Comic Book Crime

Superman, Batman, Daredevil, and Wonder Woman are iconic cultural figures that embody values of order, fairness, justice, and retribution. Comic Book Crime digs deep into these and other celebrated characters, providing a comprehensive understanding of crime and justice in contemporary American comic books. This is a world where justice is delivered, where heroes save ordinary citizens from certain doom, where evil is easily identified and thwarted by powers far greater than mere mortals could possess. Nickie Phillips and Staci Strobl explore these representations and show that comic books, as a historically important American cultural medium, participate in both reflecting and shaping an American ideological identity that is often focused on ideas of the apocalypse, utopia, retribution, and nationalism. Through an analysis of approximately 200 comic books sold from 2002 to 2010, as well as several years of immersion in comic book fan culture, Phillips and Strobl reveal the kinds of themes and plots popular comics feature in a post-9/11 context. They discuss heroes’ calculations of “deathworthiness,” or who should be killed in meting out justice, and how these judgments have as much to do with the hero’s character as they do with the actions of the villains. This fascinating volume also analyzes how class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation are used to construct difference for both the heroes and the villains in ways that are both conservative and progressive. Engaging, sharp, and insightful, Comic Book Crime is a fresh take on the very meaning of truth, justice, and the American way. Instructor's Guide

Mammoth Books: From history to manga, true crime to sci-fi, these anthologies feature top-name contributors and award-winning editors.

THE RETURN OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED CRIME COMIC OF THE 21ST CENTURY! Hot off their bestselling series KILL OR BE KILLED and their original graphic novel MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES, crime comic masters ED BRUBAKER and SEAN PHILLIPS finally return to their most-demanded title as a new MONTHLY SERIES! In this double-sized (at no additional cost!) debut issue, Teeg Lawless is back in town. But he finds himself in more trouble than ever, thanks to his delinquent teenage son and this time, fists and bullets may not be enough to solve his problems. A perfect introduction to CRIMINAL and its dark, exciting world, this series will also include back page art and articles to bring readers more fully into the noir experience.

Explores the character of the Joker and his significance as the quintessential villain.

The critically acclaimed, smutty, sci-fi, and noir first collaboration between RICK REMENDER (LOW, DEADLY CLASS) and GREG TOCCHINI (LOW, Uncanny X-Force) is finally back in print, remastered, and delivered in a glorious hardcover format. Collects LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME #1-3. Select praise for THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME: ñLast Days hits reader with an unflinching dose of pulp noir seediness and doesnÍt let up.î „USA Today ñWriter Remender layers plenty of sex and violence on top of a zinger of a story. TocchiniÍs artwork is superbƒ Last Days is the perfect blend of art, dialogue and gritty feel.î „WIRED ñAlthough Remender has crafted a fine crime noir, it's the socio-political aspect that won me over.î „IGN ñIf you enjoy Criminal and other crimes books, you'll probably get a kick out of this.î „Comic Book Resources

Wolf Haas' Detective Brenner series has become wildly popular around the world for a reason: They're timely, edgy stories told in a wry, quirky voice that's often hilarious, and with a protagonist it's hard not to love. In this episode, Brenner forced out of the police force tries to get away from detective work by taking a job as the personal chauffeur for two-year-old Helena, the daughter of a Munich construction giant and a Viennese abortion doctor. One day, while Brenner's attention is turned to picking out a chocolate bar for Helena at a gas station, Helena gets snatched from the car. Abruptly out of a job, Brenner decides to investigate her disappearance on his own. With both parents in the public eye, there's no scarcity of leads the father's latest development project has spurred public protest, and the mother's clinic has been targeted by the zealous leader of an anti-abortion group. Brenner and God is told with a dark humor that leaves no character, including Brenner, unscathed. Haas tells the story of a fallible hero who can be indecisive and world-weary, baffled and disillusioned by what he finds, but who presses forward nonetheless out of a stubborn sense of decency a two-year-old is kidnapped, so you find her, because that's just what you do.

Murder, passion, and criminal enterprise are presented here at their darkest, directly from the most talented writers and artists in crime comics! In these thirteen pitch-black noir stories, you'll find deadly conmen and embittered detectives converging on femme fatales and accidental murderers, all presented in sharp black and white by masters of the craft. Featuring stories by Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and many more of crime comics' top talent!

Kazu Jones, scrappy fifth grade detective, is back on the case and ready to track down a local store vandal in this fun and exciting book filled with mystery. Fresh off their first successful investigation, Kazu and her friends—March, CindeeRae, and Madeline—are hungry for their next case, which comes when a vandal begins targeting local comic book stores with anti-comic graffiti. March is especially desperate to unmask the villain before his beloved shop, The Super Pickle, gets hit. But when March takes over, the gang starts butting heads. It doesn't help that Kazu is distracted by another mystery at home: her mom is bedridden and her grandmother has come from Japan to help out, but no one will tell Kazu what's going on. Juggling two investigations is not easy. When Kazu and the gang trace the vandal's secret identity to one of the most popular superhero characters in the nation, they realize the vandal's revenge plot is much more explosive than they thought. But can they put aside their differences in time to catch this criminal—or will both of Kazu's cases fall apart?