Product Description
One of the major challenges of modern space mission design is the orbital mechanics -- determining how to get a spacecraft to its destination using a limited amount of propellant.Recent misions such as Voyager and Galileo required gravity assist maneuvers at several planets to accomplish theiir objectives.Today's students of aerospace engineering face the challenge of calculating these types of complex spacecraft trajectories. This classroom-tested textbook takes its title from an elective course which has been taught to senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students for the past 22 years. The subject of orbital mechanics is developed starting from the first principles, using Newton's laws of motion and the law of gravitation to prove Kepler's empirical laws of planetary motion. Unlike many texts the authors also use first principles to derive other important results including Kepler's equation, Lambert's time-of-flight equation, the rocket equation, the Hill-Clohessy-Wiltshire equations of relative motion, Gauss' equations for the variation of the elements, and the Gauss and Laplace methods of orbit determination. The subject of orbit transfer receives special attention.Optimal orbit transfers such as the Hohmann transfer, minimum-fuel transfers using more than two impulses, and non-coplanar orbital transfer are discussed.Patched-conic interplanetary trajectories including gravity-assist maneuvers are the subject of an entire chapter and are particularly relevent to modern space missions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

If you study astrodynamics, it will be one of the best books
This book explains the basic and advanced theory of orbit mechanicssystematically and also provides information required to perform basic andadvanced orbital analysis in examples. ... Read more

Product Description
In time for Alberta's and Saskatchewan's 100th anniversary of Confederation, political commentator and writer John Conway examines the unique way the West has shaped the rest of Canada.

The Riel Rebellions, the Winnipeg General Strike, the founding of the CCF, Social Credit and Reform parties, the struggle for provincial control of resources -- much of the impetus for political, social and economic change in Canada has come from the West.
From pre-Confederation to the present, author John Conway, himself a Westerner, tells the story of the colourful and controversial figures who molded the region. His lively history of the West and its peoples offers insight into the experience of Western Canadians and documents their contribution to Canadian economic and political life.
The third edition of this popular and successful history describes Stephen Harper's arrival on the political scene, as well as the rise and fall of such figures as Grant Devine, Bill Vander Zalm, Glen Clark, Roy Romanow, and Stockwell Day. It also describes how the West, the cradle of Canadian social democracy, was transformed into the bastion of the right during the last decade. ... Read more

Product Description
The Chronicles of Kull Volume 1: A King Comes Riding and Other Stories kicks off Dark Horse's newest addition to its popular Robert E. Howard reprint line. Presenting every color Kull comic from the 1970s and '80s chronologically for the first time ever, Volume 1 features completely remastered color Kull stories from Creatures on the Loose! #10, Monsters on the Prowl #16, and Kull the Conqueror #1 to #9. The writing talents of legendary creators Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Len Wein, and John Jakes and the stunning visuals of Marie Severin, John Severin, and Bernie Wrightson are on display in such thrilling tales as "The Skull of Silence," "Night of the Red Slayers," and "The Forbidden Swamp!" See how Robert E. Howard's Kull stories were interpreted over three decades ago in comics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Stories a little too simple
Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but the stories (some of them, not all) were kind of stupid, they felt to me hurried and unfinished, and it left me wondering why Kull would do this or do that, maybe 2 or 3 issue story arch would have been better suited for some of the story plots and would have made better since to Kull's decision making. I don't know, this is just my opinion, but the book was canceled for a reason. However, I bought the book for the art, and the art is stunning.

An excellent reprint
Kull had always been a poor cousin to Conan, even in the comics. The short run of this series testify to that lop-sided appreciation. Even Roy Thomas, who championed this series at first, gave up writing duties first to Len Wein and then Gerry Conway so as to focus on Conan and other titles. What really propels this series along is the quality artwork, which is clearly magnificent.

However, the writing here is rather too elaborate, with plot lines sometime missing their marks in trying to craft some context to these episodic stories. Except for Thulsa Doom, the continuity of plot lines is largely undeveloped. Thulsa Doom remains a very poor villian, resembling Skeletor (in He-Man Masters of the Universe), completely juvenile. Finally, unlike Conan, Kull does not take to wenching, preferring to hang out with Brule, the spear slayer.

Kull
A roaring good read and lots of it. Superior artwork. Some semi nudity might offend a few, otherwise Highly Recommended.

An Artistic Highpoint...
This collection from Dark Horse is a wonderful assembly of Marvel Comics first attempts at adapting Kull to comics. The stories are all very readable and in many ways superior to the Conan series Kull was intended to cash in on. But the real "draw" here is the artwork. Kull first appeared in comics under the pen of Berni Wrightson. After Wrightson, the legendary Wally Wood (inked by Ross Andru) drew the first issue of "Kull the Conqueror." But then, Marie and John Severin took over the art chores and stayed with the book until it was canceled with issue #10. The Severins brought a beautiful "illustrative" quality to the book at a time when Barry Smith was still developing his artistic style on "Conan." This collection even includes two short backup stories done by the Severins. A nice addition, but its a real shame Dark Horse couldn't have squeezed in just one more issue (#10) to capture Marie Severin's complete run on "Kull" in a single volume (that last issue wasn't inked by John). Still, this is a great collection for fans of great comic art. Wrightson, Wood, Andru and Severin (both of them). It just doesn't get much better. ... Read more

Product Description
This comprehensive look at the evolution of the American flight jacket from World War I to Desert Storm and addresses not only the types worn, but focuses primarily on the art and adornment applied to the jackets. The most colorful and creative period for flight jacket art was WW II, and it is this era that comprises a major portion of this book. Also covered are other military jackets used by flyers. This revised second edition includes a new section of jackets and period photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great photo survey on flight jackets
The title of this work is a mis- nomer. The only history contained in this volume is the chronological listing running from the First World War to the Gulf Wars. There is no attempt to describe why or how the designs were arrived at for the various types of jackets depicted.

On the other hand, the photographs are absolutely magnificent. If you own a repro jacket of any of the types shown - the A-2 dominates to be sure - then this book is an excellent style-guide.

great eye candy
This is a fun book.Its not what I would call a serious history, but it is a great photo album of original A2 jackets.I enjoy owning it for the nostalgia value.

Excellent pictorial monograph
If you are interested in flight jackets, their design, styles and art work, then this book is for you.There are literally hundreds of colour and black and white photographs of aviator leather jackets.World War Two jackets are covered in detail as are Korean and Vietnam period flight jackets.The book is well set out, has large high resolution photographs and is a well constructed hardcover.The only fault I could find with the book is that in many of the photographs it fails to identify the jacket type and specification.It also does not deal with jacket construction or design.As with many of Maguire's books it has excellent reference photographs and information on who used or wore the artical in question, but fails to provide detailed information on the item other than the basics. Still, it is worthwhile addition to a library, although the book is expensive.

A must have
The reason I ordered this book is very simple: I'm an incurable nostalgic. Although I was born in a year (1960) not even close to the era from the great flight jackets, my interest has been growing since I started collecting memorabilia. (Books, magazines, newspapers, etc. from the period). As the owner of a (replica) A-2 jacket I decided I wanted to know more about them. This book has provided me with an excellent insight in the era and the men that wore the jackets. The sub-title promises a time span, roughly, from WWI to Desert Storm and although the emphasis is on WWII, the book delivers. Flight jacket buff and novice (like me) alike, this work takes you on a sentimental journey through the very interesting world of the American flight jacket. About one thousand pictures, most of them in colour and with great detail, show the flight jacket not just as a utilitarian garment but first and foremost as a means of expression and emotion. And that's why the authors shy away from quoting prices and don't talk about `market value'. Because some unscrupulous traders do not care about the intrinsic value but go for cold, hard cash, many jackets have been torn from their historical context and thus are lost. Not so in this book. Page after page of jackets, jacket art and the men who owned them. But not only leather jackets. Also all the other materials used in jackets are shown. (After the 50's, many jackets were made of other materials than leather). And some of the smaller details, like the lucky bells and the dinky whistles that some pilots used to hang from the collar hook of their jackets make even more interesting reading. The only thing I miss, is a summary of jacket manufacturers and some more technical details about the jackets themselves. Also, if you don't like reading a lot, this is a book for you. For all of you who are interested in a very special part of American heritage, or just want to know more about the flight jacket, this is required reading. To me: a must have.

WWWWWWW OOOOOOOO WWWWWWW !
Perhaps I enjoyed this book so much because of the fact that it's main focus is the WWII era of flight jackets and that is my favorite area as well. If you want historical jackets (KOREA AND WWII), get this book, but if you want just modern jackets then shop elsewhere.

If I had to be picky about the book, I would have to say that there were too many blood chits on jackets pictured and not enough pin-up work, but that's only if I had to be picky. The authors did their homework for this book as they don't just give you tons of photographs (BY THE WAY, THERE ARE TONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS) but also chronicle the jacket's history and when possible, the owner's history as well.

Fantastic layouts as the information is presented in a very professional and orderly way. They break down the jackets by theater as there's a section on the CBI theater, the European Theater, Korean theater, etc. Good paper and a nice sized book.

A bit on the pricey side but I still got it and I would still recommend it to the hardcore fan of the subject.May be too much cash for the casual fan. ... Read more

Product Description
What's it like to be the son and the daughter of the Father of Lies? Find out as Daimon Hellstrom and his sister, Satana, face the worst of two worlds! Can they save their souls along with the world? Featuring Exorcists, Cyclists, Nihilists and Ice Demons! Secrets of Ancient Atlantis revealed! Guest-starring Spider-Man, the Thing and the Human Torch! Collects Ghost Rider #1-2; Marvel Spotlight #12-24; SoS #1-8; MTIO #14; MTU #32,80-81; Vampire Tales #2-3; HoH #2,4-5 and Marvel Premiere #27 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Boring Evil
This should really have been called Essential Son of Satan & Satana as those two characters take up the entirety of the book.

The Son of Satan stories take up the most of the book, dealing with the half-human son of "Satan", Damian Hellstrom, as he fights his father. Though an interesting premise, how would he use his satanic powers for good and how will he avoid becoming evil as his heritage would indicate he should be really gets repetitive. The beginning stories are interesting, but by the time he gets his own book they are becoming tiresome. Less horror at this point than straight up superhero.

The changing of authors also hurts the title. Steve Gerber, St. Louis native, had set up a nice continuity with Damian building up a career and relationships there. When a new author took over, without any pre-amble Damian moves away abruptly leaving his love interest. The other problem is the severely limited nature of his powers, he wields a Netheranium trident to which the denizens of hell are weak against, has the ability to project hellfire to damage the souls of the evil creatures from hell and superior strength. Though he bills himself as an exorcist, and is introduced in Ghost Rider that way, he actually does little exorcism, and what he does do is generally via his hellfire, not ritual magic. Not exploring this side of the character lessens his depth.

The last quarter or so of the collection deals with his sister Satana, who starts out raised by her father and ultimately evil. She is banished to earth as a succubus and comes into contact with humanity, and her own humanity, as she preys on people. The black and white format of the Essentials collections does not affect Satana as much as other titles as Satana was published at times in black & white magazines, thus the artwork for those stories is presented here just as it was originally and it looks great. Also included are three or four text pieces about Satana, also not affected by the black & white format of the collection.

As well, we get to see much better character development with Satana as she runs into mentors and enemies from her past and forms relationships with humans in the present, moving away from being just purely evil to a more nuanced character containing some good and a lot of bad. Unfortunately, Satana as a character was dropped from circulation fairly early and there are fewer stories about her than her brother.

On the whole it's just ok to below average. Unless you are a fan of the genre, or of each character you probably want to give this a pass.

Son of Satan/Son of Adam
Yes, it was common for DC, Marvel, and some of the smaller houses to not do their best work on their "horror" titles. There was often a revolving door of second-rate hack writers and artists working on them. Well, this was definately not the case with these stories. Every story here is well drawn and well plotted. There is a remarkable consistency considering how many people worked on all these issues at Marvel. I am not exagerating when I say that this volume was (surprisingly) the best Essentials collection that I have yet read. It was a rare treat that I stretched out reading for a week- right before sleep.

As for these stories not being truly Essential, well, they are essential to understanding the 70's. Before the Comics Code Authority began to relax its restrictions in the 70's characters like Daimon Hellstrom, Satana, Ghost Rider, Morbius and Dracula never would have appeared in comics. That is because the code was written specifically to ban horror and the occult- in response to the old EC titles. These stories demonstrate a historical change in direction for American comics- without them there would have been no Midnight Sons and certainly none of the many Vertigo titles.

Many groups attacked Marvel for making the son of S*t*n a hero with his own title. I remember avoiding the title myself. But then this shows a total ignorance of the character. Daimon Hellstrom was raised by Jesuits to be a priest. Every story is a morality play with Hellstrom on the side of the angels. Yes, he is the son of the Adversary but he has given himself over to heaven. He constantly struggles with his darksoul, his shadow, but in the end he realises that he can never totally exorcise his inner darkness- only manage it in self-acceptance and use its power to energize the creative instead of the destructive. Owning your shadow is pretty deep for a comic book- especially one of this period, but then the entire collection shows an above average grasp of the psychological and metaphysical. Daimon represents yang (light with a seed of darkness within) while his sister Satana represents Ying (darkness containing a seed of light.) They interact in a high opera of dynamic equilibrium...

One other thing- I usually find these black and white reprints to be distracting. This wasn't the case with these stories. The black and white with plenty of dark noir shading and shadows worked better for me. Bright colors would have been distracting, but maybe that is because I was raised on the old EC and Warren black and white horror titles.

My only criticism is the total lack of page numbering- it is impossible to refer back to anything without flipping through hundreds of pages...

Meh, nothing really essential here at all
Despite being under Marvel's budget priced Essential line, Essential Marvel Horror really isn't all that essential at all, nor scary for that matter.Collecting issues from a variety of different series', Essential Marvel Horror mainly revolves around Daimon Hellstrom, who despite his demonic heritage (he is the son of Satan after all), fights evil at every turn.Also taking focus in this collection is Daimon's succubus sister Satana, and Ghost Rider pops up as well.Reading this collection can help you appreciate what Marvel was trying to do at the time, but everything here is so wildly inconsistent thanks to the variety of different writers and artists that the storytelling itself is erratic and hard to follow.Not to mention that the appearances from Spider-Man and Fantastic Four members Thing and Human Torch are just tacked on here and come off as quite lame.The variety of writing and art talent includes big names like Howard the Duck creator Steve Gerber, legendary X-Men scribe Chris Claremont, Gerry Conway, Tomb of Dracula artist Gene Colan, Jim Starlin, and the great Sal Buscema; but none of them can elevate this collection above anything other than average.If you want to read some great, classic Marvel horror, the Essential Tomb of Dracula trades are much more worth your time and cash.

Son of Satan LIVES!
Sooooo much fun this collection!
Quality 70's drawing and story development throughout, increasingly cool and thoughtful as it moves along through the issues ... Daimon Hellstrom becomes quite a character ... a thoroughly enjoyable WILD read. I had been looking forward to its release since the Ghost Rider collection last year and I was NOT disappointed. It gets far out and sinister, just like you'd want it to.

Hit and miss (with more misses)
It would be wonderful to say that everything Marvel is putting out under its Essentials line is truly essential, reissues of classic works, particularly from the 1960s and 1970s.Wonderful, but not true.While some Essential books are truly great (for example, the Spiderman or Fantastic Four books), others definitely show that Marvel put out its share of clunkers as well.Sadly, the Essential Marvel Horror, Volume 1 - while it does have its share of decent stuff - is overall, one of the clunkers.

The Essential Marvel Horror book follows two principal characters, typically in their own stories.The majority of the book deals with Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan, who despite (or because of) his heritage, fights the forces of supernatural evil.Although his origin may be a little stranger than the typical radioactively spawned one, he is nonetheless one of a long line of superheroes.Armed with a trident that contains netheranium, a strange metal that Satan is vulnerable to, Hellstrom typically battles demons from Hell, who many times are possessing innocent people.Unfortunately, despite the internal conflicts of his good and bad sides, he is not a very interesting character, and the supporting cast is rather weak as well; the strongest such supporting character, Katherine Reynolds, is abandoned midway through the Son of Satan issues as Hellstrom abruptly decides to move to a new city.In the end, the Son of Satan stories are not as much horror but standard superhero fiction with a supernatural touch.

On the other hand, the stories featuring Satana, Daimon's sister, more closely approach horror fiction and are the stronger for it.Satana is a succubus, a half-demon/half-human who can seduce and suck the life and soul out of any man.In the beginning, she is thoroughly evil and the loyal daughter to her devilish father, but eventually, her human side allows her to be, if not truly good, a little bit more compassionate.Though the quality is often erratic, the best stories in this book are the Satana ones; unfortunately, they take up only a quarter or so of the volume.

It's obvious reading this book that Marvel was not all that attached to either character during the first run of these issues.Both writers and artists come and go quickly, and none stick around really long enough to leave a real mark.There are some big names in the bunch:Chris Claremont, Steve Gerber and Sal Buscema to name a few, but even these people are just passing through.In addition, unlike other Essential editions, there is no real effort to put these stories in strict chronological order; while any given title is presented in the right sequence, the crossover with other titles is not done in the correct order.

Overall, the Son of Satan stories rate two stars and the Satana stories rate maybe a high three.With the other flaws in this edition, I am going to give this two stars.Letter grade-wise, it's a D+, a passing grade, but just barely.If you like the supernatural side of Marvel, you're far better off with the Tomb of Dracula stories.The Essential Marvel Horror should be towards the bottom of your Essentials list.
... Read more

Product Description
The Day of the Defenders first gathered Doctor Strange, the Hulk and the rest of Marvel's legion of loners - but can they survive "Defenders for a Day?" If the second team calling themselves Defenders doesn't finish them off, the third one just might! Plus: more non-stop action when the non-team faces team after team - including the Emissaries of Evil, Zodiac and the Headmen! Demons and gods alike threaten humanity, leaving its outcasts to defend it! Guest-starring Iron Fist, Ms. Marvel, Havok and Polaris, the Son of Satan, Hercules and more! Collects Defenders #40-69 and Annual #1 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

I'm a Gerber baby!
Oh yes, the Defenders, my favorite Marvel non-team. At least they're a non-team for the first half of the book. From Issue 31-40 something they are still meeting in Dr. Strange's rumpus room instead of a place like Avenger's mansion and using New York's back alley's as a Danger Room. Eventually they take up residence in one of Kyle Richmond's equestrian estates, settle down, become domesticated, gain a few pounds and lose a little of that special Defenders "something". They become more of a formal super-group and less of an informal collection of loose-knit fly -by-the-seat-of-your-pants heroes thrown together to halt off the wall menaces that no single hero could stand against. But there are till some pretty engaging and involved stories in the back end of this volume with writing chores shared by Steve Gerber, Gerry Conway, Chris Claremont and Dave Kraft. Pencils are pushed by the likes of Carmine Infantino, Klaus Janson, Keith Giffen and Sal Buscema.

This book never got the credit for being a bit more of a thinking man's super-team, but it proves it here. You've got some social issues, some mysticism, some psychological drama, marital and friendship issues, all wrapped up in superhero spandex. It's a nice mix. Plus you get the mighty Marvel 70's flavor to spice things up even more.

Here's a peek at what you get in Defenders 31-60 and Annual #1.

Defenders # 31***Nighthawk's Brain!*** A lot happens. Valkyrie goes to a carnival, Hulk stumbles onto some drunken deer hunters, an elf with a lugar kills some tourists and the fabulous Headmen (All have "Head" related powers) put Nighthawk's brain in a bowl. And that's just for starters.

Defenders # 33***Webbed Hands, Warm Heart*** Only Steve Gerber would give Bambi super-powers! Also, the Headmen keep transplanting brains(where's Nighthawk's?), aliens invade Central Park, the fourth Headman shows her "face"(with tentacles) and Nebulon the Celestial Man tips the scales in a whole other direction.

Defenders # 34***I think we're all Bozos in this book*** Nebulon has the best hair in the business, Nighthawk may finally get his brain back in his body and the Defenders attend a self-help seminar entitled "Celestial Mind Control"

Defenders # 37***Evil in Bloom!*** The Defenders take on the Plant Man. Really?....the Plant Man? O.K. The Plant Man...Luckily Luke Cage is around to save them. Plus, why are the Eel and Porcupine smiling like that?

Defenders # 46***Who remembers Scorpio?*** Dr. Strange gets sick of Nighthawk and the Hulk crashing on his couch every night and Valkyrie constantly leaving the toliet seat up so he resigns from the Defenders, kicking the non-team out of his sanctum sanctorum. If finding a new pad isn't enough, Scorpio strikes with his cadre of Zodiac themed henchman. And it's got Nick Fuuury!

Defenders # 50***Scorpio Must Die!*** The final, and I mean FINAL resolution to the Scorpio Saga. Keith Giffen honors Jack Kirby with his artwork. And Nick Fury offers a super villain a beer, a Schlitz to be exact. You remember Schlitz, don't ya? Sure ya do. It was the Zima of the 70's, bunky.

Defenders # 52***Defender of the Realm***Super-herodom's answer to Beavis and Butthead, the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner, are together again! This story also features a nuclear explosion that may rip Europe in half, and Valkyrie going to the theater with some new friends to see "Death Wish" and "The Man Who Fell to Earth".

You've got some prime Defenders action on your hands here. Gerber's stories are the best, the most satisfying and the most revealing of character (Millionaire Nighthawk tips his paperboy 5 bucks at Christmas. 5 bucks! And with a check yet! Sheeesh! No wonder he got killed off. Several times!!!) But the quality of any serialized fiction will ebb and flow, and in this volume even the slow spots are still kind of interesting. If your taste in super heroes runs to the somewhat offbeat and Marvel 70's-ish, then it doesn't get much better than this book.

Pretty bad
I'm a die-hard Hulk fan so I like to pick up some of these Essentials to see the classic Hulk in action but they really lost me with this one. I was starting to lose interest with Vol II but they hit rock bottom with this one. All of the added characters were boring and repetitive. It seems like they added characters to the team for no other purpose than just keeping a filled out roster. The stories and villains were a total borefest with junk sorcery that was just plain foolish. There were a few entertaining stories in there (written by Gerry Conway/Chris Claremont) but the rest were totally forgetable and quite ridiculous. I honestly got the vibe that the writers were tripping when they wrote some of those whacked out stories. What was the deal with that Elf or Scorpio offering everyone a beer? If those were attempts at humor, they fell flat. The Hulk nailed it when he said, "Hulk always thought team was a dumb idea." He's smarter than people give him credit for. As a matter of fact, if he wasn't even in the issues, I don't think I could have forced myself to finish it.

Graphic SF Reader
Hellcat, Nighthawk and the Red Guardian?


Not exactly the Silver Surfer, Submariner and Doctor Strange.However, those are characters you get at times here, after Doc decides he needs a leave of absence to get his mystic mojo back to the top level.

Clea appears a bit as a stand-in, and you have guest stars such as Moon Knight and Nick Fury in the latter half.

The artwork with Janson, Buscema etc. in the earlier issues is certainly superior.

In general, this is a whole lot of crazy madcap never stopping superhero stuff, especially with the 'Headmen' - a guy with a gorilla body and a human head, someone whose headbones have shrunk, a woman with a malleable android head, and you get the idea.

Very silly, with plenty of Hulk smash, Hulk hate water, Hulk crush bad man who hurt friend, Hulk bash friend if he feels like it.Along with the Valkyrie and the soap opera between her and the husband of the woman whose body she now inhabits.


3.5 out of 5

This is the good stuff!
After a long wait, Marvel finally publishes the "meat" of Steve Gerber's run on Defenders. When people talk about Gerber as being the 'Grant Morrison of the 70s' (as they do, occasionally), this is the sort of stuff they're talking about.

Gerber is mostly remembered today for his quirky work on non-superhero titles like Man-Thing, Howard the Duck and Omega the Unknown. But this volume shows that he could write intelligent, exciting superhero comics that were on a par with the best of Marvel's 70s output.

Ten years before Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen, Gerber was exploring the sort of "superheroes in the real world" themes that are commonplace today. One hero, Valkyrie, gets locked in prison for wrecking a restaurant while fighting a super-villain with her sword. The villains are less concerned with destroying buildings and killing people than they are with gaining power through sociological and political means: Nebulon sets himself up as a self-help guru while the Headmen run one of their members as a presidential candidate.

All of this takes place over the course of an epic storyline that takes up the first eleven issues printed here. Unlike today's "decompressed" comics, however, each individual issue still presents you with a complete episode in its own right. This isn't a case of pacing a storyline to meet the publishing requirements of the company's trade paperback division, but rather, of a complex story that Gerber developed subtly throughout a year's worth of comics, each chapter flowing smoothly from the preceding one. Along the way, he throws in some unforgettably quirky touches -- Nighthawk carrying his own brain around in a dish, Bambi the killer fawn and, of course, the legendary Elf with a Gun -- until he brings the whole story to a satisfying climax in Defenders Annual #1.

Unfortunately, Gerber left the title shortly thereafter (after issue #41) and left a few loose ends hanging around. The remainder of the book is written by Gerry Conway and David Kraft, and while it isn't up to the high standards of Gerber's material, it does represent the best of the post-Gerber era (especially Kraft's inaugural "Who Remembers Scorpio?" storyline).

About half the book is drawn by the always-sublime (and underappreciated) Sal Buscema (often inked by Klaus Janson). The rest features work by up-and-comer Keith Giffen and industry legend Carmine Infantino, who had recently left his publisher's post at DC to draw at Marvel. The volume also includes a handful of covers drawn by another legend, Jack "King" Kirby.

In short, if you only want to read one volume of The Defenders, this is the one to get. These are some of the best superhero stories Marvel published in the 70s.

Excellent collection of stories from Marvel's lesser-known team.
This third collection of stories from the Defenders finds the team in an odd place. The original guard is all but gone and the new faces take over. Namor and Silver Surfer are already gone (though Namor shows up again for a few issues toward the end here), Doctor Strange leaves, and who can really count the Hulk as a member of any team? Still Nighthawk, Hellcat, Val, and the Red Guardian step up nicely to keep the pace moving. There are some nice moments wrapped up in here, including a cool Nighthawk solo story against the Ringmaster (not the greatest villain, but at least we have a story).

Unfortunately, taken as a whole this collection shows the weaknesses of the group as well. For one, Nighthawk spends literally over a dozen issues held captive or brain-swapped at some time or another, making this the only team in Marvel history whose leader is actually its weakest link. It gets laughable after a while when almost every time he gets into battle he's captured by someone. Val changes costumes three times in this collection. Jack Norriss either is or isn't a traitor or a SHIELD agent or a double agent posing as a SHIELD agent or a wannabe secret agent of his own making (you figure it out and let me know). Prince Namor uses a superpower he'd only used once before and it's never been mentioned since. And for several issues we have this little elf killing folks at random...and then suddenly his story ends with no explanation of any kind. Why was he in there? It's like the writers said, "Why were we doing this again? You don't remember either? Well, just forget it and we'll see if anyone notices".

But even with the weak points, this is great storytelling. When the team fights together (it does happen every so often), the dynamic is great. I couldn't be happier to see these stories collected together and look forward to the next volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The most accurate record of the modern Air National Guard
This is the most accurate and complete record of the Air National Guard and the maturity of Total Force Policy.Total Force Policy changed the culture of both the Air Force and Air National Guard and forged these twocomponents of our "Total Air Force" into an effective team.LtGen Conaway provides an insight into the modern Air National Guard thatwill help military planners keep history's military success stories alive. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to what the tradition of theminutemen of 1776 has become in modern times ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
In the winter of 1993 our family did something impetuously reckless by purchasing BUCKRAMMER, an almost 100-year old leak- and rust-plagued, repair-hungry wooden boat. We then set about restoring the old bucket into our family yacht. What were we thinking? Catboat Summers chronicles a decade's worth of adventures in New England waters through a series of short tales, each recounting one of the Conways' many extraordinary experiences aboard their hand-crafted vessel. From the hilariously ill-fated participation of a fleet of catboats in Boston Harbor's Sail 2000 Parade to a chilling, phantasmal encounter amidst fog and darkness and even a pilgrimage to the yard where BUCKRAMMER was born, readers will be enthralled by Conway's compelling narrative and whimsical humor. First the good news: BUCKRAMMER was not in any immediate danger of sinking. Whatever had caused her to flood was no longer at work. On the downside, the electrical system was clearly shot. Sooner rather than later, I'd have to determine where the water came from in the first place. If this happened once, it most certainly could happen again. The pleasures of boating are indeed so many and varied. A useful and instructive appendix reveals the technical details of the ongoing restoration process, including the tools involved, the best sources of materials, and plans for some of the more challenging and rewarding additions (such as the binnacle, skylight, and fireplace). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A GEM
John Conway has captured the essence of family sailing ... This book is a joy to read.As a wooden boat owner myself you can't help but relate to the stories, the woes, and the satisfaction of owning a classic "woodpile".I must read for any boat owner, wooden or otherwise.

Catboat Dreaming
John Conway has masterfully strung together several tales of wooden-boat ownership.He takes us along through the joys and frustrations of several summers on his wooden catboat.This book, perfect for that cold winter night dreaming of summer, or passing the time on a summer porch listening to the peepers, is worth every penny.

Sailing a Classic Catboat in New England Waters
"In the winter of 1993 our family did something impetuously reckless by purchasing BUCKRAMMER, an almost 100-year old,leak-
rust-plagued,repair-hungry wooden boat.What were we thinking?"
John Conway and his family bought an old 24 foot wooden catboat with one enormous gaff sail, and sailed and repaired, and explored, and cruised buzzard Bay, Cape Cod waters, Long Island Sound, islands, coves, and estuaries. This book is just delightful. It's for anyone who sails, or who would like to sail, or who just likes reading good sailing stories. The star of the boat is an old Crosby Catboat first launched in 1908, and first used as a fishing boat, later converted to yacht use and owned by a succession of owners culminating in the Conway family. Incidentally, the cover pisture is of a Beetle Cat, a 12 foot wooden catboat that John Conway bought used and rebuilt before they bought the big Crosby catboat. This is a fun book and a good read. I enjoyed it and certainly recomend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Changes in the Marvel Universe are nothing new - as seen when heroes are reborn, slain in this startling selection of seventies sagas! The search for the Celestial Madonna is on! After reviving heroes and villains to set a Legion of the Unliving against the Avengers, will Kang be divided against himself in deciding the fate of the woman who could alter the universe's destiny?

Collecting:

Avengers #120-140, Captain Marvel #33, Fantastic

Four #150, Giant-Size Avengers #1-4

... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Interesting and good but not great
This book is very similar to previous Essential Avengers books: teamwork, lot of interesting characters, some early works of today's great comic illustrators but for me, earlier volumes made much better impression.

I must add that I tried all kind of Marvel Essential trades and that I follow and will this series along with Essential Wolverine.

B/W reprints of Avengers #120-140 and Giant Size #1-4
This volume collects issues #120-140 of Marvel Comics' monthly Avengers series and the quarterly Giant Size Avengers #1-4.It also includes Captain Marvel #33 (which follows #125) and Fantastic Four #150 (that fits between #127 and #128).The original comic books were all originally published between March 1974 and October 1975.Steve Englehart is the writer for all Avengers issues besides #138 and GS #1.These same issues feature six different pencilers, with Bob Brown (#120-123, 126), Sal Buscema (#127-134) and George Tuska (#135, 137, 139-140) logging the most panels.
The Avengers active roster at the start of this collection is: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Panther, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman and Mantis.#120-124 feature the team battling the Zodiac cartel, twelve criminals that each resembles a respective astrological sign (admittedly not one of Marvel's memorable creations).The series improves with Thanos in #125 and the wedding of Quicksilver and Crystal and the return of an archnemesis in #127.Kang the Conqueror returns in a story arc that starts in #129. In GS #2 one Avenger dies and Hawkeye returns.The most interesting segment of this run is the flashback origin of the Kree and Skrull civilizations in #133-134.The origin of the Vision also appears here though it was later retconned by Marvel.With its ranks slimming, the team adds new members Moondragon and former X-Man Beast in #137, and Yellowjacket and the Wasp return soon thereafter.GS #4 centers on the wedding of the Vision and Scarlet Witch and thankfully concludes the Swordsman/Mantis subplot.
This is recommended for fans interested in the entire Avengers series but new readers should start with an earlier "Essentials" volume. Even better is the "40 Years of The Avengers" DVD-ROM collection of PDFs of the entire monthly run (though unfortunately not the Giant Size issues). The Marvel Essentials series offers convenient, inexpensive access to these 30-year old Avengers comics without needing a computer. At over 550 pages, this is a tremendous value and offers hours of reading.

Classic Avengers Action
Essential Avengers Volume 6 is a good addition to the other volumes - it contains some of the core stories that inform things to come.It doesn't have as much of the beautiful art of John Buscema or George Perez (but wait for volume 7, Perez's run is in there most likely).

Some of the George Tuska art inside this volume is very classy - it's old dschool but he really knows how to draw people and their emotions.The character development of the Swordsman in this one is pretty cool, and there is a romantic triangle between Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Mantis.

Also, you get the first appearance of the Legion of the Unliving (although I like the one that happened in the 80's Avengers Annual #16, where the Legion of the Unliving was stacked with undead powerhouses! check that one out if you have not already - great story with art by a lot of different artists - in that one, undead Bucky swats the Wasp and undead Korvac fights Silver Surfer).

The plotlines of the issues in this one are particularly good from start to finish, and it includes a decent origin of the Vision that was retconned out later.

Does Anybody Remember Mantis?
The Avengers have seen their share of ups and downs as a comic.Despite a stellar assembly of stars (or not) - in reality, the title often struggled to live up to what it proclaimed to be: The World's Mightiest Heroes.By the last collection of Essential Avengers (# 5), the swinging sixties by Stan and gang were over, and a new cohort of writers took over.

Steve Englehart mans this period of the Avengers with pretty good plotting, but the same problem that plagued the previous collection remains: a lack of strong villains.I have never considered Cornelius Lunt and the Zodiac group (groan) a legit threat to the Avengers - a bunch of guys in animal suits just do not make threatening villains! And Kang the conquerer appears again, and again...

Kang has always been a 2nd rate Dr Doom to me.However, we do get Thanos and Ultron 5 in this - serious baddies.With a dearth of bad guys, Engleheart does a novel turn and even summons up the undead - Frankenstein, Baron Zemo, The Ghost, The Human Torch and Wonder Man - in a strange but colorful yarn.

Much of the book focuses on Mantis (who?).This Asian heroine and the dear Swordsman - feel strained and out of place in the Marvel pantheon.Looking back now, they were hardly the stuff of Marvel legend - but they occupy a sizable part of the narrative here.Although I care little about Mantis, the storyline that Engleheart weaves is compelling enough to follow, Zodiac warts and all.I'm still confused about what a Celestial Madonna is and anyone reading the book, pls. let me know.

Most importantly, we get the Vision's origin story extensively told. And a nice origin of the Kree-Skrull war which I never knew about. This is the highlight of the book.But why Marvel had to employ so many artists and inkers - from Don Heck to George Tuska to John Buscema to Dan Adkins to Rich Buckler to Don Heck and Johnny Craig, etc - it's amazing how many artists took the reigns issue after issue.Although this affects the style and consistency - it's interesting to see how the different styles (many dated now) pan out.No artist took ownership of the Avengers during this period, which reflects badly on Marvel.

Overall, the Avengers were destined for greater things. Engleheart's sometimes convoluted storylines (remember his work on Dr Strange) may not be for everyone.But this is a readable book overall.Not the classic Avengers Assemble we've all come to love, but more like the Avengers Roll Along!

Avengers Assemble!
An excellent collection of The Avengers and their ongoing adventures! How could you not like the introduction of Thanos and the recruitment of Beast?! ... Read more

Product Description
The first volume for this established series detailing all the designs for Motor Torpedo Boats, Motor Gun Boats and Motor Launches that served the Allied Forces in the period 1939-45 is to examine the remaining designs and their weapons. Volume II looks at Vesper MTB designs, and the US Elcos with their weapon systems while Volume III examines in depth the remaining types designed and built on both sides of the Atlantic.

Volume I covers all the designs of the British Fairmile Marine Company (including those craft built and equipped in Canada), together with the 72ft Admiralty Harbour Defense Motor Launch designs and the US Navy’s 110 ft submarine chaser. Design, construction, equipment and subsequent development are all covered, and builders, construction lists, fates and technical data are given for each type. Separate sections deal with Coastal Forces armament and equipment in full, and appendices include further technical detail, production data, provisioning and typical service records. John Lambert is the author of a number of books for Conway Maritime Press including Allied Coastal Forces, volume 2 and the forthcoming volume 3, and The Submarine Alliance in the ‘Anatomy of the Ship’ series.

Al Ross is a world famous draughts man and has contributed to Conway’s History of the Ship and The Escort Carrier Gambier Bay in the ‘Anatomy’ series ... Read more

Product Description
With the advent of computer programs such as SketchPad, many high school students and amateur mathematicians are rediscovering interesting facts and theorems about triangles. The authors have created a nearly encyclopedoc collection of known and not so known aspects of the subject and present them in a beautifully illustrated triangular volume ... Read more

Product Description
Look out world, here he comes - Luke Cage, Hero for Hire - and bullets won't stop him! The early adventures of comics' first and foremost black superstar of the seventies are collected for the first time in one volume as Power Man defends his home turf against the likes of Diamondback, Mace, Black Mariah, Dr. Doom, Senor Suerte, Chemistro, Lionfang, Steeplejack, Cottonmouth, and more! Guest-starring the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Iron Man! Collects Hero For Hire #1-#16 and Power Man #17-#27 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Sweet Sister!
This was an intriguing collection of comics.As a middle-aged white male, I'm not sure how to take the constant racial references.Did blacks take the dialogue and actions with pride or as a stereotype which degraded them?It must not've raised too much fuss since the title (later paired with Iron Fist) had a long run.
I found the stories entertaining, though the artwork was inconsistant.Midway through this collection, after the title changed to Power Man, the stories found some meat and showed Luke Cage more as a person.
As some reviews have stated, there is some redundancy.Are there really people in that neighborhood who don't know Cage's skin is knife and bullet proof?That's the problem with reading all these issues consecutively though - you notice those things more often.Still, it was fun to read.

My Favorite Hero (or at least of the moment)
I've been reading comics for over 30 years and have always been aware of Luke Cage but had never read much he was in. Sometime last fall I got a hold of several issues of Christopher Priest's excellent Black Panther series. I was hooked and ended up buying all 68 issues online. That led me to an intrest in Power Man. So I started with this collection, and have since aquired almost every issue he's been in in the last 30+ years (except for 5 or 6 cameo appereances).That said this volume collects his earliest work and some of his best. Having been a true DC fan all these years I was surprised at how down to earth these stories are. Marvel has always been the "smaller, more real earth" as shown very well in the recent JLA/Avengers crossover.
But this series brought something that I had not really seen in comics before. A gritty, street level feel that took me into a darker place: Time's Square, New York City, circa the 70's.That said, know that I don't read any indepedent books, and the only Vertigo book I read is Fables. So maybe there is a lot of books out there like this, updated for today's age,but the super-hero spin made it more enjoyable for me.

Luke Cage is a man that is trying to do what is right and make a living at the same time. Who isn't? It's removed from the "Let's save the world because we have powers" vibe that pretty much defines the super-hero genre.
Prison, drug dealers, gangsters, racism, and super villians all collide with the ease of an era gone by. Some of it is remarkably simple and fun, like Luke having to order new silk shirts from the dry cleaner because bullets keep shredding his old ones, even having to wear a yellow t-shirt once because he had ran out and the others were on order.

The supporting cast are real and believable. Dr. Clair Temple's romantic relationship with a falsely accused ex-con is rich with chemistry, his friendship with D.W. the young guy that runs the movie theatre were Cage lives is bright and fun. Dr. Noah Burnstein that man that gave Luke his powers by accident has a great relationship with him, one of debt, fear, and compassion.
The stories stay mostly in NYC, except when he goes the the Fantastic Four so that he can borrow a plane to fly to Laterviafor a confrontation with Dr. Doom who owes him 200 bucks!!
He's real, funny, and out to make some money by using his situation to the best he knows how. A young man still growing up and trying to find his way in the world.
The series eventually brings in Iron Fist around issue 48 and it suddenly becomes slightly crowded with all of his supporting cast taking up much of the book. Luke begins to feel like a guest star in his own book. But the original has some of the best stories of the run.
Finally I thought I wouldn't like the black and white pages but actually got used to them and was "shocked" when I started reading the single issues that I bought and suddenly everything was in color.
Overall 5 stars and a good time capsule of a great time in comics.

UNDERAPPRECIATED TITLE
Luke Cage Hero for Hire/Powerman is one of the most underappreciated and undervalued comic titles of the 1970's Cage was one of the first black superheroes and the first "street" black hero.Now looking back we may in hindsight question a street black hero being written by a white guy (Archie Goodwin) but those were different times.Lucas Cage was framed for a crime he didn't commit and sent to prison and agreed to be a guinea pig for experiments which gave him super strength and resistance to injury.He used his powers to break out of jail and clear his name and then became a kind of super hero mercenary for hire.The Title would change it's name to Luke Cage, Powerman with issue #17.

One of the best issues included in this book is Powerman #21 in which Cage battles the Original, Silver Age Powerman for the rights to the name and beats him decisively.Very good story.In general, however, Cage battleD very minor, often street type villains such as Black Mariah, Mace, Lion Fang, Cotton Mouth, etc.Although Dr. Doom did put in an appearance in issue #9.The art on the series was usually pretty good, better than most of the lower tier Marvel comics of the 1970's and the covers throughout were very good.I particularly like the cover to #26, a classic Gil Kane work.

Over the years Cage would have various group affiliations with super teams including the Fantastic Four, Avengers, Defenders and Heroes for Hire although he would never remain with one group for any length of time.The stories inside this book are simple, usually one issue stories, but they are really pretty good.I always liked Cage as a mid-level hero.

Mutha Trucka!
Big Bad Luke Cage with his jive talking Ebonics and fresh flavour is a blast right out of the seventies....Really.
I was very surprised at how good this essential really was. It handles 70's rascism issues well and is often very well written. After thirty years of reading Marvel comics I found out things about this character I never knew.
- Luke Cage was a career criminal before he became Power Man!
-There was a lot of history and back story long before the Power Man and Iron Fist stories!
- There is quite a lot of seriously ancient marvel history dug up to establish continuity.
- Power Man actually causes the deaths of a large ammount of villains or people he knows in these stories!
This is one of the best of the "early" Marvel 70's comics that I've read.
However be warned, there is a lot of repetition...here is an example:
BAD GUY: "Ha Ha! Take that Power Man!"
POWER MAN: "Jive Turkey, you may have knocked me down but Luke Cage don't ever stay down 'cos he gots STEEL SKIN!"
BAD GUY: "My electro gun will finish you! BANG BANG"
POWER MAN: "Honky, ain't nothing can penetrate my righteous black skin because I's the man with STEEL SKIN!"
BAD GUY: "What's that boy? You got STEEL SKIN or sumtin'?"

And on and on through a multitude of variations along this theme.
For a book that really does take a stand on the whole Black Power issue of the 70s it fails to get past the big issue of sexism which is hugely aparent in all these 70s Marvel comics.
Take it with a grain of salt. I did.
I love it for what it is...well written, unique and thoroughly enthralling.

Sweet Chistmas!
That was one of Luke Cage's most famous lines...This is pure magic classic Marvel Comics of the seventies.I was hoping this series would go on without Iron Fist. I did like the Power Man Iron Fist team ups; however Luke Cage was better when he worked alone. This character would make an extrodinary TV series because he wouldn't require a super hero costume or super villians to make it contemporary.I only wish he caught on like Wolverine and Iron Fist did.This is one comic I wish was still being published as a monthly magazine! ... Read more

Product Description
She started as a super-spy and ended up a super-star! After failed endeavors with the Crimson Dynamo, Natasha Romanova ditches her fishnets for a black bodysuit and a solo crime-fighting career against gangsters and terrorists, in rare stories not reprinted in decades! Goliath, formerly the archer known as Hawkeye, wants them to be a costumed couple, but an android matchmaker has other ideas when he manipulates the Black Widow into rescuing Daredevil - the better to use them both! Guest-starring Spider-Man!Collects Tales of Suspense #52, Amazing Spider-Man #86, Amazing Adventures #1-8, and Daredevil #81. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Marvel C-lister getting no respect...
The Black Widow was a Marvel character created in the '60s. She bounced around as a villain for Iron Man, love interest for Hawkeye, and was one of the features of the new Marvel anthology, Amazing Adventures.

This book reproduces Tales of Suspense #52 (her introduction), Spider-Man #86 (where she adopts a new look/costume), Amazing Adventures #1-#8 (her brief, unsuccessful feature), and Daredevil #81 (starting her relationship with that character).

What is clear is that the Black Widow wasn't able to carry a book by her lonesome; she worked best as a supporting character. There was probably potential there but there were a number of writing/art changes over the 8 issues which killed any possible momentum.

The reproduction is substandard also. The Amazing Adventures covers are horrid. Fortunately we should see them reproduced much better when the Inhumans Masterwork comes out in a few months. The AA stories themselves are hit and miss reproduction wise, some look fine, others not so much.

In short, I can only recommend this book if you're a diehard Marvel completist, as the AA stories are unlikely to be reprinted again. Otherwise, give this one a miss.

Black Widow: The Sting of the Widow Premiere HC/ Poor Reproduction-Avoid
The issues taken from the Marvel Masterworks files (Tales of Suspense #52, Spider-Man #86) look fine. All the other material fromAmazing Adventures #1-8 and Daredevil #81have very poor reproduction in them. I'd avoid this book. You'd be better served finding back-issues on EBAY to read since the printing in the originals is so much better. Buyer beware on this one. ... Read more