Michael T. Gilbert

Collecting the Eclipse Comics Airboy series issues #26-34, theone-shots Air Maiden's Special, Airboy and Mr. Monster, andAirboy Meets the Prowler, plus all of the Skywolf backupstories.

A new Batman s deadly crusade against the criminals of Gotham City begins! Bruce Wayne, battle-broken and out of commission after his epic showdown with Gotham s famous villain Bane, has appointed a new Dark Knight to keep the bad guys at bay. Jean-Paul Valley (a.k.a. Azrael) has assumed the role of the caped crusader, but without Bruce s integrity as a calming influence, Jean-Paul is swiftly getting out of hand, alienating both Robin and Commissioner Gordon. Meanwhile, the hulking baddie Bane is still on the loose, while new villainous foes are introduced onto the battlefield that is Gotham, including master marksman Mekros and sinister sniper Gunhawk. Also, watch out for the return of familiar faces such as the serial killer Abattoir and, of course, the eerily jovial Joker. Can the new Dark Knight face these nefarious challenges without Bruce Wayne and Robin? Might his violent manner of crime-fighting permanently cripple the already beleaguered Gotham?

From Disney Adventures magazine and its sister comics magazines come more feature-length blockbuster tales In "Flight of the Sky-Raker," Baloo, Don Karnage, and Shere Khan wage a midair battle over the world's first voice-controlled plane In "Dime After Dime," Magica de Spell's clever niece Minima befriends trusting little Webby -- should Scrooge McDuck be scared? Then in "For the Love of Cheese," Chip 'n' Dale, Gadget Hackwrench, and the gang join forces with Jacques De Brie, international mouse of mystery Plus Darkwing Duck, the Gummi Bears and more "... Everybody's busy, bringing you a Disney Afternoon "

From their inception in 1935, comic books -- starring Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel -- had been primarily written for and aimed at adolescents. There were always the occasional outlier artists who pushed back against the commercial constraints of comic books and envisioned the next evolutionary artistic leap in the artform, and Charles Biro was one of those artists. In 1949, the ambitious Biro -- who had previously co-created the realistically brutal comic Crime Does Not Pay -- edited and wrote an oversized comic aimed at adults called Tops. Like several other radical adult comics projects that would follow, it proved to be a commercial failure, and lasted only two Life magazine-sized issues. The original comics have since become a legendary holy grail among comics fans and historians, fetching as much as $6,000 on the collector's market, written about, but rarely seen and never reprinted. Until now. Fantagraphics' Tops collects both issues of this oversized experimental comics in their entirety. These pulpy, sexy, and melodramatic stories were drawn by some of the best craftsmen working in comics at that time: Dan Barry, George Tuska, and others. It includes two stunning pre-EC crime tales illustrated by Reed Crandall, reminiscent of his Crime SuspenStories work. The actor Melvyn Douglas (believe it or not) takes the reader on a utopian tour entitled "How Would You Live Under A World Government?" -- a positive spin on global Socialism A treasure trove of fascinating and revelatory comics history for scholars and fans, this compilation includes an introduction by the editor, the historian and cartoonist Michael T. Gilbert, as well as several other essays providing background on the creation of the series and the publisher, editors, and cartoonists who realized it. It also includes an essay chronicling experimental, adult comics endeavors throughout the first half of the 20th century. Tops is a landmark work of historical importance and a mind-boggling reading experience from a bygone era meticulously restored and reproduced in a deluxe hardcover in its originally published dimensions.

The Wraith was a cult classic during the early days of indie comics in the 1970s, and a training ground for Gilbert’s later work on Elric and Mr. Monster. Created as a funny-animal version of Will Eisner’s Spirit, The Wraith’s fans included Eisner himself who wrote “The Wraith has a lot of originality. Your style and approach are very vigorous!” The Wraith appeared in all six issues of Star*Reach’s Quack! The Complete Wraith collects every story, scanned from the original art, a wealth of unpublished art and photos, plus an intro by Mr. Monster himself! Gilbert’s commentary on each story provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the 1970s comic book scene.

Collecting the second volume of the classic 1980's comic adaptation of the Elric of Melniboné novels by Michael Moorcock! Forced to flee his city of Melniboné, Elric and his sorcerous blade, Stormbringer, journey to the edge of a black sea where he begins a voyage that will bring him face-to-face with all the champions time can summon--and more!

Collecting the first volume of the classic 1980's comic adaptation of the Elric of Melnibone novels by fantasy legend Michael Moorcock! Bear witness to the story of Elric, Lord of Melnibone; his dark cousin - the evil Yyrkoon; their dark magics; and their terrible struggle for rule of the fabled Emerald Isle! Based on Michael Moorcock's most popular work.