History of one of comics' longest-running super-heroes.

With a new HBO Watchmen series coming soon, DC collects some of the best stories starring the heroes that inspired the cast of the original WATCHMEN comic series. At the height of comics' 1960s Silver Age, artist Steve Ditko was winning praise for his spectacular work on Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. At the same time, Ditko was also creating powerful tales of other heroes: Charlton Comics' Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and the Question. Now, for the first time, DC collects stories starring these enigmatic heroes, plus the Peacemaker and others -- the heroes that provided the inspiration for WATCHMEN team members Night Owl, Doctor Manhattan, Rorschach, the Comedian and more. This title includes CAPTAIN ATOM (1966) #83-86, BLUE BEETLE (1967) #1-6, MYSTERIOUS SUSPENSE #1, CHARLTON PREMIERE #3, THE CHARLTON BULLSEYE (1975) #1, #5, THE CHARLTON BULLSEYE (1981) #1, AMERICOMICS #3 and AMERICOMICS SPECIAL #1.

Beetle mania is spreading, thanks to M.G. Leonard's bestselling Beetle Boy trilogy. In the books, Darkus learns all about beetles from an old guide his father had used as a child. Now that book is available for readers everywhere to discover beetle facts for themselves! Hilariously narrated by eccentric entomologist "Monty G Leonard", this lavishly illustrated guide is the perfect starting point for young beetle collectors everywhere. From scary to weird to jaw-droppingly gorgeous, the 60+ species featured in this book are certain to inspire a lifelong love of Coleoptera.

In the late 1980s, writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis redefined the Justice League of America with these unique, humorous tales, collected for the first time since their original comic-book publication. With Batman, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold and other quirky heroes of the DC Universe, the team battles the colony of spaceships known only as the Cluster, then must track their missing comrade, Mister Miracle to the dread planet Apokolips. And when our heroes arrive back on Earth, they must contend with the new Queen Bee and the return of Lobo. Collects issues #1-6.

Describes and lists the values of popular collectible comics and graphic novels issued from the 1950s to today, providing tips on buying, collecting, selling, grading, and caring for comics and including a section on related toys and rings.

Describes and lists the values of popular collectible comics and graphic novels issued from the 1950s to today, providing tips on buying, collecting, selling, grading, and caring for comics and including a section on related toys and rings.

The Secret History of Marvel Comics digs back to the 1930s when Marvel Comics wasn't just a comic-book producing company. Marvel Comics owner Martin Goodman had tentacles into a publishing world that might have made that era’s conservative American parents lynch him on his front porch. Marvel was but a small part of Goodman’s publishing empire, which had begun years before he published his first comic book. Goodman mostly published lurid and sensationalistic story books (known as “pulps”) and magazines, featuring sexually-charged detective and romance short fiction, and celebrity gossip scandal sheets. And artists like Jack Kirby, who was producing Captain America for eight-year-olds, were simultaneously dipping their toes in both ponds. The Secret History of Marvel Comics tells this parallel story of 1930s/40s Marvel Comics sharing offices with those Goodman publications not quite fit for children. The book also features a comprehensive display of the artwork produced for Goodman’s other enterprises by Marvel Comics artists such as Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, Alex Schomburg, Bill Everett, Al Jaffee, and Dan DeCarlo, plus the very best pulp artists in the field, including Norman Saunders, John Walter Scott, Hans Wesso, L.F. Bjorklund, and Marvel Comics #1 cover artist Frank R. Paul. Goodman’s magazines also featured cover stories on celebrities such as Jackie Gleason, Elizabeth Taylor, Liberace, and Sophia Loren, as well as contributions from famous literary and social figures such as Isaac Asimov, Theodore Sturgeon, and L. Ron Hubbard.