Greenberger, Robert

The Essential Batman Encyclopedia

The ultimate guide to the man behind the mask . . . and the mythology behind the man.

“Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot. So my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible. . . . I shall become a bat!” So declared millionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne, orphaned as a boy by a murderous thug and driven as a man to battle the scourge of crime by becoming Batman. Batman swooped into popular culture in 1939–and for nearly seventy years has thrilled audiences in countless comics, live-action and animated television programs, and seven feature films. Prowling the darkened rooftops of Gotham City, roaring through the teeming streets in the sleek, high-powered Batmobile, and leaping into action when the iconic Bat-Signal pierces the night sky, the Caped Crusader is a larger-than-life legend. And now, for the first time in more than thirty years, everything there is to know about Batman–from the beginning to the present, and from A to Z–is collected in one comprehensive new sourcebook. More than 500 pages of entries and illustrations include:

• fascinating details and the complete background on Batman’s origins
• biographies of every major character in the Batman universe–including his closest allies, from Robin the Boy Wonder and faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth to Commissioner Gordon; and his countless enemies, from the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler to Scarecrow, Two-Face, Ra’s al Ghul and Poison Ivy
• classic black-and-white comic book artwork throughout
• two sixteen-page full-color artwork inserts

Even an all-access pass to the Batcave couldn’t rival former DC Comics editor and Batman scholar extraordinaire Robert Greenberger’s exhaustive ultimate archive. The Essential Batman Encyclopedia is a must for every Batman fan’s bookshelf.

BATMAN, the DC Logo, and all related names, characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics © 2008. All rights reserved.

A Time to Love (Star Trek The Next Generation)

A Time to Hate (Star Trek The Next Generation)

On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise™ has never been told.

UNTIL NOW.

The recurring blood feuds between the Bader and the Dorset ended mysteriously a century ago when both races colonized the planet Delta Sigma IV. But, unknown until now, it was a reaction to a naturally occurring gas that led to their harmonious existence...a reaction that would eventually mean certain death for the planet's inhabitants. What the Enterprise crew believed was a cure for the population -- a treatment introduced into Delta Sigma IV's environment by Kyle Riker, a man at odds with his son, Commander William Riker -- has instead triggered worldwide carnage, as long-suppressed aggression and hostility are suddenly and violently unleashed.

Caught in a world on the brink of self-destruction, Captain Picard -- a man still waging his own personal battle for redemption in the eyes of his commanding officers -- must somehow find a way to resolve this catastrophic event and save his crew, even as the implications of his actions may ultimately doom an entire race....

Doors into Chaos (Star Trek The Next Generation: Gateways, Book 3)

More than 200,000 years ago, the ancient Iconians created a network of interdimensional Gateways providing instantaneous transportation across unimaginable distances. Once known as the "Demons of Air and Darkness," the Iconians mysteriously vanished many millennia ago, never to return -- or so it was believed.

GATEWAYS
DOORS INTO CHAOS


Summoned to an emergency briefing at Starfleet Headquarters, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is stunned to discover that the legendary Iconians have returned at last, and are offering to sell the secrets of their advanced technology to the Federation. To prove their sincerity, they have reactivated their long-abandoned Gateways, but the results have been strife and chaos throughout the entire Alpha Quadrant. Now Picard and his crew must contend with feuding Klingons and Romulans as the captain seeks to discover the sinister truth behind the Iconians' unexpected rebirth!

More than 200,000 years ago, the ancient Iconians created a network of interdimensional Gateways providing instantaneous transportation across unimaginable distances. Once known as the "Demons of Air and Darkness," the Iconians mysteriously vanished many millennia ago, never to return -- or so it was believed. GATEWAYS DOORS INTO CHAOS Summoned to an emergency brieÞng at Starþeet Headquarters, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is stunned to discover that the legendary Iconians have returned at last, and are offering to sell the secrets of their advanced technology to the Federation. To prove their sincerity, they have reactivated their long-abandoned Gateways, but the results have been strife and chaos throughout the entire Alpha Quadrant. Now Picard and his crew must contend with feuding Klingons and Romulans as the captain seeks to discover the sinister truth behind the Iconians' unexpected rebirth!

Q's Guide to the Continuum

Even die-hard fans of Star Trek get a little tired of the standard, oh-so-proper Federation lingo. Perhaps what they need is a walk on the Q side of the continuum and some lighthearted tidbits of Star Trek trivia. Our thoughtful host, Q, has put together a list of some of his favorite things--from the galaxy's most painful rite of passage (the Klingons', of course) to the best way to blow up a Federation starship, to the most time spent in a transporter (Scotty, who logged in 75 years of loop time). Trek fans will enjoy the random sampling of photos from all four ST incarnations: the original series, TNG, DS9, and Voyager. Q, ever disdainful of the human race, gets several (dozen) pokes in at characters we've come to know and love or hate--as well as a few you've probably never heard of. If you're tickled pink by Q's sense of humor, you'll enjoy this little book.

Captain's log, Stardate Eleventy-leven eighty six point negative nine. Charted a blah blah blah with my blah blah crew today, collecting samples of blah blah blah...

Aren't you tired of surveying all the brave new worlds and startling new civilizations of the galaxy with the safe, polite, politically correct members of the Federation? After all, they only have fun when they break their own rules and leave a communicator behind on a planet of curious mimics, or travel through time to play with tribbles. Wouldn't you rather travel the stars with me?

Who am I? Spelled the same way front as back: Q! You've heard of me. All-seeing, all-knowing, dashing beyond comparison. The Q have been here since the dawn of time (and in some cases, a little before that, but that's another story), and we've seen it all. But I've put it all together in a form you can understand. The title? Q's Guide to the Continuum! (Well, what did you think I would call it? Picard's Incessant Droning About Stellar Gas Formations?)

Want to know what the longest-lived race in the galaxy is? It's here. Ever wonder who is the greatest mass murderer of all time? I know that, too. And are you dying to find out if a certain relative of mine ever played the harpsichord while dressed like a Victorian nobleman? Well, there are some things I won't tell you, but the rest will be revealed in Q's Guide to the Continuum! (Love that title, don't you?) Prepare to be enlightened!

Gateways #7: What Lay Beyond (Star Trek)

Created by the ancient Iconians, the Gateways offer instantaneous transport across unimaginable distances. Throughout the known galaxy, the sudden reactivation of the Gateways has destabilized interstellar relations -- and forced several of Starfleet's finest commanders to leap through separate Gateways into the unknown.

Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek, The Original Series. Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation (R). Colonel Kira Nerys of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (R). Captain Kathryn Janeway of Star Trek: Voyager (R). Captains Calhoun and Shelby of Star Trek: New Frontier . Captain Nick Keller of Star Trek: New Earth.

All of these heroes have taken the ultimate gamble: hurling themselves through a Gateway without any forewarning of what lay beyond. Now each must face his or her own unique challenge, while struggling to find a way back to the ships and homes left behind....

"Created by the incalculably ancient Iconians, whose transcendent technology is quantum levels beyond that of the Federation and its allies, the Gateways offer instantaneous transport across unimaginable distances. Throughout the known galaxy, from Deep Space Nine(TM) to the New Frontier, from the Delta Quadrant to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise (TM), the sudden reactivation of the Gateways has destabilized interstellar relations between planets and cultures previously separated by countless light-years. Starfleet's finest have coped with the crisis as best they can, but circumstances have forced several valiant commanders to leap through separate Gateways into the unknown. Captain James T. Kirk of the original Starship Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation® Colonel Kira Nerys of Deep Space Nine Captain Kathryn Janeway of the U.S.S. Voyager (TM) Captains Calhoun and Shelby of Star Trek : New Frontier Commander Nick Keller of the U.S.S. Challenger All of these heroes, for their own reasons, have taken the ultimate gamble: hurling themselves personally through a Gateway without any knowledge or forewarning of what lay beyond. Each must face their own unique challenge, struggling to find a way back to the ships and homes they left behind. And waiting behind at least one of the Gateways are the ageless Iconians themselves, the primordial architects of the mysterious portals causing chaos throughout the Milky Way galaxy. Where did they disappear to, many long eons ago, and what do they want now? The answer lies on the other side.... What Lay Beyond brings the Gateways saga to a spectacular finish, in an all-star collaboration by six popular, bestselling Star Trek authors. Among them, Diane Carey, Peter David, Keith R.A. Decandido, Christie Golden, Robert Greenberger, and Susan Wright have written dozens of Star Trek novels. This is their first mega-collaboration."

Wrath of the Prophets (Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Book 20)

When a fatal disease threatens the entire planet of Bajor with extinction, Captain Sisko must accept aid from an unexpected source--Ro Laren, Starfleet officer turned Maquis renegade. But as the alien plague claims victims on "Deep Space Nine" itself, the secret of the virulent invader may hide deep in the shadows of Dax's past.

No Surrender (Star Trek: S.C.E., Book Four)

When your ship falls under the thrall of the ancient Landru super-computer, or when you discover an alien device planted on your world before life evolved, call in Captain David Gold and the miracle workers from the Starfleet Corps of Engineers team on the U.S.S. da Vinci.

Captain Gold and Dr. Elizabeth Lense must face their greatest trials yet. Gold must confront an old friend who has turned terrorist and threatens the lives of millions -- including the terrorist's own daughter. And Lense must put aside the horrors she faced in the Dominion War to find a cure for a plague on Sherman's Planet before that world's entire population -- and the crew of the da Vinci -- perish.

Star Trek: SCE: Troubleshooting

Relaunching the adventures of the U.S.S. da Vinci, as Captain David Gold, Commander Sonya Gomez, and the rest of Starfleet's miracle workers solve the problems of the galaxy, one disaster at a time. Federation Station Deep Space 10 has been plagued by technical difficulties since its construction a year ago. On several occasions, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers team on the da Vinci has been sent to fix them, and now the problems have intensified. Fearing sabotage or worse, Commander Gomez and her team try to fix the station once and for all—but Dr. Sarjenka has another idea about what's happening, a theory that puts her at odds with her new superior officer, Dr. Lense. Continuing the all-new adventures of the S.C.E.!

The Technology of Ancient China (The Technology of the Ancient World)