MARVEL COMICS TRADE PAPERBACKS

Following are Marvel Comics' trade paperbacks for April, with information coming from the publisher.

THOR: SON OF ASGARD VOL. 2: WORTHY DIGEST

Written by Akira Yoshida, penciled by Greg Tocchini, cover by Jo Chen.

The early Tales of Asgard continue! After their adventures across the wilds of Asgard, it's back to school for Thor, Balder and Sif...but when you're in training to be a warrior, study hall isn't so quiet! The lives of the three young friends take an interesting turn when Amora the Enchantress enters the picture. Sparks will fly when their schooling in swords and sorcery comes head-to-head! Plus: Thor grew up with the belief that he would one day wield the mighty uru hammer, Mjolnir. But as the years pass and he becomes increasingly frustrated by his inability to achive his goal, Thor comes to question what makes a person worthy. But his questions will have to wait, as Sif is kidnapped by Frost Giants! Collects Thor: Son of Asgard #7-12.

144 pages, $7.99.

AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES HC

Written by Joe Casey, pencils and cover by Scott Kolins.

This is where the legend began! A look into the early, pivotal period of the Marvel Universe, when five fledgling heroes -- Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, the Wasp and the Hulk -- banded together to fight the foes no single hero could overcome! But how did the public react? How did the U.S. government react? Previously untold secrets surrounding the formation of the Avengers are revealed here, just in time to sate fans whipped into a frenzy by the Avengers Disassembled event. For the first time, donıt miss a beat as five individuals must learn to work as a team, and forge a legend! Collects Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes #1-8.

192 pages, $24.99.

SUPREME POWER VOL. 1 HC

Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Gary Frank.

This deluxe hardcover collects Supreme Power Vol. 1: Contact and Supreme Power Vol. 2: Powers and Principalities, plus a hefty helping of DVD-style extras. In Contact, Babylon 5 creator writer J. Michael Straczynski presents a new vision of a world about to give birth to its first generation of super heroes! Follow the origins of these new heroes and anti-heroes ‹ from their birth through adulthood -- and examine how their lives and abilities change and shape the world around them. In Powers & Principalities, the god-like Hyperion discovers his whole life has actually been an elaborate government-made lie, and his reaction could mean the end of the Earth! Do the worldıs other super-powered beings have any chance at stopping Hyperion if the truth sends him over the edge? Collects Supreme Power #1-13 -- plus character designs, alternate cover treatments, the historic first appearance of the original Squadron Supreme in Avengers #85-86, and more.

352 pages, $29.99.

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 7

Written by Stan Lee, penciled by John Romita, Don Heck and Larry Lieber, cover by Romita.

Get ready for the biggest, the best, the single most amazing Marvel Masterworks ever! Filled from stem to stern with heroic Spidey battles against the likes of the villainous Vulture, Mysterio and Medusa of the Inhumans, this oneıs a nail-biter if there ever was, and hereıs the real treat: The year was 1968 and the manic madmen who managed mighty Marvel met to make a new mega-magazine-The Spectacular Spider-Man! Tying directly into the long-running storylines in Amazing, the new series exploded on the stands first with a marvelous graywash masterpiece, and then with a 58-page, Romita-illustrated Spider-Man/Green Goblin fight to the finish that is reprinted here and now for the first time ever! And no, weıre not going to let you catch your breath before you leave because it all wraps up with the sensational origin of Peter Parkerıs parents as Spider-Man battles no less than the Red Skull! Weighing in at a whopping 320 pages, youıll be glad you socked away your lunch money for this one! Collecting Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #62-67, Annual #5 and Spectacular Spider-Man (Magazine) #1-2.

320 pages, $49.99.

MARVEL VISIONARIES: STEVE DITKO HC

Written by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Bill Mantlo, Michael Fleisher, Tom Defalco and Roger Stern pencils and cover by Steve Ditko.

In celebration of its 65th anniversary, the House of Ideas proudly presents a timeless testament to another true Marvel visionary! Best known as the first artist to bring Spider-Man to life in the pages of Amazing Fantasy, Steve Ditko illustrated Amazing Spider-Man for four years ­ helping create characters such as Doctor Octopus, the Lizard, the Vulture and dozens more of Spider-Manıs classic villains. In contrast to the grounded realism of Spider-Man, Ditko also drew the adventures of Doctor Strange, a master of the mystic arts who defended Earthıs citizens from bizarre otherworldly threats. Now, this deluxe keepsake edition collects his greatest moments ‹ including stories from Tales To Astonish #26 and #42; Strange Tales #94, #97, #110, #115, #126, #127 and #146; Amazing Adult Fantasy #7, #10, #12, #13 and #14; Amazing Spider-Man #1, #31-33 and Annual #1; Hulk #6 and #249; Tales Of Suspense #48; Daredevil #162; Marvel Super-Heroes Special; and Speedball #1.

336 pages, $29.99.

DAREDEVIL VOL. 11: GOLDEN AGE TPB

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and cover by Alex Maleev.

Follow Matt Murdock through a story that literally spans the entire history of the Marvel Universe! Who was the Kingpin before the Kingpin, and what was his relationship to Matt? Find out right here, courtesy of the team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev! Collects Daredevil #66-69.

96 pages, $9.99.

WOLVERINE: ENEMY OF THE STATE VOL. 1 TPB

Written by Mark Millar, pencils and cover by John Romita Jr.

The world's deadliest living weapon just fell into the wrong hands. It's Wolverine vs. the Marvel Universe in the best-selling, blockbuster storyline that will have Logan shredding his way through the X-Men, Fantastic Four, S.H.I.E.L.D., and more! How does Wolverine end up fighting to destroy everything he holds dear? Get ready for the ride of your life! Collects Wolverine #20-25.

144 pages, $12.99.

BULLSEYE: GREATEST HITS TPB

Written by Daniel Way, penciled by Steve Dillon, cover by Mike Deodato Jr.

The untold origin of Daredevil's ultimate nemesis is revealed at last! And who thought being bad could be so much fun? Featuring timely cameos by Daredevil, Elektra, the Kingpin and the Punisher! Collects Bullseye: Greatest Hits #1-5.

120 pages, $13.99.

BLACK WIDOW: HOMECOMING TPB

Written by Richard K. Morgan, penciled by Goran Parlov and Bill Sienkiewicz, cover by Greg Land.

Acclaimed science-fiction novelist Richard K. Morgan (Altered Carbon and Broken Angels) and comics legend Bill Sienkiewicz bring you old ghosts and new revelations about the original Black Widow -- Natasha Romanova -- in this hardboiled noir tale. The deadliest agent in the Marvel Universe has finally gotten out of the spy game, and sheıs not asking for much, just a life of her own. When a sudden assassination attempt provides a harsh reality check, the former Soviet agent tracks a string of international killings that will lead her back to a Russia she can barely recognize. Collects Black Widow #1-6.

144 pages, $14.99.

SHE-HULK VOL. 2: SUPERHUMAN LAW TPB

Written by Dan Slott, penciled by Juan Bobillo and Paul Pelletier, cover by Mike Mayhew.

As a superhuman lawyer, She-Hulk has tried some of the strangest cases on Earth...but all of that is about to change! Empowered by the Living Tribunal, Shulkie is heading into deep space to practice Universal Law! Guest-starring Adam Warlock, Gamora and Pip the Troll! Plus: Out of all of She-Hulkıs enemies, no one hates her more than Titania! So what's her beef? Where did all this hostility come from? What made little Skeeter MacPherran into the angry Amazon she is today? And what's about to make her one of the deadliest threats in the Marvel Universe? Special appearances by the Absorbing Man, Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) and Doctor Doom! And finally, a major power boost has made She-Hulk stronger than ever -- maybe even stronger than special guest-star Hercules! Feats of strength can wait, however, because this emerald enchantress is going to the books and relying on brains, not brawn, to get the Prince of Power out of some Herculean legal problems. Collects She-Hulk #7-12.

144 pages, $14.99.

MYSTIQUE VOL. 4: QUIET TPB

Written by Sean McKeever, penciled by Manuel Garcia, cover by Mike Mayhew.

This is it! The mysterious Quiet Man's identity is finally revealed! Mystique is sent on a mission to find Shortpack, who has mysteriously vanished. But she has enough on her mind already: She has to figure out how to assassinate Professor Charles Xavier! Mystique been caught between two masters long enough; now, the time has come when she can no longer serve both! Collects Mystique #19-24.

144 pages, $14.99.

SPIDER-MAN/DOCTOR OCTOPUS: YEAR ONE TPB

Written by Zeb Wells, art and cover by Kaare Andrews.

Peer behind the curtain to witness the birth of a mad genius! Featuring Doctor Octopus' first encounters with both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, the first appearance of Doc Ock's arms, and the true inspiration that led him to build his remarkable appendages -- which may have come from a certain web-slinging wall-crawler! Collects Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One #1-5.

120 pages, $13.99.

SPIDER-MAN: INDIA TPB

Written by Jeevan J. Kang, Suresh Seetharaman and Sharad Devarajan, penciled and cover by Kang.

Everybody knows the story of Spider-Man...but what if things had happened differently? What if it wasnıt a New Yorker named Peter Parker, but an Indian teenager named Pavitr Prabhakar who was gifted with the abilities of the spider? Witness the rebirth of a legend as young Pavitr learns hard lessons about power and responsibility in an all-new interpretation that has received worldwide media coverage! Collects Spider-Man: India #1-4.

96 pages, $9.99.

FANTASTIC FOUR/SPIDER-MAN CLASSIC TPB

Written by Stan Lee, Bill Mantlo, Chris Claremont, J.M. DeMatteis and Kurt Busiek, penciled by Steve Ditko, Mike Zeck, Frank Miller, John Byrne, Sal Buscema and Mike Allred, cover by Ditko.

Marvel movie stars past and present unite in a series of senses-shattering slugfests for the ages! At the dawn of the Marvel Age, Spider-Man meets the Fantastic Four as the Chameleon strikes! Also featuring a battle royal with the Frightful Four! The first appearance of the future New Mutant known as Karma! The villainy of Dr. Doom! A date with Invisible Girl! When comicsı first family and everybodyıs friendly neighborhood wall-crawler get together, chaos is sure to ensue! Collects Amazing Spider-Man #1; Spectacular Spider-Man #42; Fantastic Four #218; Marvel Team-Up #100, 132-133; and Untold Tales Of Spider-Man '96.

152 pages, $16.99.

CABLE/DEADPOOL VOL. 2: THE BURNT OFFERING TPB

Written by Fabian Nicieza, pencils and cover by Patrick Zircher.

A floating city promises hope for humans and mutants alike! But if Cable plans to be Earth's Savior, will Deadpool accept the role of Judas? Marvel Universe guest stars! Intrigue! Adventure! Big flying fists and loose-lips fun! Plus: The traumatic, tragic and tantric events of "The Burnt-Offering" have left Cable... well, "regurgitated" comes close to summing it up -- now Deadpool has to save the day! Even if it means confronting his fear of very BIG-headed villains! And the challenge of finding someone who can fix technology from thousands of years in the future. Someone who fixes things. Mmm...who is the best fixer in the Marvel Universe? If that guest star isn't much of a surprise, we guarantee Deadpool fans will drool when we reveal the BIG head... er.... uhŠ villain trying to stop him! Collects Cable/Deadpool #7-12.

144 pages, $14.99.

ALPHA FLIGHT VOL. 2: WAXING POETIC TPB

Written by Scott Lobdell, penciled by Dave Ross and Clayton Henry, cover by Henry.

Is the All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight really disbanding already? Not if the rest of the Marvel Universe has anything to say about it! Montreal faces its gravest hour as it falls under attack byŠwax statues of the entire Marvel Universe?! Plus: Can Alpha Flight pull itself together in time to save this crown jewel of Quebec? Continuing the Marvel tradition of classic time-traveling stories! Former Alpha Flight ally Flashback comes begging our heroes to time-jump to the past and stop his future self from dying in an attack that involves the original Alpha Flight, and er...Omega Flight. Huh--? What?! Exactly! Collects Alpha Flight #7-12.

144 pages, $14.99.

ESSENTIAL HULK VOL. 3 TPB

Written by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Harlan Ellison, art by Herb Trimpe, Gil Kane and Sal Buscema, cover by Trimpe.

The misunderstood monsterıs earliest adventures continue as Robert Bruce Bannerıs rampaging alter ego clashes with Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers! He fights his share of super-villains, too ­ including Maximus the Mad, the Glob, the Leader, the Rhino, the Absorbing Man, Night-Crawler, Tyrannus, the Mole Man, Hydra, the Abomination and the Sandman! Featuring the almost-wedding of Bruce and Betty Ross! Collects Incredible Hulk #118-142, Captain Marvel #20-21 and Avengers #88.

584 pages, $16.99.