Recommendations based on "Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 6: Road to Ruin"

In 1986, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli produced this groundbreaking reinterpretation of the origin of Batman—who he is, and how he came to be. Sometimes careless and naive, this Dark Knight is far from the flawless vigilante he is today.In his first year on the job, Batman feels his way around a Gotham City far darker than the one he left. His solemn vow to extinguish the town’s criminal element is only half the battle; along with Lieutenant James Gordon, the Dark Knight must also fight a police force more corrupt than the scum in the streets.Batman: Year One stands next to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns on the mantle of greatest Batman graphic novels of all time. Timeless in its appeal, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s masterpiece would stand apart from the crowded comics field even today.This edition includes the complete graphic novel, a new introduction by writer Frank Miller and a new illustrated afterword by artist David Mazzucchelli. Completing this collection are over 40 pages of never-before-seen developmental material such as character and layout sketches, sample script pages, sketches, and more that pro-vide a glimpse into the making of this contemporary classic.This volume collects Batman #404-407.

Batman matches wits with The Riddler and uncovers Gotham’s past in this sequel to Batman: Resurrection, set in the world of Tim Burton's iconic Batman.It’s summer, and Gotham City has cause for celebration. The last vestiges of The Joker’s toxic legacy have finally faded, just in time for the mayor to partner with retail magnate Max Shreck to stage a Fourth of July celebration for the ages. But not everyone is rejoicing. Batman’s eternal vigilance continues as threats from rival gangs and masked criminals escalate by the day. Meanwhile, on the streets, protests grow in opposition to the city’s lavish excesses.No one is experiencing the struggle between Gotham’s optimism and doubt more than Norman Pinkus. The Gotham Globe’s humble copy boy, he’s the unacknowledged mastermind behind the newspaper’s mega-popular Riddle Me This word puzzles. But Norman harbors a secret. He is the smartest man in Gotham City, using his prodigious skills to solve crimes anonymously for years via the police tip line—before Batman even knows there’s a crime to solve.While neither fame nor fortune finds Norman, he believes in the promise of Gotham and what’s right . . . until he doesn’t. The man no one notices watches time and again as the city and its leaders cast their eyes high above the rooftops toward Batman. Dejected and unappreciated, Norman devises a scheme: With the help of dangerous new friends, he exploits the simmering tensions of the long hot summer to draw the Caped Crusader into a volatile game of riddles to crown Gotham’s true savior. As they clash, Norman—now known as The Riddler—and Batman will uncover hidden secrets about Gotham’s past that will have dire consequences for the city’s future.

Reprinting the original tales of the Darknight Detective from the late 1930s, BATMAN ARCHIVES VOL. 1 is a remarkable look back at the early adventures that built the foundation for the legend of the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. Showcasing artwork by Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, this amazing hardcover edition features the first appearances of Batman, Robin, Professor Hugo Strange, and the freakish Clayface. Also included in this beautiful archive edition is one of Batman's first confrontations with the madman who would become his greatest rival, the demented and deadly Joker.

It was Wizard's book of the year for 2005; now, fan-favorite artist Steve Epting rejoins Top Ten writer Ed Brubaker for an action-packed thriller in London, as Captain America travels across the Atlantic in search of his old partner - a story that will see him fighting side-by-side with some very old friends. But Cap and the Winter Soldier aren't the only ones taking the journey abroad. Crossbones and Sin are on a path of revenge that's leading them in the exact same direction! And what of General Lukin and his "relationship" with the Red Skull? Collects Captain America #18-21.

The epic finale to Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga's New York Times bestselling Governor storyline!The Walking Dead original novel series, set in the universe of Robert Kirkman's iconic comic book, continues with The Fall of the Governor. From co-authors Kirkman, creator of the Eisner Award-winning comic as well as executive producer of AMC's blockbuster TV series, and Jay Bonansinga, Stoker Award-finalist and internationally acclaimed author, comes the gripping third novel in this richly woven, page-turning literary saga, which began with The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.In Rise of the Governor, uber-villain Philip Blake journeyed from his humble beginnings directly into the dark heart of the zombie apocalypse, and became the self-proclaimed leader of a small town called Woodbury. In The Road to Woodbury, an innocent traveler named Lilly Caul wound up in the terrifying thrall of Phillip Blake's twisted, violent dictatorship within Woodbury's ever tightening barricades.And now, in The Fall of the Governor, the Governor's descent into madness finally erupts in a tour de force of action and horror. Beloved characters from the comic book, including Rick, Michonne, and Glenn, finally make their entrance onto this nightmarish stage, and fans of The Walking Dead will see these characters in a whole new light. Simmering grudges boil over into unthinkable confrontations, battle lines are drawn, and unexpected twists seal the fates of the innocent and guilty alike.

Nobody writes the Punisher like Garth Ennis - and these brutal tales prove it! When ex-marine Frank Castle saw his wife and children murdered by the mob, he began a war on crime! So why is he trying to rescue a Mafia don from angry guerrilla fighters in South Africa? And Frank faces off against Wolverine as the two compete to take down a bizarre underworld predator who's cutting off crime at the knees! Then, Belfast-born Ennis brings Frank face-to-face with terrorism in Northern Ireland. The Punisher investigates a drug ring -and the cops who are supposed to be dismantling it. Frank helps a social worker who has discovered a dark secret beneath the streets...and does a little dental work in a rarely seen tale drawn by Joe Quesada! COLLECTING: PUNISHER (2001) 6-7, 13-26; MATERIAL FROM MARVEL KNIGHTS DOUBLE-SHOT 1

The Marvel Knights era of Punisher comes to an explosive close! First, guns meet blades as Frank faces perhaps the only person more deadly than he is - Elektra! Next, the Punisher heads to the Lone Star State for a high-noon showdown on the streets of Laredo! Then, when Daredevil, Spider-Man and Wolverine join forces to fi nally bring Frank's killing spree to an end, can he make three of Marvel's greatest heroes look like a confederacy of dunces? And how does the Hulk figure in to it all? Finally, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's sequel to their classic "Welcome Back, Frank" sees the resurrection of Ma Gnucci turn the Punisher's world into a war zone - which is just the way he likes it! COLLECTING: PUNISHER (2001) 27-37, PUNISHER WAR ZONE (2008) 1-6

Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn's hilarious, nonstop reinvention of the Merc With a Mouth! When a cadre of dead U.S. presidents - from George Washington to Gerald Ford - rise from the grave to terrorize their countrymen, only someone with the already-sullied reputation, indiscriminate killing skills and implicit insanity defense of a heavily armed madman can be trusted with this abhorrent operation. But who in the Marvel Universe will dirty their hands by bashing in these resurrected heads of state? NOW! is the time for Deadpool! Then: A demon hires Deadpool to reclaim damned souls! And just in case you didn't think he could get any stranger, Wade gets in touch with his feminine side! Guest-starring your Superior Neighborhood Spider-Man and some dude with aquatic powers! And we promise Deadpool kills one of those two! Plus: Flash back to Wade's adventures of yesteryear with Iron Man! COLLECTING: Deadpool 1-12

Births, deaths and marriages, they're all here in Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn's hilarious take on the Merc With a Mouth. But mainly deaths - and, in the case of a zombified horde of U.S. presidents, undeaths! Meet the daughter Wade Wilson never knew he had, the voice in his head he never wanted, and the monstrous Mrs. he should never cross - the succubus queen Shiklah! Enjoy Deadpool's newfound bromance with Wolverine and Captain America before it ends in tragedy, and head deep inside the darkest recesses of his mind to learn his Original Sin. With uproarious fl ashback tales revealing Wade's hidden history across the Marvel Universe, Posehn and Duggan work their magic on Deadpool's past and present - but will they leave him any future?COLLECTING: DEADPOOL (2012) 1-45, DEADPOOL: DRACULA'S GAUNTLET 1-7, DEATH OF WOLVERINE: DEADPOOL & CAPTAIN AMERICA 1

It's the final showdown - Bruce Banner versus General Fortean, a man willing to do whatever it takes to destroy the Immortal Hulk once and for all, even if it means turning himself into what he hates the most. As Shadow Base declares war on anyone with a gamma mutation, Banner has to decide what kind of Hulk he wants to be - and what kind of monster he has to become. COLLECTING: IMMORTAL HULK 21-25