COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: DARK HORSE COMICS ANNOUNCEMENTS

SAN DIEGO -- Samurai, by Ron Marz and Luke Ross, will return for a second volume, Dark Horse Comics announced at Comic-Con International on Wednesday

Samurai: Heaven & Earth Vol. 2 will launch in November. as Shiro continues his hunt for his lady love Yoshiko. This time his adventures take him to Spain in the company of the slave trader who sold her to the evil Spanish ambassador, Aguilar.

It was one one of five projects -- two involving Marz -- announced by Dark Horse for the convention's Preview Night.

Marz is teaming with Clement Sauve on Pantheon City, a five-issue mini-series targeted for next year.

Here's how Dark Horse describes the book:

"Pantheon City is the first city to be built entirely by machine, thanks to the self-determining programming developed by the Pantheon Corporation, the worldšs leading technology and robotics -company. Built on an artificial island located off Americašs Northwest coast, Pantheon City is supposed to herald a grand future, where anyone can make a fresh start. But therešs a darker side to this metropolis. Like any city, Pantheon needs a protector. But unlike any other city, Pantheon has built its own."

Also announced were:

* Maxwell Strangewell, a graphic novel written and illustrated by the Fillbach brothers for release in 2007.

Here's how Dark Horse describes the book:

"This new graphic novel follows a charming alien with a head injury. His arrival on earth sets an intergalactic struggle in motion. Alien empires want to control him. Space pirates want to sell him. The Man in the Moon wants to kill him. All the while, his new friend Anna Gilmour just wants to help him."

* Gear School, with story by Adam Gallardo and art by Nuria Peris. Scheduled for 2007.

Here's how Dark Horse describes the book:

"In the future, Earth's dreams of empire have brought us into conflict with a mysterious and war-like alien race. To fight these aliens, humanity has created giant fighting machines called Gear. Being a Gear driver is the dream of most of society. These drivers aren't born, they are trained at elite military academies at a young age."

* Empowered, featuring story and pencils by Adam Warren. Targeted for next year.

Here's how Dark Horse describes the book:

"Superhero life hits a new low with the story of Empowered, a spandex-wrapped super-girl with body insecurities and unreliable powers. Alongside her 'thugalicious' boyfriend and hard-drinking female ninja best friend, Empowered scrapes along as the most bootylicious of the superhero race -- and the one with most heart!"