Comic books in 'Comic History'

1st printing.

By David Tosh.

Rise of the Superheroes is a visual and entertaining adventure exploring one of the most popular and significant eras of comic book history. From 1956 to 1970, Silver Age redefined and immortalized superheroes as the massive pop culture titans they are today. Lavishly illustrated with comic book covers and original art, the book chronicles the new frontier of DC Comics, with a revamped Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, and new characters including Hawkman; Marvel's new comics featuring Thor and The Fantastic Four; The pop art years that saw Batman's "new look" and the TV series; independent characters, including Fat Fury and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents; and much more.

Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 176 pages, full color. Cover price $24.99.

Add to cart Near Mint $8.00

1st printing.

Written by Etienne Appert. Art by Etienne Appert and Edmond Baudoin. Cover by Etienne Appert. Translated by Ben Croze.

A thought-provoking book about the very origins of the art of illustration-what it means and why it exists.

The River of Ink flows from the present day back to the very first illustration drawn by a human. Along its shores are tales and wisdom from legendary artists of the past and present exploring the philosophy of communication through drawing. Why do we draw? It's a simple question with a spellbinding and complex answer in this entirely new and entertaining look at the history of art.

Also featured is an illustrated interview between Appert and comics master Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics, The Sculptor) that no reader should miss!

Softcover, 240 pages, full color.

Cover price $22.99.

1st printing.

Edited By Terrence R. Wandtke.

Robert Kirkman is probably best known as the creator of The Walking Dead, yet Kirkman represents much more than this single comic book title. Kirkman's story begins with him financing his irreverent, independent comic book Battle Pope with credit cards. After writing major titles with Marvel Comics, Kirkman publicly advocated for creator ownership as the future of the comics industry.

While Stan Lee was the most prominent comic book everyman of the previous era of comics production, Kirkman is the most prominent comic book everyman of this dynamic, evolving new era.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 262 pages, Text Only.

Cover price $25.00.

1st printing.

By Lauren R. O'Connor.

Debuting just a few months after Batman himself, Robin has been an integral part of the Dark Knight's history and, from the outset, has both reflected and reinforced particular images of American adolescence. Closely reading several characters who have "played" Robin over the past eighty years, Robin and the Making of American Adolescence reveals the Boy (and sometimes Girl!) Wonder as a complex figure through whom mainstream culture has addressed anxieties about adolescents in relation to sexuality, gender, and race.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 198 pages, Text (with full color photos).

Cover price $29.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $12.50

1st printing.

Introduction by Alex Ross. Afterword by Stan Lee.

The Romitas are one of the few royal families in comics. If you haven't had a chance to fully appreciate their work, here's your chance. It's a fun ride. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have in putting this book together!

With an introduction by Alex Ross and an afterword by Stan "The Man" Lee, this hardcover book is perfect for every Spider-Man fan young and old!

Hardcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 208 pages, PC/PB&W.

Cover price $29.99.

Add to cart Very Good $14.00

1st printing.

By Alisa Kwitney. Introduction by Neil Gaiman.

Loaded with never-before-published illustrations, behind-the-scenes stories, handwritten notes, and interviews with Neil Gaiman himself, this chronicle explores The Sandman and the groundbreaking comic's emergence as a unique and undeniable force in the literary world - a true testament to the dream king and his creator.

Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 180 pages, full color. Cover price $35.00.

2nd and later printings.

By Alisa Kwitney. Introduction by Neil Gaiman.

Loaded with never-before-published illustrations, behind-the-scenes stories, handwritten notes, and interviews with Neil Gaiman himself, this chronicle explores The Sandman and the groundbreaking comic's emergence as a unique and undeniable force in the literary world - a true testament to the dream king and his creator.

Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 180 pages, full color. Cover price $35.00.

Add to cart Near Mint $10.00

Add to cart Fine $7.10

1st printing. By Mark Brake. Super-hero fiction has been with us for almost a century; high-octane tales crammed with concepts and contrasting themes, from superpowers and the post-human, to masked vigilantes and immortality. In that time, superwomen have evolved from comic book caricatures (created by men, for men) to stronger representations of female power. THE SCIENCE OF SUPERWOMEN looks at this evolution, from its hypersexualized origins to today's more nuanced diversity, and explores the relationship between superhero film and fiction and the underlying science of our ever-evolving universe. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 240 pages, Text Only. Cover price $16.99.

About Fandom, Underground Culture, The Comics Industry, Talking Animals, A Gonzo Cartoonist, and Other Stuff!

1st printing. Introduction by Sergio Aragones. For over fifty years, Scott Shaw! has been writing and drawing allegedly funny stuff for mainstream comics sold on spinner racks (including Sonic the Hedgehog, Captain Carrot, and The Simpsons), underground comix sold in head shops -and almost everything in between. Finally, here's the first collection starring the award-winning cartoonist's most notorious characters (including Scott himself!), with over 200 pages of offbeat stories, plus surprises and silliness from the depths of his archives! Softcover, 332 pages, B&W. Cover price $30.00.

1st printing.

By Paul C. Tumey.

The story of screwball comics, with new research and rare art from some of the most hilarious cartoonists of all time.

Before "screwball" became a movie genre, it was a staple of other forms of American culture, including newspaper comic strips. Emerging from the pressures of a rapidly accelerating technological and information-drenched society, screwball comics offered a healthy dose of laughter and perspective. Comics scholar Paul C. Tumey traces the development of screwball as a genre in magazine cartoons and newspaper comics, presenting the lives and work of around two dozen cartoonists, with an art-stuffed chapter on each.

Screwball! offers a wealth of previously un-reprinted comics, unleashing fresh views of some of America's greatest and most-loved cartoonists, including George Herriman (Krazy Kat), E.C. Segar (creator of Popeye), Winsor McCay (Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend), Rube Goldberg (The Inventions of Professor Lucifer G. Butts, A.K.) and Bill Holman (Smokey Stover). In addition, readers will be delighted to discover previously "lost" screwball masters including Gene Ahern (The Squirrel Cage), Gus Mager (Sherlocko the Monk), Milt Gross (Count Screwloose), George Swanson ($alesman $am) and many others.

Hardcover, 11-in. x 11-in., 272 pages, full color.

Cover price $59.99.

Add to cart Near Mint $23.00

1st printing. By Blake Bell and Michael J. Vassallo. The Secret History of Marvel Comics digs back to the 1930s when Marvel Comics didn't just produce comic books but also published lurid and sensationalistic story books (known as "pulps") and magazines, featuring material not quite fit for children. The book features works by Marvel Comics artists such as Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, Alex Schomburg, Bill Everett, Al Jaffee, and Dan DeCarlo, plus the very best pulp artists in the field. These rare pieces of comic art, pulp and magazine history lift the veil on Marvel Comics' unseen history. Hardcover, 240 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $39.99.

Add to cart Very Fine $8.00

Add to cart Very Fine $8.00

Collector's Edition - Limited Inventory Available

1982: Seismic changes were in the air… New Wave music ruled the airwaves, Spielbergs E.T. dazzled at the box office, and the term internet was first used to describe the new international network of communication. The comic-book industry was also experiencing great change as ambitious young self-publishers started beating the drum of revolution in a long-stagnant field. Among them was Dave Sim with his creation Cerebus the Aardvark, which was rapidly growing in popularity to the point that copies of the first issue had risen from $1 to hundreds of dollars in just five short years.

December 1977: Dave Sim and his soon to be wife, Deni Loubert, printed two-thousand copies of Cerebus No. 1, and distributed them to Now & Then Books in Kitchener, Ontario, Big Rapids Distribution in Lansing, Michigan, and Sea Gat Distribution in Brooklyn, New York, establishing a clear trail of where nearly every copy went.

April 1982: Ten copies of Cerebus No. 1 were found at a flea market and sold to a comic book shop. Then twenty more were sold to the shop down the road… Then thirty more… Forty more… In all, nearly two thousand newly discovered copies of this rare and sought after book were sold to comic shops from Berkeley, California to New York City. Every single one – counterfeit.

This is the Secret History of the Counterfeit Cerebus No. 1.

24 pages, B&W.

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

Add to cart Good $5.99

1st printing.

By Jill Lepore.

Wonder Woman, created in 1941, is the most popular female superhero of all time.

Aside from Superman and Batman, no superhero has lasted as long or commanded so vast and wildly passionate a following. In the more than seven decades since she first appeared, her comic books have never been out of print. In years of interviews and archival research, Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore has uncovered an astonishing trove of documents, including the never-before-seen private papers of William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman's creator. The Secret History of Wonder Woman reveals that Wonder Woman is the missing link in the history of the struggle for women's rights.

Hardcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 448 pages, Text.

Cover price $29.95.

Add to cart Very Good $6.70

Add to cart Very Good $6.70

1st printing. By Jill Lepore. Wonder Woman, created in 1941, is the most popular female superhero of all time. Aside from Superman and Batman, no superhero has lasted as long or commanded so vast and wildly passionate a following. In the more than seven decades since she first appeared, her comic books have never been out of print. In years of interviews and archival research, Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore has uncovered an astonishing trove of documents, including the never-before-seen private papers of William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman's creator. The Secret History of Wonder Woman reveals that Wonder Woman is the missing link in the history of the struggle for women's rights. Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 448 pages, Text. Cover price $16.95.

Add to cart Fine $6.00

Add to cart Fine $6.00

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

Add to cart VG 4.0 $4.00

Canadian edition with $2.85 cover price - It's "The Secret Origin of The Doom Patrol!" by Paul Kupperberg & John Byrne, a 30-page tale. Also: Paul Kupperberg & Steve Lightle discuss the new Doom Patrol series in an article by Joey Cavalieri. Plus: "The Secret Origin of Captain Comet" by Roy Thomas, Ron Harris & Bruce D. Patterson, a 20-page tale. Cover by Byrne (after Ed Hannigan). 48 pages, FC. Cover price $2.85.

Canadian edition with $2.70 cover price - It's the origins of the Flash...and Flash. The Flash died in the pages of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS...and here's what happened next. The final Barry Allen story, written by Robert Loren Fleming, with art by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson. Also, the origin of the current Flash, from his beginnings as Wally West, through his days as Kid Flash and beyond. Written by William Messner-Loebs, with art by Mike Collins and Frank McLaughlin. Cover by Infantino, Collins and Anderson. 48 pages, FC. Cover price $2.70.

Add to cart Fine $14.00

Add to cart Fine $14.00

Add to cart Fine $22.00

1st printing. Collects Secret Origins (1986-1990 2nd Series) #32 and 35-36, Secret Origins Annual #2, and Man of Steel (1986) # 6.

Written by Dennis O'Neil, John Byrne, James Owsley, Mark Verheiden, Robert Loren Fleming, Gardner Fox, Keith Giffen, and Peter David. Art by Dick Giordano, John Byrne, M.D. Bright, Ken Stacy, Carmine Infantino, and Eric Shanower. Cover by Brian Bolland. Introduction by Mark Waid.

Featuring the Secret Origins of the world's greatest super heroes - Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, and the Martian Manhunter!

Softcover, 140 pages, full color.

Cover price $4.95.

Add to cart Fine $14.00

2nd and later printings. Collects Secret Origins (1986-1990 2nd Series) #32 and 35-36, Secret Origins Annual #2, and Man of Steel (1986) # 6.

Written by Dennis O'Neil, John Byrne, James Owsley, Mark Verheiden, Robert Loren Fleming, Gardner Fox, Keith Giffen, and Peter David. Art by Dick Giordano, John Byrne, M.D. Bright, Ken Stacy, Carmine Infantino, and Eric Shanower. Cover by Brian Bolland. Introduction by Mark Waid.

Featuring the Secret Origins of the world's greatest super heroes - Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, and the Martian Manhunter!

Softcover, 140 pages, full color.

Cover price $4.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $8.00

Add to cart Very Fine $8.00

Add to cart Fine $14.75

Volume 1 - 1st printing. Collects Secret Origins (2014) 3rd Series #1-4.

Written by by Greg Pak, Kyle Higgins, Tony Bedard, Ray Fawkes, Jeff Parker, Scott Lobdell, Robert Venditti, Jeremy Haun, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jeff Lemire and Peter J. Tomasi.
Art by Lee Weeks, Doug Mahnke, Paulo Siqueira, Dustin Nguyen, Derek Fridolfs, Martin Coccolo, Trevor McCarthy, Tyler Kirkham, Stéphane Roux, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ian Bertram, Alvaro Martinez, Sandra Hope, Keith Champagne and Christian Alamy.
Cover by Lee Bermejo.

At last, the origins of The New 52's World's Greatest Heroes are revealed! Included here are the origins of The Last Son of Krypton and Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, Harley Quinn, Green Lantern, Batwoman, Batman, Aquaman, Green Arrow and many more!

Softcover, 160 pages, full color.

Cover price $14.99.

Add to cart Very Fine $7.00

Add to cart Very Fine $7.00

Add to cart Fine $3.80

Add to cart Fine $3.80

Volume 1 - 2nd and later printings. Collects Secret Origins (2014) 3rd Series #1-4.

Written by by Greg Pak, Kyle Higgins, Tony Bedard, Ray Fawkes, Jeff Parker, Scott Lobdell, Robert Venditti, Jeremy Haun, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jeff Lemire and Peter J. Tomasi.
Art by Lee Weeks, Doug Mahnke, Paulo Siqueira, Dustin Nguyen, Derek Fridolfs, Martin Coccolo, Trevor McCarthy, Tyler Kirkham, Stéphane Roux, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ian Bertram, Alvaro Martinez, Sandra Hope, Keith Champagne and Christian Alamy.
Cover by Lee Bermejo.

At last, the origins of The New 52's World's Greatest Heroes are revealed! Included here are the origins of The Last Son of Krypton and Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, Harley Quinn, Green Lantern, Batwoman, Batman, Aquaman, Green Arrow and many more!

Softcover, 160 pages, full color.

Cover price $14.99.

Volume 2 - 1st printing. Collects Secret Origins (2014) 3rd Series #5-11.

Written by Marv Wolfman, Scott Lobdell, Jeff Parker, Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang, J.M. DeMatteis, Cullen Bunn, Paul Levitz, Frank Barbiere, Robert Venditti, Van Jensen, Tim Seeley, Tom King, Jeff Lemire, Ann Nocenti, Charles Soule, Cameron Stewart, Brandon Fletcher, Dan Jurgens, Christy Marx, Ray Fawkes and Landry Q. Walker.
Art by Edgar Salazar, Jack Herbert, Daniel HDR, Goran Sudzuka, Kevin Stokes, Igor Lima, Jonboy Meyers, Robson Rocha, Miguel Sepulveda, Stephen Mooney, Travel Foreman, Roger Robinson, Alessandro Vitti, Alisson Borges, Pat Broderick, Sean Chen, Stjepan Sejic, Irene Koh, Richard Isanove, Dave Bullock, Scott Hepburn, Jay Leisten, Vicente Cifuentes, Jose Marzan, Jr., Oclair Albert and Scott Hanna.
Cover by Lee Bermejo.

The beginnings of the most popular characters in the DC Universe are here - starring Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, The Flash, Animal Man, Grayson and many others!

Softcover, 272 pages, full color.

Cover price $19.99.

1st printing. By Stan Lee. Secrets Behind the Comics was a wonderful source of material to help inspiring young writers and artists to break into the comic book industry. Features a profile on Syd Shores and his creation the Blonde Phantom, Mike Sekowsky, Basil Wolverton, Al Jaffee and Martin Goodman. One of the gems of this book is a detailed description of how Captain America was created. Softcover, 5 1/2-in. x 8 1/2-in., 100 pages, Text (with B&W Illustrations and photos). Cover price $20.00.

1st printing.

By Mathew Klickstein. Forewords by Stan Sakai and by Jeff Smith. Afterword by RZA.

A comprehensive chronicle of Comic-Con International and modern geekdom itself as told through countless intimate, hilarious, and often-thought provoking stories by nearly fifty of the most integral members of today's convention and fandom community.

See You At San Diego is the comprehensive chronicle of Comic-Con International and modern geekdom itself as told through countless stories by nearly fifty of the most integral members of the Comic-Con and fandom scene. This full-fledged oral history, bursting with intimate reflections, hilarious observations, and at times, heartbreaking, often thought-provoking stories, is about how the geek at last inherited the earth and the story of the transformation of mainstream American pop culture into comic book culture over the past century.

Join some of the biggest names in fandom as they launch off at ludicrous speed into the spiraling galaxy of geek culture through the kaleidoscopic lens of the planet's biggest pop culture gathering worldwide (clocked twice by Guinness!): the San Diego Comic-Con. With such special guests as: Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Bruce Campbell, Felicia Day, Scott Aukerman, Stan Sakai, Sergio Aragonés, Trina Robbins, the Russo Bros., Lloyd Kaufman, Tim Seeley, Kevin Eastman, and many others - along with 400+ photos and art - the book also features forewords by Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo) and by Jeff Smith (Bone), plus an afterword by Wu-Tang Clan's own uber-nerd mastermind RZA.

Softcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 480 pages, full color.

Cover price $39.99.

1st printing.

By Bill Schelly. Introduction by Roy Thomas.

Subtitled "A Life in Comic Fandom," Sense of Wonder is the personal, often funny, sometimes poignant recollections of Bill Schelly's years as a comic book collector and fanzine publisher in the 1960s and 1970s. Fandom's leading historian recounts his strange-but-true encounters with Steve Ditko, Dr. Frederic Wertham, Jim Shooter, Bob Kane and more, in this beautifully written, highly readable text.

It's all here: the fans, the dealers, the comicons, and more, including a special introduction by Rascally Roy Thomas! Profusely illustrated with 150 photos and illustrations, including rare work by Dick Giordano, Joe Sinnott, Steve Ditko, Neal Adams, Mike Kaluta, Wally Wood, Doug Potter, Dave Cockrum, C.C. Beck, Don Newton, and a knock-out Captain America frontispiece by Jack Kirby and Mike Allred.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 224 pages, B&W. Cover price $15.95.

1st printing.

By Bill Schelly.

A fascinating story of growing up as a gay fan of comic books in the 1960s, building a fifty-year career as an award-winning writer, and interacting with acclaimed comic book legends. Award-winning writer Bill Schelly relates how comics and fandom saved his life in this engrossing story that begins in the burgeoning comic fandom movement of the 1960s and follows the twists and turns of a career that spanned fifty years. Schelly recounts his struggle to come out at a time when homosexuality was considered a mental illness, how the egalitarian nature of fandom offered a safe haven for those who were different, and how his need for creative expression eventually overcame all obstacles. He describes living through the AIDS epidemic, finding the love of his life, and his unorthodox route to becoming a father. He also details his personal encounters with major talents of 1960s comics, such as Steve Ditko (co-creator of Spider-Man), Jim Shooter (writer for DC and later editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics), and Julius Schwartz (legendary architect of the Silver Age of comics).

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 392 pages, B&W. Cover price $19.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $15.00

Add to cart Very Fine $15.00

1st printing. By Louise Gikow. In a book as lively, energetic, and appealing as the television show it chronicles, readers are treated to an inside look at every aspect of Sesame Street. Beginning with the initial idea for the show and the creation of the pilot episode and moving through its evolution over four decades, Sesame Street provides an insider's view of all of the delightful Muppet and human characters, as well as the writers, directors, producers, and all the other creative people who continue to make learning fun for generations of kids. Hardcover, 10-in. x 12-in., 304 pages, full color. Cover price $40.00.

Does NOT Include Bonus DVD - 1st printing. By Louise Gikow. In a book as lively, energetic, and appealing as the television show it chronicles, readers are treated to an inside look at every aspect of Sesame Street. Beginning with the initial idea for the show and the creation of the pilot episode and moving through its evolution over four decades, Sesame Street provides an insider's view of all of the delightful Muppet and human characters, as well as the writers, directors, producers, and all the other creative people who continue to make learning fun for generations of kids. Hardcover, 10-in. x 12-in., 304 pages, full color. Cover price $40.00.

1st printing.

Canadian cartoonist Gregory Gallant, pen name Seth, emerged as a cartoonist in the fertile period of the 1980s, when the alternative comics market boomed. Though he was influenced by mainstream comics in his teen years and did his earliest comics work on Mister X, a mainstream-style melodrama, Seth remains one of the least mainstream-inflected figures of the alternative comics' movement.

These interviews, including one career-spanning, definitive interview between the volume editors and the artist published here for the first time, delve into Seth's output from its earliest days to the present.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 256 pages, B&W.

Cover price $25.00.

SFX Collection: Special Edition #40: Judge Dredd Cover - Includes the origins of 2000AD's most legendary law enforcer. Plus, your guide to the slang of Mega City One. Als, From Comics to Films: The complete guide to comic heroes in movies past, present, and future. 150 pages, FC.

NOTE: Magazine Only.

SFX Collection: Special Edition #40: Judge Dredd Cover - Includes the origins of 2000AD's most legendary law enforcer. Plus, your guide to the slang of Mega City One. Als, From Comics to Films: The complete guide to comic heroes in movies past, present, and future. 150 pages, FC.

NOTE: Includes Magazine, 2 posters, 6 Watchmen Badges, Mystery Comic Book (random), and original cardstock packaging.

1st printing. By Troy D. Smith. SHAOLIN BREW: RACE, COMICS, AND EVOLUTION OF SUPERHERO looks at how the comic book industry developed from a white perspective and how minority characters were and are viewed through a stereotypical white gaze. Further, the book explores how voices of color have launched a shift in the industry, taking nonwhite characters who were originally viewed through a white lens and situating them outside the framework of whiteness. The financial success of Blaxploitation and Kung Fu films in the early 1970s led to major comics publishers creating, for the first time, Black and Asian superhero characters who headlined their own comics. Author Troy D. Smith focuses on Asian, Black, and Latinx representation in the comic industry and how it has evolved over the years. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text (with B&W Illustrations). Cover price $30.00.

Add to cart Fine $19.00

1st printing.

Written by Chip Kidd. Photography by Geoff Spear. Art by C.C. Beck, Mac Raboy and Jack Kirby.

SHAZAM made his debut in Whiz Comics in 1940, and outsold his biggest competitor, Superman, by 14 million copies a month. Before too long, a variety of merchandise was produced - secret decoders, figurines, buttons, paper rockets, tin toys, puzzles, costumes - and a fan club was created to keep up with the demand.

Seventy years later, an unprecedented assortment of these collectibles are gathered together by award-winning writer/designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geoff Spear. Join Kidd, Spear, and the World's Mightiest Mortal in this first, fully authorized celebration of ephemera, artwork, and rare, one-of-a-kind toys, and recapture the magic that was SHAZAM!

Hardcover, 9 1/2-in. x 12-in., 224 pages, full color.

Cover price $35.00.

1st printing.

Written by Chip Kidd. Photography by Geoff Spear. Art by C.C. Beck, Mac Raboy and Jack Kirby.

The World's Mightiest Mortal made his debut in Whiz Comics in 1940, and outsold his biggest competitor, Superman, by 14 million copies a month. It wasn't long before a variety of merchandise was licensed and a fan club was created to keep up with the demand. These collectibles now sell for outrageous prices on eBay and in comic book stores and conventions. Seventy years later, an unprecedented assortment of these artifacts are gathered together by award-winning writer/designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geo Spear. Join Kidd, Spear, and the World's Mightiest Mortal in this first, fully authorized celebration of ephemera, artwork, and rare, one-of-a-kind toys, and recapture the magic that was the power of SHAZAM!

Softcover, 8-in. x 10-in., 246 pages, full color.

NOTE: "Back when comic books were king, when they sold their most, the World's Mightiest Mortal reigned supreme. No one held a candle to him. This book celebrates the lost wonder of the character who dominated the greatest period of the comic book art form. Chip Kidd has created a tribute to my personal favorite super hero -- one that he has always deserved." - Alex Ross

Cover price $24.99.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

1st printing. Max and Mickey; Miss Nelson; Pack, Quack, and Mrs. Mallard; Pigeon; Sylvester; John Henry; and a very hungry caterpillar - these are just a few of the beloved picture book characters discussed in Show Me a Story. Renowned children's literature authority Leonard S. Marcus speaks with their creators and asks about their childhood, their inspiration, their determination, their mentors, their creative choices, and more. Why do children love and need picture books so much? Marcus confirms that picture books matter because they make a difference in our children's lives. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 352 pages, ful;l color. Cover price $15.99.

Volume 1 – 1st printing. Collects Showcase (1956-1978) #1-21. Cover Art by Gil Kane. • DC's legendary try-out title is reprinted from the start for the first time! Includes the debuts of the Silver Age FLASH, THE CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN and ADAM STRANGE! Softcover, 544 pages, B&W. Cover price $19.99.

No Dust Jacket - 1st Edition - 1st printing. By Arlen Schumer. The first book dedicated to the Silver Age of comics (1956-1970) and the artists that defined it, author Arlen Schumer highlights the careers of eight acknowledged Hall of Fame artists who rendered definitive versions of the industry's great characters: Carmine Infantino, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Jack Kirby, and Joe Kubert, Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, and Steve Ditko. Hardcover (No Dust Jacket), 9-in. x 13-in., 176 pages, full color. NOTE: Limited to 2,000 copies.

Add to cart Near Mint $24.00

Revised Edition - 1st printing. By Arlen Schumer. The Silver Age of Comic Book Art is a coffee-table comic and art history book written and designed by comic book historian and illustrator Arlen Schumer. By creating a comic book history that reads like a comic book, Schumer succeeds spectacularly in making you see, as if for the first time, the comics you've been reading your whole life. The greatest comic book artists of their generation, who created some of their greatest work during the Silver Age of Comics (circa 1956-1970) are included in this body of work: Carmine Infantino, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Joe Kubert, Gene Colan, Jim Steranko, and Neal Adams! Hardcover, 9-in. x 12-in., 192 pages, full color. Cover price $49.99.

Add to cart Near Mint $12.00

Add to cart Near Mint $12.00

1st printing. By William Schoell. The Silver Age of Comics looks at super-hero comic books that were published in the mid-fifties to late sixties, a period when super-heroes, most of whom had been replaced by science fiction, crime, and romance comics, once again gained popularity and grew to virtually take over the whole comic book industry. The book not only looks at popular and lesser-known series including those from smaller publishers such as Charlton and Gold Key, commenting on the most interesting stories, it also examines the artists who were prominent during this period, and looks at why their work could be so effective on different strips. The book also looks at how different comics reflected - or didn't reflect - the changing mores and attitudes of the turbulent times when civil rights, women's rights, and other social movements got more and more attention. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 374 pages, B&W. Cover price $26.95.

1st printing.

Written by Paul Levitz. Interview with Neal Adams. Cover by Carmen Infantino. Back Cover by Gil Kane.

The second in the deluxe DC Comics series by TASCHEN!

With super heroes nearly extinct at the start of the 1950s, DC Comics reignited the fire that would make them central to modern popular culture by infusing them with science fiction elements. DC's writers and editors spun ever-more fantastic tales, bringing super heroes and Bob Hope alike into the realm of sci-fi. The results were transformative, delivering the first-ever "reboot" of Golden Age greats with the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman as well as the hit TV show Batman.

The Silver Age of DC Comics chronicles it all. Plus, a new exclusive interview with Green Lantern/Batman artist Neal Adams!

Hardcover, 9-in. x 12-in., 416 pages, full color.

Cover price $59.99.

1st printing. Written by Paul Levitz. Interview with Neal Adams. Cover by Carmen Infantino. Back Cover by Gil Kane. The second in the deluxe DC Comics series by TASCHEN! With super heroes nearly extinct at the start of the 1950s, DC Comics reignited the fire that would make them central to modern popular culture by infusing them with science fiction elements. DC's writers and editors spun ever-more fantastic tales, bringing super heroes and Bob Hope alike into the realm of sci-fi. The results were transformative, delivering the first-ever "reboot" of Golden Age greats with the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman as well as the hit TV show Batman. The Silver Age of DC Comics chronicles it all. Plus, a new exclusive interview with Green Lantern/Batman artist Neal Adams! Hardcover, 9-in. x 12-in., 396 pages, full color.

Volume 1 – 1st printing. Collects Silver Streak Comics (1939-1946) #6-9.

Written by Jack Cole. Art by Jack Binder.

Debuting in 1940 in Silver Streak Comics #6, the original Daredevil was a mute superhero who used boomerangs and his athletic abilities to wipe out American mobsters and international criminals. Capturing readers' imaginations as he fought his nemesis, the evil Claw, the original Daredevil was a popular recurring character and eventual headliner in his own comic book series. In this volume, the first four expensive and hard-to-find Silver Streak Comics are finally collected in a deluxe hardcover volume!

In addition to reprinting the original Daredevil's debut episodes and early work by Jack Cole (Plastic Man), this essential volume of comic book treasures will present every story, gag strip, and text piece from the original anthologies!

Hardcover, 280 pages, full color.

Cover price $59.99.

Volume 2 – 1st printing. Collects Silver Streak Comics (1939-1946) #10-13.

Written by Jack Cole. Art by Jack Binder. Foreword by Michael T. Gilbert.

This deluxe hardcover volume collects issues #10 to #13, which were first published in the tense summer of 1941-just before America entered World War II!

It's no coincidence that Silver Streak #10 introduced Captain Battle, a wounded veteran of the first World War dedicated to stopping the second one from ever happening!

Featuring action-packed stories by Jack Cole (Plastic Man) and Bob Wood (Crime Does Not Pay), the indispensable Silver Streak Archives Volume 2 also reprints every gag strip, puzzle page, and prose adventure from the landmark series-and features a foreword by Michael T. Gilbert (Mr. Monster)!

Hardcover, 280 pages, full color.

Cover price $59.99.

1st printing. Sin-A-Rama celebrates the near-forgotten world of erotic paperbacks from the 1960s when sex acts were described with code words, writers used pseudonyms, and publishers hid behind mail drop addresses. Sleaze paperbacks sold by the million, and their unorthodox content provoked FBI investigations, court battles, and prison sentences for the crime of "obscenity." Earl Kemp, the notorious Greenleaf Books editor, provides an insider's perspective. In "My Life as a Pornographer," science fiction legend Robert Silverberg divulges how he and other authors learned their sleaze craft. The new expanded edition includes B. Astrid Daley's profiles on "Occult Sleaze," "Swinging Sleaze," and the tawdry taboo stuff that sleaze literature fell into during the 1970s. Softcover, 328 pages, full color. Mature Readers Cover price $25.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $12.00

1st printing. By Reed Tucker. The most bruising battle in the superhero world isn't between spandex-clad characters; it's between the publishers themselves. For more than 50 years, Marvel and DC have been locked in an epic war, tirelessly trading punches and trying to do to each other what Batman regularly does to the Joker's face. Slugfest, the first book to tell the history of this epic rivalry into a single, juicy narrative, is the story of the greatest corporate rivalry never told. Complete with interviews with the major names in the industry, Slugfest reveals the arsenal of schemes the two companies have employed in their attempts to outmaneuver the competition, whether it be stealing ideas, poaching employees, planting spies, ripping off characters or launching price wars. Sometimes the feud has been vicious, at other times, more cordial. But it has never completely disappeared, and it simmers on a low boil to this day. Hardcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 304 pages, B&W. Cover price $27.00.

1st printing. Edited by Bill Blackbeard and Martin Williams. Foreword by Jahn Canaday. This is a tribute to the fun and creativity of newspaper comic strip'. Featuring fantastic tales of Popeye, Mickey Mouse, Prince Valiant, Snoopy, and more! Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 336 pages, PC/PB&W.

2nd and later printings. Edited by Bill Blackbeard and Martin Williams. Foreword by Jahn Canaday. This is a tribute to the fun and creativity of newspaper comic strip'. Featuring fantastic tales of Popeye, Mickey Mouse, Prince Valiant, Snoopy, and more! Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 336 pages, PC/PB&W.

Add to cart FN- 5.5 $249.99 View scans Signed by artist John Romita (splash). Certification not included. 1/2" Tear in dust jacket from top. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Fireside Book Series

1st printing. Collects Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011) 1st Series #1, Tales of Suspense (1959-1968) #39 and 97, Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) #1, Daredevil (1964 1st Series) #1 and 47, Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) #135, Fantastic Four (1961-1996 1st Series) #13, and Silver Surfer (1968-1970 1st Series) #1.

Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber. Art by Jack Kirby, Don Heck, Gene Colan, Bill Everett, and John Buscema. Cover by John Romita, Sr.

This volume in the amazing Marvel Origins series (Origins of Marvel Comics TPB, Bring on the Bad Guys TPB, Superhero Women TPB) collects the origin tales of - the Uncanny X-Men, the Invincible Iron Man, the Mighty Avengers, Daredevil the Man Without Fear, Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the enigmatic Watcher, and the Silver Surfer, Sentinel of the Spaceways.

Hardcover, 260 pages, full color.

Cover price $6.95.

Fireside Book Series

1st printing. Collects Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011) 1st Series #1, Tales of Suspense (1959-1968) #39 and 97, Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) #1, Daredevil (1964 1st Series) #1 and 47, Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) #135, Fantastic Four (1961-1996 1st Series) #13, and Silver Surfer (1968-1970 1st Series) #1.

Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber. Art by Jack Kirby, Don Heck, Gene Colan, Bill Everett, and John Buscema. Cover by John Romita, Sr.

This volume in the amazing Marvel Origins series (Origins of Marvel Comics TPB, Bring on the Bad Guys TPB, Superhero Women TPB) collects the origin tales of - the Uncanny X-Men, the Invincible Iron Man, the Mighty Avengers, Daredevil the Man Without Fear, Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the enigmatic Watcher, and the Silver Surfer, Sentinel of the Spaceways.

Softcover, 254 pages, full color.

Cover price $6.95.

Fireside Book Series

2nd and later printings . Collects Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011) 1st Series #1, Tales of Suspense (1959-1968) #39 and 97, Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) #1, Daredevil (1964 1st Series) #1 and 47, Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) #135, Fantastic Four (1961-1996 1st Series) #13, and Silver Surfer (1968-1970 1st Series) #1.

Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber. Art by Jack Kirby, Don Heck, Gene Colan, Bill Everett, and John Buscema. Cover by John Romita, Sr.

This volume in the amazing Marvel Origins series (Origins of Marvel Comics TPB, Bring on the Bad Guys TPB, Superhero Women TPB) collects the origin tales of - the Uncanny X-Men, the Invincible Iron Man, the Mighty Avengers, Daredevil the Man Without Fear, Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the enigmatic Watcher, and the Silver Surfer, Sentinel of the Spaceways.

Softcover, 254 pages, full color.

Cover price $6.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $19.00

Add to cart Near Mint $19.00

1st printing. By Alex M. Wainer. This is a book about the comics genre and language, how these were used to create Batman, and how that character's longevity is largely due to the medium's unique formal qualities. It argues that Batman's core appeal is his mythic nature which allows him to transcend changes in reader tastes, the vicissitudes of the comics industry, and the changing media landscape. It is a study of how the formal aspects of comics are able to evoke uniquely mythic qualities that have made Batman such a long-lived cultural phenomenon. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, Text. Cover price $40.00.