New Releases by J. Torres

Batman teams up with China''s super heroes to fight an army of Yetis.

Welcome to the wonderfully patterned world of Checkers and Dot! This sweet and striking series of board books has been designed especially for babies and tots. With high-contrast, patterned art for developing eyes, simple but memorable rhyming text for reading aloud, and cute-as-a-button characters, J. Torres and J. Lum have created engaging first books that little ones and their loved ones will want to cozy up with and read again and again. A simple, sturdy, and stylish new series for those just beginning to look, listen, and learn. Checkers and Dot at the Zoo invites us to follow along with Checkers and Dot as they explore the zoo, meeting animals, black, white, and patterned, too.

Welcome to the wonderfully patterned world of Checkers and Dot! This sweet and striking series of board books has been designed especially for babies and tots. With high-contrast, patterned art for developing eyes, simple but memorable rhyming text for reading aloud, and cute-as-a-button characters, J. Torres and J. Lum have created engaging first books that little ones and their loved ones will want to cozy up with and read again and again. A simple, sturdy, and stylish new series for those just beginning to look, listen, and learn. Checkers and Dot begins with a hello and introduces the title characters and their pets, as well as patterns and shapes, before we say good-bye.

In the forest behind his grandmother''s house, Rufus finds a totem that turns him into Sasquatch. But a wolf pack wants the totem--and will stop at nothing to get it.

February is when dear Uncle Creepy''s fancy turns toward . . . scaring the bejeezus out of readers! Prepare to swoon at the bouquet of terror offered up by our team of rotten Romeos: Gilbert Hernandez (_Love and Rockets_) weaves a tale of love gone horribly wrong, Jamie S. Rich (_It Girl and the Atomics_) and Jo��lle Jones (_House of Night_) provide a peek at voyeuristic ghosts, Alisa Kwitney (_The Plain Janes_) and Chrissie Zullo (_Fables_) find love and terror under the full moon, and J. Torres (_Jinx_) and Amy Reeder (_Batwoman_) make you afraid to go into the wateror near your beloved! Plus, the Creepys find romance in Dan Braun and Peter Bagge''s latest Creepy Family strips! New romantic scares from Gilbert Hernandez and Peter Bagge! Just in time for Valentine''s Day!

Batman and Oracle must solve a string of murders in a part of Gotham City no one knew existed! Plus: Batman tangles with Mr. Freeze! Collects BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #180-181 and #190-191. NOTE: these are available online as individual issues.

Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures. Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She''s the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she''s also the niece of an international super-spy; it''s no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan''s Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more "normal" life for their daughter. But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals - Wendy and Dot - somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison''s globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it''s magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!

Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures. Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She''s the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she''s also the niece of an international super-spy; it''s no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan''s Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more "normal" life for their daughter. But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals - Wendy and Dot - somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison''s globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it''s magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!

Power hungry forces that are attempting to seize control of everything in existence disrupt the balance in the Universe. The Nine Orders, aware of the consequences of such affront, intervene to oppose these legions of doom secretly controlled by an unknown entity. Humankind is the fi rst species in danger of extinction. Are The Nine Orders too late to save man? The world that you are about to enter has a life of its own. I started with a simple concept to write a horror novel and it evolved into the mythology that it is and will continue to be. The Nine Orders is a reimagining of the battle between angels and demons, bringing the two opposing forces to a new level of existence.

Ashley is back from merry ol'' England but she''s finding it hard to reconnect with her stepbrother Toby and to rekindle the romance with ex-boyfriend Jimmy.

While Darcy is working as a counselor at summer camp, Spinner has trouble facing temptation, and Liberty, apparently suffering from post-partum depression, may be planning a desperate move.

Emma gets her groove back with the help of therapy and a family trip, but when she returns, her relationship with Peter begins to suffer; and, Jimmy finds himself dealing with a hazing incident while coaching at basketball camp.

This first original graphic novel in an exciting new series is based on the popular hit television show, "Degrassi: The Next Generation." It presents two "off screen" stories, shown from a different perspective, tying both the show and the book together.

Joel hates Korea. Why he agreed to teach there defies his comprehension. He can''t wait to return to normal life. His year of teaching is almost over and then he''ll finally be free. But Joel''s life is about to go from dark dreams to cotton candy kisses and it''s all because of Hana. The very sight of this girl sends him flying straight to cloud nine, but won''t another year in Korea send him crashing back down?

Batman is on the run from the law. And what looks like a series of petty crimes committed by Mr. Freeze quickly becomes a much more serious situation once Batman learns Freeze has nothing to live for!

Contains five adventures of the Teen Titans.

Hollywood in the 1950s is a place of big glamour, small talk, and medium cool. The studios control everything, managing their actors'' careers and massaging the image they present to the public. To do this, they need the press onboard, and the one aspect they can''t control—gossip! This means the most powerful woman in Hollywood is Paige Turner, the celebrity columnist for one of America''s most-read papers. Known for her outrageous headgear, Paige is often called “The Mad Hatter”—a nickname with a double meaning, since everyone wants to be invited to her publicity party. When a more salacious tabloid mentality creeps into the newsstands, though, Paige sees some of her ground being threatened. And the studios see a roguish new element that might not want to play ball. At the top of this salacious new art form is Harry Richards, “The Tabloid Dick,” the guy with the snooping peepers who keeps getting the scoop. What begins as a war of words ends up being a knock-down, drag-out fight for the number one slot as the biggest rumor monger in entertainment!

Terry Highland isn''t like other kids. Or is she? Sure, Terry is the daughter of an ex-superhero sidekick and, yeah, she has powers of her own, too, but when you''re a new student at a school like Shuster Academy that''s hardly out of the ordinary! Terry has a pyromaniac firestarter in homeroom, a werewolf in Geometry, killer robots in gym—and that''s just before lunch! Sounds like a superteen''s dream come true, doesn''t it? There''s just one catch: In order to make the grade at this school, you can''t use your powers. So when three new vigilantes burst on to the scene calling themselves “Biff,” “Bam,” and “Pow,” it has the whole student body buzzing and the administration on the lookout for the kids that would dare to break the Academy''s most essential rule. Can Terry and her friends solve the mystery without getting caught in the middle? SIDEKICKS turns the superhero genre on its head, following powered kids who would rather start food fights than fist fights and are more worried about what to do on a Friday night than the next contrived evil plot.

J. Torres, who used memory to great effect in THE COPYBOOK TALES, now casts his eye back to the early ''60s, when pop music ruled the airwaves. DAYS LIKE THIS follows the formation of "Tina & the Tiaras," a new girl group, as they rise up the charts and overcome personal obstacles to become stars. Featuring stunning art by newcomer Scott Chantler that''s reminiscent of the clean lines of vintage graphic design from the period.

The book traces Manny''s elaborate career of deviance: from his early experiences with gang life, to encounters with gambling, experiences in New York City, with Synanon and finally with the California Department of Corrections. The book provides descriptions that illustrate many key issues touched by the more abstract concepts of formalized theories of criminal behavior.

Joey is a sickly-looking kid who’s been raised to believe that he’s allergic to pretty much everything with a hue. His mother has him on a strict diet that avoids a huge list of food—anything that isn’t white is off the table—literally. Why the restrictive diet? Well, it turns out every food gives Joey a different super power! Lunch time just got a whole lot crazier!

The origin of Robin revealed! Plus, witness a day in the lives of Starfire and Raven.

Wonder Woman reevaluates her place in the world after the recent war between her people and the U.S. Is she just a daughter in her mother''s house--or a leader in her own? Guest-starring Wonder Girl, the JSA, Black Canary and Vixen!

Johnny Rancid makes a deal with the devil to become a big-time rock star, but his new singing voice raises the dead. When zombies wreak havoc all over the city, it''s up to the Teen Titans to get things under control!

Red X is back with a vengeance. The master thief is on a crime spree, robbing a host of places at once! Robin must discover how Red X is doing it and stop him before he ruins the Jump City Comicon...

Zits are hell, and in Raven''s case that might just prove to be quite literally the case! While her teammates try to be helpful, they only stress her out further, causing the blemish to become an entity of its own!

The Teen Titans go up against a collection of their wildest foes for a good old-fashioned game of baseball--but the stakes in this game include the lives of everyone in Jump City!

Beast Boy is bit by the acting bug and goes to Tinseltown to make a movie just as the Hive 5 show up in Jump City to cause trouble for the Titans. How will the others fare when it''s four against five?

Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire are all contestants on ''Who Wants Pie?,'' the new game show sensation with a sinister edge. If the Titans are to get out alive, they''ll have to solve a bunch of puzzles and brainteasers that you, the reader, can help with!

Arkham Asylum prison break! Batman is out of town, so it''s up to Batgirl and Robin to clean up the mess. But with Killer Croc, Clayface, and Man-Bat on the loose, our two favorite sidekicks need the help of Batman--by thinking more like him--"What Would Batman Do?" part 1 of 2.