Action Comics (1938-2011) #355


Book Description

Who is the one man Superman fears more than any other? Who can send the Man of Steel running for cover…even force him to abandon Earth? You’re in for a stunning shock when you meet the outlaw even the Kryptonian crime-buster can’t tackle!




Comics as History, Comics as Literature


Book Description

This anthology hosts a collection of essays examining the role of comics as portals for historical and academic content, while keeping the approach on an international market versus the American one. Few resources currently exist showing the cross-disciplinary aspects of comics. Some of the chapters examine the use of Wonder Woman during World War II, the development and culture of French comics, and theories of Locke and Hobbs in regards to the state of nature and the bonds of community. More so, the continual use of comics for the retelling of classic tales and current events demonstrates that the genre has long passed the phase of for children’s eyes only. Additionally, this anthology also weaves graphic novels into the dialogue with comics.




Graphic Novels


Book Description

Covering genres from adventure and fantasy to horror, science fiction, and superheroes, this guide maps the vast terrain of graphic novels, describing and organizing titles to help librarians balance their graphic novel collections and direct patrons to read-alikes. New subgenres, new authors, new artists, and new titles appear daily in the comic book and manga world, joining thousands of existing titles—some of which are very popular and well-known to the enthusiastic readers of books in this genre. How do you determine which graphic novels to purchase, and which to recommend to teen and adult readers? This updated guide is intended to help you start, update, or maintain a graphic novel collection and advise readers about the genre. Containing mostly new information as compared to the previous edition, the book covers iconic super-hero comics and other classic and contemporary crime fighter-based comics; action and adventure comics, including prehistoric, heroic, explorer, and Far East adventure as well as Western adventure; science fiction titles that encompass space opera/fantasy, aliens, post-apocalyptic themes, and comics with storylines revolving around computers, robots, and artificial intelligence. There are also chapters dedicated to fantasy titles; horror titles, such as comics about vampires, werewolves, monsters, ghosts, and the occult; crime and mystery titles regarding detectives, police officers, junior sleuths, and true crime; comics on contemporary life, covering romance, coming-of-age stories, sports, and social and political issues; humorous titles; and various nonfiction graphic novels.




The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told


Book Description

"A fiftieth anniversary celebration of The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, as written and drawn by many of the greatest writers and artists ever to grace the comic art medium!"--Page 4 of cover.




Examining Lois Lane


Book Description

In June 1938, Superman made his debut in Action Comics #1, which also featured his romantic interest—and Clark Kent’s journalistic rival—Lois Lane. In the decades since, the intrepid reporter has become an iconic figure almost as recognizable as the Man of Steel himself. Lois has appeared in multiple adaptations, from her own comic book to various films and television shows, and millions of women have seen—and continue to see—her as a role model. Examining Lois Lane: The Scoop on Superman’s Sweetheart is the first anthology to explore the many incarnations of this empowering American icon. Chapters analyze the character of Lois Lane in various media through the perspectives of feminism, gender studies, cultural studies, and more. In some discussions she is compared to mythological heroines, while others explain her importance in popular culture. This wide-ranging collection looks at previously neglected aspects of Lois and offers new insights into the evolution of her character. Seventy-five years after Lois Lane’s first appearance, this book creates a fascinating picture of the obstacles and decisions faced by her character, whose challenges and accomplishments often reflected those of women over the course of the past century. Examining Lois Lane will be of interest to students and scholars as well as those who grew up reading and watching the many manifestations of Superman’s girlfriend.




All New, All Different?


Book Description

Winner, John G. Cawelti Award for the Best Textbook/Primer, Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, 2019 MPCA/ACA Book Award, Midwest Popular Culture Association / Midwest American Culture Association, 2020 Taking a multifaceted approach to attitudes toward race through popular culture and the American superhero, All New, All Different? explores a topic that until now has only received more discrete examination. Considering Marvel, DC, and lesser-known texts and heroes, this illuminating work charts eighty years of evolution in the portrayal of race in comics as well as in film and on television. Beginning with World War II, the authors trace the vexed depictions in early superhero stories, considering both Asian villains and nonwhite sidekicks. While the emergence of Black Panther, Black Lightning, Luke Cage, Storm, and other heroes in the 1960s and 1970s reflected a cultural revolution, the book reveals how nonwhite superheroes nonetheless remained grounded in outdated assumptions. Multiculturalism encouraged further diversity, with 1980s superteams, the minority-run company Milestone’s new characters in the 1990s, and the arrival of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American heroine, and a new Latinx Spider-Man in the 2000s. Concluding with a discussion of contemporary efforts to make both a profit and a positive impact on society, All New, All Different? enriches our understanding of the complex issues of racial representation in American popular culture.




The Evolution of the Costumed Avenger


Book Description

Using a broad array of historical and literary sources, this book presents an unprecedented detailed history of the superhero and its development across the course of human history. How has the concept of the superhero developed over time? How has humanity's idealization of heroes with superhuman powers changed across millennia—and what superhero themes remain constant? Why does the idea of a superhero remain so powerful and relevant in the modern context, when our real-life technological capabilities arguably surpass the imagined superpowers of superheroes of the past? The Evolution of the Costumed Avenger: The 4,000-Year History of the Superhero is the first complete history of superheroes that thoroughly traces the development of superheroes, from their beginning in 2100 B.C.E. with the Epic of Gilgamesh to their fully entrenched status in modern pop culture and the comic book and graphic novel worlds. The book documents how the two modern superhero archetypes—the Costumed Avengers and the superhuman Supermen—can be traced back more than two centuries; turns a critical, evaluative eye upon the post-Superman history of the superhero; and shows how modern superheroes were created and influenced by sources as various as Egyptian poems, biblical heroes, medieval epics, Elizabethan urban legends, Jacobean masques, Gothic novels, dime novels, the Molly Maguires, the Ku Klux Klan, and pulp magazines. This work serves undergraduate or graduate students writing papers, professors or independent scholars, and anyone interested in learning about superheroes.




Superman - Action Comics Vol. 2: Bulletproof


Book Description

Clark Kent is dead! When grave circumstances cause Superman to leave behind his alter ego, an unimpeded Man of Steel must face his deadliest foe to date: Nimrod the Hunter! Metropolis' newest threat has killed everything he's ever tracked, but he'snever killed an alien. Will the red and blue Kryptonian be his first? Legendary writer Grant Morrison (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, BATMAN) continues his best-selling, critically acclaimed run on SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS, with art by Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS), Gene Ha (TOP 10) and a host of comics' finest illustrators. graphic novel collects SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS #9-12, #0 and ANNUAL #1.




Absolute Power


Book Description

Written by Jeph Loeb Art and cover by Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino A new softcover collecting the blockbuster story "Absolute Power," originally presented in SUPERMAN/BATMAN #14-18! In this reality-bending tale, Superman and Batman rule Earth with an iron fist. Before long, the World's Finest Duo is sent careening through a series of bizarre alternate earths, facing an assortment of classic DC characters including Kamandi, Sgt. Rock, Haunted Tank, and many more! Advance-solicited; on sale November 8 - 128 pg, FC, $12.99 US




Troublemaker: A Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel


Book Description

Barney and Hooker are together again and fighting crime, leaving a trail of chaos, panic, and disorder in their wake. Some would say they're drawn toward trouble like a moth to a flame. Others would claim their friends, Rosa and Felicia, dump trouble in Barney's and Hooker's laps. Either way, they are in over their heads when Rosa is kidnapped, and her disappearance is linked to a dangerous voodoo priest and his search for a mystery-drenched stolen statue. Written by Janet and Alex Evanovich, and illustrated by Joëlle Jones (Dr. Horrible, Token), Troublemaker brings ultimate adventure set in sun-filled Miami! • Janet Evanovich, the New York Times number-one best-selling author, brings her hit Barnaby series to Dark Horse Comics! • The entire Troublemaker story collected into one affordable volume! • "With art reminiscent of the Florida sun and writing supercharged with action, the Troublemaker graphic novel from best-selling author Evanovich and her daughter is a winner!"—RT Book Reviews