New Releases by Mike Carey

Marvin “Bad News” Barnes was considered a future Hall of Fame basketball player before he even graduated from college. A standout at Providence College, where he averaged 20.7 points and 17.9 rebounds per game, he was an All-American with the world at his fingertips. Although Barnes enjoyed two highly successful years in the American Basketball Association with the Spirits of St. Louis (winning Rookie of the Year honors and twice being named an All-Star), his career fizzled in the NBA as he wore out his welcome with the Detroit Pistons, Buffalo Braves, Boston Celtics, and San Diego Clippers in four years. His immaturity, as well as a chronic losing battle with drugs and alcohol, turned a potential superstar into a has-been by 1979. By then, his swagger was gone. So too was his game. Written by Mike Carey, who opened his house to Barnes later in his life, this is the story of a supremely gifted athlete whose self-destructive nature led to him living on the mean streets of East San Diego for three years as a panhandler and pimp. Eventually he would serve a total of five years in prison for various felony charges, including the sale of cocaine. Throughout his life, every time it appeared that “Bad News” had turned the corner, his demons reappeared and succeeded in luring him back into becoming a conniving dope fiend. On September 8, 2014, Barnes finally hit rock bottom, passing away due to acute cocaine and heroin intoxication. He was sixty-two years old. With stories and quotes from Julius Erving, Bill Walton, Larry Brown, Mike D’Antoni, and many others who crossed paths with Barnes, as well as a foreword from former Spirits announcer Bob Costas, “Bad News” is the story of a squandered talent who could never defeat his inner demons.

In this FREE Special Summer Preview issue we take a look at some of Caliber Comics upcoming titles. Covered within are preview pages, interviews, and more information with looks at: Squalor, Untouchables, Disciples, P.I. Jane, Salt, and Amongst the Stars. Plus a bonus story of the prelude leading into the Inferno graphic novel by Mike Carey (Lucifer) and Michael Gaydos (Jessica Jones); and the continuation of the History of Caliber from publisher Gary Reed.

This legendary Vertigo horror anthology will blow your mindÑprovided itÕs still attached to your body. You never know what will set someone off: a child wandering away from their parent; an elevator door opening on a private moment; a phone call to a stranger in the middle of the night. The most innocent of actions can lead to the most dire of consequencesÑjust thinking about it is enough to make you flinch. No one apprehends this disturbing tendency better than the warped talents whose paranoid ravings are contained within these pagesÑan alarming compendium of frenzied hallucinations and lurid musings pulled directly from the glistening brainpans of the greatest minds in comics. Featuring work by John Arcudi, Bernie Wrightson, Bruce Jones, Frank Quitely, Joe R. Lansdale, Bruce Timm, Mike Carey, David Lloyd and many more, FLINCH BOOK TWO collects FLINCH #9-16.

Collects Ultimate Fantastic Four #39-41 and Annual #2. The FF are pulled into a madman''s scheme when those closest to them are drawn back through time as a lure to get the foursome to follow. And what awaits them in the year 1483 is a man with a quest to transform the world - literally. Meet the alchemist supreme: Ultimate Diablo! And his plans for the Fantastic Four aren''t pretty. Plus: Something strange has happened at Nursery Two, the Baxter Building''s Think Tank counterpart in Oregon. It''s disappeared, seemingly swallowed up by the earth itself! And if you think that heralds the return of the macabre Mole Man, go to the head of the class!

Immortality can be a curse„ at least if you''re three thousand years old and you''ve got the gods on your back. When Lucifer refuses the gift of death to a beautiful but ancient priestess, he forces her to look elsewhere and triggers a sequence of events that may earn him the ultimate bargaining chip!

A beautiful angel with an ancient score to settle puts out a contract on Lucifer Morningstar! Alerted by an attack on his L.A. bar, Lucifer follows a trail that leads him from the mercurial realm of the Dreaming to the luminous streets of Beijing. Featuring a guest-appearance by the new Sandman!

Extra-sized issue. At the dawn of Creation, there was a woman who defied both God and man for the sake of her own idea of love. Dark secrets and dirty politics collide as the true origins of both the Silver City and Lucifer''s relationship with Mazikeen are revealed.

A magical force begins granting wishes to ordinary mortals, with sinister and unpredictable results. Heaven, forbidden to intervene directly, asks Lucifer to investigate and trace this mysterious power to its source. Despite himself, Lucifer agrees, embarking on a journey that will take him back to the Hell he abandoned and beyond.

Tom Taylor-the real-life counterpart of his father''s famous fictional boy-wizard creation, a living bridge between our reality and the realities of every tale ever told-knows the power of stories only too well. Now he''s the star of his most important story yet. It''s a quest straight out of King Arthur, filled with black knights, ensorcelled swords, and maidens who are fair to a fault. If his heart is pure and his courage true, he can enter the Chapel Perilous, find the Grail, complete his quest, and save existence as we know it. If not, we are verily screwed. Hark! Storytellers Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Chris Chuckry approach, singing tales of valor and treachery in THE UNWRITTEN: APOCALYPSE! This final volume in THE UNWRITTEN saga collects issues #6-12.

Collects Secret Invasion: X-Men #1-4.The Skrulls don''t expect the X-Men when they hit San Francisco, but don''t think they don''t have something very special prepared for Cyclops and his army when they find them at their new home.

With his newly adopted Earth at stake, Requiem must forge an alliance with a powerful entity more dangerous than himself: Aisa. The follower of a great and ancient goddess, Aisa and her sister Diva may hold the key to closing the F.A.U.L.T.Line once and for all—but which side will Tracey find herself when they do?

Mike Carey (Lucifer, The Unwritten) and fan-favorite artist Elena Casagrande (Hulk, Hack/Slash) continue the mysterious superhero world of Suicide Risk with this critically acclaimed fourth arc, which also includes the celebrated standalone story illustrated by spotlight artist Filipe Andrade (Captain Marvel, Avengers). Requiem is in full control now, and Tracey, Danny, and Suni must find a way to survive the vengeful god parading around in Leo Winters'' body. He has his own plans and has been thwarted before, but this time Requiem won''t let something as simple as family get in his way? Collects issues #14-17.

Young Vimal is an outcast, constantly bullied and brutalized by his peers. Having never met his father, he has been told by his schoolmates that he''s the horrific offspring of a demon that impregnated his noble mother. When he accidentally awakens Jara, an actual demon of sinister beauty and malevolent power, from a centuries-long slumber, his life takes a turn for the evil. Fed by the boy''s anger and pain, Jara twists the trauma into a thirst for vengeance, offering him a ''magic'' powder with which to exact revenge on his tormentors. But such gifts come with a price... This original tale is the first East-meets-West collaboration between British comics'' master Mike Carey (X-Men, The Stranded) and Asia maverick creator Samit Basu (Devi).

Faced with either protecting the false family he’s come to love, or the real, violent one he left behind the F.A.U.L.T.Line, the rift between Leo’s past and present begins to violently pull apart. But he may not have time to make a choice, as there may not be an Earth—either Earth—left to return to!

Cast out of Heaven, thrown down to rule in Hell, Lucifer Morningstar has resigned his post and abandoned his kingdom for the mortal city of Los Angeles. In this final LUCIFER volume, the war in Heaven reaches its universe-shaking conclusion, as the forces of Heaven, Hell, and everyone in between wage a final battle to determine the fate of both Yahweh and Lucifer''s Creations - a fate no one, not even the Lightbringer, could foresee. And in the aftermath of the battle, how will Lucifer and his cohorts pick up their lives and tie up loose ends? Collects LUCIFER #62-75.

What if your entire life - your childhood, your family, your memories - was a lie? THE STRANDED features a group of seemingly ordinary people that must face the terrifying reality that they''re all, secretly, from another world, implanted with false memories to keep them safe from harm. But a deadly, otherworldly force has targeted them for death, and their only hope is a dark, mysterious woman sent to Earth as their protector. One by one, she must awaken The Stranded''s true selves - along with their powerful, unique psychic and physical abilities. Created and written by acclaimed novelist/comics writer Mike Carey (X-MEN, Lucifer, Unwritten, The Devil You Know)!

What if your past, everything you knew, was a lie? For the Stranded, aliens sent to Earth and implanted with the memories of human beings, it''s all true - and now the tension rises as a deadly assassin called Janus seeks their deaths. Tamree, protector of the Stranded, must fight a deadly psychic battle to save her charges. But even if she wins, she can''t protect them all at once - and the most powerful of them may be the next to fall! Created and written by acclaimed novelist/comics writer Mike Carey (X-MEN, Lucifer, Unwritten, The Devil You Know)!

What if your past, everything you knew, was a lie - a cover story for your true past on another world? As the Stranded''s true memories resurface, they face the final showdown with their deadly enemy Janus. But now, the greatest threat to their survival may come from one of their own. And even if Janus falls, his masters - The Forgotten - have only begun their campaign of extermination. Created and written by acclaimed novelist/comics writer Mike Carey (X-MEN, Lucifer, Unwritten, The Devil You Know)!

Created by Weston Cage and acclaimed actor Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider; The Rock; National Treasure) Gabriel Moore''s life should have ended almost 150 years ago-and in some ways, it did-but he was brought back by John Messenger, to the world of post-Katrina New Orleans. As he closes in on his human enemies, his path once again runs across Detective Robert Julien''s murder investigation, with violent results. But Gabriel is being hunted in this turn, by the most powerful of the voodoo loas, and Baron Samedi has his own terrifying ways of dealing with the risen dead...

Created by Weston Cage and acclaimed actor Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider; The Rock; National Treasure) Gabriel Moore confronts the demons in his own past as he and detective Robert Julien finally join forces against their true enemy: an enemy who has been manipulating the Voodoo Child from the moment he rose from the grave. But New Orleans is on fire, and it may already be too late to stop a slaughter of innocents turning into something even worse.

Created by Weston Cage and acclaimed actor Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider; The Rock; National Treasure) Gabriel Moore''s life should have ended almost 150 years ago-and in some ways, it did-but he was brought back by John Messenger, to the world of post-Katrina New Orleans. As he closes in on his human enemies, his path once again runs across Detective Robert Julien''s murder investigation, with violent results. But Gabriel is being hunted in this turn, by the most powerful of the voodoo loas, and Baron Samedi has his own terrifying ways of dealing with the risen dead...

Collects Thor: Wolves of the North, Thor: The Truth of History & Thor Annual #1.ÿ Hela lays siege to Asgard, and demon hordes are loose on Earth. Thor must make a dangerous bargain with a mortal woman in order to launch a last assault on the forces of death. Then legendary writer-artist Alan Davis sends Thor on one of his most epic adventures in history! Plus, enemies from Thor''s past are back and howling for revenge!

We return to the parallel world where Requiem, Terza, and the others with super powers originally came from: Ultramar. In this special one-shot issue we explore the kind of crime you have to commit to be banished not only from a world, but an entire dimension...

Now awake, aware, and furious about what''s been done to him, the murderous super-villain known as Requiem wants answers. There are huge gaps in his memories-he doesn''t understand how he comes to be in this world he doesn''t know, in this life that isn''t his. But he does know there''s no one he won''t hurt or kill to get information. Not even Leo Winters'' family. Mike Carey (Lucifer, The Unwritten) and artist Elena Casagrande (Hulk, Hack/Slash) continue to tell amazing stories in this critically acclaimed third arc of SUICIDE RISK, which also includes the thrilling standalone story illustrated by spotlight artist Jorge Coehlo (Polarity, Venom).

The worlds of FABLES and THE UNWRITTEN collide in the epic comic event by Mike Carey and Bill Willingham! Tommy Taylor is thrust into the world of Vertigo''s hit series Fables! But a dark and terrible foe has seized the fairy-tale homelands and our world. In desperation, the witches of Fabletown gather to summon the greatest mage the worlds have ever seen. But they are in for an unpleasant surprise. Collects #50-54 of The Unwritten

Eisner Award-nominated writer Mike Carey (UNWRITTEN, X-MEN: LEGACY) brings his first original ongoing series to BOOM! Studios! Heroes are dying, and cops are dying twofold. Humanity is underpowered in the face of their onslaught, and people are suffering untold casualties trying to stem the flow. After barely surviving a super-powered bank heist gone horribly wrong, beat cop Leo Winters vowed to try and find a way to stop them. Following a lead, he discovered two lowlifes who seemed to be able to grant a person powers...for the right price. Thing is: you don''t get to choose which power. It''s seemingly random, a crap-shoot, a risk. Will Leo decide to take that risk? And why is it that even the heroes in this world eventually break...bad? Eisner Award nominated writer and novelist Mike Carey (UNWRITTEN, X-MEN: LEGACY) and rising star Elena Casagrande (HULK, HACK/SLASH) deliver a smart, mind-bending deconstruction of the superhero genre that will have you questioning your definition of a hero. This volume, featuring a cover by Tommy Lee Edwards (TURF, MARVEL 1985), collects the first four issues of the critically-acclaimed series.

In this second LUCIFER hardcover, the Lightbringer is hard at work on a New Creation outside the bounds of any authority but his own, complete with a new pair of inhabitants for a new Garden of Eden. But as he tries his hand at universe building, back on Earth (and in Hell) schemes and betrayals continue to grow. And in the tale NIRVANA, a beautiful angel with an ancient score to settle puts out a contract on Lucifer Morningstar. But can the Devil really die? Collects LUCIFER #14-28 and LUCIFER: NIRVANA.

One of Publishers Weekly''s Hot Fall Books of 2013! Tom Taylor has lived his life being mistaken for Tommy Taylor, the boy wizard from the world-famous series of novels penned by Tom''s long-lost father Wilson. However, after a series of strange events start to parallel the lives of both Taylors--fictional and real--Tom realizes that he might be the character on page made flesh. In this first-ever original graphic novel spinning off from the pages of the critically acclaimed THE UNWRITTEN series, writer Mike Carey explores the origins behind Tom''s mysterious powers and the odyssey his father has sent him on.

Cast out of Heaven, thrown down to rule in Hell, Lucifer Morningstar has resigned his post and abandoned his kingdom for the mortal city of Los Angles. Emerging from the pages of writer Neil Gaiman''s award-winning series The Sandman, the former Lord of Hell is now enjoying a quiet retirement as the propretor of Lux, L.A.''s most elite piano bar. But now an assignment from the Creator Himself is going to change all that. If Lucifer agrees to do Heaven''s dirty work, he can name his own price--but both the task and reward are more than they seem. Thrown into a position of great threat and ultimate opportunity, Lucifer knows that threading a path through this maze will require the harshest of sacrifices.

A year after The War of Words and nearly unbearable tragedy and loss, Tom Taylor''s life is finally knitting itself back together. However, disconnected from the power of Leviathan and the manipulation of the Cabal, the real world and the fictional world are facing a sweeping tide of chaos, and the damage seems to be spreading. When a rash of mysterious disappearances catches the eye of young detective Didge Patterson, it becomes apparent that the cult known as The Church of Tommy is involved. When ghosts, vampires and unicorns are also mixed in, Tommy finds that an even more complicated tale is about to unfold. Can Tommy discover the secrets behind the cult’s mysterious façade and heal "The Wound" before the real and fictional worlds crumble? The Eisner Award-nominated creative team of Mike Carey (JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER) and Peter Gross (LUCIFER) present UNWRITTEN VOLUME 7: THE WOUND - a tumultuous tale where the lines between fiction and reality are irreparably blurred. Collects issues #36-41.