The Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days

Rating:
Summary: ...and I had such high expectations...
Review: DC Comics' Golden Age is easily my favorite heroic era and Les Daniels's past works have always been thorough and interesting. Therefore I was all-the-more surprised by lack of any substantial information in "Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days." This book is the absolute epitome of "coffee table books": only those largely unfamiliar with this time in comic book history would have learned anything shockingly new about the characters or creators involved in the Golden Age material discussed within. For serious "scholars" of comics, you can get an equal amount of information by reading Daniels's other books (most notably "DC Comics: A Celebration of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes".)

Is this book fun to own just for the sake of owning? In a way, yes. The cover alone sold me: I love the Golden Age Superman. But the information inside was thin and sometimes even almost sloppy. I hope that Mr. Daniels will return to the rich and textured history of the Golden Age in the future, but this volume left me wanting more.

Finally, what IS this book exactly? Is it a book or a calendar? Why is is called "365 Days"? Am I supposed to read one page per day? I would suggest that each day marks the anniversary of a certain event or milestone of the Golden Age, but events and milestones which Mr. Daniels highlights in this book did not occur on the days on which they fall in this book (i.e., January 1 focuses on Superman's debut in Action Comics #1, but that actually happened in June of 1938 and not on January 1, 1938.)

The confusing format and the lack of much original or otherwise insightful information make this book a completely unnecessary purchase for anyone but a relatively new fan to the genre or obsessive completist collector.

Rating:
Summary: 365 pages of old memories
Review: I agree that as you first glance at this book it seems like a calender. It's a hefty book that has some charm in its views of days gone by. I bought it for myself and wasn't dissapointed in its focus. Les Daniels always has an interesting view and smartly entertains as you go page to page. If one wants a more detailed overview of the subject there are many fine books to seek out. This one is more for a night when one doesn't want to read but rather to remember.Its well bound, excellently to the point concerning its subject. If one wants full covers go to the Photo Journal guide to comics by Gerber. It doesn't have everything but like this book is a visual companion.

Rating:
Summary: Nicely Designed - - -Lacks Substance
Review: This is a very well designed book. Thick, pretty to look at, even the spine is designed to make you think of the old big little books.However it reminds me more of a day by day calender project that got turned into a hard covered book at the last minute.

Inside the book there is a page of text for each day of the year. On the opposite of the text page is a blown up comic panel. Pretty to look at, and this is where the book fails. The reading is a bit too light and the focus is on the blown up comic panel rather than on some interesting trend of the time when the comic that surrounded the panel was published.

An attempt is made to be "arty" making the focus often these very oddball and (in my opinion) unexciting comic panels. I think most readers would have liked to see a book of golden age comic covers rather than this.

When I saw Les Daniels was attached I had high hopes for this book as I had bought his other books on comics. More text might have made this book more interesting.

My verdict. At the regular street price this book is not worth it. At the Amazon price it might be worth it. A nice stocking stuffer for somebody who is into comics but I found it to be more of a snack rather than a main meal.