Powerless / Killing Gods: A Superhero Novel Double Edition


Book Description

This is a special edition collecting the first two books in the 'Powerless' superhero novel series from Tony Cooper. **** POWERLESS When the friend of a retired superhero is killed by another power, he drags himself out of his self-imposed isolation to find out who is responsible. He soon finds himself digging up a past he would rather forget, risking exposing the secret of why his team split up and destroying all their lives. **** KILLING GODS When a physically mutated villain's son goes missing from protective care, he goes on a rampage to try and find his child. In his way stand a Child Protection Officer following her heart above her duty, a violent anti-hero group desperate for media attention, a seemingly benevolent hero-worshipping cult and Martin and Hayley struggling to work out who they can trust.




Higgs & Soap: Galaxy Delivery


Book Description

"Hello! Need a 'sensitive' item delivered 'discreetly' anywhere in the colonised galaxies? Then 'Higgs & Soap: Galaxy Delivery' are waiting for your encrypted call. We operate in the strictest confidence for your peace of mind*!" (*yes we do illegal stuff) It was supposed to be a simple, straightforward job: transport a data card from one solar system to another and get paid. But it turns out that the data on the card makes it the most valuable item in the galaxy. With highly trained killers and thieves after it, the only people standing in their way are Higgs and Soap, and they really, really don't want to die. Join Higgs (independent entrepreneur) and Soap (ace pilot and engineer) as they tear across the galaxy pursued by cyborgs and genetically modified thugs. All they want is to get paid! And to not die. They're quite insistent about that part. "Higgs & Soap – we take anything, anywhere!"




The Resurrection Tree and Other Stories


Book Description

A collection of nine dark short stories about life, death and consequences. A mix of creepy, disturbing contemporary fantasy and science fiction stories in one book. In "The Resurrection Tree", a young girl changes the course of her family's life in one moment of panic. In "The Chaos Police", in the future, every action you take has a consequence, and you only get so many chances. In "Jazz On The Radio", a Professor finds he cannot escape the past he so desperately wants to. In "Seaview Hotel", an unusual group of individuals make a pilgrimage to a remote Scottish beach. In "Fake Mary", you are not even safe inside your own memories. In "The Last Villain", pride comes before the fall of mankind. In "Lord Of Shadow", a small boy becoming emotionally detached from his parents finds solace in the darkness. In "Making Gods", two linguistics experts find an awkward romance over ancient carvings. In 'The Colours of Jupiter' a group of scientists undertaking a radical experiment to prove the nature of time end up discovering more about their own nature.




Die Famous


Book Description

"Ruth doesn't want to be famous, she just wants to be seen and accepted for who she is. And she is prepared to defy her father to take part in a Hero talent contest to create a new team for Element City. However, she doesn't count on a team of villains from the 1970s waking themselves up, in order to bring Havoc to the present day. Neither do Martin and Hayley, who inadvertently stumble upon the villain's plot, and find themselves risking their lives to save their ultimate target: the TV show's contestants."




Powerless


Book Description

In a world of superheroes, the line between good and evil is always clear. Right? Kenna is constantly surrounded by superheroes. Her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, practically everyone she knows has some talent or power. Kenna doesn't have a power. Sure, she's smart and independent, but surrounded by all the extraordinary, it's hard not feel very ordinary. And she's tired of it. So when three villains break into the lab where she interns, Kenna refuses to be a victim. She stands her ground. She's not about to let criminals steal the research that will make her extraordinary too. But in the heat of battle, secrets are spilled and one of the villains saves her life. Twice. Suddenly, everything Kenna thought she knew about good and evil, heroes and villains is upended. And to protect her life and those she loves, she must team up with her sworn enemies on a mission that will redefine what it means to be powerful and powerless... The Hero Agenda Series: Powerless (Book 1) Relentless (Book 2)




Nubia: Real One


Book Description

Can you be a hero...if society doesn't see you as a person? Nubia has always been a little bit...different. As a baby she showcased Amazonian-like strength by pushing over a tree to rescue her neighbor's cat. But despite her having similar abilities, the world has no problem telling her that she's no Wonder Woman. And even if she were, they wouldn't want her. Every time she comes to the rescue, she's reminded of how people see her: as a threat. Her moms do their best to keep her safe, but Nubia can't deny the fire within her, even if she's a little awkward about it sometimes. Even if it means people assume the worst. When Nubia's best friend, Quisha, is threatened by a boy who thinks he owns the town, Nubia will risk it all--her safety, her home, and her crush on that cute kid in English class--to become the hero society tells her she isn't. From the witty and powerful voice behind A Blade So Black, and with endearing and expressive art by Robyn Smith, comes a vital story for today about equality, identity, and kicking it with your squad.




Understanding Superhero Comic Books


Book Description

This work dissects the origin and growth of superhero comic books, their major influences, and the creators behind them. It demonstrates how Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and many more stand as time capsules of their eras, rising and falling with societal changes, and reflecting an amalgam of influences. The book covers in detail the iconic superhero comic book creators and their unique contributions in their quest for realism, including Julius Schwartz and the science-fiction origins of superheroes; the collaborative design of the Marvel Universe by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Steve Ditko; Jim Starlin’s incorporation of the death of superheroes in comic books; John Byrne and the revitalization of superheroes in the modern age; and Alan Moore’s deconstruction of superheroes.




Superheroes and Gods


Book Description

The work provides a unique study of superheroes and gods in literature, popular culture, and ancient myth. The author selects a number of mythological figures (e.g., Babylonia's Gilgamesh and Enkidu), ancient gods (e.g., Greece's Eros and Tartarus), and modern superheroes (e.g., the United States' Superman and Captain Marvel) and identifies the often striking similarities between each unique category of characters. The author contends that the vast majority of mythological superheroes follow the same archetypal character patterns, regardless of each hero's unique time period or culture. Each of the first nine chapters examines the heroes and gods of a particular region or country, while the final chapter examines modern descendants of the hero prototype like Batman and Spiderman and several infamous anti-heroes (for example, Dracula and The Hulk). Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.




How to Kill Your Batman


Book Description

How to Kill Your Batman uses the character Batman to help heal male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Using material from his previous award-winning self-help book, Heroes, Villains, and Healing: A Guide for Male Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Using D.C. Comic Superheroes and Villains, author Kenneth Rogers Jr. this time focuses on the character Batman, to help male survivors understand the pitfalls of hypervigilance after being sexually abused. The trauma of childhood sexual abuse is related to the childhood trauma in Batman’s story, when a young Bruce Wayne witnesses the death of his parents. In the first part of the book, the author explores the term “Boy Code” and the societal norms of being a “real” man. In part two, the harms of hypervigilance are explained, using Batman and the development of cognitive distortions by male survivors as a result of being sexually abused. Part three helps survivors understand how to “kill their Batman,” allowing them to explore the need for intimacy and healing rather than hypervigilance. Throughout each part, Kenneth includes autobiographical stories of his own struggles with hypervigilance as a sexual abuse survivor striving to heal, grow, and become a “good” man rather than a “real” man.




The Psychology of Superheroes


Book Description

This latest installment in the Psychology of Popular Culture series turns its focus to superheroes. Superheroes have survived and fascinated for more than 70 years in no small part due to their psychological depth. In The Psychology of Superheroes, almost two dozen psychologists get into the heads of today's most popular and intriguing superheroes. Why do superheroes choose to be superheroes? Where does Spider-Man's altruism come from, and what does it mean? Why is there so much prejudice against the X-Men, and how could they have responded to it, other than the way they did? Why are super-villains so aggressive? The Psychology of Superheroes answers these questions, exploring the inner workings our heroes usually only share with their therapists.