BERSERK VOLUME 6 TPB
On sale January 12, SC, 224pg b&w, 6" x 9", $13.95
KENTARO MIURA (W/A)
Back in the day, Guts the Black Swordsman was a top slayer for The Band of the Hawk, an elite mercenary unit led by Griffith, whose calm demeanor and callow beauty belied his fighting prowess and steel will. While in a king’s employ, the attraction between the king’s daughter and Griffith and the growing favor of the king towards the Hawk leader raises the hackles of the king’s jealous son, who plots to have Griffith summarily assassinated. But if the plot fails, the king’s son will likely have to deal with Guts and his titanic broadsword, and the results of such confrontations are rarely pretty... or easy to clean up.
• Each volume of Berserk comes shrink-wrapped and carries an 18+ cover content advisory.
FOR MATURE READERS
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #96: TWILIGHT (Part 1 of 3)
On sale December 8, b&w, 32pg, $2.99
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
Trying to recover from a Mugai-ryü ambush, Anotsu assembles a colorful group, his finest surviving Itto-ryü warriors, to re-affirm loyalties and focus their anger. Once again, revenge-lust hangs heavy in the air, as Anotsu sets his followers against the man he feels is responsible for crippling his sword school. Reunited and recovering from their last ferocious battle, Manji and Rin rest at an idyllic cabin. Rin hones her swordfighting skills and drops a huge surprise on Manji. Their break from the fray may be short-lived, however, as the bald, spectacled Giichi arrives with an unsettling proposition.
• Winner of Japan’s prestigious Media Arts Award and America’s own Will Eisner Award.
• TWELVE volumes of this modern classic available in the Dark Horse backlist!
FOR MATURE READERS
B.P.R.D.: THE DEAD #2 (of 5)
On sale December 1, FC, 32pg, $2.99
MIKE MIGNOLA (W), JOHN ARCUDI (W), GUY DAVIS (P/I), and DAVE STEWART (C)
Mysterious shrines are appearing across the Midwest—shrines to frog-like gods that mean gruesome death for anyone who encounters them. But before the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense can pursue this threat, Johann is overcome by a mysterious presence lurking deep beneath the new B.P.R.D. headquarters. Meanwhile, Abe Sapien wrestles with demons of his own in an old house on the coast of Rhode Island. The secrets of his past are not only revealed to him, but take terrible form before his very eyes.
• With the B.P.R.D. and all of its members featuring prominently in the Hellboy motion-picture, B.P.R.D. has become comics’ greatest new team-up book!
B.P.R.D.: PLAGUE OF FROGS TPB
On sale January 26, SC, 144pg, FC, 7"x10", $17.95
MIKE MIGNOLA (W), GUY DAVIS (P), and DAVE STEWART (C)
After holding it a secret for ten years, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola finally reveals Abe Sapien’s bizarre history. Introduced in the first Hellboy book and featured prominently in the film, Abe Sapien has remained one of the most intriguing mysteries of Mignola’s celebrated work.
The recent Hellboy film steered clear of any origin story for Abe so that the tale could be told in Plague of Frogs. The story of Abe’s origins unfolds as the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense try to stop the monstrous frog men from the first Hellboy graphic novel, Seed of Destruction. The plague begins its spread across America, lending an apocalyptic new direction to Mignola’s stories. Collecting the five-issue miniseries.
• With art by Guy Davis and a behind-the-scenes look at his sketchbook, this third volume of B.P.R.D. sees Mignola taking over writing chores for the first time and reveals secrets he’s kept under wraps since the beginning of the Hellboy saga, and changes that world completely.
CONAN #11
On sale December 22, FC, 32pg, $2.99
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (P), THOMAS YEATES (P), DAVE STEWART (C), LEINIL FRANCIS YU (Cover)
It’s the fateful finale of Dark Horse’s adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s classic Conan story, “The God in the Bowl!” A Hyborean, locked-room murder mystery explodes in horror and death, as Conan comes face-to-face with the inhuman machinations of the dread sorcerer Thoth-amon. Plus, threads build that will embroil Conan in a continent-spanning conflict that will change the direction of his life forever.
• Wizard Top Ten Books to watch in 2004
• 2004 Eisner Award-winning for Best Single Issue
CONCRETE: THE HUMAN DILEMMA #1 (of 6)
Eisner-Award winner Paul Chadwick returns with an all-new miniseries!
On sale December 29, b&w w/gray tones, 32pg, $3.50
PAUL CHADWICK (W/A)
Speechwriter Ron Lithgow’s mind was suddenly removed from his body and placed into that of an immense extraterrestrial—one with a rock-like shell for skin. Now, seventeen years after his comics debut with then-fledgling publisher Dark Horse, Lithgow enters into another contemplative conundrum. As the accidental celebrity Concrete, he is now courted by a high-profile CEO to lend his name to a controversial population control program. While Concrete mulls this generous proposition over with his companion Maureen, his longtime aide Larry Munro mulls over an entirely different sort of proposal.
• Winner of six Eisner and three Harvey awards for Concrete, acclaimed creator Paul Chadwick returns with his first Concrete miniseries in six years!
FOR MATURE READERS
DON BLUTH’S THE ART OF ANIMATION DRAWING TPB
On sale January 26, SC, 112pg, FC, 8 1/2" x 11", $14.95
DON BLUTH (W)
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 The Art of Animation Drawing, a companion textbook to 2004’s The Art of Storyboard. While Storyboard described in detail the technical and creative processes involved in crafting the visual blueprints for animated films, The Art of Animation Drawing focuses on the process of designing characters; adapting those characters to script, voice talent, and music; directing the “performances” of your characters; the timing and rhythm of movement; analyzing action; and much more. Loaded with Bluth’s gorgeous artwork and lively, inspirational commentary, The Art of Animation Drawing is a must for animators of any level and a delight for animation enthusiasts of any age.
• Author Don Bluth has directed cartoon classics such 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!
• Don Bluth’s The Art of Animation Drawing is a must for anyone interested in the art of animation!
EL ZOMBO FANTASMA TPB
On sale January 26, SC, 88pg, FC, 7" x 10", $9.95
KEVIN MUNROE (W), DAVE WILKINS (P/I), SEAN GALLOWAY (I), and TONY WASHINGTON (C)
El Zombo Fantasma was the most famous and notorious Mexican wrestler on the planet, up until he was murdered … apparently for throwing a match. Now the luchador has fallen into a strange land of purgatory, and the only way to avoid an eternity of fiery damnation is to return to Los Angeles and guard the well-being of a struggling young spitfire, ten-year-old Belisa Montoya. However, this role as an undead guardian angel gives El Zombo the opportunity to hunt down his killer … and unearth far more than he bargained for. Don’t miss this visually stunning pile-driver of pain from the tag-team of talented newcomers Wilkins, Munroe, and Washington! Collecting the three-issue miniseries.
• Featuring a pinup gallery from Joe Chiodo, Francis Tsai, James Jean, Erik Gist, and more!
GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE TPB
On sale January 19, SC, 312pg, FC, 5 3/4" x 8 1/4", $24.95
MASAMUNE SHIROW (W/A)
March 6, 2035. Motoko Aramaki is a hyper-advanced cyborg, a counter-terrorist net security expert heading the investigative department of the giant multi-national, Poseidon Industrial. Partly transcending the physical world and existing in a virtual world of networks, Motoko is a fusion of multiple entities and identities, deploying remotely controlled prosthetic humanoid surrogates around the globe to solve a series of bizarre crimes. Meanwhile, Tamaki Tamai, a psychic investigator from the Channeling Agency, has been commissioned to investigate strange changes in the temporal universe, brought about by two forces, one represented by the teachings of a professor named Rahampol, and the other by the complex, evolving Motoko entity. What unfolds will be all in a day’s work...a day that will change everything, forever.
• Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface edition will carry an 18+ age advisory and be shrink-wrapped.
• Dark Horse also offers a complete collection of Shirow products including statues, T-shirts, coasters, portfolios, and a lunch box!
THE GOON #10
On sale December 15, FC, 32pg, $2.99
ERIC POWELL (W/A)
As a special holiday treat the cast of The Goon would like to perform that time-honored holiday classic A Christmas Carole. Yes, it’s Dickens’ heart-warming tale of a dead-beat dad who always shows up late for work and won’t work on Christmas to provide his invalid son with proper medical attention. And then three ghosts come and terrorize some old rich guy into paying for the cripple’s medical expenses.
• 2004 Eisner Award-winner for Best Single Issue
• The Goon received four 2004 Eisner nominations
• 2003 Interntional Horror Guild Award Winner (Best Illustrated Narrative)
GRENDEL: DEVIIL’S REIGN #7 (of 7)
On sale December 15, FC, 32pg, $3.50
MATT WAGNER (W), TIM SALE (A), MATT HOLLINGSWORTH (C), and GIULIA BRUSCO (C)
With the entire island of Japan annihilated by sun gun technology, Grendel-Khan Orion Assante now commands the entire planet, assisted by his elite and massive guard of Grendels. The world has entered into a grand imperial age, but Orion I has grown old. The only remaining member of his political inner circle, the ruler must somehow produce an heir and safeguard his empire from power-hungry opportunists. Orion I will volunteer his own body for the cause, and has little time to worry about fugitive vampire Pellon Cross or his now-evangelical following. Though the spirit of the Devil must have left the late Eppy Thatcher, a new incarnation may have been in plain sight all along!
• Re-presenting the original Grendel #40, newly remastered by colorists Matt Hollingsworth and Giulia Brusco.
THE INCREDIBLES #2 (of 4)
On sale December 22, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Adapted from a script by BRAD BIRD (W), RICARDO CURTIS (P), RAMON PEREZ (I)
Mr. Incredible travels to the mysterious jungle island of Nomanisan where he has accepted a mission from Mirage, a woman who claims to be a working for a top-secret division of the government. On the island Mr. Incredible defeats an out-of-control robot, the Omnidroid 9000, and in doing so regains some of the confidence that he had lost after going into the Super Relocation Program. With a newfound belief in himself, Mr. Incredible’s life begins to turn around—he buys a new car, starts working out—basically, he’s a new man. Soon Mirage contacts him with another assignment. Mr. Incredible returns to Nomanisan to be debriefed on the mission, but once on the island, he’s attacked by a newer and stronger Omnidroid. It’s just about to end his life, when a wild-haired man with a familiar past stops it, boasting he is Syndrome, Mr. Incredible’s nemesis! Now Mr. Incredible is in danger. If he’s going to come out of this alive there’s only one thing that can save him—his family!
•Adapted from The Incredibles, a Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film-in theaters November 5th.
THE IRREGULARS TPB
On sale January 12, SC, 128pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $12.95
STEVEN-ELLIOT ALTMAN (W), MICHAEL REAVES (W), BONG DAZO (P), and BEN TEMPLESMITH (COVER)
A madman stalks the streets of London’s Whitechapel slum, leaving a trail of grisly murders in his wake. The police have only one suspect: a prominent and respected physician named John Watson! The master detective Sherlock Holmes, in order to solve the most fantastic mystery of his career and save his greatest friend from the gallows, employs a band of young street urchins to infiltrate the alleys of Whitechapel. They can go everywhere, see everything, overhear everyone. They are the Baker Street Irregulars! Join the Irregulars in the most fantastic and terrifying adventure of their lives, as they uncover an evil unlike anything Sherlock Holmes has ever faced!
• Sherlockian mystery and Lovecraftian horror collide in an adventure that’s sure to please fans of both genres. From best-selling authors Steven-Elliot Altman (Deprivers , The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires) and Michael Reaves (Medstar 2: Jedi Healer (Star Wars: Clone Wars Novel), Shadow Hunter (Star Wars: Darth Maul), featuring the incredible artwork of rising star Bong Dazo!
JINGLE BELLE #2 (of 4)
Jingle all the way…
On sale December 22, FC, 32pg, $2.99
PAUL DINI (W), JOSE GARIBALDI (P), and J. BONE (P)
When you’re the near-immortal teen-aged daughter of Santa Claus, it stands to reason that you’ve had more than your share of interesting dates. This Christmas adds a different dimension to Jingle Belle as we see her through the eyes of those who know her best—her old boyfriends. In a series of vignettes ranging from funny to bittersweet, several of Belle’s beaus, aged eighteen to eighty, gather to share stories of the time they knew her and reveal how the elf-girl’s own special magic changed their lives.
The holidays have come to the weird and woolly town of Mutant, Texas. When the villainous Kiyote clan commandeers Mezcal’s Cantina for their Christmas party, Sheriff Ida and her posse waste no time in teaching the rowdy revelers their own version of “Peace on Earth.”
KARAS
From the creative minds behind Speed Racer comes…Karas!
On sale December 1, FC, 32pg, $2.99
PHIL AMARA (W) and NÚRIA PERIS (A)
In the not-too-distant future, Japan is under siege by strange mechanical monsters led by a sinister ex-hero named Eko. Though the future looks bleak, all is not lost. There is a young hero chosen by the Landlord Yuri to fight against the phantoms that plague Japan. He is KARAS, a powerful armored being appointed to defend the innocent. With the help of Yuri, his mystical mentor, Karas sets out to preserve the natural balance of the universe, and to prevent the friendly old-world monsters from being transformed into mechanical demons!
Karas is the newest creation from the minds of Tatsunoko Production (the production company of Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets) and Keiichi Sato (The Big O).
The comic—written by Phil Amara (The Nevermen) and drawn by amazing newcomer Núria Peris—has a moody style and introverted characters that will appeal to fans of Vampire Hunter D, Ninja Scrolls, and Ghost in the Shell.
MEGATOKYO VOLUME 3 TPB
On sale January 19, SC, 224pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $9.95
FRED GALLAGHER (W/A)
The wildly popular American manga web comic hits its landmark third volume!
Piro and Largo are still stuck in Japan, and this odd couple of an anime/manga-obsessed fanboy and a hard-core gamer, are both stirring up trouble, and stringing together awkward crushes. It’s a true fantasy existence, as the insane and destructive Largo fights “zombie hordes” and Piro pursues the heart of a budding voice actress. All the while, an expanding cast of surprising and delightful characters keeps the chaos moving and the charm flowing.
• Boasting the series thickest book yet at the same affordable price, Megatokyo 3 will feature not only the 3rd and 4th chapters of the entertaining series, but also additional features not available online.
• Dark Horse has sold over 55,000 copies of the first two volumes of Megatokyo!
• “Megatokyo is a delightful and imaginative work of American manga.” —Publisher’s Weekly
• “...a genuinely engaging story filled with well-defined and interesting characters.” —Library Journal
OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 19: SORA UNCHAINED TPB
On sale January 12, SC, 312pg, b&w, 5 3/4" x 8 1/4", $18.95
KOSUKE FUJISHIMA (W/A)
Do you know that cute little girl with the glasses? The shy one who always seems to be blushing? Well, it looks like her time in the spotlight is about to come. The rough-and-ready crew at the Nakomi Tech motor club needs a new director, and meek-and-mild Sora Hasegawa’s drawn the winning lot, a tall order in the midst of such macho machine-heads for someone who can barely drive a car! And she’ll have to prove her mettle on the racecourse to remain director—or to have the right to opt out! Luckily, she has the expert advice of top club racer Keiichi Morisato and the supernatural assistance of his dyed-in-the-wool goddess girlfriend, Belldandy, to help her over the rough spots to prepare for the race. Too bad she’ll have to race against Keiichi, who’s determined to take the checkered flag!
• Created by Kosuke Fujishima, Oh My Goddess! is one Japan’s finest exports, a priceless shipment of action, romance, and comedy!
• Combined sales of Dark Horse Oh My Goddess! graphic novels is well over 300,000 copies!
• “Girl Power has hit comics bigtime!” —YM magazine
SAMURAI: HEAVEN AND EARTH #1 (of 5)
On sale December 1, FC, 32pg, $2.99
RON MARZ (W), LUKE ROSS (P), and JASON KEITH (C)
How far will a man travel for love? What battles will he fight? Will he cross heaven and earth to be by the side of the woman he loves?
Beginning in the feudal Japan of 1704, Samurai: Heaven and Earth follows a lone samurai warrior sworn to be reunited with the love of his life who has been spirited away by his enemies. His pursuit of her will carry him farther than he could have imagined—from his native Japan to the sprawling empire of China, across Europe, and finally to Paris itself. There, in the fabled halls of King Louis XIV’s Versailles, he must cross blades with the greatest swordsmen ever known if he is to reclaim his love.
• The fan-favorite team of writer Ron Marz and artist Luke Ross, fresh off their triumphant finale on Green Lantern, turn their skills to a historical epic in the tradition of Lone Wolf and Cub and Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. Marz and Ross are joined by Eisner-nominated colorist Jason Keith.
• Includes a free preview of the upcoming series The Dragon Prince by Ron Marz and Jeff Johnson.
SUPER MANGA BLAST! #48
On sale December 29, b&w, 128pg, $5.99
MOHIRO KITOH (W/A), MAKOTO KOBAYASHI (W/A), KENICHI SONODA (W/A), AND HIROYUKI UTATANE (W/A) WITH YO MORIMOTO (W/A)
Two hilarious What’s Michael? episodes start this issue off, as we find out why kittens and stereo speakers are a bad mix! Shadow Star continues to develop several creepy, adolescent side-characters, and Shiina tries to adjust to life at the high-pressure Banda Academy. The giant robot rumble in Cannon God Exaxxion concludes, as the tenacious Hoichi faces bloodthirsty alien invaders in a fiery showdown! The slice-of-life romance in Club 9 finds the naïve Haruo feeling confused and tested by an insistent suitor. Our Seraphic Feather meta-heroes battle treacherous super-soldiers aboard a doomed space shuttle, but a betrayal among the terrorists may give them the chance they need to escape!
FOR MATURE READERS
