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.

    But in the ensuing decades, many vilified the show as an embarrassment that needed to be swept under the rug if Batman -- and super-heroes -- were to be taken seriously. Now, we can return to Adam West's Gotham... to the unapologetic fun of colorful, cackling villains hatching bizarre schemes... to phrases like "Atomic batteries to power!" and "Same bat-time, same bat-channel!"... to deadpan heroes climbing walls and defying deathtrap cliffhangers... and find these aspects rich with cultural meanings we may have ignored. GOTHAM CITY 14 MILES offers the series the critical reevaluation it deserves. The book's diverse essays examine Batmania, camp, the role of women, the show and '60s counter-culture, the show's celebrated actors, its lasting cultural effects, and other subjects. From Sequart Research & Literacy Organization. More info at http: //Sequart.org

    From politically-charged non-fiction sagas to imaginative fantasy tales, this ultimate guide has something to satisfy everyone's taste.The first of its kind, this book focuses on each graphic novel separately, honing in on art technique, style and prose, plus an age rating system so parents will know what is suitable for their children. Chapters are divided by genre, complete with individual plot synopses and star-scaled reviews for each book, providing the reader with a concise and balanced understanding of today's best graphic novels.

    Get ready to go futher, faster and farther with Captain Marvel! Learn all you need to know about former-pilot-turned-super-hero Carol Danvers and what are the essential comic stories of Captain Marvel! If you want the best of the best, start here!

    Feeling desperate in her containment, Elektra must choose between continuing her homicidal professin or making an attempt to change her life.

    From Sequart Research & Literacy Organization. More info at http: //Sequart.org

    Abandoned by his aide-de-camp and hunted by a mysterious hired gun with ties to his past, the Punisher goes undercover -- striking an uneasy alliance with the very vermin he's sworn to eradicate.

    In the late 1980s, financier Ronald Perelman, worth billions and riding high after his hostile takeover of the cosmetics firm Revlon, bought Marvel Entertainment–legendary creator of Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and other superheroes–and he had big plans. He not only began churning out more comic books, he also acquired sports cards and other subsidiaries, impressing Wall Street so much that after he took the company public, Marvel’s market value ballooned to over $3 billion. Perelman took advantage of the company’s inflated valuation by selling junk bonds, and personally pocketing nearly $500 million. Meanwhile, Marvel’s bank debt rose to more than $600 million. And then came the collapse of the comic-book and trading-card markets.Enter rival corporate raider, Carl Icahn, who sank a fortune into Marvel’s bonds in an effort to wrest away control of Marvel–and to beat Perelman at his own game. As the competing tycoons went head-to-head, Ike Perlmutter and Avi Arad, two entrepreneurs who ran Toy Biz, a company that depended on Marvel superheroes, realized that their fate hung in the balance. They soon put in motion plans to take control themselves.Bunkered in The Townhouse, his high-security Manhattan corporate headquarters, Perelman had Marvel declare bankruptcy. Icahn, an avid poker player, had to figure out if his foe was bluffing; the Toy Biz entrepreneurs needed to find a way to save the company they loved from ruin; and a team of killer lawyers representing the banks was faced with recouping their colossal debt. Thus, in United States Bankruptcy Court, began the comic war–as ferocious and outlandish as any of Marvel’s tales of good vs. evil.Combining meticulous investigative reporting with entertaining storytelling, Comic Wars exposes the actions and motives of two Goliath-style corporate raiders, two innovative Davids, and some of the world’s most prominent banks. It is the rollicking true tale of a unique Wall Street showdown, of Marvel’s surprising emergence from the ashes of bankruptcy, and of its triumphant reinvention as the producer of such hit Hollywood movies as X-Men and Spider-Man.

    The hard-boiled adventures of the grittiest webslinger in the Spider-Verse! In the dark days of the Great Depression, young reporter Peter Parker finds himself forever changed by a spider's bite - and resolves to take on crime and corruption as the urban vigilante called Spider-Man! And there are no shortage of foes - from gangland bosses the Goblin and Crime Master, to pulp-era twists on familiar faces like Kraven, Chameleon, Doctor Octopus and more! But will the seductive Felicia Hardy prove friend or foe? Plus, Spider-Man Noir enters the Spider-Verse via an encounter with Mysterio - and shares a spectacular team-up with a six-armed Spidey! And a brand-new video comic adventure, in print for the first time!Collecting SPIDER-MAN NOIR #1-4, SPIDER-MAN NOIR: EYES WITHOUT A FACE #1-4, EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #1, SPIDER-GEDDON: SPIDER-MAN NOIR VIDEO COMIC and material from SPIDER-VERSE TEAM-UP #1.

    Nihilist. Madman. Would-be lover of Death itself. Collected in one volume for the first time, is the complete story of Thanos' first life... and first death. See Thanos's bid to become a god and lay siege to Earth, with only the Avengers able to stop him. Guest-starring Daredevil, Spider-Man, the Thing, Moondragon, Drax the Destroyer and more. Collects Iron Man (1968) #55; Captain Marvel (1968) #25-30; Marvel Feature (1971) #12; Daredevil (1964) #105-107; Captain Marvel (1968) #31-33;Avengers (1963) #125; Warlock (1972) #9-11, 15; Avengers Annual (1967) #7; Marvel Two -In-One Annual #2; material from Logan's Run #6.

    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.

    Comics insider Peter Sanderson recounts Marvel's main story lines and delves into the lives of major characters, showing how different writers shaped their fates. The illustrations include scenes from ground-breaking stories, showcasing the best work of important Marvel artists.

    Relive Daredevil's heartwarming and heartbreaking debut! Then, Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy want to spend the rest of their lives together...but first, Spider-Man must run a gauntlet of his greatest foes. And no matter how powerful the incredible Hulk becomes, his heart can still be shattered by Betty Ross...the daughter of his greatest enemy!COLLECTING: DAREDEVIL: YELLOW 1-6, SPIDER-MAN: BLUE 1-6, HULK: GRAY 1-6

    It's a new beginning as four time Eisner-nominated Best Writer Ed Brubaker makes his Marvel debut, joined by white-hot artist Steve Epting! As the new regular creative team, they will take Cap's life in directions fans will never see coming! In just this first issue, the Red Skull lays the groundwork for his most devastating attack ever on Captain America and the land he holds dear...and with the Cosmic Cube in his possession, how can Cap hope to stop him? Find out in the shocking twist-ending that will have everybody in the industry talking!

    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.