Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000

DARK HORSE FOR DECEMBER

Following are Dark Horse Comics' solicitations for December, with information coming from the company.

BETTIE PAGE: QUEEN OF THE NILE TPB

By Jim Silke and Dave Stevens.

A low-budget time machine mistakenly transports Bettie to ancient Egypt, where she battles the High Priest of Amon Ra, assorted thugs, and a lovesick mummy twice her size. She wiggles and squirms and bumps and grinds to avoid their evil clutches, but she can't avoid the inevitable: everyone falls in love with her and she manages to frequently lose her clothes. When Bettie falls for none other than Julius Caesar, the Roman general can't decide between Bettie and his main squeeze, Cleopatra. This title contains Bettie Page: Queen of The Nile #1-4, as well as his hard-to-find Bettie Page Comics: Spicy Adventure and additional pinup art by Dave Stevens.

96 pages, $12.95, ships on Dec. 6.

THE RING OF THE NIBELUNG: SIEGFRIED #1 (OF 3)

By P. Craig Russell.

The giant Fafnir hoards his treasure in the form of a dragon, and the dwarf Mimé wants to claim it for his own. But only the sword Nothung can kill the giant, and it has lain shattered for years. Now Siegfried, son of the incestuous Siegmund and Sieglindé, also desires the sword, but it cannot be mended. Only one who has never known fear may forge it anew, but who will that be?

32 pages, $2.95, ships on Nov. 6.

STAR WARS: DARTH MAUL #4

By Ron Marz, Jan Duursema and Rick Magyar; cover by Drew Struzan.

With Sith Lord Darth Sidious' master plan for the overthrow of the Republic in jeopardy, Sidious' apprentice and enforcer Darth Maul has cut his way through the ranks of the galactic crime syndicate Black Sun, and now there is only one barrier left between Maul and Black Sun's total destruction. Maul must go toe-to-toe with the personal bodyguards of Black Sun's top lieutenants before he can reach the pinnacle of their organization. It's Black Sun vs. dark side, and the winner takes all.

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 6.

AKIRA VOL. 1 TRADE PAPERBACK

By Katsuhiro Otomo.

In association with Kodansha Ltd. and Studio Proteus, Dark Horse has again gathered one of the crown jewels of graphic fiction. Katsuhiro Otomo's science-fiction masterpiece, Akira. Regarded by many as the finest comic series ever produced, Akira is a bold and breathtaking epic of potent narrative strength and astonishing illustrative skill. Akira is set in the post-apocalypse Neo-Tokyo of 2019, a vast metropolis built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by an apocalyptic blast of unknown power that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when dormant paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, who becomes a target for a shadowy government operation, a group who will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like that which leveled Tokyo. And at the core of their motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear: a fear of someone -- or something -- of unthinkably monstrous power known only as...Akira. And Akira is about to rise. Collected in six massive volumes, Akira has been reproduced in its original, black-and-white as never-before-seen in an English-translated edition.

364 pages, black and white, $24.95, ships on Dec. 13.

ANGEL #14

By Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski and Eric Powell; cover by Randy Green.

What do a rash of deaths by spontaneous combustion, a teenage girl on the lam, and a demon spellcaster all have in common? If Angel wants to prevent any more deaths by fire, he'd better figure it out. And as Angel and crew investigate, he discovers that even he may have a connection to this case.

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 13.

BATTLE GODS: WARRIORS OF THE CHAAK #9

By Francisco Ruiz Velasco and Edgar Delgado; cover by Valasco.

The final confrontation between the ancient Mayan gods and the warrior representatives of mankind. The humans have but one chance for victory against the towering meta-being created by the gods, but only if they can put away their personal vendettas and combine forces to harness the gods' own power. Even then, it's a long shot that will require them to put their trust in the spirit of a warrior who's been dead for nearly a thousand years. This series concludes in an all-action finish.

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 13.

GREEN LANTERN VS. ALIENS #4

By Ron Marz, Rick Leonardi and Mike Perkins; cover by Dwayne Turner.

It comes down to this: Kyle Rayner's got his power ring back, and he'll need it as he goes up against the mother of all Aliens...literally. But is the awesome power of the ring enough to defeat an Alien Queen? And how will Kyle end the Alien menace for good? Will he take the "noble" path of his predecessor, Hal Jordan, and uphold the sanctity of life that all GLs share? Or will Kyle take more drastic steps to eliminate the creatures? And if so, can he live with the consequences?

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 13.

SOCK MONKEY VOL. 3 #2

By Tony Millionaire.

Weathervanes, pantries, wooden rocking horses, tin soldiers, goldfish ponds, taffy, fire engines, moth balls, dominoes, cuckoo clocks, and a giant squid: stories that "I believe, one day, I will be forced to tell you," says Millionaire. In the meantime, we must be amused as Uncle Gabby, the Sock Monkey, finds Chinese finger handcuffs and a baby bird in a nest. The exploits that will follow can only be assumed.

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, ships on Dec. 13.

STAR WARS: UNDERWORLD #1

By Mike Kennedy and Carlos Meglia, cover By Andrew Robinson.

Remember when Han Solo was still a scoundrel? A group of Hutts decide to place a wager to see who really carries the most weight throughout the Galactic Underworld. When it comes to setting a goal for this contest they decide to hire crews to seek out the fabled Yavin Vassilika -- a legendary treasure which most sentient beings believe to be fictional. The best and brightest rogues of the Star Wars universe are recruited, and you won't want to miss it as Boba Fett, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Greedo, Lando, Dengar, and others team up and square off to decide who is the best scoundrel in the galaxy.

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 13.

GRENDEL: DEVIL'S LEGACY #10

By Matt Wagner and The Pander Brothers.

Christine Spar's assumption of the Grendel mantle has caused her friends no small amount of grief. But now a cop is dead, and the police think Christine is to blame. Brian Li Sung has his first face-to-face meeting with Argent the Wolf, and seemingly comes out on top. Meanwhile, Ginny doesn't fare so well when she finds her home ransacked. Whereas Christine thought she'd be able to put her mask away for good, she now finds she has one more job for Grendel.

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 20.

SIN CITY: HELL AND BACK TPB

By Frank Miller and Lynn Varley.

In the Town Without Pity, good men are hard to find. Enter Wallace, a man of mystery. He's a nice guy who's very good at killing people. Out for an evening drive along the beach, he meets the woman of his dreams -- and she's trying to kill herself. Why? And who are the shadowy cabal of power brokers who wrench her from his arms? When will all hell break loose? Comics legend Frank Miller, creator of the groundbreaking Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, pounds out his longest Sin City graphic novel to date, a bare-knuckle barrage of brutal action, dark secrets, and heroic sacrifice. Includes color sections and pinups by a who's who of comics luminaries, including Lynn Varley's first actual comics illustration. This title contains Sin City: Hell and Back #1-9.

312 pages, black and white, $25, ships on Dec. 20.

STAR WARS TALES #6

By Mark Schultz, Kelly Strom, Ian Edginton, Mark Martin, Kilian Plunkett, Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, Scott Morse and others; cover by Plunkett.

Where can you find an encounter between Yoda and a probe droid on Degobah, the chance meeting of C-3PO and Darth Vader on Cloud City, and a cannonball by Boba Fett into the Sarlacc on Tatooine? In the many pages of Star Wars Tales #6, the ultimate quarterly romp through a galaxy far, far away. This issue features a Yoda story by Sean Konot and Scott Morse, a haunting tale of Darth Vader and C-3PO by Ryder Windham and Kilian Plunkett, a gritty yarn showcasing Greedo by Jim Pascoe, Tom Fassbender, and Eric Powell, plus many others.

56 pages, $5.95, ships on Dec. 20.

ANGEL: SURROGATES TPB

By Christopher Golden, Christian Zanier and Andy Owens.

Angel is in deep trouble as he tries to solve a case involving a demonic fertility clinic. Just why are mothers being murdered and husbands turned into zombie-like guards? With the help of his sidekicks, Cordelia and Doyle, Angel is hot on the trail of the woman who may be responsible for the homicidal mayhem. But Angel is about to find out that catching up with her is the last thing he wants to do. Surrogates collects the first three issues of the Angel monthly comic series.

80 pages, $9.95, ships on Dec. 27.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #28

By Tom Fassbender, Jim Pascoe, Cliff Richards and Joe Pimentel.

Buffy's used to dealing with a lot of weirdness in her role as the Slayer, but what's she to make of a backpack full of maggots? How about a herd of rats that overrun the cafeteria just as she's sitting down to eat? If Buffy didn't know any better, she'd think someone was out to get her. But who could possibly be upset with a vampire slayer?

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 27.

LONE WOLF AND CUB VOL. 4: THE BELL KEEPER TPB

By Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, cover By Frank Miller.

Dark Horse continues its presentation of the entirety of Japan's Lone Wolf and Cub, packaged in the digest format preferred by creator Goseki Kojima. The fourth volume of this monthly program collects four classic Lone Wolf tales, including one never before seen in America, where little Daigoro searches for his lost father while amazing a well-known samurai with his warrior's eyes and cool demeanor. Also, the Lone Wolf takes on the sons of the war-bell warden, legions of organized crime bosses, and a mysterious tattooed lady with a dark story and impeccable killing skills.

304 pages, black and white, $9.95, ships on Dec. 27.

STAR WARS #25

By Pat Mills and Ramon F. Bachs, cover By Andrew Robinson.

"Infinity's End (Part 3 of 4). The witch Ros Lai has revealed her true self to Jedi Quinlan Vos, and now she wants him dead. While Quin wants to find a way into the Star Chamber in order to stop it from being used ever again, Ros Lai needs to activate the Chamber's power in order to kill her wicked mother, the witch Zalem. Either way, it looks like Quin is going to have to deal with a whole mess of angry witches before his job will be finished.

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 27.

USAGI YOJIMBO #44

By Stan Sakai.

Chizu, the head of the Neko Ninja clan, has betrayed Usagi and stolen the sword Grasscutter. Now, Usagi, Sanshobo, and Gen must desperately track her down before she throws the Blade of the Gods into the sea where it will be lost forever, however the Komori bat ninja clan are also on Chizu's trail, with their own plans for the fabled sword.

24 pages, black and white, $2.99, ships on Dec. 27.

WITCHBLADE- ALIENS- DARKNESS- PREDATOR: MINDHUNTER #1

By David Quinn, Mel Rubi and Mike Perkins, cover By Dwayne Turner.

Jackie Estacado, possessor of the mysterious malevolent force known as the Darkness, and Sara Pezzini, wielder of the Witchblade, survived their first bloody skirmish with Aliens and Predators. Now begins an even stranger, more horrific nightmare as the war continues in a way our Earthbound heroes have never imagined. To survive, they must cut through a shroud of illusory violence and bottomless time. If they can't find a way to prevail in this wild, new arena, they will be responsible for the end of human life on Earth.

32 pages, $2.99, ships on Dec. 27.

LAYTON ON CAPTAIN AMERICA

Bob Layton has joined the creative team of Marvel Comics' Captain America. He will be inking writer/artist Dan Jurgens' pencils.

"We're delighted to have him," Jurgens said, noting Layton's first issue will probably be Captain America #38.

Layton told The Continuum that he and David Michelinie - who re-teamed on the current Iron Man: Bad Blood mini-series - "have a few proposals out, awaiting a verdict."

In the meantime, Layton is writing a three-part Batman Elseworlds for DC called Hollywood Knight, with art by Dick Giordano. He said a release date for the project has not been established yet.

DOCTOR STRANGE IN MARVEL KNIGHTS

Chuck Dixon, writer of Marvel Knights, told The Continuum that Doctor Strange will be appearing in the book beginning in November.

"Doctor Strange shows up for a three issue arc (Marvel Knights #7-9) in which we explore the full mystery of Cloak and his powers," Dixon said. "Very, very weird stuff happens that tests Daredevil and company to their limits.

"And it was so cool getting to write Strange!"

Dixon said to look for another newcomer to the Marvel Knights group.

"Luke Cage is coming," Dixon said. "Sweet Christmas!"

BENDIS TALKS POWERS MOVIE

Columbia Pictures has purchased the movie rights to Powers, the Image Comics series by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming.

Mace Neufeld and his Sony-based production company Mace Neufeld Prods. will produce. Unlike his previous movie endeavors, Bendis will not be writing Powers.

"I am not writing it and it doesn't bother me because they were up front and have a good reason," Bendis told The Continuum. "Also I am one of the producers so..."

Earlier in the day, Bendis posted this message on his message board:

"Powers the comic remains in production and on schedule. We own the publishing rights and will continue to put the book out for as long as you will have us.

"The Jinx animated web project remains in active production. We have about 10-12 minutes done already. The holdup is the music rights.

"I am not leaving comics! I love comics and I love all the opportunities I have. I will continue my runs on all the titles I am involved in. I am not one of those dudes looking for a way out of comics. I love comics.

"I am not writing the script for the movie because of the pending Hollywood strike deadlines. They don't have time to give me a crack at it - they need to get going with a more proven name in the area of summer blockbuster type stuff. I am a producer and am involved. As I stated before the story outline is pretty relevant to the comic."

FIRST LOOK: ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #584

Adventures of Superman #584 ships on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by J.M. DeMatteis, with art by Patrick Zircher and Jose Marzan Jr.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"Superman must choose between saving Metropolis and...a bachelor party? Wedding bells are imminent for Ron Troupe -- Clark's brother-in-law-to-be -- but the Man of Steel has to juggle fun and saving Metropolis from Devouris the Conqueror. But the real threat lies in the deal Lex has just made with the devil. It all ends in wedding bells, but for whom do they toll?"

Mike Miller provides the cover. Adventures of Superman #584 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: HELLBLAZER SPECIAL: BAD BLOOD #3

Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood #3 ships on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Jamie Delano, with art by Philip Bond; cover by Sean Phillips.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"Constantine struggles to help the last heir to England's throne as the surprising miniseries nears its conclusion. This black-comic drama escalates as the aged-but-inflamed John Constantine leads his anarchic comrades recklessly into armed conflict, determined to save 'Queen Dolly' from both her Royalist kidnappers and the government agency that wants her dead."

Sean Phillips provides the cover. Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood #3 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

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