Essential Marvel and D.C. Graphic Novels to Buy in Our Big Sale

Batman: Death of the Family Book and Joker Mask Set, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
A storm is bearing down on Gotham City—the Joker has returned! More sadistic and disturbing than ever before, and donning his severed face as a horrific mask, the Clown Prince of Crime declares war on Batman’s extended family, blaming them for the Joker’s perceived fall from prominence. The Batman: Death of the Family Book and Joker Mask Set contains the third volume of Snyder and Capullo’s seminal New 52 Batman run, not to mention an awesomely scary rubber Joker mask.

Deadpool: Dracula’s Gauntlet, by Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn, and Reilly Brown
Everyone’s favorite mercenary travels to Transylvania in Deadpool: Dracula’s Gauntlet. Deadpool is sent halfway across the globe to retrieve a precious cargo: Shiklah, queen of the succubi and his bride-to-be. Targeted by her own people and a host of supernatural nasties protesting this intended union, Deadpool faces peril, obnoxious quips, and a budding romance. See how the Merc with the Mouth met the woman of his demented dreams—damn what Dracula thinks!

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona
Spinning out of her debut in the Captain Marvel series, Muslim teenager Kamala Khan takes off as one of the Marvel Universe’s most endearing superheroines. Endowed with shape-shifting powers upon exposure to the altering Terrigen Mist, Kamala adopts the former mantle of her idol, Carol Danvers (a.k.a. Captain Marvel), putting the kibosh on crime—and hobnobbing with her favorite Avengers—as the new Ms. Marvel. Geared toward young adult readers, Ms. Marvel is still a heroine worthy of everyone.

All-New X-Men, Vol. 1: Yesterday’s X-Men, by Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen
Charles Xavier’s inaugural class of mutant heroes is catapulted into the present day in this series-starter. Wet behind the ears and youthfully naïve, the original Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, and Iceman land in a world that couldn’t be further from their teacher’s dream of peace between mankind and mutants: Xavier has died at the adult Cyclops’ hands, the mutant academies are split, and their enemies are gaining a foothold. Can teen spirit set things right? Find out in the series that blends the old school with the new.

Hawkeye, Vol. 3: L.A. Woman, by Matt Fraction, Annie Wu, & Javier Pulido
Matt Fraction’s fan-favorite, indie-evocative take on the Marvel Universe’s sardonic bowman marches on. Leaving behind New York City’s grit and grime for Los Angeles’ star-studded streets, Hawkeye’s protégé, Kate Bishop, gets more than she bargained for when villainess Madame Masque enacts her revenge following a previous embarrassing defeat. The reviews don’t lie—Hawkeye is the place to get witty hijinks planted firmly in the greater Marvel Universe.

Disney Kingdoms: Seekers of the Weird, by Brandon Seifert, Karl Moline, & Filipe Andrade
Inspired by a rejected proposal for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion attraction, Seekers of the Weird collects all five issues of Marvel’s first series for the Disney Kingdoms imprint. Siblings Melody and Max Seeker are just your everyday American teenagers—one sporty and outgoing, the other reserved and bookish—but when their parents are kidnapped by terrifying creatures, the two must journey with their debonair uncle Ronald into the inexplicable, unraveling the mystery surrounding a clandestine society and encountering enough scary stuff to chill your bones.

Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More, by Kelly Sue DeConnick & David Lopez
The path toward a bold, new era is set for Carol Danvers when a routine rescue mission escalates, embroiling her in a rebellion against the Galactic Alliance orchestrated by a familiar foe capable of jeopardizing her standing with the Avengers. Even with the dysfunctional Guardians of the Galaxy on her side, this may very well be Carol’s most dangerous adventure yet. Perfect for fans both seasoned and new, Higher, Further, Faster, More is an epic new chapter for the good captain.

Civil War, by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, & Dexter Vines
Marvel’s been pretty tight-lipped on the premise for the third Captain America film, sub-titled Civil War, but fans know that the movie can only be based on one thing: Writer Mark Millar and artist Steven McNiven’s Civil War. Negligent actions by the stars of a superhero reality TV series leave hundreds dead in Stamford, Connecticut, prompting Capitol Hill to pass the Superhuman Registration Act. Endorsed by Iron Man, the government accountability program creates a rift within the superhero community, as Captain America himself leads the movement against registration. An ideologically charged conflict pitting the Avengers, X-Men, and other teams against one another, Civil War asks, “which side are you on?”

Infinity, by Jonathan Hickman and Various Artists
Throughout their colorful reign as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers have stared down doomsday on many an occasion, but when the planet is declared a failure by the Builders—ancient extraterrestrials responsible for shaping the universe—Captain America and his team must journey beyond the stars to hold back annihilation. With Earth left without the Avengers, its remaining defenders endure an invasion by the greatest Marvel villain of all: Thanos. Masterfully written by Jonathan Hickman, with illustrations by Marvel’s top artistic talents, Infinity is a monumental achievement, collecting the six-part event and all Avengers and New Avengers tie-in issues.

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Angela, by Brian Michael Bendis & Various Artists
Your favorite anti-social crew of space-faring misfits reluctantly welcome a new member into their ranks in this volume. In this story brought to you by Brian Michael Bendis and a host of top artistic talent, the dimension-shattering events of Age of Ultron leave the space-time fabric in tatters, allowing Angela—one of Heaven’s fiercest warriors—to enter the Marvel Universe in bone-breaking, sword-swinging fashion, and itching to fight the Guardians’ resident femme fatale, Gamora. The two warriors must learn to set their feud aside as the events of Infinity begin to unfold. Fear not, you know they’ll make it out safely… maybe.

John Constantine, Hellblazer, Vol. 1: Original Sins, by Jamie Delano & John Ridgway
John Constantine has gone by plenty of colorful handles over the years: deadbeat, womanizer, creep, chauvinistic pig. But more often than not, the man fans simply love to hate is the only thing standing between our world and the hordes of hell. This volume begins the eponymous anti-hero’s solo series from 1988, collecting the first nine issues in addition to a pertinent story from Swamp Thing. With NBC’s Constantine television series in full swing and garnering rave reviews, there couldn’t be a better time to acquaint yourself with the original source material—and the darker side of the DC Universe.

D.C. Comics: Zero Year, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
In a New 52 retelling of Batman’s origin story, Zero Year sees the Dark Knight’s first earnest crusade against Gotham’s criminal element and a formative showdown with the Riddler. Plunging the city into darkness amid a violent storm, Batman works to undo the haughty villain’s scheme—and he’s not alone. D.C. Comics: Zero Year collects all the Zero Year tie-in issues, featuring stories from Action Comics, The Flash, Birds of Prey, Green Arrow, and many more! The lights may be out in the city, but darkness will never fall on justice.

Batman, Vol. 5: Zero Year—Dark City, by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo
This volume concludes writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo’s monumental retelling of the Dark Knight’s freshman year as Gotham City’s grim vigilante. With the decimated city rendered helpless in the face of a destructive hurricane, the Riddler creates a new world order, ruling over the post-apocalyptic landscape with arrogant glee. Battered, but not beaten, Batman devises a do-or-die plan to free his home from the villain’s stranglehold once and for all. A masterfully spun Bat yarn for the ages.

The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward, by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Need something to tide you over between episodes of The Flash television series? This volume compiles the Scarlet Speedster’s premiere story arc within D.C.’s New 52 reboot, presenting a modern take on Barry Allen and his super-speed abilities. He’s traded blows with Central City’s worst villains, but what’s speed compared to the relentless onslaught of Mob Rule—a paramilitary group whose numbers are seemingly without end? And why are they so determined to capture Barry’s old (and presumably dead) friend? The Flash pushes himself to his literal limits in this exciting tome.

Forever Evil, by Geoff Johns, David Finch, & Richard Friend
A company-wide event three years in the making, Forever Evil answers the question: what if the villains won? The Justice League has failed to stop its evil counterparts, the Crime Syndicate, from entering its world, declaring Earth’s most powerful heroes dead and uniting D.C.’s sinister menagerie under one banner. With no hope in sight, the fate of the world falls to one of Superman’s deadliest foes—Lex Luthor! Written by D.C. architect Geoff Johns and featuring the artistic talents of David Finch with Richard Friend, the New 52’s first true event is a Who’s Who of villainy that will leave you rooting for the bad guys.

Batman ’66, Vol. 1, by Jeff Parker & Richard Case
Holy nostalgia, Bat fans! The plug might have long been pulled on the landmark Batman TV series of the 1960s, but the Dynamic Duo’s kooky capers live on in this retro-styled comic. The characters are here in all their over-the-top glory: Riddler, Mad Hatter, Penguin, and—because it wouldn’t be a party without him—the Joker, complete with the notorious Cesar Romero mustache! Be warned: It’s impossible to read Batman ‘66 without hearing Adam West and Burt Ward’s voices in your head.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Two, Vol. 1, by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, & Julien Hugonnard-Bert
People have always wondered what would happen if Superman used his omnipotence for less-virtuous ends—and the answer’s worse than anyone imagined. Based on the video game of the same name, this volume picks up where Year One left off, the heroic community shaken by Superman’s killing of Green Arrow in cold blood and even his adherents in the One Earth Regime begin questioning their loyalties.
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