A comprehensive overview of all of Marvel's greatest heroes and villains furnishes profiles of more than one thousand characters that document their individual superpowers and their careers, in a reference that traces the history of Marvel Comics and encompasses stunning artwork by some of Marvel's greatest artists.

    Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics is a seminal examination of comics art: its rich history, surprising technical components, and major cultural significance. Explore the secret world between the panels, through the lines, and within the hidden symbols of a powerful but misunderstood art form.

    There are also behind-the-scenes section on the bold cinematic techniques used in creating this strikingly original animated movie. With an exclusive preface by Cressida Crowell and forward by Craig Ferguson, How to Train Your Dragon will be a delight for all movie and animation lovers as well as dragon and Viking fans.

    Reginald Hargreeves. Here is one story from their past where they learned a powerful lesson and fought a mysterious murderer Conceived and written by Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance), The Umbrella Academy features interior art by Gabriel Ba (Casanova) and Dave Stewart (Hellboy) and covers by multiple Eisner Award-winning artist James Jean (Fables). The Umbrella Academy debuts with a twelve-page story set before the start of the ongoing series.

    One part Batman one part Joker. The Batman Who Laughs."A Batman who laughs is a Batman who always wins."The mastermind behind Dark Nights: Metal, Scott Snyder, gives you a look inside the most terrifying version of Batman ever! He and superstar artist Jock (Batman: The Black Mirror) kick off a chain of events that makes Dark Nights: Metal seem like child's play.The Batman Who Laughs not only survived his fight with The Joker at the end of Dark Nights: Metal, but is now enacting a sinister plan across the Multiverse--something both terrifying and oddly familiar. When Bruce Wayne realizes the only way to stop this madman is to kill him, he must consider violating the very rule Batman can't ever break ... the rule that created this insatiable villain--the Batman Who Laughs!As Bruce begins to deduce that his current life is somehow wrong and that all the mistakes he's made are somehow connected, the Batman Who Laughs unleashes a brand-new evil. Enter one of the most punishing Batmen of the Dark Multiverse: the Grim Knight!Collects The Batman Who Laughs #1-7 and The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1.

    NOW!, Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future. The only hope for these ravaged worlds is for Thor to unravel the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher! In the distant past, Thor follows the bloody wake of murdered gods across the depths of space. In the present, the Thunder God discovers a forgotten cave that echoes with teh cries of tortured gods...and is shocked to find himself among them! And thousands of years from now, the last god-king of a ruined Asgard makes his final stand against the God Butcher's beserker legions. As three Thors from three eras race to stop the God Butcher, the full extent of his vicious scheme takes terrifying shape!COLLECTING: Thor: God of Thunder 1-5

    

    The X-Men’s past, present and future collide in this 50th-anniversary event! Something horrible happens to the past versions of the X-Men that shakes spacetime to its core — and more X-Men arrive from the future with a message: The original five must return home! But when young Cyclops and Marvel Girl run away to stay in the present, the hunt is on! And where does the modern-day Cyclops’ revolutionary faction fit in? Things get even more complicated when mysterious foes attack the Jean Grey School, and the healing-impaired Wolverine takes a mortal hit! With spacetime up for grabs, the surprise ending will change everything as the X-Men’s footing in the world is drastically altered! Collecting: X-Men: Battle of the Atom 1-2, All-New X-Men 16-17, X-Men 5-6, Uncanny X-Men 12-13, & Wolverine & the X-Men 36-37

    His sacrifice will be her salvation.Now: In the arms of his beloved girlfriend Magic, Bloodshot has finally found hope for the future... in the form of the couple's unborn child. But when Magic's estranged family - a cruel and sadistic clan of homegrown criminals - re-emerge to lay claim to their lost daughter, Bloodshot will be pushed back to the brink of madness, mayhem, and warfare...Soon: Eight years from today, Bloodshot's daughter has inherited her father's incredible abilities. Hunted by a high-tech kill squad called Omen, Jessie must hone her powers... and learn how to survive before the world is swallowed whole by the darkness that now pervades America... Collecting BLOODSHOT SALVATION #1-5.

    Carol Danvers, comes to a crossroads with a new life and new romance, she makes a dramatic decision that will alter the course of her life - and the entire Marvel Universe - in the months to come. But as Carol takes on a mission to return an alien girl to her homeworld, she lands in the middle of an uprising against the Galactic Alliance! Investigating the forced resettlement of Rocket Girl's people, Carol discovers that she has a history with the man behind the plot. But when the bad guy tries to blackmail Carol and turn the Avengers against her, it's payback time! Guest-starring the Guardians of the Galaxy!COLLECTING: CAPTAIN MARVEL 1-6

    The Marvel heroes can't be the ones to stop them...someone is needed with the reputation, skills and plausible deniability to take out these com-monsters in chiefs. Deadpool time is NOW! Be here as Deadpool de-un-deadifies ex-Presidents left and right...matching wits with Tricky Dick Nixon, fighting a grudge match against Honest Abe Lincoln, and battling Ronald Reagan--in space! Do you need more than that?! Fine, then: monkeys! And maybe Dr. Strange if you're good! This is the Deadpool series you will marry someday! In Wade We Trust! Collecting: Deadpool 1-6

    All analysis suggests the button is not of this universe...so where did it come from? And who left it here? These are questions only the Flash can help answer. When the button is stolen by Reverse-Flash, Batman and Flash follow his trail to a parallel world, a twisted alternate timeline that should exist. Someone is sending the heroes on a bizarre trip through reality, showing them glimpses of fallen loved ones and forgotten friends but who? Wally West warned the Flash of an unseen force influencing our world distorting histories, pulling the strings, watching all—and the strange yellow button could be the key to finding it. Featuring the all-star creative team of writers Joshua Williamson and Tom King alongside top-tier artists Jason Fabok and Howard Porter. COLLECTING: BATMAN #21-22 and THE FLASH #21-22.

    The book includes 74 pages of paintings and designs devoted to Neon Genesis Evangelion, plus another 50 pages from The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia--The Secret of Blue Water, Blue Uru, and other works--including Sadamoto's cover to Eric Clapton's 1998 album, Pilgrim.

    Complete with vintage art and publication details.Batman has Robin. Captain America has Bucky. And Yankee Doodle had Dandy.Being a superhero is hard work, which is why so many comics characters rely on a sidekick for help. Someone who can watch the hero's back, help search for clues, or, if nothing else, give the hero someone to talk to. But just as not every superhero achieves the glory of Batman, not all sidekicks are as capable as the Boy Wonder. In The League of Regrettable Sidekicks, author Jon Morris discusses some of the strangest iterations of the sidekick phenomenon, and in the process explores how important these characters were to comic book storytelling. You'll meet plucky but forgotten helpers like Thunderfoot (explosive-soled assistant to the Human Bomb), heroic super-pets (like Frosting, polar bear pal of space hero Norge Benson), fan favorites (say hello to Rick Jones, sidekick to half of the Marvel Universe), and obscure partners of iconic heroes (Superman Junior's career barely got off the ground). Plus: pernicious profiles of regrettable henchmen and minions, the sidekicks of the supervillain world. Vintage art from the comics completes the experience.Drawing on the entire history of the medium, The League of Regrettable Sidekicks celebrates characters and stories that haven't seen the light of day in decades, pulling from defunct and long-forgotten comics publishers as well as DC and Marvel. In this third volume of his Regrettable series (The League of Regrettable Superheroes, The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains) Jon Morris provides insight and context, as well as his signature mockery of and affection for these overlooked treasures from comic book history.

    Then along came the animated Batman series. The visual style was totally unique: clean, sharp, and bold. Batman Adventures: Mad Love is an original comics story drawn in the style of the popular animated series. It's even put together by Paul Dini, a major force behind the animated show. This particular story involves Batman's old foe, the Joker, and Joker's cute but deadly sidekick, Harley Quinn. Actor Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame, who plays the voice of the Joker in the animated series, claims that this is one of his all-time favorite comics, calling it "bold, lusty, gleefully demented."