Exploring the complex personas of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men and others, Zimmerman unveils their cultural significance as models of moral character, virtue and heroism.

DC Comics tried to sue Rihanna for calling her fashion brand, Robyn, even though that is her real name. Captain America fought President Ronald Reagan after he turned into a snake. Batman's butler, Alfred, shot the Predator with a musket. Deadpool has been married nine times. Flash can move so fast, he can create a cyclone. Doctor Octopus was an Avenger. Green Arrow has many trick arrows including a Fake Cat Arrow and a Fake Uranium Arrow. Iron Man teamed up with a teenage version of himself. Superman has the power of super-ventriloquism. The Joker has a two-headed cat. Despite the fact that Nick Fury wears an eye patch, he has two eyes. Wonder Woman's chef is a minotaur. In early issues, Magneto had the power of invisibility. The first issue of Spawn is one of the most successful comics of all time. The Justice League train on Jupiter's moons. Spider-Man was nearly called Fly-Man. Aquaman's first love was a dolphin. Judas Iscariot is a DC superhero.

Due to a typo, Doctor Octopus called Spider-Man "Superman" in one issue. Batman thought Bane was his brother. Tony Stark has a 3D printer that makes Iron Man suits. Green Arrow has 135 trick arrows including a Baby Rattle Arrow and a Stepladder Arrow. In the first Avengers story, the Hulk juggled elephants while pretending to be a robot clown. The average Green Lantern only serves for four years before they are killed. There was nearly a Broadway musical of Captain America during the 1990s. Lex Luthor found the cure for cancer and AIDS. Deadpool has a 14-state restraining order from The Olsen Twins. If Superman punched someone at full force, it would create a heatwave that is 13 billion times hotter than the surface of the Sun. Green Goblin's email address is oz@amazinghair.net Judge Dredd has teamed up with Batman. In recent comics, Harley Quinn has teamed up with an egg.

Deadpool has teamed up with Sherlock Holmes, Mowgli, The Little Mermaid, Ebenezer Scrooge, and Moby Dick. Wonder Woman had a job selling tacos. Black Panther was nearly called Coal Tiger. Captain America has turned into a cat, a vampire, and a werewolf. Iron Man took over SHIELD. He found it so stressful, he had to see a counsellor. Robin had a fax machine built into his boot. Magneto suffers bipolar. After Batman seemingly died, Commissioner James Gordon became the new Batman. Superman destroyed an entire solar system by sneezing. Marvel bosses were certain Spider-Man would fail because people are afraid of spiders. The word "Brainiac" was coined in a Superman comic. Magneto ripped Wolverine's metal skeleton out of his body. Green Arrow has many trick arrows including a Donut Arrow. Doctor Strange teamed up with a duck to battle an evil book.

From basic pencil drawing and illustration to composition and construction, The Art of Drawing Manga & Comic Book Characters provides in-depth instruction for rendering manga warriors, chibis, comic-inspired superheroes, and more.

This book is an insider's guide to how the comic book industry works. You'll learn how comic book superheroes are created and the deeper meanings they represent. You'll follow the development of sequential art storytelling - from caveman wall paintings to modern manga and cinematic techniques. Here you will explore comics in all forms: those flimsy pamphlets we call comic books; thick graphic novels; Japanese manga; and blockbuster movies featuring epic battles between good and evil. But behind it all, you'll discover how comics are an intellectual property business, the real money found in licensed bedsheets and fast-food merchandise, heart-pounding theme park rides and collectible toys, video games, and Hollywood extravaganza featuring such popular superheroes as Spider-Man, Superman, X-Men, and Batman.

Every since I was a little boy I was hooked on comic books and I'm all grown up and I still like comic books and I wrote this book to show everybody how much I like comic books. I want to show the future of new hardcore comic book collectors how much I like comic books.

The most comprehensive reference ever compiled about the rich and enduring genre of comic books and graphic novels, from their emergence in the 1930s to their late-century breakout into the mainstream. At a time when graphic novels have expanded beyond their fan cults to become mainstream bestsellers and sources for Hollywood entertainment, Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels serves as an exhaustive exploration of the genre's history, its landmark creators and creations, and its profound influence on American life and culture. Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels focuses on English-language comics—plus a small selection of influential Japanese and European works available in English—with special emphasis on the new graphic novel format that emerged in the 1970s. Entries cover influential comic artists and writers such as Will Eisner, Alan Moore, and Grant Morrison, major genres and themes, and specific characters, comic book imprints, and landmark titles, including the pulp noir 100 Bullets, the post-apocalyptic Y: The Last Man, the revisionist superhero drama, Identity Crisis, and more. Key franchises such as Superman and Batman are the center of a constellation of related entries that include graphic novels and other imprints featuring the same characters or material.

Despite the growing importance of heroines across literary culture—and sales figures that demonstrate both young adult and adult females are reading about heroines in droves, particularly in graphic novels, comic books, and YA literature—few scholarly collections have examined the complex relationships between the representations of heroines and the changing societal roles for both women and men. In Heroines of Comic Books and Literature: Portrayals in Popular Culture, editors Maja Bajac-Carter, Norma Jones, and Bob Batchelor have selected essays by award-winning contributors that offer a variety of perspectives on the representations of heroines in today’s society. Focused on printed media, this collection looks at heroic women depicted in literature, graphic novels, manga, and comic books. Addressing heroines from such sources as the Marvel and DC comic universes, manga, and the Twilight novels, contributors go beyond the account of women as mothers, wives, warriors, goddesses, and damsels in distress. These engaging and important essays situate heroines within culture, revealing them as tough and self-sufficient females who often break the bounds of gender expectations in places readers may not expect. Analyzing how women are and have been represented in print, this companion volume to Heroines of Film and Television will appeal to scholars of literature, rhetoric, and media as well as to broader audiences that are interested in portrayals of women in popular culture.