Recommendations based on "Batman: Year One & Two"

The inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over Gotham's detention center for the criminally insane on April Fool's Day, demanding Batman in exchange for their hostages. Accepting their demented challenge, Batman is forced to endure the personal hells of the Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Two-Face and many other sworn enemies in order to save the innocents and retake the prison. During his run through this absurd gauntlet, the Dark Knight's must face down both his most dangerous foes and his inner demons.This is the critically acclaimed Batman story that helped launch the U.S. careers of Grant Morrison and Dave McKean. The classic confrontation between the Dark Knight and his archnemeses, this story is well known for its psychological intensity and probing portraits of Batman and the Joker.ARKHAM ASYLUM includes groundbreaking art that influenced scores of artists by introducing a new school of storytelling and technique to comics. This special edition also includes Morrison's complete original script, annotated by Morrison and editor Karen Berger, many of his original thumbnail breakdowns, step-by-step samples of how the story and art came together and much more.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNovelist Daniel Abraham and illustrator Tommy Patterson are not merely turning George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy A Game of Thrones into a graphic novel: They are meticulously translating one art form into another, and capturing the intricate nuances of Martin’s novels just as HBO is doing with the blockbuster series. The Abraham/Patterson collaboration is more than just a faithful adaptation. It is a labor of love—and a thrilling masterwork in its own right.Now, in the second volume, the sweeping action moves from the icy north, where the bastard Jon Snow seeks to carve out a place for himself among bitter outcasts and hardened criminals sworn to service upon the Wall . . . to the decadent south and the capital city of King’s Landing, where Jon’s father, Lord Eddard Stark, serves as the Hand of King Robert Baratheon amid a nest of courtly vipers . . . to the barbarian lands across the Narrow Sea, where the young princess Daenerys Targaryen has found the unexpected in her forced marriage to the Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo: love—and with it, for the first time in her life, power.Meanwhile, the dwarf Tyrion Lannister, accused by Lady Catelyn Stark of the attempted murder of her now-crippled youngest son, must call upon all his cunning and wit to survive when he is captured and imprisoned in the lofty dungeons of the Eyrie, where Lady Stark’s sister—a woman obsessed with vengeance against all Lannisters—rules. But Catelyn’s impulsive arrest of the Imp will set in motion a series of violent events whose outcome is fated to shake the world at the worst possible moment. For now is not the time for private feuds and bloodthirsty ambitions.Winter is coming . . . and with it, terrors beyond imagining.

Vader's down...but not out! When a Rebel encounter sends the Sith Lord crashing onto a nearby planet, two of the biggest titles in comics collide in the first crossover of the new Marvel age of Star Wars! Will the Alliance heroes seize this opportunity to put an end to one of their greatest enemies - or will they be made to feel the full power of the Dark Side? Darth Vader has been secretly pursuing his own agenda, but now the time has come for the end of games. He will either find favor in the eyes of the Emperor, or his schemes will prove his undoing! The imperial march of Darth Vader hits full stride! COLLECTING: STAR WARS: VADER DOWN 1, STAR WARS 13-14, DARTH VADER 13-15, DARTH VADER ANNUAL 1, DARTH VADER 16-25

Doctor Octopus claims the ultimate victory over Spider-Man! After years of defeats at the wall-crawler’s hands, Otto Octavius achieves the unthinkable — putting his mind in the body of Peter Parker! As one Amazing era ends, a new one begins for a smarter, stronger, Superior Spider-Man! And he’ll prove it, by donning an upgraded costume — and taking on the all-new Sinister Six! But things aren’t so friendly in this Spidey’s neighborhood — and his more ruthless approach to crimefighting is cause for concern for his “fellow” heroes. Will his violent actions mean Spider-Man is an Avenger no more? Featuring classic foes including the Vulture and the Green Goblin, and new friends such as Anna Maria Marconi, this is Spider-Man like you’ve never seen him before — but whatever happened to the real Peter? Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #698-700 and SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1-16.

As X-Factor unloads their hopes, fears and darkest secrets to Doc Samson, Jamie Madrox decides to gather up his stray dupes. The trouble is, two don't want to go quietly: the married priest and the agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! And when Hydra comes calling, will Jamie become their secret weapon? With Mutant Town under siege thanks to the terrorist X-Cell, X-Factor races the clock to keep every former mutant from being imprisoned...what an awful time for the Isolationist to strike! Then, after the events of Messiah Complex, X-Factor is a shambles. COLLECTING: X-Factor (2006) 13-24, 28-32; X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead One-Shot ; X-Factor Special: Layla Miller One-Shot

When Frank Castle's family was gunned down by mobsters, he became the obsessed vigilante known as The Punisher. In this new volume, the acclaimed creative team of Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, and Jimmy Palmiotti take the Punisher on a blood-soaked round-the-world cruise. From the heights of New York's Empire State Building - where an old enemy returns to battle both Castle and the Amazing Spider Man - to the criminal sanctuary called Grand Nixon Island, the Punisher cuts a swath of destruction throguh criminals and corrupt military men alike. Then it's back to Manhattan for the offbeat short story "Do Not Fall in New York City," and a haunting, wordless epilogue. It's a night with the Punisher that you'll never forget

John Byrne's timeless run as writer/artist starts here! The Fantastic Four are going back to the basics, back to Byrne: The debut of John Byrne in his celebrated run as FF writer/artist begins in this Epic Collection! Byrne's deft creative balance-- renewing the characters' core, revitalizing old foes and introducing new concepts--gave the FF a bold vitality, restoring them to the lofty heights of the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby era. The Invisible Girl's powers go through a dramatic evolution, Galactus gets a surprising new herald and the FF join their most hated rival, Doctor Doom, in a fight for Latveria! Restored from a trove of original Byrne art, and including cool bonus items like Fred Hembeck's riotous FF Roast and Byrne's excursion into the world of What If? COLLECTING: Fantastic Four (1961) #232-248, Fantastic Four Roast (1982) #1, material from What If? (1977) #36

In issue after issue, Frank Miller redefined the Man Without Fear with work that stands atop the peak of comic book storytelling. When Miller introduced Elektra, readers could not get enough of the assassin from Matt Murdock's past. In this volume, her saga ratchets up as she and Daredevil fight the unstoppable ninjas of The Hand. Miller also introduces Stick, the gruff mentor who trained a young Murdock and who now must help him regain his radar sense before the Kingpin closes in. Also featuring a deadly reckoning for Ben Urich and a double-sized battle with Bullseye that ends in one of the most scintillating moments in comics history. Plus: A pair of essential What If? rarities and an Elektra solo mission! COLLECTING: Daredevil (1964) 173-181; material from What If? (1977) 28, 35; Bizarre Adventures (1981) 28; Marvel Fanfare (1982) 1.

Dark days loom as Spider-Man faces adversaries old and new - and learns that not only does great power come with great responsibility, but also great heartache. This volume includes classic stories featuring Spider-Man vs. the Hulk in Canada, the deaths of Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin, the first appearances of the Man-Wolf and the Punisher...and the wedding of Dr. Octopus and Aunt May!? Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #114-137, GIANT-SIZE SUPER-HEROES #1 and GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #1-2.

Get the full story of how Marvel's most notorious movie star became trapped in a world he never made! Howard the Duck takes an adventure into fear when he is plucked from Duckworld and finds himself on Earth, bill to proboscis with the melancholy muck-monster Man-Thing! Stuck here on a planet of hairless apes, the furious fowl forges a future for himself in, of all places, Cleveland. But the would-be Master of Quack-Fu will have his wings full hanging out with Spider-Man and waging "waaaugh" with madcap menaces like the Space Turnip, the Cookie Creature, the Beaver and Doctor Bong. Will that earn him a spot on the Defenders? COLLECTING: Fear 19, Man-Thing (1974) 1, Howard the Duck (1976) 1-16, Howard the Duck Annual 1, Marvel Treasury Edition 12, material from Giant-Size Man-Thing 4-5