With opinions on over 2500 titles, everyone will find something to disagree with in this comprehensive volume. With standard superheroes such as Superman, Spawn and Captain America, you'll find American teen-soap's like Archie Western adventures, (Rawhide Kid etc.), detectives, (Gang Busters etc.), adult, (Watchmen etc.), romance, underground, (Freak, Brothers etc.), erotic, right through to the contemporary independents such as Strangehaven and Strangers In Paradise. As well as the American/British comics it also covers some European and Japanese titles that have been translated into English.

     That it leaves out some important titles, (The Eagle for instance), and when it comes to 2000 A.D., it is only the reprints, not the original, is very annoying, but then it is aiming to cover as many publications as possible. The Superman entry covers 31 pages, and then there are separate entries for Adventures of Superman, Superman Adventures, Superman Family, Superboy, Supergirl, etc. Reading through I discovered a title that I didn't know existed, (Lux and Alby Sign On and Save the Universe written by the brilliant Martin Millar), which I'm now having to hunt down. Cross-referencing via the index also leads to unexpected facts, e.g. Brit Mike Butterworth wrote Vampirella stories as Flaxman Loew.

     If you are a fan of the comic medium, this is an interesting book that, if nothing else, will get your critical juices flowing as you disagree about your favourite titles. Plus PSFC associate Niall Gordon, gets a mention in the acknowledgements.

Reviewed by Cardinal Cox.