After years of being blamed for terrible weather, OLD MAN WINTER resents SANTA for being beloved by all. He has assembled a team of folklore's notorious Christmas villains - including HANS TRAPP, KRAMPUS, JACK FROST and the YULE CAT. He also has an army of rapscallion snowmen that outnumbers the elves. With only 5 days until Christmas, the treacherous team storms the North Pole and imprisons the big guy and the elves. Unbeknownst to them, a tough elf named GINGER has avoided capture. But she needs help if she is going to stop Old Man Winter. Miles away, HANK lives a quiet life on the Emerald Isle. Once an elf, now just another regular guy, Hank is grouchy and disheartened during the Christmas season. He misses Ginger, the elf he loves, and the happiness of the North Pole. The GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT brings him news of Santa's situation, and Hank learns that the world might descend into chaos if Santa doesn’t make his ride. Hank is the only one that can help since he is the only one that knows the secret passage to the holiday village. Realizing that this is his chance to be reunited with Ginger, and to return to the North Pole as a hero. There’s only one problem: How is one man supposed to stop an army of rapscallions? Hank needs to bring three things with him: Magic, muscle and... a third mysterious thing that Hank needs to figure out in time! Although not thrilled that the Ghost of Christmas Present has given him a riddle, he and his happy-go-lucky friend RUSS head north. Their journey will bring them into enchanted forests, ice capped mountains, and Nordic towns before reaching the village. On the way, they encounter all sorts of mystic creatures, take on great physical challenges and battle dangerous enemies. The story brings a new take on familiar Christmas beings, like the talking snowman, the snow maiden, and even Ebeneezer Scrooge. Contested at every step, Hank must move forward, reach the destination, solve the Ghost of Christmas Present’s riddle, and figure out how to save the North Pole! HANK SAVES THE NORTH POLE! is a Christmas fantasy/comedy for both young adults and young-at-heart adults to enjoy. The central plot is a hero’s journey filled with action, danger, humor, and adventure at every turn. What grounds the story is Hank’s desire to be reunited with an elf he very much loves. Ultimately, the story is about the ultimate message of Christmas, and how it can brighten us all!

Find out what really happens behind the scenes at Santa’s workshop in a Christmas countdown book that reveals the secrets of the North Pole! An unauthorized tell-all penned by an ousted South Pole elf with an X-mas ax to grind exposes what really goes on at the North Pole in the 24 days leading up to Christmas. This hilarious, day-by-day accounting pulls back the red velvet curtain to reveal the truth behind Santa’s Christmas “magic” and delivers laugh-out-loud fun for the whole family with activities for 24 days plus added surprises hidden throughout. COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: Packed with activities and ideas for family fun for every day from December 1st to 24th HOLIDAY HUMOR: Filled with funny lines and silly scenes that will keep kids laughing throughout the lead-up to Christmas BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED: Vibrant illustrations bring the ideas—and Santa’s secrets—to life START A NEW TRADITION: The X-mas Files is sure to become a treasured family tradition year after year PERFECT PRESENT: A great gift for kids and families

The definitive guide to the characters of the DC Multiverse and a vital addition to every comic book fan's bookshelf. Iconic Super Heroes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and The Flash have been transformed in recent years, along with many other DC characters. This new edition of the most comprehensive A-Z guide to DC's pantheon of Super Heroes and Super-Villains includes the latest earth-shaking developments in the DC Multiverse, with profiles of more than 1,200 characters. Created in full collaboration with DC, the encyclopedia features characters and art from every key crossover event, including Dark Nights: Metal and its sequel Dark Nights: Death Metal. With a foreword by DC legend Jim Lee, a brand-new cover design, and thrilling comic artwork, the fun and excitement of more than 80 years of comics history explode off every page. Experience the DC Multiverse like never before with The DC Comics Encyclopedia New Edition. Copyright ©2021 DC Comics. All DC characters and elements © & TM DC Comics. WB SHIELD: TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s21)

Small town lawyer Thad Raker represents an eccentric client living in an old house with a Christmas secret. When the county moves to condemn the house, Raker takes the case. If he doesn’t win, Christmas won’t come for hundreds of thousands of children. Twirly Masters is an affable man who talks in circles and who believes that evil forces within Santa’s operation are up to no good in taking his property. He calls on Thad Raker to handle his case, as much to help Raker as to save his house, because life’s misfortunes have caused now widowed and single dad Raker to become a non-believer, a fact Twirly intends to change. When the county goes to court to take his new client’s property, Raker must battle conspiring adversaries, a cantankerous judge, a formidable female lawyer he cares for, and his own personal feelings and doubts. Can Raker save Christmas once more, and in the process, save himself? As the fate of Santa and his legion of helpers hangs in the balance, the courtroom battle comes down to where it is always won or lost – the human heart. –Mark de Castrique, award-winning author of the Sam Blackman and Buryin’ Barry mysteries If you don’t feel like watching It’s a Wonderful Life for a third time this holiday season, mix things up a bit and read this sweet Christmas story instead. –Mary Laura Philpott, author of the national bestseller, I Miss You When I Blink If you don’t believe in Santa when you start this book, you will when you finish. A perfect complement to The Christmas Heist, with just the right mix of suspense, humor, and magic. –Bud Schill, co-author of Not Exactly Rocket Scientists and Other Stories

This oversized book is the comprehensive companion to the art and making of the The Venture Bros. and includes a foreword by Patton Oswalt! Ken Plume sits down with series creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer to have a conversation about the creation of every single episode through season six and much more. From the earliest sketches of Hank and Dean scribbled in a notebook, pitching the series to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, learning the ins and outs of animation, character designs for each season, storyboards, painted backgrounds, behind-the-scenes recollections of how the show came together, it's all here. Features behind-the-scenes info and art covering every episode of all six seasons. Written by Venture Bros. creators Jackson Publik and Doc Hammer, with an introduction by Patton Oswalt. An all-encompassing look at the characters, art, history and influences of the beloved series. Never before seen Venture Bros. artwork!

What might happen if the Hubble Space Telescope were to discover an alien civilization? Voice in the Mirror is a riveting account of how such an alien contact might occur, and although it is science fiction, it contains a wealth of factual information about the Hubble and NASA. Also thought-provoking is Lee's depiction of a cover-up in the original construction of the scope, perpetrated to hide the fraud and deception by some of America's largest companies. If the truth is out there, but hidden as many claim, then Voice in the Mirror may be the book that opens closed doors.

Philadelphia began, nearly a century before the American Revolution, as the colony of Englishman and Quaker convert William Penn. Founded in 1681 on the doctrines of the Quaker faith, the city in Penn’s Woods rose to prominence quickly, ultimately serving as host to the First and Second Continental Congresses, and the Constitutional Convention at Independence Hall, key milestones in the birth of the United States of America. Benjamin Franklin and the other Founding Fathers convened in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776, a singular moment in world history celebrated one hundred years later at the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, better known as the Centennial Exposition, also hosted by the city. For a time, the fledgling nation’s capital was here, and throughout time, Philadelphia has remained front and center in any discussion of America’s time-honored history and traditions. As a project devoted to celebrating the decorated and emblematic past of this great American city, The Philadelphia Citizen’s Almanac: Daily Readings on the City of Brotherly Love showcases pinnacle moments in Philadelphia’s journey through time, along with little known anecdotes, facts, figures, and other lore. Included are essays on a wide range of topics, from John Adams’ account of the signing of the Declaration of Independence to Major League baseball’s encounter with the Phillie Phanatic, spanning every epoch in the city’s history from its origins and growth to the recent past. Every day in the calendar year includes a detailed look at a historical event that took place on that day, followed by a listing of events of consequence, and each of the twelve months concludes with an essay that elaborates on one theme. Begin the new year right by escaping a few minutes each day to retrace key moments in the life of America’s birthplace, the city of Philadelphia.