Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent

Outrageous, fascinating and bizarre facts from every corner of the comic book universeWhat comic book artist was the recipient of an on-stage thank you from Paul McCartney and an on-air apology from Johnny Carson? What superhero got his powers by being bitten by a mongoose? What popular NPR host was forever immortalized as a "bad boyfriend" in a notable comic book? In Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent?, author Brian Cronin will answer those questions and more by revealing the most obscure, wacky and surprising facts about comics—from the characters and creators, to the TV shows, movies and merch. Cronin has teamed up with some of the top comic book writers and artists of today to present 100 trivia lists, including: · Nine Celebrities That Guest-Starred in Comic Books…without Their Permission · Seven Bands That Got Their Names from Comics · Ten Crazy Items Found on Batman’s Utility Belt · Five Comic Book Inventions That Eventually Became Real · Five Stupidest Superhero Origins · And much, much more! From Batman to Spiderman, Aquaman to the X-Men, each list in Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent? will entertain and inform whether you’re a hardcore geek or a casual fan.

This entertaining guide to being a superhero covers everything from costumes and superpowers to knowing right vs wrong—with illustrations, games, and more! Bart King—author of The Big Book of Girl Stuff, The Big Book of Gross Stuff, and Dad Jokes—reveals himself as one of the world’s most in-demand superhero experts. So if you’re wondering if you have what it takes to be a superhero—of course you do! All you need is a burning desire to fight evildoers. Oh, and also a secret identity, the perfect name, a cool costume, some terrific superpowers, and an archenemy. Actually, you know what? You better get this book! Full of illustrations, activities, and pop up quizzes, The Big Book of Superheroes covers topics ranging from The Top 10 Lamest Superpowers to The Top 6 Tips for Parents of a Superhero. “Filled with enough superhero information to keep a middle grader's nose between the pages for hours...it's entertaining on every page."—Kid Lit Reviews

Fascinating and often bizarre true stories behind more than 130 urban legends about comic book culture. Was Superman a Spy? demystifies all of the interesting stories, unbelievable anecdotes, wacky rumors, and persistent myths that have piled up like priceless back issues in the seventy-plus years of the comic book industry, including: • Elvis Presley's trademark hairstyle was based on a comic book character (True) • Stan Lee featured a gay character in one of Marvel's 1960s war comics (False) • Wolverine of the X-Men was originally meant to be an actual wolverine! (True) • What would have been DC's first black superhero was changed at the last moment to a white hero (True) • A Dutch inventor was blocked from getting a patent on a process because it had been used previously in a Donald Duck comic book (True) With many more legends resolved, Was Superman a Spy? is a must-have for the legions of comic book fans and all seekers of “truth, justice, and the American way.”

An extraordinary autobiography story from a legend in American comics.

Do you love potions, crystals, spells and spell books? Witchcraft Coloring Book combines the fun of coloring with everyone’s favorite spooky-season subjects in this intricate, beautiful, and giftable package from the creator of the popular gift-item and stationery brand Hello Harlot. This brand-new, all-original coloring book features beautiful, fun-to-color illustrations that celebrate all thing witchy, including images of potions, crystals, and spell books; evocative sayings; and tributes to historical witches through the ages as well as those from contemporary pop culture, such as Marie Laveau, Samantha from Bewitched, Willow from Buffy, and so many more.

This is a complete reference work to the history of Batman big screen works, from the 1940s serials through the campy 1960s TV show and film, and up through the series of Warner Bros. summer blockbusters that climaxed with Christopher Nolan's 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises. Chapters on each Batman feature include extensive film and production credits, a production history, and a critical analysis of the movie relative to the storied history of the Batman character. The book also examines the Batman-related works and events that took place in the years between the character's film exploits.

• The mystery around Cole Cash and HALO deepens as Batman takes a more active role investigating the man known as Grifter. But other villains in Gotham have begun to notice what Grifter is up to, and they’re about to attempt an assassination! How long can the unlikely team-up between this Dynamic Duo last? • The Outsiders epic reaches its end with the return of three iconic Outsiders: Black Lightning, Katana, and Metamorpho, all reunited to face down Katana’s mother-in-law! This finale will change the makeup of the Outsiders forever and set them on a new trajectory in the DC Universe! • Red Hood and Batman fight over what they should do with the child who is now orphaned as a result of Red Hood’s temper. While they place the child temporarily under the care of Leslie Thompkins, she debates if she’s doing the right thing. Is she just looking after another Robin in training?• The mystery around Cole Cash and HALO deepens as Batman takes a more active role investigating the man known as Grifter. But other villains in Gotham have begun to notice what Grifter is up to, and they’re about to attempt an assassination! How long can the unlikely team-up between this Dynamic Duo last? • The Outsiders epic reaches its end with the return of three iconic Outsiders: Black Lightning, Katana, and Metamorpho, all reunited to face down Katana’s mother-in-law! This finale will change the makeup of the Outsiders forever and set them on a new trajectory in the DC Universe! • Red Hood and Batman fight over what they should do with the child who is now orphaned as a result of Red Hood’s temper. While they place the child temporarily under the care of Leslie Thompkins, she debates if she’s doing the right thing. Is she just looking after another Robin in training?

Publishing alongside the world premiere of Christopher Nolan's third Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises", Will Brooker's new book explores Batman's twenty-first century incarnations. Brooker's close analysis of "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" offers a rigorous, accessible account of the complex relationship between popular films, audiences, and producers in our age of media convergence. By exploring themes of authorship, adaptation and intertextuality, he addresses a myriad of questions raised by these films: did "Batman Begins" end when "The Dark Knight began? Does its story include the Gotham Knight DVD, or the 'Why So Serious' viral marketing campaign? Is it separate from the parallel narratives of the Arkham Asylum videogame, the monthly comic books, the animated series and the graphic novels? Can the brightly campy incarnations of the Batman ever be fully repressed by "The Dark Knight", or are they an intrinsic part of the character? Do all of these various manifestations feed into a single Batman metanarrative? This will be a vital text for film students and academics, as well as legions of Batman fans.