Features:
OP-ED: Talk of the Punisher with Gregg Hurwitz --- And a Contest Where His Writing Worlds Collide
Best known for his bestselling novels The Crime Writer and Last Shot, Gregg Hurwitz has also made a huge name for himself in the comics world with his work on Punisher. Now, he tells GNR about how he came to write his favorite childhood antihero for Marvel, and he gives you a chance to enter a contest related to his new prose thriller, Trust No One!

Behind the Scenes with Joe Hill
The acclaim for Joe Hill’s work continues! His bestselling series Locke and Key has just been nominated for two Eisner Awards: Best Limited Series and Best Writer. Now, get to meet Hill yourself in our Behind the Scenes interview.

The Hottest Graphic Novels of Summer 2009
The Summer rollout of the The Hottest Graphic Novels of Summer 2009 --- the best graphic novels and manga --- continues. We've updated this special feature with new excerpts and links to reviews and interviews. Be sure to check back all summer long for new favorites. Check out our Adult Fiction, Nonfiction, Teens, Tweens, and Kids picks.

Cathy's Ring and iPod Giveaway
Our sister site Teenreads.com is giving seven readers a great opportunity to win some fantastic prizes related to the upcoming release of Cathy's Ring, the final installment in the Cathy trilogy. This is the book that readers have been waiting for, and it's a contest for everyone. The prizes are sweet, including the Grand Prize of an iPod Touch and a portrait drawn by Cathy Brigg, the coauthor and illustrator of the Cathy books. Second Prize is an iPod Shuffle. And all seven winners will get the complete Cathy trilogy. So check out the contest and fill out this form by Tuesday, July 14th to enter.

New Video: The Powers of U2 and Spider-Man Unite
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is coming to Broadway in February of next year. Get ready for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark with a special interview with U2's Bono and The Edge, who are doing the music and lyrics for the show.

Recent Blog Posts:
The Return of Captain America
Support Your Local Comic Shop
Spidey Sings
A Call for Artists
The Beat Goes On

Creator Interviews:
A. David Lewis
Writer A. David Lewis explains how he and his coauthor came to be inspired by the many flood myths that permeate so many different human cultures, and how that inspiration in turn led to the gorgeous comic series Some New Kind of Slaughter. By John Hogan

Jarret J. Krosoczka
Jarrett J. Krosoczka created a fun new kids' character with Lunch Lady, his heroine du jour for solving classic school crimes. By Brigid Alverson

Nicole Chaison
Wife, mother, and all around funny Nicole Chaison discusses her hilarious new memoir, The Passion of the Hausfrau. By John Hogan

Fiction Reviews:
Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Settle in for a very scary treat. Locke and Key is nailbiting suspense of the highest order, a creepy tour through a house haunted by many creepy things. Reviewed by John Hogan

The Walking Dead Compendium, Vol. 1 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn
When the dead come back to life, take cover. In a series that pays homage to the great zombie films and stories of the past, Robert Kirkman finds new ground to tread on while creating a rip-roaringly good fun series. Reviewed by John Hogan

Air, Vol. 1: Letters from Lost Countries by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker
Thinking she's on another routine flight, a flight attendant named Blythe meets Zayn and finds herself drawn into a strange new world of conspiracy theories, alternate reality, and genuine weirdness. The fun is in trying to keep up with the odd plot and figure out where this boldly intriguing series is going next. Reviewed by John Hogan

Nonfiction:
The Passion of the Hausfrau by Nicole Chaison
Nicole Chaison combines comics, prose, and footnotes for a scathingly funny memoir about motherhood and wifedom. Reviewed by John Hogan

Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea by Nakaba Higurashi and Seiichi Morimura
From his humble beginnings to his bloody battle to lead Mongolia, the life of Genghis Khan is explored in an epic thriller for adults. Reviewed by John Hogan

Teen Reviews:
Venus Capriccio by Mai Nishikata
Best friends Takami and Akira have been playing the piano together since childhood. After Takami gets dumped by yet another boyfriend, she looks to Akira for help; but he tells her something she wasn't ever expecting to hear. Could it be that the perfect guy has been by Takami's side this whole time? Reviewed by Courtney Kraft

13th Boy, Vol. 1 by SangEun Lee
Hee-So has developed unreciprocated crushes on twelve boys. But it is the thirteenth boy who will be her first true love...and her last. Reviewed by Casey Brienza

Yokai Doctor by Yuki Sato
Yokai are little spirits and, until now, who knew they ever got sick? That's what a Yokai Doctor is for, it turns out! Reviewed by John Hogan

Kids Reviews:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Somewhere between a graphic novel and an "actual novel" is Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a surprisingly hilarious and well-observed account of growing up and struggling to find your place. Reviewed by Collin David

Ninja Baseball Kyuma by Shunshin Maeda
He is a lone ninja honing his skills in the mountains and waiting to be sent to battle. They are a ragtag baseball team with a gaping hole in their lineup. Throw in a cute dog, and you've got a great summer manga. Reviewed by Brigid Alverson

Swans in Space by Lun Lun Yamamoto
Corona is just your average overachieving sixth-grader until the day she is recruited to join Space Patrol. Now she flies around in a swan-shaped boat, scooping up spilled Martian papayas and straightening out slacker aliens in this colorful, supercute kids' manga. Reviewed by Brigid Alverson