Have you ever met a superhero? Whether Elijah is feeding a homeless man or learning to recycle, he is making the world a better place. Join Elijah on his adventures to learn that random acts of kindness can turn anybody into a superhero. This children's picture book is perfect for kids ages 3-7. This book helps instill values of being a good person and always doing the right thing.
Superhero meaning making is a site of struggle. Superheroes (are thought to) trouble borders and normative ways of seeing and being in the world. Superhero narratives (are thought to) represent, and thereby inspire, alternative visions of the real world. The superhero genre is (thought to be) a repository for radical or progressive ideas. In the superhero world and beyond, much is made of the genre's utopian and dystopian landscapes, queer identity-play, and transforming bodies, but might it not be the case that the genre's overblown normative framing, or representation, serves to muzzle, rather than express, its protagonists' radical promise? Why, when set against otherwise unbounded, and often extreme, transformation-human to machine, human to animal, human to god-are certain categories seemingly untouchable? Why does this speculative genre routinely fail to fully speculate about other worlds and ways of being in those worlds? For all their nonconformity, superhero stories do not live up to the idea of a radical genre, in look, feel, or tone. The mainstream American superhero genre, and its surrounding discourses, tells and facilitates an astonishingly seamless tale of opposing ideologies. But how? Recovering the Radical Promise of Superheroes: Un/Making Worlds serves a speculative response, detailing not so much a hunt for genre meaning as a trip through a genre's meaningscape. Looking anew at superhero meaning-making practices allows a distinct way of thinking about and describing the creative, formal, and ideological conditions of the genre and its protagonists, one removed from corralling binaries, one foregrounding the idea of a synergy-often unseen, uneasy, and even hostile-between official and unofficial agents of superhero meaning and one reframing familiar questions: What kinds of meaning do superhero texts engender? How is this meaning made? By whom and under what conditions? What processes and practices inform, regulate, and extend superhero meaning? And finally, superhero narratives present a new question: How might we reimagine its agents, surfaces, and spaces? Centering the experiences and practices of excluded and marginalized superhero fans, Recovering the Radical Promise of Superheroes reveals that genre meaning is not lodged in one place or another, neither in its official creators or fans, nor in "black and white" conservatism or in a "rainbow" of progressive possibilities. Nor is it even located somewhere in the in-between; it is instead better conceived of as an antagonistic, in-process nexus of meaning undergirded by systems of power. Ellen Kirkpatrick, based in northern Ireland, is an activist-writer with a PhD in Cultural Studies. In her work, she writes about activism, pop culture, fan cultures, and the transformative power of storytelling. She has published work in a range of academic journals and media outlets and her writings and work can be found at The Break and on Twitter @elk_dash.
From its greatest heroes to its darkest villains...the Bible as never seen before! The men and women of the Bible were not perfect, but nor were they ordinary. Faith gave some power. To lead. To save. To destroy evil. Others succumbed to the darkness. But still more was required. An ultimate hero. To fight the ultimate battle. Internationally recognised artists Jeff Anderson (Transformers, award-winning Angouleme Graphic Bible) and Siku (Judge Dredd, Manga Bible) recreate the epic stories of the Bible through their powerful and arresting illustrations.
Michael O'Brien presents a thrilling apocalyptic novel about the condition of the Roman Catholic Church at the end of time. It explores the state of the modern world, and the strengths and weaknesses of the contemporary religious scene, by taking his central character, Father Elijah Schäfer, a Carmelite priest, on a secret mission for the Vatican which embroils him in a series of crises and subterfuges affecting the ultimate destiny of the Church. Father Elijah is a convert from Judaism, a survivor of the Holocaust, a man once powerful in Israel. For twenty years he has been "buried in the dark night of Carmel" on the mountain of the prophet Elijah. The Pope and the Cardinal Secretary of State call him out of obscurity and give him a task of the highest sensitivity: to penetrate into the inner circles of a man whom they believe may be the Antichrist. Their purpose: to call the Man of Sin to repentance, and thus to postpone the great tribulation long enough to preach the Gospel to the whole world. In this richly textured tale, Father Elijah crosses Europe and the Middle East, moves through the echelons of world power, meets saints and sinners, presidents, judges, mystics, embattled Catholic journalists, faithful priests and a conspiracy of traitors within the very House of God. This is an apocalypse in the old literary sense, but one that was written in the light of Christian revelation.
Collects Marvel's Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes (2020) #1-5. Peter Parker, web-slinging star of the hit video game Marvel’s Spider-Man, now finds himself in the middle of a gang war raging through New York City. But as he butts heads with the likes of Hammerhead and the Maggia, the unexpected reappearance of old flame Felicia Hardy — also known as the Black Cat — sets his world on fire! The Cat’s heroic days are long behind her, but what is the secret behind the treasures she’s stealing? And why would Spider-Man ever let her go?! Witness previously untold tales of their relationship as the Black Cat’s return tangles the web for Peter and Mary Jane — and Hammerhead’s explosive war continues making life complicated for everybody! Featuring the triumphant return of Silver Sable! The Black Cat steals the Gamerverse spotlight!
The lion is king of the jungle! The great white shark is sovereign of the seas! The timber wolf is emperor of the forests! But . . . it's lonely at the top of the food chain. It's difficult to fit in when plant eaters can be so cruel—just because you ate a relative of theirs that one time! What's a carnivore to do? Aaron Reynolds's roaringly funny text is perfectly paired with Dan Santat's mouthwatering illustrations, creating a toothsome book that's sure to stand out from the herd. Plus, this is the fixed format version, which will look almost identical to the print version. Additionally for devices that support audio, this ebook includes a read-along setting.
A sniper in Haiti faces the repercussions of the shot he never took. A team of SEALs help rescue a kidnapped girl in the Philippines. Army interpreters in Iraq battle their toughest foe: the rats of Saddam’s palace. A soldier on a late-night run surprises a motorpool saboteur. A young cavalry lieutenant, fresh off the Battle of Kamdesh, meets the Marine half-brother he’s never known. A Navy ship reacts to an unexpected man overboard. And if you’ve ever wondered what Christmas was like in a war zone, you’re about to find out. True War Stories is a 260-page full color graphic novel anthology containing fifteen true tales of American service members overseas. Nearly every branch of the military is represented in this collection of stories that are heartwarming, heroic, harrowing, and even at times, hilarious, spanning the globe. This unique project, assembled by the multiple-Eisner nominated writer/editor, Alex de Campi and co-written/edited by Iraq War veteran Khai Krumbhaar is an entertaining and moving work of graphic nonfiction, pairing members of the US military with the biggest names in comics to share real war stories told by those who lived them. Artists include Peter Krause, Ryan Howe, Skylar Patridge (drawing her own father's Vietnam story), Eoin Marron, Tish Doolin (a former Army medic), Dave Acosta, A. D'Amico, Drew Moss, Josh Hood, PJ Holden, Chris Peterson, Sam Hart, Jeff McComsey, and Paul Williams. Colors are by Dee Cunniffe, Matt Soffe, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Tarsis Cruz, and Aladdin Collar. All lettering is done by de Campi herself.
Elijah emerged as the voice of unapologetic truth during a time of national crisis and moral decline. His ministry was marked by tenacious faith and holy fire--the same kind you will need in order to remain steadfast in current culture.
Kids ages six and up will love this exciting comic-book style collection depicting ten of the greatest superheroes of the Bible. Each short story tells the tale of one biblical hero fighting against the odds, battling foes, and/or enduring great tests of faith and strength to prevail in the name of the Lord. From Joshua who fought bravely against a great army in the siege of Jericho; to Elijah the prophet who stood up to a powerful king and wielded flaming fireballs from heaven; to David who battled and defeated the giant, Goliath, there are plenty of captivating tales to inspire kids of all ages. Families will love seeing their children dive into these colorful stories of faith and kids will enjoy the full-color illustrations that bring dramatic Biblical scenes to life. Each ten to twelve page story is just the right length for active or reluctant readers, bedtime reading sessions, and church groups. Entertaining and character-building, this story collection is the perfect addition to any home library. Discover the amazing feats of God as displayed through ten incredible Bible heroes! Reinforces Christian values/teachings and highlights how God can work through anyone. Engaging, comic book-style art helps kids of all reading levels and ages relate to the characters and dive into the story. An illustrated, full-color adventure that’s fun for the whole family!
Superhero comic books are traditionally thought to have two distinct periods, two major waves of creativity: the Golden Age and the Silver Age. In simple terms, the Golden Age was the birth of the superhero proper out of the pulp novel characters of the early 1930s, and was primarily associated with the DC Comics Group. Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman are the most famous creations of this period. In the early 1960s, Marvel Comics launched a completely new line of heroes, the primary figures of the Silver Age: the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, and Daredevil. In this book, Geoff Klock presents a study of the Third Movement of superhero comic books. He avoids, at all costs, the temptation to refer to this movement as "Postmodern," "Deconstructionist," or something equally tedious. Analyzing the works of Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, and Grant Morrison among others, and taking his cue from Harold Bloom, Klock unearths the birth of self-consciousness in the superhero narrative and guides us through an intricate world of traditions, influences, nostalgia and innovations - a world where comic books do indeed become literature.
