Previews of Dark Horse Comics that will be published in September 2006, by Ralf Haring.
APOCALYPSE NERD #4
Written and art by Peter Bagge.
Our "heroes" have stumbled across a self-sustaining community of
seemingly well-organized scientists and engineers. What luck! The
encampment also has food and computers, and the only news that the
pair have heard since Seattle went up in a cloud of nuclear smoke. But
just when our neurotic, geeky protagonist Perry starts to feel he's
sittin' pretty, all hell breaks loose! This could be a permanent rift
between him and his best friend, Gordo . . . what's happened now?!
Also, in "Founding Fathers Funnies," those wacky Bean Towners John
Hancock, Paul Revere, and Sam and John Adams raise a little
terrorist-style hell of their own.
22 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 6.
BERSERK VOLUME 14 TPB
Written and art by Kentaro Miura.
The once unbeatable Band of the Hawk is smashed, and their former
leader, Griffith, has made an unholy pact with the demon lords of the
Godhand, sacrificing his former troops to resurrect his crippled body
and ascend to stand in power beside these profane gods. The Invocation
of Doom has unleashed a plague of unspeakable horrors upon the earth,
and the first battle not only shatters the Hawks, but the hand of
their champion, Guts, and the mind of their captain and Guts' lover,
Casca. And while time may heal some of Guts' wounds, it will not heal
his desire for vengeance. And his discovery of a gigantic,
dragon-slaying sword might be just the ticket to deal out some
king-sized payback!
Also included in this volume: "Berserk Prototype," the very first
Berserk story, created during Kentaro Miura's college days as his
audition that sold the series.
240 pages, black and white, $13.95, in stores on Nov. 29.
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #117
Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.
The conclusion of the "On the Perfection of Anatomy" story arc, and. .
.the return of Giichi! Monthly readers will be surprised to see the
state Giichi in! Rin and Hyakurin have found one of their missing
friends, but do they really want to know what he's been up to since
the Mugai-ryü disbanded? Will he still be the warrior he once was,
especially after the injuries he sustained in Samura's "Trickster"
storyline? Rin, tortured over Manji's disappearance, is determined to
check every clue and look into every lead, but disturbing Edo Castle
is tantamount to suicide. This issue also continues Hiroaki Samura's
hilarious "Biography" piece, accompanied by hard-to-find Samura
pinups‹extras found only in this monthly series!
32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 13.
CONAN #32
Written by Kurt Busiek, art and cover by Greg Ruth.
Kurt Busiek and Greg Ruth return to Conan with another blood-stirring
installment of "Born on the Battlefield," a series of stand-alone
stories chronicling Conan's portentous formative years. Spring has
come to the hard hills of Cimmeria and life is eventful for Conan‹the
robust youth earning the affection of more than one young woman. Yet
gentle days are not long-lived in this land. A storm comes on the
horizon. When it breaks, Conan will discover the consequences of his
choices, determining not only his own fate, but that of his entire
village -- featuring the formative event from Robert E. Howard's
account of Conan's youth: the boy vs. the bull!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 20.
CONAN AND THE SONGS OF THE DEAD #3
Written by Joe R. Lansdale, art by Timothy Truman, colored by Dave
Stewart.
Conan lays waste to sorcerous abominations birthed from the wretched
desert as famous horror and western writer Joe R. Lansdale continues
to give Timothy Truman the most hard-hided sword-and-sorcery scenes
ever drawn. Amidst the burning desolation of Stygia, Conan has
acquired a camel, a drunken companion, and objects of great power
coveted by a wizard whose greed is only rivaled by his hate. What
Conan seeks is profit, but he will take a fight -- especially if it
means teaching a dark sorcerer about the merciless ways of Cimmerian
steel.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 20.
THE DARK HORSE BOOK OF MONSTERS HC
By Mike Mignola, Kurt Busiek, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Leah Moore,
John Reppion, Scott Allie, William Hope Hodgson, Keith Giffen, Timothy
Green II, Jill Thompson, Paul Lee, Gary Gianni, Arvid Nelson, Juan
Ferreyra and Brian Horton.
Mike Mignola takes Hellboy on a monster-crunching mission and Gary
Gianni provides illustrations for a classic tale of South Seas horror
by William Hope Hodgson in this fourth addition to Dark Horse's
Eisner-nominated books of Hauntings, Witchcraft, and The Dead.
Along with Mignola and Gianni, Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson -- who
won Eisners in both 2004 and 2005 for their stories in Hauntings and
Witchcraft -- return to unveil a new painted story starring everyone's
favorite evil-fighting strays. Also included is an homage to the great
creature comics of Jack Kirby, by Kurt Busiek and Keith Giffen, and
many more terrifying yarns by some of the most talented folks in
comics!
96 pages, $15.95, in stores on Nov. 22.
DWIGHT T. ALBATROSS'S THE GOON NOIR #1
By Patton Oswalt, Steve Niles, Tom Sniegoski, Eric Powell, Mark
Farmer, Mike Ploog, Bill Morrison and Ryan Sook, cover by Powell.
A few of the most famousest funnymen in film and television join
forces with comics' best and brightest to bring you a hilarious new
perspective on the world of Eric Powell's The Goon, in this new
three-part, black-and-white anthology series.
In this issue, humor expert Patton Oswalt,who's no stranger to comics,
scribes a short story of Goon's sidekick Franky, while legendary
artist Mike Ploog provides the art.
And that's just fer starters! Also included is a gooey helping of
other short stories by the likes of Steve Niles and Ryan Sook, Bongo
Comics' own Bill Morrison, and the first in a string of serialized
shorts from series creator Eric Powell and frequent co-conspirators
Tom Sniegoski and Mark Farmer.
32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 20.
EDEN: IT'S AN ENDLESS WORLD! VOLUME 5 TPB
Written and art by Hiroki Endo.
Backed by their military might and mutated Aeon soldiers, Propater
forces continue to seek possession of our planet. They also seek to
maintain possession of a body stuck in suspended animation‹a body
whose consciousness has just been downloaded into outlaw Sophia's
sophisticated, cyber-enhanced system. Sophia lost her body years ago,
with only her brain surviving the flesh-destroying plague that
decimated the world. Will she risk her own existence for a chance to
reunite Maya's body with his mind? To make matters worse, Elijah
enlists the aid of an old friend and plans an ambush at a Gnosian
airport. Desperate, young Elijah seeks a reunion of a different sort .
. . and he'll kill anyone who stands in his way!
216 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Nov. 1.
THE ESCAPISTS #3
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Steve Rolston and Jason Alexander,
cover by John Cassaday.
Case Weaver is getting reckless after Denny's costume-clad punch-out
made the national news. This time, she and Max break into the
Cleveland Plain Dealer's office in the middle of the night, in an
attempt to give their new Escapist title as much press as the
publicity stunt. But with the night watchman closing in via their only
route out, the only pressing they might get from the Plain Dealer
could be charges!
Also in this issue, the relationship between Max and Case develops
alongside the pages of their relaunch, as Luna Moth leads our intrepid
hero on a steamy chase in the rain. There's good and bad news as the
creative team reads their first review and gets back numbers on issue
one . . . will this make them or break them?
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 13.
GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX VOLUME 3 -- WHITE MAZE
Written by Junichi Fujisaku.
The year is 2030. Advances in robotics and cyberbrain technology have
transformed the world into a miraculous place where almost anything is
possible‹even the melding of humans and machines. In this
not-too-distant future, the crimes of flesh and metal are investigated
by Section 9, an elite counterterrorist squad headed by Chief Aramaki
and his cyborg sidekick, Major Motoko Kusanagi. When dead bodies,
drained of blood and with two bite marks on their necks, start turning
up on the streets of Tokyo, it isn't long before the entire city is in
a panic. As Major Kusanagi and the other members of Section 9
investigate the killings they begin to wonder‹is the killer a real
vampire or something much worse? In a dark world of murder, where
cyberbrain hacks and treacherous conspiracies reach to the furthest
heights of government, Section 9 is all that stands between the people
and anarchy.
276 pages, $8.95, in stores on Nov. 8.
HARLAN ELLISON'S DREAM CORRIDOR VOLUME 2 TPB
Written by Harlan Ellison and various, art by Eric Shanower and
various, cover by Brian Bolland. Ten years! Ten years of pain and
gnashing of teeth! Ten years of deprivation and desolation! But the
wait is over‹at last! Yes, it is the ultimate, spectacular,
senses-shattering, clobbering-time final damn volume of the Dream
Corridor, hosted by the ever charming and irascible Harlan Ellison,
and you can finally kiss those ten years of torment good-bye! At long
last, see Harlan crucified! See Harlan disemboweled! See Harlan used
as target practice and served up in stew! Pour yourself an
otherworldly cocktail, with a pinch of Geritol for all those years,
and snuggle down into the Dream Corridor!
Your host for this amazing final volume is of course HE himself, not
just the most award-winningest author on the planet but now his very
own registered trademark! Aiding and abetting Harlan in his own
destruction is the Eisner-winning Best Artist Eric Shanower, as they
introduce each of ten fabulist tales in this volume with a fabulous
tale of their own. Too cranky to go down without a fight, the man who
needs no introduction presents this brand-new collection of his own
stories, written and drawn by the likes of Mark Waid, Gene Ha, Steve
Rude, Steve Niles, Paul Chadwick, Gene Colan, and more, including the
very last work ever by Superman artist Curt Swan. Come on in, throw a
few knives, pull up alongside Hemingway and Einstein for a game of
poker, and gamble on enjoying your stay in the Dream Corridor . . .
because you may never return!
152 pages, $19.95, in stores on Nov. 22.
MAIL VOLUME 2 TPB
Written and art by Housui Yamazaki.
In Volume Two, detective Akiba comes to the aid of a terrorized man
who is being stalked by what appears to be a possessed doll. But
possessed by whom? Does the "victim" know more than he is letting on?
Akiba's job is never done, however, as his travels introduce him to a
tormented young bride whose new husband has a mysterious past; a woman
trapped in a haunted elevator; the lone survivor of a landslide whose
not-so-lucky friends are trying to lure her to the afterlife; and more
tales of ghostly terror by up-and-coming creator Housui Yamazaki!
208 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on Nov. 15.
THE MUMMY: DARK RESURRECTION
Written by Michael Paine.
Josh and Stephanie Brandt's father and grandfather disappeared under
mysterious circumstances. Each went to Egypt in search of the lost
crypt of the fabled priestess Ankh-es-en-Amun. And each man went
missing -- forever.
When news arrives that a dig Josh is financing has uncovered the
sealed tomb, it sets off a chain of events that brings him up against
the mysterious Ardath Bey, a mystic with secret knowledge about the
fates of all those who would pursue the priestess. Bey's remarkable
powers seem almost supernatural, and for good reason: they are. Bey is
the living Mummy Imhotep, cursed to eternal life for daring to love
Ankh-es-en-Amun. Now the tomb is open and unexplainable deaths begin
to occur. Can Josh and his sister stop Imhotep before he implements a
plan of almost unspeakable horror? Chills and adventure abound in this
luridly entertaining thriller, which continues a saga that has
thrilled audiences since 1932.
275 pages, $6.99, in stores on Oct. 11.
THE RETURN OF THE GREMLINS #1
Written by Mike Richardson, art by Dean Yeagle.
The mischievous gremlins are back! Based on the landmark creation of
beloved children's author Roald Dahl, these playful (and occasionally
exasperating) creatures have been in the public eye since WWII,
disassembling fighter planes and causing roguish havoc wherever they
go.
Our story opens on Gus, a man visiting England from the States. His
grandfather's house is part of his inheritance, and he plans to sell
it as soon as he can. Even though the locals think the house is
haunted‹something Gus immediately dismisses -- a slick man named Mr.
Snide promptly appears with his "associates" and makes an offer. But
when Gus declines to sign over the house right then and there, Snide
reveals that his arrangement with the mayor will seal the deal soon
enough!
Left to explore the place, Gus experiences a series of very odd
events. How did his folded clothes end up in knots? Who on earth would
drill a hole in a coffee cup? Certainly not ghosts, but for a former
fighter pilot's abandoned old home, it sure is clean . . .
When the house's tiny residents decide to take extreme measures, Gus
will meet the gremlins up close and personal -- just like his
grandfather, who first discovered them 60 years ago!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 27.
REX MUNDI VOLUME 1: THE GUARDIAN OF THE TEMPLE TPB
Written by Arvid Nelson, art by Eric J, colored by Jeromy Cox, cover
by Juan Ferreyra.
A quest for the Holy Grail unlike any you've ever seen begins here‹in
a world where the American Civil War ended in a stalemate, the
Catholic Church controls Europe, and sorcery determines political
power!
When a medieval scroll disappears from a Paris church, Doctor Julien
Saunière investigates, uncovering a series of horrific ritual murders
and an ancient secret society. Julien cannot let these shadowy figures
retreat into the darkness, lest they take up their killing once again.
His investigation turns into a one-man quest into the bizarre secrets
of the Catholic Church.
176 pages, $16.95, in stores on Nov. 8.
ROMAN ALBUM: SAMURAI CHAMPLOO TPB
Edited by Tokuma Champloos.
This hip-hop anime sensation from the creators of the phenomenal
Cowboy Bebop series took Cartoon Network's [Adult Swim] audience by
storm. Dark Horse is pleased to present the very first Samurai
Champloo art book to English-reading fans as directly translated from
the original Roman Album edition -- a volume published in a
prestigious line of Japanese art books! Main characters Mugen, Jin,
and Fuu are each profiled at length, all 26 episodes are summarized
and illustrated with screen captures, and the "Backstage Champloo"
chapter features interviews with famed director Shinichiro Watanabe,
character designer and chief animator Kazuto Nakazawa, and art
director Takeshi Waki.
104 pages, $17.95, in stores on Nov. 22.
[The manga from Tokypop is fun. Don't need an art book.]
SAFFRON AND BRIMSTONE: STRANGE STORIES
Written by Elizabeth Hand.
Widely praised and widely read, Elizabeth Hand is regarded as one of
America's leading literary fantasists. This new collection (an
expansion of the limited-release Bibliomancy, which won the World
Fantasy Award in 2005) showcases a wildly inventive author at the
height of her powers. Included in this collection are "The Least
Trumps," in which a lonely women reaches out to the world through
symbols, tattooing, and the Tarot, and "Pavane for a Prince of the
Air," where neo-pagan rituals bring a recently departed soul to
something very different than eternal rest. Written in the author's
characteristic poetic prose and rich with the details of traumatic
lives that are luminously transformed, Saffron and Brimstone is a
worthy addition to an outstanding career.
325 pages, $14.95, in stores on Oct. 11.
SCARLET TRACES: THE GREAT GAME #3
Written by Ian Edginton, art by D'Israeli.
Gifted photographer Charlotte Hemming has crash-landed on Mars . . .
in the middle of a war! On a covert mission to discover the British
government's activities on the red planet, Hemming, A.K.A. "Catherine
Prosper" of Ministry Intelligence, escaped the attack on her transport
shuttle only by the ejection of her life pod. What is it about this
battle that has consumed the lives of so many soldiers, and what does
Prime Minister Spry have up his nasty little sleeve? As the last great
battle in the War of the Worlds rages around her, and the Martians
close in, she stumbles across the secret history of the planet . . .
and an even greater revelation that could spell the extinction of all
human life on Earth!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 13.
SHAMAN WARRIOR VOLUME 1 TPB
Written and art by Park Joong-Ki.
Presented in the original Korean format, Shaman Warrior is a dramatic
fantasy series with a kinetic style that will appeal to fans of Blade
of the Immortal and Vagabond! From the desert wastelands emerge two
mysterious warriors, master wizard Yarong and his faithful servant
Batu. On a grave mission from their king, they have yet to realize the
whirlwind of political movements and secret plots which will soon
engulf them and change their lives forever. When Yarong is mortally
injured, Batu must fulfill a secret promise to leave Yarong's side and
protect his master's child. As Batu seeks to find and hide the infant,
Yarong reveals another secret to those who have tracked him down to
finish him off -- the deadly, hidden power of a Shaman Warrior!
Translated by the mother/son team of Anna Kirk and Derek Kirk Kim.
208 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Nov. 29.
SOCK MONKEY: THE "INCHES" INCIDENT #1
Written and art by Tony Millionaire.
Tony Millionaire returns to his original style with this new
four-issue Sock Monkey series. Uncle Gabby and Mr. Crow find
themselves aboard a whaling ship at sea, and attempt to build a raft
to escape the insane captain. Unfortunately, the captain gets wise and
furiously rows after them in his whale boat. A giant sea serpent
swirls into the mix, resulting in an old-fashioned Nantucket sleigh
ride! If you have any hatches, batten them down, there's a storm
a-brewin'!
24 pages, black and white, $2.99.
STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #9
Written by John Jackson Miller, penciled by Dustin Weaver, colored by
Michael Atiyeh, cover by Brian Ching.
The "Flashpoint" storyline reaches its explosive conclusion as
fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick and his unlikely shipmates from the
Last Resort undertake their most dangerous mission yet -- traveling
deep inside Mandalorian space to rescue one of their own! With a
little help from the most unexpected of allies, Zayne and the gang
must find an isolated space outpost, once a Republic research station,
now in the hands of a Mandalorian scientist with wholly evil
intentions. To think they can pull this off with both themselves and
their friend intact, they'd have to be insane -- luckily they are!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 27.
STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC VOLUME 1 -- COMMENCEMENT TPB
Written by John Jackson Miller, penciled by Brian Ching and Travel
Foreman, colored by Michael Atiyeh, cover by Travis Charest.
Thousands of years before Luke Skywalker would destroy the Death Star
in that fateful battle above Yavin 4, one lone Padawan would become a
fugitive hunted by his own Masters, charged with murdering every one
of his fellow Jedi-in-training!
From criminals hiding out in the treacherous under-city of the planet
Taris, to a burly, mysterious droid recovered from the desolate
landscape of a cratered moon, Padawan Zayne Carrick will find
unexpected allies in his desperate race to clear his name before the
unmerciful authorities enact swift retribution upon him!
152 pages, $18.95, in stores on Nov. 22.
STAR WARS LEGACY #4
Written by John Ostrander, penciled by Jan Duursema, inked by Dan
Parsons, colored by Brad Anderson, cover by Adam Hughes.
A galaxy-shaking secret is revealed in the heat of battle! Old
friendships will be strained to the breaking point, unlikely new
alliances will be formed, and the relentless forces of evil will
pursue their dark ends with even greater vigor and purpose. In a
universe on the brink of either destruction or salvation, it is the
actions of an unexpected few that will determine the fates of all. The
previously uncharted future of Star Wars takes a surprising turn in
this latest issue of Legacy -- be there!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 6.
STAR WARS: TAG & BINK WERE HERE TPB
Written by Kevin Rubio, penciled by Lucas Marangon, colored by
Michelle Madsen, cover by Dan Jackson.
The infamous exploits of this hapless Rebel pair are now collected in
one single, attractive, and highly portable volume!
Officers Tag Greenley and Bink Otauna were minding their own business
aboard a familiar, princess-harboring freighter when they suddenly
found themselves under siege. Now under attack by the Empire, they
will choose life over a noble death and "borrow" the armor off a pair
of deceased stormtroopers. Their new disguises might get them off the
freighter alive, but they'll also lead Tag and Bink on an adventure
neither could have predicted!
Chock-full of appearances by everyone's favorite Star Wars characters,
Tag & Bink cleverly weaves the pair's misadventures into the movies
themselves. No setting is safe as they traverse the galaxy from the
Death Star to the Sarlacc pit to Cloud City to Endor!
104 pages, $14.95, in stores on Nov. 8.
TRIGUN MAXIMUM VOLUME 11: ZERO HOUR TPB
Written and art by Yasuhiro.
With so many intense scenes and watershed moments taking place in
volume eleven of Trigun Maximum, it's next to impossible to write
descriptive solicitation text. But readers have come to expect
excellent action coupled with dramatic tension and timely comic relief
from Yasuhiro Nightow, and volume eleven exceeds expectations. This
volume is titled "Zero Hour." That means everything is climbng
steadily to a crescendo, and you won't want to miss what lies in store
for the people of the planet Gunsmoke.
192 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Nov. 1.
USAGI YOJIMBO #97
Written and art by Stan Sakai.
Discover the secret of "Hamanaka's Treasure" in this conclusion to the
two-part adventure presented by internationally acclaimed storyteller
Stan Sakai! All hell has broken loose in a small town after the death
of crime boss Hamanaka. The two remaining factions of his gang are
vying for control of the community, but it's the townspeople who are
suffering the most. The tension comes to a head just as our favorite
rabbit bodyguard, Usagi Yojimbo, arrives upon the scene!
24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 27.
-Ralf Haring
"The mind must be the harder, the heart the keener,
the spirit the greater, as our strength grows less."
-Byrhtwold, The Battle of Maldon
