The quintessential warrior-philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a theoretical guide to military strategy still used today. But the path to enlightenment in feudal era Japan was fraught with peril. At seventeen years of age, Musashi—still known by his childhood name, Shinmen Takezō—was a wild young brute just setting out along the way of the sword.In the aftermath of the epic Battle of Sekigahara, Takezō finds himself a fugitive survivor on the losing side of the war. Takezō's vicious nature has made him an outcast even in his own village, and he is hunted down like an animal. At this crucial crossroads in Takezō's life, an eccentric monk and a childhood friend are the only ones who can help him find his way.

    Louis 0 1927.Times change. Laws change. People still want booze.For the better part of a decade, hidden beneath the inconspicuous Little Daisy Cafe, the city's best-kept secret has slaked the thirst of a prohibition-wearied populace.Lackadaisy.Unfortunately, the once raucous and roaring speakeasy now rests at a crossroads, its golden age seemingly at an end. Lackadaisy's remaining loyalists are left with few options.But with all the cunning, tenacity, and sly ingenuity they can muster, they might just have a chance.And if that doesn't work, fire does.

    "Dragon Ball," a wry update on the Chinese "Monkey King" myth, introduces us to Son Go Son Goku, a young monkey-tailed boy whose quiet life is turned upside-down when he meets Bulma, a girl determined to collect the seven "Dragon Balls." If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and to get them she needs the help of a certain super-strong boy. The VIZBIG edition of "Dragon Ball "contains volumes 1-3, bonus color content and updated text. Before there was "Dragon Ball Z," there was Akira Toriyama's action epic "Dragon Ball," starring the younger version of Son Goku and all the other "Dragon Ball Z" heroes Meet a naive young monkey-tailed boy named Goku, whose quiet life changes when he meets Bulma, a girl who is on a quest to collect seven "Dragon Balls." If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and Bulma needs Goku's help (and his super-strength) With a magic staff for a weapon and a flying cloud for a ride, Goku sets out on the adventure of a lifetime...

    During World War 1, gruff Germany finds Italy hiding in a wooden box of tomatoes. World War I quickly comes to an end, but World War II is right on its heels! This time, Italy tries his best to become friends with Germany.

    She’s loved them from a young age and has carried that love with her to her new life in the big city of Tokyo. There, she resides in Amamizukan, a safe-haven for girl geeks who regularly gush over a range of things from trains to Japanese dolls. However, a chance meeting at a pet shop has Tsukimi crossing paths with one of the things that the residents of Amamizukan have been desperately trying to avoid—a beautiful and fashionable woman! But there’s much more to this woman than her trendy clothes! This odd encounter is only the beginning of a new and unexpected path for Tsukimi and her friends.

    He embarks on a road trip to escape it all, and he soon discovers the only one he can count on completely is his faithful, recently adopted dog, who helps him see the light at the end of the tunnel. Illustrating the valuable lessons of friendship and loyalty, this is a heartwarming tale of two endearing characters and their shared adventure into the unknown.

    Set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, it tells the saga of Himura Kenshin, once an assassin of ferocious power, now a humble rurouni, a wandering swordsman fighting to protect the honor of those in need. A hundred and fifty years ago in Kyoto, amid the flames of revolution, there arose a warrior, an assassin of such ferocious power he was given the title Hitokiri: Manslayer. With his bloodstained blade, Hitokiri Battosai helped close the turbulent Bakumatsu period and end the reign of the shoguns, slashing open the way toward the progressive Meiji Era.  Then he vanished, and with the flow of years became legend. In the 11th year of Meiji, in the middle of Tokyo, the tale begins. Himura Kenshin, a humble rurouni, or wandering swordsman, comes to the aid of Kamiya Kaoru, a young woman struggling to defend her father's school of swordsmanship against attacks by the infamous Hitokiri Battosai. But neither Kenshin nor Battosai are quite what they seem... This VIZBIG edition of Rurouni Kenshin contains Volumes 1-3, bonus color content, and updated text.

    After mysterious swathes of destruction begin to appear and an ominous fog envelops the town, preventing the people from leaving, Tonio, Gowdy's grandson recognizes these phenomena as having been predictions in his grandfather's diaryÉ predictions that the integrity of space and time are under threat from a battle between the legendary Pokémon Diagla and Darkrai. Will Ash and his friends be able to save Álamos Town? This is the manga tie in to Pokémon Movie 10: Dialga vs. Palkia vs. Darkrai.

    Not only has she inducted Mariko into a circle of new friends and helped her overcome her shyness and sense of isolation, but both girls have awakened feelings they never knew they had.In the course of their evolving relationship, Akko and Mariko have struggled against every emotional hurdle one would expect from a burgeoning romance between high school girls. One big question remains: are they ready to face the world as a couple?

    I think you're in for a real treat." --Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes, 2008"One of the five best features in any newspaper, period." --The Comics Reporter"One of the few strips around where nearly every individual panel is stand-alone delight." --The Onion "...it really seems like the inheritor of 'Calvin and Hobbes.'" --Art Spiegelman"I can't say enough in his favor, so much is my admiration for his work." --Pat OliphantMore than half of our nation's population resides in the 'burbs. Knowingly, Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac follows the antics of four-year-old Alice Otterloop as she navigates her way through life at Blisshaven Preschool, "the scene of [her] daily toil." Suburbanites across the nation will easily recognize the quirks and conundrums associated with house-lined streets, sidewalk canvases, and magnetified refrigerator art.Instructed by the proper Miss Bliss, Alice regularly has issues with taking a nap, speaking out of turn, and remembering what a triangle looks like. Helping her through life's ups and downs are her eight-year-old brother Petey, Dad (a.k.a. Peter), and Mom (a.k.a. Madeline), as well as Mr. Danders, the preschool's pompously pedantic guinea pig.This is the strip's first book collection incorporating more than a year's worth of strips dating back to the cartoon's 2007 debut. Thompson has received critical praise for doing a masterful job of commenting on social issues while entertaining in a freshly amusing and unexpected way.

    Organized by decade, each with an introduction by Jim Davis, this lavishly illustrated volume features more than four hundred strips, including thirty of Jim Davis's all-time favorites-with informative remarks from Jim on why they made the grade. Packed with early sketches, enlightening quotes, and fun facts (did you know that the Garfield comic was originally titled Jon?), this book shows how Garfield evolved from a witty kitty to a world-renowned fat cat.Of Jim Davis's "little hobby," Blondie cartoonist Dean Young writes: "Every one of [these] little treasures is an exquisite menagerie of comic timing, writing, and cartoon art. It's easy to see why his strip is continually voted one of the best on our planet by readers everywhere."So if you appreciate the unparalleled splendors of layered pasta, need something to ward off those nap attacks, or have a healthy appetite for humor, 30 Years of Laughs & Lasagna is just the ticket. Perhaps Jim Davis puts it best: "This whole line of work is to make people happy and smile." Garfield's millions of fans couldn't agree more.

    WHEN A LOVABLE, lonely robot named WALL-E falls in love with a sophisticated female robot named EVE, he follows his heart all the way into outer space! Young fans will enjoy this Little Golden Book retelling of Disney/Pixar's WALL-E.

    The Sea Temple contains a hidden treasure, the Sea Crown, but no one has ever seen it because the temple is protected by a secret mechanism. So it drifts through the vast ocean undetected, waiting... waiting...Ash and Pikachu learn about the legend and meet Jackie, a Pokémon Ranger on a mission to protect a Manaphy egg and find the temple. The Phantom, a nefarious pirate, plans to obtain the Sea Crown and take over the world--but first he needs the Manaphy egg. What is the Sea Crown? How does Manaphy's mysterious power connect it to the Sea Temple? Can Ash help Jackie complete his mission?

    As he fights against them, their leader is confronted by none other than Bishop. Meanwhile, back at the church, Heine begins to reveal to Badou and Naoto the terrible history of his “collar” and his childhood Below.

    Enter Nothing Nice to Say. Mitch Clem's Nothing Nice to Say leaves no mohawked, leather-jacket-clad stone unturned in its mission to expose the awesomeness and the absurdity of punk culture. Sometimes esoteric and always hilarious, Nothing Nice is so punk you'd think the book was bound with safety pins.

    But even that hell can't match the fury of five women scorned: Frank killed their husbands, and now they're out for payback. Plus, the Punisher hunts the biggest game of all! Barracuda seeks bloody revenge! And tales from Frank Castle's beginning and end - featuring his childhood and his last stand in an apocalyptic future. Nobody takes Punisher to the MAX like Garth Ennis! COLLECTING: PUNISHER (2004) 31-60, PUNISHER PRESENTS: BARRACUDA 1-5, PUNISHER: THE TYGER, PUNISHER: THE CELL, UNISHER: THE END

    Now Ageha's on a quest to find her. He's convinced that the mythical Psyren Secret Society has something to do with the recent rash of disappearances. And now he seems to be caught up as a player in their very deadly game...

    As part of a ruthless program by the totalitarian government, ninth-grade students are taken to a small isolated island with a map, food, and various weapons. Forced to wear special collars that explode when they break a rule, they must fight each other for three days until only one "winner" remains. The elimination contest becomes the ultimate in must-see reality television. A Japanese pulp classic available in English for the first time, Battle Royale is a potent allegory of what it means to be young and survive in today's dog-eat-dog world. The first novel by small-town journalist Koushun Takami, it went on to become an even more notorious film by 70-year-old director Kinji Fukusaku. \

    She's the number-one student at her school...or at least she was until she was shown up by the new boy, Soichiro Arima. He one-ups her in every department, and the worst thing about it is that he's sincere! With her ego in jeopardy, Yukino will do whatever it takes to regain the spotlight, but falling in love was never part of the plan.

    It begins, blossoms, and then falls apart - as she sails solo on the ocean, pictorally speaking. The first Invincible Summer character to use a real name goes from hero to villain in these 5 issues. We're also treated to the usual vegan recipes, priceless moments, friendships, humor, fashion, and heart from this rad Portland lady.

    WOLVERINE: ENEMY OF THE STATE's team of MARK MILLAR (CIVIL WAR) and JOHN ROMITA JR. (WORLD WAR HULK) reunite for the best new book of the 21st century. Have you ever wanted to be a super hero? Dreamed of donning a mask and just heading outside to some kick-ass? Well, this is the book for you--the comic that starts where other super hero books draw the line. KICK-ASS is realistic super heroes taken to the next level. Miss out and you're an idiot!

    revealing old truths and new wrinkles in Courtney's relationship with her Uncle.

    It has been six years since Battler joined his cousins at the annual event, but their happy reunion is overshadowed by worsening weather and an eerie premonition from his youngest cousin-not to mention their parents' feud over the inheritance. Battler doesn't hold much stock in dark omens, nor does he believe the tales of the witch rumored to have given his grandfather a fortune in gold...and who walks the halls of the mansion to this day... But when the eighteen family members and servants are trapped on the island by the raging typhoon, the grisly events that follow leave Battler shaken to his core. Is one of his relatives desperate enough to kill for the family fortune? Or is this the work of the Golden Witch?

    The story of the improbable meeting between Aki, an orphan girl, and Toru, a cursed Lycan with red eyes.Re-discover the myth of the Beast of Gévaudan !Beware the wolf....

    They are searching for the enigmatic Sunflower Samurai, but along the way they come across a collection of deceptive and insidious characters: ninjas, assassins, and even a prince in disguise. The journey proves to be nothing less than a roller coaster ride of battles, danger, desperation and companionship!

    Featuring some of the Green Goliath's most pivotal moments and including art and stories by the cream of Marvel's talent, this is an unmissable slice of Hulk history.

    The creative force behind such best-selling titles as Fathom, Soulfire, and Witchblade, and the cover artist to numerous mainstream comic events such as Marvel's Civil War and DC Comics' Identity Crisis and Justice League of America, Michael Turner's artistic vision was unlimited. In honor of Turner's tremendous spirit and body of work, as well as his countless contributions to the comic book industry, Aspen Comics and the entire comic book community will return the favor by remembering Michael's amazing life both in and outside of comics.

    America's icon Teddy Roosevelt battles Mayan gods and Martians in Creatures to protect his country and the world. Enter Swamp Demon as the battle against good and evil wages on in the land of Iparsia, and two horror classics collide toe-to-toe in Dracula Meets the Wolfman! All brought to life by some of the industries' top creators, along with new, never-before-printed bonus material.

    Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko is a coffee table art book tracing Ditko's life and career, his unparalleled stylistic innovations, his strict adherence to his own (and Randian) principles, with lush displays of obscure and popular art from the thousands of pages of comics he's drawn over the last 55 years.

    A quarterly mook (magazine/book hybrid) that's a combination fashion magazine, culture guide, and art book, the Bible caters to fans of two separate but related fashions: Gothic and--to a greater extent--Lolita. Volume 1 of the U.S. edition offers content from four volumes of this definitive Japanese mook for the first time in English, along with exciting original content covering the Gothic and Lolita culture in North America.

    As a bonus, this collection will also include the series 'Ballistic: Assault with a Deadly Woman'.

    A quarterly mook (magazine/book hybrid) that's a combination fashion magazine, culture guide, and art book, the Bible caters to fans of two separate but related fashions: Gothic and - to a greater extent - Lolita. Volume 3 of the U.S. edition offers content from volume 26 (September 2007) of this definitive Japanese mook, published in English for the first time, along with exciting original content covering the Gothic and Lolita culture in North America.

    Iron Man's first few years of activity took him through three sets of armor and his first several showdowns with such archenemies as the Mandarin and the Titanium Man - and confrontations with major menaces like the Chameleon, Count Nefaria, and the Mad Thinker.