This was the book that first hooked my on "Calvin and Hobbes" back when I was in college and the strip did not yet appear in our local paper. The artistry of the drawing and the quality of the comic writing is immediately apparent. Bill Watterson is a comic genius whose presence has been sorely missed on the funny pages since his retirement. What is really remarkable is the consistency of his work. Any Calvin and Hobbes collection is a treasure, and this one is no exception.