"THE FIRST-EVER RETROSPECTIVE OF THE DEAN OF AMERICAN SPORTS CARTOONING In Fantagraphics' ceaseless effort to rediscover every world-class cartoonist in the history of the medium, we turn your attention to a neglected part of the art form-sports cartooning-and to its greatest practitioner -- Willard Mullin. The years 1930-1970 were the Golden Age of both American sports and American comic strips, when giants strode their respective fields -- Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Hank Aaron in one, George (Krazy Kat) Herriman, Milton (Steve Canyon) Caniff, Walt (Pogo) Kelly in the other -- and Mullin was there, straddling both fields, recording every major player and event in the mid-20th-century history of baseball. Mullin was to baseball players what Bill Mauldin was to soldiers: advocate and critic, investing them with personality, humanity, dignity, and poignancy

Collecting the 5-issue miniseries! In the aftermath of World War I, surrealist painter Judith Benoir desperately wants to make a splash in Paris. And as The Creeper, she escalates simple burglaries into spectacular art crimes, establishing her as a cultural icon. But what are the true motivations behind The Creeper's actions? And how long before her antics spiral out of control and the law closes in?

A group of college kids on a desert-baked road trip take a Native American drug that unlocks their deepest fears. Now, if a teenager and his grandfather from the local reservation can't find them in time, they're going to have to face their own personal terrors, or be consumed by them! The Trip is an Indian drug fueled ride into horror!

Collects The Adventures of a Comic Con Girl #1-3 Follow Dana on her misadventures in and around the comic convention scene. It's a fast and furious look at the quirky characters of the comic community and their rivalries, where the battles are so bitter because the stakes are so small. Dramatic license has been taken with the con goings-ons, but the content will still have you nodding in ruthless agreement.

New short stories of searing white hot prose starring pulpdom's most violent and ruthless crime fighter ever: The Spider! More just than the law, more dangerous than the Underworld - hated, feared and wanted by both! One cloaked, fanged, border-line crazy denizen of the dark force-feeding hard justice with a pair of 45's! Guest starring: The Black Bat, The Green Ghost, and Operator 5! James Chambers, CJ Henderson, Will Murray, Ron Fortier, Rik Hoskin, Don Roff, Matthew Baugh, Eric Fein, Gary Phillips, and more! Also available in a PREVIEWS Exclusive limited edition hardcover!

"As snow falls on a magical city, the urchin, Child, steals into the Porcelain Maker's garden. Captured by his alchymical porcelain automata, she charms her way into his life and he becomes the father she never had. He has only one rule

This landmark collection features ten of Clowes' most influential stories, along with interviews in which he talks about the creative process and twelve thought-provoking essays by contemporary scholars and critics. A wide ranging introduction to the work of one of the most important living cartoonists, the book features Ghost World and several other stories - some reprinted for the first time - about girls and boys coming of age, troubled superheroes, and the place of artists and critics in popular culture.

In this collection of issues #8-12 and 0, Dick Grayson must face a deadly adversary as he learns of his connection to the mysterious Court of Owls. But even if he can stop an undead assassin, he'll still have to deal with an anti-Gotham City army-and the mysterious Paragon.

Now younger readers can enjoy the wit and outlandish puns in the world of Pearls Before Swine! Fans of Pearls Before Swine know that, in addition to being hilarious, it can be outrageous and even controversial. Death, marriage, more death - is this comic for kids? By focusing on strips that feature death but not fatalism, strips that are about friendship but not adult relationships, and strips that avoid some pop-culture references and purely adult concerns, this collection shows that, yes, this comic is for kids! Since the earliest fairy tales first introduced wickedly self-obsessed stepmothers, children's literature has provided a safe way for young readers to experience less-than-rosy thoughts and feelings. Pearls Before Swine's memorable characters are in fine company and are on target. Besides, they're downright funny-and that's something all ages can appreciate!

This groundbreaking collection brings together essays and book excerpts by major writers on comics and popular culture. Major superhero universes constitute one of the most expansive storytelling canvases ever fashioned. Moreover, characters inhabiting these fictional universes are immensely influential, having achieved iconic recognition around the globe. This reader collects in a single volume a sampling of the most sophisticated commentary on superheroes, and brings into sharper focus the ways in which superheroes connect with larger social, cultural, literary, aesthetic, and historical themes.

With the Chaos virus released, Mega-Cty One totters on the brink of extinction. Judge Dredd and a weakened Justice department are desperately trying to stay in control. But the citywide infection has taken its toll and the chances of anyone coming away unscathed is looking less and less likely as each new day goes by. Features the much welcomed return of some of Dredd's greatest enemies - the Dark Judges!

New creative team! New direction! A new age of AVENGING begins as the Superior Spider-Man - a.k.a. Otto Octavius, the former Dr. Octopus - teams with Wolverine and the X-Men! Then, Spider-Man is forced to work with the Future Foundation as the future literally comes crashing in on them, threatening to destroy the Foundation itself and expose Spider-Man's ultimate secret! And did we mention Otto doesn't like kids? Next, when Electro returns, can Thor and Spider-Man set aside their egos to save the world? Probably not! And while Sleepwalker stalks Spider-Man in the waking world, something far more horrible has invaded his dreams. Finally, it's a look back at the greatest conflict in comics history: Dr. Octopus vs. the real Spider-Man! Collecting AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #15.1 and #16-19.

Savage Dragon is on trial for crimes he committed when he had reverted to his Emperor Kurr persona. Now the world is witness to the shocking verdict. Collets SAVAGE DRAGON #181-186.

Mike Johnson & Ryan Parrott (w) o Claudia Balboni (a) o Tim Bradstreet (c) Find out how Doctor Leonard 'Bones' McCoy found himself on a shuttle to Starfleet Academy with James T. Kirk! Learn new secrets about Uhura's past and witness her first meeting with Spock! Discover what led young Montgomery Scott to devote himself to engineering. And, witness Sulu's and Chekov's first meeting at Starfleet Academy, and learn how their paths intertwined all the way to the bridge of the Enterprise! All overseen by Star Trek writer/producer Roberto Orci.

LARRYBEAR HAS MOVED TO THE CITY IN NEW VOLUME Eye of the Majestic Creature Vol. 2 is the second book collecting Leslie Stein's loose, funny and charming autobiographical narratives that combine idiosyncratic fantasy and stark reality. Larrybear, our hero, has moved from the countryside to the city, where she finds work as a shop girl. Quotes from Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie are sprinkled throughout the story to add humor and poignancy. Stein then takes us back to a childhood in the '80s filled with odd experiences including joining a rock band with older people, sitting in on her mother's AA groups, and the mystery of the disappearing gumballs. Finally, a fun story in which Larrybear and her new friend, Poppin the Flower go on a strange trip to see his father. Let us not forget that Marshmallow, Ping-Ping and Mimolette, Larry's walking and talking instruments, have adventures all their own. Stein's gorgeous cartooning, highlighted by incredibly detailed stippling, and her dry sense of humor combine to make one of the most unique and immersive narrative experiences in comics.

Animals With Sharpies is a collection of paintings with hand-lettered texts. In each painting, Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber have depicted an animal holding a sharpie, ostensibly writing a message. These messages are varied in nature: they are political and religious tracts, confessions, recipes, arithmetic problems and more. Above all, these paintings are funny, but they are also startlingly poignant and jarring for the humanness of the suffering and longing depicted in these animals' simple words.

In these stories from SWAMP THING #43-50, Swamp Thing's quest for self-discovery comes to its shattering conclusion. A harbinger of doom awakens an evil beyond comprehension, bringing together John Constantine, Deadman, The Phantom Stranger, The Spectre and others.