DARK HORSE COMICS FOR JUNE

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

BERSERK VOLUME 8 TPB

The century-spanning war between Midland and Chuder continues unabated. The two warring kingdoms, vying for supremacy, launch headfirst into what will become the final battle. Leading the Midland forces are the Band of the Hawk, lead by the charismatic Griffith, with the fearless Guts as his trusted champion. But should the Hawks triumph again on the battlefield, the war with Chuder may end, but the secret war within Midland may begin as those who seek to rise within the court see the ambitious Griffith as an obstacle to obtaining power. And nothing is more formidable than an enemy unseen.

232 pages, black and white, $13.95, in stores on July 13.

BILLY THE KID'S OLD-TIMEY ODDITIES #3

Written by Eric Powell, art by Kyle Hotz.

After being attacked by Dr. Frankenstein's monsters, Billy and his companions are taken prisoner and locked in the doctor¹s dungeon. Over dinner, Dr. Frankenstein explains how eagerly he is awaiting the dissection of and experimentation on such a unique set of subjects. But after exchanging a volley of insults with Billy, Dr. Frankenstein judges him to be of little worth, bemoaning the necessary "petty violences" of Billy's existence. Jeffrey, "the miniature boy," on the other hand, is a perfect surgical specimen for one of the good doctor's "experiments."

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 15.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #102

Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.

The concluding chapter to the four-part "Trickster" story arc. The winner of last issue's brutal dogfight between Giichi and Magatsu is revealed! Also, Manji fights for his life after being blinded by a tenacious new foe. Facing an enemy armed with kessen-satsu, the only poison known to damage his immortal blood, Manji is vulnerable, falling apart, and swinging in the dark! Will the vindictive Itto-ryü noose finally close in around Manji's neck? Fans of Hiroaki Samura's entertaining, colorful characters, complex grudge matches, and beautifully brutal swordfights will be delighted with this hard-hitting "Trickster" finale.

32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on June 8.

CONAN #17

Written by Kurt Busiek, penciled by Cary Nord and Thomas Yeates, colored by Dave Stewart.

Conan's travels take him to the most dangerous place in Zamoria -- the infamous City of Thieves. Bruised, angry, and fed up with both men and mysticism, Conan's ready to start handing out a few lessons in ass-kicking‹and he finds plenty of contenders willing to take him on. And that's only the beginning of an adventure ranging from bloody back-alleys to the secrets of the universe‹with a few sultry, seductive dangers in-between.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 22.

CONAN AND THE JEWELS OF GWAHLUR #3

Written and art by P. Craig Russsell, colored by Lovern Kindzierski.

In a story written by Conan creator Robert E. Howard and set later in the character's life, the barbarian must unravel the treacheries of a false goddess and an imposter oracle in a haunted temple where for once it's not Conan doing the decapitations.

32 pags, $2.99, in stores on June 15.

THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN VOLUME 8: THE TOWER OF BLOOD AND OTHER STORIES TPB

Written by Roy Thomas, art by John Buscema.

In a fantastic world filled with malevolent magicians and dangerous doppelgangers, one man pits his flesh, blood, and steel against an endless tide of enemies -- natural and supernatural -- that would seek to destroy him. That man is Conan! Whether he¹s going toe-to-toe against a lumbering beast or taking on a shipload of cut-throats and pirates, Conan's strength, cunning and iron will know no equal. Collecting issues #52-#60 of the original series.

168 pages, $16.95, in stores on July 27.

CONCRETE VOLUME 1: DEPTHS TPB

Written and art by Paul Chadwick.

Part man, part...rock? Over seven feet tall and weighing over a thousand pounds, he is known as Concrete but is in reality the mind of one Ronald Lithgow, trapped inside a shell of stone, a body that allows him to walk unaided on the ocean's floor or survive the crush of a thousand tons of rubble in a collapsed mineshaft...but prevents him from feeling the touch of a human hand.

These stories of Concrete are as rich and satisfying as any in comics: funny, heartbreaking, and singularly human. Depths, the first in a series of new collections reprinting the classic early Concrete stories along with never-before-collected short stories, includes the Eisner-nominated "Orange Glow" and "Vagabond," Paul Chadwick's autobiographical account of a cross-country hitchiking trip.

208 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on July 27.

GRENDEL: RED, WHITE, & BLACK TPB

Written by Matt Wagner, art by Jill Thompson, Phil Noto, Michael Avon Oeming, Farel Dalrymple, Darick Robertson, Dan Brereton, Stan Sakai, Kelley Jones, Andi Watson, Jim Mahfood, Michael Zulli, Phil Hester, Ande Parks and others.

Dark Horse is proud to present this second Grendel anthology, in the tradition of the multiple Eisner Award-winning Grendel: Black, White, & Red. Each written by the Devil¹s acclaimed creator, Matt Wagner, these short stories are vignettes of the devious misdeeds of Hunter Rose, the first incarnation of Grendel. The tales are illustrated in stark black, white, and blood red by some of the top talents in comics, including Zander Cannon, Andy Kuhn, Ashley Wood, Tom Fowler, Mike Huddleston, Cliff Chiang, John K. Snyder, and more. Collects the original four-issue mini-series along with three previously uncollected Grendel stories drawn by Matt Wagner himself.

200 pages, black, white and red, $19.95, in stores on July 27.

HELLBOY: THE ISLAND #1

Written and art by Mike Mignola.

After more than two years at the bottom of the sea, Hellboy washes up on an island full of sunken ships where he is tempted by singing dead men and stupidly ignores good advice from an ancient enemy. This tale of gods and monsters offers the first revelations about one (or more) of the great secrets of Hellboy's world.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 22.

MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN #2

Written by Bruce Campbell, David Goodman, penciled by Rick Remender, inked by Hilary Barta and covers by Remender and Humberto Ramos.

The second issue of this film-cum-comics series from Bruce Campbell, star of Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, begins with our square-jawed anti-hero facedown in a ghetto alley, a bullet blown through his head, and ends with a reanimated monster that only this king of B-Movies could bring to life. How he gets there is the whole point in this bizarre romp involving mad scientists, retired KGB, trophy wives, and more scorned women than you can shake a stake at. In this crumbling Eastern European city straight out of a classic Universal horror film, all anyone wants is a way out, and they'll stop at nothing‹not murder, not extortion, not organ theft‹to get it.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 15.

OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 21 TPB

By Kosuke Fujishima.

Peorth is back! But not back to normal ... the appearance of her adorable child form receiving sensitive guffaws and considerate mocking from certain of the less mature goddesses in the household. But while having a new little kid around for Belldandy to try and dress is certainly cute, the sawn-off Fourth Goddess is not amused -- specially when she realizes Velsper, the demon who put her into this short situation, is now himself a tiny black kitten who can't change Peorth back‹no matter how much she shakes and throttles him! But Velsper does know someone who could ... whispering to her the dread name of ... Hild! Yes, Hild! Chief of the demon realm! Big shot of the regions below! Why is it no surprise Urd's known her since she was a little girl? In fa-a-a-ct ...

176 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on July 13.

SCARLET TRACES: THE GREAT GAME #1

Written by Ian Edginton, art by D¹Israeli.

After almost four decades of conflict, the British invasion of Mars has ground to a bloody stalemate in the dust of the red planet. Launched to fanfares and cheers, the times and mood have changed, as the British Government under the iron hand of Prime Minister Spry struggles to wage a war another world away while keeping its grip on an increasingly troubled and turbulent empire. Riven with revolt and revolution, the glory that was Great Britain is unraveling at the seams with freedom and free speech brutally sacrificed to maintain order. However, this is nothing compared to what is happening on Mars, and the worst is yet to come!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 29.

STAR WARS: THE COMICS COMPANION TPB

Written by Ryder Windham and Daniel Wallace, art by Tsuneo Sanda.

Dark Horse presents the definitive guide to Star Wars comics, complete with in-depth coverage all the way through Episode III! Written by Ryder Windham, Star Wars expert, and densely illustrated with both brand-new art and classic images from the comics, this chronological compendium contains everything you need to be the ultimate Star Wars reader in-the-know. Follow Anakin Skywalker's descent into darkness, from his early days as a padawan, to his harrowing Clone Wars battles, up through his transformation and eventual death as Darth Vader. Get complete details on the exploits of Luke and Leia, Han and Chewie, and all the rest of the gang, with thorough rundowns of classic Star Wars tales originally printed decades ago! Spanning over 25,000 years of Star Wars history, from the very beginnings of the Jedi order, no character goes unmentioned and no quadrant goes unmapped.

200 pages, $19.95, in stores on July 27.

STAR WARS: EMPIRE #34

"Sons," part 5 of 5. For the second time, events on Jabiim are coming to disastrous ends because of the presence of a Jedi named Skywalker. The first time was during the Clone Wars when young Anakin Skywalker was forced to abandon the Loyalist Jabiimi troops to the not-so-tender mercies of the Separatists. Now, Luke Skywalker, whose presence on the otherwise insignificant planet has attracted the attention of none other than Darth Vader, must decide whether to stay and fight and risk everything, or escape and leave the Jabiimi freedom fighters to face Vader's wrath. But the choice may not be Luke's alone -- and no matter what he decides, Vader could end up with another prize that could doom the Rebel fleet.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 1.

STAR WARS: GENERAL GRIEVOUS #4

Written by Chuck Dixon, penciled by Rick Leonardi, inked by Mark Pennington, colored by Lucas Marangon.

Flynn Kybo and his fellow Jedi invade Grievous¹ stronghold on an occupied Ugnaut world while the general deals with the mass escape of his Padawan hostages. This is the action-packed climax to this tale of unspeakable evil and calculated revenge. This is the big backstory for the latest addition to the Star Wars rogues¹ gallery!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 22.

STAR WARS: REPUBLIC #78

Written by Welles Hartley, art by Doug Wheatley, colored by Christopher Chuckry, cover by John Gallagher.

"Into the Unknown," part 1 of 2. In the aftermath of the events in Episode III, Jedi on opposite ends of the galaxy try to come to terms with how their world has changed. On the run, with enemies on every side, it seems that their only hope may be to locate others of their kind and band together for mutual survival. But what may seem like wisdom could lead to unsuspected consequences, and the path to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant leads only to danger. Republic embarks on the first step into the "dark times" after Revenge of the Sith!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 29.

STAR WARS TALES #24

By Rob Williams, Lucas Marangon, Brandon Badeaux and various.

Powerful is the dark side of the Force; its corrupting, seductive pull has produced some of the most memorable villains in the Star Wars galaxy. Exploring the moral and emotional fall-out that comes with giving oneself over to the ways of the Sith, this issue features four stories steeped in darkness and danger, spanning nearly every Star Wars era, including the final act of our serialized tale, "Nomad." The truth about wandering Jedi Darca Nyl is at last revealed, but will the end of his journey bring him peace ... or even more trouble? The premier Star Wars comics anthology rolls onward.

64 pages, $5.99, in stores on June 8.

SUPER MANGA BLAST! #53

By Mohiro Kitoh, Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Sonoda, Hiroyuki Utatane and Toshiya Takeda.

Makoto Kobayashi delivers two tales of domestic frustration and feline cohabitation in the world of What's Michael? Kobayashi's romantic comedy, Club 9, nears its end, as Haruo "Hello" Hattori puts on an outrageous performance for a very rich friend. A strange, dangerous game continues in Shadow Star, with Shiina Tamai now the focus of a destructive Shadow Dragon's fury! When Seraphic Feather's meta-human heroes clash with super-powered terrorists, swords swing, bullets fly, and powerful, alien forces begin to stir! Recovering from his last super-robot battle, Hoichi Kano rests at the Cannon God Exaxxion home base, while the Riofaldian invaders and a certain mad scientist plan their next moves.

128 pages, black and white, $5.99, in stores on June 29.

USAGI YOJIMBO #85

Written and art by Stan Sakai.

Master storyteller Stan Sakai continues Usagi Yojimbo, his internationally acclaimed samurai adventure! In this issue, the third installment of "The Treasure of the Mother of Mountains," Tomoe Ame, bodyguard to the Geishu lord, fights for her life in her own province ... and with ronin Usagi at her side! Lord Sanada, a malicious and greedy opportunist who is operating an illegal gold mine, set his murderous warriors after Tomoe last issue. And though Lord Noriyuki knows that Tomoe is missing, the jealous Lord Horikawa advises him to do nothing. When Usagi is sentenced to death, will Tomoe turn herself in to save his life? Find out, this month in Usagi Yojimbo!

24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on June 29.