Alex Groff
May 16, 2004, 09:04 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/AlienPredator_tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/AlienPredator_tpb_t.jpg" align=left alt="Aliens vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt TPB preview"></a>Direct from Dark Horse Comics, here are the publisher's solicitation copies and preview images for products which are due to ship in August 2004.
Click a thumbnail below to view the full-sized preview image in a new browser window.
Compiled by Zachary Jian Morrison
Pre-order any of these items online now at X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=786&cat=DARK+HORSE)
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/AlienPredator_tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/AlienPredator_tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Aliens vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt TPB preview"></a>ALIENS vs. PREDATOR: THRILL OF THE HUNT TPB
MIKE KENNEDY (W) ROGER ROBINSON (A)
On sale September 1, SC, 96pg, FC, 5 1/4" x 7 1/2" $6.95
In the farthest reaches of space, a creature terrified us. Acid blood. Armored skin. Razor-sharp teeth. No mercy. In the depths of a rain forest, another creature hunted us. Perfect camouflage. Fearsome weapons. Brutal methods. No conscience. In 2004, these monsters clashed on Earth in the greatest battle the universe has ever known. But far in the future, long after a technological catastrophe that started a second Dark Age, all memory of these two species has been forgotten. And when Mankind again reaches for the stars, we will discover that, truly, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Once again, Man is caught in the middle of a deadly struggle.
Based on this summer’s major-motion picture from 20th Century Fox, Alien vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt carries the themes and story elements from the film into new territories of action and terror, crafted by Mike Kennedy and illustrator Roger Robinson (Azrael, Batman: Gotham Nights), all in a value-priced original graphic novel. Cover painting by Society of Illustrators award-winner David Michael Beck.
• The new Aliens vs. Predator motion-picture, due to hit theaters in August 2004, is sure to create new interest in these classic characters.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Blade_Immortal92.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Blade_Immortal92t.jpg" align=right alt="Blade of the Immortal #92 preview"></a>BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #92: LAST BLOOD part 3 (of 5)
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale August 11, b&w, 32pg, $2.99
The Shingyötö-ryü swordsmen, on a quest to avenge the strange death of their schoolmaster, are split into three groups and fighting the three classiest swordfighters in the Blade universe! The stuttering, vindictive Iriya is determined to kill Anotsu, his now-decrepit target, but must first face Makie, the beautiful-yet-vicious angel of death. The young, swaggering Magatsu is locked in close combat with one of the Shingyötö-ryü clan’s most honorable students, and a confident Manji, almost finally reunited with Rin, begins to dispatch his share of bloodthirsty opponents to the netherworld. Join us as Hiroaki Samura continues to reinvent the bushido grudge match by mixing elements of classic samurai tales and epic Western films with modern punk rock sensibilities.
• Winner of Japan’s prestigious Media Arts Award and America’s own Will Eisner Award.
• Ten volumes of fantastic translated works in the Dark Horse backlist!
FOR MATURE READERS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/BMW_Hire2.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/BMW_Hire2t.jpg" align=right alt="BMW Films’ The Hire #2 preview"></a>BMW FILMS’ THE HIRE #2 (of 6)
BRUCE CAMPBELL (W), KILIAN PLUNKETT (A)
On sale August 11, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Inspired by the BMW Films series, Dark Horse presents our second story featuring The Hire. Just as each episode in the film series is helmed by a different well-known director, each issue of The Hire is produced by a different top creator or creative team. This issue is written by Bruce Campbell (yeah, that Bruce Campbell) and illustrated by Kilian Plunkett (Superman: Red Son).
In this latest adventure, the Driver’s assignment takes him to the Motor City, where shuttling a pregnant school teacher to a suburban airport turns into a history lesson on Detroit’s highways and byways—and a crash course in evasive driving! Some mobsters are after the Driver’s passenger, and they’re willing to play rough. But easy or rough, the Driver always plays for keeps, and he shows his pursuers why they should heed the warning: objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear.
Check it out—the coolest character in films and comics, written by the coolest actor-writer-director to ever chop off his own hand, slap on a chainsaw, and take on an army of zombies!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Conan07.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Conan07t.jpg" align=right alt="Conan #7 preview"></a>CONAN #7
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (A), TOM YEATES (A), and DAVE STEWART (C)
JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER (Cover)
On sale August 25, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Conan leads a rebellion against the slave masters of Hyperborea—but can even he face the mightiest sorcerers of the oldest, most corrupt civilization of the ancient world? The answers bring pain, death, and heartbreak, and reveal the truth about Hyperborea—and the source of Conan’s lifelong hatred for that dark and cheerless land. Conan’s February debut led to an immediate sellout and rave reviews. See what the sensation is all about!
• “Conan is cutting a mighty swath through the comic racks with his new ongoing [series].” —Wizard Magazine #150
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/license_hotstuff.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/license_hotstuff_t.jpg" align=right alt="Dark Horse License Plates"></a>DARK HORSE LICENSE PLATES
On sale August 11, 12" x 6", embossed tin, and shrink-wrapped, $14.99
Ever wonder what happens to old Dark Horse staffers? They don’t fade away… they’ve just moved onto a new career: making license plates! Since we didn’t want the State of Oregon to have a monopoly on all their good work, we’ve “pressed them into service.”
These new products are actual license plates. While it is entirely possible to place them on an automobile, we suspect most people will hang them on the wall like a tin sign.
All license plates are approximately 12" x 6", embossed tin, and shrink-wrapped.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/don_bluth.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/don_bluth_t.jpg" align=right alt="Don Bluth’s The Art of Storyboarding"></a>DON BLUTH’S THE ART OF STORYBOARDING
On sale September 29, SC, 112pg, FC, 8 1/2" x 11" $14.95
From Don Bluth—master animator, artist, and director of such cartoon classics as The Secret of N.I.M.H., An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Anastasia, and Titan A.E.—comes Don Bluth’s The Art of Storyboard, a one-of-a-kind textbook that describes in detail the technical and artistic processes involved in crafting storyboards for animated films, the visual blueprints that lay the foundation for the animators’ magic. Don Bluth takes readers on a journey as only an artist of such vast skills and filmmaking experience can, going from the breakdown of a script, through story conferences with Don Bluth Films collaborators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy, and onto the finished boards. Loaded with technical tips and insights into the tapping of the creative imagination, The Art of Storyboard also features page after page of Bluth’s beautiful storyboard illustrations, many in full color. Whether used as an inspiring tool for professional and aspiring animators or just for the sheer joy of seeing how the written word is channeled through the animator’s mindscape on its way to the screen, Don Bluth’s The Art of Storyboard is a fascinating peek behind the curtain of film’s most creative storytelling medium.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Fierce2.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Fierce2t.jpg" align=right alt="Fierce #2 preview"></a>FIERCE #2 (of 4)
JEREMY LOVE (W), ROBERT LOVE (P), and JEFF WASSON (I)
On sale August 11, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Jonathan Fierce, a profiler for the FBI gifted with psychic abilities, failed to stop an explosion which has just killed his team of fellow agents, the only real family he’s ever had. The FBI wants to charge him with the crime. Now Fierce is hunted by the Feds and on the run from the crime syndicate that killed his team. Miraculously, Fierce can hear the voices of his slain teammates, giving him the skills and abilities to become a one man strike force. Now he’s going deep under cover into the Jamaican underworld to strike at the heart of the syndicate and uncover the facts behind the conspiracy against him.
Jeremy and Robert Love, the creative force behind Gettosake Entertainment and the masterminds who brought comics fans Midnight Mover, now bring you the slickest, most stylish and suspenseful action thriller on stands today.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/fused_machine.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/fused_machine_t.jpg" align=right alt="Fused: Think Like A Machine TPB preview"></a>FUSED: THINK LIKE A MACHINE TPB
STEVE NILES (W) JOSH MEDORS & PETER REPOVSKI (A) ERIC POWELL (Cover)
On sale September 22, SC, 112pg, FC, 7" x 10" $12.95
Mark Haggerty was a promising young robotics engineer with a smart, sexy wife and a bright future just within his grasp—until his body became fused with an experimental robot suit during a routine testing session. Trapped inside a powerful, high-tech body that’s as mysterious as it is cool, and suddenly the unwilling pawn in a deadly struggle between obsessive egos and misguided military forces who wish to recruit him for their own uses, Mark’s life is forever changed. And the outlook for life returning to anything close to “normal”…well, it’s not looking too good. With his human body consumed more each day by the Cy-bot suit, his once-loving marriage is suffering the consequences of his transformation, and the most dangerous elements in the world closing in around him, Mark’s just doing what he can to get through each day. The sudden appearance of a bizarre super-villain at the military base he’s called home spins Mark’s world even more violently out of control. And soon he realizes one thing—his only recourse is to keep fighting whatever gets in his way, until he gets his life back. Collecting the four-issue miniseries.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/goboy7tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/goboy7tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Go-Boy 7, vol. 2 preview"></a>GO-BOY 7 VOL. 2: THE HUMAN FACTOR TPB
BRIAN AUGUSTYN (W) JON SOMMARIVA & TODD DEMONG (A)
On sale September 22, SC, 96pg, FC, $12.95
When Jonny Zero’s blood was infused with lifesaving nanotech plasm his life was changed forever. No longer simply a teenaged boy, Jonny became GO BOY 7—Human Action Machine! Now Jonny’s life is one adventure after another as he battles the evil, nonsensical genius of THE CULTIST—who seeks the destruction of logic, reason, and Go Boy 7! In this collection, the Cultist’s devastating creativity with anarchic giga-technology threatens civilization yet again, and an enigmatic new player is in town: BioAgent! Who is this sudden hero, what is happening to Jonny’s body, and what is the origin of the Cultist? Collecting issues #5-#8 of the series.
Don’t miss out on this second collection of ROCKET COMICS’ foremost title, featuring the storytelling talents of Brian Augustyn (B.P.R.D.: Dark Waters, Crimson, The Flash, JLA: Year One) and the kinetic art of hot young newcomers Jon Sommariva and Todd Demong!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/gogirl1tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/gogirl1tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Go-Girl!, vol. 1 preview"></a>GO-GIRL VOLUME 1: THE TIME TEAM TPB
TRINA ROBINS (W) ANNE TIMMONS (A)
On sale September 8, SC, 96pg, b&w, 5 1/4" x 7 1/2", $5.95
Today is like any other day in Grover Cleveland High’s science lab—any day in the Jurassic Era, that is! Doc, the school genius, has rigged up a tight little time machine masquerading as an exercise bike, all fine and good until pretty-girl princess Heather cops a ride and drags herself, Doc, and Lindsay Goldman—a.k.a. teen superhero GoGirl!—back several million years to the dinosaur-infested jungles of the long-gone past. If being late for cheerleading practice isn’t enough of an annoyance, try ditching a hungry T-Rex! And where did those alien spaceships come from?!
Crafted by creator/writer Trina Robbins and artist Anne Timmons, the award-winning GoGirl! has captivated readers of all ages, and now GoGirl! stars in her own series of all-new original graphic novels.
• “...departs from contemporary comicdom’s redundant repertoire of male power fantasies.” – Carol Cooper, The Village Voice
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/goon8.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/goon8t.jpg" align=right alt="The Goon #8 preview"></a>THE GOON #8
ERIC POWELL (W/A)
On sale August 18, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Vampires. What have they become? Effeminate fang-bearing prissy types wearing billowy shirts and velvet suits that would embarrass a gay pirate. Mostly the Goon just straps them to the hood of his car and sets them on fire. But that is not what vampires used to be. In the beginning they were restless spirits who would rise from the grave to leech the life from their still-grieving loved ones. Now one of these ancient succubi has returned with her heart set on the man they call Goon.
• The Goon #1 has been nominated for the Eisner Award for the 2004 Best Single Issue.
• Eric Powell and The Goon have also been nominated for Best Humor Publication and Best Writer/Artist-Humor.
•The International Horror Guild Awards has awarded Eric Powell’s The Goon 1-4 for Best Illustrated Narrative!
GRENDEL: DEVIL’S REIGN #4 (of 7)
MATT WAGNER (W) and TIM SALE (A)
On sale August 18, FC, 32pg, (4 of 7), $3.50
It is the 26th century A.D. Orion Assante has become the Grendel-Khan, emperor of the western world, and a huge political target! In an effort to strike at the Khan, African nationalists kidnap Orion’s wife Sherri, who is still recovering from the tragedy of losing a child. Meanwhile, a vampiric revolution is brewing at Grendel’s Palace in Vegas … and hinges somehow on a timid man with a pigeon totem. Regardless, it has become necessary to invade Africa. Grendels, ready yourselves! The time is now, and the difference is you!
• Re-presenting the original Grendel #37, newly remastered by award-winning colorist Matt Hollingsworth.
FOR MATURE READERS
HARD BOILED TPB
FRANK MILLER (W) and GEOF DARROW (A)
Now Available!, SC, 128pg, FC, $16.95
After being out of print for over a year the award-winning, fan favorite is back!
Carl Seltz is a suburban insurance investigator, a loving husband, and devoted father. Nixon is a berserk, homicidal tax collector racking up mind-boggling body counts in a diseased urban slaughterhouse. Unit Four is the ultimate robot killing machine—and the last hope of the future’s enslaved mechanical servants. And they’re all the same psychotic entity.
FOR MATURE READERS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/ornament_hecklejeckle.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/ornament_hecklejeckle_t.jpg" align=right alt="Heckle & Jeckle Ornament Set preview"></a>HECKLE & JECKLE ORNAMENT SET
On sale August 18, FC, 32pg, (4 of 7), $19.99
2 piece ornament set, 4 1/2" – 5" tall, fully painted polyresin, packaged in full-color window box
Following our adorable flying Mighty Mouse ornament, we bring you fellow Terrytoons Heckle and Jeckle, the talking magpies. The talented folks at Yoe! Studios have sculpted them as we know them best: wearing mischievous grins, since they’re always up to no good. These classic ornaments, new this year, seem timeless. They stand or hang alone, but can also be posed together for year-round display.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/hellsing4tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/hellsing4tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Hellsing Volume 4 TPB preview"></a>HELLSING VOLUME 4 TPB
KOHTA HIRANO (W/A)
On sale September 22, SC, 192pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $13.95
What do you get when the Nazis having hidden in South America for generations, have engineered an army of vampires, and are preparing for an all-out campaign of deathly dominance? Well, for one, you get a little unity. It seems the Protestant Hellsing Organization and the Catholic Iscariot agency might just have to think about teaming up. It’s looking like the world’s biggest battle of blood and fangs is soon to erupt. Read about the next big arms build up as the first World War of the undead is mounting. It’s just heating up in Hellsing.
• All volumes of the Dark Horse version of Hellsing are published in the original Japanese format!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_hellsing_bats.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_hellsing_bats_t.jpg" align=right alt="Hellsing: Bats/Black/Adult Tee preview"></a>HELLSING: BATS/BLACK/ADULT TEE
On sale July 14
Hellsing T-shirt: Bats
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Another one of Dark Horse's popular manga titles gets a t-shirt... Hellsing! Look stylish as you combat the undead in this shirt featuring the main character, Alucard, from Hellsing!
HELLSING: FIGURE/BLACK/ADULT TEE
On sale July 14
Hellsing T-shirt: Figure
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Another one of Dark Horse's popular manga titles gets a t-shirt... Hellsing! Look stylish as you combat the undead in this shirt featuring the main character, Alucard, from Hellsing!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/LTDCMM4.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/LTDCMM4t.jpg" align=right alt="Last Train to Deadsville #4 preview"></a>LAST TRAIN TO DEADSVILLE: A CAL MCDONALD MYSTERY #4 (of 4)
STEVE NILES (W) and KELLEY JONES (A)
On sale August 25, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Steve Niles has done it again—crafted a white-knuckled horror adventure that’s as funny as it is frightening, and as smart as it is spooky. This month Niles—along with his artist accomplice Kelley Jones—puts a wrap on Last Train to Deadsville, the latest hit miniseries of his Cal McDonald canon. With his ghoul-partner Mo’Lock in trouble, and his journalist girlfriend tagging along to keep her eye on him, Cal’s hands are full even before he gets to the point of dealing with an entire Southern California town that just happens to be possessed by the nastiest spirit ever. Demonic possessions, gaping holes that lead to hell, otherworldly monsters—Cal can deal with these. But a girlfriend who wants to know what their future holds? Talk about a nightmare!
FOR MATURE READERS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/lazarus_jack.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/lazarus_jack_t.jpg" align=right alt="Lazarus Jack TPB preview"></a>LAZARUS JACK TPB
MARK RICKETTS (W) HORACIO DOMINGUES (A)
On sale September 29, SC, 128pg, FC, $14.95
Ultimate Spider-Man writer Brian Michael Bendis called writer Mark Ricketts “one of the singularly most talented people in comics.” Now Ricketts presents a spellbinding new tale blending reality and imagination, comedy and terror.
Plagued by an incident that cost him his family, magician Jackson Pierce struggles to reclaim them by embarking on a terrifying, nonstop, dimension-hopping thrill ride. On this journey through fantastic worlds both seduced and devastated by black magic, Jackson undergoes disturbing transformations, falls prey to an insane sorcerer, defies zero gravity, and ultimately confronts the demons from his past.
Mark Ricketts is the acclaimed writer of the graphic novel Nowheresville and the winner of the 2000 Klasky Csupo screenwriting competition. He has been described as “a powerful storyteller” by Don McPherson of The Fourth Rail and praised for having “a keen eye for the dark places and a sharp ear for the beat of speech” by 100 Bullets author Brian Azzarello.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Lone_tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Lone_tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Lone TPB preview"></a>LONE TPB
STUART MOORE (W) JEROME OPENA, ALBERTO PONTICELLI, & BEN TEMPLESMITH (A) JEROME OPENA (Cover)
On sale September 29, SC, 152pg, FC, 6" x 9", $14.95
Ravenous zombies have overrun the post-apocalyptic town of Desolation. Sharpshooter Luke and her older brother, Mark, are desperate. Their only hope is to track down and enlist the help of a gunman legendary in the western wasteland, a man known only as Lone. But if they find him, can they trust him? Cletus, a right geezer who claims to know Lone, seems to know more than he’s saying—‘specially after Luke mentioned how the zombies are being controlled by a strange figure that bleeds yellow. And what are "Gunfathers," anyway? After fighting off radiation-twisted mutants for two weeks, Luke and Mark are ready for answers. Collecting the six-issue miniseries.Featuring the rich storytelling of Stuart Moore, the stunning and imaginative art of Russ Manning Award winner Jerome Opeña, and a short story with Sam and Twitch artist Alberto Ponticelli.
• The Dark Horse line of Rocket Comics was created to provide action-packed comics reading for readers from 10 to 100!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/statue_LuisRoyo_t.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/statue_LuisRoyo_t.jpg" align=right alt="Luis Royo Statue preview"></a>LUIS ROVO STATUE
LUIS ROVO (A) & STEVE KIWUS (SCULPTER)
On sale August 25, $125.00
9 1/2" tall, prepainted, boxed in deluxe color collector packaging, certificate of authenticity signed by artist Luis Royo and sculptor Steve Kiwus included.
One of the world’s foremost fantasy artists is Spanish grand master Luis Royo. His many books, magazine covers, and portfolios have won him acclaim everywhere.
Dark Horse is pleased to collaborate with Mr. Royo and his Spanish publisher to create the first statue based on his work. We have engaged sculptor Steve Kiwus to interpret one of Royo’s famous covers for Heavy Metal magazine.
Featuring a cloaked, sword-wielding female warrior and a savage robot creature in a stark post-apocalyptic landscape, this monumental work conveys the detail, sensuousness, and imagination that are Royo’s calling card.
Limited to only 950 numbered pieces for worldwide distribution. Allocation may occur.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/MARS_tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/MARS_tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War TPB preview"></a>M.A.R.S. PATROL TOTAL WAR TPB
WALLY WOOD (W/A)
On sale September 29, SC, 112pg, FC, $12.95
When mysterious invaders appear out of nowhere to wreak havoc and attack every nation on the planet, the Earth’s military forces call on an elite team of the most skilled soldiers from all over the world, the Marine Attack Rescue Service—better known as M.A.R.S. Patrol!
Dark Horse is proud to present a collection of rare material from one of the greatest artists to ever illustrate science fiction comics, the legendary Wally Wood’s M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War. Reprinting the first three issues of the Gold Key science fiction epic, this collection represents Wood’s total contribution to the series and is a must for any fan of Wally Wood or collector of comic book or science fiction classics.
• Wally Wood is generally regarded as America’s best science fiction artist. In his 32-year career in comics, Wally Wood worked for vitually every comic book publisher, producing an astonishing body of work that encompassed virtually every genre in comics. His art combined realism and caricature with virtuous inking techniques to create some of the most visually appealing images ever created in comics.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Milkman_Murders2.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Milkman_Murders2t.jpg" align=right alt="Milkman Murders #2 preview"></a>MILKMAN MURDERS #2 (of 4)
JOE CASEY (W) and STEVE PARKHOUSE (A)
On sale August 4, FC, 32pg, $2.99
The promiscuous daughter, the sadistic son, and the drug-addled, abusive husband all do their parts to erode our housekeeping heroine’s last scrap of sanity in the wake of last issue’s horrific events. Joe Casey spins a yarn more twisted than his weirdest Batman book, more out of this world than The X-Men. Steve Parkhouse, who showed the monstrous side of suburban England with Alan Moore in Bojeffries Saga, goes into a deeper, scarier world as the Milkman Murders continue.
FOR MATURE READERS
THE NAIL #3 (of 4)
STEVE NILES (W), ROB ZOMBIE (W), and NAT JONES (A)
On sale August 18, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Rocker Rob Zombie and rockin’ horror writer Steve Niles are hard at work hammering out the year’s most over-the-top horror comic—The Nail! Hunted and terrorized by a demonic band of devil bikers across a remote area of North Dakota, semi-pro wrestler Rex “The Nail” Hauser and his family are quickly realizing that their own resourcefulness is their only hope for survival in this deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
But the hunters are relentless as they stalk and terrorize their quarry, and soon Rex and his family realize that they can’t run, and there’s nowhere left to hide … so now their only hope is to band together and take a stand against the demons-on-wheels, even if it’s the last thing they do.
FOR MATURE READERS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/OMG111t.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/OMG111t.jpg" align=right alt="Oh My Goddess #111 preview"></a>OH MY GODDESS! #111: SORA UNCHAINED part 7 (of 8)
KOSUKE FUJISHIMA (W/A)
On sale August 4, b&w, 48pg, $3.99
In a special 48-page issue, we find Sora Hasegawa and Keiichi “K1” Morisato neck-and-neck in the cutest and craziest motorized cart race in history! The homestretch nears, as the combatants rev through insane short cuts, attempt gravity-defying feats, and cope with odd twists and complications that only the goddesses Urd and Skuld could add. What are Belldandy’s sisters thinking? This issue is a great showcase for creator Kosuke Fujishima’s brilliantly expressive, hilarious artwork, and is the penultimate chapter in the “Sora Unchained” storyline.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/petefowler_coasterset.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/petefowler_coasterset_t.jpg" align=right alt="Pete Fowler Coaster Set preview"></a>PETE FOWLER COASTER SET
On sale June 23, 4 full color coasters, 1/8" thick, packaged in a printed circular tin case, $12.99
From Pete Fowler, creator of the “Don’t Stray From the Path!” journal and the “Woodlands of Monsterism Island” stationery set, it’s the “Woodland Drinks and Drunkers” coaster set! Have your drinks with the inhabitants of the wild Monsterism Woodland as they imbibe along with you ! Control the masses of wigged-out hippies by enclosing them in their craftily decorated tin holding pen! Learn about Chef’s Cloudy Home Brew by reading the drink recipe book. Practice Pete’s voodoo hypnotizing spells by drinking heavily and giving a coaster creature the evil eye!
Invite the World of Monsterism to your next party!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/toy_quimby.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/toy_quimby_t.jpg" align=right alt="Quimby the Mouse Wooden Toy preview"></a>QUIMBY THE MOUSE WOODEN TOY
On sale August 11, 6" tall, packaged in a full-color hand designed box with a 32 page hardcover, $24.99
One of the least visible and most culturally-obtuse metaphors of the mid nineteen-nineties, “Quimby the Mouse” originally found expression within cartoonist F. C. Ware’s periodical “The ACME Novelty Library,” a now largely forgotten dip in the otherwise steady line of quality of late twentieth century alternative comics. Finding its least-resistant audience in a population of paper fetishists, schoolteachers, and professional virgins, “Quimby the Mouse” now re-appears, fashioned from the most uncontemporary materials available, perfect for display or discard. This wood, wire, cloth and rope approximation of Mr. Ware’s most painful private personal problems is now ready to re-enact all his adventures and tragedies; efficiently packaged in a colorful cardboard container with a 32 page hardcover book, the whole setup is rounded off with a perfect scale replica bonus of Quimby the Mouse’s long lost love, “Sparky the Cat.” Sure to be coveted by collectors and sanitation engineers alike, place your orders now for this little memento of pre-21st century nostalgia today.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/sjn3.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/sjn3t.jpg" align=right alt="Shi: Ju-Nen #3 preview"></a>SHI: JU-NEN #3 (of 4)
BILLY TUCCI (W/A), BILLY TUCCI and MARC SPARACIO (Cover)
On sale August 4, FC, 32pg, $3.99
As Ana’s grandfather Yoshitora’s life hangs by a thread, Ana realizes she must do battle against her greatest foe and best friend Tomoe. Surrounded by the venomous fan dancer, Lady Kaoyo and the desperate Nara Sohei, Ana has but one choice for survival. She must retreat into the darkened depths of her own vengeful past to bring forward the most primal forces of execution and truly embrace the Spirit of Death ... Shi.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Spyboy_FE4.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Spyboy_FE4t.jpg" align=right alt="Spyboy: Final Exam #4 preview"></a>SPYBOY: FINAL EXAM #4 (of 4)
PETER DAVID (W) and POP MHAN (A)
On sale August 4, FC, 32pg, $2.99
It’s graduation day for the senior class of Rosenberg High, but where’s Alex Fleming, a.k.a. SpyBoy? Trapped in a final, desperate battle with SpyGuy to prevent the entire town from being blown to bits, while Alex’s dad wrestles with the discovery that Alex’s mother is not only alive, but his greatest enemy!
STAR WARS: EMPIRE #24
RON MARZ (W) JEFF JOHNSON (A)
On sale August 11, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Han Solo and Chewbacca are tapped by the Rebel Alliance for a mission that requires their special skills and knowledge of the underworld. But for Han, it’s a chance to get away from the new responsibilities he’s taken on since joining the Rebellion and indulge his former free-booting ways.
Visiting old haunts brings chance meetings with old friends. But some friendships may only be as deep as one’s pockets, and when a fellow smuggler learns of the Imperial bounty on their heads, Han and Chewie’s mini-vacation threatens to become a life sentence!
Rollicking fun, high adventure, and deep danger featuring everybody’s favorite rogues!
• Jeff Johnson, new to Star Wars, was the artist on CrossGen’s Way of the Rat.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/SW_Republic68.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/SW_Republic68t.jpg" align=right alt="Star Wars Republic #68 preview"></a>STAR WARS REPUBLIC #68
JOHN OSTRANDER (W) JAN DUURSEMA (A)
On sale August 25, FC, 32pg, $2.99
It was bound to happen! Pursuing the lost plans for a Separatist secret weapon, Jedi Aayla Secura has a showdown with her former Master and friend turned dark Jedi—Quinlan Vos!
Clone Commander Bly, accompanying his Jedi-General Aayla Secura, understands the purpose and function of the armor he wears. But as he experiences the confrontation between Aayla and Quin, he witnesses the strengths—and weaknesses—of the mental, emotional, and spiritual “armor” worn by each of the combatants.
In this special issue, told from Bly’s point of view the mysteries of the Jedi are viewed from a human perspective. And when the turmoil wrought upon the Jedi by the Clone Wars and by the seething power of the dark side threatens them all, Bly, Aayla, and Quin must each make a life-or-death decision.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/SWMGamorrean.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/SWMGamorrean_t.jpg" align=right alt="Star Wars Minibust Gamorrean Guard preview"></a>STAR WARS MINIBUST GAMORREAN GUARD
On sale October 27, 5 1/2" tall, fully painted, package in a full color box with certificate of authenticity, $12.95
Gentle Giant Studios has turned their skills toward a sculptural depiction of one of Jabba the Hutt’s chief minions—the Gammorean Guards. These fellows, dominant on their home planet Gamorr, favor ancient weapons like the axe pictured. They are much too set in their ways to pick up a blaster! Gamorreans generally worked their way up from the slave class into their more appropriate work as guards and soldiers. Tricked by Jabba into serfdom at his palace, most came to a bad end as depicted in Return of the Jedi.
As always, Gentle Giant Studios, recent winners of Diamond’s Gem Award for best mini-bust of 2003, have created an elaborately detailed and highly collectible new edition to their growing cast of Star Wars character sculptures. It’s so real you can practically smell it. Almost.
This statue stands 5 1/2" tall and includes metal axe blade and shoulder pads, packaged in full-color box with certificate of authenticity. Edition size not set at press time.
STAR WARS: PANEL TO PANEL TPB
DAVE DORMAN, HUGH FLEMING, CAM KENNEDY TSUNEO SANDA, TERESE NIELSEN, KIA ASAMIYA, JON FOSTER, KILIAN PLUNKETT, AND MORE (A)
On sale September 29, SC, 192pg, FC, 9" x 12", $19.95
From 1992 to 1999, Dark Horse Comics was virtually the only source of new Star Wars visual art. Even after the release of the new films, the talented artists at Dark Horse have continued to expand thee depth and breadth of the Star Wars galaxy. From ancient Jedi to alien worlds, from fantastic creatures to faster-than-light spaceships, no other publisher has produced so many dazzling images from our generation’s greatest mythology.
This book presents an amazing selection of covers and interior images from over a decade of Dark Horse’s comics and graphic novels, by some of the best artists the world over. A visual feast for anyone who enjoyed the films, a true treasure for the dedicated Star Wars fan!
SUPER MANGA BLAST! #44
MASAMUNE SHIROW (W/A), MOHIRO KITOH (W/A), MAKOTO KOBAYASHI (W/A), YUZO TAKADA (W/A), and HIROYUKI UTATANE (W) & YO MORIMOTO (A)
On sale August 25, b&w 128pg, $5.99
This issue’s starts off with two episodes of Makoto Kobayashi’s playful, cat-centric strip, What’s Michael?, featuring conniving, domestic felines at their troublesome best. Kobayashi’s slice-of-life Club 9 drama chucks its usual romantic comedy aside, as the frightening, two-part “Nightmare on Aki’s Street” story line concludes. The heroics of Hoichi “Gun” Kano are chronicled in Cannon God Exaxxion, with the Exaxxion robot temporarily out of commission Hoichi dones his powerful, armored suit! Ambushed on a space transport leaving the moon, the Seraphic Feather team faces combat of the mysterious, meta-powered kind. The horrific conclusion to Shadow Star’s “My Eyes Are the Eyes of a Victim…” story arc finds Shiina confronting the supernatural cause of her classmates’ violent deaths, and what happens on the last few pages will DEFINITELY bring about big changes for our lead characters!
FOR MATURE READERS
TERADA
Mr. Terada is one of Japan’s most popular and respected artists. His work has graced many publications, posters, books, and manga. He is winning a wide range of fans worldwide, and is only now being discovered by the United States. Dark Horse is pleased to be one of the first to publish his work in the U.S. Katsuya Terada did a famous series of covers for Wanai magazine, later collected in book form by Kodansha and as a portfolio by Dark Horse. These strange but beautiful images form a striking and colorful new release in our ongoing stationery and journal program.
Katsuya Terada’s first major art exhibit took place in May at Portland Oregon’s Compound Gallery. As a co-sponsor of this show, Dark Horse was able to obtain 100 signed copies of an original poster created exclusively for the exhibit. We are pleased to be able to offer them to Diamond customers.
On sale September 9
Terada Cover Girls Journal, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2” spiral-bound journal, 128pg, $9.99
Terada Cover Girls Stationery Set #1, $4.99
Terada Cover Girls Stationery Set #2, $4.99
Each stationery set includes 8 writing sheets (four different styles), 6 envelopes (4 different styles), and a set of stickers. Packaged with a printed belly-band, all inside a protective plastic bag.
On sale July 21
Terada Silk Screen Lithograph, 18" x 24", limited to 100 signed copies, $40.00
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_cover.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_cover_t.jpg" align=right alt="Trigun: Cover/Black/Adult Tee preview"></a>TRIGUN: COVER/BLACK/ADULT TEE
On sale July 14
Trigun T-shirt: Cover
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Finally! T-shirts from our #1 selling book: Trigun! People have been asking for these images on a number of products, but the most-requested item was a T-shirt. You get what you ask for at Dark Horse Comics...
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_babydoll.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_babydoll_t.jpg" align=right alt="Trigun: Kitty/Baby blue/babydoll with black cap sleeves and collar preview"></a>TRIGUN: KITTY/BABY BLUE/BABYDOLL WITH BLACK CAP SLEEVES AND COLLAR
On sale July 14
Trigun Babydoll T-shirt: Kitty
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Finally! T-shirts from our #1 selling book: Trigun! People have been asking for these images on a number of products, but the most-requested item was a T-shirt. You get what you ask for at Dark Horse Comics...
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_kitty.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_kitty_t.jpg" align=right alt="Trigun: Kitty/Stone/Adult Tee preview"></a>TRIGUN: KITTY/STONE/ADULT TEE
On sale July 14
Trigun T-shirt: Kitty
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Finally! T-shirts from our #1 selling book: Trigun! People have been asking for these images on a number of products, but the most-requested item was a T-shirt. You get what you ask for at Dark Horse Comics...
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Usagi_Yojimbo78.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Usagi_Yojimbo78t.jpg" align=right alt="Usagi Yojimbo #78 preview"></a>USAGI YOJIMBO #78
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale August 25, b&w, 24pg, $2.99
The world’s favorite rabbit ronin continues his adventures in the 20th year of Stan Sakai’s celebrated series, Usagi Yojimbo! A cantankerous old woman hires the reluctant samurai to help her run away from home—with all of her valuables. However, she is being pursued by a fierce pack of bandits! Can Usagi survive the bandits’ attack? Even worse—can he survive the old lady?! Guarding Tess meets 17th century Japan when Usagi becomes a “Samurai for Hire”!
• Usagi Yojimbo is a 2004 Young Adult Library Services Association award winner!
• Usagi Yojimbo #65 has been nominated for the Eisner Award for the 2004 Best Single Issue.
AUGUST CHECKLIST
COMICS
Blade of the Immortal #92: Last Blood part 3 • $2.99
BMWFilms.com—The Hire: Precious Cargo #2 • $2.99
Conan #7 • $2.99
Fierce #2 • $2.99
The Goon #8 • $2.99
Grendel: Devil’s Reign #4 • $3.50
Last Train to Deadsville: A Cal McDonald Mystery #4 • $2.99
The Milkman Murders #2 • $2.99
The Nail #3 • $2.99
Oh My Goddess! #111: Sora Unchained part 7 • $3.99
Shi: Ju-Nen #3 • $2.99
SpyBoy: Final Exam #4 • $2.99
Star Wars: Empire #24 • $2.99
Star Wars: Republic #68 • $2.99
Super Manga Blast! #45 • $5.99
Usagi Yojimbo #78 • $2.99
TRADE PAPERBACK AND HARDCOVERS
Aliens vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt (trade paperback) • $6.95
Don Bluth’s Art of Storyboard (trade paperback) • $15.95
Fused: Think Like a Machine (trade-paperback collection) • $12.95
Go Boy 7 Volume 2 (trade-paperback collection) • $12.95
Go Girl Volume 1: The Time Team (trade-paperback collection) • $5.95
Hard Boiled (trade-paperback collection) • $16.95
Hellsing Volume 4 (trade-paperback collection) • $13.95
Lazarus Jack (trade paperback) • $14.95
Lone (trade-paperback collection) • $14.95
M.A.R.S. Patrol: Total War (trade-paperback collection) • $12.95
Star Wars: Panel To Panel: From The Pages Of Dark Horse Comics
To A Galaxy Far, Far Away (trade-paperback collection) • $19.95
SPECIALITY ITEMS
Dark Horse License plates
Bettie Page: Oh My • $14.99
Bettie Page: Bad Girl • $14.99
Hot Stuff • $14.99
Heckle & Jeckle ornament set • $19.99
Luis Royo bust • $125.00
Pete Fowler coaster set • $12.99
Quimby the Mouse wooden toy • $24.99
Shi mini-bust • $44.99
Star Wars mini-bust: Gamorrean Guard • $45.00
Terada Cover Girls Journal • $9.99
Terada Cover Girls Stationery Set #1 • $4.99
Terada Cover Girls Stationery Set #2 • $4.99
Terada Silk Screen Lithograph • $40.00
T-shirts (Trigun, Hellsing) • $17.99-$19.99
Dark Horse Comics®, Rocket Comics™, Extra™, Dark Horse Presents™, Crush™, DHP™, The Mask™, Barb Wire™, Galactic™, Ghost™, Go Boy 7™, Dark Horse Heroes™, Hell™, Lone™, The Nevermen™, SpyBoy™, Syn™, Dark Horse Classics™, The Nevermen™, The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings™, The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft™, and the Dark Horse logo are all trademarks of Dark Horse Comics, Inc. • Aliens vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt™ & © 2004 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. • Bettie Page TM BMP Productions, Inc. by CMG Worldwide Inc., Indpls., IN, 46256 USA www.cmgww.com. • Blade of the Immortal © 2004 by Hiroaki Samura. All rights reserved. New and adapted artwork and text copyright 2004 Studio Proteus and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. • BMW The Hire ©2004 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks. • Conan® and Conan the Barbarian® (including all prominent characters featured in this issue) and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Conan Properties International, LLC unless otherwise noted. All contents © Conan Properties International, LLC unless otherwise noted. • Don Bluth’s The Art of Storyboard ©2004 by Don Bluth's ToonTalk, Inc. • Fierce™ © Gettosake Entertainment. • The Goon™ © 2004 Eric Powell. • Text and illustrations for Fused, Last Train to Deadsville: A Cal McDonald Mystery™ © 2004 Steve Niles. • GoGirl™ © by Trina Robbins. Illustrations © Anne Timmons. • Grendel: Devil’s Reign © 2004 by Matt Wagner. Grendel™ is a trademark of Matt Wagner. • Hard Boiled® & © 1990, 1992, 2004 Frank Miller, Inc. and Geof Darrow. All rights reserved. • HELLSING volume 4 © KOHTA HIRANO 1998 Originally published in Japan in 1998 by SHONEN GAHOSHA Co., Ltd., TOKYO. English translation rights arranged with SHONEN GAHOSHA Co., Ltd., TOKYO through TOHAN CORPORATION, TOKYO. English translation copyright Dark Horse Comics, Inc./Digital Manga, Inc. • Text and illustration of Lazarus Jack™ © 2004 Mark Ricketts. • M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War © 2004 by Random House, Inc. • Milkman Murders™ © 2004 Joe Casey and Steve Parkhouse. • The Nail™ © 2004 Dark Horse Comics, Inc. and Rob Zombie. • Oh My Goddess! copyright © 2003 by Kosuke Fujishima. All rights reserved. New and adapted artwork and text copyright 2003 Studio Proteus and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. • Shi™ & © 2004 Billy Tucci.. • Star Wars© Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. • Super Manga Blast!™ Dark Horse Comics, Inc. Shadow Star copyright © 2004 by Mohiro Kitoh. 3x3 Eyes copyright © 2004 by Yuzo Takada. New and adapted artwork and text of the above titles copyright 2004 Studio Proteus and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. • Usagi Yojimbo™ & © 2003 Stan Sakai.
Pre-order any of these items online now at X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=786&cat=DARK+HORSE)
Click a thumbnail below to view the full-sized preview image in a new browser window.
Compiled by Zachary Jian Morrison
Pre-order any of these items online now at X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=786&cat=DARK+HORSE)
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/AlienPredator_tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/AlienPredator_tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Aliens vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt TPB preview"></a>ALIENS vs. PREDATOR: THRILL OF THE HUNT TPB
MIKE KENNEDY (W) ROGER ROBINSON (A)
On sale September 1, SC, 96pg, FC, 5 1/4" x 7 1/2" $6.95
In the farthest reaches of space, a creature terrified us. Acid blood. Armored skin. Razor-sharp teeth. No mercy. In the depths of a rain forest, another creature hunted us. Perfect camouflage. Fearsome weapons. Brutal methods. No conscience. In 2004, these monsters clashed on Earth in the greatest battle the universe has ever known. But far in the future, long after a technological catastrophe that started a second Dark Age, all memory of these two species has been forgotten. And when Mankind again reaches for the stars, we will discover that, truly, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Once again, Man is caught in the middle of a deadly struggle.
Based on this summer’s major-motion picture from 20th Century Fox, Alien vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt carries the themes and story elements from the film into new territories of action and terror, crafted by Mike Kennedy and illustrator Roger Robinson (Azrael, Batman: Gotham Nights), all in a value-priced original graphic novel. Cover painting by Society of Illustrators award-winner David Michael Beck.
• The new Aliens vs. Predator motion-picture, due to hit theaters in August 2004, is sure to create new interest in these classic characters.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Blade_Immortal92.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Blade_Immortal92t.jpg" align=right alt="Blade of the Immortal #92 preview"></a>BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #92: LAST BLOOD part 3 (of 5)
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale August 11, b&w, 32pg, $2.99
The Shingyötö-ryü swordsmen, on a quest to avenge the strange death of their schoolmaster, are split into three groups and fighting the three classiest swordfighters in the Blade universe! The stuttering, vindictive Iriya is determined to kill Anotsu, his now-decrepit target, but must first face Makie, the beautiful-yet-vicious angel of death. The young, swaggering Magatsu is locked in close combat with one of the Shingyötö-ryü clan’s most honorable students, and a confident Manji, almost finally reunited with Rin, begins to dispatch his share of bloodthirsty opponents to the netherworld. Join us as Hiroaki Samura continues to reinvent the bushido grudge match by mixing elements of classic samurai tales and epic Western films with modern punk rock sensibilities.
• Winner of Japan’s prestigious Media Arts Award and America’s own Will Eisner Award.
• Ten volumes of fantastic translated works in the Dark Horse backlist!
FOR MATURE READERS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/BMW_Hire2.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/BMW_Hire2t.jpg" align=right alt="BMW Films’ The Hire #2 preview"></a>BMW FILMS’ THE HIRE #2 (of 6)
BRUCE CAMPBELL (W), KILIAN PLUNKETT (A)
On sale August 11, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Inspired by the BMW Films series, Dark Horse presents our second story featuring The Hire. Just as each episode in the film series is helmed by a different well-known director, each issue of The Hire is produced by a different top creator or creative team. This issue is written by Bruce Campbell (yeah, that Bruce Campbell) and illustrated by Kilian Plunkett (Superman: Red Son).
In this latest adventure, the Driver’s assignment takes him to the Motor City, where shuttling a pregnant school teacher to a suburban airport turns into a history lesson on Detroit’s highways and byways—and a crash course in evasive driving! Some mobsters are after the Driver’s passenger, and they’re willing to play rough. But easy or rough, the Driver always plays for keeps, and he shows his pursuers why they should heed the warning: objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear.
Check it out—the coolest character in films and comics, written by the coolest actor-writer-director to ever chop off his own hand, slap on a chainsaw, and take on an army of zombies!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Conan07.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Conan07t.jpg" align=right alt="Conan #7 preview"></a>CONAN #7
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (A), TOM YEATES (A), and DAVE STEWART (C)
JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER (Cover)
On sale August 25, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Conan leads a rebellion against the slave masters of Hyperborea—but can even he face the mightiest sorcerers of the oldest, most corrupt civilization of the ancient world? The answers bring pain, death, and heartbreak, and reveal the truth about Hyperborea—and the source of Conan’s lifelong hatred for that dark and cheerless land. Conan’s February debut led to an immediate sellout and rave reviews. See what the sensation is all about!
• “Conan is cutting a mighty swath through the comic racks with his new ongoing [series].” —Wizard Magazine #150
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/license_hotstuff.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/license_hotstuff_t.jpg" align=right alt="Dark Horse License Plates"></a>DARK HORSE LICENSE PLATES
On sale August 11, 12" x 6", embossed tin, and shrink-wrapped, $14.99
Ever wonder what happens to old Dark Horse staffers? They don’t fade away… they’ve just moved onto a new career: making license plates! Since we didn’t want the State of Oregon to have a monopoly on all their good work, we’ve “pressed them into service.”
These new products are actual license plates. While it is entirely possible to place them on an automobile, we suspect most people will hang them on the wall like a tin sign.
All license plates are approximately 12" x 6", embossed tin, and shrink-wrapped.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/don_bluth.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/don_bluth_t.jpg" align=right alt="Don Bluth’s The Art of Storyboarding"></a>DON BLUTH’S THE ART OF STORYBOARDING
On sale September 29, SC, 112pg, FC, 8 1/2" x 11" $14.95
From Don Bluth—master animator, artist, and director of such cartoon classics as The Secret of N.I.M.H., An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Anastasia, and Titan A.E.—comes Don Bluth’s The Art of Storyboard, a one-of-a-kind textbook that describes in detail the technical and artistic processes involved in crafting storyboards for animated films, the visual blueprints that lay the foundation for the animators’ magic. Don Bluth takes readers on a journey as only an artist of such vast skills and filmmaking experience can, going from the breakdown of a script, through story conferences with Don Bluth Films collaborators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy, and onto the finished boards. Loaded with technical tips and insights into the tapping of the creative imagination, The Art of Storyboard also features page after page of Bluth’s beautiful storyboard illustrations, many in full color. Whether used as an inspiring tool for professional and aspiring animators or just for the sheer joy of seeing how the written word is channeled through the animator’s mindscape on its way to the screen, Don Bluth’s The Art of Storyboard is a fascinating peek behind the curtain of film’s most creative storytelling medium.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Fierce2.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Fierce2t.jpg" align=right alt="Fierce #2 preview"></a>FIERCE #2 (of 4)
JEREMY LOVE (W), ROBERT LOVE (P), and JEFF WASSON (I)
On sale August 11, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Jonathan Fierce, a profiler for the FBI gifted with psychic abilities, failed to stop an explosion which has just killed his team of fellow agents, the only real family he’s ever had. The FBI wants to charge him with the crime. Now Fierce is hunted by the Feds and on the run from the crime syndicate that killed his team. Miraculously, Fierce can hear the voices of his slain teammates, giving him the skills and abilities to become a one man strike force. Now he’s going deep under cover into the Jamaican underworld to strike at the heart of the syndicate and uncover the facts behind the conspiracy against him.
Jeremy and Robert Love, the creative force behind Gettosake Entertainment and the masterminds who brought comics fans Midnight Mover, now bring you the slickest, most stylish and suspenseful action thriller on stands today.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/fused_machine.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/fused_machine_t.jpg" align=right alt="Fused: Think Like A Machine TPB preview"></a>FUSED: THINK LIKE A MACHINE TPB
STEVE NILES (W) JOSH MEDORS & PETER REPOVSKI (A) ERIC POWELL (Cover)
On sale September 22, SC, 112pg, FC, 7" x 10" $12.95
Mark Haggerty was a promising young robotics engineer with a smart, sexy wife and a bright future just within his grasp—until his body became fused with an experimental robot suit during a routine testing session. Trapped inside a powerful, high-tech body that’s as mysterious as it is cool, and suddenly the unwilling pawn in a deadly struggle between obsessive egos and misguided military forces who wish to recruit him for their own uses, Mark’s life is forever changed. And the outlook for life returning to anything close to “normal”…well, it’s not looking too good. With his human body consumed more each day by the Cy-bot suit, his once-loving marriage is suffering the consequences of his transformation, and the most dangerous elements in the world closing in around him, Mark’s just doing what he can to get through each day. The sudden appearance of a bizarre super-villain at the military base he’s called home spins Mark’s world even more violently out of control. And soon he realizes one thing—his only recourse is to keep fighting whatever gets in his way, until he gets his life back. Collecting the four-issue miniseries.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/goboy7tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/goboy7tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Go-Boy 7, vol. 2 preview"></a>GO-BOY 7 VOL. 2: THE HUMAN FACTOR TPB
BRIAN AUGUSTYN (W) JON SOMMARIVA & TODD DEMONG (A)
On sale September 22, SC, 96pg, FC, $12.95
When Jonny Zero’s blood was infused with lifesaving nanotech plasm his life was changed forever. No longer simply a teenaged boy, Jonny became GO BOY 7—Human Action Machine! Now Jonny’s life is one adventure after another as he battles the evil, nonsensical genius of THE CULTIST—who seeks the destruction of logic, reason, and Go Boy 7! In this collection, the Cultist’s devastating creativity with anarchic giga-technology threatens civilization yet again, and an enigmatic new player is in town: BioAgent! Who is this sudden hero, what is happening to Jonny’s body, and what is the origin of the Cultist? Collecting issues #5-#8 of the series.
Don’t miss out on this second collection of ROCKET COMICS’ foremost title, featuring the storytelling talents of Brian Augustyn (B.P.R.D.: Dark Waters, Crimson, The Flash, JLA: Year One) and the kinetic art of hot young newcomers Jon Sommariva and Todd Demong!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/gogirl1tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/gogirl1tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Go-Girl!, vol. 1 preview"></a>GO-GIRL VOLUME 1: THE TIME TEAM TPB
TRINA ROBINS (W) ANNE TIMMONS (A)
On sale September 8, SC, 96pg, b&w, 5 1/4" x 7 1/2", $5.95
Today is like any other day in Grover Cleveland High’s science lab—any day in the Jurassic Era, that is! Doc, the school genius, has rigged up a tight little time machine masquerading as an exercise bike, all fine and good until pretty-girl princess Heather cops a ride and drags herself, Doc, and Lindsay Goldman—a.k.a. teen superhero GoGirl!—back several million years to the dinosaur-infested jungles of the long-gone past. If being late for cheerleading practice isn’t enough of an annoyance, try ditching a hungry T-Rex! And where did those alien spaceships come from?!
Crafted by creator/writer Trina Robbins and artist Anne Timmons, the award-winning GoGirl! has captivated readers of all ages, and now GoGirl! stars in her own series of all-new original graphic novels.
• “...departs from contemporary comicdom’s redundant repertoire of male power fantasies.” – Carol Cooper, The Village Voice
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/goon8.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/goon8t.jpg" align=right alt="The Goon #8 preview"></a>THE GOON #8
ERIC POWELL (W/A)
On sale August 18, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Vampires. What have they become? Effeminate fang-bearing prissy types wearing billowy shirts and velvet suits that would embarrass a gay pirate. Mostly the Goon just straps them to the hood of his car and sets them on fire. But that is not what vampires used to be. In the beginning they were restless spirits who would rise from the grave to leech the life from their still-grieving loved ones. Now one of these ancient succubi has returned with her heart set on the man they call Goon.
• The Goon #1 has been nominated for the Eisner Award for the 2004 Best Single Issue.
• Eric Powell and The Goon have also been nominated for Best Humor Publication and Best Writer/Artist-Humor.
•The International Horror Guild Awards has awarded Eric Powell’s The Goon 1-4 for Best Illustrated Narrative!
GRENDEL: DEVIL’S REIGN #4 (of 7)
MATT WAGNER (W) and TIM SALE (A)
On sale August 18, FC, 32pg, (4 of 7), $3.50
It is the 26th century A.D. Orion Assante has become the Grendel-Khan, emperor of the western world, and a huge political target! In an effort to strike at the Khan, African nationalists kidnap Orion’s wife Sherri, who is still recovering from the tragedy of losing a child. Meanwhile, a vampiric revolution is brewing at Grendel’s Palace in Vegas … and hinges somehow on a timid man with a pigeon totem. Regardless, it has become necessary to invade Africa. Grendels, ready yourselves! The time is now, and the difference is you!
• Re-presenting the original Grendel #37, newly remastered by award-winning colorist Matt Hollingsworth.
FOR MATURE READERS
HARD BOILED TPB
FRANK MILLER (W) and GEOF DARROW (A)
Now Available!, SC, 128pg, FC, $16.95
After being out of print for over a year the award-winning, fan favorite is back!
Carl Seltz is a suburban insurance investigator, a loving husband, and devoted father. Nixon is a berserk, homicidal tax collector racking up mind-boggling body counts in a diseased urban slaughterhouse. Unit Four is the ultimate robot killing machine—and the last hope of the future’s enslaved mechanical servants. And they’re all the same psychotic entity.
FOR MATURE READERS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/ornament_hecklejeckle.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/ornament_hecklejeckle_t.jpg" align=right alt="Heckle & Jeckle Ornament Set preview"></a>HECKLE & JECKLE ORNAMENT SET
On sale August 18, FC, 32pg, (4 of 7), $19.99
2 piece ornament set, 4 1/2" – 5" tall, fully painted polyresin, packaged in full-color window box
Following our adorable flying Mighty Mouse ornament, we bring you fellow Terrytoons Heckle and Jeckle, the talking magpies. The talented folks at Yoe! Studios have sculpted them as we know them best: wearing mischievous grins, since they’re always up to no good. These classic ornaments, new this year, seem timeless. They stand or hang alone, but can also be posed together for year-round display.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/hellsing4tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/hellsing4tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Hellsing Volume 4 TPB preview"></a>HELLSING VOLUME 4 TPB
KOHTA HIRANO (W/A)
On sale September 22, SC, 192pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $13.95
What do you get when the Nazis having hidden in South America for generations, have engineered an army of vampires, and are preparing for an all-out campaign of deathly dominance? Well, for one, you get a little unity. It seems the Protestant Hellsing Organization and the Catholic Iscariot agency might just have to think about teaming up. It’s looking like the world’s biggest battle of blood and fangs is soon to erupt. Read about the next big arms build up as the first World War of the undead is mounting. It’s just heating up in Hellsing.
• All volumes of the Dark Horse version of Hellsing are published in the original Japanese format!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_hellsing_bats.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_hellsing_bats_t.jpg" align=right alt="Hellsing: Bats/Black/Adult Tee preview"></a>HELLSING: BATS/BLACK/ADULT TEE
On sale July 14
Hellsing T-shirt: Bats
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Another one of Dark Horse's popular manga titles gets a t-shirt... Hellsing! Look stylish as you combat the undead in this shirt featuring the main character, Alucard, from Hellsing!
HELLSING: FIGURE/BLACK/ADULT TEE
On sale July 14
Hellsing T-shirt: Figure
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Another one of Dark Horse's popular manga titles gets a t-shirt... Hellsing! Look stylish as you combat the undead in this shirt featuring the main character, Alucard, from Hellsing!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/LTDCMM4.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/LTDCMM4t.jpg" align=right alt="Last Train to Deadsville #4 preview"></a>LAST TRAIN TO DEADSVILLE: A CAL MCDONALD MYSTERY #4 (of 4)
STEVE NILES (W) and KELLEY JONES (A)
On sale August 25, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Steve Niles has done it again—crafted a white-knuckled horror adventure that’s as funny as it is frightening, and as smart as it is spooky. This month Niles—along with his artist accomplice Kelley Jones—puts a wrap on Last Train to Deadsville, the latest hit miniseries of his Cal McDonald canon. With his ghoul-partner Mo’Lock in trouble, and his journalist girlfriend tagging along to keep her eye on him, Cal’s hands are full even before he gets to the point of dealing with an entire Southern California town that just happens to be possessed by the nastiest spirit ever. Demonic possessions, gaping holes that lead to hell, otherworldly monsters—Cal can deal with these. But a girlfriend who wants to know what their future holds? Talk about a nightmare!
FOR MATURE READERS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/lazarus_jack.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/lazarus_jack_t.jpg" align=right alt="Lazarus Jack TPB preview"></a>LAZARUS JACK TPB
MARK RICKETTS (W) HORACIO DOMINGUES (A)
On sale September 29, SC, 128pg, FC, $14.95
Ultimate Spider-Man writer Brian Michael Bendis called writer Mark Ricketts “one of the singularly most talented people in comics.” Now Ricketts presents a spellbinding new tale blending reality and imagination, comedy and terror.
Plagued by an incident that cost him his family, magician Jackson Pierce struggles to reclaim them by embarking on a terrifying, nonstop, dimension-hopping thrill ride. On this journey through fantastic worlds both seduced and devastated by black magic, Jackson undergoes disturbing transformations, falls prey to an insane sorcerer, defies zero gravity, and ultimately confronts the demons from his past.
Mark Ricketts is the acclaimed writer of the graphic novel Nowheresville and the winner of the 2000 Klasky Csupo screenwriting competition. He has been described as “a powerful storyteller” by Don McPherson of The Fourth Rail and praised for having “a keen eye for the dark places and a sharp ear for the beat of speech” by 100 Bullets author Brian Azzarello.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Lone_tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Lone_tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="Lone TPB preview"></a>LONE TPB
STUART MOORE (W) JEROME OPENA, ALBERTO PONTICELLI, & BEN TEMPLESMITH (A) JEROME OPENA (Cover)
On sale September 29, SC, 152pg, FC, 6" x 9", $14.95
Ravenous zombies have overrun the post-apocalyptic town of Desolation. Sharpshooter Luke and her older brother, Mark, are desperate. Their only hope is to track down and enlist the help of a gunman legendary in the western wasteland, a man known only as Lone. But if they find him, can they trust him? Cletus, a right geezer who claims to know Lone, seems to know more than he’s saying—‘specially after Luke mentioned how the zombies are being controlled by a strange figure that bleeds yellow. And what are "Gunfathers," anyway? After fighting off radiation-twisted mutants for two weeks, Luke and Mark are ready for answers. Collecting the six-issue miniseries.Featuring the rich storytelling of Stuart Moore, the stunning and imaginative art of Russ Manning Award winner Jerome Opeña, and a short story with Sam and Twitch artist Alberto Ponticelli.
• The Dark Horse line of Rocket Comics was created to provide action-packed comics reading for readers from 10 to 100!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/statue_LuisRoyo_t.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/statue_LuisRoyo_t.jpg" align=right alt="Luis Royo Statue preview"></a>LUIS ROVO STATUE
LUIS ROVO (A) & STEVE KIWUS (SCULPTER)
On sale August 25, $125.00
9 1/2" tall, prepainted, boxed in deluxe color collector packaging, certificate of authenticity signed by artist Luis Royo and sculptor Steve Kiwus included.
One of the world’s foremost fantasy artists is Spanish grand master Luis Royo. His many books, magazine covers, and portfolios have won him acclaim everywhere.
Dark Horse is pleased to collaborate with Mr. Royo and his Spanish publisher to create the first statue based on his work. We have engaged sculptor Steve Kiwus to interpret one of Royo’s famous covers for Heavy Metal magazine.
Featuring a cloaked, sword-wielding female warrior and a savage robot creature in a stark post-apocalyptic landscape, this monumental work conveys the detail, sensuousness, and imagination that are Royo’s calling card.
Limited to only 950 numbered pieces for worldwide distribution. Allocation may occur.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/MARS_tpb.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/MARS_tpb_t.jpg" align=right alt="M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War TPB preview"></a>M.A.R.S. PATROL TOTAL WAR TPB
WALLY WOOD (W/A)
On sale September 29, SC, 112pg, FC, $12.95
When mysterious invaders appear out of nowhere to wreak havoc and attack every nation on the planet, the Earth’s military forces call on an elite team of the most skilled soldiers from all over the world, the Marine Attack Rescue Service—better known as M.A.R.S. Patrol!
Dark Horse is proud to present a collection of rare material from one of the greatest artists to ever illustrate science fiction comics, the legendary Wally Wood’s M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War. Reprinting the first three issues of the Gold Key science fiction epic, this collection represents Wood’s total contribution to the series and is a must for any fan of Wally Wood or collector of comic book or science fiction classics.
• Wally Wood is generally regarded as America’s best science fiction artist. In his 32-year career in comics, Wally Wood worked for vitually every comic book publisher, producing an astonishing body of work that encompassed virtually every genre in comics. His art combined realism and caricature with virtuous inking techniques to create some of the most visually appealing images ever created in comics.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Milkman_Murders2.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Milkman_Murders2t.jpg" align=right alt="Milkman Murders #2 preview"></a>MILKMAN MURDERS #2 (of 4)
JOE CASEY (W) and STEVE PARKHOUSE (A)
On sale August 4, FC, 32pg, $2.99
The promiscuous daughter, the sadistic son, and the drug-addled, abusive husband all do their parts to erode our housekeeping heroine’s last scrap of sanity in the wake of last issue’s horrific events. Joe Casey spins a yarn more twisted than his weirdest Batman book, more out of this world than The X-Men. Steve Parkhouse, who showed the monstrous side of suburban England with Alan Moore in Bojeffries Saga, goes into a deeper, scarier world as the Milkman Murders continue.
FOR MATURE READERS
THE NAIL #3 (of 4)
STEVE NILES (W), ROB ZOMBIE (W), and NAT JONES (A)
On sale August 18, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Rocker Rob Zombie and rockin’ horror writer Steve Niles are hard at work hammering out the year’s most over-the-top horror comic—The Nail! Hunted and terrorized by a demonic band of devil bikers across a remote area of North Dakota, semi-pro wrestler Rex “The Nail” Hauser and his family are quickly realizing that their own resourcefulness is their only hope for survival in this deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
But the hunters are relentless as they stalk and terrorize their quarry, and soon Rex and his family realize that they can’t run, and there’s nowhere left to hide … so now their only hope is to band together and take a stand against the demons-on-wheels, even if it’s the last thing they do.
FOR MATURE READERS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/OMG111t.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/OMG111t.jpg" align=right alt="Oh My Goddess #111 preview"></a>OH MY GODDESS! #111: SORA UNCHAINED part 7 (of 8)
KOSUKE FUJISHIMA (W/A)
On sale August 4, b&w, 48pg, $3.99
In a special 48-page issue, we find Sora Hasegawa and Keiichi “K1” Morisato neck-and-neck in the cutest and craziest motorized cart race in history! The homestretch nears, as the combatants rev through insane short cuts, attempt gravity-defying feats, and cope with odd twists and complications that only the goddesses Urd and Skuld could add. What are Belldandy’s sisters thinking? This issue is a great showcase for creator Kosuke Fujishima’s brilliantly expressive, hilarious artwork, and is the penultimate chapter in the “Sora Unchained” storyline.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/petefowler_coasterset.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/petefowler_coasterset_t.jpg" align=right alt="Pete Fowler Coaster Set preview"></a>PETE FOWLER COASTER SET
On sale June 23, 4 full color coasters, 1/8" thick, packaged in a printed circular tin case, $12.99
From Pete Fowler, creator of the “Don’t Stray From the Path!” journal and the “Woodlands of Monsterism Island” stationery set, it’s the “Woodland Drinks and Drunkers” coaster set! Have your drinks with the inhabitants of the wild Monsterism Woodland as they imbibe along with you ! Control the masses of wigged-out hippies by enclosing them in their craftily decorated tin holding pen! Learn about Chef’s Cloudy Home Brew by reading the drink recipe book. Practice Pete’s voodoo hypnotizing spells by drinking heavily and giving a coaster creature the evil eye!
Invite the World of Monsterism to your next party!
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/toy_quimby.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/toy_quimby_t.jpg" align=right alt="Quimby the Mouse Wooden Toy preview"></a>QUIMBY THE MOUSE WOODEN TOY
On sale August 11, 6" tall, packaged in a full-color hand designed box with a 32 page hardcover, $24.99
One of the least visible and most culturally-obtuse metaphors of the mid nineteen-nineties, “Quimby the Mouse” originally found expression within cartoonist F. C. Ware’s periodical “The ACME Novelty Library,” a now largely forgotten dip in the otherwise steady line of quality of late twentieth century alternative comics. Finding its least-resistant audience in a population of paper fetishists, schoolteachers, and professional virgins, “Quimby the Mouse” now re-appears, fashioned from the most uncontemporary materials available, perfect for display or discard. This wood, wire, cloth and rope approximation of Mr. Ware’s most painful private personal problems is now ready to re-enact all his adventures and tragedies; efficiently packaged in a colorful cardboard container with a 32 page hardcover book, the whole setup is rounded off with a perfect scale replica bonus of Quimby the Mouse’s long lost love, “Sparky the Cat.” Sure to be coveted by collectors and sanitation engineers alike, place your orders now for this little memento of pre-21st century nostalgia today.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/sjn3.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/sjn3t.jpg" align=right alt="Shi: Ju-Nen #3 preview"></a>SHI: JU-NEN #3 (of 4)
BILLY TUCCI (W/A), BILLY TUCCI and MARC SPARACIO (Cover)
On sale August 4, FC, 32pg, $3.99
As Ana’s grandfather Yoshitora’s life hangs by a thread, Ana realizes she must do battle against her greatest foe and best friend Tomoe. Surrounded by the venomous fan dancer, Lady Kaoyo and the desperate Nara Sohei, Ana has but one choice for survival. She must retreat into the darkened depths of her own vengeful past to bring forward the most primal forces of execution and truly embrace the Spirit of Death ... Shi.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Spyboy_FE4.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Spyboy_FE4t.jpg" align=right alt="Spyboy: Final Exam #4 preview"></a>SPYBOY: FINAL EXAM #4 (of 4)
PETER DAVID (W) and POP MHAN (A)
On sale August 4, FC, 32pg, $2.99
It’s graduation day for the senior class of Rosenberg High, but where’s Alex Fleming, a.k.a. SpyBoy? Trapped in a final, desperate battle with SpyGuy to prevent the entire town from being blown to bits, while Alex’s dad wrestles with the discovery that Alex’s mother is not only alive, but his greatest enemy!
STAR WARS: EMPIRE #24
RON MARZ (W) JEFF JOHNSON (A)
On sale August 11, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Han Solo and Chewbacca are tapped by the Rebel Alliance for a mission that requires their special skills and knowledge of the underworld. But for Han, it’s a chance to get away from the new responsibilities he’s taken on since joining the Rebellion and indulge his former free-booting ways.
Visiting old haunts brings chance meetings with old friends. But some friendships may only be as deep as one’s pockets, and when a fellow smuggler learns of the Imperial bounty on their heads, Han and Chewie’s mini-vacation threatens to become a life sentence!
Rollicking fun, high adventure, and deep danger featuring everybody’s favorite rogues!
• Jeff Johnson, new to Star Wars, was the artist on CrossGen’s Way of the Rat.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/SW_Republic68.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/SW_Republic68t.jpg" align=right alt="Star Wars Republic #68 preview"></a>STAR WARS REPUBLIC #68
JOHN OSTRANDER (W) JAN DUURSEMA (A)
On sale August 25, FC, 32pg, $2.99
It was bound to happen! Pursuing the lost plans for a Separatist secret weapon, Jedi Aayla Secura has a showdown with her former Master and friend turned dark Jedi—Quinlan Vos!
Clone Commander Bly, accompanying his Jedi-General Aayla Secura, understands the purpose and function of the armor he wears. But as he experiences the confrontation between Aayla and Quin, he witnesses the strengths—and weaknesses—of the mental, emotional, and spiritual “armor” worn by each of the combatants.
In this special issue, told from Bly’s point of view the mysteries of the Jedi are viewed from a human perspective. And when the turmoil wrought upon the Jedi by the Clone Wars and by the seething power of the dark side threatens them all, Bly, Aayla, and Quin must each make a life-or-death decision.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/SWMGamorrean.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/SWMGamorrean_t.jpg" align=right alt="Star Wars Minibust Gamorrean Guard preview"></a>STAR WARS MINIBUST GAMORREAN GUARD
On sale October 27, 5 1/2" tall, fully painted, package in a full color box with certificate of authenticity, $12.95
Gentle Giant Studios has turned their skills toward a sculptural depiction of one of Jabba the Hutt’s chief minions—the Gammorean Guards. These fellows, dominant on their home planet Gamorr, favor ancient weapons like the axe pictured. They are much too set in their ways to pick up a blaster! Gamorreans generally worked their way up from the slave class into their more appropriate work as guards and soldiers. Tricked by Jabba into serfdom at his palace, most came to a bad end as depicted in Return of the Jedi.
As always, Gentle Giant Studios, recent winners of Diamond’s Gem Award for best mini-bust of 2003, have created an elaborately detailed and highly collectible new edition to their growing cast of Star Wars character sculptures. It’s so real you can practically smell it. Almost.
This statue stands 5 1/2" tall and includes metal axe blade and shoulder pads, packaged in full-color box with certificate of authenticity. Edition size not set at press time.
STAR WARS: PANEL TO PANEL TPB
DAVE DORMAN, HUGH FLEMING, CAM KENNEDY TSUNEO SANDA, TERESE NIELSEN, KIA ASAMIYA, JON FOSTER, KILIAN PLUNKETT, AND MORE (A)
On sale September 29, SC, 192pg, FC, 9" x 12", $19.95
From 1992 to 1999, Dark Horse Comics was virtually the only source of new Star Wars visual art. Even after the release of the new films, the talented artists at Dark Horse have continued to expand thee depth and breadth of the Star Wars galaxy. From ancient Jedi to alien worlds, from fantastic creatures to faster-than-light spaceships, no other publisher has produced so many dazzling images from our generation’s greatest mythology.
This book presents an amazing selection of covers and interior images from over a decade of Dark Horse’s comics and graphic novels, by some of the best artists the world over. A visual feast for anyone who enjoyed the films, a true treasure for the dedicated Star Wars fan!
SUPER MANGA BLAST! #44
MASAMUNE SHIROW (W/A), MOHIRO KITOH (W/A), MAKOTO KOBAYASHI (W/A), YUZO TAKADA (W/A), and HIROYUKI UTATANE (W) & YO MORIMOTO (A)
On sale August 25, b&w 128pg, $5.99
This issue’s starts off with two episodes of Makoto Kobayashi’s playful, cat-centric strip, What’s Michael?, featuring conniving, domestic felines at their troublesome best. Kobayashi’s slice-of-life Club 9 drama chucks its usual romantic comedy aside, as the frightening, two-part “Nightmare on Aki’s Street” story line concludes. The heroics of Hoichi “Gun” Kano are chronicled in Cannon God Exaxxion, with the Exaxxion robot temporarily out of commission Hoichi dones his powerful, armored suit! Ambushed on a space transport leaving the moon, the Seraphic Feather team faces combat of the mysterious, meta-powered kind. The horrific conclusion to Shadow Star’s “My Eyes Are the Eyes of a Victim…” story arc finds Shiina confronting the supernatural cause of her classmates’ violent deaths, and what happens on the last few pages will DEFINITELY bring about big changes for our lead characters!
FOR MATURE READERS
TERADA
Mr. Terada is one of Japan’s most popular and respected artists. His work has graced many publications, posters, books, and manga. He is winning a wide range of fans worldwide, and is only now being discovered by the United States. Dark Horse is pleased to be one of the first to publish his work in the U.S. Katsuya Terada did a famous series of covers for Wanai magazine, later collected in book form by Kodansha and as a portfolio by Dark Horse. These strange but beautiful images form a striking and colorful new release in our ongoing stationery and journal program.
Katsuya Terada’s first major art exhibit took place in May at Portland Oregon’s Compound Gallery. As a co-sponsor of this show, Dark Horse was able to obtain 100 signed copies of an original poster created exclusively for the exhibit. We are pleased to be able to offer them to Diamond customers.
On sale September 9
Terada Cover Girls Journal, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2” spiral-bound journal, 128pg, $9.99
Terada Cover Girls Stationery Set #1, $4.99
Terada Cover Girls Stationery Set #2, $4.99
Each stationery set includes 8 writing sheets (four different styles), 6 envelopes (4 different styles), and a set of stickers. Packaged with a printed belly-band, all inside a protective plastic bag.
On sale July 21
Terada Silk Screen Lithograph, 18" x 24", limited to 100 signed copies, $40.00
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_cover.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_cover_t.jpg" align=right alt="Trigun: Cover/Black/Adult Tee preview"></a>TRIGUN: COVER/BLACK/ADULT TEE
On sale July 14
Trigun T-shirt: Cover
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Finally! T-shirts from our #1 selling book: Trigun! People have been asking for these images on a number of products, but the most-requested item was a T-shirt. You get what you ask for at Dark Horse Comics...
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_babydoll.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_babydoll_t.jpg" align=right alt="Trigun: Kitty/Baby blue/babydoll with black cap sleeves and collar preview"></a>TRIGUN: KITTY/BABY BLUE/BABYDOLL WITH BLACK CAP SLEEVES AND COLLAR
On sale July 14
Trigun Babydoll T-shirt: Kitty
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Finally! T-shirts from our #1 selling book: Trigun! People have been asking for these images on a number of products, but the most-requested item was a T-shirt. You get what you ask for at Dark Horse Comics...
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_kitty.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/tshirt_trigun_kitty_t.jpg" align=right alt="Trigun: Kitty/Stone/Adult Tee preview"></a>TRIGUN: KITTY/STONE/ADULT TEE
On sale July 14
Trigun T-shirt: Kitty
M-XL $17.99 XXL 19.99
Finally! T-shirts from our #1 selling book: Trigun! People have been asking for these images on a number of products, but the most-requested item was a T-shirt. You get what you ask for at Dark Horse Comics...
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Usagi_Yojimbo78.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0804/Usagi_Yojimbo78t.jpg" align=right alt="Usagi Yojimbo #78 preview"></a>USAGI YOJIMBO #78
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale August 25, b&w, 24pg, $2.99
The world’s favorite rabbit ronin continues his adventures in the 20th year of Stan Sakai’s celebrated series, Usagi Yojimbo! A cantankerous old woman hires the reluctant samurai to help her run away from home—with all of her valuables. However, she is being pursued by a fierce pack of bandits! Can Usagi survive the bandits’ attack? Even worse—can he survive the old lady?! Guarding Tess meets 17th century Japan when Usagi becomes a “Samurai for Hire”!
• Usagi Yojimbo is a 2004 Young Adult Library Services Association award winner!
• Usagi Yojimbo #65 has been nominated for the Eisner Award for the 2004 Best Single Issue.
AUGUST CHECKLIST
COMICS
Blade of the Immortal #92: Last Blood part 3 • $2.99
BMWFilms.com—The Hire: Precious Cargo #2 • $2.99
Conan #7 • $2.99
Fierce #2 • $2.99
The Goon #8 • $2.99
Grendel: Devil’s Reign #4 • $3.50
Last Train to Deadsville: A Cal McDonald Mystery #4 • $2.99
The Milkman Murders #2 • $2.99
The Nail #3 • $2.99
Oh My Goddess! #111: Sora Unchained part 7 • $3.99
Shi: Ju-Nen #3 • $2.99
SpyBoy: Final Exam #4 • $2.99
Star Wars: Empire #24 • $2.99
Star Wars: Republic #68 • $2.99
Super Manga Blast! #45 • $5.99
Usagi Yojimbo #78 • $2.99
TRADE PAPERBACK AND HARDCOVERS
Aliens vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt (trade paperback) • $6.95
Don Bluth’s Art of Storyboard (trade paperback) • $15.95
Fused: Think Like a Machine (trade-paperback collection) • $12.95
Go Boy 7 Volume 2 (trade-paperback collection) • $12.95
Go Girl Volume 1: The Time Team (trade-paperback collection) • $5.95
Hard Boiled (trade-paperback collection) • $16.95
Hellsing Volume 4 (trade-paperback collection) • $13.95
Lazarus Jack (trade paperback) • $14.95
Lone (trade-paperback collection) • $14.95
M.A.R.S. Patrol: Total War (trade-paperback collection) • $12.95
Star Wars: Panel To Panel: From The Pages Of Dark Horse Comics
To A Galaxy Far, Far Away (trade-paperback collection) • $19.95
SPECIALITY ITEMS
Dark Horse License plates
Bettie Page: Oh My • $14.99
Bettie Page: Bad Girl • $14.99
Hot Stuff • $14.99
Heckle & Jeckle ornament set • $19.99
Luis Royo bust • $125.00
Pete Fowler coaster set • $12.99
Quimby the Mouse wooden toy • $24.99
Shi mini-bust • $44.99
Star Wars mini-bust: Gamorrean Guard • $45.00
Terada Cover Girls Journal • $9.99
Terada Cover Girls Stationery Set #1 • $4.99
Terada Cover Girls Stationery Set #2 • $4.99
Terada Silk Screen Lithograph • $40.00
T-shirts (Trigun, Hellsing) • $17.99-$19.99
Dark Horse Comics®, Rocket Comics™, Extra™, Dark Horse Presents™, Crush™, DHP™, The Mask™, Barb Wire™, Galactic™, Ghost™, Go Boy 7™, Dark Horse Heroes™, Hell™, Lone™, The Nevermen™, SpyBoy™, Syn™, Dark Horse Classics™, The Nevermen™, The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings™, The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft™, and the Dark Horse logo are all trademarks of Dark Horse Comics, Inc. • Aliens vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt™ & © 2004 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. • Bettie Page TM BMP Productions, Inc. by CMG Worldwide Inc., Indpls., IN, 46256 USA www.cmgww.com. • Blade of the Immortal © 2004 by Hiroaki Samura. All rights reserved. New and adapted artwork and text copyright 2004 Studio Proteus and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. • BMW The Hire ©2004 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks. • Conan® and Conan the Barbarian® (including all prominent characters featured in this issue) and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Conan Properties International, LLC unless otherwise noted. All contents © Conan Properties International, LLC unless otherwise noted. • Don Bluth’s The Art of Storyboard ©2004 by Don Bluth's ToonTalk, Inc. • Fierce™ © Gettosake Entertainment. • The Goon™ © 2004 Eric Powell. • Text and illustrations for Fused, Last Train to Deadsville: A Cal McDonald Mystery™ © 2004 Steve Niles. • GoGirl™ © by Trina Robbins. Illustrations © Anne Timmons. • Grendel: Devil’s Reign © 2004 by Matt Wagner. Grendel™ is a trademark of Matt Wagner. • Hard Boiled® & © 1990, 1992, 2004 Frank Miller, Inc. and Geof Darrow. All rights reserved. • HELLSING volume 4 © KOHTA HIRANO 1998 Originally published in Japan in 1998 by SHONEN GAHOSHA Co., Ltd., TOKYO. English translation rights arranged with SHONEN GAHOSHA Co., Ltd., TOKYO through TOHAN CORPORATION, TOKYO. English translation copyright Dark Horse Comics, Inc./Digital Manga, Inc. • Text and illustration of Lazarus Jack™ © 2004 Mark Ricketts. • M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War © 2004 by Random House, Inc. • Milkman Murders™ © 2004 Joe Casey and Steve Parkhouse. • The Nail™ © 2004 Dark Horse Comics, Inc. and Rob Zombie. • Oh My Goddess! copyright © 2003 by Kosuke Fujishima. All rights reserved. New and adapted artwork and text copyright 2003 Studio Proteus and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. • Shi™ & © 2004 Billy Tucci.. • Star Wars© Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. • Super Manga Blast!™ Dark Horse Comics, Inc. Shadow Star copyright © 2004 by Mohiro Kitoh. 3x3 Eyes copyright © 2004 by Yuzo Takada. New and adapted artwork and text of the above titles copyright 2004 Studio Proteus and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. • Usagi Yojimbo™ & © 2003 Stan Sakai.
Pre-order any of these items online now at X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=786&cat=DARK+HORSE)