Piskor, Ed

While many readers may find the explicit violence displayed here repellent, aficionados of extreme horror and splatterpunk will thrill as nearly every page-turn reveals increasingly gruesome shocks.

Fans of Piskor's previous work, X-Men enthusiasts, and especially new readers trying to understand the provenance of the characters and series will thoroughly enjoy this well-designed volume.

Piskor shows how the vitality of words and art have trumped violence and poverty, even if only sometimes. His gritty chronicle will spark debate among fans and help orient newcomers to hip-hop's history. Salty language and sex references put this into adult collections.

With heavy technology content and social-issue relevance, plus hacker and comics industry in-jokes, this is a techie's dream read, enhanced by Piskor's thorough research and judiciously unpretty black-and-white art. Recommended for computer nerds and those interested in technology history, social justice, and the human/machine interface. Sexual depictions and nudity mean this is suitable for older teens and up.