Narrated by Stan (the Man) Lee, that stellar storyman who saw comics as more than dime-store material and turned his characters into 20th-century mythology.Included are the beginnings of The Fantastic Four, which hurled Marvel out of the area of monsters without soul into the age of cosmic heroes; The Hulk, brilliant scientist turned muddled monster; Spider-Man, the teenage superhero known affectionately to aficionados as "Spidey"; Thor, the surgeon turned Norse god with the mystical hammer and the Shakespearean speech pattern; and finally Dr. Strange, the oddball magician who uses his Satanic powers on the side of good.After you read the big full-color stories and learn about the first heady inspirations from Stan, you will see why Origins of Marvel Comics stands alone as one of the great classics - an undying tribute to Marvel mania.

    Then, a ghost from Luke's past takes him back to the Hero For Hire biz — and a classic street level team-up pits Luke, best pal Iron Fist, Daredevil, Moon Knight and Spider-Man against the Kingpin and Killgrave the Purple Man!

    Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, the Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, the X-Men, Daredevil—these superheroes quickly won children's hearts and sparked the imaginations of pop artists, public intellectuals, and campus radicals. Over the course of a half century, Marvel's epic universe would become the most elaborate fictional narrative in history and serve as a modern American mythology for millions of readers.Throughout this decades-long journey to becoming a multibillion-dollar enterprise, Marvel's identity has continually shifted, careening between scrappy underdog and corporate behemoth. As the company has weathered Wall Street machinations, Hollywood failures, and the collapse of the comic book market, its characters have been passed along among generations of editors, artists, and writers—also known as the celebrated Marvel "Bullpen." Entrusted to carry on tradition, Marvel's contributors—impoverished child prodigies, hallucinating peaceniks, and mercenary careerists among them—struggled with commercial mandates, a fickle audience, and, over matters of credit and control, one another.For the first time, Marvel Comics reveals the outsized personalities behind the scenes, including Martin Goodman, the self-made publisher who forayed into comics after a get-rich-quick tip in 1939; Stan Lee, the energetic editor who would shepherd the company through thick and thin for decades; and Jack Kirby, the World War II veteran who'd co-created Captain America in 1940 and, twenty years later, developed with Lee the bulk of the company's marquee characters in a three-year frenzy of creativity that would be the grounds for future legal battles and endless debates.Drawing on more than one hundred original interviews with Marvel insiders then and now, Marvel Comics is a story of fertile imaginations, lifelong friendships, action-packed fistfights, reformed criminals, unlikely alliances, and third-act betrayals— a narrative of one of the most extraordinary, beloved, and beleaguered pop cultural entities in America's history.

    Octopus! The Vulture! Stegron! Swarm! Hydro-Man! The Rhino! The Kingpin! The Answer! And more! And guest-starring Spidey, natch!

    A fascinating mythology of horror and consequence, this epic masterfully combined intriguing literature with captivating art. THE SANDMAN COMPANION is an exhaustive guide to this legend. Revealing hitherto undisclosed information and behind-the-scenes secrets, this book features in-depth interviews, never-before-seen illustrations, character origins, and story explanations and analysis. Also including excerpts from the original proposal for the series, this handbook is the perfect complement to the Sandman graphic novels.

    Which incarnation of Deadpool will be eliminated in this issue? And will the tragedy prove too much for Wade Wilson?

    Can Peter switch their minds back before his time runs out? Yes...and no! As Peter's story comes to a dramatic close, Otto vows to become better than his old foe in every possible way. Smarter, stronger...he will be the Superior Spider-Man! But even with his newfound sense of heroism and responsibility, can Otto survive his heroic baptism of fire against the new Sinister Six? A new era of web-slinging excitement starts NOW! COLLECTING: Amazing Spider -Man 698-700, Superior Spider -Man 1-5

    Paradise has been breached, Ares stirs, and the Amazons must answer with a champion of their own...one who is willing to sacrifice her home amongst her sisters to save a world she has never seen. Wonder Woman's journey begins in this epic origin story!

    So prepare yourself for such not-ready-for-prime-time heroes as Bee Man (Batman, but with bees), the Clown (circus-themed crimebuster), the Eye (a giant, floating eyeball; just accept it), and many other oddballs and oddities. Drawing on the entire history of the medium, The League of Regrettable Superheroes will appeal to die-hard comics fans, casual comics readers, and anyone who enjoys peering into the stranger corners of pop culture.

    The world is desperate for heroes - and after being caged for years, Mockingbird is eager to punch some bad guys. But when her ex-husband Clint Barton, the Avenger Ronin, tags along on her new secret mission, old wounds reopen fast. Can these two great heroes set aside their feelings long enough to save the day? If not, they might find it's hard to cheat death a second time.

    Steve Rogers, finds terrorists conspiring against the U.S. and must face Hydra, Skrulls, and adoring fans without benefit of his fellow Avengers or his shield.

    Featuring the breathtaking design of Chip Kidd and Mike Essl, WATCHING THE WATCHMEN is both a major art book in its own right, and the definitive companion to the graphic novel that changed an industry.Voted among Time magazine's 100 Best Novels from 1923 to the present, a perennial bestseller over the past twenty years and widely considered the greatest graphic novel of all time, WATCHMEN is a gripping, labyrinthine piece of comic art, which has earned an acclaimed place in modern literary history."I've had a great time, re-visiting the very beginnings of Watchmen and unearthing material I haven't set eyes on for many years. As a fan myself, this is the kind of stuff I eat up and I'm sure the many devotees of the graphic novel will do the same!" says Gibbons.© DC Comics 2008. All Rights Reserved.

    THE KING OF THE INHUMANS' FIRST SOLO SERIES! Black Bolt imprisoned! But by who? And where exactly? The answers to both will shock you! But to learn those answers, Black Bolt must first win a fight to the death with a fellow inmate — The Absorbing Man! Award-winning science fiction writer Saladin Ahmed (Throne of the Crescent Moon) crafts a story as trippy as it is action-packed, with truly mind-bending art from the one and only Christian Ward!

    Gwen Stacy has lost her spider-powers! Which makes this a very bad time to fi nd herself in Frank Castle's crosshairs! So when the Mary Janes head to a haunted house, will Gwen be along for the fun, or will she be one of the ghosts? Thanksgiving should be a happy time with friends and family - unless crime lord Matt Murdock and his ninjas crash the party! Is it time for Gwen to put a stop to the Kingpin of Crime - or does Matt have a thing or two to teach her? Plus, the Mary Janes get loud and Gwen spends some time with her ever-expanding social circle - including Captain America! She-Hulk?! Her BPFF (best pig friend forever) Spider-Ham! And her new body-swapping bud, the All-New Wolverine! COLLECTING: SPIDER-GWEN (2015B) 7-15, SPIDER-GWEN ANNUAL 1, ALL-NEW WOLVERINE ANNUAL 1

    When Star Wars returned to Marvel, Jason Aaron was the ideal candidate to steer the rebels into all-new adventures! Now Aaron's entire saga is collected in full! The Death Star has been destroyed - but the Empire isn't toppled yet! Join Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 as they continue the fight for freedom against Darth Vader! Luke battles Boba Fett! A woman from Han Solo's past returns! The Dark Lord crash-lands - but you can't keep Vader down for long! And the roguish Doctor Aphra lures Luke to the Screaming Citadel! COLLECTING: STAR WARS 1-37, STAR WARS: VADER DOWN 1, DARTH VADER 13-15, STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA 7-8, STAR WARS: THE SCREAMING CITADEL 1, STAR WARS ANNUAL 1-3