itself (Reed is promptly freaked out by this discovery). The story progresses when a back story of Van Damne is introduced along with himself, quite affected by the mishap of Reed's giant machine. On the sidelines he gathers a group of people, willing followers or curious friends of followers, in an abandoned part of town in his own homeland. Enraged by his transformation "Doom" unleashes a horde of android insects to take care of Reed, unaware of his own changes.
The book's storyline is nicely played out through all collected issues #7-#12, the focus being much on Doom's plot to kill Reed and Reed's determination to change his friends and himself back to normal, as the old lore goes. There are defiantly funnier things in this TPB than the "Sue wanting to see Ben use the toilet" joke; For instance the revealing of the "Fantasticar" and Ben and Johnny's reaction to it was hilarious, Johnny's need to give himself a superhero name and Ben intimidating one of the soldier's posted at the Baxter Building got a sure giggle outa me. However, once in action, the fantastic four really shine as immature would be heroes. Sue and Reed take initiative as leaders, while Ben and Johnny's usual "muscle" and background banter shines in this volume. Doom basically shows that he's not afraid to kill the Foursome (perhaps borderlines on "gone-mad" just a bit) and with some measure of impressive "firepower" to say the least. He ends up getting a good time Beat-down by "Mr. Fantastic" when he touches his girlfriend. One small character problem: Dr. Storm has went from slightly interesting to "annoying adult" in a span of six collected issues, truly sad.
It took some time to get used to Stuart Immonen's style of artistry, but all in all his style does fit the chosen storyline if anything. The action is described nicely in each frame, the emotions of each character are displayed greatly in the frames as well. And the action that takes place throughout the issues is better than its predecessor. But all in all The "Doom" Trade Paper back turns out to be a winner in my book also. Highly recommended reading. --- [a 5 out of 5]
Old stars, new style and personalities, it works.......2005-04-28
In the original fantastic four, the members of the group achieved their powers by being bombarded by cosmic rays while on a space flight. In the new version, their bodies are altered by a physics experiment that went wrong. Furthermore, in the new version, Victor van Damme (Doctor Doom), was also involved in the experiment. Finally, instead of being an independent group of superheroes, the fantastic four are under military "protection" in the Baxter Building. The soldiers are under orders to shoot to kill if any member of the group tries to escape and when they leave the building, it is only with a significant armed escort.
The personalities of Reed Richards and Susan Storm are dramatically different from the original characters. Sue is aggressive and somewhat domineering, (a bit of a sexpot), and Reed is no longer the supremely confident scientist. In many ways, Sue is now the leader of the group. While I approve of the changes in Sue, I think the changes in Reed are too extreme. He is of course still an incredible genius, so he should act more like one.
The best part of the story is the asides regarding the changes in their bodies. Susan is also a scientist and she is tasked with examining the changes in their physiologies. For the sake of politeness, Reed interviews Ben Grimm and asks him if he still goes to the bathroom. Ben responds in the affirmative and so Reed says that Sue may need to witness it. Ben responds with, "Sue can bite me", to which Reed replies, "She'd break her teeth." That was hilarious and is a continuation of the humor track that was such a delight in the original stories.
Despite some reservations, I enjoyed this story of what I have always considered the best superhero team of all time. The cartoons are artwork and the story is well written and entertaining.
Some of the worst work by Warren Ellis probably ever.......2005-03-09
Let me clue you in, just in case you're of the uninitiated - Warren Ellis hates superheroes. Warren Ellis hates writing super hero comics; or as he calls them, Fight Comics. Warren Ellis' disdain for the genre shows bright and clear through this collection of the already amazingly bland Ultimate Fantastic Four. The ship not even Bendis could save, this series has been genuinely bad since day one. Warren Ellis took the book over as what he said was "a favor" to his friends Bendis and Millar who both left the book to pursue other writing endeavors.
Granted, its not ALL bad, hence the two stars. Some of the dialogue is funny (example: Reid asking The Thing if he can still go to the bathroom and Ben Grimm's reaction to the question, though the layout of the panels is really what makes it funny as you as a reader can see the awkward silence) and the art is TOP NOTCH. Stuart Immonen is amazing, and as soon as Marvel keeps him on Ultimate books, I feel his talent is wasted.
All in all, I'd say skip this book and check out The Ultimates, which is the Ultimate universe's Avengers, and is pretty much the best book of the entire Ultimate line, though fans of Spider-Man might disagree. If you want to see Warren Elllis write superheroes he actually cared about, go check out The Authority.
From the Publisher
A dazzling collection of witty and wise Pot Shots, or Brilliant Thoughts . . . illustrated epigrams that will inspire your personal quest for telling communication. Fresh, funny, wistful, bright; they may well reflect some of your own deep or whimsical thoughts.
Ashleigh's Pot Shots are acclaimed, told and re-told, by young and old, secular and religious, mainstream and offbeat they speak to everyone.
What they say: Clifton Fadiman: Most enjoyable; Isaac Asimov: Good one-liners; Richard Armour: Wise, and witty; People magazine: Artistic trailblazer, Ashleigh Brilliant coins epigrams that would drive Oscar wild.
Ashleigh's Pot Shots are copyrighted and the names Pot Shots and Brilliant Thoughts are registered trademarks.
Books:
- The Poetics of Titian's Religious Paintings
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- They Drew Fire
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- Vertigo: The Strange New World of the Contemporary City
- Visual Literacy: Writing about Art
- Wet: On Painting, Feminism, and Art Culture
- What's So Funny About Science?: Cartoons from American Scientist
- Winning in One-designs
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