An introduction to classic Marvel superheroes for the youngest superfans! Jump into action with your favorite Marvel superheroes! Learn all about their superpowers, backstories, and alter egos in these bright and bold board books, with text and art from the classic comics. Special effects and gatefolds make for a funfilled read, one that’s suited towards board book readers and collectors alike.

From New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator John Hendrix comes The Mythmakers, a graphic novel biography of two literary lions—C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien—following the remarkable story of their friendship and creative fellowship, and how each came to write their masterworks "Masterful. . Effortlessly blending fantasy and reality." (BCCB, starred review) Through narrative and comic panels, Hendrix chronicles Lewis and Tolkien’s near-idyllic childhoods, then moves on to both men’s horrific tour of the trenches of World War I to their first meeting at Oxford in 1929, and then the foreshadowing, action, and aftermath of World War II. He reveals the shared story of their friendship, in all its ups and downs, that gave them confidence to venture beyond academic concerns (fantasy wasn’t considered suitable for adult reading, but the domain of children), shaped major story/theme ideas, and shifted their ideas about the potential of mythology and faith. The Mythmakers also shows the camaraderie and the importance of the social/literary circle of friends called the Inklings, and how the friendship of these two great men fell apart and came together again. Hendrix concludes describing how the writings of C.S. Tolkien had re-enchanted the 20th century, after two World Wars. In writing aimed at scholars, adults, and young people, these two tweedy academics altered the course of storytelling and embraced the concept that fantasy writing for an adult audience was an accepted form of literature. The format is similar to The Faithful Spy: prose interspersed with images and narrative comics. The narration is often conversations between a knowledgeable wizard and a comical lion. Through brisk conversation between these two friends, they explain some of the bigger ideas in an approachable and entertaining way. Throughout the story, there are “gateways” that lead readers to the back matter where certain themes, such as how myth/fantasy evolved or the art of world-building, are discussed more fully. This device keeps the main story flowing quickly and smoothly for those readers not interested in the more academic ideas behind the narrative. Among the ideas covered in the narrative and back matter: ‑ Tolkien’s world-building ‑ The “Theology of Creation” linking their faith to their writings ‑ The meaning of real friendship ‑ Notions of modernity and mythology ‑ The value of fantasy ‑ The power of a creative community ‑ An exploration of the different kinds of storytelling in Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, both relying on “the Myth” as a storytelling device, but differing in the use of allegory vs. symbolism ‑ The creative differences of Lewis and Tolkien: the high standards of Tolkien’s fiction and the faster and more immediate approach of Lewis’s ‑ Logos vs. Mythos: Lewis created from images, Tolkien created from language ‑ The mixing of mythologies Also included are an author’s note, endnotes, bibliography, and index.

From author Eric Colossal comes an exciting new middle-grade graphic novel about friendship, growing up, and catching ghosts Funny and full of heart, Ghost Town is the perfect read for fans of Snapdragon, Beetle and the Hollowbones, and This Is Our Pact. The sleepy seaside town of Crater is falling apart. The buildings are run-down, the streets are full of potholes, and the power is unreliable. However, it’s the only home Lily Cole has ever known, and despite her protests, Lily’s family will be moving away at the end of the summer. Now, Lily is determined to spend as much time as possible with her friends before she leaves, riding bikes, hanging out, and playing stickball. When a foul ball leads the kids into an abandoned mansion on the edge of town, the gang is shocked to discover that Crater is haunted by thousands of ghosts, and they’ve stumbled upon the tools to hunt and trap them! With ghost traps fully charged and bikes at the ready, join Lily and her friends in the spookiest summer of their lives.

From author Eric Colossal comes an exciting new middle-grade graphic novel about friendship, growing up, and catching ghosts Funny and full of heart, Ghost Town is the perfect read for fans of Snapdragon, Beetle and the Hollowbones, and This Is Our Pact. The sleepy seaside town of Crater is falling apart. The buildings are run-down, the streets are full of potholes, and the power is unreliable. However, it’s the only home Lily Cole has ever known, and despite her protests, Lily’s family will be moving away at the end of the summer. Now, Lily is determined to spend as much time as possible with her friends before she leaves, riding bikes, hanging out, and playing stickball. When a foul ball leads the kids into an abandoned mansion on the edge of town, the gang is shocked to discover that Crater is haunted by thousands of ghosts, and they’ve stumbled upon the tools to hunt and trap them! With ghost traps fully charged and bikes at the ready, join Lily and her friends in the spookiest summer of their lives.

The story behind the creation of one of the most celebrated, revolutionary animated series of all time X-Men: The Art and Making of the Animated Series takes fans behind the scenes of the landmark cartoon that laid the groundwork for the dozens of Marvel Comics adaptations that followed. Interviews with series writers, producers, executives, and artists reveal the razor’s edge that Marvel and Fox navigated in order to bring the X-Men to television, and detail the tough decisions, compromises, and brilliant solutions that resulted in a series that has been lauded by critics and fans for nearly three decades. Along the way, readers will encounter such comics and entertainment luminaries as Stan Lee, Avi Arad, and Haim Saban. This book gives a firsthand account of what it’s like to develop, pitch, design, write, draw, direct, and produce an animated series, accompanied by rare original art, animated cels and still frames, and production and merchandising ephemera.

A fictionalized account of infamous author, Patricia Highsmith, caught up in the longing and obsession that would inspire her groundbreaking work of queer fiction, The Price of SaltFlung Out of Space is both a love letter to the essential lesbian novel The Price of Salt and an examination of its notorious author, Patricia Highsmith. Veteran comics creators Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer have teamed up to tell this story through Highsmith’s eyes—reimagining the events that inspired her to write the story that would become a foundational piece of queer literature. Flung Out of Space opens with Pat begrudgingly writing low-brow comics. A drinker, a smoker, and a hater of life, Pat knows she can do better. Her brain churns with images of the great novel she could and should be writing, what will eventually be Strangers on a Train, which would later be adapted into a classic film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951.At the same time, Pat, a lesbian consumed with self-loathing, is in and out of conversion therapy, leaving a trail of sexual conquests and broken hearts in her wake. However, one of those very affairs—and a chance encounter in a department store—give Pat the idea for her soon-to-be beloved tale of homosexual love that was the first of its kind: It gave the lesbian protagonists a happy ending.This is not just the story behind a classic queer book but also of a queer artist who was deeply flawed. It’s a comic about what it was like to write comics in the 1950s, but also about what it means to be a writer at any time in history, struggling to find your voice. Author Grace Ellis contextualizes Patricia Highsmith as both an unintentional queer icon and a figure whose problematic views and noted anti-Semitism have cemented her controversial legacy. Highsmith’s life imitated her art with results as devastating as the plot twists that brought her fame and fortune.

A fictional and complex portrait of bestselling author Patricia Highsmith caught up in the longing that would inspire her queer classic, The Price of Salt Flung Out of Space is both a love letter to the essential lesbian novel, The Price of Salt, and an examination of its notorious author, Patricia Highsmith. Veteran comics creators Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer have teamed up to tell this story through Highsmith’s eyes—reimagining the events that inspired her to write the story that would become a foundational piece of queer literature. Flung Out of Space opens with Pat begrudgingly writing low-brow comics. A drinker, a smoker, and a hater of life, Pat knows she can do better. Her brain churns with images of the great novel she could and should be writing—what will eventually be Strangers on a Train— which would later be adapted into a classic film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951. At the same time, Pat, a lesbian consumed with self-loathing, is in and out of conversion therapy, leaving a trail of sexual conquests and broken hearts in her wake. However, one of those very affairs and a chance encounter in a department store give Pat the idea for her soon-to-be beloved tale of homosexual love that was the first of its kind—it gave the lesbian protagonists a happy ending. This is not just the story behind a classic queer book, but of a queer artist who was deeply flawed. It’s a comic about what it was like to write comics in the 1950s, but also about what it means to be a writer at any time in history, struggling to find your voice. Author Grace Ellis contextualizes Patricia Highsmith as both an unintentional queer icon and a figure whose problematic views and noted anti-Semitism have cemented her controversial legacy. Highsmith’s life imitated her art with results as devastating as the plot twists that brought her fame and fortune.

A graphic novel biography of Baron von Steuben­, the soldier, immigrant, and flamboyant homosexual who influenced the course of US history during the Revolutionary War despite being omitted from our textbooksIn this graphic novel biography, author Josh Trujillo and illustrator Levi Hastings tell the true story of one of the most important, but largely forgotten, military leaders of the American Revolution, Baron Von Steuben, who brought much-needed knowledge to the inexperienced and ill-prepared Continental Army. As its first Inspector General, Von Steuben created an organizational framework for the US military, which included writing the Blue Book guide that became the standard for training American soldiers for more than a century. Von Steuben was also, by all accounts, a flamboyant homosexual in an era when the term didn’t even exist. Beginning with Von Steuben’s career in the Prussian Army, Trujillo explores his recruitment by Benjamin Franklin, his work alongside General George Washington at the Battle of Valley Forge, and his eventual decline into obscurity. In Washington’s Gay General, Trujillo and Hastings impart both the intricacies of queer history and the importance of telling stories that highlight queer experiences.

Nnedi Okorafor’s story of Chioma, a young Nigerian-American woman whose destiny is revealed during a furious rainstorm—now in paperback, with bonus content including Q&As with the creative team and never-before-seen art and designs! After the Rain is an adaptation of Nnedi Okorafor’s short story, “On the Road.” The adaptation, written by John Jennings and illustrated by David Brame, begins in Nigeria during a powerful and unexpected storm. While visiting her grandmother, a young Nigerian-American woman named Chioma answers a knock at the door and is horrified by what she sees—a young boy with a severe head wound is standing on the doorstep. When he touches Chioma, his hand burns like fire and just as suddenly as he arrived, he disappears. Her grandmother comes down to see what is wrong and chastises Chioma for opening the door for a stranger. Outside there are only footprints in the mud which vanish in the same manner as their owner. This event sets off a chain of mysterious occurrences that become more and more terrifying. Chioma knows that something is wrong, and that the boy has “marked” her in some way. . Haunted and hunted, Chioma must embrace her heritage in order to survive.