The Silver Age wastes little space on text—Schumer allows the artwork to do the speaking through enormous images enhanced by the artists’ anecdotes and by his own commentary, mostly conveyed in a comic-book lettering font. An increasing number of books published within the past few years have verbally touted the impact of comics luminaries, but Schumer’s The Silver Age shoves it right into your face, big and bold, with its celebration of the giants of an era who cornered the market on excitement. (A deluxe hardcover edition, with 16 extra pages, is available for $49.95.) Measuring 7" x 7", Mike Conroy’s 500 Great Comic Book Action Heroes is as small as The Silver Age is large, but it’s certainly not short on content. Journalist Conroy is the founder of the comics industry’s coveted Eagle Award, and is the news editor © 2004 DC Co mics.
of the U.K. trade periodical Comics International. In 500 Great Comic Book Action Heroes, his research of the history of the comics industry, its trends, and its social ramifications is impeccable. But this is no plodding scholarly treatise: 500 Great Comic Book Action Heroes is abundantly illustrated, with hundreds of cover reproductions and additional artwork, and succinct dossiers of 500 influential characters. Conroy’s survey cov-
© 2004 Conan Properties International, LLC.
ers the gamut from iconic staples (Superman, Batman, Hulk, Spider-Man) to esoteric heroes (John Constantine, Asskickers of the Fantastic, Bat Lash, Grimjack). 500 Great Comic Book Action Heroes benefits from its author’s British heritage: The book discards the myopic blinders worn by most American publications and explores comics as a global medium, including heroes like Astro Boy, Judge Dredd, Marshal Law, and Blueberry into its eclectic, fascinating mix. The Barron’s edition of 500 Great Comic Book Action Heroes is an American reissue of Conroy’s book, which was originally published in the U.K. in 2002. Last fall, while in the office of Dark Horse Comics editor Diana Schutz, I asked Di about which of her upcoming projects she was most excited. With an ear-to-ear grin she placed a ream of illustration paper into my lap. These were original sketches by the legendary Will Eisner, penciled roughs of everything from Spirit magazine covers to Eisner’s graphic novels ranging from A Contract with God (1978) to Minor Miracles (2000). Examining these drafts was a rare treat, but after gingerly handling many of the pages I got a bit nervous—after all, this was comics history in my hands! This history has been collected into The Will Eisner Sketchbook, a 9" x 12" showcase of Eisner’s magnificent rough stuff. Edited by Schutz, the ner. © 2004 Will Eis
Eisner Sketchbook is printed on 100 lb. archival-quality paper. The paper stock is
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similar in weight to the Bristol board used by most comics pencilers, and Dark Horse’s stellar reproduction values makes the graphite look so real, you think you
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