HARDCORE returns with more bullets than John Wick! Agent Drake once used the Hardcore tech to take control of human drones to protect our nationÉbut now, that tech is out in the wild. And the only one who can help him put the genie back in the bottle is his greatest enemy. SKYBOUNDÕs action thriller reloads with BRANDON THOMAS (EXCELLENCE), FRANCIS PORTELA (Faith), and covers by NIC KLEIN (Deadpool). Collects HARDCORE RELOADED #1-5

HARDCORE returns with more bullets than John Wick! Agent Drake once used the Hardcore tech to take control of human drones to protect our nation...but now, that tech is out in the wild. And the only one who can help him put the genie back in the bottle is his greatest enemy. SKYBOUND's action thriller reloads with writer BRANDON THOMAS (EXCELLENCE), artist FRANCIS PORTELA (Faith), and covers by NIC KLEIN (Deadpool). Collects HARDCORE RELOADED #1-5

With Hardcore tech in the hands of terrorists, Agent Drake must make a deal with America's Most Wanted before more innocents die. Clock's ticking

The new President is under attack! In order to save him, Drake will have to go further than he ever has before and body-jack his most powerful host ever!

"Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, the 19 stories in this new best-of annual anthology feature episodes of graphic gore and violence—including torture, dismemberment, self-mutilation, and home abortion—that are designed to push buttons as well as boundaries...strictly for hardcore horror fans."—Publishers Weekly Excerpt from the Introduction: Editors Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax put the call out to horror writers and editors of extreme stories, the hardcore stuff that breaks boundaries and trashes taboos, the transgressive tales you can't "unread" (as Chuck Palahniuk says). We staked out our territory and nailed this to the wall to guide us: YEAR'S BEST HARDEST HORROR Not your mama's best-of horror annual. This stuff comes from the edge of the abyss, stories you read at your own risk because you feel the abyss looking right back into you through the tainted lens of each twisted tale. Some of the stories you'll find here are loaded with very graphic descriptions of violence, sex and depravities, while others may contain only one shocking moment of brutality. In others, the hardcore aspect may be less graphic and subtler than you might expect. Some of these quieter tales offer the reader some time to recover from the more disturbing ones preceding. Most of the stories collected here are from small and specialty press anthologies, with a few from periodicals, like the prestigious Splatterpunk Zine in the UK and Thuglit here in the US. Bizarro is also represented with a couple of tales from the unlikely anthology Blood For You: A Literary Tribute To GG Allin from Weirdpunk Books. (If you're not familiar with the late GG Allin, you can find snippets from some of his outrageous and obscene punk shows online, which will increase your appreciation of those two tales.) So for now, forget about that neighbor you suspect is a serial killer, don't worry about the drunk driver that could take you out on your next trip to the store, push those troubling news stories to the back of your mind and immerse yourself in the imaginary horrors at hand. But don't be surprised if you sense something dark staring back at you from between the lines. That is to be expected when you enter these forbidding realms. With any luck, you may find something useful to help you survive the approaching Apocalypse. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: The Year That Was "Worth the Having" by Michael Paul Gonzalez "Awakening" by Jeff Strand "Readings Off The Charts" by Adam Cesare "Reborn" by The Behrg "What's Worst" by David James Keaton "Dead End" by Kristopher Triana "What You Wish For" by Lilith Morgan "King Shits" by Charles Austin Muir "Cleanup On Aisle 3" by Adam Howe "Bath Salt Fetus" by Jorge Palacios "Bored With Brutality" by MP Johnson "Exposed" by Monica J. O'Rourke "Eleanor" by Jason Parent "The Scavengers" by Tony Knighton "The Most Important Miracle" by Scott Emerson "Hungry For Control" by Clare de Lune "Clarissa" by Robert Essig & Jack Bantry "Where The Sun Don't Shine" by Pete Kahle "Blackbird Lullaby" by George Cotronis

From the minds of ROBERT KIRKMAN and MARC SILVESTRI and brought to life by ANDY DIGGLE (THIEF OF THIEVES, Losers) and ALESSANDRO VITTI (Secret Warriors)! The Hardcore Program can turn anyoneÑyour neighbor, your co-worker, your spouseÑinto a human drone to get to targets normal soldiers canÕt. Agent Drake is the best soldier Hardcore has to offer, until heÕs stranded in a body with only 72 hours to discover whoÕs hijacked the Program. But who can he trust when his enemy can change their appearance as easily as you change your shirt? Collects HARDCORE #1-5

Focuses on the little-touched but critical parts of the Java programming language that the expert programmers use. Learn about extremely powerful and useful programming techniques such as reflection, advanced data modeling, advanced GUI design, and advanced aspects of JDO, EJB, and XML-based web clients. This unique book reveals the true wizardry behind the complex and often mysterious Java environment. --O'Reilly web site