Reporter Rob Chaplik of the Dakota Chronicle heads to Paris Island for the biggest and most dangerous story of her career: the Blood Syndicate, a street gang like no other, super-powered by the Big Bang and feared by drug dealers and the mob as well as the authorities.
Though the field of comic book studies has burgeoned in recent years, Latino characters and creators have received little attention. Putting the spotlight on this vibrant segment, Your Brain on Latino Comics illuminates the world of superheroes Firebird, Vibe, and the new Blue Beetle while also examining the effects on readers who are challenged to envision such worlds. Exploring mainstream companies such as Marvel and DC as well as rising stars from other segments of the industry, Frederick Aldama provides a new reading of race, ethnicity, and the relatively new storytelling medium of comics themselves. Overview chapters cover the evolution of Latino influences in comics, innovations, and representations of women, demonstrating Latino transcendence of many mainstream techniques. The author then probes the rich and complex ways in which such artists affect the cognitive and emotional responses of readers as they imagine past, present, and future worlds. Twenty-one interviews with Latino comic book and comic strip authors and artists, including Laura Molina, Frank Espinosa, and Rafael Navarro, complete the study, yielding captivating commentary on the current state of the trade, cultural perceptions, and the intentions of creative individuals who shape their readers in powerful ways.
What do the comic book figures Static, Hardware, and Icon all have in common? Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans gives an answer that goes far beyond “tights and capes,” an answer that lies within the mission Milestone Media, Inc., assumed in comic book culture. Milestone was the brainchild of four young black creators who wanted to part from the mainstream and do their stories their own way. This history of Milestone, a “creator-owned” publishing company, tells how success came to these mavericks in the 1990s and how comics culture was expanded and enriched as fans were captivated by this new genre. Milestone focused on the African American heroes in a town called Dakota. Quite soon these black action comics took a firm position in the controversies of race, gender, and corporate identity in contemporary America. Characters battled supervillains and sometimes even clashed with more widely known superheroes. Front covers of Milestone comics often bore confrontational slogans like “Hardware: A Cog in the Corporate Machine is About to Strip Some Gears.” Milestone's creators aimed for exceptional stories that addressed racial issues without alienating readers. Some competitors, however, accused their comics of not being black enough or of merely marketing Superman in black face. Some felt that the stories were too black, but a large cluster of readers applauded these new superheroes for fostering African American pride and identity. Milestone came to represent an alternative model of black heroism and, for a host of admirers, the ideal of masculinity. Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans gives details about the founding of Milestone and reports on the secure niche its work and its image achieved in the marketplace. Tracing the company's history and discussing its creators, their works, and the fans, this book gauges Milestone alongside other black comic book publishers, mainstream publishers, and the history of costumed characters.
Did you know that comic books are being promoted by noted organizations including American Library Association and many educators as a tool for engaging young readers?
Essential Comics Values! From the authoritative stuff at Comics Buyer's Guide, the world's longest running magazine about comics, Comic Book Price Guide is the only guide on the market to give you extensive coverage of more than 150,000 comics from the Golden Age of the 1930s to current releases. In addition to the thousands of comic books from such publishers as Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image, this collector-friendly reference includes listings for comic books from independent publishers, underground publishers, and more! This indispensable guide features: • Alphabetical organization by comic book title • Thousands of detailed photos • An exclusive photo grading guide to help you determine your comics' conditions accurately • Current values for more than 150,000 comics Comic Book Price Guide is the reliable reference for collectors, dealers, and anyone passionate about comic books!
"'The bible for all comic book collectors' is not an exaggeration for this dependable guide...an indispensable part of any comic book collector's library [and] a standard reference that has stood the test of time." -- "Maine Antique Digest "The Official(R) Overstreet(R) Comic Book Price Guide is the one-volume, professional sourcebook for America's most popular collectible which no comic book collector or investor can afford to be without. This incredible 33rd edition brings you more information than ever before, including: LATEST PRICING INFORMATION From the early 1800s to the present, this is the most comprehensive resource of comic books and graphic novels, listed alphabetically by title, illustrated, and priced according to its condition. No other guide provides a more complete record of existing comic books and their prices. MARKET TRENDS AND INSIDERS' TIPS With the renowned Overstreet Market Report by Robert M. Overstreet, which also includes many important tips from other experts in the comic book industry, this guide contains all the current information that is circulating throughout this hot collecting area. You will find the latest titles, the strongest demands, the most valuable issues, and the newest finds in old comics. BUYING AND SELLING KNOW HOW Packed with essential information on grading, collecting and restoration of comic books, this book gives you everything you need to build and maintain a substantial comic book collection. FABULOUS PHOTOS More than 1,500 black and white photos of those unforgettable covers -- "plus the celebrated all-color Cover Gallery of your favorite comic books throughout the ages -- fill the book. SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLES * X-Men 2 -- Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the X-Men * The debut of the Sub-Mariner * The Original Super-Team - The Justice Society of America BUY IT USE IT BECOME AN EXPERT
Winner, John G. Cawelti Award for the Best Textbook/Primer, Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, 2019 MPCA/ACA Book Award, Midwest Popular Culture Association / Midwest American Culture Association, 2020 Taking a multifaceted approach to attitudes toward race through popular culture and the American superhero, All New, All Different? explores a topic that until now has only received more discrete examination. Considering Marvel, DC, and lesser-known texts and heroes, this illuminating work charts eighty years of evolution in the portrayal of race in comics as well as in film and on television. Beginning with World War II, the authors trace the vexed depictions in early superhero stories, considering both Asian villains and nonwhite sidekicks. While the emergence of Black Panther, Black Lightning, Luke Cage, Storm, and other heroes in the 1960s and 1970s reflected a cultural revolution, the book reveals how nonwhite superheroes nonetheless remained grounded in outdated assumptions. Multiculturalism encouraged further diversity, with 1980s superteams, the minority-run company Milestone’s new characters in the 1990s, and the arrival of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American heroine, and a new Latinx Spider-Man in the 2000s. Concluding with a discussion of contemporary efforts to make both a profit and a positive impact on society, All New, All Different? enriches our understanding of the complex issues of racial representation in American popular culture.