Pitch invaders aside, few of us get to experience that adrenalin rush. Of those who do make it as a professional footballer, even fewer realise the giddy heights of success. In the Illustrated History of Football: Hall of Fame, cartoonist David Squires returns to celebrate those who straddle the game like giants; those talented, determined souls who were juggling tennis balls in the back streets before they could talk. There’s more than one way to attain football immortality though, and Squires also turns his comic eye to the mavericks, the pioneers, the forgotten legends and the anti-heroes. From Pele to Meazza, Maradona to Socrates, you will be taken on an unforgettable journey through the good, the bad and the Hagi.

    You might know Al from his zines Burn Collector and Natural Disasters or from the band Milemarker or his so-true-it-kicks-your-face-off column in Punk Planet. This, however, is Al's collection of comics published in the late '90s by designer and fellow zinester Ian Lyman. From Portland to Providence, Al patrols his world with a dark, stoic humor. He's a Saul Bellow-ian everyman, up against the wall, suffering the blows, looking for love and loving the metal. Like Al's latest issue of Burn Collector, the comic-heavy #14, the drawing here is simple but it's the kind of simple that doesn't come with beginner's luck. The stuff here is the result of years of fighting and trouble-making, of mistakes made and a life scratched out among the sticks and stones. As says Al, "These are things drawn on napkins in airports, xeroxed illicitly during work." So goes the work and world of Al Burian.

    Contains annotations, plots, interviews, and scripts by many of comics' hottest writers, including Kurt Busiek, Neil Gaiman, Greg Rucka, Kevin Smith, Jeff Smith, Marv Wolfman, and more.

    After all, they're providing her with a killer apartment in Brussels, a new outfit, and even a flashy new name, in addition to paying her an awful lot of money... and it's even tax-free! But is there a catch? And how is a group of superhumans based in Europe going to go about establishing global justice anyway? Alt★Hero is the first in an exciting new line of superhero comics from Arkhaven Comics.

    With Batman crippled by his fiercest foe, a new hero tries to fill his shoes in protecting Gotham City. But his methods are brutal and dangerous, and the future of Gotham City is uncertain. In June 2005, Batman Begins will be released in movie theatres, starring Christian Bale and featuring Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, and Liam Neeson. Interest in the Batman franchise will surge, with a huge marketing campaign and the star power casting.

    They say that when you kill a killer, all his kills belong to you, and Predator's looking to rack up the big numbers. Full-color throughout. Graphic novel format.

    That man is hard-bitten future cop, Judge Dredd, cornerstone to the UK's legendary sci-fi comic, 2000 AD. In a devious plan, East-Meg One use a virus to bring anarchy to Dredd's city, then they strike — a nuclear strike which devastates Mega-City One and leaves it ripe for invasion! Now, a beleaguered Dredd and his surviving comrades must hit back by any means they can find... because if he fails, Mega-City One is doomed forever! With art by fan favorites Brian Bolland (Batman), Steve Dillon (Preacher), Carlos Ezquerra (Just a Pilgrim), Mike McMahon (Sláine) and Ron Smith (Transformers).

    

    This is the graphic novel that old-school wrestling fans have been waiting for: a no-holds-barred representation of the moments that wrestling insiders couldn't talk about for years!Behind the Curtain - Real Pro Wrestling Stories presents three chapters of tales, personally curated by Jim Cornette and adapted by Brandon Easton and Denis Medri, the team behind the critically acclaimed Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven.Featuring stories about Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler, Andy Kaufman, Sputnik Monroe, The Sheik, Junkyard Dog, the Fabulous Freebirds, the Midnight Express, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and more. Also includes Jim's colorful Glossary of Pro Wrestling Terms, as well as photos and newspaper clippings from his personal archives!

    Reprints issues #19-24 (24 stories) of the classic horror comic book series Tales From the Crypt, originally published in 1953 and 1954, and the inspiration for the hit movie and HBO series.

    The British are slowly marking their departure from the country. And while Partition looms large over India, Chhotu, a student-cum-paranthe-cook in the dusty gullies of Chandni Chowk, has other things on his mind-like feeling the first flushes of love of his crush, Heer, the new girl at school.When he finally decides to make a move, Chhotu soon finds the town's aloo has suddenly gone missing, reluctantly embroiling himself into the world of corruption, crime and dons. As he struggles to understand what freedom truly means, Chhotu realizes one thing is for certain-that his world, and the world of those around him, is about to change forever.Set against the backdrop of Partition and the horrors that followed, Chhotu is a coming-of-age story of an unlikely hero and a parable of a past that doesn't feel too removed from the present."Wild, imaginative and tender..."-Vazira Zamindar, author of 'The Long Partition'"Sharp irony and crackling humour..." -Gyan Prakash, professor of history, Princeton University, author of Emergency Chronicle"Chhotu looks at this tragedy through fresh eyes... bringing to the fore nostalgia, romance and a light touch."-Lady Kishwar Desai, chair of The Partition Museum"Chhotu, Heer, Bapu, Chandni Chowk, love, friendship, longing and belonging breathe life into a turbulent time few have dared to picture." -Ritu Khanduri, author of Caricaturing Culture in India

    This hardcover, double issue is a return to pulp horror comics of the 1950's, but stylized and written for a new generation of horror fans! The book is anchored by the mysterious Blueman, an intimidating phantom that lives in the deepest, darkest recesses of the net. Join him as he tells two spine-tingling tales full of twists and turns! He is The Rake:  Our first story features a creature that's inspired a massive fandom around the web. The Rake is a mysterious beast that appears to people in the night as a dark omen. When the strange entity's presence causes the death of one man's wife, he becomes obsessed with getting payback, but is his quest for vengeance misguided? He Is... is a classic tale of revenge with a sinister twist that will send chills through your body! I Waited Inside Her Closet: The account of a dangerous serial killer and his unhealthy obsession with fame. But there's more than meets the eye in this story. The homicidal maniac's grisly exploits soon lead him to a terrible truth when he comes face to face with something even more terrifying than himself. Pick up this CREATURE DOUBLE-FEATURE and you won't be disappointed!

    The one we know, and the one below. Aspen Matthews has always been drawn to the sea, that is why she became a marine biologist. But when an underwater experiment goes horribly wrong, Aspen discovers her connection to life under the sea is far more than scientific. She Discovers that she is a water nymph - able to live and thrive beneath the sea.

    The deva also told him that if the necklace broke the person who repaired it would die. It happened as the king feared. The necklace broke and Queen Chellana, who was wear

    Schulz, starring all your favorite characters and even some underrated ones like Belle and Rerun. Collects issues #17-20.