Product Description
Even straight-A students sometimes flub the CLAST. While there's no substitute for knowing all the answers, knowing how to take the tests can be of great value in these high-anxiety examinations. Cliff's Test Preparation Guides give you the review that keeps the pertinent information in the front of your brain and teaches you how to take the test. Studies prove that such test preparation brings higher scores. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cliff's Clast is the Bridge to College for W2W Populations
Standard GED preparation materials are aften not enough to prepare a student to both pass a state GED examination and score well on college placements tests.Too frequently, the GED completing student scores in arange that places him in a series of remedial English and math courses forwhich he has to pay, but for which he will receive no course credit. Cliff's Clast Preparation Guide is a solution to this problem, markedlyobserved in populations targeted by welfare reform in the U.S.Thetext of Clast goes beyond the GED books to cement 9th-12th grade learningand build upon it step-by-step, with clear prose, problems, examples andgraphics.All this challenges students and engages them in more consistentlong-term study.The language arts and math skill building, along withproblem-solving and critical thinking components give students what theyneed to succeed - the ability to figure things out rather than a dependencyupon memorization.I recommend that all GED and H.S. educators pick upa copy of this Guide to help build a bridge for your students to cross tocollege.Don't let them fall in the river and drown.

Cliff's Clast is the Bridge to College for W2W Populations
Standard GED preparation materials are aften not enough to prepare a student to both pass a state GED examination and score well on college placements tests.Too frequently, the GED completing student scores in arange that places him in a series of remedial English and math courses forwhich he has to pay, but for which he will receive no course credit. Cliff's Clast Preparation Guide is a solution to this problem, markedlyobserved in populations targeted by welfare reform in the U.S.Thetext of Clast goes beyond the GED books to cement 9th-12th grade learningand build upon it step-by-step, with clear prose, problems, examples andgraphics.All this challenges students and engages them in more consistentlong-term study.The language arts and math skill building, along withproblem-solving and critical thinking components give students what theyneed to succeed - the ability to figure things out rather than a dependencyupon memorization.I recommend that all GED and H.S. educators pick upa copy of this Guide to help build a bridge for your students to cross tocollege.Don't let them fall in the river and drown. ... Read more

Product Description
A huntress is stalking demons in L.A. Normally this would be a good thing, except she`s leaving survivors and telling them Angel sent her. Now Angel has an army of demons on his tail, hell-bent on revenge. What`s a vampire to do? And how long can his human companions, Cordelia and Wesley, remain safe? Meanwhile, monsters are fleeing the carnage in L.A. and seeking refuge in Sunnydale, where they`re being dealt with by the Slayer. Buffy, Giles, and the gang learn about the havoc, and Buffy determines that she must go to Angel`s side to lend a hand; a decision that does not sit at all well with Buffy`s vampire-hunting boyfriend, Riley. Collecting issues #15-16 of Angel and issues #29-30 from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Demon Under Every Stone
Backk in the days when comics were 25 cents I used to read a lot of them.Now that they come out for over 10 dollars, they are actually a rare treat.Of course, the production qualities are way better than what I used to read.When I read the description of 'Past Lives' and discovered it was an Angel/Buffy special, I decided it was one I had to get, and I am please to say that I was not disappointed.

Angel finds himself under attack from not one, two, or even a small group of demons, but a continuous stream of the very meanest in Los Angeles.Every single one of them mad at him because an unknown woman was cutting a swath through the underworld claming that she worked for Angel.This is serious bad news.In no time at all Cordelia and Wesley are among the wounded and Angel looks like the before picture in a plastic surgeon's office.The scent of badness reaches all the way to Sunnydale, and soon Buffy, Giles, and the entire Scooby Gang are on their way to help.

The team quickly discovers that the freelance lady demon killer is actually an agent of the Watchers, who has convinced them to arm her with whatever she wants from their armory of magic weapons.Smarting from the embarrassment of having two Slayers who are ignoring them, they seized the chance to restore their waning reputation.Unfortunately they failed to look deeply enough into the motivations of the beautiful Alexa Landry and they wind up unleashing a nightmare.She is hell bent on destroying Angel and anyone who is his friend.Alexa has a past with both Giles and Wesley, but with Angel her hatred extends back centuries.Back to the time that Angel, as Angelus, destroyed first the mind and than the life of Sir Andrew Landry.

As you can tell, this is going to be one titanic struggle.Thanks to the fact that comic books have an unlimited special effects budget, the visuals are out standing. Great fight scenes and moody returns to Angel's past are the work of veteran pencillers Christian Zanier and Cliff Richards.The story line is another barn burner from the pens of Chris Golden and Tom Sniegoski, who also need no introduction.Dialog is as good as it can get in this kind of writing and even Anya manages to get some great lines.If you've wondering which one of the Buffy and company graphic novels to get, this is the one.

Raise your hand if you can't stand Riley. . .
Okay, all of you that can't stand Riley will be pleased to know he only makes a minor appearance in this trade!Yay!Ahem.This trade features issues 29-30 of Buffy and 15-16 of Angel.The story begins with Angel being attacked by all sorts of demons because they believe he sent some lady after them.Turns out she, a former flame of Giles', is in league with the watcher's counsel but is rogue (they have no luck, do they?).She has a grudge against Angel because she is a descendant of a man who was tortured by him.The flashbacks to his torture are pretty scary, the way Angelus messed with his mind I can see why Alexa would want revenge.However, Giles is right in his reason for breaking it off with her -- she really enjoys the visceral aspects of killing way too much, the blood and gore and violence.Buffy has to go to LA after Weasly and Cordy get hurt, AND she leaves Riley behind!One star off for his small, annoying appearance.At any rate, the story is fast paced and a good crossover.The artwork is clean and easy to follow and there is a really funny part with Anya and her lack of tact.All in all this trade is worth it for Buffy or Angel fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Cliff Richard - sheet music - book - 94 pages - Private collection
Tracks: Some people, Wired for sound, All I ask of you, Carrie, Remember me, True love ways, Dreamin, Green light, She means nothing to me, Heart user, A little in love, Daddy's home, We don't talk any more, Never say die, The only way out, Suddenly, Slow river, Please don't fall in love, Little town, My pretty one, Ocean deep, She's so beautiful, Two hearts, Mistletoe and wine ... Read more

Product Description
In the midst of its hottest summer, the town of Sunnydale faces the worst infestation of insects anyone has ever seen. Innocent people have begun to transform into giant, demonic insects. Buffy and her friends have to find a way to stop the supernatural force that has got everyone buzzing, literally. Light up some citronella candles, remember to close the screen door, and join us for the crunchiest, gooey, most creepy-crawliest adventure in the history of Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Novelists Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe reveal Buffy’s horrible summer between her freshman and sophomore years of college with the help of the fan-favorite Buffy art team of Cliff Richards and Joe Pimentel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

the art gets a 4, the story a 3, maybe a 2
The art in this book was really good.I didn't like the black and white drawings as much, which is why I don't think the artwork deserves a 5, but the paintings are excellent.The drawings didn't always look much like the characters from the show.For instance, the drawings of Anya hardly ever looked like her.The paintings, though - some of them looked almost looked like photographs, put through photoshop filters or something.Very nice.I found myself wishing that some of the BtVS comics could look that good.

Now, the story.It takes place during one of those bleak times in the series - after Buffy died for the second time, before the musical.Willow and Tara have some rough relationship moments because of Willow's overdependence on magic, and it's this problem that starts the monster troubles in this book.Buffy's still trying to get over the fact that she was torn out of heaven, Dawn is doing her best to become a deliquent, and Spike loves Buffy.Oh yeah, Xander and Anya are having relationship disagreements as well while they plan their wedding.Basically, this book doesn't tell you anything about the series or characters that you don't already know.This wouldn't necessarily be a bad this, if the story had been better.I didn't think the story was all that interesting, and it was only because the book was so short that I managed to get all the way through it at all.I would recommend this book for the art, but the story isn't worth it.

Please write more of these!
This book was put out in a different format.Mostly story line, but a few pictures.I absolutely loved it, and hope more will be coming.So much better than the comics, where there are just a million pictures of monsters, and almost no story.Glad to see Spike taking a more prominent role.Any story with Spike (or Angel) is worth a look, and this is one of the better ones.

Hive and Go Seek
Everyone has a little bug problem or two during the summer.Ants in the kitchen, wasps in the picnic, they are all part of the grand scheme of things.Ancient creatures trying to get on in a world full of Raid-bearing humans.It only figures, though, that if Buffy were going to have an infestation problem they would be larger than life and twice as nasty.Welcome to the summer of Buffy's fourth season.

Buffy has already had one confrontation with these bad news bugs during the term.She and Riley barely managed to stop the infestation and they thought they had solved the problem.But, that was then, and this is now.When the ghost of a vagrant killed by a vampire puts Riley into a coma, Buffy is back on her own, and worried to distraction.While she desperately tries to hunt down the cause of the ghosts anger the bugs show up - right in the middle of Giles date with a beautiful librarian.Giles loses and Rebecca the cataloger disappears.

Now both Buffy and Giles are at their wits end.Fortunately, the rest of the gang is there to pitch in.Even Spike tries to do his part.Tara and Willow find out that the insects are Urukhai, cheerfully bent on the conquest of the earth.Even as the magical duo start to work on supernatural insecticide, it is obvious that the team is in for a tough struggle.To or three really bad vampires are one thing, but thousands of superbugs the size of Volkswagens is an entirely different challenge.

This is the perfect summer graphic comic.Lots of fiend bashing, suspense, and, if you count Giles, even some romance.Fassbender and Pascoe once again turn out a potboiler, and Richards and Pimentel get it down beautifully on glossy paper.Now you can worry about things that go 'chitter' in the night.

Blood, Buffy, and Tears
Buffy is having increasing difficulty adjusting to her return to the living in the sixth season.No matter how hard she tries, she has been unable to reconnect with her life and friends.During her absence, everyone seems to have developed a completely new set of problems.Giles cannot decide if he is leaving.Xander and Anya are engaged, but do not seem very happy about it.Tara is increasingly distressed about Willow's compulsive quest for increased power.Spike is in love with Buffy and not handling it very well.And Dawn, well, Dawn seems intent on becoming a juvenile delinquent.Nobody seems to have much time for Buffy, except maybe Spike, and he has too much time.

Now Dawn has taken up sneaking out at night with her friend Melinda and hanging out at the local rave.This is a tough scene, and the guy Dawn likes best, Skeeter, makes a hobby of drug dealing.This is bad news, since Skeeter is hung up on Velatti the DJ.Velatti has one major flaw, her other night job is drinking blood.The beautiful vampire convinces Skeeter to team up with Parnassus another bloodsucker, with a new drug to sell.This concoction gets its human users high and then turns them into a whole new flavor of vampire intoxicant.Dawn and Melinda, teenagers anxious to be cool are drawn right into the middle of this vampire's version of a meth lab.

While Buffy frets about Dawn, and tries to figure out how to get her life back, Willow discovers an ancient volume called 'The Book of Tears.'Unable to control herself, Dawn delves deeply into the book's spells and somehow unleashes a new horror on Sunnydale.Parnassus suddenly finds himself entranced by the Queen of Tears.In return for a promise of the ultimate high, he begins the process of opening a portal to the Queen's dimension.The main ingredient for this is the sacrifice of a virgin.Enter Dawn, once again.

With the entire Scooby gang dealing with one kind of addiction or another, Spike turns out to be the hero of this piece.He is the only one who realizes that there seems to be a disaster in the making.Unfortunately, no one wants to listen to him until it is nearly too late.By that time, Dawn has vanished and everyone is clueless.

On top of the show, we have Buffy comics, graphic novels, plain novels and now, illustrated novels.One has to admire the determination of the BTVS marketing folks for continually finding something new for Buffy's fans.Brian Horton and Paul Lee have combined forces to provide some excellent color and ink work.This makes up a bit for a novel that reads a bit too much like a comic book.Fassbender and Pascoe are good with snappy dialog, but they lack the skill of someone like Chris Golden when it comes to making an entire novel hang together.Still, it's good reading, but not to die for.

Intriguing Buffy tale...
This is an an intriguing, well written Buffy novella by the soon to be former creative team of the Buffy comic book.

There's a new vamp in town, and he's got a plan to get the ultimate blood high. add to this the undercurrents of subplot from the jsut-finished sxith season of the tv show, and this is an enjoyable quick read. FYI: There is also a sequel to this story: issue #46 of the ongoing Buffy comic series. ... Read more

Product Description
The Buffy saga takes a bold new direction under the guidance of former X-Men writers Lobdell and Nicieza. It's 1996, and Buffy Summers has just accepted her role as the Vampire Slayer. After the destruction of her high school, she flees to Las Vegas to sort her life out, but there's more than Wayne Newton and hookers in the city of sin. A twisted coven den of vampires has big plans for the strip. And there's a tall, dark, and handsome stranger keeping an eye on her during those dangerous nights in Vegas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Great Buffy Comic Adventure in Las Vegas
After reading the so-so "The Origin" comic, I was weary to get my hopes up that the other pre-Season One Buffy comics would be any good.But in this trade paperback "Viva Las Buffy", gone is Christopher Golden's disjointed storytelling and artist Joe Bennett's green vampires are no where in sight.Instead the infinitely more competent team of writers Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza and penciller Cliff Richards, with Paul Lee and Brian Horton tackling the covers.

In this miniseries, Buffy and Pike (who narrates this tale) take on a vampire-run casino in Las Vegas, while the other characters from the series (who Buffy, at this point in her life, has yet to meet) deal with their own demons.Angel's story arc is very true to the show, as in he pretty much does nothing but watch over Buffy.However, he gets into his own bit of trouble during this, which leads to a very interesting twist involving time travel and temporal folds.Perhaps the most interesting side story in this miniseries involves Giles, who finds himself in a spot of trouble while trying to stop a colleague from using black magic to take him out of the competition to become Buffy's watcher.There are many nods to the show there, including appearances by Quentin Travers, Wesley Wyndam-Price, and even soon-to-be-rogue watcher Gwendolyn Post.

Each story unfolds at a satisfying pace, very similarly to the show it's based off of.Buffy is especially entertaining, as she is one-hundred percent in character.Here, she is Season One Buffy, lacking the edge and the bitterness that the character later took on, especially in seasons six and seven.She has excepted her destiny as the slayer, but is still very new to the world and hasn't developed the cynical outlook that she later does.It's refreshing to see Buffy like this.Another great aspect of this series is the villain, who is--to say the least--unique.

While ninety percent of what I have to say about "Viva Las Buffy" is complementary, this isn't a perfect volume.The inconsistency of Pike's character from "The Origin" to here is disturbing and, though the character is much more likable here, I sometimes felt like this Pike was a completely different character all together.Another thing that annoyed me, perhaps unreasonably, was how Wesley was portrayed.What he did (snitching on Giles) was perhaps in character at that point in his life, but I can't say it didn't annoy me, as I've become a very big fan of Wesley.My biggest problem, however, is Dawn's presence in this miniseries (as well as the other pre-Season One comics).Essentially, we are seeing these events as Buffy remembers them, not how they truly happened.I have to say I'd much rather know what actually happened in these stories, not the magically altered memories including Dawn.

8/10

Excellent Prequel
I wasn't entirely sure I would like this, as it doesn't have any of the regular cast besides Buffy herself, but I was suprised to find that I really enjoyed it. The writers did a great job and the art is fantastic.Pike is pretty cool (it was him I was afraid I wouldn't be able to like), and this gives us more background for Buffy, which is always good (at least for me). I'd definitely reccomend this for any Buffy fan.

Buffy: Vegas Style
Time frame: after when the movie took place (Origin comic) but before her parents put her in an insane asylum (Slayer, Interrupted).

Buffy goes to La Vegas to investigate this vampire factory/casino. The story is basically told by Pike, the guy Buffy hooked up in the movie and in Origins. He has to determine whether to let himself accept this lifestyle or let Buffy go. He also gets to double stake some vamps while on his motorcycle.

Meanwhile, Buffy is Watcher-less. The Watcher's Council must determine who will become Buffy's new Watcher and Giles has some competition. Even a bit of the ol' Ripper side comes out of his tweed.

Angel also shows up to watch Buffy's back and investigate the casino, although Buffy doesn't know it. He gets thrown into the 1930's through a closet portal thingy. Artistically, it's an interesting sequence since he's the only one in color in a black-and-white world.

Add a skimpy fighting outfit, time-traveling portal, vampire friendly casinoes, conjoined twins, black magic, and a priest being thrown into the water line, and you've got yourself an entertaining read.

The only weird part is that Dawn is present at Buffy's home.

Otherwise, highly recommended for any Buffy and Angel fan.

A BUFFY PREQUEL
This Graphic Novel collects issues 51 - 54 of the Buffy Comic and features a bit of a departure for the comic.Rather than fitting in stories to the TV chronology, this 4 part story art actually takes place BEFORE the TV series starts and AFTER the events of the original film.

Buffy had just burned down the school gym and unable to cope with being the Slayer she flees to Las Vegas along with friend Pike, the character Luke Perry played in the movie.They get jobs in a casino that just happens to be run by a couple of vamps.Angel is on the scene too although Buffy is never aware of it so no continuity is screwed up.The art team of Cliff Richards and Will Conrad could have gotten away with all sorts of sleaze since the story takes place in Vegas. Instead, while they show Buffy suffering for her art in a bustier, hot pants and nylons, none of the artwork looks exploitive. She looks instead as seriously out of place in that outfit as she should.

In the end, Pike realize his place is not with Buffy and leaves Buffy alone where she would eventually go home and then move to Sunnydale.This was a solid storyline told from Pike's point of view and fills in a little depth to the Slayer's history.

Buffy pre-Sunnydale
What's a Slayer to do after burning down her high schoolgym and getting expelled?Avoid her problems by running away to Los Vegas with her boyfriendPike, ostensibly in search of more vampires.At least that's the premise of this comic that tries to fill some of the gaps between the end of the movie and the beginning of the TV show. Using the excuse of checking out a potential vamp nest, Buffy and Pike ride off on his motorcycle, get jobs at a casino (Buffy as a hat check girl), and start getting into trouble. Angel, lurking in the shadows, tags along, helping as best he can.Meanwhile, back in England, we get to see how Giles, in slightly Ripperesque form, becomes Buffy's new Watcher.

In many ways, this is a fun read.The story is told from multiple perspectives, giving insight into how the characters feel. Pike's emotions are especially well-explored, and we find out why Buffy is boyfriendless when she comes to Sunnydale.I liked the art work a great deal; some of the drawings of Buffy the Hat Check Girl were priceless.My only complaints were that the Big Bads were genetically impossible (yeah, I know it's fantasy, but still . . .) and that the storytelling was somewhat disjointed toward the end.Otherwise, "Viva Las Buffy" is a quick, satisfying excursion back into the Buffyverse.
... Read more

Product Description
As the last survivor of a crime family eliminated by bloody rivalries among the mobs of Gotham City, the orphaned Helena Bertinelli grew into the mysterious vigilante known as the Huntress.
New writer Ivory Madison shines a light on the dark underbelly of the mob world spanning from Gotham to Sicily, exploring exactly what led Helena away from a life in the Cosa Nostra criminal society and set her on a path of vigilantism. Also, find out more about Batman's first meeting with the fledgling female crime-fighter and why, to this day, they struggle to see eye-to-eye. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Neither about the Huntress nor her year one
I enjoyed reading Ivory Madison's take on Helena Bertinelli, but it was not without its flaws which were significant and perhaps almost fatal.

The first thing to know is that despite the clarity of the title, Madison's story takes place in less than two months and only at the very end does protagonist Helena Bertinelli adopt the Huntress persona.Titles should say something about the story; in this case 'Origins' would have been far more appropriate than 'Year One', which since Frank Miller's use of it has become more like a name brand than a description of the story being told.

Second, as noted above, the book's time frame is less than two months, divided between Sicily and Gotham City, requiring a lot of exposition and action driving the characters rather than the characters driving the action.The final chapters with Helena dealing with her love interest and the Gotham mob's plot felt contrived and not organically growing from the earlier chapters.Batman's appearances were especially heavy handed and the resolution of the story didn't ring true at all.

Third, the portrayal of Helena's Catholic faith is troubling.Throughout the story, Helena is shown to be pious and is described as a good Catholic girl.At the same time, she is shown to be a strong female hero, a true feminist, fighting against a chauvinistic culture.These two aspects are certainly not mutually exclusive.Madison though brings them into conflict by showing Helena resenting the use of masculine pronouns for describing the Divine Person.This just seems false and contrived with all the other efforts to describe Helena as a real Catholic struggling with her faith as she fights the mob.

The art by Cliff Richards is what keeps the story moving.I especially liked Helena's costume with its darker tone compared to the usual lighter shade of purple.She was attractive and curvy without the feminine aspects of her form being exaggerated and Richards makes sure Helena is a true beauty.The action and fighting were well drawn and easy to follow.

Basically, I don't dislike Huntress: Year One.It has some major flaws in terms of story and pacing, but it is a good psychological look at Helena Bertinelli and has excellent drawing.I would recommend 'Batman/Huntress: Cry For Blood' for the better origin story of Huntress and a good look at Helena and her relationship with Batman and the rest of the Gotham caped heroes.

Helena as written by Madison is too interesting to disappear now
A little disclosure might be in order here: I loved the Huntress, the original one, Helena Wayne, first introduced about 30 years ago by Paul Levitz and Joe Staton. That Huntress, Helena Wayne, the daughter of the Earth-2 Batman, was infinitely more interesting than Batgirl on Earth 1 (if you don't have any idea what that previous sentence was talking about, trust me--it's complicated, but suffice to say that comics readers of the '70s and '80s were well-versed in theories of different dimensions and alternate universes). That Huntress (by the way, her mother was Catwoman) practiced law by day and took the law into her own hands by night. She was both tough and human; not one of the impossibly superpowered humans who, after a short stint with a sensei somewhere, are able to do just about anything a story requires them to.

So I approached Huntress: Year One with more than a little trepidation. I hadn't taken a liking to the post-Crisis Huntress (again, complicated, but in the mid-'80s, DC issued a series called Crisis on Infinite Earths that wiped out its alternate universes and left just one earth and one incredibly long and convoluted history intact), so I was resistant somewhat to any rendition.

To offer a quick recap: In the new universe, the Huntress is now Helena Bertinelli, daughter of a slain mafia boss. Her family is massively tied in to a large criminal organization, but Helena, being a good person, breaks with her ugly family past and fights crime in Gotham City as the Huntress. Her weapon of choice: a crossbow. Her plan of action: whatever it takes, even if that means killing, a viciousness that is not shared or condoned by Batman. This puts her in the Dark Knight's bad column, and he doesn't take kindly at all to her running loose and acting as a vigilante in his city.

But Huntress: Year One veers off slightly (and wisely) from the previous reboot of the character to provide a more interesting character. The jumping-off point--daughter of a mafia family--remains the same, with Helena the sole survivor after her parents and brother were gunned down before her eyes when she was 8. Only the cross hanging from her neck saved her, as the assassin had a change of heart upon looking at it and her.

After being orphaned, Helena is sent to Sicily, where she learns how to hunt and be a woman who is not fearful of any man. The story here begins with Helena, now 20, just days away from her next birthday--and the large trust fund that will come with it.

Writer Ivory Madison, herself a former lawyer, is clearly a student of several of the better mob stories. She makes Helena ruthless, cunning, smart, and, above all, tough, but also a "good Catholic girl" who frequents church regularly. The opening scenes of Huntress: Year One play out somewhat stereotypically, but it sets the scene for Helena's eventual rebirth as a costumed heroine (or hero--Helena thinks a heroine is just someone who gets rescued by the hero of the story, and she definitely doesn't need to be rescued).

Huntress: Year One redefines the character wonderfully, a much better reenvisioning than the previous version and one that sets her up to be a powerhouse character yet still relatable as a human being. Not only did I like this story, but I liked this Huntress and wanted to see more. Hopefully, Madison will keep writing this character and putting her through her paces. Helena as written by her is too interesting to disappear now.

-- John Hogan

She is not your grandfather's Huntress
I am a big JSA fan and the elimination of the Huntress from DC's Continuity by Crisis was one of the sorest points in this otherwise excellent series.

I have seen the revamped character in JL and on TV's JL Unlimited series on Cartoon Network and while I thought most of the good points of the character were preserved it was not a character I thought I'd want to read about in background. I was given a copy of this and was very impressed with it.

Huntress is very much the same character but with more depth.Her motive is not just family business but personal history.The writer has made her different than the other women in "Batman family" and that is good.Huntress makes mistakes and has rough relationships with some other DC characters but it fits based on the new characterization.

Comic characters should not be interchangeable just by change their costumes and Ms. Madison does it by contrasting Barbara Gordon (Batgirl / Oracle) and Selena Kyle (Catwoman).

Haunted by The Huntress
First the "confession" - I haven't read a comic book since I was a child and even then it was Archie, Dennis the Menace, etc. This is quite a departure for me. I've never before read a graphic novel.

The Huntress isn't your little girl's comic book. The story is more on the order of "The Soprano" meet "Batman." The entire premise of a series is set up in this book. We meet The Huntress as a little girl, watch with her as her family is murdered in front of her, follow her to Italy and then back to Gotham where she seeks to avenge the deaths and stop the mafia.

Among the surprises along the way are some very bloody scenes, dark ones in every sense of the word. Cliff Richards creates such strikingly dark artwork that it's often difficult to concentrate on the words. Ivory Madison's dialogue includes some surprises including a mobster's anti-Semetic dig at Mort Sahl and a "Silent Majority" political stab.Interesting to see in what is, essentially, a comic book. And a bit startling.

All in all, this is a fairly unusual experience for the person who thinks of comic books as fun entertainment.It's entertaining but the "fun" will depend upon your definition of the word.

It plays out like a film noir and, perhaps, that's exactly where it's headed.

Flawed, But Enjoyable
Ivory Madison and Cliff Richards team up to bring us a definitive modern-day origin for the Huntress, a long-running DC Comics character who came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the Batman books before joining fellow ex-Bat-characters Barbara Gordon (Oracle) and Dinah Laurel Lance (Black Canary) to leave the city, and the shadow of the Bat, and start their own book: the excellent 'Birds of Prey'.This is Madison's first comics work, and it shows at times, but for the most part, she and Richards do an excellent job of fleshing out the character.

The book moves quickly from Helena's past as the daughter of a powerful Gotham mobster to her youth as an adopted member of a family of assassins in Italy through her discovery of the betrayals that brought her where she is today.Madison does an excellent job of showing Helena as a staunchly loyal, moral woman surrounded by corruption, and the sacrifices she sometimes makes in the name of revenge.

Richards' art is moody and expressive, though his action scenes occasionally seem a little stilted.Still, he does an undeniably excellent job in setting the tone of the book.Despite its flaws, his art fits Madison's story perfectly - both work together well to handle the drama with a deft touch.

If you're a fan of the Huntress, this book is a worthy addition to your collection - not only does it help flesh out her background for the modern day audience, but it also introduces some villains for Helena that could easily be used in future stories to great effect.For those that are less certain, it offers a solid, entertaining jumping-on point to the character's history and her place in the larger Batman-mythos.It's hardly revolutionary, but it's definitely fun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

94 pages - Private Collection - Cliff Richard - sheet music book
Tracks: Some people, Wired for sound, All I ask of you, Carrie, Remember me, True love ways, Dreamin, Green light, She means nothing to me, Heart user, A little in love, Daddy's home, We don't talk any more, Never say die, The only way out, Suddenly, Slow river, Please don't fall in love, Little town, My pretty one, Ocean deep, She's so beautiful, Two hearts, Mistletoe and wine ... Read more

Product Description
Remember that time when Buffy’s little sister Dawn first found out that Buffy is the Slayer? And then when Angel almost killed Dawn, because no one had told her that he’d turned evil again? Buffy and the gang all have memories connected to Dawn, and only Buffy and Giles know they’re not real. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions as to how Dawn came into Buffy’s life, and where these memories come from. Now, Dawn has vanished without a trace, and the Scooby gang has no clue where to find her. But Buffy will stop at nothing to find her little sister, even if she has to face off against a cadre of crazed, bloodsucking monks and a former Vampire Slayer turned Slayer Vampire! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Buffy has to take on the Missing Slayer, the Master, and her kid sister Dawn
Despite my devotion to all things Buffy (e.g., triple digit number of action figures) I have not really followed the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" comic books all that much, picking up issues here and there if they struck my fancy.I picked up the first issue, the three-part "Origin" storyline, and the two-part "Wilderness" Willow and Tara story.Since then I have checked out a couple of the trade paperbacks, but did not pick up anything else until "Tales of the Vampires" came out.Now, of course, with Joss Whedon scripting "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" I really have a "BtVS" comic book to look forward to each month and will probably check out the first omnibus collection of Dark Horse comics when it comes out.However, I picked up "False Memories" a specific reason that once again proves my idiosyncratic perspective on reviewing certain items.

This trade paperback collects issues #35-38 of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" comic book, written by Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe, with pencils by Cliff Richards that are inked by Joe Pimentel and Will Conrad. "False Memories" is set during the fifth season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," after the arrival of Dawn but before the revelation to the Scoobies that Buffy's kid sister is the Key to another dimension.Unexplored by the television series, the title of this story act reminds us that when Dawn mysteriously appeared in Buffy's life "so did a million memories of them as sisters--impossible memories that can't be real, because Dawn simply was never there."I find that to be an extremely intriguing idea and actually wrote most of a "BtVS" novel in which each chapter had a different character from the "BtVS"/"Angel" universe looking back at a key moment from the past that was now slightly different because Dawn was now part of their memories.The idea was that Dawn's involvement spoke to some significant insight about that particular character; to wit, Dawn reflect the angels of their better natures (I came up with an absolutely awesome reason for why Wesley was sent to be Buffy's Watcher when Giles was fired).

So I picked up "False Memories" knowing that Fassbender et al. were obviously mining similar ground.I was not only interested in seeing their take on this aspect of the show's fifth season, but also totally depressed that I have no trouble finishing reviews but can never finish an actual novel (insert "Those who cannot do teach" observations here).What I found was a key different in that in this story Dawn's inclusion in these revised memories tends to be significant (e.g., she is the one who tells Xander to give Buffy CPR when the Master kills Buffy in "Prophecy Girl," the finale to the show's abbreviated first season).The problem is that Dawn is now trying to get involved in Buffy's current Slayer activities the way she does in those false memories.The Slayer knows that those memories are false, but that does not make the threat to Dawn any less real when Buffy's little sister suddenly goes missing.

Ultimately, the false memory part of this story is not an integral part of the action, although the revised flashbacks are a treat.More central to the story is Dawn's discovery of a two year period two hundred years ago when there was no Slayer.Giles refuses to explain the gap and Spike might be making tantalizing comments about what he knows about the cover-up, but is not revealing the fact that the missing Slayer calls him "William."That story line stands on its own, even if our minds immediately stray to the "Lost Slayer" series of novellas by Christopher Golden.Ultimately the flaw in "False Memories" is what happens with the Master.I mean, I thought he was really dead after "Prophecy Girl," and then really most sincerely dead after "When She Was Bad," but apparently I was wrong.Still, there is a concerted effort to find new things while covering old ground, so this one is worth a look for "BtVS" fans.Finally, the cover of this trade paperback is also the photo version of the cover for "BtVS" #38.In the front of the book you find the photo cover for #35 followed by the four drawn covers in order.

just don't quite have it....
Only useful if you're desperate for some Buffy tales. The writer, Pascoe, just doesn't have the characters down. He tries to reflect their quirky dialogue, but it's painfully forced. Art is important in comics, but if the writing isn't there, it doesn't matter. Just not very impressive, and I'm a huge Buffy fan....

Better than ever!
This novel is great! It's even better than:Buffy the VAMPIRE SLAYER:the chronicals of death. This is the best!

Serving Slayer Sushi
Set in the fifth season, 'False Memories' finds Buffy still trying to cope with the sudden acquisition of a younger sister.Not only is Dawn every bit as irritating as a sibling can be, Buffy keeps running into memories of Dawn's involvement in old episodes which weren't there all that long ago.Trying to keep her sister out of trouble and sorting out what is real and what is not are becoming major distractions for Buffy.It is bad enough that Buffy has one of the world's toughest night jobs - hellmouth cleanup patrol, now she has a nosy sister as well.

Once again, Sunnydale is visited by a new vampire menace, this time from Japan.Yuki Makimura and her companions, a group of vampire monks, are hardly tourists.While the vampire has no qualms about making sashimi out of our favorite slayer, her real agenda is another thing entirely.Yet when Dawn uncovers some clues to the mystery, but Giles goes all mysterious.Stymied by her watcher, Buffy is forced to turn to the [highly] unreliable help of Spike.

Once again, Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe have joined to create and interesting plot.Dawn is a welcome addition to the 'literary' Buffy world (I had an irritating younger sister of my own).I am at last getting used to the illustration style of the Dark Horse graphic novels.While the artwork is always of very high quality, I kept wishing the illustrated characters would look exactly as they do in the show.That is an impossible task, of course - just my inner perfectionist coming through.The truth is that Cliff Richards, Joe Pimentel, and Will Conrad have again turned out the spectacular artwork that makes good plot and dialogue into something memorable. ... Read more

Product Description
Rick Ajax ain't got time nor patience for trouble, but trouble seems to make plenty of time for him. If it ain't one thing, it's something else, and those things always seem to need a good old-fashioned pounding to put to rest. Lori Machete, on the other hand, can't help but get into trouble like the proverbial fox in a henhouse. She may be easy on the eyes, but she can be hard on the jaw when the feathers start to fly. Based on the (not-so) long-running original series and the upcoming video game from Vogster Entertainment, Unbound Saga reintroduces (for the first time) readers to the seedy back alleys of future Toxopolis and the satirical misadventures that follow Rick and Lori like a shadow . . . Rage off the page! o Written by Mike Kennedy, with stories illustrated by fan favorites Cliff Richards and Al Rio. o Features a cover by Joseph Michael Linsner and a gallery of (soon-to-be) classic covers by Leinil Yu and Steve Pugh! Based on the highly anticipated video game! ... Read more

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An autobiography of a legendary Ohio politician and legislator ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book!
As a former legislative aide in the Ohio House of Reps., I was intrigued when this book was published and couldn't wait to read it.If there's one criticism I have for it -- it's just WAY too short, especially for a man who served in the Ohio Legislature for as long as Vern Riffe did.It seems to me that the family had something to do with the brevity of these memoirs.I know that the family had a lot to do with the delay in publishing it, so it wouldn't surprise me a bit if the family also cut out a lot, too.I knew Vern Riffe for several years, and even had the opportunity to sit down with him, my boss (a state legislator) and "shoot the breeze" for a few hours one day at a restaurant in Columbus. Vern Riffe was an unbelievable man -- and truly cared about all of Ohio.There will never be another legislator or Speaker like him.It was a pleasure knowing you, Mr. Speaker. ... Read more

Product Description
Nigel Goodwin was the founder-director of the London Arts Centre Group, and now runs Genesis Arts an international ministry to artists. This is the story of his ministry. In this biography we meet some of the hundreds of people - famous and unknown - whose lives have been touched by this ministry: that of encouraging Christians working in the arts and challenging churches to recognize their gifts and needs. The story runs from the 1960s, when Christian artists were isolated and misunderstood, to the present day, when, though much more accepted, they still struggle with the challenges of being a Christian in a secular workplace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inside the heart of Nigel Goodwin
For those of you who know or have met Nigel, you know what an extrodinary man he is.We have all left his presence at one time or another wondering just where such a man came from and how could one body hold so much love. This book is an excellent biography of a one-of-a-kind man.The reader cansee just what God has done in Nigel's life to make him who he is. ... Read more

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Part 4 of a 6-Issue Mini-Series. "To The Edge" ... Read more

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#3 of a 6-Issue Mini-Series. "Respect". ... Read more

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Direct sales edition comic book published by Dark Horse Comics. Based on the popular Buffy The Vampire Slayer television series. Characters created by Joss Whedon. Has a photo cover featuring the star of the show, Sarah Michelle Gellar. ... Read more