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For Better or For Worse: The Complete Library #1
For Better or For Worse: The Complete Library, Vol. 1: 1979-1982
Say hello to Elly, John, and the entire Patterson family. It’s the definitive edition to add to your library!
For Better or For Worse is one of the most beloved comic strips of all time, with a devoted audience of more than 220 million. This new series, produced with Lynn Johnston ’s cooperation, collects three decades of comics in nine volumes.
Since For Better or For Worse debuted in 1979, the world has watched the Patterson family grow up in real time--and to many readers, they feel like family! This premiere volume includes more than 1,200 sequential daily and Sunday comics--from the beginning! With all of the Sunday comics printed in their original color!
This book is the perfect place to start for both long-time fans and new readers alike. Elizabeth grows from baby to toddler and learns how to talk, Michael goes to kindergarten and meets new friends, John juggles dentistry and diapers, while Elly manages the daily duties of being a dedicated mom, wife, and eventual student, as well as being a willing ear to her friends.
Each volume also contains a number of annotations by Lynn Johnston detailing motivations for certain strips, funny anecdotes, observations about the reaction from fans, and much more!
For Better or For Worse is one of the most beloved comic strips of all time, with a devoted audience of more than 220 million. This new series, produced with Lynn Johnston ’s cooperation, collects three decades of comics in nine volumes.
Since For Better or For Worse debuted in 1979, the world has watched the Patterson family grow up in real time--and to many readers, they feel like family! This premiere volume includes more than 1,200 sequential daily and Sunday comics--from the beginning! With all of the Sunday comics printed in their original color!
This book is the perfect place to start for both long-time fans and new readers alike. Elizabeth grows from baby to toddler and learns how to talk, Michael goes to kindergarten and meets new friends, John juggles dentistry and diapers, while Elly manages the daily duties of being a dedicated mom, wife, and eventual student, as well as being a willing ear to her friends.
Each volume also contains a number of annotations by Lynn Johnston detailing motivations for certain strips, funny anecdotes, observations about the reaction from fans, and much more!
528 pages, Hardcover
Published November 14, 2017
76 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Johnston
143 books134 followersLynn Johnston CM OM is a Canadian cartoonist, well known for her comic strip For Better or For Worse, and was the first female cartoonist to win the Reuben Award.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 8, 2020
A classic comic strip is given the deluxe treatment! Thanks to the continuity between the daily gags that actually sees the Patterson family age in close to real time, this will be a pretty massive graphic novel once the entire thirty-year run is collected. Nine big volumes are planned.
In this first book, the humor is tame and gentle but ages fairly well, though the husband regularly comes off as a complete jerk.
Johnston adds an occasional footnote to select strips, giving a few tidbits for fans if nothing revelatory.
In this first book, the humor is tame and gentle but ages fairly well, though the husband regularly comes off as a complete jerk.
Johnston adds an occasional footnote to select strips, giving a few tidbits for fans if nothing revelatory.
June 9, 2021
For Better or Worse was my least favorite comic to read in the Sunday morning paper as a kid. However, I thought maybe the subject matter was above my head and I thought I'd give the first volume a try. Sad to say I'm still not a fan. Garfield will forever be my favorite comic!
September 17, 2023
I’m so happy they published these as full collections now!
November 10, 2017
The daily comic strip may be the ideal format for telling the story of a family. Life isn't necessarily one big epic story with an overarching theme; more often, it's just a collection of small moments that add up to a mosaic document. That's certainly the case with Lynn Johnson's award-winning comic strip, the first three years (of thirty!) of which are collected here. As with the early days of any comic, we see the artist figuring out how to draw the characters and tell the story, growing more polished as the days, weeks, months, and years wear on. For Better or For Worse has always been a popular strip, because its jokes come from the heart, from everyday life. As a longtime fan of the strip, it was a lot of fun revisiting these early days, and I look forward to seeing the strip grow and deepen all over again as future volumes are released.
April 21, 2024
I loved this strip as a kid, and re-reading it as an adult, I newly appreciate its complexity and humor. This new anthology is beautifully done; the perfect way to read For Better or for Worse straight through from the beginning.
December 13, 2022
Several Laugh-Out-Loud Moments
Comic series from the beginning
Decades ago when I used to get the newspaper, I read nearly all the comic series, and this was among my favorites, as I was raising my own family at that time. Very much a distraction from current projects, and enjoyed for that very reason. The occasional liner notes were an added bonus. The restoration was well done, and to my mind, historically important for many reasons for what the series captured and preserved; the younger generation can learn what they missed out "in olden times." A recent survey, for example, showed how clueless the younger set were when presented a rotary telephone and asked to demonstrate how to use it. Most were unable to do so, the automated and voice commands both getting in the way of actually being able to make a call. Think of the fourth Star Trek movie when Scotty sits and says, "Hello, computer," and is then told he has to type in the commands. "How quaint" indeed!
Be warned the volumes are space intensive and can take a while to download and to load to read. If I had the space, I would have purchased physical copies as for some stories, there's nothing like weight and feel of a real book in one's hands.
Worth the price. Enjoyed and recommended.
Comic series from the beginning
Decades ago when I used to get the newspaper, I read nearly all the comic series, and this was among my favorites, as I was raising my own family at that time. Very much a distraction from current projects, and enjoyed for that very reason. The occasional liner notes were an added bonus. The restoration was well done, and to my mind, historically important for many reasons for what the series captured and preserved; the younger generation can learn what they missed out "in olden times." A recent survey, for example, showed how clueless the younger set were when presented a rotary telephone and asked to demonstrate how to use it. Most were unable to do so, the automated and voice commands both getting in the way of actually being able to make a call. Think of the fourth Star Trek movie when Scotty sits and says, "Hello, computer," and is then told he has to type in the commands. "How quaint" indeed!
Be warned the volumes are space intensive and can take a while to download and to load to read. If I had the space, I would have purchased physical copies as for some stories, there's nothing like weight and feel of a real book in one's hands.
Worth the price. Enjoyed and recommended.
September 1, 2019
I don't know exactly what I can say here about the For Better or For Worse comic strip that would shock anyone.
Simply put, I am a huge fan of the series and in this beautiful new collection of the strip's first three years, those who have been by the Patterson family's side for more than three decades will revel in revisiting the early days of the strip. For new readers, they get the privilege of starting from the beginning with what I firmly believe is the best comic strip to ever be done.
The storytelling is always great and we get the original versions of the strips with everything left in that was edited or cut out when the strip entered re-runs after its end in 2008. As for the art, you can see how Lynn Johnston's craft started out and how it was refined over the life of the series.
It took me a while to get through this book since it was over 500 pages long but savoring each strip in the book made it time well spent.
This is a collection every fan should have in their collection.
Simply put, I am a huge fan of the series and in this beautiful new collection of the strip's first three years, those who have been by the Patterson family's side for more than three decades will revel in revisiting the early days of the strip. For new readers, they get the privilege of starting from the beginning with what I firmly believe is the best comic strip to ever be done.
The storytelling is always great and we get the original versions of the strips with everything left in that was edited or cut out when the strip entered re-runs after its end in 2008. As for the art, you can see how Lynn Johnston's craft started out and how it was refined over the life of the series.
It took me a while to get through this book since it was over 500 pages long but savoring each strip in the book made it time well spent.
This is a collection every fan should have in their collection.
November 3, 2019
Five Stars! In the pages of this book, I was completely transported back to the days of my carefree childhood. My family often mirrored several of the comic strip stories, at times it felt as though Lynn Johnston was looking directly into our living room window. So when I saw this volume, I knew I needed to own it. I knew it was a book that would be read and reread by all of my family, these comics are truly timeless and can be read for years to come. Growing up, my sister and I actually used to watch the tv show that was based off of the comics with our mom. Our favourite episode was always the Christmas Angel one, that would always air each year. I remember often watching it as we set up our Christmas tree.
I also really enjoyed reading the little notes from Lynn Johnston throughout the book., It was neat to get a “behind the scenes look.”
I also really enjoyed reading the little notes from Lynn Johnston throughout the book., It was neat to get a “behind the scenes look.”
January 15, 2021
I’ve loved For Better or For Worse since I was a kid, since before I could understand most of the gags. It’s the 3rd time I read these comic strips chronologically. Reading it now, in my early 30s, it hits differently. I feel for Elly when John’s comes home from work and wonders what she’s done all day or doesn’t help her clean up after dinner because he’s worked all day. Many things have changed in 40 years. Especially within the family dynamic.
I’m glad to see these characters evolve and grow up as time goes by, seeing some changes in family love and values.
I still love the Patterson’s and Farley (can’t forget Farley)!!!
I’m glad to see these characters evolve and grow up as time goes by, seeing some changes in family love and values.
I still love the Patterson’s and Farley (can’t forget Farley)!!!
December 8, 2017
I have a tremendous amount of nostalgia for this comic strip. I basically grew up with Michael and Elizabeth, and there's something really poignant about being a parent of a Michael-aged child and reading them again. This is a family epic told in bite-sized pieces, with messy and complicated and very real characters, living real lives that I can relate to; there's no manufactured drama and there's a lot of heart and wisdom. It's not all brilliant and perfect, but sometimes it is - and a lot of the time it's "just" funny and completely relatable.
December 11, 2018
Fun little diversion from all the depressing books and comics put out today. This was a great newspaper strip because of the continuity Lynn Johnston instilled into the comics. You literally grow with this family as you read the strips and that's what makes an archival volume like The Complete Library the best way to read them. Some of the marital sentiments displayed here will seem dated to the modern reader, but honestly it's quite progressive writing for being 40 years old at this point. Very highly recommended!
May 6, 2020
Such a marvellous trip down memory lane going through the complete comics, weekend colour and daily black and white from the beginning of “For Better or For Worse” on 09 September 1979.
I so enjoyed watching Lynn Johnston capture glimpses of my life and the lives of my friends through her wonderful cartoons. And just think I’ve only just begin! Thanks Lynn for many years of memories and chuckles!
I so enjoyed watching Lynn Johnston capture glimpses of my life and the lives of my friends through her wonderful cartoons. And just think I’ve only just begin! Thanks Lynn for many years of memories and chuckles!
February 6, 2021
I always loved FBoFW in the paper, but always knew there was large parts of the story I had missed. Now, I can see the beginnings of the strip and see how all of the characters develop. There are occasional notes from the author that help put some context on certain things. While there are the occasional dated references, most of the sentiments expressed are just as relevant today as they were forty years ago. Looking forward to reading the next volume.
August 4, 2019
Loved finally reading the beginning of the story after reading the sunday comics for years. I've also read some of the shorter books but I've rarely gotten to read anything from when Michael was a kid.
I loved how this collection was laid out and the little notes from Lynn and I can't wait to get the whole collection.
I loved how this collection was laid out and the little notes from Lynn and I can't wait to get the whole collection.
May 5, 2021
What a delight it is to read this comic strip again! I hadn't read these earlier ones so it's neat to see Michael and Elizabeth so young. I do think these aren't quite as strong as the later ones in this comic strip but I still enjoyed this very much.
June 23, 2019
A trip down memory lane!
October 10, 2020
Loved this!!!
February 5, 2023
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!? Lynn Johnston has got me again.
January 9, 2024
My favorite comic. Three years worth in one large, heavy book!
January 24, 2024
These stripes were published before I was born, and I don't remember reading the reprints in the naughts, but I get a feeling of nostalgia reading them.
December 7, 2018
By Far will always be my favorite comic strip!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews