A companion to '500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes', '500 Comicbook Villains' takes a look at the dark side of the coin. It turns the spotlight on the fiendish foes without whom those fearless champions of justice and defenders of freedom would have no one to test their mettle against; nothing to give their existence meaning and substance. A veritable Who’s Who of comicdom’s criminal elite, '500 Comicbook Villains' features an awe-inspiring line-up of the best (or should that be the worst?) bad guys (and girls!) ever to commit a crime on the comic's page. Learn of the doers of dastardly deeds, the malevolent megalo-maniacs, the evil emperors, the mischievous miscreants and the would-be world conquerors. While some have dedicated their lives to evil, some simply enjoy a bit of mayhem and chaos and others are just plain bad ... or mad.

Here come the heels & hoodlums! The stars of this entertaining rogues' review include "Batman's" Joker, "Dick Tracy's" Flattop & Pruneface, "Flash Gordon's" Ming the Merciless, "Spider-Man's" Green Goblin, & hundreds more villains that comics connoisseurs have always loved to hate. Written especially for comic book collectors & nostalgia buffs, this book chronicles the fictional wickedness concocted by the world¿s best comic book artists & serves as an encyclopedia of evildoers who lurk in countless comic book illustrations. It contains brief biographical sketches of all your favorite villains. More than 150 color illustrations accompany a text that will please readers of all ages.

Manga is now well established as one of the worlds most popular genres of illustrated books. Many millions of readers, all over the world, thrill to the exploits of heroic boys and girls, monstrous villains, brave warriors, robots, monsters and aliens. Many of these readers are inspired to create their own Manga art and stories, using one of the many available digital arts programs. 500 Manga Villains and Heroes is the third title in Ilexs successful 500 series for digital manga artists. The CD contains custom-drawn layered files which can be used by leading graphics programs: the characters can be used by amateurs and professionals alike to populate their stories. The book acts as a visual catalogue, offering colouring suggestions and advice on integrating the figures into your work. With royalty-free art from one of professional mangas most exciting names, this is sure to be an essential resource for todays mangaka.

Explore the mysteries of Batman's Gotham City in this miniature art book. Throughout Batman's rich comic book history his home of Gotham City has been a minefield of dangerous foes and exciting adventures. Now, fans can hold the details of this sprawling metropolis in the palm of their hand with DC Comics: Field Guide to Gotham City. Featuring intriguing secrets and fascinating details, this colorful illustrated mini book exposes the underbelly of Gotham City and all the characters that dwell within. Part of Insight Editions' new collectible series of mini books, this is the perfect gift for any DC Comics fan.

Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, the Avengers, the X-Men, Watchmen, and more: the companion volume to the PBS documentary series of the same name that tells the story of the superhero in American popular culture. Together again for the first time, here come the greatest comic book superheroes ever assembled between two covers: down from the heavens—Superman and the Mighty Thor—or swinging over rooftops—the Batman and Spider-Man; star-spangled, like Captain America and Wonder Woman, or clad in darkness, like the Shadow and Spawn; facing down super-villains on their own, like the Flash and the Punisher or gathered together in a team of champions, like the Avengers and the X-Men! Based on the three-part PBS documentary series Superheroes, this companion volume chronicles the never-ending battle of the comic book industry, its greatest creators, and its greatest creations. Covering the effect of superheroes on American culture—in print, on film and television, and in digital media—and the effect of American culture on its superheroes, Superheroes: Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture appeals to readers of all ages, from the casual observer of the phenomenon to the most exacting fan of the genre. Drawing from more than 50 new interviews conducted expressly for Superheroes!—creators from Stan Lee to Grant Morrison, commentators from Michael Chabon to Jules Feiffer, actors from Adam West to Lynda Carter, and filmmakers such as Zach Snyder—this is an up-to-the-minute narrative history of the superhero, from the comic strip adventurers of the Great Depression, up to the blockbuster CGI movie superstars of the 21st Century. Featuring more than 500 full-color comic book panels, covers, sketches, photographs of both essential and rare artwork, Superheroes is the definitive story of this powerful presence in pop culture.

Between 1941 and 1945, Hitler was pummeled on comic book covers by everyone from Captain America to Wonder Woman. Take That, Adolf! is an oversized compilation of more than 500 stunningly restored comics covers published during World War II, featuring America’s greatest super-villain. From Superman and Daredevil to propaganda and racism, Take That, Adolf! is a fascinating look at how legendary creators such as Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, Alex Schomburg, Will Eisner, and Lou Fine entertained millions of kids on the home front and buoyed the spirits of GIs fighting overseas by using Adolf Hitler as a punching bag.

Superheroes have been the major genre to emerge from comics and graphic novels, saturating popular culture with images of muscular men and sexy women. A major aspect of this genre is identity in the roles played by individuals, the development of identities through extended stories and in the ways the characters inspire audiences. This collection analyses stories from popular comics franchises such as Batman, Captain America, Ms Marvel and X-Men, alongside less well known comics such as Kabuki and Flex Mentallo. It explores what superhero narratives can reveal about our attitudes towards femininity, race, maternity, masculinity and queer culture. Using this approach, the volume asks questions such as why there are no black supervillains in mainstream comics, how second wave feminism and feminist film theory may help us to understand female comic book characters, the ways in which Flex Mentallo transcends the boundaries of straightness and gayness and how both fans and industry appropriate the sexual identity of superheroes. The book was originally published in a special issue of the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.