Tuesday, March 12, 2002

DARK HORSE FOR JUNE

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

AKIRA PORTFOLIO

By Katsuhiro Otomo.

Dark Horse continues its series of portfolios, collecting the all-time greatest artworks from the world of Japanese manga. This set of full-color pictures, each text free and suitable for framing, is of classic illustrations by Katsuhiro Otomo. This portfolio contains six 13.5-inch by 10.375-inch color prints in folder. The back of the folder pictures all the interior images, so they can be viewed in the store without having to open the package.

$19.95, in stores on June 5.

STAR WARS TALES #12

By Brett Mathews, John McCrea, Jimmy Palmiotti, Christian Read, Henry Gilroy, Kevin Rubio and various, cover by McCrea.

The Star Wars universe is painted with a wide and varied palate and this issue highlights that variety. Join Wedge Antilles as he valiantly fights squadrons of Imperial TIE fighters. Be there as Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, face off against Jedi killer Aurra Sing! Face the evil genius of Darth Vader. Witness a panicked Anakin Skywalker as he struggles to retrieve his stolen lightsaber. And stumble to a halt in the belly of the almighty Sarlacc with the bumbling Tag and Bink.

64 pages, $5.99, in stores on June 5.

SUPERMAN/TARZAN: SONS OF THE JUNGLE TPB

By Chuck Dixon, Carlos Meglia and Dave Stewart, cover by Jason Pearson.

A tiny space-pod rocketing from a doomed, little-known world crash-lands in mysterious East Africa, interrupting a vicious mutiny off the jungle coast. Who would know that this single anomalous event would disrupt the known course of time and space? It sets the lives of two legendary comic-book heroes -- Superman and Tarzan -- on very different paths. Orphaned Kal-El, last survivor of Krypton, is now the one raised by apes to become the mighty Lord of the Jungle. John Greystoke, heir to fortune and privilege, now becomes an adventuring wastrel draped in luxury, but not fulfillment. Fate will draw these men together in unexpected ways at the mythical lost city of Opar. Each man will face great danger, and discover his true destiny. Both heroes will be changed forever...if they survive! Collecting the four-issue mini-series.

80 pages, $9.95, in stores on June 5.

SUPER MANGA BLAST! #23

By Mohiro Kitoh, Makoto Kobayashi, Yuzo Takada, And Hiroyuki Utatane and Yo Morimoto; Produced By Studio Proteus.

Haruo's survived her first encounter with the dark side of the glitzy life of the Ginza in Club 9, But she doesn't know she's flirting with destiny when she loans a dollar to a handsome but shabby stranger who can't afford to buy a snack from a surly street vendor. Trapped in a monastery in the holy land, Pai and Yakumo try to convince the monks that they're on the monks' side before an icky, magic-eating beast takes them to the cleaners in 3x3 Eyes. In What's Michael Catzilla seems to have some nervous disorder, she isn't eating! Could it be love? Akira just can't get away from her new, scary life in Shadow Star. Determined to forget the dragons and leave the mystery to someone else, she may find that it's just no use. And lastly, everyone in Seraphic Feather is racing to Apep's secret research facility, either seeking discovery or conflict, but what they find will likely be more than they expect.

128 pages, black and white, $5.99, in stores on June 5.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #69

By Hiroaki Samura, produced By Studio Proteus.

Beasts, part 4 of 7. The torture of Hyakurin continues. It's amazing that anyone could live through the brutality subjected to Hyakurin by these merciless Itto-ryü monsters, but she's holding her tongue like a pro. But sheesh, the girl's in trouble. How will she get out of this painfully dire situation? Fortunately, the agony of so much pain allows Hyakurin to slip deep into her mind, thinking of poor, dead Shinriji, and how they ended up on this path together. Slowly, teasingly, information about the Mugai-Ryü is bubbling up, and the ferocious Giichi, with a weapon like an oversized, razor sharp handcuff, will soon pay another visit.

32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on June 12.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #46

By Tom Fassbender, Jim Pascoe and Paul Lee, cover Lee.

Buffy's finally back in the game, fully recovered from her recent trip to heaven. But someone else is back, too - the sexy vamp D.J., Velatti (from the recent hit novel Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Creatures of Habit). She's out for revenge, and she's noticed that Willow's powerful addiction to magic is growing out of control.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 26.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER / ANGEL: REUNION

By Jane Espenson, Randy Green, Eric Powell, Chynna Clugston-Major, Rick Ketcham, Brian Horton, Paul Lee and Ryan Sook, cover by Jeff Matsuda.

When Buffy came back from the dead earlier this season, she received a call from Angel, asking for a secret rendezvous. When she came back to Sunnydale the next episode, she didn't tell anyone what happened while she was away. Now Jane Espenson, the TV scribe behind both those episodes, gives us a glimpse into that secret night.Featuring a reunion of Buffy artists dating from the very beginning of our series. This special one-shot, featuring extra story pages, brings back Randy Green, Chynna Clugston-Major, Ryan Sook,and many more.

32 pages, $3.50, in stores on June 19.

CANNON GOD EXAXXION #8: STAGE 1 part 8 (of 8)

By Kenichi Sonoda, produced by Studio Proteus.

Hoichi's taken a hit - a Riofald kinetic round straight to the head of Exaxxion. The robot's okay, but there's only one problem. Hoichi isn't breathing. If the dude could wake up, he might notice that the humans are amassing forces all around his robot's head and feet. But no, he's off in la-la land, dreaming of days gone by... Meanwhile, Ambassador Shes'ka has problems of his own. His commanding officer on home world is demanding an explanation of the mysterious XXX alert, and he doesn't believe the ambassador's story that it was a false alarm. Drama and destruction abound as the curtain falls on Cannon God Exaxxion Stage 1.

24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on June 19.

FORT: PROPHET OF THE UNEXPLAINED #1

By Peter M. Lenkov and Frazer Irving, cover by Iriving.

Lo! A mighty prophet of the unexplained has come forward to search out the truth and light the way for mankind. It's the end of the 19th century and the city of New York has been plagued by fish falling from the sky, strange lights in the night, bizarre collections of microbial goo, and vanishing citizens. It's up to one man to expose the truth behind these events...Charles Fort! A mild mannered librarian by day, Fort seeks out the truth and exposes the bizarre to the light of day. The real Charles Fort was one of first true investigators of the unusual and the paranormal. In this series, his heretofore unknown adventures can finally be revealed.

24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on June 12.

LONE WOLF 2100 #2

By Mike Kennedy and Francisco Ruiz Velasco, cover by Velasco.

Okinawa, one hundred years from now. Against all his plans, the mysterious warrior named Itto - along with Daisy, the young girl in his care - finds himself drawn into a conflict between a group of villagers and a local warlord. Meanwhile, Prescott, the man-hunter in the employ of the Cygnat Owari Corporation, has picked up Itto's trail - and a new associate, an enigmatic android named Lierre. Lierre has his own deadly plans for Itto.For Itto and Daisy the road leads to danger in both directions, with them and the villagers caught in the middle. But Itto has experienced danger before, and if it comes to kill or be killed, he knows what he must do.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 19.

LONE WOLF AND CUB VOLUME 23: TEARS OF ICE TP

By Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima; cover by Matt Wagner.

Holy hand grenades! Edo is flooded, and by flooded, we mean crazy-flooded. Bridges are crumbling, rivers are washing past retaining walls, and everything in Edo is floating away, including our vengeful ronin, his foe, and his little boy. In an ironic show of samurai respect, little Cub Daigoro gets saved by the conniving Retsudo Yagyu. And proving he can lend a hand, too, Lone Wolf Ogami pulls someone to safety as well - but maybe he should have let him drown. Eventually, the two opposing master swordsmen dry off and go head to head in a sword fight of a thousand stances and couple of days length. This seems like it could be the deciding bout between the two, unless that nasty, Abeno Kaii gets in the way, and he seems to do that a lot lately.

320 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on July 31.

RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT: INTO THIN AIR #1

By Haden Blackman and Cary Nord.

What do the Colony of Roanoke, Virginia, the crew of the Mary Celeste, D.B. Cooper, and Charles and Catherine Romber have in common? They all vanished into thin air. Believe It or Not! Join Dark Horse in this first of four issues as we wander through the strange world of Ripley's Believe It or Not. Where the fantastic truth is more amazing than fiction, where up is down, and where strangeness lurks around every corner.

24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on June 19.

STAR WARS #43

By John Ostrander, Jan Duursema, Ray Kryssing and Dave McCaig, cover by Duursema and McCaig.

Rite Of Passage, part 2 (of 4). As Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos and his former Padawan Aayla each prepare to take the next step in their lives as Jedi (he to advance to the rank of Master, she from apprentice to Knight), they each make the decision to follow the living Force and see where it will take them. To their surprise, they both end up in the same place - coming upon the threads of a kidnapping plot, a conspiracy against the Republic, and a father-and-son team of bodyguards with the training and the weapons to destroy two meddlesome Jedi.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 19.

THE TENTH: NIGHTWALKER #3

By Tony Daniel and Romano.

In what is slated to go down as one of the most brutal battles in the series' history, the Tenth fights off the deadly wrath of the Nightwalkers, the newest incarnation of Rhazes Darkk's alien manifestations. But with mankind's survival at stake, will the Tenth find himself becoming that which he despises in order to attain victory? It's not a fight for the weak-hearted. Meanwhile, Russian cyborg-agent Adrenalynn sets out to destroy the unwitting carriers of Darkk's new germ, but Esperanza opposes this choice: the targets are innocent human beings. The tensions rise between these two forces as morality is weighed.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 12.

USAGI YOJIMBO #58

By Stan Sakai.

The "Crows" saga continues. On their way to the arranged duel between Katsuichi and the deadly kenshi Koji, Usagi and Koji stumble across a village besieged by bandits. As they come to the aid the downtrodden farmers and peasants, Koji and Usagi find another surprise waiting for them: Katsuichi's already there, fighting against the attacking ronin with everything he's got. But the bandits just keep coming, and it looks as though there may be more than even the combined might of the three swordsmen can handle. When strength cannot prevail, deceit will have to do.

24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on June 26.

MURDER MYSTERIES HC

By Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell, cover by Russell.

One of the most celebrated writers in the history of comics teams up once again with one of the industry's most accomplished artists. For the first time in nine years, since the award-winning 50th issue of Sandman, Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell once again venture into the world of myth and angels. Constructing and maintaining all of heaven and earth is an immense task, which God has divided up amongst the various ranks and stations of angels. As with any such huge effort, there are bound to be casualties. This unique passion play sheds light on the hands behind creation, as well as one lonely man in Los Angeles who gets to hear the whole story of a most unspeakable crime: a murder in paradise.

64 pages, $13.95, in stores on June 12.

ASTRO BOY VOLUME 4 TPB

By Osamu Tezuka, translated by Frederick L. Schodt, cover by Tezuka.

Astro fights to free abused robots from a robot theme park that masks a secret weapons factory; Astro and fellow robots are stranded on the moon only to discover a valley full of diamonds...but they are not alone, and the diamonds are not unguarded; Astro becomes trapped in the twentieth century after a child prodigy's time machine breaks down; and Professor Ochanomizu and Astro Boy are caught up in a movement to overthrow a dictator who has a machine capable of producing human clones...and a force of evil robots to defend it.

216 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on June 26.