DARK HORSE COMICS FOR NOVEMBER

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #107

Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.

"Shortcut," part 1 of 5. Hiroaki Samura takes Blade of the Immortal into darker depths, as his latest story arc, "Shortcut," gets rolling. Visceral horror takes center stage, and this masterful manga series begins to explore man's hunger for immortality and the early years of "modern Japanese medicine." Habaki Kagimura's medical examiners begin to test the seemingly immortal Manji, who is imprisoned, chained, and a very unwilling toy in their merciless hands! Also, as Hyakurin and Rin step up their search for Manji, Hyakurin receives some shocking news concerning the future the Mugai-ryü assassins.

32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 9.

B.P.R.D. THE BLACK FLAME #4

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Guy Davis, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.

A tragedy greater than anything the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense has ever seen drives one agent to resign, and leaves the others shaken, haunted, and angry. Liz Sherman is increasingly plagued with terrible visions, while Abe Sapien leaps back into field service, but too late to stop the massive frog exodus. The frogs know the reign of man is drawing to a close. The Black Flame is calling a godlike monster to come and claim the earth, and he knows that nothing can stop him.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 30.

CLASSIC COMIC BOOK CHARACTER #4: MARV

For the fourth release in the new line of Classic Comic Book Characters Dark Horse is very pleased to present one of modern comics' favorite characters, Frank Miller's "Marv." Torn from the pages of Sin City, our sculpture makes clear what longtime readers already know: Marv is one tough hombré! Not only can he take abuse dished out in brutal chunks, but he'll give it back to you in spades.

These are new statues, but are designed to recall the 1940's sculpting and painting style of "syroco" statues, with a result which Craig Yoe describes as "primitive but charming."

7" tall, comes packaged in a special litho-printed full-color tin box with a vintage-style pinback button and booklet, limited edition of 750 numbered pieces, $49.95, in stores on Feb. 14.

CONAN #22

Written by Kurt Busiek, art by Cary Nord, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Ladronn.

Robert E. Howard's seminal Conan tale "The Tower of the Elephant" comes to its blood-spattering conclusion in this final chapter of Busiek and Nord's adaptation. Deep in the Elephant Tower, Conan comes face to face with a god-creature from a far-off world, and has his final confrontation with a sorcerer powerful enough and mad enough to imprison a god. Death has come to the Elephant Tower, and none will walk away unchanged.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 23.

CONAN AND THE DEMONS OF KHITAI #2

Written by Akira Yoshida, art and cover by Pat Lee.

Having traveled to the exotic land of Khitai, King Conan learns that his mysterious invitation came from Shinzen, the greatest warrior in the Far East, who has gone mad and stolen the most prized relic in Khitai‹the obsidian sword Hakkiba, the Blade of Balance. Despite warnings that Shinzen is an insurmountable opponent, Conan sets out for the haunted monastery where Shinzen now resides, determined to confront this mad warrior

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 2.

CONAN AND THE JEWELS OF GWAHLUR HC

Written and art by P. Craig Russell, colored by Lovern Kindzierski. P. Craig Russell, the artist best known for adapting literary works to comics, applies his legendary talents to Conan in this adaptation of Robert E. Howard's ³The Jewels of Gwahlur," one of Conan's last adventures before becoming king.

A young woman, having made a string of bad choices, finds herself the pawn of mercenaries‹one of which is Conan of Cimmeria. As the former dancing girl poses as the dead oracle of a primitive cult, Conan puts his experience as a thief and a soldier together in pursuit of some of the most prized jewels in the world‹the Teeth of Gwahlur!

Featuring a sixteen-page sketchbook and an interview with Russell covering his career and creative process on this book, this handsome hardcover not only highlights one of fantasy art's greatest living talents, it shows once again that Howard's original Conan tales remain unsurpassed.

88 pages, $13.95, in stores on Dec. 28.

CONAN THE AVENGER MINI-BUST

Dark Horse is thrilled to announce the most dynamic Conan piece we have produced to date. World-renowned sculptor Tony Cipriano has turned his talents to a three-dimensional piece of the savage Cimmerian at the penultimate moment of murderous frenzy. This bust stands approximately 8" tall, and is limited to only 2,500 hand- numbered pieces. Packaged in deluxe full-color box.

Limited to 2,500, $54.99, in stores on Dec. 28.

HARLEQUIN PINK: A GIRL IN A MILLION TPB

Written by Betty Neels, art by Kako Itoh.

Dark Horse Manga and Harlequin Books are delighted to present a shining new line of books that marry two of the most successful phenomena to hit bookstores‹best-selling Harlequin romance fiction and female-friendly Japanese manga! These sparkling manga adaptations of Harlequin's best-selling titles are a romantic step above much of the cookie-cutter manga hitting the shelves today.

A vacation fling was completely out of character for old-fashioned Carol, but her attraction to intriguing, older Marius tempted her to break her own rules. The next thing she knew, though, he'd turned up working at her hospital! Does she have what it takes to attract‹much less keep the attentions of‹this intimidating, sophisticated, and utterly compelling man?

160 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Dec. 7.

HARLEQUIN VIOLET: RESPONSE TPB

Written by Penny Jordan, art by Takako Hashimoto.

Response takes a sexy look at love in the workplace. Sure, you shouldn't date your boss, but what if he's really, really hot? Sienna is a temp hired at a busy London firm. In a stroke of luck, she's assigned to work with Alex, who's smart, sexy, and interested in her! But there may be much more to his attentions than he's letting on. Will Sienna learn the startling truth behind their relationshipŠand if she does, will their love survive?

106 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Dec. 7.

LADY SNOWBLOOD VOLUME 2: THE DEEP-SEATED GRUDGE TPB

Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Kazuo Kamimura.

The path of revenge can have many twisted turns, and Lady Snowblood's is no exception. Born in a prison, a product of her mother's grudge, Yuki is a child of hell. What will she do for revenge? Pose as a nun? Become another woman's lover? Possibly.

In this volume we learn about Yuki's training and youth, see her woo some allies, and embark on the first steps of her angry path.

Written by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf & Cub fame, Lady Snowblood is a tale of a woman's path in hell.

224 pages, black and white, $13.95, in stores on Dec. 28.

LITTLE LULU: LULU'S UMBRELLA SERVICE TPB

Written by John Stanley, art by Stanley and Irving Tripp.

Bursting with laughs, filled with silly humor and hilarious insight, and drawn to perfection by one of comics' most acclaimed teams of artists, Little Lulu's comic book adventures are a classic treat for readers of all ages. Tag along with our sassy heroine, Lulu Moppet, as she smartly navigates through the kooky and complex world of clubhouse bullies, unsuspecting adults, naughty puppy dogs, snowball fights, and haunted houses. Whether she's helping her mother with chores, stealing her best friend Tubby's pants (just to get even, of course!), or minding the maniacal neighbor tot Alvin, Lulu's page-turning antics will leave you giggling madly and eager to read more!

200 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Dec. 14.

MICHAEL CHABON PRESENTS THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF THE ESCAPIST #8

By Brian K. Vaughan, Harvey Pekar, Jeff Parker, Andi Watson, Philip Bond, Dean Haspiel and Eduardo Barreto, cover by Brian Bolland.

From off the streets of Cleveland comes fan-favorite writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways) and critically acclaimed artists Philip Bond (Vinarama, Vertigo Pop) and Eduardo Barreto (Mr. Machine Gunl) to kick off the anthology's first multi-part story! Meet Maxwell Roth and Case Weaver, latter-day versions of Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay, as they set out to make the Master of Elusion a sensation once again in "The Escapists!" Next, on his way home from an extended stay at a Cleveland hospital, our man Harvey Pekar encountersŠThe Escapist? The team-up you thought you'd never see, illustrated by Dean Haspiel (The Quitter).

80 pages, $8.95, in stores on Nov. 9.

OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 22 TPB

Written and art by Kosuke Fujishima.

Ever since a cosmic phone call brought Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld‹a trio of literal young goddesses‹to live in college student Keiichi's residence, his personal life has been turned upside-down, sideways, and sometimes even into strange dimensions!

After her demonic mother Hild lays down the condition for changing Peorth back to normal, Urd tells Mom that she can go back to Hell, but Urd sure isn't coming along. Hild's counter-offer promises to combine the magic-circle powers of herself, Belldandy, Skuld, and Urd to restore Peorth, in exchange for a promise from Urd to ... well, she'll tell Urd after the ritual!

176 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on Dec. 14.

PENNY ARCADE VOLUME 1: ATTACK OF THE BACON ROBOTS! TPB

Written by Jerry Holkins, art by Mike Krahulik.

Penny Arcade, the comic strip for gamers, by gamers is now available in comic shops and bookstores everywhere. Not familiar with Penny Arcade? What? It's only the most popular comic strip on the web. It's just the funniest, most twisted comic that ever lampooned gamer culture, and takes shots at everything from Star Wars to Steve Jobs.

Experience the joy of being a hardcore gamer as expressed in vignettes of random vulgarity and mindless violence! Get online and direct your browser to penny-arcade.com, check out the latest strips, then, to read Penny Arcade from the very beginning, get the first collection, Attack of the Bacon Robots!, which includes strips, sketches, and creator commentary not available anywhere else!

120 pages, $12.95, in stores on Jan. 25.

THE PERHAPANAUTS #1

Written by Todd Dezago, art by Craig Rousseau.

There are places in this world where the fabric of reality has worn thin, where creatures from other realms and bizarre beings from other dimensions slip through, horrible in their difference striking terror into the hearts of those unfortunate few who glimpse them and threatening to drive them mad!

There is an organization hidden from this world which has taken upon itself the responsibility to confront these creatures, one whose agents are adept at turning them back from whence they came and repairing the rips and tears in our reality. The organization is called Bedlam. The agents are called...The Perhapanauts. It's Bigfoot, ghosts, aliens, faeries, and chupacabras ... and they're on OUR side.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 23.

REIKO THE ZOMBIE SHOP VOLUME 1 TPB

Written and art by Rei Mikamoto.

Terror has struck the sleepy little town of Shiraike. A serial killer stalks the streets murdering innocent girls. Twenty-nine grisly murders have been committed, with no clues to catch the killer. That is, until the town receives a strange visitor: a beautiful young woman who can raise the dead. She is Reiko the Zombie Shop, necromancer for hire. For a price, she'll wake your dead, if only to find a clue to their demise, but she's not responsible for what the dead will say or do once they awaken!

192 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Dec. 14.

REVELATIONS #4

Written by Paul Jenkins, art and cover by Humberto Ramos, colored by Leonardo Olea.

Things heat up for Detective Charlie Northern both on and off the case, as he grows close to unraveling the mysterious death of the man in line to be the next pope, and even closer to Vatican lawyer Lucille Pelliccia. A series of revelatory clues may seem like good fortune for Northern, but it only serves to increase the desperation of his shadowy suspects. They decide to send Northern a message‹one that takes the stakes of his hunt to a deadly new level.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 30.

SAMURAI EXECUTIONER VOLUME 9 TPB

Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Goseki Kojima.

For a stoic ronin such as Kubikiri Asa, a samurai assigned to test the Shogun's sword and behead prisoners, the moment before death is of great importance. Because of this, Asa will often listen to the stories of those about to be executed and pay respect to the lives of these often unfortunately maligned prisoners. Sometimes scary, often quirky, and occasionally very sweet, it goes to show how people of different walks of life can meet the same brutal, yet graceful end, at the hand of one of the finest masters of bushido and swordsmanship.

Samurai Executioner tells the stories of these people, from the perspective of Asa, an honorable, highly skilled ronin. As with their previously published series, Lone Wolf and Cub, Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima present a detailed and beautiful, if brutal, account of a bygone era.

304 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Dec. 14.

SEXY CHIX TPB

By Joyce Carol Oates, Jill Thompson, Colleen Doran, Gail Simone, Roberta Gregory, Carla Speed McNeil, Sarah Grace McCandless, Joelle Jones, Laurenn McCubbin, Colleen Coover and more.

Don't let the title fool you‹this isn't your average collection of comics featuring impossibly proportioned vixens in spandex. This time around the sexy chix in question are the writers and artists behind the comics, respresenting some of the best and brightest talent contributing to the medium of comics and graphic novels today. With stories ranging from mainstream adventures to hilarious comic shorts to heart-wrenching autobiography, Sexy Chix is devoted to the under-recognized contingent of female cartoonists in an overwhelmingly male-oriented industry. It's about time these divinely talented creators get to tell the stories they want to, and the result is an exquisite variety of artistic visions and styles.

104 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Dec. 21.

SHADOW STAR VOLUME 7: VICTIM'S EYES, ASSAILANT'S HANDS TPB

Written and art by Mohiro Kitoh.

Bonding with cuddly extraterrestrial creatures with wondrous powers should have been a dream come true for Tokyo teens like Shiina and Akira, but these cute E.T.s can grow into fearsome Shadow Dragons, and when coupled with troubled teens, can become monstrous threats to Mankind. An underground movement of such delinquents tries to recruit the two girls, and the government begins to grow suspicious that the two girls may well be involved with this dangerous cabal. But back at school, the two friends have more mundane, but no less troubling, issues. Akira and her friend Hiroko become singled out for mean-spirited schoolyard harassment‹but when Dragon Bearers become targets for torment, the tables may turn with lethal results!

232 pages, black and white, $15.95, in stores on Dec. 14.

STAR WARS: THE COMICS COMPANION TPB

Written by Ryder Windham and Daniel Wallace and 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.

144 pages, $16,95, in stores on Dec. 28.

STAR WARS: EMPIRE #39

Written by Welles Hartley, penciled and colored by Davide Fabbri, inked by Christian Dalla, cover by David Michael Beck.

³The Wrong Side of the War² part 4 (of 5). Inside the Imperial base on Kalist VI, an undercover Rebel strike force is on a mission vital to the continued existence of the Alliance. Everything has gone according to plan, but the one eventuality for which no one could have prepared is the presence of Imperial Lieutenant Janek Sunber‹or how his presence will impact the Rebel team. Duty to the Empire has asked much of Sunber and offered little in return, but he has never wavered in his dedication. Now, a shocking discovery has landed him at a crossroads, and the time has come for him to decide whether to devote himself to order, or justice.

30 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 30.

STAR WARS: GENERAL GRIEVOUS TPB

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

This tale of treachery and genocide leads up to the events of the record-breaking blockbuster Star Wars: Episode III‹Revenge of the Sith. Before his all-out battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi, the latest Star Wars supervillain took on an entire alien species!

On a rescue mission to Vandos, Padawan Flynn Kybo and his master T'chooka D'oon come face-to-face with General Grievous, one of the leaders of the Separatist army. After Grievous kills Master D'oon, Kybo goes to the Jedi Council with a plan to take the depraved general out immediately. But when the council rebukes his plans for vengeance, Kybo decides to take matters in his own hands. Seeking out others who feel the same as himself, he sets out to stop the Separatist killing machine before more Jedi lives are lost. Meanwhile, Grievous hijacks a transport ship, and its precious cargo may give him a horrible advantage over the Jedi that they would never expect. For now, his sights are on the planet Gentes‹and on taking its Ugnaught population and mining facilities as trophies of war!

96 pages, $12.95, in stores on Dec. 28.

STAR WARS: REPUBLIC #83

Written by John Ostrander, penciled and cover by Jan Duursema, inked by Dan Parsons, colored by Brad Anderson.

Palpatine's Order 66 has changed everything. As Jedi are slaughtered across the galaxy, one has managed to cheat fate‹but for how long? Badly wounded by the same troops he just led to victory, Master Quinlan Vos retreats into the jungle wilderness of the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk. As the clones close in, Vos must choose‹stay and fight, or run and put those he loves in danger of the newborn Empire's wrath?

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 30.

STAR WARS: X-WING‹ROGUE LEADER #3

Written by Haden Blackman, penciled by Tomas Giorello, colored by Michael Atiyeh, cover by Gary Errskine.

Imperial terrorists have landed a devastating strike on Wedge Antilles' home planet and captured a member of Rogue Squadron. Now, Wedge and the rest of the Rogues are hot on their trail, determined to find their friend and bring these Imperial thugs to justice. The fighting is fierce and the flying is faster in this whiz-bang conclusion to the series that defines the hottest heroes in the expanded Universe and launches an ace fighter squadron like none other in the galaxy!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 23.

SUPER MANGA BLAST! #58

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

Shadow Star and Seraphic Feather both enter an exciting new era, with their monthly episodes now reading in the original right-to-left format­as they were published in Japan! A new Shadow Star story arc finds Shiina's father, a pilot, taking to the skies again and discovering unexpected clues to a centuries-old mystery. With their deep-space conflict almost over, the battered Seraphic Feather heroes contemplate their return to Earth. Makoto Kobayashi's hilarious, extended What's Michael? story arc continues, with tormented, human astronauts seeking an escape from the "Planet of the Cats." The Cannon God Exaxxion crew begins to test new Riofaldian alliances. SMB!'s monthly columns, "A Fan's View" and "Sugoi Japan!" continue to educate and excite fans of Japanese culture!

128 pages, black and white, $5.99, in stores on Nov. 30.

THE 13TH SON: WORSE THING WAITING #2

Written and art by Kelley Jones.

A hunter stalks the earth at night, scouring its darkest, most haunted places and feeding on the monsters who dwell there. He might be seen as a savior to the humans he's wrestled from the mouths of werewolves and other evil beasts, but he's neither savior nor saint. In fact, humans are little more than fleshy props to him, and we will certainly have no place in the world when it becomes HIS. He is the 13th Son‹a creature more terrifying and powerful than anything our world has known‹and there is a deeper purpose to his monster extermination than anyone can fathom. What is this "Worse Thing Waiting..."? Keep reading to find out!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 30.

USAGI YOJIMBO #89

Written and art by Stan Sakai.

Internationally acclaimed storyteller and all-around nice guy Stan Sakai brings you the conclusion of his seven-part samurai adventure, ³The Treasure of the Mother of Mountains²! This story arc has seen rabbit ronin Usagi Yojimbo and Geishu bodyguard Tomoe Ame captured and forced into slavery‹and then leading a bloody slave revolt! A character is now trapped inside the illegal mine, and key players are injured and haunted. Who escaped from the mountain, and who didn¹t survive? Find out who¹s still alive and who wishes they were dead, this month in Usagi Yojimbo.

24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 30