Wednesday, April 10, 2002

DARK HORSE COMICS FOR JULY

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

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #70

By Hiroaki Samura; Produced By Studio Proteus.

"Beasts," part 5 of 7. The Itto-ryu have had their day with Hyakurin, and she hasn't broken. Now it's time to off her for good. Except their days and nights of torture have given Giichi time to track them down. The bespectacled killer with the decapitating head-cuff is hot on their trail, and hungry to take out a few more Itto-ryu bad guys. They don't know it yet, but there' s going to be hell to pay. Lot's of "killer" characters are coming back to Blade, as grudge matches galore line up for continuous bloody swordplay.

32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on July 10.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #47

By Scott Lobdell, Cliff Richards and Joe Pimentel; cover by Brian Horton and Paul Lee.

"Hellmouth to Mouth," part one of four. New monthly writer Scott Lobdell kicks off his debut arc on Buffy. Joining established Buffy artist Cliff Richards, Lobdell begins his run by wrapping up four years worth of stories, featuring many returning faces. This story, climaxing in #50, paves the way for a whole new direction for the Buffy comics.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 31.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: WILLOW AND TARA - WILDERNESS #1

By Amber Benson, Christopher Golden, and Ajit Jothikaumar; cover by Jothikaumar.

Amber Benson, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Tara, and Buffy novelist Christopher Golden team up with one of the new animation-to-comics transplants - artist Ajit Jothikaumar - to bring readers the follow-up to last year's Willow & Tara special. In Wilderness, Willow, Tara, and Buffy's little sister Dawn are drawn into a web of magical intrigue and horror after stumbling upon a stretch of cursed earth just off the Pacific Coast Highway. Something controls the forest animals, causing them to attack and kill any human who wanders too far into the woods. Can the girls put an end to the mysterious force that's corrupting the natural order and make it back to civilization alive? Or will the woods claims three more victims?

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 10.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: UGLY LITTLE MONSTERS TP

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

Buffy's mom is dead, the emotions of Buffy and her friends are running high, and lots of little things are causing lots of little problems. With everybody preoccupied with grief, anger, guilt, and regret the fight against the forces of darkness doesn't seem all that crucial somehow. Somebody should have told that to the swarm of angry, deformed, green demon-children that are tearing apart Buffy's house and trying to chew off her face. Want it or not, Buffy has a fight on her hands. But one of her closest friends is keeping a secret that is either the key to victory - or could get them all killed. Collecting the four-issue series, plus the super-spooky, slam-bang festival of fangs "Night of a Thousand Vampires" one-shot.

104 pages, $12.95, in stores on Aug. 14.

FORT!: PROPHET OF THE UNEXPLAINED #2

By Peter M. Lenkov and Frazer Irving; cover By Irving.

A mysterious killer stalks the streets of New York City and it's up to Charles Fort, Prophet of the Unexplained, to stop the strange murders. Only with the assistance of an otherworldly being will Fort be able to close in on his prey and reveal the truth behind the killer's identity. But first the duo will have to escape the suspicion of City Hall and the clutches of the NYPD. Untold stories from the files of the father of paranormal Investigation.

24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on July 10.

HELLBOY: THE THIRD WISH #1

By Mike Mignola.

Hellboy leaves behind the familiar strangeness of the B.P.R.D. for even stranger places. He meets a 200-year-old witch doctor and talks to lions, but that's only the beginning of Hellboy's weirdest journey yet. Mike Mignola takes his most celebrated creation into the next stage in a very unusual life, beginning in Africa, and going to the bottom of the sea.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 17.

KISS #1

By Joe Casey and Mel Rubi, cover by J. Scott Campbell.

A bold new direction for Kiss - years after the split-up of these four super-powered warriors, they've followed very separate paths. The Demon is a bounty hunter; The Starchild lives with a race of women warriors in South America; The Spaceman is cruising the solar system with no human contact; and The Catman's getting in touch with his bestial side. When Catman finally goes too far, the others know they have to band together to save the Catman's humanity. But there's another hand at work, pushing the Four Who Are One into a corner. This new comic, overseen by Gene Simmons, turns the ultimate rock-and-roll icons into the ultimate superhero team.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 24.

LONE WOLF 2100 #3

By Mike Kennedy and Francisco Ruiz Velasco.

The young girl Daisy, whom Itto is sworn to protect, has been abducted by a local warlord named Godekai. Beaten almost to death during the kidnapping, Itto refuses to give up. He leads a posse of villagers on a raid against the warlord's compound. But, if he can't rescue Daisy, Itto will settle for a coming away with a bargaining chip - Godekai's son. It's time to deal, but waiting in the wings is a third party who would just as soon see everybody dead: the agents - both human and android - of the Cygnat Owari Corporation. With the full cooperation of Kazuo Koike, the writer and co-creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, Lone Wolf 2100 takes the basic concept of a warrior and child into the future for an action-packed story that combines Bushido sensibilities with science fiction settings.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 17.

OH MY GODDESS! PART XII #1: LEARNING TO LOVE PART 1

By Kosuke Fujishima, produced By Studio Proteus,

The course of true love never did run true. It's time for Banpei, the guard robot, to learn that as well, when he begs Skuld to help his robot girlfriend walk. Oh, the girl walks all right. And she's got some mouth on her, too. The only problem is, she doesn't love Banpei after all. She loves Skuld! To top it off, the robot girl's got some issues as well, and a rocket-powered knuckle sandwich to back them up. Poor Banpei. Hardly had time to wash the permanent marker tear off his face.

40 pages, black and white, $3.50, in stores on July 3.

STAR WARS #44

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

"Rite of Passage," part 3 of 4. Jedi Master Tholme has been captured by the dreaded Morgukai assassins, and the ship carrying his would-be resucers - Jedi Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura - has been shot down in the lifeless deserts of the planet Kintan. The brave Jedi take everything the Endless Wastes have to throw at them, from searing heat to flesh-scouring sandstorms, but their real challenge comes when they must face the Morgukai.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 17.

STAR WARS: INFINITIES - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK #1

By Dave Land, Davide Fabbri, Christian Dalla Vecchia; cover by Chris Bachalo

With the Death Star destroyed, Luke Skywalker leaves Hoth to train as a Jedi with Yoda. Han Solo is encased in carbonite on Cloud City. Vader's dark secret is revealed. You know the story. Or do you? In the unique Infinities universe, nothing is taken for granted. Have you ever wondered how things would play out if Han never rescued battered Luke on Hoth's frozen tundra? If Boba Fett arrived at Cloud City earlier and cut a deal with Lando? If Vader uncovered secret Rebel information hidden in C-3PO, the droid young Anakin Skywalker created? Well, start wondering! It's the mini-series that blows the cap off everything you thought you knew about The Empire Strikes Back. This series contains more twists and turns than you'd ever expect and culminates in an uncanny battle between two of the most famous - and infamous - living Jedi ever to pick up a lightsaber.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 10.

STAR WARS: JANGO FETT - OPEN SEASONS #3

By Haden Blackman, Ramon F. Bachs and Raul Fernandez; cover by Bachs.

Before he became the galaxy's most dangerous bounty hunter, Jango Fett endured many trials. His parents were murdered, he joined an outlaw gang of mercenaries, and now, after taking command of the vicious Mandalorian warriors, Jango finds himself working for a corrupt governor on the wasteland world of Galidran. When Fett and his soldiers are implicated in a heinous killing spree, the Republic dispatches the guardians of peace and freedom, the Jedi, to stop the Mandalorians. With no way to prove his innocence, Fett must fight to retain his freedom. But in this battle he must face a most powerful adversary - the legendary Jedi Master, Count Dooku.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 31.

SUPERMAN/ALIENS II: GODWAR #2

By Chuck Dixon, Jon Bogdanove and Kevin Nowlan, cover by Bodganove and Nowlan.

When a ship carrying an Alien brood crashes into Darkseid's domain, he breeds a new horror to unleash upon the homeworld of the New Gods. Superman, visiting super-powered friends on New Genesis, must once again face the threat of the near-unstoppable Aliens when a hideous Parademon army - impregnated with Aliens - launches a merciless surprise attack on the otherwise peaceful planet. Dozens of super-beings rally to protect a world now covered with infected Parademons about to burst. Darkseid's horde is bad enough, but how deadly will their Alien spawn be? A surprise ending raises the stakes in this war to a level unforeseen by Superman and his mighty allies.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 3.

SUPER MANGA BLAST! #24

By Mohiro Kitoh, Makoto Kobayashi, Yuzo Takada, Hiroyuki Utatane and Yo Morimoto; produced by Studio Proteus

First up this month , it's a slaughterhouse in "Seraphic Feather." M-Zak and the U.N. SWAT team invading Apep's laboratory are in pitched battle with the aliens, it's no contest. Can M-Zak hold back the creatures long enough for the SWAT teams to evacuate? In "Shadow Star," the story is really heating up. Akira's been kidnapped, the bad shadow dragon kids are gathering to plan something against the Japanese Self-Defense Force, and it's Shiina to the rescue! In "What's Michael?", the toughest cat in town has an attitude adjustment. In "Club 9," Haruo's boyfriend's fave pitcher is about to break down in the middle of a potentially record-breaking season. It might take a little help from Haruo to get him back on track, and in "3x3 Eyes," Pai and Yakumo seem to be close to the keys of the sacred land, finding themselves at an old and secret temple, but evil corrupts, and there 's plenty of it sliding around those parts.

128 pages, black and white, $5.99, in stores on July 31.

THE TENTH: NIGHTWALKER #4

By Tony Daniel and Romano.

Esperanza is revealed as the "Queen Bee" of the rapidly multiplying "Nightalker," creatures created using her DNA by the evil alien, Rhazes Darkk. To make matters worse, she and Adrenalynn are inside the "hive" with no way out! Using her powers will only awaken the hundreds of deadly, sleeping creatures. The Tenth risks his life to save the woman he loves, but will he be too late? Find out in the stunning conclusion to "Nightwalker."

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 24.

USAGI YOJIMBO #59

By Stan Sakai.

The exciting conclusion to the three-part "Crows" story. With their backs against the wall, Usagi's former sensei Katsuichi and the deadly swordsman Koji must temporarily put aside their arranged duel and come up with a plan that will save a peaceful farming village from the gang of bandits terrorizing it. Meanwhile, Usagi and young Jotaro discover that the bloodthirsty brigands are planning to raid at dawn, and they don't intend to leave anyone or anything standing in their wake. Can the defenders be ready in time? Inspiration comes from the most unlikely of sources - the flocks of crows attacking the farmers' fields.

24 pages, black and white, $2.99.

WHAT'S MICHAEL? - A HARD DAY'S LIFE TPB

By Makoto Kobayashi, translated by Studio Proteus, cover by Kobayashi.

What's Michael? puts the "comic" back in comic book, blending slice-of-life-comedy, both subtle and slapstick, with off-the-wall flights of fancy. But whether the situations are believable or bizarre, the giggles are real and rapid-fire. From the horror of guests who won't leave to Sales Manager Michael's night on the town (?!), all paths lead to laughs.

88 pages, black and white, $8.95, in stores on July 17.