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| LES DANIELS |
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SUPERMAN
THE
COMPLETE HISTORY
THE LIFE AND
TIMES OF THE MAN OF STEEL |
by Les Daniels
Book design by Chip Kidd |
Hardcover: 192 pages
Chronicle Books
ISBN: 0811821625 |
$29.95
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From
Flaunt
:
"The
Man of Steel, and the events that forged him. Lavishly illustrated with
every kind of Superman memorabilia imaginable and original comic panels,
plus social discourse on the half-century life and influence of comicdoms
most celebrated illegal alien." |
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From
Amazon.com
While
comic books trace their origins to the late 19th century, Superman, who
debuted in 1938's Action Comics #1, is virtually synonymous with the medium.
Yet, as Superman, the Complete History shows, the Man of Steel has also
made a lasting impact in comic strips, film, toys, TV, radio, and even
on Broadway. In this beautifully composed volume, Les Daniels collects
rare and never-before-seen early artwork by Superman's teenage creators,
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (including a two-page doodle from 1936 featuring
early Superman costume designs), and he chronicles the evolution of the
character from an orphan alien comics hero to a complex multimedia icon.
Entire pages are devoted to photographs of the various costumes worn by
TV and film incarnations, of numerous action figures and related toys,
and of movie poster and stills. Several comics stories are also reproduced
in their entirety.
Almost
as impressive as the stunning art design is Daniels's narrative: covering
the 60 years from 1938 to 1998, he collects interviews with several writer-artist
teams that detail the changes in the Man of Steel and his relationships
with Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor, and Perry White. Daniels's examination
of the "Death of Superman" story arc, in particular, is a fascinating study
of Superman's commercial and archetypal appeal. The final pages preview
Superman tales by Barry Windsor-Smith and Alex Ross (whose beautiful painted
graphic novel Kingdom Come turned many heads), and the hardback cover holds
a special surprise underneath its paper wrap.
--Patrick
O'Kelley
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| LES DANIELS |
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MARVEL
Five
Fabulous Decades
of
the World's Greatest Comics |
| by Les Daniels |
Paperback Edition
Harry N Abrams
ISBN: 0810925664 |
$24.95
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| A celebration
of fifty years of Marvel Comics features seven hundred illustrations
and a text that traces the history of Marvel, from its first publication
in 1939, describing the birth and popularity of The Human Torch,
Daredevil,
and other superheroes. The book also includes 17 profiles of the
main Marvel super heroes and 40 pages of facsimile stories. |
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| Here are
five fabulous decades of the world's greatest comics.
From
Amazon.com:
"I
don't even like comic books, but I was completely enthralled by this book.
The hefty 300 pages of high clay-content, color-saturated pages with over
700 illustrations and detailed text covers the 50-year history of the canonical
comic books company which later became one of the industry's greatest innovators.
Here there be artists highly skilled at depicting mayhem with clarity and
precision, and writers who unerringly touch the (popular) collective unconscious.
In addition to beinghighly praised within the comic book community, this
book has also received rave reviews from mainstream magazines such as Newsday
and People."
700 color illus. 9 1/2 x
11 7/8. |
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| LES DANIELS |
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BATMAN
THE
COMPLETE HISTORY |
by Les Daniels
Book design by Chip Kidd |
Hardcover: 208 pages
Chronicle Books
ISBN: 0811824705 |
$29.95
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| Following on
the heels of SUPERMAN: THE COMPLETE HISTORY, author Les Daniels spotlights
another famed crime fighter-- one who is perhaps even more popular than
Superman. |
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| Batman, the
Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight-whatever name he goes by, he is recognized
by millions of fans as the most enigmatic and complex character in the
super hero pantheon. Driven by personal demons, Bruce Wayne has loosed
his shadow self on the villainy of Gotham City for 60 years. In celebration
of this anniversary, Chronicle Books is proud to offer the first definitive
account of Batman's heroic exploits. Les Daniels covers it all-from Batman's
creation and runaway success in 1939, to the campy antics of the Adam West
TV show, to the emergence of Frank Miller's very disturbed and very dark
Dark Knight, to the billion-dollar movie franchise and beyond. Illustrated
with archival comic book art and rare Batman paraphernalia, Batman: The
Complete History also includes a comic book story colored by animator Bruce
Timm especially for this book. Designed by Batman fan Chip Kidd, this history
will please the hardcore fans, and win many new ones.
About the Author
Les Daniels is the author
of SUPERMAN: THE COMPLETE HISTORY and THE SUPERMAN MASTERPIECE EDITION.
In addition to award-winning action, he has written best-selling histories
of DC Comics and Marvel. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island. |
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| LES
DANIELS |
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WONDER
WOMAN
The
Complete History |
by Les Daniels
Book design by Chip Kidd |
Hardcover: 208 pages
Chronicle Books
ISBN: 0811829138 |
$29.95
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Amazon.com
There
can't be many people who haven't heard of Wonder Woman, arguably the first
female superhero and one of the "big three" (the others being Batman and
Superman). She was created by Dr. William Moulton Marston, who also invented
the lie detector, as an antidote to masculine comic book adventures, drenched
in violent testosterone-fueled imagery and portraying women as helpless
weaklings who had to rely on the men to untie them from the train tracks
in the nick of time. |
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| Wonder
Woman was certainly no weakling. Dressed in stars and stripes, armed with
bullet-deflecting bracelets and a magical lasso, and flying around in an
invisible jet, she had no qualms about saving her boyfriend Steve Trevor
from certain doom each issue while dealing a swift blow to the odd Nazi
soldier as well. However, most people who aren't die-hard comic fans will
have only memories of the camp and kitschy 1970s TV show, starring the
leggy and beautiful Lynda Carter (who also contributes the book's foreword).
As compelling and faithful as this small-screen adaptation was, there is
so much more to the WW mythology than that, as Les Daniels admirably proves
in this gorgeous hardback volume. It features lots of covers and extracted
scenes from the comic books, from her earliest appearance to her latest
1990s image changes, and plenty of photographs of the plethora of WW merchandise
created over the years. And for those of you old enough to remember the
TV show, the lyrics of the infamous theme song are also here in all their
star-spangled glory. This is a wonderful, nostalgic journey through the
life and times of the first lady of superheroes and a real appreciation
of WW's staying power and campy cult status. Beautifully packaged, absorbingly
written, and wonderfully illustrated, this is a must-have for comic fans.
--Jonathan
Weir, Amazon.co.uk
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| DC
Comics |
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Sixty
Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes |
by Les Daniels
Introduction by Jenette Kahn |
Hardcover: 256 pages
Bulfinch Press
ISBN: 0821220764 |
$40.00
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| Comics--
From the Very Beginning
In 1935, popular culture
was transformed forever when DC published its first book of "all-new, all-original
comic material. To the delight of millions of kids everywhere, the modern
comic book was born. |
| With the introduction
of Superman in 1938. DC Comics made history again, this time with the publication
of the first super hero comic book. To this day, the Man of Steel remains
the most recognized and celebrated hero in the world. Inspired by its innovative
early success, DC went on to create legions of other superheores--Batman,
Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, and dozens more of the most popular
comic book characters ever created.
In the sixty years since
the first super heroes wer ecreated, the artists, writers, and editors
of DC Comics have been develooping, refining and extending the reach of
their comic book characters. The DC fictional world has branched into a
worldwide profusion of entertainment formats: books, toys, movies, radio,
television, videogames, and an online computer network.
Here, for the very first
time, is the complete story of America's favorite heroes and their talented,
dedicated creators. In over 100 short and spirited essays, author Les Daniels
offers remarkable new anecdotes about the company's history, traces the
complex genealogies of the characters, describes behind-the-scenes politics
that influence the stories, and interviews dozens of artists and writers--the
real stars of his engrossing tales. The reader can open the book anywhere
and become immersed immediately in the fantasy world of high adventure
and magical mayhem.
Ingram
A chronicle of the lives
of Superman, Batman, the Flash, and the other creations of DC Comics includes
interviews with the artists and writers and six hundred color illustrations,
from covers to storyboards to fan memorabilia.
50,000 first printing. |
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