Beyond the Western Sea: Book Two

Collects Daredevil: Noir #1-4

Blind orphan Matt Murdoch is private investigator Foggy Nelson's assistant when a gruesome killing spree and other crime running rampant in Hell's Kitchen lead Matt to become the vigilante crusader Daredevil.

The Marvel Universe - shot in noir! When you play poker with a liar, you'll always lose...and in Hell's Kitchen during the Great Depression, a town where justice is a game, blind Matt Murdock is about to learn that painful lesson. Plus: wealthy adventurer Tony Stark has a deadly addiction to danger. Obsession and a need for fortune and glory ignite his genius mind to find new ways to put himself at risk...but what secret is driving him toward almost certain death? Then: urban legend Luke Cage has been released from Ryker's...but he soon finds out there's one hell of a price to being free. I s Luke destined to be a hero for hire? Or just a chump for a double-crossing set-up? COLLECTING: Daredevil Noir 1-4, Luke Cage Noir 1-4, Iron Man Noir 1-4

The creators of the popular website Black Nerd Problems bring their witty and unflinching insight to this engaging collection of pop culture essays—on everything from Mario Kart to issues of representation—that “will fill you with joy and give you hope for the future of geek culture” (Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author). When William Evans and Omar Holmon founded Black Nerd Problems, they had no idea whether anyone beyond their small circle of friends would be interested in their little corner of the internet. But soon after launching, they were surprised to find out that there was a wide community of people who hungered for fresh perspectives on all things nerdy. In the years since, Evans and Holmon have built a large, dedicated fanbase eager for their brand of cultural critiques, whether in the form of a laugh-out-loud, raucous Game of Thrones episode recap or an eloquent essay on dealing with grief through stand-up comedy. Now, they are ready to take the next step with this vibrant and hilarious essay collection, which covers everything from X-Men to Breonna Taylor with “alternately hilarious, thought-provoking, and passionate” (School Library Journal) insight and intelligence. A much needed and fresh pop culture critique from the perspective of people of color, “this hugely entertaining, eminently thoughtful collection is a master class in how powerful—and fun—cultural criticism can be” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Local legend Luke Cage, invincible, unstoppable, unflappable, finds that out the hard way when he returns to the mean streets of Prohibition-era Harlem after a ten-year stretch in Ryker's Island. All he wants is to be back in the loving arms of his woman, but certain powerful men have different plans for Cage. Cage is about to learn that coming home is never easy, and to survive he might just have to kill a whole lot of people. Collects Luke Cage Noir #1-4.

An examination of the art in superhero comics and how style influences comic narratives. For many, the idea of comic book art implies simplistic four-color renderings of stiff characters slugging it out. In fact, modern superhero comic books showcase a range of complex artistic styles, with diverse connotations. Leading comics scholar Jeffrey A. Brown assesses six distinct approaches to superhero illustration—idealism, realism, cute, retro, grotesque, and noir—examining how each visually represents the superhero as a symbolic construct freighted with meaning. Whereas comic book studies tend to focus on text and narrative, Super Bodies gives overdue credit to the artwork, which is not only a principal source of the appeal of comic books but also central to the values these works embody. Brown argues that superheroes are to be taken not as representations of people but as iconic types, and the art conveys this. Even the most realistic comic illustrations are designed to suggest not persons but ideas—ideas about bodies and societies. Thus the appearance of superheroes both directly and indirectly influences the story being told as well as the opinions readers form concerning justice, authority, gender, puberty, sexuality, ethnicity, violence, and other concepts central to political and cultural life.