Superhero Comics

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.

Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, the Avengers, the X-Men, Watchmen, and more: the companion volume to the PBS documentary series of the same name that tells the story of the superhero in American popular culture.

Born to a rarified breed of Russian aristocracy, Kraven the Hunter had stalked and killed every animal known to man and considered himself the world's best big-game hunter. It was this confidence that brought him to New York years ago, in an obsessive quest to hunt what he considered the city's greatest prey: Spider-Man. But his target eluded him time and again, mocking him at every turn.

Over the last 60 years, the Marvel superhero comic books have grown into a gigantic mountain in the middle of contemporary culture. They are the longest continuous, self-contained work of fiction ever created: over half a million pages to date - and growing. Thousands of writers and artists have contributed to it. Every schoolchild recognises its protagonists: Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men. And not even the people telling the story have read the whole thing - nobody's supposed to. So, of course, that's what Douglas Wolk did.

After being adopted at a young age, Wanda Maximoff knows only life as part of the Parker family. She’s been raised along side Peter Parker—aka New York’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man—and the pair of them are well known amongst the city’s community of superheroes. Yet when Captain America is found brutally murdered, Wanda finds that her trusted community of mentors and friends accuse her. Feeling isolated and questioning everyone, Wanda turns to her other sibling, a new-found twin who is the only one who seems to believe in her.

Beginning with a novella by Spider-Man's co-creator Stan Lee and veteran Marvel writer Peter David retelling the wall-crawler's origin, this exciting anthology has original stories featuring one of the world's most enduring heroes.

In a dark and dangerous future, the mutant-hunting machines known as the Sentinels rule America with an iron fist. Almost all mutants and superhumans have been exterminated. Only a handful of imprisoned mutants remain to fight against their oppressive robotic overseers! Now Kate Pryde, former X-Man, must travel back in time and warn her present-day teammates of the coming danger - and hopefully prevent this horrible future from ever taking place!

Growing up in Bay View City, Connor just wants to survive high school and avoid the dangerous world of metas. But when he finds himself with a new set of metabands, he must embrace his destiny as the meta known as Omni. With the guidance of Midnight, a mysterious vigilante, Connor sets out on a thrilling journey to unlock the secrets of his powers and uncover the truth about The Battle that changed the world forever.

On several occasions, a half-dozen of Spider-Man's greatest enemies have banded together as the Sinister Six. Now, at the behest of a deadly benefactor known only as the Gentleman, the Chameleon has been tasked with assembling a new Sinister Six with the most ambitious scheme yet! Soon, he has recruited the Vulture, freed Electro and Dr. Octopus from prison, and been joined by the Gentleman's mysterious ward, Pity. That only leaves Mysterio, but the master of illusion has a plan of his own.

Two years have passed, and Peter Parker struggles to cope with the demands of life as a college student, a Daily Bugle photographer, and a crime-fighting superhero. But it hasn't gotten any easier. Condemned by the press, tormented by secrets he can never reveal, forced to give up the girl of his dreams, at times the lonely burden of Spider-Man seems almost too great to bear...and the temptation to give up grows stronger by the hour.

We're currently in the golden age of superhero blockbusters. Movies like Black Panther, Wonder Woman, Joker, and Avengers: Endgame routinely break box office records and compete for Oscars. Yet, Zack Snyder's 2017 behemoth Justice League - a veritable sure bet at the Hollywood casino - tanked miserably, and the behind-the-scenes reasons for the movie's demise are fascinating.

This second graphic novel in the New York Times bestselling The Last Kids on Earth series, now with over 5 million copies in print worldwide and an Emmy Award-winning Netflix Original series, includes brand-new Last Kids stories by Max Brallier.

The Science of Superheroes takes a lighthearted but clear-headed look at the real science that underlies some of the greatest superhero comic books of all time, including Spider-Man, Batman, Fantastic Four, and many more. Each chapter presents the story of the origin of one or more superheroes and asks intriguing questions that lead to fascinating discussions about the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology.

Jack, June, Quint, and Dirk face their biggest challenge yet: creating the sequel to their hit graphic novel! And like all sequels, it must be bigger, better, and packed with even more neat stuff! While the kids get to work, their superhero alter-egos make a startling discovery: supervillains do not come up with their own evil plans! The shocking truth? Every supervillain scheme comes from the mind of a single mysterious bad guy. Now, Jack, June, Quint, and Dirk’s biggest sequel in history has our superheroes in a mad-dash, puzzle-filled race across Apocalyptia.

What can you learn from the world’s most successful companies? The Marvel Studios Story will help you understand and adopt the competitive strategies, workplace culture, and daily business practices that enabled a struggling comic book publisher to parlay the power of myth and storytelling to become one of history’s most successful movie studios.

In this insightful and provocative book, comics-industry veteran Danny Fingeroth explores the backgrounds of the most well-known superheroes and their creators—largely young American Jewish men from Eastern European backgrounds. These innovators include Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Will Eisner, and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. In Disguised as Clark Kent, Fingeroth explores how the creators’ Jewish backgrounds helped make superheroes the most familiar popular-culture icons of all.

In the year 2012, Liquin Sonos and his friends return to the San Diego Comic-Con in a last bid to achieve their Hollywood dreams. But the bonds of friendship strain under the pressure to succeed, and Liquin fears the emergence of his nemesis, Ragnar Wortham, signals his doom. In the year 2047, Ashlyn, a freedom-fighting refugee, struggles to survive among plague, poverty and factional warfare. But a frightening revelation into her past offers a way to end the bloodshed once and for all, and the death of Liquin Sonos is the key.

Every child on planet earth aspires to be someone great. However, as crime, political corruption, and global warming signs begin to overflow our worldly nations, we look for a hero. A symbol of hope... Is there someone that we can believe in? What if an inner-city kid from the ghetto, becomes a superhero?

50 Things to Know About Comic Books by Kevin offers an approach to beginning a new obsession with superheroes and comic books. Most books on comics tell you to “pick a side” between DC and Marvel. Although there’s nothing wrong with that, in these chapters you’ll discover how much more there is to offer. By the time you finish this book, you will know how much there is to read and see in the comic book universe.

Why are so many of the superhero myths tied up with loss, often violent, of parents or parental figures? What is the significance of the dual identity? What makes some superhuman figures “good” and others “evil”? Why are so many of the prime superheroes white and male? How has the superhero evolved over the course of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries? All these topics, and more, are covered in this lively and original exploration of the reasons why the superhero—in comic books, films, and TV—is such a potent myth for our times and culture.