With hard-hitting stories from masters of the realm and fresh new talents, this vastly adventurous anthology collects some of the most exciting and original superhero stories of the past few decades, along with an array of entertaining and informative articles on the evolution of the genre. The origins of caped crusaders and their ingenious nemeses will be uncovered, their terrible secrets revealed, and their victories and defeats chronicled for all. From luminaries such as Gene Wolfe and Cory Doctorow to rising stars including Cat Rambo and Camille Alexa, this exciting blend of voices will release these guardians and villains from their common realm of comics, graphic novels, and movies and set them free to roam in the wild world of prose and their readers' imaginations.

Claude Lalumière (claudepages.info) is the author of three previous books: Objects of Worship (CZP 2009), The Door to Lost Pages (CZP 2011), and Nocturnes and Other Nocturnes (Infinity Plus 2013). He has edited or co-edited fourteen anthologies in various genres, including Island Dreams: Montreal Writers of the Fantastic (Vehicule Press 2003), Lust for Life: Tales of Sex & Love (Vehicule Press 2006), Masked Mosaic: Canadian Super Stories (Tyche 2013), and The Exile Book of New Canadian Noir (Exile Editions 2015). Originally from Montreal, where he was a bookseller in the 1990s, he’s also lived in Québec City, Portland, Austin, and Vancouver. He’s currently headquartered in Ottawa.

Claude Lalumière's profile page

"Not only are the stories fine in their own right, but they will provide a certain illumination you can take back with you when you've returned to the 8-paneled page."  —Mark London Williams, Nexus Graphica

"*STAR* Editor Lalumière has put together an impressive best-of anthology for modern superhero fiction...this is by far the best superhero anthology around, and a must-read for comic book fans."  —Publishers Weekly