The Complete Invincible Library Volume 3 Hardcover – December 13, 2011

Exceeded my expectations! The condition and handling was a 10/10 as well as the customer service.

UPDATED REVIEW: At first I thought Image had dropped the ball and delivered a glued binding instead of oversewn, as volumes 1 and 2 were. In act, this volume IS oversewn, but also has a kind of glued adhesive in between the cover and the back of the pages. This apparently will allow it to remain sturdy for years and not collapse under its own weight. it DOES mean it will not lay perfectly flat when opened on a table. Volumes 1 & 2 can be. But this is NOT a glued binding and apologies for misleading anyone with my first review.Page quality is high, with magnificent color retention and sharpness. Kirkman loves writing stories with 6 to 10 panels per page and that is perfect for a super-sized format like this. As always, Ryan Ottley delivers the goods. Issues without him feel flat and spineless and that is not really Kirkman's fault. It's just that Ottley now IS the look of this series and without him, it just doesn't feel right. When he leaves, if he leaves, well, I don't want to think about that.This run was a hell of a read and I think one story arc about midway through was so good, it might be the best 80 to 100 pages in the history of the series. I do not buy this book monthly. I read it every two+ years upon the release of these volumes, so the wait is a horror. Yet worth it. Like Harry Potter fans who died between volumes and then sucked it all in over two nights, I grad these editions and read them in two nightly bursts. A third night is then spent looking over the always cool extras.Amazing as it may sound, I have read the first volume five times. The second maybe three times or four and in the days before the release of this third volume, read 1 and 2 again to get myself pumped up.The only series that comes close to this is WALKING DEAD. Hmmm... I wonder who writes that one?

I love the Invincible series, and a lot of people are going to look at this and be deterred by the price. It's really not too bad if it's a first-time purchase. In that instance, I'd definitely just go ahead and pick this up. It's nice with the oversized art and additional content. It's a little harder to justify for those who already own the issue contained within. Still, it looks awesome on the bookshelf.

The nearly universal acclaim this series has received is every bit deserved. Invincible is Kirkman's magnum opus, and an absolute must-read for anyone who is a fan of the man's work, or superhero comics in general.That said: The words "Complete Invincible Library" are a gross mischaracterization of the contents contained therein. Volume 3 was the final collected edition in this so-called "complete library" format to ever see print all those years ago. Unfortunately, Volume 3 abruptly ends at about issue 70 (which is a little less than halfway through the full series).I had already purchased all three volumes of this collection before I realized my (very expensive) mistake. Additionally, the colossal size and weight of these collected edition means that, unless your seller is somewhat fanatical about HEAVILY insulating the packaging, your book will likely arrive with at least a tiny amount of damage, as mine did. The mostly white covers and slipcases also will not hold up well to excessive handling in the long term. Buyer beware.If you're looking for the actual complete Invincible saga in a hardcover format, I'd recommend either the massive 3-volume Invincible Compendium, or the much more manageable 12-volume Ultimate Collection. Stay away from this Complete Library edition though.