60+ years of comic book exploits—on the page and behind the scenes.

Welcome to Comic Books 101, the complete, definitive and super-cool guide to the universe of caped crusaders, irradiated spiders, fantastic foursomes, and the super-talents behind their creation.

Want to know when Marvel, DC and so many other publishers got their start? Wonder why Spider-Man can’t challenge Batman or why the Justice League? Curious why the Avengers don’t battle it out once and for all? It’s all covered here: the good, the bad guys and the ugly truths—like why one of Batman’s originators died virtually unknown and penniless.

Whether you’re an absolute newbie, a casual fan or a loyal collector, this book holds the answers. Comic Books 101 will increase your knowledge and enjoyment of this great art form, and grant you the superpower of impressing others with useless yet fascinating trivia! (Which superhero dated a mermaid? Who battled the evil “Egghead,” portrayed by what famous actor?)

• Includes an introduction by Stan “The Man” Lee, plus contributions from Clive Barker, Harlan Ellison, Gene Simmons, Mark Waid, Paul Dini, Joe Hill, Marv Wolfman, Joe Casey and many others.
• Reveals backstories for Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, the Justice League of America, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, The Mighty Thor, Iron Man, The Avengers, the X-Men … and other comic book greats.
• Offers an all-inclusive overview of comics, then and now—from the Sub-Mariner to Bone, from origins to Hollywood adaptations … complete with lingo, required reading lists, bios of the most influential names in the industry and much more!

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The truth is out... er, under there? In the remote Nevada desert there sits a dry lakebed called Groom Lake, and under that land resides a secret base that holds all the secrets of the world. Not this world, either. Karl Bauer's father disappeared on him a year ago, but he didn't just "go out for cigarettes" in the usual way of abandoning his kid. Turns out his father was an alien abductee who was sent back with altered DNA that has forever changed Karl's life, too. Karl is drawn - okay, taken - to a secret base under Groom Lake in Nevada where he's drawn into a plot to weaponize alien technology in the form of a new Manhattan Project. Karl, who is befriended by a cynical female worker and a group of unpredictable aliens, leads an escape from the base even while closely pursued by a worldwide organization that will kill to preserve the greatest secret in (in-)human history. There's nowhere on the planet to hide and beyond even that, Karl faces the twin threats of his altered DNA and a group of aliens whose true motivations are otherworldly, to say the least. Writer Chris Ryall and artist Ben Templesmith present a tale of abductions and probings, conspiracies and secrets....