MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2006
DARK HORSE COMICS FOR JUNE
ARCHENEMIES #4
Written by Drew Melbourne, penciled by Yvel Guichet, inked by Joe Rubinstein, colored by Rick Hiltbrunner and lettered by Jim Keplinger.
As Ethan and Vincent, they're roommates. As Star Fighter and the Underlord, they're mortal enemies. For months we've gotten to know them, but this July everything we know is about to change. In the wake of tragedy, one roommate will be forced to confront his past, while the other will embrace a shocking new future. In their darkest hour, fate will draw them into one final conflict. Star Fighter versus the Underlord. No distractions. No holds barred. One will win. One will lose. And two lives will never be the same. PLUS: some jokes. Part four of the four-part ArchEnemies: Sinners and Saints graphic novel.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 5.
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #115
Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.
"On the Perfection of Anatmoy," part 4 of 6. After the last issue's shocking death, Burando's grip on reality slips a bit more, and he struggles to continue his research while in a depressed stupor. Habaki Kagimura isn't letting his prize doctor off the hook, though. Kagimura pushes for new tests with a new felon. Word of his experiments in immortality is spreading through Edo's jails, and Manji's cocky cellmate is a willing volunteer who has no idea what pain is in store for him. Hiroaki Samura's samurai drama continues its dark descent into a horrific world of torture and "modern Japanese medicine," as the secrets of Manji's mystical kessen-chu are slowly revealed.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 12.
B.P.R.D.: THE UNIVERSAL MACHINE #4
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Guy Davis, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.
Hellboy and Abe Sapien take center stage in a flashback story set during Abe's early days at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, and Liz Sherman reveals weird tales of the family members that she killed while discovering her firestarter powers. And in Europe, Doctor Kate Corrigan bargains with an ancient evil over the fate of her dead friend, Roger.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 5.
BMWFILMS.COM PRESENTS THE HIRE
By Matt Wagner, Bruce Campbell, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Steve Grant, Francisco Ruiz Velasco, Killian Plunkett and Claude St. Aubin.
The legendary series of short "webisodes" featured A-list directors such as John Woo and Ridley Scott telling tales of the Hire‹an enigmatic driver‹and the passengers that need his transportation and protection. Now, some of the biggest names in comics bring The Hire to Dark Horse!
Matt Wagner tells a story of a spoiled party-girl and her high-speed hunters; Bruce Campbell and Kilian Plunket team the Driver with a schoolteacher with unfortunate mob connections; Mark Waid and Claude St. Aubin tell the tale of a geeky bureaucrat with a valuable secret; and Kurt Busiek and Steven Grant with Francisco Ruiz Velasco relate the story of a millionaire businessman facing a very hostile takeover.
96 pages, $12.95.
CONAN #30
Written by Mike Mignola, art by Cary Nord, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Tony Harris.
Conan battles a gelatinous abomination older than history itself in this continuation of Robert E. Howard's "The Hall of the Dead" adapted by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and drawn by Cary Nord.
Grasping, groping tentacles meet cold, hard steel as Conan struggles to avoid the churning gullet of an adversary unlike any he's faced before. In an abandoned city long lost to the hearts and memories of man, where will the Cimmerian turn for refuge? The haunting dead of this ancient place offer no solace, but they want nothing more than for Conan to join their dank and lifeless company.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 19.
CONAN AND THE SONGS OF THE DEAD #1
Written by Joe R. Lansdale, art by Timothy Truman, colored by Dave Stewart.
This five-part series begins in the wretched wastes of Stygia, a burning, grinding stretch of desert so desolate the only thing more unforgiving are its inhabitants. There, Conan comes to the aid of an old ally, uncovers a scheme to acquire untold-of wealth, and punishes his foolish enemies most cruelly. Yet when his treasure hunt reveals an alluring spirit with long unsatisfied needs, the Cimmerian knows a gentler touch is required to win the day.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 5.
DARK HORSE TWENTY YEARS
By Arthur Adams, Sergio Aragonés, Bob Burden, Paul Chadwick, Adam Hughes, Frank Miller, Tony Millionaire, Cary Nord, Eric Powell, Stan Sakai, Matt Wagner, Chris Warner, Joss Whedon and others, cover by Mike Mignola.
Eric Powell draws Star Wars, Adam Hughes draws Hellboy, and Joss Whedon makes his artistic debut -- that's just a smidge of what's included in this 25-cent gift to all the fans who've supported Dark Horse Comics through our first twenty years!
Dark Horse Comics is proud to present Dark Horse Twenty Years, a collection of original art by a distinguished list of Dark Horse creators, past and present. Every page holds a different piece, each showcasing a character from the company's history of great original and licensed properties. Instead of drawing their own creations, these jaw-dropping talents have traded characters, each offering an unexpected take on one of the icons of Dark Horse.
Legends of comics drawing the characters you'd never expect. You won't see this much talent in the same place for another 20 years!
24 pages, 25 cents, in stores on July 5.
EDEN: IT'S AN ENDLESS WORLD! VOLUME 4 TPB
Written and art by Hiroki Endo.
Exploring the origin of Kenji, the knife-wielding,Japanese freedom fighter, Hiroki Endo takes us back in time to witness the brutal events that shaped this warrior's spirit. In Kenji's present, he fights in one of the most intense hand-to-hand combat sequences in post-apocalyptic literature! With the world reeling from the aftereffects of a brutal, widespread virus, civilization is torn between the laws and ways of the old world and a new order where cybernetic implants are commonplace and "might means right." Elijah and his comrades-in-arms attempt to cross the Andes Mountains, with Propater's gruesome Aeon soldiers and armored troops hot on their heels! Graphic, cyberpunk, and philosophical, Eden is a place where endearing heroes face a constant struggle for survival. and violent surprises wait around every corner!
208 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Aug. 2.
THE ESCAPISTS #1
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Philip Bond and Eduardo Barreto, cover by Frank Miller.
Discovering his late father's decades-spanning vault of Escapist memorabilia at the age of six, Max became a fan of the Master of Elusion almost overnight. After exhausting the extensive stash of Golden and Silver Age comics, he needed more‹and started writing his own Escapist stories. Now nineteen, he's determined to make the character a sensation once again, but where is he going to find an artist‹in Cleveland? Meet Maxwell Roth and Case Weaver, latter-day versions of Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay, in part one of The Escapists!
With cover art by multi-platinum superstar Frank Miller kicking off a round robin of stellar cover artists including James Jean and John Cassaday, this launch of the first Escapist miniseries can't be missed!
32 pages, $1, in stores on July 12.
THE GREMLINS HC
Written by Roald Dahl, art by Artists and Writers Guild, Inc., and The Disney Studios.
Published in 1943 and long unavailable, Dark Horse Books is proud to present this landmark book from the author of such beloved tales as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda. Digitally restored, this remarkable presentation of Dahl's classic story, lavishly illustrated by the artists of the Walt Disney Studios, will delight readers of all ages!
The Gremlins is the story of Gus, a British World War II fighter pilot, who during the Battle of Britain turned to look out on the wing of his plane only to see an amazing sight: a little man, no more than six inches tall with horns growing from his head, drilling a hole in the plane's wing. Gus was the first man to ever see a Gremlin, and what happened after that would change the war, and the world, forever.
Bought by Walt Disney to be produced as an animated motion picture (and considered to be the first story featuring the mythical airplane-sabotaging creatures known as Gremlins), the project was ultimately shelved and is reprinted here for the first time in over 60 years.
56 pages, $12.95, in stores on Sept. 13.
HELLBOY ANIMATED STATUE #1: HELLBOY
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IDT Entertainment is creating a new Hellboy Animated series. Along with creative producers Mike Mignola and Guillermo Del Toro, and voices provided by Ron Perlman and Selma Blair, the two direct-to-video episodes, will follow in the footsteps of the comics and successful major motion picture. Providing the character design for the show is Sean "Cheeks" Galloway, personally chosen by Mike Mignola to represent Hellboy in this new format.
$150, in stores on Sept. 13.
LITTLE LULU COLOR SPECIAL TPB
Written by John Stanley, art by Stanley and Irving Tripp.
In rich, vibrant color for the first time in a half-century comes a guffaw-inducing selection of Little Lulu's landmark adventures. Little Lulu is one of the truly great all-ages comics, with a monthly series that lasted four decades, the zany high jinks of eight-year-old Lulu Moppet and her lovable pals are not only classics of children's literature, but an indelible part of American popular culture. Her razor wit will tickle your brain and her sweet generosity will win your heart‹Lulu is the All-American girl!
208 pages, $13.95, in stores on Sept. 13.
LITTLE LULU VOLUME 11: APRIL FOOLS TPB
Written by John Stanley, art by Stanley and Irving Tripp.
Learn why generations of readers have considered Little Lulu one of smartest, cutest, and funniest comics ever to hit the shelves in the newest volume of Dark Horse's ongoing effort to collect this seminal all-ages classic in a library of affordable trade paperbacks.
Lulu Moppet is the true-blue daughter of Main Street America, clever and sweet, mischievous and generous, an eight-year-old hero for anyone who ever wanted to bring home a gorilla, scare the pants off of ghosts, and outwit every grownup in sight. In this volume, comics geniuses John Stanley and Irving Tripp are at their very best, crafting tales guaranteed to thrill kids just as much as they crack-up their parents.
200 pages, black and white, $9.95.
MAIL VOLUME 1 TPB
Written and art by Housui Yamazaki.
Private detective Reiji Akiba has a theory about those awkward moments and weird coincidences we all encounter in life. They are actually encounters with the dead‹their way of sending us a message. But you may not want to open such strange mail from beyond‹not unless you can see the ghostly attachment, like Akiba can. And not unless you carry a gun that can kill what isn't alive, like Akiba's aptly named Kagutsuchi, "the tool between God and earth" . . . digging a divine grave to lay to rest the evil dead.
Volume 1 of Mail opens with a model's photo shoot at what was a lovely riverside. But someone's thrown their trash away here: human bones. When the negatives in the darkroom reveal hidden horror, it's time for the magazine to hire Akiba. The answers lie in the secret basement of a shunned house . . . but they don't lie peacefully!
208 pages, black and white, $10.95.
NEXUS ARCHIVES VOLUME 4 HC
Written by Mike Baron, art by Steve Rude.
Every once in a while a creation appears that both reinvents and epitomizes its genre. 1981 marked the beginning of such an event with the first issue of Nexus, a playful adventure series that paid homage to the best of classic science fiction while introducing an unforgettable antihero. Countless readers around the world followed his action-packed exploits over the next two decades, visiting alien realms and fascinating creatures through the wit and verve of his youthful creators.
Dark Horse invites you to relive the series that defined the careers of both Steve Rude and Mike Baron, collected in a hardcover format for the first time. In this volume, Sundra discovers the source of Nexus' powers and the cause of his headaches‹the Merk is revealed! Space pirates pillage Ylum's orbital community, and the Sovs declare war, but Nexus is without his powers . . . so the Heads create the most devastating weapon in the galaxy.
216 pages, $49.95, in stores on Aug. 23.
OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 24 TPB
Written and art by Kosuke Fujishima.
Ever since a cosmic phone call brought the four literal young goddesses Belldandy, Urd, Skuld‹and, like an occasional vowel, Peorth‹to live in college student Keiichi's residence, his personal life has been turned upside down, sideways, and sometimes even into strange dimensions!
As the Parent-Child Showdown between Keiichi and his fa‹um, "Keima-san," races its way along the night roads of the Inokuradai Circuit, his mo‹uh, "Takano-san," passes the time by whupping the Goddesses at mahjong. But does she realize what they really are? Then, cry "Roadtrip!" and let Chihiro's Mini Cooper slip into gear, as she, Bell, and Keiichi hit the highway to a hot springs. But the vacation from drama is brief -- and readers are advised to prepare for the advent of . . . the Fifth Goddess!
176 pages, black and white, $10.95, in store in Aug. 9.
PATHFINDER TPB
Written by Laeta Kalogridis, art by Christopher Shy.
Five hundred years before Columbus, barbaric Viking invasions ravaged North America.
Pathfinder is the story of a young Viking boy left behind as the only survivor of a shipwrecked expedition. A stranger in a strange land, the boy is raised by a tribe of American Indians‹the very people the Vikings had sworn to destroy. When Vikings again storm the eastern shores, waging another barbaric campaign, they slaughter the tribe that adopted the young man. Now he wages a violent personal war to stop the Viking's trail of death and destruction.
168 pages, $17.95, in stores on July 26.
PATH OF THE ASSASSIN VOLUME 2 TPB
Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Goseki Kojima.
It's not easy being Hattori Hanzo. If he's not teaching Leyasu, the young, future shogun, how to love, then he's behind the scenes, teaching Leyasu how not to die in case of a momentary lapse of protection.
If you thought you had a tough job, try taking a pudgy, protected youngster, and making him into the leader who will unite Japan under his single rule.
From the creators of Lone Wolf & Cub comes a series about two young men bound to a nation's potential future at a time when Japan was in transition from a warlike feudal state into an era of bureacracy and infighting.
Another quasi-historical tale from the masters of Japanese samurai culture, Path of the Assassin shows a side of feudal Japan that entertains with action as well as political drama.
312 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Aug. 30.
THE PERHAPANAUTS TPB
Written by Todd Dezago, art by Craig Rousseau and Rico Renzi.
There are places in this world where the fabric of reality has worn thin, where strange and terrible creatures have crossed over to lurk in the shadows and the night. There is an organization dedicated to finding these creatures and sending them back from whence they came, sealing the rift behind them, and maintaining the integrity of those borders.
The organization is called BEDLAM. Its agents are . . . The Perhapanauts!
Collecting the four-issue mini-series, along with the never-before-seen (well, seen by a few...) unaired, original pilot, "7 Months Earlier." Also included are rare outtakes, character bios, pinups by some of the industry's brightest stars, and an introduction by Mike Wieringo.
128 pages, $15.95, in stores on Aug. 23.
PLASTICLAND TPB
Written by Frank Kozik.
The man credited with single-handedly reviving the concept of rock posters as an art form, Frank Kozik was first exposed to the counterculture world of "designer art toys" on a trip to Japan in 1996. His collecting hobby soon mutated into a new profession, and in 2002 Kozik made the leap from illustrator to toy designer. Now considered one of the world's top three underground toy designers, Kozik shares all the secrets of this arcane and cutting-edge art movement in Plasticland. This deluxe oversized volume, the first collected work of Kozik's foray into this explosive new phenomenon, offers a fascinating look at the creation and end result of modern toy design. A dazzling photographic record of all Kozik's production and custom pieces through early 2006, the book also features his new works in serigraphy and oil painting.
112 pages, $29.95, in stores on Sept. 27.
RECESS PIECES TPB
Written and art by Bob Fingerman.
Bad things are brewing in the halls of The Ben Turpin School for K-8. When a science project goes wrong, only the prepubescent children are spared the fate of zombification‹ which is not to say that they're immune from being eaten alive! George Romero covered night, dawn, and day, but how about recess? With Recess Pieces, Bob Fingerman (Beg the Question, You Deserved It) dishes up a grisly combination of Hal Roach's Our Gang and zombies, zombies and more zombies.
96 pages, $14.95, in stores on Aug. 23.
SCARLET TRACES: THE GREAT GAME #1
Written by Ian Edginton, art by D'Israeli.
This fantastical new miniseries picks up where the hardcover left off. After almost four decades of conflict, the British invasion of Mars has ground into 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 unravelling 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 July 12.
SCARY BOOK VOLUME 3: FACES TPB
Written and art by Kazuo Umezu.
Kazuo Umezu, the grandmaster of horror manga, returns with the third chilling volume of his Scary Book anthology series. In "Fear," Aiko is always ignored and neglected when compared to her beautiful older sister, Momoko. But when Momoko is horribly disfigured in an accident and goes mad, it's up to Aiko to bring home young girls her sister can use . . . to make a new face! And in "The Coincidental Letter," a young girl named Yoko, in a fit of mischief, sends an insulting letter to a made-up girl at a made-up address warning her of a horrible fate. However, by incredible coincidence, both the girl and the address are real, and everything in the letter starts coming true!
232 pages, black and white, $13.95.
STAR WARS: CLONE WARS ADVENTURE VOLUME 6 TPB
By Haden Blackman, Mike Kennedy, The Fillbach Brothers, Stewart McKenny and others.
Four more thrilling tales of planets in peril and Jedi in jeopardy! The Clone Wars grind through the galaxy, shaking every system to its core and testing loyalties on both sides of the conflict. The last days of the Jedi are at hand, but if their Order is to fall, they're going down swinging! Presenting another round of lightning-paced, action-packed, all-ages Star Wars goodness, all told in the same stripped-down stylization as Cartoon Network's micro-series.
96 pages, $6.95, in stores on Aug. 9.
STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #7
Written by John Jackson Miller, art by Dustin Weaver, colored by Michael Atiyeh, cover by Brian Ching.
The wildest adventure in the ancient history of Star Wars gets wilder in a brand-new story arc featuring the most feared warriors in the galaxy‹Mandalorians! Leaving the treacherous streets of Taris behind them, fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick and the rag-tag crew of the Last Resort cook up a scheme to pilfer much needed supplies from an unsuspecting bunch of miserly miners. Unfortunately, any attempts at avoiding attention are for naught when the group finds they've landed themselves smack dab in the middle of the Republic and Mandalorian conflict!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 26.
STAR WARS: LEGACY #2
Written by John Ostrander, penciled by Jan Duursema, inked by Dan Parsons, colored by Brad Anderson, cover by Adam Hughes.
Over the bodies of their enemies, two Jedi make a pact that will set them on the path to a greater danger than they have ever known...
Bounty hunters capture a prisoner whose presence will test their resolve‹and the strength of their alliance...
A Sith apprentice is given the honorific "Darth" and sent to hunt a quarry whose capture -- or death -- could shake an empire to its foundations...
And a Princess finds herself alone in the galaxy, pursued by those she once counted as allies.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 5.
STAR WARS: REBELLION #4
Written by Rob Williams, art and cover by Brandon Badeaux, color by Wil Glass.
Luke Skywalker faces a squad of stormtroopers when he attempts to bring his boyhood friend Imperial officer Janek "Tank" Sunber over to the Rebellion. Was Tank's plan to defect discovered by the Empire before he could get away, or are the troopers a plot to trick the Alliance into letting Sunber into the heart of their operations? It might not even matter, because while Luke is off on his renegade rescue mission, the Rebel Fleet comes under attack -- from inside the command ship!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 12.
TRIGUN MAXIMUM VOLUME 10 TPB
Written and art by Yasuhiro Nightow.
Since the day Vash spotted his decimated soul in the middle of the desert, Nicholas Wolfwood has become a favorite of fans. A man of the cloth with a tortured soul and a past full of bullets, the protector of our story's hero, Wolfwood might just be reaching the end of his pew.
Ironically, the past has come back to attack him. And by that we mean Livio, the young man Nicholas once befriended. Livio is more than a match for Wolfwood, having been trained by the same master, Chapel. And now the master and both disciples meet in a deadly face-off, and only one man will survive.
But readers are in for more than just one surprise in this climactic volume of Trigun.
240 pages, black and white, $9.95.
USAGI YOJIMBO #95
Written and art by Stan Sakai.
Discover the series that has garnered worldwide fans over the past two decades and won countless awards!
Five years ago, Usagi dodged a bullet when the mysterious assassin Shizukiri was willing to accept a an expected bounty rather than engage the rabbit ronin and his fellow wandering samurai, Gen. Shizukiri's reputation as a ruthless, unbeatable opponent was well established even before he became the only hired sword ever to stare down our long-eared hero, but now his formidable skills are up against Karma itself! When beggars hire him to kill a high-ranking samurai, Shizukiri becomes tangled in a fateful and unexpected plot. Will his skills preserve him, or is Karma truly inescapable?
24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on July 24.
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