This is a collection of the first three years worth of strips from the online comic Penny Arcade, which is mostly about videogames and geek culture.

Unless you want a printed copy to read cozily on the couch or something, the book (especially the e-book) doesn't really offer much of anything over the online archives. There's a foreword by the creator of the FoxTrot comic and one by Tycho himself and each strip is accompanied by a short, usually funny or explanatory comment by Tycho. This is very welcome since many of the references in the comics are way obscure even for an alpha geek.

This sounds kinda critical, but it's really hard to imagine what else they could have done. Perhaps include some exclusive content (other than the short comments), not available online? ( )

The best thing I can really say about this collection is that the comic has gotten a lot better since these strips. For completists only. ( )

Capisco che il fumetto sia bello e interessante, purtroppo però mi mancano troppi riferimenti ai giochi di quegli anni per poterlo apprezzare.

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I see that the comic is nice and interesting, unfortunately I miss lots of games references to fully appreciate it. ( )

I liked it but they rely too much on one offs. Makes it hard to follow. Maybe I'm just more used to comics that follow a plot. ( )

Merideth says: Gabe and Tycho are gamers. Hardcore gamers. No demo goes unplayed, no system goes unpurchased. They make their frequently opinions about games, platforms and the gaming industry known to all in these funny, frequently profane comic strips.

These are comic strips, in the truest sense of the word. Each stands alone; continuity is rarely present. This first collection shows the evolution of the strip from its earliest years. This is particularly evident in the artwork, which has moved from rough caricature to a much more polished, animated style. Violence, crude sexual humor and profanity prevail. These books appeal to a very narrow segment of the population; those who geek and game will find them hilarious -- every one else will struggle to care. ( )