Wally Gropius


Tim Hensley - 2010
    When the elder Thaddeus Gropius confronts Wally with the boilerplate plot ultimatum that he must marry "the saddest girl in the world" or be disinherited, a yarn unravels that is part screwball comedy and part unhinged parable on the lucrativeness of changing your identity.Hensley's dialogue is witty, lyrical, sampled, dada, and elliptical--all in the service of a very bizarre mystery. There's sex, violence, rock and roll, intrigue, and betrayal--all brought home in Hensley's truly inimitable style.Created during an era when another well-off "W" was stuffing the coffers of the morbidly solvent, Wally Gropius transforms futile daydreams and nightmares into the absurdity of capital.

Gopal And Jester


Urmila Sinha - 2001
    Bullies and misers, dreamers and the narrow-minded, all got a taste of his wit, much to the delight of readers.

Kubera


Nimmy Chacko - 2012
    He would travel the world in his magnificent flying chariot, the Pushpaka Vimana, which had been gifted to him by his great-grandfather Brahma. Lanka enjoyed an age of peace and prosperity under Kubera's reign. But all that changed when his fearsome half-brother Dasagriva, the leader of the rakshasas, decided to claim the city as his own. Amar Chitra Katha pieces together from various sources in Indian mythology, the story of the Lord of Wealth.

Transformers


Bob Budiansky - 1985
    The Autobots are reformatted by the Ark to resemble cars and trucks; the Decepticons take the form of jets, weapons or in the case of Soundwave, a cassette deck with tapes.The Decepticons wreak havoc, steal energy and build a fortress. The Autobots, seen here as very weak underdogs, unsuited for war, fight valiantly to stop their foes.Ultimately, it's the humans that the Autobots befriend that save the day. Buster Witwicky's dad, captured by the Decepticons to formulate a fuel for them, secretly poisons his captors.In the final battle, five Autobots take on the entire Decepticon army. On the cusp of defeat, the tainted fuel concocted by Mr. Witwicky kicks in and the Decepticons fall.The Autobots don't even have time to celebrate, however, as the 4-part mini-series ends with Shockwave making an appearance, blowing the remaining Autobots to pieces. This cliffhanger led directly into the monthly Marvel run, which began 3 months after the miniseries ended. (Issue #4 had a cover date of Mar. 1985; issue #5 had a date of June.)Starting with issue 5, The Transformers had more drastic changes. Before reaching its 30th issue, both Optimus Prime and Megatron had been killed off to make way for newer characters.Starting in issue 35 (cover-dated December, 1987), the events became less Earth-centric, as the Transformers repaired their spacecraft and were able to revisit their homeworld Cybertron and other planets. This aspect was particularly prominent in the Matrix Quest sub-plot.In issue 75 (cover-dated February, 1991), the Autobots and Decepticons had united under one banner after Autobot commander Optimus Prime surrendered to Scorponok, in order to end their civil war. United, they finally faced their ancient nemesis: Unicron. The Transformers won, but with heavy losses, including the deaths of Scorponok and Optimus Prime (again). Peace between the two Transformers factions was shortlived after Unicron's death. Bludgeon, the new Decepticon leader, tried to strand the Autobots on Cybertron, which was apparently destroying itself. His plan failed and the final confrontation between the two factions played out, with the Autobots lead again by Grimlock. Optimus Prime is united with Hi-Q (his Powermaster) and given life by The Last Autobot. He returns to battle to save the Autobots and then exiles the Decepticons forever (until Transformers: Generation 2). After the battle with Unicron, the comic ran for only five issues before being cancelled. The final issue had the mini series banner above the title; "#80 IN A FOUR ISSUE LIMITED SERIES".Most of the issues of Transformers Marvel US were written by two writers. Although the first four issues were written by Jim Salicrup, editor Bob Budiansky was the one who contributed the most to the story, writing the character bios and backgrounds for the Transformers, even giving names to some of them. After the mini-series became an ongoing comic, Budiansky was promoted to constant writer. Except for issue #16 (Plight of the Bumblebee, written by Len Kaminski), issue #43 (The big broadcast of 2006, a Transformers cartoon episode adaptation by Ralph Macchio) and the two-part story Man of Iron (imported from Transformers Marvel UK), Bob wrote all the Transformers comics until issue #55.Most famous story arcs and issues are Warrior's school featuring the introduction of the Dinobots and the first clash between Autobot medic Ratchet and Megatron; Prime Time! when Optimus Prime is finally freed from captivity and battles current Decepticon commander Shockwave; Smelting Pool and The Bridge to Nowhere brought the story back to Cybertron where only a handful of Autobots fight an underground war against Straxus's Decepticons, also introducing Blaster, Budiansky's most-used character who was radically different from his cartoon and Marvel UK version. Afterdeath and Gone but not forgotten saw the deaths (for a while, anyway) of Optimus Prime and Megatron, after which Grimlock took control of the Autobot forces in King of the Hill. Starting at issue #28, Blaster and Goldbug (a rebuilt Bumblebee) defected from the Autobots due to Grimlock tyrannical leadership, which ended with Grimlock and Blaster having a duel in Totaled. The next issue, People Power saw the return of Optimus Prime, as a Powermaster. The "Underbase saga" began in issue #47 and ended in issue #50, Dark Star, where Starscream, absorbing the power of the Underbase, kills most of the active Transformers of the time. (Budiansky admitted in an interview that Hasbro was forcing him to introduce new characters so quickly, he had to do an epic to "make room" for them.) Budiansky's last 5 stories were very mediocre, he himself said that he lost the interest in Transformers, and asked Hasbro to hand over the comics to a new writer.From issue #56, the by then well-known writer of Transformers Marvel UK, Simon Furman took over the reins, having been asked by Marvel US. Furman used the characterisation he used at Marvel UK for the Transformers, and introduced many characters to the US comic who have already appeared in the UK comic. He wrote all the issues until the comic's cancellation at issue #80.Furmnan's most famous story arcs include Back from the Dead, the return of Megatron who kidnaps Ratchet to help him in his revenge against both Autobots and Decepticons; Primal Scream! which introduced Primus and re-told the origin of the Transformer race to the US readers too; the "Matrix Quest" which features the Autobots sending numerous teams to locate the Matrix that was lost when Optimus "died" and his body was shot into space; and the Unicron story arc from #67 to #75, featuring the Transformers' ultimate battle against the Chaos Bringer.Sadly the comic was cancelled shortly after issue #75, so Furman had to "wrap up" the ending. According to some interviews with him, he planned to feature the Neo-Knights and the "demons" inhabiting Cybertron's underground more in the never-written issues

Fantastic Butterflies


James Kochalka - 2002
    It also happens to be hilariously funny and infectious in its bubbly charm, combining autobiography with a kind of magic science-fiction.

Dragonball


Jesse Leon McCann - 2003
    Once, long ago, they were kids -- but they still ended up saving the world! Now you can join Goku and his friends on their epic journey. Can they find the hidden Dragon Balls before Emperor Pilaf and Monster Carrot can get their greedy hands on the source of ultimate power?With more than fifty full color Dragon Ball stickers, and information about all your favorite Dragon Ball characters, now you can be a part of the Dragon Ball adventure!

The Night of the Mary Kay Commandos Featuring Smell O-Toons


Berke Breathed - 1989
    Features the bonus, peel-away insert, Smell-O-Toons, the aromatic fragrance that is dabbed on more Commando pulse points than all other perfumes combined! Little, Brown.

Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta Book 2


Robert Kirkman - 2017
    Perfect for long-time readers and fans of the Cinemax TV show.Collects OUTCAST #13-24.

Marvel Free Previews Monsters Unleashed #1


Cullen Bunn
    Get ready for the epic battle Marvel fans have been waiting for with previews and an in-side look into the Monsters Unleashed event!

Lout Rampage!


Daniel Clowes - 1992
    This 1991 paperback includes stories from Eightball #1-6, along with strips Clowes created for alternative comics anthologies Blab!, Young Lust, and Weirdo. It includes several of the cartoonist’s one-page collaborations with The Duplex Planet creator David Greenberger and two of his most well-known comic-strip rants: “I Hate You Deeply” and “I Love You Tenderly.”

My Senpai Is Annoying Vol. 5


Shiromanta - 2021
    A sudden rainstorm forces them to share an umbrella, they spend Christmas together, and New Year's fortunes spell it out, but they're not ready to make the leap. Meanwhile, does Yuto have a crush on Kurobe?

Battle of Wits: Tales of the Bodhisattva Aushadha Kumar


Yagya Sharma - 1985
    Unscrupulous courtiers were terrified that he would oust them from positions of power and comfort, and tried every trick to keep him away from their king. But Aushadha was needed at court for the greater happiness of the kingdom. Eventually, nothing and no one could subdue his destiny.

The Archies Greatest Hits


Frank Doyle - 2008
    The Archies have transcended all boundaries in their fifty-plus years of music-making, and today, Archie Comics pay tribute to this super-band of immortal teens by compiling their best and most famous appearances in this brand-new, full-color graphic novel! The Archies' Greatest Hits brings back the band's most memorable moments, from catastrophe to triumph! With Archie on lead guitar, Reggie on bass, Jughead on drums, Veronica on keyboard, and Betty on the tambourine, this pop group phenomenon has made history by being one of the few comic book bands to jump out of the pages of the book and record actual songs, like the Top Ten 1960's hit, "Sugar Sugar"!

2⁷ Nerd Disses: A Significant Quantity of Disrespect


Zach Weinersmith - 2013
    For example, I was once pinned down by a young lad who repeatedly asked me why I was hitting myself, when he knew full well that I had temporarily ceded hegemony over my hands and forearms. I tried to explain it to him, but he didn’t seem to comprehend. In retrospect, I can only conclude that my explanation was not articulate enough.To that end, I and Phil Plait have teamed up to create precisely 128 insults designed to weaken the resolve of aggressors, while educating them in their primary field of interest. Whether the person pummeling you is a student of mathematics or belles-lettres, we have the right words for the occasion.Zach WeinersmithPS: In the highly likely situation that the person pummeling you refuses to cease his aggression until he understands the meaning of the insult, we have also provided an appendix in which the insults are explained.

Bob's Burgers: Charbroiled


Rachel HastingsKimball Shirley - 2016
    You'll lick your lips with this latest helping of the Belcher family, the stars of Fox Television's fan-favorite animated sitcom! Those delightful little scamps Tina, Gene, and Louise are always daydreaming of a life far from the reality of the family res