Sheer essentiality.

If you are even a casual fan of Calvin and Hobbes, or just a lover of good comic strips, you need to shut down your computer and run to Barnes and Noble or whatever and get this book. You need this book beside your bed, in the bathroom, anywhere. It is what I would consider to be the most essential comic strip collection ever.

This large book is Bill Watterson's look back on ten years of drawing Calvin and Hobbes. It showcases many of Calvin's best strips in both full color and black and white, and includes commentary on some of the major character and plot lines that have appeared in the strip over time. Watterson also talks about his problems with licensing, the Universal Press Syndicate, writer's block, and his general concerns with the comic industry.

If you have all the other Calvin and Hobbes books, then there's a good chance you've seen a lot of the material in "Tenth Anniversay Book". Don't let that discourage you from picking it up. Watterson's reflections on the characters at the beginning of the book are absolutely priceless, and his commentary on aspects of Calvin and the other character's personalities are excellent as well. That being said, this book would also be a great starter for anyone looking to delve into the realm of Calvin and Hobbes, but I think die hard fans will enjoy it even more.

The best thing about this book is that it collects the most essential aspects of Calvin in one good compendium. Wheras most of the other collections just consist of the Calvin and Hobbes strips of the year they were produced, this contains the best and most essential strips from the 1985-1995 period.

All of the best elements of the strip are included. Spaceman Spiff, Tracer Bullet, and Stupendous Man all make appearances. Calvin's conflicts with his babysitter Rosalyn, his parents, and Susie (and the Get Rid Of Slimy girlS club) are also explored.

Everything that made Calvin and Hobbes one of the greatest comic strips of all time is in this book. At the time of it's publishing it only cost $15 US, and you can probably find it a lot cheaper today, which makes this a great value.

Bottom line: If you like Calvin and Hobbes and don't own this book, something is wrong.