One of the most disappointing books I've read in a long time. I had hoped for a fairly in-depth and insightful parallel history of the Big Two over the past half-century. There are a lot of interviews with insiders that occasionally yield interesting tidbits. But the interviews are quoted in tiny bits and pieces that give the impression that they weren't very in-depth. Also, the author keeps making a statement and then quoting an interviewee as having said pretty much exactly the same thing. The effect is not unlike reading one of those old-fashioned comics captions that tells you exactly what the panel shows ("But Captain Punch's mighty blow misses!"). The whole thing comes across as disorganized and superficial. I learned enough that I don't feel the book was a total waste of time, but it could have been so much better.

Besides not being a great writer or organizer, the author seems a bit mathematically challenged:

"In 1952 some 630 titles had hit newsstands. That number had dropped to just 250 in 1956--a staggering 252 percent fall."

A 252 percent decline? Hard to see the number of titles ever falling that much, even in the industry-wide crash in the 1990s....

That's a darn shame.

It is a shame, I had high hopes for that book. Sorry to hear it was a bust, Daphne.

That's a 60% decline.


..... I think

Well, I wouldn't say don't read it, if you're really interested in the subject...but don't get your hopes up too high going in.

I shall remember that.

You're talking to the guy who knocked up Wildcards and then went off and eloped with Wildcards.

I could never do that to Doot. Wild Cards and I had an affair, it's true, but we never spoke of it to anyone else. Doot remains blissfully unaware.

I am quite blissful.