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The Complete Calvin and Hobbes [BOX SET] Paperback – November 13, 2012

by Bill Watterson (Author, Illustrator)

1,181 customer reviews

in Graphic Novel Anthologies

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They’re back! This eagerly awaited four-volume slipcased paperback edition of the original groundbreaking collection features the adventures of Calvin and his pet tiger, Hobbes.

Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger was first syndicated in 1985 and appeared in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. The entire body of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons published in a truly noteworthy tribute to this singular cartoon in The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. Composed of three hardcover, four-color volumes in a sturdy slipcase, this New York Times best-selling edition includes all Calvin and Hobbes cartoons that ever appeared in syndication. This is the treasure that all Calvin and Hobbes fans seek.

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Product Details

Paperback: 1456 pages
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (November 13, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1449433251
ISBN-13: 978-1449433253
Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 5.6 x 11.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.8 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,181 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Anthologies
- #9 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Comic Strips

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Customer Reviews

1,181

4.8 out of 5 stars

5 star		90%
4 star		7%
3 star		1%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1,738 of 1,771 people found the following review helpful

Minor flaws don't take away from this--the ultimate collection.

By ivyspies on October 4, 2005

Format: Hardcover

(I just received this today--The Complete Calvin and Hobbes! 10/4/05)

4.9 Stars

The collection consists of 3 books within one slipcase. Each page notes the date(s) of original publication of the strip(s) on that page. The strips have an appearance of being imposed on the page separately in respect to their original publication dates. This differs from other Calvin and Hobbes collections/treasuries; within those pages you find the strips laid out as a combined whole without distinction between each strip. There are also, of course, the wonderful watercolors by Watterson which appear occasionally, on pages respective of content and chronological order.

Book One starts with a 14-page introduction/forward written autobiographically by Watterson on his view of comics and his relationship with Calvin and Hobbes. Includes photo of Sprite and a few other comics/early works by Watterson, as well as an early version of Calvin and Hobbes. Book One includes all the comics of 1985-1988; Book Two 1988-1992; Book Three 1992-1995.

This is definitely an archival collection and not ideal for constant casual perusing, though the attractiveness makes it hard to resist. The printing, layout, paper, binding are beautiful but any wear and tear would be heart-breaking. This leads me to describe one drawback: these books aren't really hardbound books. They look so, because of their hard covers, but actually they are what's called "cardboard articles", meaning the pages are not stitched to the spine, and instead glued. Albiet, this is common book binding practice, but I'm sure most of us wouldn't have minded paying some more for real hardbound articles for the sake of longevity in preservation.Read more ›

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506 of 518 people found the following review helpful

The Pages are Falling Out

By Matthew Gore on January 20, 2006

Format: Hardcover

I love this strip and I was very excited to see it collected completely in a lovely boxed set. I have only one fault with the item but it is a big one. For a set of this nature and for this price, you would think the publishers could have spent a few extra bucks and given the thing a proper binding! I've read through the collection only twice and the spine is already cracked on volume one and a page has actually come out! How much could a real stitched binding have added to the price? I plan to send my books off to Southern Binding and have them sewn. It will cost me about $30 but I believe it will be well worth it in the long run. Still, I'd rather have paid a few more buck up front.

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210 of 229 people found the following review helpful

Great books...but NOT complete.

By ERK on December 30, 2005

Format: Hardcover

Let me first say that Calvin and Hobbes is by far my favorite cartoon strip of all time. Even better than Far Side. When I first heard that this complete set was coming out I was thrilled! Finally all of Bill Watterson's work would be available in one deluxe book set! This is why I was kind of upset after really going through the set to find out that it's really not complete. It's very close...but definitely not complete.

Sure this set contains all the comics that ran in the newspapers, plus the cover art for the books, and various other special pictures/poems Bill drew for the series... but if you check out some of the older Calvin & Hobbes collections that were released, you'll find a whole bunch of really funny one-picture strips mixed in with the comic strips that are not included in this set. These were never put in the newspapers, they were probably made specifically for the older collections just to fill up space. For example, one of these one-picture strips featured in the very first Calvin and Hobbes collection shows a terrified Calvin in the back of car his Mom is driving holding up a big sign to the other drivers that says he's been kidnapped. Hilarious stuff...which makes me wonder why it wasn't included in this "COMPLETE" Calvin and Hobbes set.

Then there's also a bunch of pictures at the beginning and end of certain Calvin and Hobbes colections that didn't make it to these sets. For instance, at the very end of the collection "Scientific Progess Goes Boink", there is a large picture showing Susie looking down on the sidewalk shocked to see a crude drawing of herself, while Calvin and Hobbes are laughing behind a tree. Why wasn't this included?!

All in all, I do realize that I'm nitpicking with these left out pictures and one-picture strips.Read more ›

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166 of 187 people found the following review helpful

STUPENDOUS!!! But MAN, its heavy...

By Dinesh A. Gomes on October 18, 2005

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

Don't think I could add a whole lot more to what's already been said about the collection.
However, one point thats been slightly understated is the weight. The package is big, heavy and unweildy. With each book weighing just over 7 lbs., God Forbid if you drop one of 'em on your foot.
Also, if you're buying the collection to READ the stories, it would make more sense to buy the individual books (as many fans, including myself already have the other books and bought this as a collectors item - this is something you want preserved, not dog-eared in a year). There is a website out there that specifically lists which of the C&H books you would need to have in order to own every single strip without duplicates.

But having said all that, and aside from any doting fanglorious discourse, what I really liked about the collection was that:
1) Since it has the strip in chronological order, its the first opportunity to watch how Bill Watterson's artwork and style evolved over the years. It also gives you the chance to see when new characters and alter-egos of Calvin were introduced into the strip- I was a kid when C&H ran in my newspaper so I dont remember whether Rosalyn came in right from the beginning or at the end of the series, etc.
2) The lengthy preface by the reclusive Watterson is itself worth the cost of the book. Hearing his take on how the strip came about, his philosophy on things and his piece on why he was against merchandising the characters, are all priceless bits of information. Happy Reading!
An intersting bit of C&H trivia - Hampster Huey & the Gooey Kablooie really is a book (and you can buy it on Amazon too!).

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Every Calvin and Hobbes strip. What else do you need to know?

It's every Calvin and Hobbes strip. The physical product is high quality. It's basically as awesome as you think it's going to be.

Published 1 day ago by A. Riley

Five Stars

Super clean

Published 3 days ago by Michael Scott Klouda

I am so glad we got this

My family loves this comic. I am so glad we got this, it has the whole collection.

Published 3 days ago by Aunty EM

Five Stars

Wife loves it.

Published 4 days ago by Benjamin Proctor

Five Stars

Very nice set

Published 5 days ago by melinda

Five Stars

Great

Published 7 days ago by cblevins

who has loved Calvin and Hobbes since he was a young boy-he ...

The set was a gift for my son, who has loved Calvin and Hobbes since he was a young boy-he was pleased with it.

Published 7 days ago by sassy

Still funny after all these years

I absolutely love Calvin and Hobbes. If you are reading this you may as well indulge yourself. It is a lot to pay for a comic book but the hours of giggling is well worth the... Read more

Published 7 days ago by obsidianlover

Timeless Calvin & Hobbes

My husband loved it as a kid, and again now as an adult! He and our kids have enjoyed reading his Father's Day gift together. Read more

Published 10 days ago by Tracy Quamme

I have always loved Calvin and Hobbes and had some paper backs from...

I have always loved Calvin and Hobbes and had some paper backs from when i was a kid and really wanted to collect everything when i can across this set. Read more

Published 10 days ago by Juan