Superhero Comics

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.

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 BRONZE AGE OF COMICS: SUPERHUMAN Volume One looks at super-hero comic books from 1970 to 1983, with sections on such characters as Batman, The Flash, New Teen Titans, Justice League, Sub-Mariner, The Avengers, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Thor, X-Men, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, and more. There are also sections on Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, The Cat and Tigra, Aquaman, Iron Fist, Master of Kung Fu, Power Man and many more, with such chapters as "Kung Fu Fighters," "Black is Beautiful." and "Some of Marvel's Super Ladies." And let's not forget series starring the Joker, Freedom ...

Since 2001, James Kakalios has taught "Everything I Needed to Know About Physics I Learned from Reading Comic Books", a hugely popular university course that generated coast-to-coast media attention for its unique method of explaining complex physics concepts through comics. With The Physics of Superheroes, named one of the best science books of 2005 by Discover, he introduced his colorful approach to an even wider audience. Now Kakalios presents a totally updated, expanded edition that features even more superheroes and findings from the cutting edge of science.

The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list. Bruce is turning 18 and inheriting his family's fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Industries and all the tech gadgetry that he could ever desire. But on the way home from his birthday party, he makes an impulsive choice that leads to community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison. There, he meets Madeleine Wallace, a brilliant killer with ties to the Nightwalkers. A girl who will speak only to Bruce. She is the mystery he must unravel.

It's been a decade since the first ultra-enhanced human beings were forced to abandon covert military operations. Advancing public technology and new government legislation made continuing to operate in secrecy untenable, and so they mainstreamed, becoming the world's first superhero group - the Order of Champions. They are the ten mightiest individuals on the planet - beloved by the masses and feared by their enemies. And their world is falling apart. The superheroes have become complacent - secure in their own sense of invincibility. They are arrogant and alone and increasingly rocked by ...

Welcome to Sector House 301, the isolated dumping ground for Mega-City One's every misfit and foul-up Judge. Nicknamed The Pit, the sector house holds many dark secrets and the discovery of one of them may have led to the death of Sector Chief Rohan. Sent to take over The Pit is Judge Dredd. Together with a small team of trusted Judges, he uncovers a trail of deceit and murder that leads to the very top levels of command. The only question is, will Dredd live long enough to bring the culprits to Justice?

In a land ruled by armor, the iron man is king. Jakson the thief holds no love for the throne. His half-brother, the crown prince, hates him. His father, the king, refuses to acknowledge him. He is at home on the streets as a trickster and rogue. Yet he dreams of knighthood. For armor is power, and the king's knights wield the strongest steel. A desperate gamble leads Jakson to an otherworldly artifact: armor from another age. His discovery propels him into a deadly game of knights, a game of treachery, violence, and corruption. Threats arise from beyond the kingdom and from within. Allies ...

"Matt Drabble is a name that will one day be as widely recognized as Stephen King & Dean Koontz" - READERS FAVORITE He fell from the stars and changed the world. Suddenly there existed a super being much like those that only existed on the pages of comic books, but not everyone took to the newcomer nor what he represented and some would seek to destroy what they perceived as a blasphemer. SOUL were an organisation created by a Cynthia Arrow, a religious zealot overwhelmed with the desire to deal in terror and rid the country of their greatest hero by any means necessary. Driven by her ...

SUPERHEROIC: THE BRONZE AGE OF COMICS VOLUME TWO follows SUPERHUMAN: THE BRONZE AGE OF COMICS VOLUME ONE. This volume covers IRON MAN, GREEN LANTERN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, SUPERMAN and his supporting cast, FANTASTIC FOUR, DAREDEVIL, THE DEFENDERS, WORLD'S FINEST, SUPERMAN FAMILY, JACK KIRBY'S FOURTH WORLD series and many, many other titles and heroes, including characters published by ATLAS, RED CIRCLE/ARCHIE and others. Each chapter looks at the most memorable issues, writers, and artists, detailing how "relevance" and social issues began to affect the comics of the ...

Retired SuperHeroes battling their fiercest Arch-Villain. . . Boredom, are called into battle once again for the defense of the galaxy and more when a nearly invincible, invading, extraterrestrial power neutralizes Earth's younger generations of Supers in the prelude to its strike.

Is Batman overrated? Should superheroes age? Are comics for kids? Does death in comics have any meaning? All these questions and many more are answered in this collection of articles examining some of the most contentious issues in superhero comics. Just don't tell Batman...

If you are a fan of Marvel or DC superheroes and a Christian seeking super-heroic faith, this book is for you! Comic book superheroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and Ant-Man routinely stand for justice and save the day! The only drawback is… they aren’t real. Real people need real heroes. Luckily, the Bible is full of heroes! These Holy Heroes didn’t wear spandex or fly around in capes. They didn’t inspire action figures, cartoon shows, or summer blockbusters. Instead, they were godly heroes—ordinary men and women who accomplished extraordinary things through faith in...

The defining, behind-the-scenes chronicle of one of the most extraordinary, beloved, and dominant pop cultural entities in America’s history - Marvel Comics - and the outsized personalities who made Marvel, including Martin Goodman, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby.

In Superman Is Jewish? Harry Brod reveals the links between Jews and superheroes in a penetrating investigation of iconic comic book figures. He describes how the role of each hero reflects the evolution of the Jewish place in American culture - an alien in a foreign land, like Superman; a figure plagued by guilt for not having saved his family, like Spider-Man; outsiders persecuted for being different (X-Men); a nice, smart guy afraid people won't like him when he's angry (the Hulk).

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.

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.

Some women fear the fire. Some women simply become it. Ever since her parents were murdered and their home burned down with her inside it, Amara has been afraid of fire. Now, she'll face the flames again, this time in the form of a supernatural terrorist. A supervillain with the power to burn. But the fire-starter isn't the only one Spectra has to worry about. FEAR still hasn't caught Phantasma, and as the flames lick higher, something just as sinister is closing off her escape. Can the cynical superhero become what she fears most to survive or will fire win again? From the Author:...

In this short story from the novel, “SuperHero- Retirement”, recently retired Arch-Villains can’t help themselves. It’s so good to be bad.

In this story from the novel, “SuperHero – Retirement”, retired SuperHeroes Trisha & Winston learn the hard way why their daughter told them not to give her kids sugar, while they babysat them as she went off to save the world.