Book picks similar to
52 by Greg Cox


graphic-novels
comics
fantasy
science-fiction

DC Universe: Last Sons


Alan Grant - 2006
    The sole survivors of their home planets, all three are targeted by an artificial life form. Original.

Kingdom Come


Elliot S. Maggin - 1998
    It is the early years of the Twenty-First Century. Without the guidance and values long championed by the old guard -- Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman -- a younger generation of super heroes is ravaging the world. But when the Man of Steel returns from self-imposed exile, his very presence could be the catalyst that pushes us all into Armageddon. Seen through the eyes of Norman McCay, an aging minister who embarks on a disturbing odyssey of revelation with an angel known as the Spectre to guide him, "Kingdom Come" is the story of what defines a hero in a world spinning inexorably out of control...of the heroes who adapted to that changing world, and those who couldn't...of personal battles fought with inner demons, and the final war that would determine the fate of our planet.

Batman: No Man's Land


Greg Rucka - 2000
    Overcrowded, overbuilt, and overshadowed by a continuous air of menace, this gothic nightmare is a breeding ground for the depraved, the indifferent, and the criminally insane. It's also the object of one man's obsession. Witness to the brutal murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne has dedicated his life to protecting this city, taking a form to inspire hope in the innocent...and fear in the guilty. He is the masked vigilante known as the Batman. Now the battlefield has changed. Leveled by a massive earthquake that left thousands dead and millions more wounded, Gotham City has been transformed into a lawless wilderness -- a No Man's Land -- where the survivors are turning against one another, and where the city's protectors are torn by a crisis that may consume them all.

Batman: Dead White


John Shirley - 2006
    With his radical murder machine, the fiendish leader of Gotham’s racist Bavarian Brotherhood can move beyond dealing drugs and hot guns to pursue his real passion: the white supremacist takeover of America. The homegrown terrorists’ first strike–at the heart of our nation’s capitol–is only weeks away. But first they’ll test out their killer toys on Batman, who is hot on the trail of White Eyes and his brutal militia. Ounce for ounce, muscle for muscle, Batman’s no match for the cunning villain and his wicked new firepower. At least, that’s how White Eyes sees it. Batman has other ideas . . .

Crisis on Infinite Earths


Marv Wolfman - 2005
    In 'Crisis on Infinite Earths', Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Supergirl and a host of other heroes and villains face a threat from an anti-matter universe, a foe intent on wiping out earth again and again, in all its alternative forms."

Superman: The Never-Ending Battle


Roger Stern - 2005
    Batman. Wonder Woman. The Flash. Green Lantern.They are the world's greatest super heroes, fighting endlessly against corruption and injustice. Each of them alone is a formidable opponent of evil, but banded together their powers are unmatched. Ever ready,they stand united as the --JUSTICE LEAGUE of AMERICAA mysterious super-terrorist has devised a master plan to bring the world to its knees, using the planet's own weather as a weapon against Superman and his teammates in the JLA. But the conflict raises troubling questions for the Man of Steel about authority, justice, power and the price of liberty in a world where the enemies of freedom stand on the brink of victory.

DC Universe: Trail of Time


Jeffrey J. Mariotte - 2007
    His world is controlled by mystical forces no one can challenge, with the triumvirate of Vandal Savage, Mordru, and Felix Faust calling the shots. The Demon Etrigan and Phantom Stranger approach Clark and tell him that he is really Superman, that alterations made more than a hundred years ago to the time stream are causing space-time fluctuations that will result in this particular reality becoming the sole reality, unless something is done. Since Superman is powerless in this reality, and since the alterations were made in the past, the three heroes have to travel into the past,specifically into the American Southwest of the 1870s, where Jonah Hex, Bat Lash and other DC Western heroes help them set things right again.

Green Lantern: Sleepers, Book 1


Christopher J. Priest - 2004
    But he's got a problem: his girlfriend has just taken a liking to an average Joe who is about to be transformed into the most powerful villain Earth has ever faced. Green Lantern must stop the evil Sinestro and the invading hordes of aliens determined to destroy humanity and take over Earth.

Enemies & Allies


Kevin J. Anderson - 2009
    Anderson. One of today’s most popular writers pits the iconic superheroes against Lex Luthor and the Soviets—and each other—in a spellbinding story of destiny and duty set against the backdrop of America’s Cold War era.

Wayne of Gotham


Tracy Hickman - 2012
    No fan of the Dark Knight will want to miss this one-of-a-kind window into Gotham’s dark protector in this fast-paced thriller from New York Times bestselling fantasy writer Tracy Hickman. Readers of Kevin J. Anderson’s The Last Days of Krypton and Enemies & Allies will know that comic book characters pack a powerful punch when they enter the pages of a novel. Wayne of Gotham is no exception: as the DC Universe’s millionaire playboy journeys into the dark recesses of his own past, his a journey that could spell the end for everything he holds dear—and the end of the hero he has become: the Batman.

Batman: Knightfall


Dennis O'Neil - 1994
    As Bruce Wayne begins the long process of recovery, he realizes he must choose a successor in his role as the Dark Knight. But is his apprentice ready? Is Gotham City ready? And what will happen when Wayne returns to reclaim Gotham City and his role as the true Batman?

Batman: Inferno


Alexander C. Irvine - 2006
    But torching the population is small potatoes for the arsonist extraordinaire known as Enfer. The pyromaniac's mad masterpiece is Arkham Asylum, blazing like a Roman candle and engineered to provide the perfect escape for Arkham's most infamous inmate, the Joker. But the dire situation goes from bad to beyond monstrous when the archvillain's path to freedom leads directly to the Dark Knight's cave.The Joker believes in striking while the iron is hot . . . and now it's never been hotter. After all, the diabolical villain has devised the ultimate joke: launch the mother of all crime waves, masquerading as the Caped Crusader himself! With Gotham erupting in flames and its #1 crime fighter fast becoming its #1 enemy, the burning question is: Who's going to get the last laugh?

Harley Quinn: Mad Love


Paul Dini - 2018
    Harleen Quinzel grew up in an abusive household with a criminal and became a psychologist to deal with her own broken family. At Arkham Asylum, she attempted to treat the Joker and instead fell hopelessly in love with him, helping him escape and becoming a member of his organization. Quinzel became Harley Quinn, a bizarre contradiction of violence and mercy. She blames Batman for her inability to maintain a stable relationship with the arch-villain, and that causes her to have an abiding hatred for the hero, who she seeks to kill. Upon capture she becomes a violent inmate at Belle Reve Penitentiary, and is assigned to the group of government-maintained super villains known as the Suicide Squad.

Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours


Jim Butcher - 2006
    No evildoers have tried to flatten him in weeks, his marriage to Mary Jane is stronger than ever, and he's enjoying his job as a high school science teacher. Life is good. Naturally, that doesn't last. When Peter learns that his old enemy the Rhino is on a rampage in Times Square, he suits up as Spider-Man to stop the destructive villain in his tracks. But he's unexpectedly foiled in his attempts by the Black Cat, a former ally and old flame. The Cat informs Peter that the Rhino is just a distraction -- the real threat comes from a group of Ancients, members of the same race as the being called Morlun, who Spidey defeated in battle years earlier. The Ancients are now looking to exact revenge -- and hope to steal Spider-Man's life force in the process. To defeat such powerful beings, Spider-Man is going to need all the help he can get, especially from the Black Cat. But what will Mary Jane Parker have to say about that? Peter isn't sure which is worse -- the Ancients trying to drain his life force, or the wrath of a jealous wife....

It's Superman!


Tom De Haven - 2006
    So just how did Clark Kent, a shy farmer's son, grow up to be the Man of Steel? Follow young Clark's whirlwind journey from Kansas to New York City's Daily Planet-by way Hollywood. This ace reporter is not the only person leading a double life in a teeming metropolis, just the only one able to leap tall buildings in a single bound-a skill that comes in handy when battling powerful criminal masterminds like scheming Lex Luthor and fascist robots. But can Clark's Midwestern charm save the day and win the heart of stunning, seen-it-all newspaperwoman Lois Lane? Or is it a job for Superman? Look deep into the soul of a pop-culture legend brilliantly reimagined in this novel, which is as inventive and thrilling as it is touching and wise.