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A fitting end to the Warlord Chronicles
Arthur on the dark side III
Excalibur
best book
unbeilvable book!!,

Excalibur (The Arthur Books #3)
Bernard Cornwell
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Enemy of God (The Arthur Books #2)
The Winter King (The Arthur Books #1)
The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Chronicles Series #2)
Lords of the North (The Saxon Chronicles Series #3)
Heretic (The Grail Quest #3)

ASIN: 0312206488

Amazon.com

The third novel in the Warlords Chronicle, Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur immerses the reader in the Britain of the Dark Ages. Merlin, the greatest of the Druids, believes that the ancient gods are deserting Britain, and that the invading Saxons can't be defeated without the gods' help. Mordred reigns with a brutal hand, and Arthur sees his dreams of peace evaporate. The author provides exciting descriptions of swordplay and battles, interspersed with somewhat gruesome depictions of ordinary life in those days--greasy, waist-length beards serving as napkins, lambs bloodily sacrificed before festivals, and rampant lice.

But at the heart of Excalibur--what makes the Arthurian legends eternally fascinating--is the larger-than-life company of heroes, from Sagramor the warrior to Taliesin the bard, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arturus Rex himself. Cornwell treats them all with warmth and dignity, revealing their human qualities without unnecessarily reinventing them. This three-part saga of magic and bloodshed will grip readers from the first page of The Winter King, through Enemy of God, to the last page of Excalibur. --Blaise Selby

Book Description

In The Winter King and Enemy of God Bernard Cornwell demonstrated his astonishing ability to make the oft-told legend of King Arthur fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final volume of The Warlord Chronicles, Cornwell tells the unforgettable tale of Arthur's final struggles against the Saxons and his last attempts to triumph over a ruined marriage and ravaged dreams.

This is the tale not only of a broken love remade, but also of forces both earthly and unearthly that threaten everything Arthur stands for. Peopled by princesses and bards, by warriors and magicians, Excalibur is the story of love, war, loyalty, and betrayal-the work of a magnificent storyteller at the height of his powers.

Customer Reviews:

A fitting end to the Warlord Chronicles.......2007-04-05

In the third and final episode of his Warlord Chronicles Cornwell wraps up all the loose ends, like what happened to Derfel's hand. He also returns to the more traditional telling to find his ending for the Arthur story. I found the ending of the Arthur portion of the tale very satisfying but was a little disappointed in the ending the Cornwell wrote for Derfel. In the end Derfel is a warrior again which is the way I am sure my friend would have wanted it but I really wanted Derfel to have one last glorious triumph to end his tale. I guess that would have been impossible as Derfel is the author of the story, life is inexorable. All in all a great ending to a wonderful and much more believable and satisfying retelling of the Arthurian legend. P.S. If you are looking for the Holy Grail, check out the "Archer's Tale" another great series by Cornwell.

Arthur on the dark side III.......2007-01-09

Just like the 2 previous books of this trilogy it was hard to put down. It's one of those books you wish would never end, or that there was at least one more.

Excalibur.......2006-08-14

Excalibur was a great ending to a fantastic series. I thouroughly enjoyed all three books in The Warlord Chronicles, and I would recommend Excalibur to anyone who enjoyed Winter King and Enemy of God.

best book.......2006-04-20

The book Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell is an amazing story. Excalibur is a book that describes the epic that is the war of a noble kingdom. Unlike most of the other books that talk about Excalibur and the adventures of King Arthur this book revolves around one of Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, Derfel. Derfel was a lord of war and law. He controlled one of the armies that were under the rule of Arthur. The setting of this story is in the island of Great Briton. King Arthur and his allies control of half of the island. The other half of the island is controlled by the barbaric Saxons that invaded over 100 years ago. I wouldn't recommend this book to people that don't like war and gore. Though to every one else I strongly recommend this book. This book talks about gods and war. The war is described in amazingly thrilling detail that will absolutely exhilarate your very senses. I would give this book a rating of 110 out of 100.

unbeilvable book!!, .......2006-03-31

I love this triogy it is much more beilvable than any arthur movie that I have seen. I dont know about other books this is the only arthur book that ive read but I cant see how any other book can get any better than The Warlord Chronicles. the only down side of these books is each chapter was at least 40pages long a little to long for my taste but still great.

New Excalibur Volume 2: Last Days Of Camelot TPB (New Excalibur)

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Dazzler's death explained? Not here.

New Excalibur Volume 2: Last Days Of Camelot TPB (New Excalibur)
Frank Tieri , Chris Claremont , and Michael Ryan
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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New Excalibur Volume 1: Defenders Of The Realm TPB (New Excalibur)
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New X-Men: Childhood's End, Vol. 4

ASIN: 0785122214

Book Description

Dazzler died, but for some reason, it didn't stick. How is that possible? Dazzler and her new teammates attempt to find out what happened, and the answer will shock you! Then, New Excalibur is alerted that a de-powered mutant has been returned home to England. Learn the secret history of Chamber - but can the team find out the truth before he's killed?! Also, King Arthur's mighty kingdom lies in ruins! Death is everywhere. The Black Knight guest-stars in a time-traveling tale for the ages! Collects New Excalibur #8-15.

Customer Reviews:

Dazzler's death explained? Not here........2007-06-23

New Excalibur Vol 2 is simply a hoot.

Realizing that the title has little going for it to begin with, Marvel fudges the solicit for this trade by playing the nostalgia card: Dazzler nostalgia. It's quite an omen when your publisher has to play to the interest of Dazzler fans -- whose star character hasn't really been a big player since 1984 -- to sell copies. But would any fan of Marvel's dynamic diva care about this Dazzler-in-name-only? Highly unlikely.

But 1984 is exactly where Claremont would like us to be with these stories. They don't tread new water, they instead force the reader to ingest backwash. Decades old backwash.

While this trade is slightly better than the first, New Excalibur still lacks any sense of purpose or cohesion. While title creator and primary author Chris Claremont had to leave the book due to medical illness halfway through this trade, the remainder of the title -- picked up by Frank Tieri of WEAPON-X -- does little to advance anything at all.

Chris Yost, providing dialogue for Chris Claremont's haphazard stories, makes them near readable, but the story isn't there. Interested about reading about how omnipotently evil the Shadow King is? You may love it. Tired of plot holes and inconsistencies within an author's so-far-NINE-issue run? Avoid at all costs.

In the beginning of New Excalibur, the doppleganger X-Men (or Dark X-Men) wanted one of NEX's own: Nocturne. Now, Claremont does a 180 with the Dark X-Men, lackeys of the Shadow King, wanting X-Men veteran Psylocke. Where does this come from? Where is it going? Claremont doesn't care to wrap up loose ends for the reader, instead deciding that "Father Knows Best." It all descends into pure inanity.

Then, fill-in writer Tieri grinds to a halt so as not to thwart Chris Claremont's vision, such as it is. Dazzler's "deaths" are NOT explained -- they aren't even referenced. But it's not just Dazzler that gets bylined: the issues focus more on guest-stars and settings (Chamber, The Black Knight, Camelot) rather than our core team. And the team desperately needs SOME characterization outside of "Juggernaut loves Dazzler." Nocturne? Pete Wisdom? Sage? Would someone show one hint of actual character, please?

I'd give the trade a 1.5 stars for the fanciful and satisfying Camelot arc by Frank Tieri. Nothing deep or inspiring, but at least it isn't mired with Warwolves, Shadow King, and other excess Claremontian gobledygook. But as the characters are still imitations of their former selves, acting as placeholders, the trade does not hold as a work. The characters do not drive the story; the story instead drives itself with the characters being largely interchangeable outside of their predefined roles.

Don't waste your money.

Excalibur Classic, Vol. 3: Cross Time Caper, Book 1 (X-Men)

Average customer rating:

Giving Claremont a second look, for lack of anything better to do

Excalibur Classic, Vol. 3: Cross Time Caper, Book 1 (X-Men)
Chris Claremont , Alan Davis , Dennis Jensen , Rick Leonardi , and Ron Lim
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785122028

Book Description

England's premier super-team takes their show on the road as their interdimensional odyssey begins, leaving their earthly enemies to the tenacious Technet! Plus: From the pages of Captain Britain's original series, see Jamie Braddock at the beginning of his reality-wrecking career! Guest-starring nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe - or very unreasonable facsimiles thereof! Magic, manga and more await within! Collects Excalibur #12-20.

Customer Reviews:

Giving Claremont a second look, for lack of anything better to do.......2007-02-25

For a brief period in the very late `80s - early `90s, I gave up on comics, and Chris Claremont was one of the reasons. I couldn't come to grips with the fact that my one-time favorite writer - god-like scribe of Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men - had sunk to such rambling plots, overwritten dialogue, and insipid humor. I hesitantly hopped on board with Excalibur from the start, and I could already see the cracks. No matter how much I liked Captain Britain, or how much I loved Alan Davis' beautiful artwork, I just couldn't take it anymore. So almost 20 years later, Marvel is reprinting the series in color, and my growing need for anything involving Alan Davis pulls me back in for another try at this dreaded Claremont series. EXCALIBUR CLASSIC VOLUME 3: THE CROSS-TIME CAPER BOOK 1 collects Excalibur #12 - 20, the first part of the team's interdimensional odyssey, where they visit a number of alternate Earths for all kinds of crazy pointless adventures. To this day, it seems as if Claremont relied on this device because he was looking for an easy way to crank out plots, but it's not quite as bad this time around... likely because comics in general have become so much worse since then. There are appearances by the Technet, Jamie Braddock, and a truly twisted version of the Marvel Universe that was actually the best story in the book.

Unfortunately, Davis doesn't provide the pencils for all Cross-Time Caper episodes, and the trade ends with an unwelcome oddity: a flashback which is made to look like a huge battle between Phoenix and Captain Britain, but is really quite pointless. When I originally read the Excalibur series, I had quit by about the middle of this collection. Rereading it doesn't give me much hope for the rest of the story, but we'll see. This time I'll at least complete the story - enjoying it is a different matter.

Average customer rating:

Finally, a conclusion.
STNF #11 Excalibur Restoration - A true gem of a story!
The mystery is almost solved
Change of pace for Calhoun
An appropriately-titled adventure.

Excalibur : Book 3: Restoration
Peter David
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0743506758

Book Description

The Excalibur has been destroyed, the victim of insidious sabotage. Last seen on board only moments before it was blown to bits, Captain Mackenzie Calhoun was assumed lost with his ship. Now First Officer Elizabeth Shelby has been granted a command of her own, the U.S.S. Exeter, where she will discover exactly what kind of a captain she is meant to become.

But what about Calhoun? Unbeknownst to Starfleet, the resourceful Xenexian officer escaped the cataclysmic demise of the Excalibur, only to end up marooned on the primitive outback world of Yakaba. There he eventually befriends Rheela, a woman with the strange and inexplicable ability to summon min for her parched and struggling frontier community.

Rheela's powers however, have made her the target of jealous and avaricious enemies. They will stop at nothing to seize control of her special gifts -- or destroy them forever. Trapped on a hostile world, unable to contact Starfleet or even let Shelby and the others know he is still alive. Calhoun is drawn into a life-or-death struggle against relentless foes.

Full of unexpected mists and surprises, Restoration is a major turning point in the ongoing saga of Star Trek®: New Frontier®.

Download Description

"He died heroically. All of us should only be so fortunate as to have that opportunity", said MacKenzie Calhoun, five minutes before the Excalibur blew up. Thus ended Dark Allies, the eighth book in Peter David's stunning New Frontier saga. The popular Captain Calhoun has been presumed dead. Until now. In this pulse-pounding conclusion to the bestselling Excalibur trilogy, it becomes apparent that Calhoun did manage to escape his ship's cataclysmic demise -- if only to end up marooned on the primitive outback world of Yakaba. Here, he befriends Shula, a woman with the strange and inexplicable ability to summon rain for her parched and struggling frontier community. Shula's powers, however, have made her the target of jealous foes who will stop at nothing to seize control of her telekinetic gifts -- or destroy them forever. Stranded on this hostile planet, Calhoun is drawn helplessly into a life-or-death struggle against a sinister band of enemies. Meanwhile, in his absence, former First Officer Shelby is struggling valiantly with the challenges of her first command on the U.S.S. Exeter. Packed with mystery, action, fascinating Star Trek lore, and high-stakes danger, this thrilling culmination to the unforgettable Excalibur trilogy brings the excitement of Star Trek fiction to unprecedented new heights.

Customer Reviews:

Finally, a conclusion........2005-02-27

Peter David writes extraordinarily well, and the characters in this series are quite enjoyable. But his tendancy to have all books in the series end on cliffhangers has been annoying from the very beginning of this series; this book, while it actually has an ending for a change, outdoes even his usual style in that the cliffhanger ending from the previous book isn't even ADDRESSED until 284 pages into this one, and then the tale is told retrospectively. If you don't dislike the classic movie serial storylines that have neither beginning nor ending to call their own, you'll doubtless enjoy this book. If, like me, you believe that a novel may have carryover subplots, but that the main plot should begin and end in the same book, you will find that aspect of this book to be a major distraction from a very good storyline.

STNF #11 Excalibur Restoration - A true gem of a story!.......2003-11-20

Overall, I'd say that Peter David set this trilogy up perfectly, with the first two books covering the crew and everything they went through after the destruction of Excalibur and this last, exceptionally outstanding novel "Restoration," covering mostly Shelby and her command of Exeter and what happened to Captain Calhoun.

The one thing I never truly expected in the New Frontier series was a western which is exactly what you get in Captain Calhoun's story and it is written very well, reminding one of days gone by reading Louis L'Amour classics. Shelby's story is just as interesting as you see her going through some angst during her first command.

As is usual with Peter David's writing, "Restoration" is another fine example of some the best writing in the Star Trek universe from one of Star Trek's finest authors. You'll find that this novel is a quick read given the high level of intrigue, humor and overall feel of the novel.

The cover art is among the best in the New Frontier series. What's most interesting about this novel, both in the hardback and paperback versions is the Star Trek New Frontier Minipedia which covers all of the significant and not so significant people, places, and events from the very first New Frontier novel to "Restoration."

The premise:

During the first two books of this series we were lead to believe that Captain Calhoun sacrificed himself in an incredible attempt to get everybody off of Excalibur as it was in the middle of a warp core breach. What would the New Frontier series be without its brazen captain though and we soon find out what happened.

Captain Mackenzie Calhoun finds himself stranded on a pre warp planet and no way to communicate with Starfleet and in the middle of great "western" style story. He soon finds himself living with Rheela who has a very special gift and her son Moke.

Captain Elizabeth Shelby is now in command of Exeter and on a mission to invite a new planet into the United Federation of Planets but they soon find that this may not be as easy as it was originally thought it would be.

Here's where Peter David's superior talents as an author strike you, when he ties in the first two novels and ties in this trilogy with another series of Star Trek novels and throughout this series he brings in some great "guest" characters.

Not only do I highly recommend this New Frontier Excalibur trilogy but I highly recommend the entire Star Trek New Frontier series. You will be hard pressed to find such fresh, innovative, intriguing and humorous stories within the other series. {ssintrepid}

The mystery is almost solved.......2002-04-30

This novel is clearly the finale of the Excalibur trilogy, so I started it with the hope of finally learning what happened to Calhoun. Did he really survive the explosion as one could surmise after Peter David's subtle hints and his refusal to go into details about the events shortly before the disaster? Well, if you want to know the same thing you won't be disappointed. The veil of mystery is lifted in "Restoration" as we do indeed learn that Calhoun is one of those Star Trek captains that manage to survive against impossible odds (and be honest: How could New Frontier continue without this extraordinary man who is so much more than just a captain?). The book is (as the previous two have also been) split into a couple of parallel stories. There's Calhoun, marooned on an unknown planet, quickly getting involved in the almost medieval actions of the indigenous populace against a woman with a curious gift... The second story focuses on Captain (!) Shelby, newly assigned to the starhip Exeter who struggles to feel comfortable in the role fate has cast her and to come to terms with the loss of Calhoun...
I won't say more about the contents here, you have to read for yourselves. I still don't feel at ease with his splitting of stories, though. Possibly designed to keep the suspense I still find it faintly annoying to be always yanked out of one story to be thrust into the next one - and back again. It just disrupts the flow one can get so quickly into - anyway, the language itself is fluent as usual, the events lead so smoothly into one another, that each chapter is a pure pleasure to read.
To put it in a nutshell: I loved the book. I hated the ending (that's why there are only four stars). Let me just say that I do enjoy happy endings - they simply have to be plausible. This one, sadly, is not. Too swift, too nice - in my opinion, not the way that Calhoun would act, even considering all that happened on that planet, and especially his resolutions concerning Shelby. It just didn't feel right.
Nevertheless, this one is worth a read!

Change of pace for Calhoun.......2002-04-09

Peter David's final installment with the former crew of the USS Excalibur as existing without one another. Finally we find out what happens to Mac. His path leads him to a desolate world that seems inescapable. Shelby is moving forward but keeps looking back. Not one of the better STNF novels. David has created a very dynamic starship captain that is reminiscent of Kirk in style and attitude. Something sorely missed in the next gen ST universe. However, he slows down Mac's character development by putting him on a backwater planet. Mr. David's dialogue among the characters is witty as usual which makes up for the lack of excitement in the novel. Still, it's worth reading if you're a NF fan.

An appropriately-titled adventure........2002-01-27

Feels like I've been all over the map with my reading of the New Frontier novels. I went through the first ten paperbacks like gangbusters a number of years ago, and then lost interest when this particular installation came out in hardback (another evil marketing ploy). I read Calhoun's "Captain's Table" and "Gateways" stories, plus six or seven (or eight or nine) other Trek novels till I came across this in the library and decided "what the heck?"

"What the heck," indeed! Do I need to tell you who is "restored?" I don't think so. But I *can* tell you the way he goes about it is certainly in keeping with the purple-eyed Mackenzie Calhoun we've all come to know and love. Instead of *dying* in the explosion of the Excalibur, Calhoun instead miraculously survives his shuttle's nasty crash-landing and *lives* on an arid back-alley planet called Yakaba, taking up with a rainmaker and her young son in his effort to find a way *off* said planet.

He accomplishes this in a big way, and in the end finds himself with another boy to call his son. And there are plenty of hints for the future that this boy, Moke, ain't no one to trifle with any more than is Calhoun himself.

Meanwhile, Calhoun's former first officer, Elizabeth Paula Shelby, is busy with problems of her own as captain of the Exeter. These problems include, but are not limited to, dealing with a first officer with an all-too-familiar attitude about the rules and regs of Starfleet, grieving for Mac and what could have been, and trying to come up with a way to "Calhoun" a potential Federation member into doing the right thing. At times, she barely recognizes herself.

Book Description

The British mutant team's earliest incarnation is still trying to find its feet, only to fall headfirst into the Inferno! Meanwhile, Mojo's first batch of X-Babies escape to Earth, but Excalibur has much worse doppelgangers to deal with before the Cross Time Caper commences! Guest-starring the New Mutants! Featuring dinosaurs, demons, rock stars and royalty! Collects Excalibur #6-11 & Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem

Customer Reviews:

Developing chracters.......2007-05-17

This volume collects Excalibur (v.1) # 6-11 and Mojo Mayhem. All are written by Chris Claremont, and the artwork is by pencillers Alan Davis, Arthur Adams, Ron Lim, and Marshall Rogers, and inkers Paul Neary, Josef Rubinstein, Terry Austin, and Bob Wiacek.

The first couple issues crossover into the X-Men Inferno event, and while Excalibur isn't key to understanding Inferno, reading Inferno helps to understand what's happening in Excalibur. Phoenix responds to the psychic distress call of her "brother" Nathan Christopher Summers, and the rest of Excalibur follows, but they all get trapped by the chaos of New York before they can help with the major event. Claremont uses his oft repeated plot trick of having one or more of the characters getting corrupted, in this case Meggan and later Captain Britain, and the team is forced to fight each other.

After the battle, while still in New York, is the character development issue where Meggan deals with her empathic shapeshifting identity crisis (she tends to look like what people want her too, so how does she get to know herself?), Captain Britain's powers seem to be fading, Kitty deals with the loss of yet another friend from her X-Men days, Nightcrawler steals the X-Men's old jet (not knowing that the X-men are actually still alive) and Phoenix checks in on her baby brother.

Then, back in England the dimension hopping story that's been building since issue #1 (in Excalibur Classic vol. 1, 'natch) comes to a head as Hauptman Englande leads a Nazi version of Excalibur into our dimension to retrieve the Nazi Moira MacTaggart and Callisto. This of course has gets a big reaction from Kitty Pryde, who is Jewish. This story also sets up the next volume "The Cross-Time Caper."

And in Mojo Mayhem the newly cloned X-Babies rebel against Mojo and escape to Earth. They turn to Kitty Pride for help, and together they try to manage a cross country trip while being pursued by Mojo's newest agent . . . the Agent! He can look like anyone and if you sign the dotted line, he owns you body and soul!

Excalibur is the lighthearted spinoff of the X-Men line, and these stories are plenty of fun, but don't expect anything epic. The character development is good, but in signature Claremont style it can take years before a concept is resolved. The Alan Davis/Paul Neary artwork is some of the best in the business, and my personal favorite from this period in Marvel history, but they only illustrated three of the six regular issues collected here. The Lim/Rubinstein and Rogers/Austin artwork isn't bad, but by comparison it seems a bit lacking. It's always nice to see Arthur Adams illustrating the Mojoverse characters he help create in the original Longshot miniseries, and to this day nobody can draw Mojo like he can.

If you're looking for a stand-alone story, this isn't it. But if you enjoy comics from the era of single issue stories with dangling subplots, when you could pick up and enjoy a single issue, but long term readers were also rewarded, then this is a good example of the time. Also, if you're planning on picking up the other Excalibur Classic volumes, then this is definately an essential prelude to the third volume.

Average customer rating:

Unnecessary
Only Tangentially House of M Related
Good, but not needed to understand House of M!!!!

House of M: Excalibur - Prelude
Chris Claremont , and Aaron Lopresti
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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House of M: Uncanny X-Men
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ASIN: 0785118128

Book Description

Callisto answers a cry for help from Warren Worthington, a.k.a. Archangel! But Callisto and Warren have some pretty unpleasant history between them. Can they overcome their differences long enough to survive? Meanwhile, Professor X and Magneto struggle to help their disturbed guest on Genosha Collects Excalibur #11-14.

Customer Reviews:

Unnecessary.......2007-05-11

Billed as a "prelude" to Brian Michael Bendis' House of M event, there is really nothing here that any reader, newbie or veteran, will have to read to get the big picture. After the Scarlet Witch goes crazy and slaughters the Avengers, she is taken to Genosha by her father Magneto who, along with Professor Xavier, seek to repair her broken mind. Naturally, as anyone who has read House of M knows, that is easier said than done. There's also some additional stories including interaction between Archangel and Calisto, but there's really nothing here that would be needed to know what is going on in the long run. Legendary X-Men scribe Chris Claremont doesn't do much here to add any kind of flare, but Aaron Lopresti's art is pretty good mostly. If you want a read "prelude" to House of M, check out Bendis' Avengers Disassembled storyline, which leads to the House of M, which would lead to the current shattering events of the Civil War.

Only Tangentially House of M Related.......2006-12-14

This is a pretty good story, but this is being billed as a House of M Prelude, when only a handful of pages of this collection are really about the House of M thread. The vast majority of this book is about the Weaponeers doing some kind of coup in a small country and several Excalibur and X-Men members team up to stop it. It has Angel in it, Calisto, and a few other mutants that serious X-fans probably recognized but I didn't. Then there is a small side-show story involving Professor Xavier and Magneto's attempts to help cure the Scarlet Witch. If you want an actual prelude to House of M then I recommend reading Avengers 500 - 503, which is the "Disassembled" story line arc. That's a damn fine comic story. This one in Excalibur is a good story, but it's being billed as something it really isn't, and that's why I give it a somewhat low score.

Good, but not needed to understand House of M!!!!.......2006-01-29

It has a decent battle in it between Angel, Husk, other mutants and a group of killers called the Weaponeers.
It also has a story featuring Pro. X, Dr. Strange and Scarlett Witch that leads into House of M.
However, it's not needed to understand the House of M books. Everything is re-explained several times in the House of M tpb.

King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed: An English Legend (Graphic Universe)

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Courtesy of Teens Read Too

King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed: An English Legend (Graphic Universe)
Jeff Limke
Manufacturer: Graphic Universe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Thor And Loki: In the Land of Giants : a Norse Myth (Graphic Universe)
Hercules: The Twelve Labors : A Greek Myth (Graphic Universe)
The Trojan Horse: The Fall of Troy: A Greek Legend (Graphic Universe)
Isis & Osiris: To the Ends of the Earth (Graphic Universe)
Demeter & Persephone: Spring Held Hostage, A Greek Myth (Graphic Universe)

ASIN: 082253083X

Customer Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2006-12-22

Based on the legendary King Arthur, this English tale has been entertaining audiences since Sir Thomas Malory created the character in the 15th century. Whether or not King Arthur was inspired by a real man has never been determined, but one thing is certain: Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur looked nothing like the Limke-Yeates version.

According to Yeates, he used both historic and traditional sources when shaping the artwork for the book. Together, he and Limke created a 21st-century version of Arthur that fans of both Arthurian legend and graphic novels will be unable to resist. Limke's adaptation of Malory's story is strong. This particular telling of the legend begins with the young Arthur, when he was a squire and England was in turmoil, without a king. When he pulls the sword from the stone, he becomes the next king of England--quite a responsibility for a boy. But, with the guidance of Merlin the Magician and the loyalty of the Knights of the Round Table, he becomes a good and powerful leader.

The colorful graphics supplied by Yeates are stunning, and the glossary, index, and list of Web sites at the end will enhance this Arthurian experience for younger readers. Additionally, readers who enjoy this book should check out other books in the publisher's "Graphic Myths and Legends" series.

Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard

Excalibur Vol. 1: Forging The Sword (X-Men)

Average customer rating:

Undoing brilliance
Magneto's back
Claremont Used to Be Good...
Unbelievably bad form, Mr Claremont.
Excalibur reforged

Excalibur Vol. 1: Forging The Sword (X-Men)
Chris Claremont , and Aaron Lopresti
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Excalibur Vol. 2: Saturday Night Fever
House of M: Excalibur - Prelude
Uncanny X-Men - The New Age Vol. 1: The End of History
House of M (X-Men, New Avengers)
Uncanny X-Men - The New Age Vol. 2: The Cruelest Cut

ASIN: 0785115277

Book Description

The island of Genosha was once a thriving nation of mutants, built from the ground up by Magneto, Master of Magnetism. Then, an apocalyptic attack killed every man, woman and child - reducing an entire society to rubble within hours. Now, Professor X has come to Genosha with one intention: to rebuild a nation from its ashes! Collects EXCALIBUR #1-4.

Customer Reviews:

Undoing brilliance.......2006-01-13

Grant Morrison had a very controversial run on X-Men, Cyclops started cheating on Jean Grey with the evil White Queen, Xavier outed himself as a mutant, Genosha was destroyed, and the character Xorn turned out to be Magneto in disguise using the mutant enhancing drug Kick. The run ended with Jean Grey dead (again) and Wolverine slicing Magneto's head off decisively ending the X-men's long-standing war with Magneto once and for all, or so it seemed. It was great. It was full of twists and turns that no one saw coming. Then something terrible happened. Chris Claremont's Excalibur revival series. Now We have learned that because of poor writing and a sorry excuse for a plot the brilliant end to Grant Morison's run on X-men has been explained away with Magneto alive and well because the guy that was killed was an someone impersonating Magneto impersonating Xorn... Guess what folks, the story does not improve from there, and it is shallow, and hollow, and completely pointless. In the end Marvel should have left well enough alone.
Claremont's quality has slipped dramatically over the years, he spends too much time having characters needlessly explaining their powers or how they're using their powers, a job that is supposed to be handled by the artist who would do fine on his own, but with Claremont's poor writing it seems kinda redundant.
The characters that form this new Excalibur are not interesting either. Especially since the House of M will pretty much nuke most of the mutant life out of existence Claremont should have used existing popular characters like Night Crawler, Shadow Cat, or others that people actually care about. I can't even remember the names of half these people, and why is Magneto alive? Grant Morison's Planet X arch ended perfectly! There was no need to un do it.
I'd really like to see Claremont turn over the reigns to someone else. Everything he writes hurts the X-men now, rather than keeping them cool. The X-books need to evolve, and they are not. I recommend avoiding the new Excalibur, although the original series was great this one is a complete waste of paper and the penciler's talent.

Magneto's back.......2005-05-22

It seems the two negative reviews are due to Chris Claremont retconning Grant Morrison's New X-Men story "Planet X", in which Magneto became a drug-addict who herded people into crematoriums before being decapitated by Wolverine. Not only was this out of character, but a Jewish Holocaust survivor becoming a Nazi? Honestly, people.

It should also be noted that Chris Claremont is the one who made Magneto into the fascinating, complex character he is today. Before Claremont had fleshed him out, he was flat cardboard cut-out of a character. It was Claremont who gave him a background and personality, and made him interesting.

Nonetheless, after Claremont left the titles Marvel regressed Magneto back into a raving lunatic. Claremont returned to Marvel a couple of years ago but this is the first time he really got a chance to work with Magneto again, finally turning Magneto back into a good character.

Magneto and Xavier's relationship is the highlight of the book, as Claremont writes the characters better than most.

Highly recommended.

Claremont Used to Be Good..........2005-03-03

It is hard to really appreciate how much of a detriment 'Excalibur' is to the health of the rest of the series until you take into account the strides Grant Morrison was able to take with the X-Men.

Old fans such as myself actually started to drift away from the X-Men. We needed a writer who could appreciate the history of the X-Men, while not allowing this complicated backstory to overpower the need for the team to mature and in a very important sense, move into the new millenium.

Morrison did this in a thought provoking way in New X-Men, to the extent that I actually re-read his run on that comic, and reference it for examples of solid, superhero writing. Morrison has a gift of throwing five ideas at you at once, and he can make them tie into the larger story (noone ever thought of a bacteria intelligence; but the idea works when you're dealing with superhuman mutants). His stories had real impact; which was something the franchise had been missing in wake of various ressurrections, lackluster plots and lookalike villains.

The problem is that Claremont is backsliding. It's really hard to get into what should be a fascinating book when there are so many 'What Ifs...?' plaguing a title. This book is essentially about rebuilding a society. Unfortunately, rather than moving on with his life, the first person that Charles Xavier runs across is Magneto.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Magneto beheaded at the end of New X-Men? Also forgive me if I'm wrong, but weren't their three incredibly skilled and powerful telepaths (seven-eight counting the Stepford cuckoos) in the mansion or present during the final battle against Magneto in New York? And wasn't one of these telepaths the Phoenix? The explanation for Magneto's return (someone impersonated him...riiight.) is enough to kill the dramatic conclusion of the New X-Men series. What should have been an impetus for Charles to develop into a more interesting character has ended with him returning to his pre-90s roots, complete with a partially brainwashed Magneto.

It's hard to really feel excitement when you feel your patience and fascination with such a beloved series coming to an end. I have to admit, Excalibur is just a bland read. So bland you think of how boring it is, and where Calisto got tentacles and then you realize there are better books out there.

Unbelievably bad form, Mr Claremont........2004-12-28

Back when comics were geared towards children, Chris Claremont brought style, craft, and maturity when he took over the X-men back in the seventies. For two decades, his run on X-men was undisputably one of the most mature, forward-thinking, adaptive, and entertaining runs on any book ever. He also worked with some of the finest artistic talent, including John Byrne, John Romita Jr., Mark Silvestri, and Jim Lee.

Since his first departure, the X-books became quite the convoluted mess, and weren't as entertaining for a while. While Fabian Niceiza and Joe Kelly had some highlights, no writer really had the guts, talent, foresight, or freedom to move the mutants forward. The art was either consistent at best or indecipherable at worst.

Until Grant Morrison. His run on New X-Men actually evolved story, plot, and character forward for the first time since Claremont left the book in the 90's. More importantly, Morrison made an incredible impact on the whole mutant mythos. The destruction of Genosha, the death of Magneto, the romance of Scott and Emma, the new sacrifice by Jean Grey, the maturing of Wolverine, were as vital and important as anything done in the last 10 years. And the art was alive! Dynamic stuff from Quitely, Bachalo, Jimenez, and Silvestri, the best the title had seen in a decade.

All of which (finally) brings me to Excalibur.
Chris Claremont's latest work, not just here but in other books (JLA 10th Circle, X-treme X-men, et al.) is not just uninspired. It's immature.

Is Claremont really so threatened by the talent of other writers, is he so afraid that someone might make more of a mark on these characters besides himself, that he has to undo other people's valued and popular work? Magneto was dead at the end of Planet X (New X-Men vol. 6), and he died an appropriate death for his character; it was the culmination of 40 years of warfare. Claremont cheapened it by bringing him back. He didn't even give a decent explanation for it. He might as well have said, "Screw Morrison, his work doesn't count." To make it worse, from an author who penned such classics as "Days of Future Past" and the "Dark Phoenix Saga", defining Comics as Graphic Literature, Excalibur:Forging the Sword is unbelievably amateurish, with peurile dialogue, inconsistent characterization, and very little forethought. He writes himself into so many corners, the only way to get out is to dig another plot hole.

The art just makes a bad package worse. Aron Lopresti can be a decent artist when paired with a more progressive writer. But with writing this bad, his art is uninspired. It's even garish and ugly; some of the women seem gnomish.

Unfortunately, Mr. Claremont does not know when to let go. He's like a child who doesn't want to let other children play with his toys, so he puts a hammer to them. As a long-time fan of the X-Men, and a life-time Marvelite, I am disappointed in not only Claremont's shabby treatment of the characters, but his disregard for other creators and his disregard for fans. If anyone from Marvel reads these Amazon reviews, I beg them to remove Claremont before he commits irreperable harm to these comics icons.

I strongly recommend Grant Morrison's entire run on New X-Men (all 7 volumes available through Amazon), as well as Joss Whedon's work on Astonishing X-Men (vol. 1, Gifted, also available) instead of this travesty that Claremont has foisted upon us.

Excalibur reforged.......2004-11-17

With X-Treme X-Men ending, legendary scribe Chris Claremont returned with a new Excalibur series, focusing on Professor Xavier and his trip to the ruins of Genosha with the body of Magneto. He encounters a small cadre of surviving mutants, and we the readers discover that Magneto is not dead (of course) and that it was an imposter masquerading as Magneto in Grant Morrison's classic Planet X book. Those who were wowed with Morrison's turn of events may have a hard time overlooking that (you didn't really think Magneto was dead did you?), but if you can look past it, you'll find some great classic Claremont storytelling and the scenes between Xavier and Magneto are great comic moments. The art is solid (I can't remember the guy's name, Aaron something) and worth the price of admission. All in all, longtime X-fans will want to pick this up, and if you missed out on this give it a look.

New Excalibur Volume 1: Defenders Of The Realm TPB (New Excalibur)

Average customer rating:

Claremont hits a new low
Awful
Ha! What a waste of paper!

New Excalibur Volume 1: Defenders Of The Realm TPB (New Excalibur)
Chris Claremont , and Michael Ryan
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785118357

Book Description

Excalibur is back, just the way you like them! From the ashes of House of M a new Excalibur team is formed to combat the aftereffects of this cataclysmic event! Witness the birth of Captain Britain's new team forming, as a sinister force already tries to tear them apart! Starring Dazzler, Juggernaut, Nocturne and Pete Wisdom!! Guest-starring the Uncanny X-Men! Collects New Excalibur #1-7.

Customer Reviews:

Claremont hits a new low.......2007-06-03

There's nothing new at all about New Excalibur, as legendary X-Men scribe Chris Claremont creates a "new" team in the wake of the events of the House of M. Captain Britain, Dazzler, Nocturne, Pete Wisdom, Juggernaut, and Sage all form this new Excalibur group in a story that is packed with so many plot holes, non-sensical ideas, and ungodly corny Claremont-patented dialogue that will make you think you're reading a comic from the 70's. As a previous reviewer already stated, this is Claremont following his old blueprints from his golden days of writing Uncanny X-Men, but nothing here is even a fraction as interesting. Michael Ryan's solid artwork can't even save this turkey either. All in all, this isn't Excalibur, and it certainly isn't "new" either. It's incredible to think that Claremont could do worse than his X-Treme X-Men series or his storyarc on JLA for DC, but he has. Avoid at all costs.

Awful.......2007-05-23

Don't waste your time or money. Go shift through the 25 cent bins at your LCS and read this the first time..when it was original Excalibur. Characterization is terrible, especially concerning Dazzler, Juggernaut, Nocturne and Pete Wisdom. Go read Exiles. Old Exiles. That's good.

Ha! What a waste of paper!.......2007-05-01

If you're looking for mediocrity in 7 issues, look no further than NEW EXCALIBUR: DEFENDERS OF THE REALM.

Catchy title, "Defenders of the Realm." What does it mean? Considering author Chris Claremont gives no purpose to the team until issue #5 -- the latter half of this TPB -- one has to wonder what in God's name is this mash of heroes defending?

The book is riddled with cliched, convoluted chronology that is inaccessable to the new reader. And if you're looking for solid characterization -- don't look here. Each character fulfills a traditional Chris Claremont archetype: tough butch grrl (Storm, Rachel Summers/Dazzler), girl rookie (Kitty, Jubilee/Nocturne), boring leader-man (Cyclops/Captain Britain), hotheaded take-charge guy (Wolverine/Pete Wisdom), muscle-with-heart-of-gold (Colossus/Juggernaut), and asexual fantasy wish-fulfillment (Psylocke/Sage).

Cut paste, cut paste, insert character here. If you're a fan of Dazzler, Nocturne, or Juggernaut, this title will irritate you to no end. The dynamic diva Dazzler has been relegated to butch Claremont "is she or isn't she a lesbian?" woman; he still fawns over his new pet Sage -- who beats villains with ease; and he turns the seasoned Nocturne from Exiles into the new rookie because, well, Claremont needs a rookie.

It all vomits out in a boring, slow mess of garbage. Re-hashed plots from over 10 years ago that author Chris Claremont will simply not let go. Does anyone born in the 1980s even know about this (not-so) hot mess?

Total waste of time.

Average customer rating:

Area 51: Excalibur
Tension not resolved - yet!
Area 51: Excalibur
Book 6 in the series and still going strong
Only Two More Mountains to Climb

Area 51: Excalibur (Area 51)
Robert Doherty
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Area 51: The Truth (Area 51)
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Area 51: Legend (Area 51)

ASIN: 044023705X
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Book Description

EXCALIBUR:
LOST RELIC.
LEGENDARY TALISMAN.
ULTIMATE WEAPON.

Once thought of as myth, the legendary sword of King Arthur is now a fiercely pursued reality--the most important artifact in a worldwide chess game for control of man’s destiny.

Two rival factions have made their move for domination of the planet. And now former Green Beret Mike Turcotte and his elite team must answer the call of duty. Their dilemma: Which army to align with? Choose wrong and evil holds domination
over what’s left of humanity.

Only by tracking down the mythic artifact can Turcotte hope to resolve the crisis. His search will take him to the top of the world, to the summit of Mount Everest. But he has more to fear than bone-chilling cold and the thin air of the Death Zone, for he is not alone in the search for Excalibur.

From the Great Wall of China to a fortress on Easter Island, the players span the globe in this ultimate high-stakes game. They’ll have to decipher complex clues from deceptive sources to find the key that unlocks Excalibur’s power --a secret that has been carefully, meticulously hidden for five millennia. But one thing is clear: Excalibur is more than a myth. It may be the key to our survival --a powerful and sophisticated weapon that, if mastered, will determine the fate of humanity....

Customer Reviews:

Area 51: Excalibur.......2007-05-12

I found this to be an excellent series of books. However, one must be able to get all books in order to enjoy the story. The books do not stand on their own.

Tension not resolved - yet!.......2002-10-16

The next book in the series keeps up the tension. The fight against the aliens and/or their supporters becomes more and more intense and desperate. We cannot even be sure about the position of the protagonists, and, oh boy, we have a dramatic final, which solves problems, but does not resolve the plot. We will have to wait for the final in "The Truth". I have never come across a series of novels that could keep up the tension as Doherty does here. An absolute must for SF - fans, who love this kind of science fiction. But I can imagine that those who like thrillers more than SF may be attracted by these books as well.

Area 51: Excalibur.......2002-10-04

A good storyline tires from lack of an ending. Each story has potential but when you reach the 'last' page you wonder what happened to the rest of the book.

If you have the time, read them all and you will enjoy fun read.

Book 6 in the series and still going strong.......2002-09-05

Robert Doherty's sixth book in the Area 51 series, "Area 51: Excalibur" is an excellent addition to the series and, as usual, filled with plenty of action and interesting characters.

Doherty does a great job re-introducing characters providing and background information to the series in the first 40 pages of this novel. Former Navy SEAL, Mike Turcotte and his eclectic group of cohorts again lead the fight against an alien takeover of the planet.

But which of the alien races is our friend and which is our enemy?

That is only one of the questions that Doherty tries to answer in this installment of the series. Faithful readers of the series will soon find the unique "tie-ins" with Earth's history that Doherty provides. His vivid imagination does a fantastic job linking The Sphinx, Noah's Ark, The Black Plague, The Arc of the Covenant, The Holy Grail, the rise of the Nazi SS, and Excalibur together as activites and events that were either casued by, or affected by the alien cultures.

In this installment, Turcotte and his band attempt to quell the attacks of the Kortad and Airlia as they each try to take over the globe. The adventure stretches from Area 51 to Pearl Harbor and from Mt. Ararat to Mt. Everest. If you are a fan of the series, you'll love "Excalibur". If you are new to the series you need to go back and start with "Area 51". Either way, you can't go wrong with this series.

The series (as we know it, anyway) culminates with the 7th and last installment, "Area 51: The Truth" later in the year.

Only Two More Mountains to Climb.......2002-08-13

It has been almost two years since I read the previous volume in this series, 'The Grail.' While these are excellent action adventures, they do not stay long to mind. I am embarrassed to admit that, when I picked this up and started reading, I was without a clue as to what was going on. It was rough going until I remembered the basic plot and characters, so I do not recommend this as a good starting point. The entire series is quite good, especially if you like alien inspired paranoid plots. So I heartily recommend going back to 'Area 51,' and inhaling the entire series.

These books are not heavy going. The primary premise is that the human race owes much of its mythology to the accidental arrival of an alien race called the Airlia back in prehistoric times. Originally, they were benevolent, but an internal rift between two leaders, Artad and Aspasia, caused sufficient chaos that the aliens took a more secretive role, influencing humankind for their own reasons, with little thought to the eventual effects on us. The 'Area 51' series is about what happens when humans become aware enough of this interference to take action against the aliens.

The last several volumes have turned on various factions competing for the possession of several artifacts - the Ark (both of them), the Grail, and now Excalibur, Arthur's sword. In the last volume Lisa Duncan, an American scientist, finds and activates the Grail. In the short time of her exposure, she is remade into something that appears human, but which is immortal. Unfortunately, the Grail is lost to Aphasia's forces, and Lisa returns to the U.S. to find herself and object for close scrutiny and testing.

As Aspasia and Artad marshal their forces in competing efforts to conquer the earth it is left to two men, American Mike Turcotte and Russian agent Yakov, each of which has a mountain to climb. Turcotte must scale Mount Everest to pull Excalibur from its scabbard and turn on the Airlian master computer. Yakov heads for Mount Ararat and the Ark, which is really the Airlian mother ship, which contains the master computer itself. In the meantime, war breaks out in Korea and Taiwan, and the Pacific Fleet is nearly immobilized. Dire straits indeed.

Doherty writes in a classic action oriented style. While his language isn't stilted, the characters speak in short bursts, and introspection is a rare thing indeed. But, the plot is complex enough to keep the reader's attention moving from one cliff hanger to the next. Expect to enjoy the book, but as I found out, don't expect to remember it!

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