5 comments about Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire: 101 Luminaries Ponder Love, Death, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life.

1. Wonderful coffee table book. The celebrities answer the questions with humor and at times, amazing insight and honesty.



2. This is a great read- I was suprised by many, and entertained by all. You can read this over and over again!



3. Despite the rather pretentious title, this book does have 101 (a pretentious number too) luminaries (pretentious) pondering (in one page capsules) "love, death, happiness and the meaning of life." A must have book for the person that likes to dip into deeper things. The best part of the book? The illustrations by Risko of all the luminaries--and on quality paper.



4. This should have been interesting but blame the respondants, they blew off the questions with breezy, funny answers. The flipness might make for a SNL skit that doesn't quite work (but do any of them?) or for a VF article but except for the interesting drawings there's nothing here. Skip this lemon.



5. I enjoyed this book very much. I always turn to the last page of VF to read the Proust interview before I read the magazine. This is a collection of same. Insightful in some cases, frivolous in others..all are cool!

5 comments about 1897 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalogue.

1. I remember looking at one of these when I would visit my uncle as a kid. You could spend hours looking at all the things they sold "way back then." I bought it for a Christmas gift last year. It's a lot more interesting that you would think an old catalog would be.



2. I sit for long periods of time just wandering through this old Sears catalogue and wonder where our country went. It's nothing like it used to be. The prices were amazing too. You should get one of these. It's informative, fun and very sad at the same time. Because, you can't get the products any longer and especially at the prices listed. What a shame. What a wonderful catalogue for the pupil, for the older generation to remember the way things were, before we were stripped from being a nation to be proud of, and for the historian. There are others old Sears books or catalogues too. Their house catalogues are great! I have them. A whole house only cost a few hundred dollars. When you see today's prices compared to then you'll see that in the last 100 years something happened to America that isn't very good. Thieves and corrupt people, plus foreign invasion has taken a nation, the greatest country ever known to mankind, mind you, to total ruin. Ted Kennedy, one of the many devil's disciples, did the most damage to America by changing the American Immigration Policy back in 1965 and opened the flood gates to the Third World gushing into the land and bringing along with them their horrible politics and violent, cheating corruptive ways. Every American is now suffering it's aftermath and feeling it's "change' and will no longer be able to live the American dream, unless changed back to the way it was. These catalogues show you how things have changed.



3. After flipping through this book in a library, I decided to purchase it so I could have it constantly on hand. If you've ever been curious as to how to depict everyday life and objects from the turn of the previous century, this reproduction Sears catalog will answer just about all of your questions. The catalog is lavishly illustrated, with each drawing striving to show maximum detail. Everything from horse-drawn carriages to infant bonnets is depicted, showing just how much Sears offered back then. The patent medicines section near the beginning of the book is particularly amusing for its dated language and outlandish claims. This is a perfect book to keep around if you're an artist interested in steampunk, victorian gothic, or other similar subject matter.



4. Hard to believe so many products were available by mail way back then!!! My family lived in what was Washington Territory in the mid to late 19th century and must have been able to order all kinds of stuff!!
   
   Catalog was just as represented but what a delight to peruse!!



5. This catalog is awesome. I saw one years ago, and couldn't put it down. It is amazing what our ancestors could buy. Like pills for "Weak Women". Wow. Its always fun to bring it out and show company, everyone is always so interested in it once they open it. This is not a thin catalog either, very thick and lots of pictures of products to buy from back in the day with original prices. They had more buggies to choose from than they do cars today. This is a keepsake everyone should have, oh.....did I forget to mention the womens underwear?? Boy have things changed!!!! And I had forgotten how popular hats for both men and women were back then, and the choices were unbelievable. Lets not forget the different kind of guns you could get and ammunition. Its just so interesting and filled with knowledge of our past generations and what they used, bought and needed compared to today. Loved looking at all the pictures of items to buy, there is a ton of them. Get it, you will be impressed. Teri in Houston

4 comments about All Things Alice: The Wit, Wisdom,and Wonderland of Lewis Carroll.

1. Kind of like a wikipedia for Alice. They have a few of these kinds of books, i think a wizard of oz one? It's a nice mini coffee table style book. It has pretty much every song, product, book, whatever, made in reference to Alice or her adventures. A good addition to the collection of an Alice lover, like me.



2. Some interesting, little known facts re: Alice books' history, sales at auctions, etc. Beautiful, well-illustrated book. Nice, light reading.



3. I have been collecting Alice in Wonderland items for nearly 30 years and I am happy to add this book to my collection. The information is presented in a format that is accessible to the general public and not just the Alice afficianado. The book production is also wery pleasing. The wonder of Alice is how she shows up all over the globe in so many ways 140 years after her conception. I think the title of the book understates to what extent Alice lives in our modern popular culture.



4. I love this book. I received it yesterday at my office and read what I could on my lunch hour. I couldn't wait to get home. I bought this because I wanted to eventually introduce my 1 year old granddaughter to "Alice In Wonderland." Imagine my surprise to find that I can start reading to her now. There are extended nursery rhymes, funny sayings and a fascinating dialogue through the whole book. The illustrations are superb! I can start my granddaughter on the "white rabbit, calico cat, the queen" as well as "Alice" just from these wonderful illustrations. I can highly recommend this book for children and also adults who enjoy Lewis Carroll's wit. I cannot write enough good things about it.

4 comments about Star Wars: 1,000 Collectibles: Memorabilia and Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

1. Sansweet has written several books on Star Wars collectibles and I always enjoy them. Although this book contains a lot of fun facts and pictures, I found myself getting bored when it veered into a long section on clothing, patches, soft goods etc (yawn). I found the first third, which is devoted to Star Wars toys, to be the most interesting. I would still recommend this to collectors, but I would encourage you to flip through it in a store so you really know what you're getting. A minor complain; a cardboard strip inexplicable surrounds the front and back cover, which makes the book awkward to read. I was constantly worried that I was going to tear it whenever I picked up the book.



2. I was once lucky enough to have been included on a tour of Steve Sansweet's collection, with notes being taken about certain items of his collection during that tour so they could be included in this book, so I've been waiting with baited breath for this, because there is no way you can see but a fraction of his collection. The big stuff, sure. All the normal sized stuff just kind of blurs together in your memory once it is over, and even then, you'll never see it all.
   This is an absolutely wonderful cross-section of his collection, with some lovely little stories about the items, or how they came into his collection.
   I don't care how much of a fan of Star Wars you are, I guarantee that there are many collectibles in this book you've never heard of, or have heard of but never seen, and some you are probably going try to search for to own for yourself. I know I am.
   There are the original toys figures all the way through the very expensive high-end stuff. There are prototypes that never made production, artist one-offs, custom items, displays, signs, clothing, food, statues, coins, costumes, computers, games,...I could go on for quite a while.
   Darth Vader slippers. A Star Wars savings passbook. A stormtrooper golf bag. How about Star Wars Cheeselicious? You haven't lived until you see that.
   A must own for anyone who collects (even in small amounts, like me) of Star Wars memorabilia.
   Thank you Steve and Anne, for this book. Now my wife will have to keep me off amazon and ebay for a while so I cannot purchase any of these items.



3. I received my copy of Star Wars: 1,000 Collectibles today and already took in the stunning imagery and diverse look at literally hundreds of unique Star Wars collectibles. If you began your collection before 1977, or are starting it today, it is a thrilling read for fans who wish to see what these amazing films have brought in the form of merchandise. In every Star Wars Insider, they offer glimpses of strange collectibles according to a certain theme, and if you love looking at that section of the magazine, this is a perfect item for you.



4. I picked up Star Wars: 1000 Collectibles and read it cover-to-cover the day I got it. This is one of the best Star Wars collecting books I've ever read. It's a first person account of anecdotes, success stories, mistakes, and adventures in assembling author Steve Sansweet's collection, the largest private Star Wars collection in the world. The book covers rare one-of-a-kind items, unusual folk art, classic Star Wars collectibles, and some very funny stuff. Really an enjoyable read! Anne's photography is top notch. Definitely a must-have for the Star Wars collector's bookshelf.

2 comments about Antique Trader Collectible Paperback Price Guide.

1. Great guide for study or general reference. Contains a large variety of paperback books in different categories. Listed by subjects with prices related by condition of the book. Many color photos. Author also covers the importance of cover art and general grading guide.



2. For any one who is collecting vintage paperbacks, this guide is a must have, not only for the guidelines it gives for what a proper price is for the book you want to buy, but also for the nice introduction on collecting paperbacks as well.

5 comments about Wacky Packages.

1. For the last 10 years I've been dreaming of a book just like Abrams' Wacky Packages archive. Like a lot of kids growing up in the 70s and 80s I had a huge collection of Topps branded sticker cards, from brightly colored and iconic-bordered die-cut movie and TV show sticker subsets, to the sets of beautifully painted parody sticker sets. My main focus was in collection Garbage Pail Kids, but when one looks back we wouldn't have had those without the many Wacky Packages sticker sets. Guys like Len Brown, Woody Gelman, Kim Deitch, Jay Lynch, Art Spiegelman, Peter Orens, Norm Saunders, Ray Hammond, and the Shorin Brothers, the Topps old guard as they were, were the equivalent to trading cards what the staff of MAD magazine was to humor comics, pumping out hundreds of hilarious and deftly rendered product parodies from the late 60s through to the late 80s.
   
   This Abrams coffee table book serves as a cleverly designed art book and an archive of the first seven Wacky Packages series. All of the paintings are presented one to a page and at about double the size of the original stickers in full color. The hardback book itself is smaller than most coffee table volumes (about the size of a standard DVD case), and is wrapped in a nostalgia inducing wax-paper dust cover that resembles a pack of the Wacky Packages stickers. This volume features an interview with Art Spiegelman and a forward by Jay Lynch, as well as some never-before-produced Wacky Packages stickers. It serves as an excellent way to flip though the stickers without having to spring for the long out of print original stickers on the secondary market.
   
   Abrams is also releasing a second volume, titled Wacky Packages New New New, which will feature all of the stickers from series 8 through 14. It's the perfect gift for anyone who loves sticker collecting, Topps, or sticker cards like Garbage Pail Kids, Weird Wheels, and the granddaddy of them all the Ugly Stickers from the 60s.



2. It is great to see these old memories revived. I remember collecting the first set of Wackies, as a kid, back in the late 60's (that same first set was re-released in 1973). A real blast from the past! So much of the history and culture of my age-group (those born between mid 1954 and the end of 1964) has simply fallen between the cracks. I would like to thank Art Spiegelman for bringing back something of our forgotten generation.



3. This is a great book that is done so well! Wonderful pictures of the sticker categorizes by each set that was issued. I grew up in the Wacky Packages era and remembered and had many of these stickers. It was fun going through them with my kids and pointing out the ones I had and seeing if they could figure out the real add/brand that they were spoofing. Some of the adds were a challenge for even my husband and I to figure out. This is a really well done book and great to have in our library!



4. I'm sure anyone who was in elementary school in 1973 remembers the craze that was Wacky Packages! We brought them to school. We stuck them to the backboards of our beds (and everywhere else!). We traded them amongst our friends (although I needed to trade *two* to a boy at school to get one Hungry Jerk pancake mix to finish my 3rd series).
   
   If any of the above rings true to you, then this book will be a great trip down memory lane!
   
   This book reprints all of the cards from the first seven series of Wacky Packages. Most of them have been printed directly from transparencies made off the original art, so those look fantastic. Others were printed from stickers, so those look like...large stickers. And while they do look OK, you will definitely notice the difference between the sticker-based reprints and the higher-quality transparency-based ones.
   
   The book has more going for it too! The dust jacket has the texture of an old wrapper - and it's complete with "imperfections" printed right on (so it *really* looks like an old wrapper!). Take the dust jacket off and there is a piece of that hard-as-a-brick bubblegum printed on the front cover of the book (and a broken piece on the back cover...!)
   
   You will also find a small packet of four "lost" Wacky Package stickers inside the back cover. Opening this packet will give you the same kind of "I wonder what I got?!" thrill you used to get all those years ago! It's a nice touch.
   
   But, there are a couple of minor things that I wish were done differently...
   
   Originally, many Wacky Packages stickers were designed and printed in a "landscape" configuration. But instead of reproducing them top to bottom (so you'd have to turn the book to better see them), they are printed to fit each page (which is designed for "portrait" configuration). This makes it easier to read each landscape-style card, but it also means that they are reproduced a lot smaller than the ones that were portrait-style to begin with. It might have been better to print them "sideways" as turning the book is preferable to having smaller-sized art. ("Hipton Tea" also looked kind of odd. So after a bit of research, I learned that the book used the Hipton Tea artwork from the WP poster series, not the original 4th series sticker.)
   
   It also would have been nice if the book reprinted checklist cards from each series. The checklist / puzzle-piece cards were just as much as part of the whole Wacky-experience as the rock-hard gum and the stickers. And every pack had one of these cards! Trying to figure out ahead of time which product was being lampooned was a big part of the fun, so I kind of felt the book was lacking just a bit due to this one detail. (I mean, they reproduced everything else - even the gum - so why not the checklist cards..?)
   
   All in all, this book is a treat for anyone who got yelled at by her father for ruining the backboard of her bed with original WP stickers, or anyone else who remembers Skimpy Beanut Putter, Putrid Cat Chow, Land O' Quakes butter, or ...Hungry Jerk pancake mix...!



5. This was a great walk down memory lane. There is a history about how Wacky Packages came about and to see the original ones that I collected as a child, minus the stick of bubblegum, was great.

5 comments about Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide: The Encyclopedia of Coca-Cola Collectibles.

1. OK - so it's been almost ten years since my post on the last edition and a lot has happened to the Coca-Cola collectable marketplace. My ending comments on the market collapsing and the price points being at those of the guides from the 70's has occurred. But that is not all bad, as there has never been a better time for getting in the market as a COLLECTOR and a person that appreciates the heritage and sheer quality of vintage coca-cola memorabilia. A lot of great pieces are surfacing at more affordable prices and hopefully many new people are getting into the hobby. It is a GREAT time to join-in the fun of vintage Coca Cola memorabilia. So jump on in!
   
   Now for my thoughts on Allan's latest book. First off - thanks Allan for re-issuing a new guide and helping to keep the vintage market going. This book continues to be the ONLY book on the subject, and Allan continues with his pattern of putting out the best collectors guide on any subject around. Pictures are high quality and the coverage (though a bit less than prior editions) is still incredible. For a reference guide - this is THE book you want. As a price guide - it is another story.
   
   Unfortunately - Allan's prices continue to be out of sink with the market - so first and foremost don't rely on them at all. If you have a piece to sell - you'll be a bit disappointed if you think you can get anywhere near the prices in the guide. As always the mint and near mint items continue to maintain their value and in some instance can approach Allan's prices but in general even those items tend to be available at 50% - 60% of the prices in the guide. As for the items below near-mint - those can typically be obtained at 20% - 30% of the guide prices. As of January, 2010 - perhaps more than anything the tray market has really suffered. High quality signs seem to have retained their value the most - perhaps since they also have commercial value for restaurants and bars. Some of the best quality and most affordable merchandise can be purchased at Coca Cola collectors auctions where collectors understand the "real" pricing and are in it more for the thrill of the hunt and the history of the item - then trying to turn a fast buck.
   
   As a collector with a lot of early pieces - it is a bit disheartening that the value of my collection has really taken a hit - but the thrill of the hobby has returned as the ability to purchase at prices not seen for 25+ years makes me search even harder for that once-in a lifetime piece and that is what collecting is really about. There are great pieces still out there - so congratulations to those of you that love the hobby for the sake of the hobby - our time has returned! For those who were in it for the investment - rest assured prices will continue to rise again but understand that they probably will never realize those prices of the late-90's. Perhaps the best thing that has happened is that everyone has come to realize that the "new" collector pieces are junk and they've become so plentiful that no one wants them. As for the "quality" reproduction sign garbage available on eBay that is meant to "fool" people into thinking they have vintage pieces - why purchase a knock-off when you get the real thing at the lowest prices seen in years and have a real piece that has value not only for its imagery but for its age and collectablity. Remember there is nothing like the "Real Thing"....
   
   Comments are always welcome so feel free to email me at conapt@hotmail.com



2. This book was purchased for my brother. He is an avid Coca-Cola Collector. He was very impressed with the hardcover book. The picture quality was also very excellent. Any collector would be proud to add this book to their collection.



3. I bought this book as a gift for my son. He tells me this is an awesome guide with so much information. He said it merits a very high recommendation.



4. If it's one big, definitive collector's 'bible' you seek on Coca- Cola collecting, make it the 13th updated edition of the classic Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide. For over three decades it has proven its richness in providing Coca- Cola collectors with definitive details: this latest edition packs in more color photos, the latest prices, and keys to avoiding fakes and reproductions. All types of collectibles are covered, making this a 'must have'.



5. Alan Petretti has done a one up on his last Coca Cola Collectibles Price Guide. Easier to find items, more color pictures and just an overall informative guide. Each guide just gets better and better. These truly are the encyclopedia of Coca Cola collecting.

5 comments about Meet Mr. Product: The Art of the Advertising Character.

1. I have found this collection of advertising characters indispensable as reference. A brief history of the subject matter is included and reads well. The lack of an index is perplexing, and given the occupations of its authors the cover design should have been a little more proficient. Otherwise it is well worth a look or two or three.



2. My wife and I had fun laughing at some of the characters in this book. Apparently there was NOTHING you couldn't make fun of back in the 1950s.
   
   Even if you're not interested in advertising this is still an enjoyable little book, fun to look at while sipping tea on a rainy afternoon. Well worth the money.



3. My brother is a commercial artist and his personal artistic style is kind of "retro". I got this book for him for his birthday because I though he might like to have it around for inspiration just in case he needed some someday. I was right! He loved it. I was surprised at the size of the book. It's kind of small, but it gets it's point across just fine. Being a fan of nostalgia, I wouldn't mind having it for myself.



4. The compilers have done a wonderful job; the layouts are absolutely marvelous, a real pleasure to flip through, great retro colors used, and should be an essential addition to the collection of anyone who enjoys 50s & 60s graphics.



5. Tons of product logos here, with the bulk of them from the 30s to the 70s. These are reproduced very well, and each of them is dated and carries a two-line description of their purpose and company origin. There are a few pages of introductory front matter that summarize the history of product logos, but the meat of the book is taken up by the graphics, with anywhere from one to four logos per page. I didn't know there were so many anthropomorphic logos, among them Mr. Coffee Nerves, Mr. Dee-Lish, Mr. TV Tube, Phillips Screw Man, Johnny-One-Note, Miss My-T-Fine, Miss Fluffy Rice and Mr. Weatherball. Many of them you'll recognize, and some of them you won't, but all of them will delight you.

5 comments about Star Wars Super Collector s Wishbook 5th Edition (Star Wars Super Collector's Wish Book).

1. Now in a newly updated fifth edition, Star Wars Super Collector's Wish Book is a guide to all sorts of Star Wars collectibles and memorabilia. Featuring over 10,000 color photographs, Star Wars Super Collector's Wish Book is primarily an identification and price guide (little more than a name, price, and often a photograph is present for each listing), enhanced with a handful of brief and intriguing articles about Star Wars collecting, such as "How to Go On, Now that the Movies Are Done?", "Star Wars Intangible Collectibles", and more. A "must-have" for Star Wars collection enthusiasts, and a superb resource for hobby dealers.



2. I bought this book awhile ago and also bought "Tomart's Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles" by Steve Sansweet. I found the super collectors wish book to be the better of the two. Far better. This book is easy to read, up to date and has sections that are in colour. The Sansweet book is none of that. This is the better of the two books to spend your hard earned republic credits on. I hope this reveiw was helpful.



3. I own the other wish books by G. Carlton. I find them to be really helpful, informative and I love the pictures he has for reference too. Great job! Anyone collecting Star Wars should own a copy of this book.



4. Values for both common Star Wars items and rare collectibles are presented under one cover in the weighty 4th updated edition of Star Wars Super Collector's Wish Book, a reference packed with some 900 categories of merchandise from around the world. From guitar straps and gum holders to pins and memorabilia, over 16,000 color photos - many small, but big enough to easily help in identification - pack this reference. Any library catering to Star Wars fans in particular will find it a popular pick.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



5. This publication just goes from strength to strength.
   A true must for any collector, serious or beginner alike.
   
   Filled with great pictures & loads of information as a resource book you just can't fault this item. Doesn't matter if you collect action figures, cloth badges, books, posters...whatever...this book has the lot.
   
   If you are only going to do yourself one favour this year, make sure you buy yourself a copy of this book.
   
   OUTSTANDING STUFF.

4 comments about The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave.

1. This is the perfect gift or self indulgence for any Batman fan. No matter which version of the Caped Crusader is your favorite (past, present or future!), it's covered in this massive volume loaded with fun extras (some replicated from the ones I foolishly lost from my own childhood! Great nostalgia for me...). Encyclopedic and handsomely produced, my only gripe is that the spiral binding makes page-turning a delicate operation if you're as fanatical as I am with preserving a special book's pristine condition.
   
   Done with great care and respect for its subject matter, this is a great addition to any comic lover's collection and a bargain, especially at the sale price.



2. //The Batman Vault// touts itself as a museum-in-a-book, and it is just that: at once a primer on the character, a retrospective on his history in pop culture, and an impressive assemblage of timeless images, stories, and reproductions of collectibles.
   
   Chronicling the creation of the Dark Knight, his journey through comics, television, films and other media, it is a celebration of everything Batman. With almost eighty years of stories to cover, it is hardly all-encompassing, but the authors do an admirable job picking and choosing what to include while giving tantalizing glimpses into the much-larger (and often, more convoluted) world of the Caped Crusader.
   
   Brief but detailed profiles highlight many key characters, including Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, the various Robins, the Joker, and other villainous members of his Rogue's Gallery, but the collectibles are what put this collection over the top.
   
   How-to books, promotional images, coloring book pages, paper toys, a fold-out poster of the Batcave, and even a replica playbill featuring a first sketch of Robin the Boy Wonder, these inserts are links to the past and terrific little additions to stir the spirit of the fanboy in all of us.
   
   Museum-in-a-book? Yeah, I'll buy that.
   
   Reviewed by Glenn Dallas



3. The Batman Vault is the latest in these "Museums in Books" series that both DC, Marvel, and various other studios such as Hanna-Barbara have embraced. They include reproductions of supposedly "lost," or rarely seen items that many fans may have missed coming across over the years.
   
   2009's entry is DC's flagship character -- The Batman. One presumes that next year's will be Superman, but moving on, Robert Greenberger has done an excellent job in researching the DarkKnight Detective's many, many products which have entertained both kids and adults in his sixty year history.
   
   Standouts include the previously unseen Sheldon Mayer (who previously wrote kid's comics Sugar and Spike)booklet "How to Draw Batman," which must have raised quite a few eyebrows in the seventies when the writers and editors were trying to make Batman more dark and gritty.
   
   This eighteen page story is a highlight and should be required reading for all Bat-writers.
   
   Other rarely seen illustrations include: Bob Kane's Christmas cards featuring the Bat-family, the 1960 Bat-family portrait done for that year's Bat-Annual, the Bruce Timm early design for Catwoman that was scrapped during production, a sixties Batman record cover.
   
   While I give kukos for these items, I really wish Mr. Greenburger could have included some more photos of the sixties Bat-toys, which are now commanding thousands of dollars on ebay. For example, the Ideal Batman Utility Belt had some great box art, maybe some more of Joe Gielisa's newspaper strips from the late sixties. Maybe even a CD of some of Bat children's records or one of the appearances of Batman on the 40's Superman radio program.
   
   I even seem to recall some Bat postcards that were called "Bat-o-Grams" that featured sixties art that I picked up at a Custer, SD store.
   
   Again. A nice collection and should provide hours of entertainment, but me being the nit picker that I am would have liked a bit more.
   
   JThree
   carolyn@dia.net
   Williston, ND



4. 
   How do you examine the Batman mythos in less than a thousand pages effectively?
   
   Robert Greenberger and Matthew K Manning have taken a look at the Dark Knight from his 'creation'/evolution to the present day complex incarnation. To say that Bob Kane 'created' the Batman, would be a quick lie. Batman is the result of years of influences from the Black Bat (pulp magazine), Mary Reinhart (novel), Lew Merril, the Shadow, and many others. In Detective Comics #27, he first appeared, and overshadowed all of his influences.
   
   The Museum includes chapters on
   
   The Coming of the Caped Crusader
   Bruce Wayne and His Family
   Batcave and Gear
   Robin
   Gotham
   Women of the Knight
   the Allies
   Batman Beyond
   Essential Reading
   
   Each covers complex matters with different storylines in a compelling manner. The graphics have been chosen with care. For instance, the Dick Sprang inside piece is stunning! Scans of existing original art rocks. The promotional items included in the plastic pockets are cool too. The neatest item is the signed Jewish Theatre playbill.
   
   The book is heavy in 'newer' graphics (post 1980) and that is a weakness. There are many artists that I do not see represented that should be, and identification of many of them is not done. For instance, the Batman A to z Book, (pocket) was done by Tom Gill. This is not marked. Page 14 features a tryout by an unidentified artist, if I were a betting man, I would say it is Jack Sparling or Tom Gill again.
   
   That aside, I enjoyed the book and our journey through history. I do understand the difficulty in choosing what to include, and the limitations of space.
   
   With that, I highly recommend this book and await the opening of a DC Museum that has ongoing displays of artifacts, art, and rare items for those so inclined.
   
   Tim Lasiuta