The first appearance and origin of the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen, and his wife, Iris West! This issue officially begins the Silver Age of comics with Barry Allen serving as the first DC Silver Age superhero!

The very first appearance of one of DC's greatest heroes, Hal Jordan! Test pilot Hal Jordan traces a downed aircraft to the Southwest desert, where he finds the dying alien being, Abin Sur, one of the Green Lantern Corps, whose ring chooses Hal to be Earth's new Green Lantern! Plus, “THE SECRET OF THE FLAMING SPEAR!” and “THE MENACE OF THE RUNAWAY MISSLE!”

Critically acclaimed author James Robinson's book JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE is printed in a new edition! Presenting the thought-provoking alternate comic book-history tale of the Justice Society of America in a new edition. The JSA, the heroes of WWII, find themselves face to face with a new kind of oppression in "McCarthy Era" America! Some of the greatest heroes of the 1940s, including the original Green Lantern, Atom, Hawkman and Starman, among others, return in this epic tale. The story follows their postwar adventures as they battle evil in a world they fear may no longer need them. And as their importance wanes, a new hero, Dynaman, rallies the nation behind a fascist agenda... Collects JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE #1-4.

The perfect gift book for every age, generously illustrated with evocative full-color images and striking black-and-white photographs. This is the ultimate book of lists that is sure to entertain and inform—a 1,000-page collection of fun and fascinating facts in a wide range of topics, presented in a wonderfully eclectic format that invites browsing, yet also provides an absorbing read. Featuring over 10,000 entries compiled by experts in each field, this treasure trove of facts, trivia, and bite-size summaries covering diverse areas of knowledge will delight the legions of fans of "best of" lists. Featuring 100 lists each in turn showcasing 100 "bests" covering a wide variety of subjects—including the arts, science, nature, history, sports, design, technology, and philosophy—this volume provides a breathtaking range of informed, accessible, and essential reading. Lovers of the visual arts will encounter fascinating insights into artists, paintings, sculptures, movies, and museums, while foodies will relish the best cheeses, luxury foods, restaurants, and legendary chefs. History buffs will become absorbed in momentous events, famous trials, and great warriors, and sports fans will appreciate facts on sporting heroes, great races, and winning teams. Richly illustrated, this compendium makes the perfect gift and contains an abundance of useful information, hard facts, and obscure trivia. Among the wealth of knowledge in these pages, the reader will find helpful summaries of great art, music, and literature as well as complex philosophical ideas, scientific theories, and history alongside a guide to the wonders of the cosmos, innovative economic and political theories, pivotal scientific discoveries, and game-changing technological innovations.

A childhood comic book fan turned comic book retailer, the author soon discovered the prevalence of scams in the world of comics collecting. This book is his tutorial on how to collect wisely and reduce risks. Drawing on skills learned from twenty years with the San Diego Police Department and as a Comic-Con attendee since 1972, he covers in detail the history and culture of collecting comic books and describes the pitfalls, including common deceptions of grading and pricing, as well as theft, and mail and insurance fraud.

With contributions from Will Brooker, Jeffrey A. Brown, Scott Bukatman, John G. Cawelti, Peter Coogan, Jules Feiffer, Charles Hatfield, Henry Jenkins, Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence, Gerard Jones, Geoff Klock, Karin Kukkonen, Andy Medhurst, Adilifu Nama, Walter Ong, Lorrie Palmer, Richard Reynolds, Trina Robbins, Lillian Robinson, Roger B. Rollin, Gloria Steinem, Jennifer Stuller, Fredric Wertham, and Philip Wylie Despite their commercial appeal and cross-media reach, superheroes are only recently starting to attract sustained scholarly attention. This groundbreaking collection brings together essays and book excerpts by major writers on comics and popular culture. While superhero comics are a distinct and sometimes disdained branch of comics creation, they are integral to the development of the North American comic book and the history of the medium. For the past half-century, they have also been the one overwhelmingly dominant market genre. The sheer volume of superhero comics that have been published over the years is staggering. Major superhero universes constitute one of the most expansive storytelling canvases ever fashioned. Moreover, characters inhabiting these fictional universes are immensely influential, having achieved iconic recognition around the globe. Their images and adventures have shaped many other media, such as film, videogames, and even prose fiction. The primary aim of this reader is twofold: first, to collect in a single volume a sampling of the most sophisticated commentary on superheroes, and second, to bring into sharper focus the ways in which superheroes connect with larger social, cultural, literary, aesthetic, and historical themes that are of interest to a great many readers both in the academy and beyond.