Shadow Hill

How far would someone go to protect corporate profits? Just days before Morris Cutter, a retired powerful oil executive, is scheduled to give a pseudo-scientific report to Congress that will delay crucial action on climate change for decades, he and his wife are found shot to death in their Greenwich, Connecticut, home. The police call it murder-suicide. The couple's son refuses to accept the official conclusion and hires Geneva Chase, crime reporter turned private detective, to prove otherwise. Genie soon learns that there are suspects everywhere, including within the deceased's immediate family. Morris Cutter's own daughter hadn't spoken with him in years, and his nephew is a climate activist with a radical organization. But Cutter's former company has a vested interest in keeping a low profile until it is able to present its mock-science on Capitol Hill. Genie is bribed, then threatened, to wrap up her investigation before the scheduled hearing date—and to concur with the police findings. When the lead scientist of the study goes missing, followed by Cutter's daughter, Genie begins to piece together what actually may have happened to Morris and Julia Cutter, putting herself in harm's way as she races to find the truth.

You've just stepped into a world populated by military ants who defend their hill and queen from unending menace. Here, ladybugs operate a massive intelligence network, spiders dabble in sorcery, potato bugs wield the martial arts and mystical practices that defy natural laws; a wasp empire forces its tyrannical grip upon those in its shadow; centipede overlords rule from underground cities where gladiator pits set insect against insect; garter snakes of incredible wisdom hide in its far reaches, primeval lizards prowl its lost wilds, ancient artifacts lie hidden in its distant ruins, and cybernetic anomalies hard-wire innovative technologies into their carapaces, boosting their natural abilities. Fleas roam the countryside, picking through the scraps of the unending war and forging mechanical oddities. It has mosquito mercenaries and a fallen fly kingdom. It has a trashcan city, a desolate sandbox, and a deadly fire pit. It has a deep well with hidden secrets. It's a crazy place.

A superpowered convict must turn detective to protect his community. A young lawyer becomes entangled with a chilling avenger. A television actor finds himself playing superhero for real. A living cartoon reflects on his strange life. And much more, including a guide to Astro City’s heroes, history, and neighborhoods illustrated by an all-star roster of artists. Star creators KURT BUSIEK, BRENT ANDERSON, ALEX ROSS, and friends bring you more of the landmark series that changed how we think about superheroes. Collects ASTRO CITY, VOL. 2 #13-22; ASTRO CITY: LOCAL HEROES #1-5; ASTRO CITY SPECIAL #1; ASTRO CITY: A VISITOR’S GUIDE; and portions of 9-11: THE WORLD’S FINEST COMIC BOOK WRITERS & ARTISTS TELL STORIES TO REMEMBER #2

A new world has been created the world of Dark Swell. Six strangers have been chosen; brought together from different worlds to compete in a game. Each will be given a realm; a land to nurture and make strong for their chosen race. A realm from which they must eventually choose their Champion. They are the Gods of Dark Swell and they are playing for a prize beyond imagining, in a world brimming with magic. Yet none of them know what the prize will be; and they have no idea what they must do to win it.

A history of lucrative real estate in Los Angeles shares the lesser-known contributions of a range of figures from Douglas Fairbanks and Marilyn Monroe to Howard Hughes and Ronald Reagan. By the best-selling author of Rogues' Gallery.

A hero dreams of flight. An alien spy prepares for invasion. A young man is mentored by a hero with dark secrets. A street criminal discovers a heroÕs identity. And much, much more. Step into a world of heroes and see them from a whole different perspective. These are the multiple-award-winning stories that began the epic series and changed how we think about superheroes. Collects KURT BUSIEKÕS ASTRO CITY, VOL. 1 (#1-6) & VOL. 2 (#1-12, #_)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Welcome to the Pendleton. Built as a tycoon’s dream home in the 1880s and converted to luxury condominiums not quite a century later, the Gilded Age palace at the summit of Shadow Hill is a sanctuary for its fortunate residents. Scant traces remain of the episodes of madness, suicide, mass murder—and whispers of things far worse—that have scarred its grandeur almost from the beginning. But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths. With each passing hour a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton’s past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. And as nightmare visions become real, as a deadly tide begins to engulf them, the people at 77 Shadow Street will find the key to humanity’s future . . . if they can survive to use it. Includes the bonus novella The Moonlit Mind—first time in print