Batman Classic: Gotham Villains Unleashed Book Review

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Batman Classic: Gotham Villains Unleashed Book Review

This review is courtesy of our network Batman Website Legions of Gotham

About the Book: Gotham's most dangerous criminals are on the loose! After the Joker breaks out the city's nastiest villains from Arkham Asylum, Batman must act fast to locate the inmates and return them to custody. With Robin at his side, can Batman stop each and every one of these evildoers before it's too late?

Our Take: Here is another great new Batman storybook!   The collector in me jumps for joy with this ultra-modern look and fantastic story.  The story is loosely based on the 'Knightfall' story arc, where all of the villains escape from Arkham Asylum.  Robin by his side, Batman cleans up Gotham.  No shockers in this story, but some cool art and fun for collectors and kids alike!

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How to Buy: Amazon.com or Harper Collins

Batman Links: Legions of Gotham

Art & Sound of the Bristol Underground Book Review

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Art & Sound of the Bristol Underground Book Review

About the Book: Chris Burton and Gary Thompson have compiled a fascinating collection of flyers advertising secret parties on the Bristol circuit in the 80s and conducted a series of interviews with the people behind the leading hip hop crews of the day. The result is a book that covers an area in Bristol's (and the UK's) musical development that has never before been documented. Nothing seemed to daunting for the young DJs, MCs and rappers as they took over abandoned buildings, moved in the sound systems and partied al night long. The only publicity was word of mouth and flyers. Many of the artists behind the flyers such as FLX, Inkie and Nick Walker have gone on to gain national and international recognition while many of the crews have become music superstars.

Our Take: This book gives you a fun and rare look at one of the United Kingdom's most infamous underground scenes!  If you were lucky enough to be there, then you can re-live your experiences through tons of fliers and interviews.  If you weren't fortunate enough to experience this scene, then you can get an insider's look at what went down!

What really appeals to me about this book, because I'm so visual, is the various fliers for the underground parties.  That is such a cool look at an art form that is rarely spotlighted.  I really enjoyed seeing all of these by some very talented and widely unknown artists.  This book is a great read and an interesting look at a secret subculture.  Definately a must-read.

How to Buy: The Tangent Books Website or Amazon.com

Banksy's Bristol: Home Sweet Home Book Review

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Banksy's Bristol: Home Sweet Home Book Review

About the Book: Home Sweet Home is a celebration of Banksy's street art in his home city of Bristol. This book places him in the context of 3D, John Nation from the Barton Hill Settlement, Inkie, Nick Walker and the other artists and musicians who were instrumental in linking Bristol to the original New York hip hop scene.

It is the most revealing account of Banksy's formative years and contains more than one hundred images of his Bristol art, as well as pictures of Banksy at work, many of which have never been published before.

Steve Wright, Venue magazine's Art Editor, traces Banksy's roots back to the rave culture of the Nineties and draws a rounded picture of an artist who is most famous for being anonymous.

Our Take: We're huge fans of Banksy's work here at the Legion.  If you're not familiar with Banksy, he is one of the pioneers of grass roots graphitti art.  He remained anonymous, much like many in the old school electronica music scene.  His art has created so much awareness to street art that his name has become synonymous with it.

This book, Banksy's Bristol, is a fantastic and definitve guide to the works of Banksy.  It shows us so many pieces, many of which either no longer exist or were never shown in print before!  A lot of these works are covered up by property owners or the city, so they are never to be seen again by your average person, especially if you don't live in the United Kingdom.

If you enjoy graphitti art and greatly profound statements, this book is for you!  If you already enjoy Banksy, this book is a no-brainer!  Buy it today!

How to Buy: The Tangent Books Website or Amazon.com

Batman Classic: Feline Felonies Book Review

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Batman Classic: Feline Felonies Book Review

This review is courtesy of our network Batman Fanpage - Legions of Gotham

About the Book: When Cheetah pounces on Gotham, she teams up with the city's own meowing menace, Catwoman. Together, they paw some of the world's most valuable jewels. Can Batman and Wonder Woman cage these flea-ridden felons before they slink away?

Our Take:  I'm always on the lookout for cool new Batman storybooks both as a collector and as a parent.  These new Batman Classic books are an absolute dream!  The artwork is really modern and based on the classic comic-style blue and gray Batman.  Catwoman is based on her modern-era design in this book and Wonder Woman even makes an appearance.  The story is fun and the artwork is great!

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How to Buy: Amazon.com or Harper Collins

Batman Links: Legions of Gotham

Batman Classic: The Batman Reusable Sticker Book Review

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Batman Classic: The Batman Reusable Sticker Book Review

This review is courtesy of our network site Legions of Gotham - THE Batman Fansite

About the Book: Help Batman fight crime in this fun, action-packed reusable sticker book. But beware! Gotham's most dangerous villains are lurking around every corner . . . KAPOW!

Our Take: There have been a ton of great Batman activity and sticker books over the years, but what sets this one apart is that its reusable!  That means you can stick the stickers over and over again.  This is not only great for collectors that want to be able to find a great new product, but for parents your kids can get countless hours of fun out of this one!

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How to Buy: Amazon.com

Batman Links: Legions of Gotham

Beasties: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump in the Night Giveaway!

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You can win a new copy of Beasties: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump in the Night from Book Legion and Penguin books!  To enter simply email us at booklegion.com @ gmail.com (take out the spaces).  Good luck!

Beasties: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump in the Night Review

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Beasties: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump in the Night Review

About the Book: Cyclops and witches and zombies-oh my!

Welcome to the wondrous world of Beasties, where mythic and imaginary creatures come alive using simple materials, such as scrap fabric and thread. From Werewolves to Yetis to unidentifiable yet adorable beasts, these projects allow crafters to push the limits of their imaginations to sew a menagerie of whimsical beings.

Our Take: Do you like to create?  Do you have an affection or pull towards the twisted, playful and spooky?   Then this new book Beasties is for you!

You can get patterns and or instructions for everything from a dragon to the loch ness monster in the Beasties book.  This one is FULL of great ideas for cute, spooky and weird little stuffed pets that are great for everything from an adult collector's home to your kids to even re-making and re-selling!  These would also make great personalized gifts for others.

We love this book already in our house.    Author Diana Schoenbrun does a fantastic job of presenting an array of wonderful creatures to create.  We've already started on a few and have plans to make many more.  Its even inspired us to make our own creations.  This one is a buttload of fun!


How to Buy: Amazon.com