75 Years of DC Comics. The Art of Modern Mythmaking

Over the past several decades, my bookshelf has filled up with publications that cover the long history of the Comic Book and the big two publishers. This newest tribute to the history of DC Comics, '75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking', quite literally, crushes them all. It will also crush your lap and test your strength if you try to hold it up to read it! This tomb is MASSIVE! Nearly sixteen inches tall, 12 inches wide, 3 inches thick and weighs a metric ton! Well, perhaps not quite that much but it will feel like it after holding it for a short period of time! The hardcover comes shrink-wrapped in a sturdy cardboard slipcase, matching the artwork on the wraparound cover. The box even conveniently comes with a side handle. Although you will need both hands to carry this monster around. Yes, this is a very pricey book. As one who has a collection of like publications, I can assure you this book is worth every penny. Inside, the rarity of images and artwork along with the high production values, the quality of the print and page stock is well above the norm. For example, for each era of comic history (The Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, etc), that chapter begins with a two page spread highlighting the name of the era with thick, high gloss, corresponding color foil pages. Each era also includes a four page, pull-open timeline highlighting key events in both the fictional DC Comic universe and the real world of the comic book industry. The author, Paul Levitz, a man who has spent his entire adult life working for the company, first as a young freelance writer in the 1970s, then later as publisher until 2010, was the right choice to chronicle this retrospective. If he had not seen it all, he certainly heard it all. I really enjoy how the text, the ongoing historical telling throughout the book is laid out for the reader...a grand intro for each era then as one or two paragraph antidotes accompanying the images or photos. For example, here's a cover of a very significant Green Lantern issue in the 1970s and why it is so considered, while next to it will be a short bio and tribute to a particular creator who worked on said issue. In fact, the creator tributes in this book are part of the true joys of reading through DC's history. That list is long and deep and for once a book of this kind goes to great lengths to credit more than just the typical top 20 or so names from the company's storied past. Beyond the names most adult fans of the genre already know about (The Bob Kanes, Jack Kirbys and Carmine Infantinoes) we find tributes to writers and artists less well known but just as important to the success of DC Comics and the Comic Book industry in general over the decades (Will Eisner, Sheldon Mayer, Jack Cole, Mort Weisinger, Curt Swan, Wally Wood, Gil Kane, Bernie Wrightson, Alex Toth), including many of the modern era's top talent (Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Mike Grell, Frank Miller, Bruce Timm, Alex Ross, Darwyn Cooke, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns) . The list of reference is long! Running the business of DC Comics over the decades covers territory far beyond the comic book itself. Inside you will also find just as many rare images and stories about DC characters in TV, film, animation, toys and games, parades, commercials, stage productions and many other forms of marketing in the past 75 years. This hardcover clearly cost a pretty penny to produce and import. As a tip for any fan on the fence about pulling the trigger on this big purchase...I would not bet this edition will be available for a any significant amount of time. Once it is sold out, it is very likely to become a collectible prize and rise in value. Amazon's introductory price is a bargain. In fact I would say Amazon is losing money on the shipping cost of this book alone. Yep, highly recommended, but you will need to get creative on finding shelf space for this thing! I will add personal photos of the book to help give a better look at its inner awesomeness.

I did not know this book existed until I came across it in a hotel boutique shop in Honolulu had one on display. I immediately checked Amazon and saw the $200 book was heavily discounted at Amazon, I immediately ordered a copy. The book won me on two factors. The first is the subject. I have been a long time comic fan, being one of the first so called "comic collectors" in the 1960's when I lived in Chicago. I had a very impressive Silver Age collection before I sold it to a dealer in New York. This book recounts many many books that I had owned and brought back many fine memories of those years. Although this is really a graphical history more than a rhetorical history, the copy that is provided is extremely accurate and informative. The book also includes brief biographies of many of the key DC players. Although I have often regretted selling my collection, this book is a very worthwhile replacement as it contains enough material, old and new, that fulfills my nostalgia urges. I would rather peruse this 700 page, 15 pound slab over an entire collection any day. The second factor is that I am a professional print buyer by trade. That means I can confirm that Taschen did not cut any corners in the production of this work. The body paper stock is cover weight to avoid any bleed through with a smooth matte finish. Many of the images were reproduced from published books which were famous for showing through cue to the low quality of the newsprint. The reproductions are so accurate that you can actually see the show through of the original comic. This is actually a good thing. The layout is extremely clean and just about every printing special effect was utilized in dividing the Ages. If you are interested in learning more about the colorful DC history in an impressive book that merits its own bookstand, this book is a must have. Kudos to DC and Taschen.

ecco una breve recensione del libro(ne) "75 years of dc comics: the art of the modern mythmaking" Confezione: Scatola esterna di cartone di pregevole fattura e bellezza. Sul fronte troviamo l'immagine di Superman che viene dipinto su un muro da due persone. sui fianchi i personaggi più conosciuti dell'universo DC come Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, ecc... Sul retro un'immmagine "vintage" raffigurante Batman, presa da Detective Comics n°31. Libro: Sul libro in se c'è ben poco da dire... è assolutamente magnifico !!! Più di 700 pagine, a colori, di una qualità superba. Ogni "era" (come la golden age,silver,ecc...) è rappresentata da un disegno che occupa due facciate ed ha un effetto lucido ! Immagini: Di qualità superlativa ! Per darvi un idea di quanto grandi siano, dovreste usare almeno 4 custodie per dvd circa (2 sopra e 2 sotto) per occupare una facciata ! Delle chicche vere e proprie le immagini di detective comics n°27 e di action comics n°1 !!! Commento finale: Questo librone è un must-have per ogni appassionato di fumetti !!! Un pezzo da collezione unico, per contenuti e qualità, che farà la gioia di noi collezionisti. Compratelo subito !!! Voto finale: 10 su 10 Attendiamo il centenario,cara DC Comics, nella speranza di trovare altrettanti contenuti assolutamente fantastici :D Mi hai accompagnato nella mia infanzia, e lo stai facendo tutt'ora ! Grazie di tutto !

This is a very big book. It took me 8 years to finish reading it, but totally worth it. This item provides an amazing history of the company that created/published our favourite DC characters. Photos and artwork is also amazing.

A ma connaissance, ce livre est le plus beau, le plus exhaustif jamais paru concernant les comics. Il se limite à l'univers DC ce qui est déjà énorme et le nombre d'images (rares) est phénoménal. Ce pavé, auquel tout éditeur de comics devra désormais se mesurer est indispensable aux collectionneurs et à celui qui s'intéresse à l'histoire des comics. S'il vous parait cher, ce Gulliver est en fait très bon marché eu égard à son contenu prodigieux. Pour l'instant (sauf réplique de Marvel), l'éditeur a produit un ouvrage inégalé. Chapeau bas.

This is not a book to carry around to read at odd moments. This is not a book to carry anywhere if you can avoid it - it weighs around seven kilograms (just checked it on the bathroom scales). Fortunately it comes in its own carrying case, which is itself the size of the average briefcase! The book itself is beautiful, a fitting tribute to seventy-five years of DC's output. The text is divided into six chapters: pre-1938 (referred to as 'The Stone Age') plus the Golden, Silver, Bronze, Dark and Modern Ages. A nice touch is that each chapter is introduced by a two-page spread in metallic-effect paper of the appropriate colour. The other pages are on high-quality cartridge paper, which is why the book is so bulky. This brings out the gorgeous illustrations to their best effect - old covers and panels from stories, both classic and obscure, are reproduced, many larger than the originals so all the detail can be seen. In addition, there are numerous extracts from the records kept by the late, great Julius Schwartz - another long-time editor at DC - showing what was going on behind the scenes in the creation of the classic stories. The text is by Paul Levitz, who has been with DC for over thirty-five years, as writer, editor and (from 2002 to 2009) president, so he knows the company inside-out and it shows here. Also - the foldouts. Each chapter has one or more four-page foldouts showing the timeline of the period in question, chronicling events both within the company and in the outside world, showing how events influenced what appeared in the comics. All in all, this is a book that will be of interest to anybody who loves comics. It's pricey, yes, but the quality cannot be faulted and as you leaf through its 700-odd pages you will be satisfied it's worth the money.

En cuanto al producto he de decir que es una edición de coleccionista imprescindible para todos los amantes del cómic. Sobre el envío del distribuidor añado en que me llegó en mal estado desde almacén a pesar de lo bien protegido que venia, al tratarse de un regalo decidí sustituirlo por otro... que también me llegó mal, aunque no tanto como el primero. Tened en cuenta el distribuidor antes de realizar la compra, pues este tipo de libros es para que estén en perfecto estado.