Customer Reviews

The Action Bible

5 star:		(143)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I grew up in the 70's and 80's with David C. Cook Sunday school curriculum and the Children's Picture Bible as a staple of every Sunday school classroom. The Picture Bible is finally upgraded in full-comic format (previous version had pictures with lots more text) making this item worth it for the following reasons:

1) Everyone -- and I mean everyone -- I showed this to at work wanted to know where to get one because they could think of at least one child, grandchild, nephew, niece, cousin or themselves to get it for.

2) Everyone is impressed with the art, inking/color, and overall presentation of this book

3) Anyone who knows anything about collecting comic books will attest that the less than $17 price is a steal! Trying to get an equivalent number comic book pages for any secular work (Marvel, DC, Image, etc) would run easily three times that price.

4) Much of the difficulty people have with reading Old Testament parts (such as Numbers) is now accessible to the masses

5) I've had Non-churchgoers who like comics want one. One guy said he'd actually read the Bible for the first time if he had this.

6) This is no specific translation of the Bible, making it more accessible than a favored translation by a few

7) The stories cover:
- Genesis through 2 Chronicles
- Jeremiah
- Daniel
- a few other choice stories of the Old testament from books like Jonah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Michal, Daniel, Ezra
- Matthew through Acts
- some other New Testament stories and finally Revelations

NOTE: Some people may complain that the stories and dialogue are "too loose" of an account on actual Biblical text. Just understand that the stories here are "based" on the Bible text, it's not intended to be a word-for-word representation.

OVERALL:
If you or a kid you know have never read through the Bible, maybe this is a place to start and enjoy 200 key stories in a wonderful, visual presentation. If you have read much of the Bible, this createa an excellent visual representation of the the stories that seem familiar

First you need to know that the art is fantastic. Top notch work! It must have been a labor of love because all the character design, costumes, sets and color schemes must have taken forever to do. The book is worth buying for that reason alone. Also, the variety of stories included are fantastic and I think give you a great overview of Biblical narratives. The author also took pains to put the stories in chronological order (many are not in correct order in the Biblical text).

I think the project could have been a master work if someone else had written it. I understand that the writing is, by necessity, succinct but it is the author's understanding of some of the stories that keep me from wanting to just let my kids read it.

There are a number of examples (most of which are in the Old Testament portion). Some of which, I admit, are personal interpretation issues. I feel that to miss the fact that Adam and Eve did in fact become as God (in that they now knew good from evil) when they partook of the fruit was to miss an important aspect of the story. I disagree with the author's portrayal of Gideon as a coward initially. It is completely at odds with how I see a man who is overwhelmed with the responsibility of his calling (not unlike Moses or Isaiah). But I'm willing to dismiss those as matters of personal opinion.

Some of the stories are flavored is such ways to make them more palatable to lay audiences but misrepresent the events in so doing. The author has portrayed Absalom as conniving and greedy - that he was just after the throne when he murdered is brother Amnon. He unfortunately missed the fact that Absalom killed Amnon because Amnon rapped his sister Tamar and David (their father) did nothing about it. Absalom was avenging her which David should have done. Yes, later he fights for the throne but to make him so vapid is to take away his loyalty to his sister in righting the wrong done to her when no one else would.

Also, some stories have added "motivations" to help lay readers to feel that there is some justification for God's actions even when they are not found in the text of the Bible. In 2 Kings 2 when Elisha is mocked by the youth, Elisha curses them and then to bears arrive and maul them. To make it more palatable, the author has pretended that the youth were trying to kill the prophet and so the bears were sent in self defense. There is no need to add justifications where none are given in the text.

All in all it is a monumental achievement but use it to remind you of the stories, not to teach you the correct stories - use the Bible for that.

This is how the preface by General Editor, Doug Mauss, begins. He then goes on to argue that Superman may be super, but his powers are nothing as compared with God's. [I tell you this because I think it's important to tell you what sort of attitude and motivations are behind those that created this book].


Now at 752 pages, "The Action Bible (God's Redemptive Story)" is a huge volume. But it would need to be to cover the many stories that comprise the New and Old Testaments of the Christian Bible.

The approach the authors/designers took was that of the graphic novel. They used dialog boxes and great kid-friendly artwork to tell the tales. The artwork is 'realistic' rather than abstract or whimsical. And the dialog is modern and something any child can understand. For example, one information/descriptive box from "Tempted in the Garden" says; 'Satin, in the form a serpent, tempts Eve'.

And Satin says, "Are you sure God said not to eat this fruit?"
To which Eve replies, "Oh, Yes. If we even touch it, we'll die."
The serpent: "Oh, you won't die if you touch it, See? And if you eat it, you will be wise -- Just like God."
"You're right!" she responds, and then goes on to sample the fruit, telling Adam that "It tastes delicious!"

I picked this particular scene, by the way, so I could say something about religious points of view. There are many different interpretations of Christian scripture and I wouldn't dare assume to tell anyone whether the approach of "The Action Bible" would please them or agree with their own views. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that just as I'm sure there will be families who love and adore this book, that I know there will be others who will find something that ignites their indignation.

But still, having said that, I will note that it looks to me that the authors and illustrators have spent a great deal of time trying to make sure the book appeals to most families. And they (the authors and illustrators) have certainly glossed over any truly inappropriate material of an adult nature. [My son was disturbed by the story of Cain and Able... as he rightly should be. But you couldn't very well leave it out.]

THE SKINNY:::
I love "The Action Bible". It's a great read-aloud and it tells the stories in a kid-friendly fashion.

The artwork is very good and vivid color covers the pages from edge to edge.

Interestingly, when I gave this book to my 8 yo son he soon put it down. I wasn't quite sure why but that night I picked it up and began reading it to him and his sister at bedtime. Now it's their favorite nightly read and we are making steady progress, finding plenty to talk about and discuss.

My one complaint is that the font is painfully small. At night when my eyes are tired I have to use my strongest specs to read it (3X) and even then it's a challenge. The text is also italicized which I think may present a challenge to younger readers reading it for themselves.

All-in-All I highly recommend this volume. Even if your children already know the stories, it's another way for them to visualize what was going on, and to understand the participants as real people and not abstract figures.

4.5 Stars

Pam T~
mom/blogger
booksforkids-reviews

When I was reading this Bible, my 9-year old cousin came up to me and said "what are you reading?" "The Bible," I told him. "The Bible's boring," he retorted. "Not this one - here, take a look." He sat down with me, looked at it a bit, and then agreed that this Bible is definitely NOT boring.

The first thing that you notice about The Action Bible is how visually impressive it is - the colors are rich and bold, and makes the characters come alive in a very real way. A few times, I even caught myself saying "wow, I've never pictured it that way before!" The illustrations are beautiful, especially in stories like Noah's Ark, the Garden of Eden, and Jesus walking on the water.

The stories are paced very well, and flow from one into the next easily. I was engrossed in the stories immediately, and they flew by quickly. They're perfect for kids, but also have some unexpected humor in them, as well. A few times I even found myself laughing out loud, which I rarely do while reading.

I would absolutely recommend this as a great beginner's Bible for kids, although I think that the "4-8" age range might be a little young. I would say that it's more suited for ages 6 and up, since there are a few more intense moments (Cain killing Abel, Lot's escape from Sodom, etc.). Other than that, very highly recommended.

Addendum to this review:
I showed it to a 25 year-old friend of mine, as well, who is now convinced that it is the best thing ever.

As a little background, I'm currently a PhD student studying theology and church history. I have my Masters of Divinity and have been working in and active in churches most of my life. I have studied the Bible passionately and consistently throughout my life.

With that in mind, it's worth something, I think, for me to say that the The Picture Bible was an absolutely key part of my budding knowledge of Scripture. Now, for those who are interested, this is not a Bible for memorizing verses or getting into the nitty gritty of all the details. It is a bible for people who want to know the stories, and who want their kids to know the stories, the overall flow and themes that are presented from beginning to end. This understanding of the flow of the Bible, of the text as a whole, is something so, so many Sunday school or Christian education classes don't teach. This leaves far too many dedicated Christians able to point to specific sentences, but not really have any idea of the whole work of God in this world as told in Scripture--which then radically undermines the ability for someone to properly understand what those individual sentences are about.

I got the Picture Bible when I was young, read it again and again and again, often beating Bible-educated adults in Bible trivia games. That Bible continues to resonate even two decades later. I'll often hear or read a story, and the images from that Bible will be in my mind, as will the broader themes being described. I've since gone on to much deeper study, learning the Biblical languages and mastering the most advanced skills in Biblical study and teaching, but that Bible still remains the key tool that got me started along the way in my love for Scripture.

Why am I spending so much time talking about that Bible? Well, because the Action Bible here is an update of that Picture Bible. As far as I can tell the text and the stories are the same, it is the art that has been updated. And what an update! The art in comic books have change radically over the decades, and this version reflects the changes in style and approach. It is very well drawn and colored.

This is also larger than my original Picture Bible, but not so large or heavy as to be unusable by smaller hands.

I'd definitely choose this one to give as gifts from now on, and indeed not only to kids who may be too young for traditional Biblical text. I've often recommended the Picture Bible to adults who are new Christians and who could use a very quick overview of the stories. I'd now suggest this one instead, mostly because the updated art reflects much more contemporary sensibilities.

The Action Bible is truly exciting to read. It's not a translation of the Bible but Bible stories retold in a comic book style layout. It's engaging, exciting, and fun to read. Especially appealing I would think to young and teen boys (ages 8-14). It will get them excited to read the Bible.

Done in comic book style with each scene being illustrated really holds your attention and makes you anxious to keep reading to find out what happens next.

The book accomplishes what it set out to do: engage readers with thrilling stories of the original action heros of the Bible.

Wonderfully done, the book is a large hardback. Very nice quality.

High recommend.

I got a pretty pink girly bible adaptation for my 6 year old daughter. When I saw this I thought it would be perfect for my 4 year old son.
The Action Bible is gorgeous, the illustrations are bold and eye catching, the story flow is so easy to follow. And the accuracy of the accounts excellent, (without being any religion specific).
However, it's too awesome to leave to the hands of a four year old. So we read and look at it together, and then I put it where he can't reach it, because he loves it and wants it all the time.
My husband, who is also non-denominational and not very religious really likes this bible version also, there is just something about it that makes it practically feel like a heirloom already. (Or perhaps its the comic book lover in us.)
It's large, but so well crafted, it would make a wonderful gift or alternate household bible resource.

Another great kids Bible on the market. VERY hefty hardback! Aimed at boys age 9-12, the "Action Bible" is designed to read like a comic book. Sergio's art is pretty good - you can see the influence of his one-time teacher, Joe Kubert. My kids are a good bit younger than the target age, but they still seem to enjoy it.

I ordered The Action Bible to have something on-hand that would help introduce the Bible and its figures to our young son in a visually arresting way, and I have to tell you, the Artwork and coloring in this book are astonishingly good.

The illustrations are certainly at the DC or Marvel level of quality, and the work done on the character's faces is both quite impressive, and expressive. The woman's face on the top left of the cover, for example, is that of Sarah telling Abraham "I hope this is the last time you tell someone I'm you're sister" (paraphrasing), and the look of irritation and skepticism really comes across.

That particular passage brings up another point, which is that while this "Action Bible" respects the original text, it does modify it to make it appropriate both for the media and the audience of teens and pre-teens it seems to be intended for. Usually, this is not a problem, but there a couple of occasions in which modern usage is used that just seems "not quite right". "These guys" for example, is a phrase that's fine in modern language, but a bit jarring to see used in the BC era. However, I'm sure the anachronism is intentional, to help bring the text to life. In other cases, extra-Biblical dialogue and actions are portrayed, usually to summarize certain events but also to appeal to the audience, such as one of Noah's Sons saying that in the morning he would feed the animals and in the afternoon sweep out their stalls and then do the same the next day. It's a funny scene, and certainly not intended to be irreverent, but those that are really fundamentalist, and can't abide ANY variation from the text - even in a comic book adaption - will probably have a problem with it.

So, bottom line, is this a "Good Book"? I say to thee, verily, goest to thy browser and clicketh to add to thine shopping cart.

I think I hit this product at the wrong time. I was looking for a good Bible for my younger kids, and I think that this will be a good Bible for early teens. The illustrations are beautiful--exciting, wonderfully drawn, with a great sense of urgency and action. The text itself is pretty well done, but remember that this is a graphic novel-ization of the Bible, not a divinely inspired text. It tells the story well, but the grandeur of the Bible is lost a little in translation. I think that this is something which may be more enjoyed in my house as time goes by, so I may need to do an update later, but for now, it will likely just remain on our shelf.