Remember those classic educational films where the narrator walks right into the process he or she is trying to explain? Well, here's a similar piece of work -- a book about comics told completely in comics. Of course, it's not just the novelty that makes this book succeed. McCloud's insights into the history, methods, and meaning of cartoon art are deeply engrossing. Whether you're a hard-core collector of X-Men or just the occasional reader of Beetle Bailey, you'll undoubtedly enjoy Understanding Comics.

Harold Check