Its rise was due in large part to Phil Seuling, the entrepreneur whose direct market model allowed shops to get comics straight from the publishers. Stores could then better customize their offerings and independent publishers could access national distribution. Shops opened up a space for quirky ideas to gain an audience and helped transform small-press series, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Bone, into media giants.Comic Shop is the first book to trace the history of these cultural icons. Dan Gearino brings us from their origins to the present-day, when the rise of digital platforms and a changing retail landscape have the industry at a crossroads. When the book was first published in 2017, Gearino had spent a year with stores around the country, following how they navigated the business. For this updated and expanded paperback edition, he covers the wild retail landscape of 2017 and 2018, a time that was brutal for stores and rich for comics as an art form.Along the way he interviews pioneers of comics retailing and other important players, including many women; top creators; and those who continue to push the business in new directions. A revised guide to dozens of the most interesting shops around the United States and Canada is a bonus for fans.

    The city is in the merciless grip of the Red Hood gang, many of whose members have been blackmailed into a life of crime by the mysterious Red Hood Number One. Before long Bruce is forced out into the open and his return becomes public. In order to continue his fight he decides that he must become something more - the Batman!Contents: Batman #21-26

    Also included is a afterword by celebrated Fables writer/creator Bill Willingham. Designed and annotated by the artist, this deluxe, oversized hardcover includes ten vellum sleeve inserts, an embossed case and other fine art details that make Fables: Covers by James Jean as elegant and unique as the Fables covers themselves.

    A bright, shining day in Metropolis is interrupted by a mysterious drone that crash-lands in the city and starts wreaking havoc. This looks like a job for Superman! But where did the metallic menace come from, what is its purpose, and who is Brainiac?

    Over the past eight decades, Batman has remained at the forefront of popular culture, which is in no small part because of this comic book series that is synonymous with the Dark Knight! Celebrate Detective Comics with DC, as we revisit classic stories from comics from the 1930s onward, featuring some of Batman's greatest allies and villains and work from some of the greatest creators ever to grace the graphic-literature medium!With a new cover by DC publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee. Curated by guest editor Paul Levitz, it features reprints of the Dark Knight’s most memorable adventures, from his first appearance to the debuts of Robin, Batwoman, Bat-Mite and Batgirl, as well as villains including Two-Face, the Riddler, Clayface, Man-Bat and more. This hardcover also spotlights crime-fighters including Slam Bradley, Air Wave, the Boy Commandos, the Martian Manhunter and the 1970s Manhunter, Paul Kirk!And, published for the first time anywhere: a new tale of a traumatic early moment in Bruce Wayne’s life written by Paul Levitz with art by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz, and an extraordinary look at a long-ago work in progress—the original layouts for the Batman tale from DETECTIVE COMICS #200, as illustrated by Lew Sayre Schwartz (and signed “Bob Kane”). As if that’s not enough, this volume includes essays on Batman from contributors including Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Glen David Gold, Dennis O’Neil, former San Diego police chief Shelley Zimmerman and pulp historian Anthony Tollin. This is sure to be the celebration of the year!

    And you won't believe your eyes when Batman uncovers the Black Mask's true identity!Collects BATMAN #692-699

    SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD features the first and greatest super hero the world has ever known: Superman Witness the events that have made The Man of Steel one of the most recognizable icons on the planet, captivating audiences and sparking imaginations

    This book by one of Wired magazine's art directors traverses the graphic world through a collection of pie charts, bar graphs, timelines, scatter plots, and more. Super Graphic offers readers a unique look at the intricate and sometimes contradictory storylines that weave their way through comic books, and shares advice for navigating the pages of some of the most popular, longest-running, and best-loved comics and graphic novels out there. From a colorful breakdown of the DC Comics reader demographic to a witty Venn diagram of superhero comic tropes and a Chris Ware sadness scale, this book charts the most arbitrary and monumental characters, moments, and equipment of the wide world of comics.

    Which means one thing: the Rogues are up to something, and only the Flash can stop them! But first Barry Allen needs to track down his classic cadre of villains, who've vanished in advance of their greatest plan ever. From up-and-coming writer Joshua Williamson (Illuminati, Red Skull) and illustrator Carmine Di Giandomenico comes THE FLASH: THE REBIRTH DELUXE EDITION BOOK 2! This collection features paperback volumes 3 and 4 of the series, combined to make a deluxe edition graphic novel in hardcover for the first time ever. Collects issues #14-27.

    The Caped Crusader teams up with some of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes in this titanic volume guest-starring Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, The Atom, Green Arrow and many others.

    Every iconic hero and villain is catalogued in this lush celebration of Marvel's 70-year history, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk.

    Packed with information on allies, enemies, locations, and much more, DC Comics: Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Guide to the Amazon Warrior is a must-have book for fans of DC Comics, Wonder Woman comics and characters, and the Justice League of America.Keep Faith. Trust Love. Fight with Honor. But Fight to Win. Copyright (c) 2017 DC Comics. WONDER WOMAN and all related characters and elements (c) & (TM) DC Comics. WB SHIELD: (TM) & (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s17) Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston.

    What happens when a new gang of metahumans shows up in town? And what happens when one of them is way, way stronger than Barry? And what about when Barry discovers that the love of his life is in a secret relationship with one of his co-workers?? All this and more in our stunning first chapter!

    Arranged in an easy-to-use A-Z format, this book devotes a full page to each character, covering both major characters such as Superman and Batman, as well as lesser-known characters such as Captain Boomerang and the Question. The main text on each page gives an overview of the characters' history and personality, while the vital stat boxes provide all the essential details about their background, physical features, and powers. With accessible text and carefully chosen DC comic-book art, this is the perfect guide to the DC Universe for readers 7 and up.

    Terry Gilliam also started at his side, met an unknown John Cleese in the process, and the genesis of Monty Python was formed. Art Spiegelman has stated on record that he owes his career to him. And he's one of Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner's favorite artists.Harvey Kurtzman had a Midas touch for talent, but was himself an astonishingly talented and influential artist, writer, editor, and satirist. The creator of MAD and Playboy's "Little Annie Fanny" was called, "One of the most important figures in postwar America" by the New York Times. Kurtzman's groundbreaking "realistic" war comics of the early '50s and various satirical publications (MAD, Trump, Humbug, and Help!) had an immense impact on popular culture, inspiring a generation of underground cartoonists. Without Kurtzman, it's unlikely we'd have had Airplane, SNL, or National Lampoon.The Art of Harvey Kurtzman is the first and only authorized celebration of this "Master of American Comics." This definitive book includes hundreds of never-before-seen illustrations, paintings, pencil sketches, newly discovered lost E.C. Comics layouts, color compositions, illustrated correspondence, and vintage photos from the rich Kurtzman archives