Recommendations based on "New Mutants Omnibus Vol. 2"

Winner of the 2022 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Book The first-ever full reckoning with Marvel Comics’ interconnected, half-million-page story, a revelatory guide to the “epic of epics”—and to the past sixty years of American culture—from a beloved authority on the subject who read all 27,000+ Marvel superhero comics and lived to tell the tale “Brilliant, eccentric, moving and wholly wonderful. . . . Wolk proves to be the perfect guide for this type of adventure: nimble, learned, funny and sincere. . . . All of the Marvels is magnificently marvelous. Wolk’s work will invite many more alliterative superlatives. It deserves them all.” —Junot Díaz, New York Times Book Review The superhero comic books that Marvel Comics has published since 1961 are, as Douglas Wolk notes, the longest continuous, self-contained work of fiction ever created: over half a million pages to date, and still growing. The Marvel story is a gigantic mountain smack in the middle of contemporary culture. Thousands of writers and artists have contributed to it. Everyone recognizes its protagonists: Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men. Eighteen of the hundred highest-grossing movies of all time are based on parts of it. Yet not even the people telling the story have read the whole thing—nobody’s supposed to. So, of course, that’s what Wolk did: he read all 27,000+ comics that make up the Marvel Universe thus far, from Alpha Flight to Omega the Unknown.   And then he made sense of it—seeing into the ever-expanding story, in its parts and as a whole, and seeing through it, as a prism through which to view the landscape of American culture. In Wolk’s hands, the mammoth Marvel narrative becomes a fun-house-mirror history of the past sixty years, from the atomic night terrors of the Cold War to the technocracy and political division of the present day—a boisterous, tragicomic, magnificently filigreed epic about power and ethics, set in a world transformed by wonders.   As a work of cultural exegesis, this is sneakily significant, even a landmark; it’s also ludicrously fun. Wolk sees fascinating patterns—the rise and fall of particular cultural aspirations, and of the storytelling modes that conveyed them. He observes the Marvel story’s progressive visions and its painful stereotypes, its patches of woeful hackwork and stretches of luminous creativity, and the way it all feeds into a potent cosmology that echoes our deepest hopes and fears. This is a huge treat for Marvel fans, but it’s also a revelation for readers who don’t know Doctor Strange from Doctor Doom. Here, truly, are all of the marvels.

"Face front, true believer! In 1962, in the last issue of a cancelled series, artist Steve Ditko teamed with writer Stan Lee to create a super hero unlike any other. Instead of a remote arctic headquarters or a secret underground cave, he lived with his elderly aunt in Queens, New York. He battled problems fo money, school and family as often as he fought super-villains. This new hero was Spider-Man - and guided by Lee and Ditko, he quickly became Marvel Comics' most popular chraacter. During the next four years, Ditko helped create such memorable villains as Doctor Octopus, the Lizard, the Vulture and dozens more classic Spidey foes. In sharp contrast to Spider-Man's grounded realism, Ditko also created Doctor Strange - a hero whose mystical battle sagainst bizarre, otherworldly threats showcased the artist's limitless creativity. Alongside Lee and Jack Kirby, Ditko's contributions played an integral part in laying the groundwork for the modern day Marvel Comics." -- Page [4] of cover.

"I let the mask fall away from my face. I let them see me. Dylan Taylor. Chatterbox. Mutant and monster. Teen Magneto. This is one of those pivotal moments. There's a metaphor for this. I learned about it in history. The name of some river in Rome." Here we go again. The Cute Mutants are back, bigger and badder than ever. Even better, we're in charge of ourselves now. We've got a headquarters, gear, and an actual budget. Except, we've also got EMID-the American Extrahuman Monitoring and Intelligence Division-breathing down our necks to track down mutants for them. Even worse, there's rumours of a mysterious killer with superpowers and a grudge against the rainbow community. And then there's the promise from our last boss. The threat of war. Humans vs. mutants. The dream was to thrive, but maybe all we can hope for is survival. Whatever that takes. I think I'm beginning to understand the saying, "the end justifies the means." There used to be a line between heroes and villains, didn't there?

When you've got amazing stories by Chris Claremont, excellent artwork by Dave Cockrum, and the astonishing debut of fan-favorite Paul Smith, what you've got is a mutant masterwork! It starts off with an adventure in Belasco's mysterious Limbo realm that leaves Colossus' little sister Ilyana Rasputin aged from child to teenager in a moment. Then comes a classic tale of Professor X and Magneto in their younger days, before their philosophical fallout, teamed up to take down Baron Strucker and Hydra. But the real action is the conclusion of the epic Brood Saga! Teamed with the Starjammers and Shi'ar, the X-Men are in an all-out war for survival against the sleaziest parasites in outer space. To top it off, we're also including rare and long-demanded Wolverine, Angel and Kitty Pryde backup stories! COLLECTING: UNCANNY X-MEN )1963) 161-167, ANNUAL 6; SPECIAL EDITION X-MEN 1, MARVEL TREASURE EDITION 26-27

Narrowly surviving their encounter with Erasers in New York City, the flock is following up a lead on their pasts in Washington, D.C. But what they find waiting for them is...a home?! How will the flock adjust to a real school - one that doesn't involve mad scientists and genetic freaks?

Fang's blog has brought ITEX and their cruel research to the world's attention, and his readers take a stand at the facility where Max and the girls are being held, shutting the organization down. But Max isn't through saving the world yet! When the Flock is asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the effects of global warming, the expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure and activism. But even in Antarctica, Max is an irresistible target with the eyes of the world upon her. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world...

In Gifted, Cyclops and Emma Frost re-form the X-Men with the express purpose of "astonishing" the world. But when breaking news regarding the mutant gene unexpectedly hits the airwaves, will it derail their new plans before they even get started? As demand for the "mutant cure" reaches near-riot levels, the X-Men go head-to-head with the enigmatic Ord, with an unexpected ally - and some unexpected adversaries - tipping the scales! In Dangerous, a tragic death at the Xavier Institute reveals a powerful enemy living among the X-Men that they could never have suspected - and no, it's not Magneto. Things heat up in a way none of the X-Men ever dreamed, but will teamwork save the day when they can't even depend on themselves? Collects Astonishing X-Men #1-12.

"In Gifted, Cyclops and Emma Frost re-form the X-Men with the express purpose of "astonishing" the world. But when breaking news regarding the mutant gene unexpectedly hits the airwaves, will it derail their new plans before they even get started? As demand for the "mutant cure" reaches near-riot levels, the X-Men go head-to-head with the enigmatic Ord, with an unexpected ally - and some unexpected adversaries - tipping the scales! In Dangerous, a tragic death at the Xavier Institute reveals a powerful enemy living among the X-Men that they could never have suspected - and no, it's not Magneto. Things heat up in a way none of the X-Men ever dreamed, but will teamwork save the day when they can't even depend on themselves?"

The battle between superhero and villain escalates in this pulsepounding sequel! Having thwarted Max Daltonas scheme to drain the worldas superhumans of their powers, Colin Wagner has taken on the mantle of Titan and, with partner, Diamond, is using his newfound abilities to rid the London streets of crime. But our young heroesa lives are irrevocably changed when an unknown adversary leaks their secret identities to the world. Forced to flee to the United States with their friend Danny Cooper, who is coping with the loss of his arm and the dark prophecy surrounding his future, the trio must learn to master their powers and work together if their mysterious foe is to be defeated. New heroes are introduced, old friends and enemies return, and life-changing choices will be made in this second installment of Michael Carrollas superhero saga that dares to ask the question: Will Quantumas Prophecy come to pass?

"Once upon a time, Jessica Jones was a costumed super-hero, just not a very good one. Her powers were unremarkable compared to the amazing abilities of the costumed icons that populate the Marvel Universe. In a city of Marvels, Jessica Jones never found her niche. Now a chain-smoking, self-destructive alcoholic with a mean inferiority complex, Jones is the owner and sole employee of Alias Investigations - a small, private-investigative firm specializing in super-human cases. In her inaugural arc, Jessica's life immediately becomes expendable when she uncovers the potentially explosive secret of one hero's true identity. But her wit, charm and intelligence just may help her survive through another day"-- Amazon.