APOCALYPSE NERD #1 (of 6)
PETER BAGGE (W/A)
On sale January 12, b&w, 32pg, $2.99
Imagine yourself in a post-apocalyptic world, where all the creature comforts that you’ve spent an entire lifetime taking for granted were suddenly gone for good. How do you see yourself reacting to such a situation? Would you “suck it up” and be stoically content? Or would you spend most of the time cursing your fate? We all like to picture ourselves as the former, though the latter is probably a more accurate portrayal—and that's exactly what our “hero” is like in Peter Bagge’s new miniseries.
MARVEL as our protagonist, an asthma ridden, myopic former middle manager for a software company, has his limited survival skills continually put to the test, only to continually come up short! THRILL as his dumb childhood friend Jeff Beasley bullies him around, as he abuses his new found status as the undisputed alpha-male of the two! CRINGE as what’s left of human civilization continually deteriorates around them, and they along with it!
Each issue will also feature a back of story detailing poignant yet humorous anecdotes about America's Founding Fathers. Finally, George Washington and his gang will be starring in comics of their own!
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #97: TWILIGHT (part 2 of 3)
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale January 12, b&w, 32pg,$2.99
Giichi, a top Mugai-ryü assassin with a penchant for head collecting, has given the near-invincible warrior Manji an ultimatum: join the Mugai-ryü or die. Never one to be bossed around, Manji chooses the path of “mouthing off and fighting” with gusto. Armed with an arsenal of strange weapons and confidently relying on his mystical healing powers, Manji may be getting a little too cocky, especially since he’s never had to recover from a beheading before! Within a moonlit forest, another stylish Samura skirmish begins, and two bloodthirsty fan-favorites clash!
FOR MATURE READERS
BMWFILMS.COM’S THE HIRE #3 (of 6): HIJACKED
MARK WAID (W), CLAUDE ST. AUBIN (P), and WIL GLASS (C)
On sale January 12, FC, 32pg, $2.99
The Driver’s passenger is a nobody, lower echelon bureaucrat. There’s no reason anyone would want to kidnap the guy. So why are he and the Driver being pursued by thugs in semi-trucks and helicopters? And what to the Feds know about the situation that the Driver doesn’t?
In the midst of a high-speed cross-country—and across rooftops!—chase, the Driver must figure out who or what the bad guys are after if he and his passenger are to survive!
Buckle-up and put the pedal down for another white-knuckle adventure with the smoothest, coolest character to ever slide behind the wheel!
B.P.R.D.: THE DEAD #3 (of 5)
MIKE MIGNOLA (W), JOHN ARCUDI (W), GUY DAVIS (A)
On sale January 19, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Johann communes with the Bureau’s new headquarters, while the eighty-year-old German who’d been living in the basement, surviving on a diet of spiders and mushrooms since the fifties, shares a story of Nazi scientists, occult technology, and the U.S. death-ray cannon. Back east in a small seaside village, Abe Sapien reunites with his dead wife.
CONAN #12
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (P), THOMAS YEATES (P), DAVE STEWART (C), LEINIL FRANCIS YU (Cover)
On sale January 19, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Conan meets Janissa the Widowmaker, deadliest bladeswoman of the Hyborian Age. Down and out in Ophir, Conan is befriended by Kalanthes, Priest of Ibis, the man Thoth-Amon has sworn to kill. But even if Conan is willing to stand between Thoth and his intended victim, he may not get the chance—not if Janissa has her way. Featuring the origin of Janissa, and Conan in over his head in manipulation, murder, and a war of wizardry.
• 2004 Eisner Award-Winning for Best Single Issue—Conan the Legend
• “From the point we’re at now, if it gets any better, we’ll have to be like Spinal Tap and add an 11 to our scale.” —411mania.com
CONAN VOLUME 1: THE FROST GIANT’S DAUGHTER AND OTHER STORIES HC
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (P), and THOMAS YEATES (P)
On sale March 30, HC, 176pg, FC, 7" x 10", $24.95
When the internationally famous barbarian hero returned to comics, with an all-new fresh start by award-winning writer Kurt Busiek (JLA/Avengers, Astro City) and dynamic artists Cary Nord, Thomas Yeates, and Dave Stewart, the result was instant sell-outs and multiple printings to keep up with the demand. Now Conan’s earliest adventures are collected in a handsome 176-page collection. Catch all the action and savagery as he wars with the murderous Vanir, meets the Frost Giant’s Daughter, and is taken as a slave by the ancient sorcerers of Hyperborea! This top-selling new series faithfully expands on original author Robert E. Howard’s literary creation. Collecting issues #1-#6 and fourteen pages from issue #7 of the ongoing series.
• Copies of the Conan volume 1 Hardcover will be printed only to initial orders in the Direct Market.
• The Conan volume 1 Hardcover will only available in your local comic shop.
CONCRETE: THE HUMAN DILEMMA #2 (of 6)
PAUL CHADWICK (W/A)
On sale January 26, b&w w/gray tones, 32pg, $3.50
Speechwriter Ron Lithgow returns as Concrete, the title character in one of the most critically acclaimed creator-owned stories in comics history. Trapped in an alien’s rock-hard body, Lithgow is an accidental celebrity whose high profile is being courted by a front-page CEO. Though Concrete believes overpopulation to be an important issue, does he want to become the spokesperson for a controversial new population control program? Just when Lithgow thinks that he has an answer, the CEO appears with an offer that he can’t refuse. Meanwhile, new fiancé Larry Munro unhappily stumbles over the first downside to engaged bliss. Toss a deadly freeway shooting into the mix, and you’ve got the makings of Paul Chadwick’s most mature Concrete miniseries yet.
FOR MATURE READERS
FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY: THE HARD GOODBYE 2ND EDITION TPB
FRANK MILLER (W/A)
On sale January 5, SC, 208pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $17.00
Legendary artist Frank Miller opened a noir opus in Sin City. This critically acclaimed triumph—honored by both an Eisner Award and the prestigious National Cartoonists’ Award—combines the pulp intensity of writers like Spillane and Cain with the gritty graphic storytelling that only Miller can deliver. Sin City is the place—tough as leather and dry as tinder. Love is the fuel, and the now-infamous character Marv has the match … not to mention a “condition.” He’s gunning after Goldie’s killer, so it’s time to watch this town burn!
• Sin City will be a major motion picture in 2005, directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, SpyKids) and featuring a cast of Hollywood all-stars.
• The upcoming Frank Miller’s Sin City motion-picture will be based on three Sin City titles: Sin City: The Hard Goodbye; Sin City: The Big Fat Kill; and Sin City: That Yellow Bastard.
• All of the Sin City titles will be redesigned by award-winning book designer, Chip Kidd.
FOR MATURE READERS
FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR 2ND EDITION TPB
FRANK MILLER (W/A)
On sale January 5, SC, 208pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $17.00
It’s one of those hot nights, dry and windless. The kind that makes people do sweaty, secret things. Dwight’s thinking of all the ways he’s screwed up and what he’d give for one clear chance to wipe the slate clean, to dig his way out of the numb gray hell that is his life. And he’d give anything. Just to cut loose. Just to feel the fire. One more time.
And then Ava calls.
• The upcoming Frank Miller’s Sin City motion-picture will be based on three Sin City titles: Sin City: The Hard Goodbye, Sin City: The Big Fat Kill, and Sin City: That Yellow Bastard.
• All of the Sin City titles will be redesigned by award-winning book designer, Chip Kidd.
FOR MATURE READERS
THE GOON VOLUME 3: HEAPS OF RUINATION TPB
ERIC POWELL (W/A)
On sale February 23, SC, 128pg, FC, 7" x 10", $12.95
Beware all undead minions and other variegated doers of badness! Rouse up trouble with the honest folks of Lonely Street and it’s the Goon you’ll answer to! Robot or alien, werewolf or vampire, zombie or gorilla (or zombie-gorilla), it makes no difference to the Goon—he’ll serve you up a mouthful of broken teeth right quick, as evidenced by the fine tales collected in this fine volume—the third in the ever-expanding line chronicling the triumphs and tragedies of the lone man brave enough to stand against the Zombie Priest and his ghoulish army of … um … ghouls. Collecting issues #5-#8 of the bi-monthly series. This volume also includes a very special guest appearance by Hellboy co-written and drawn by award-winning Hellboy creator, Mike Mignola!
• Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and Eric Powell’s Goon team up for a historic comics event in this collection! This is one of the coolest, funniest, and smartest crossovers ever.
• After receiving 4 nominations, The Goon won a 2004 Eisner Award!
• 2003 Interntional Horror Guild Award Winner (Best Illustrated Narrative)
• Eric Powell’s The Goon has been hailed as a book that would “leave you drooling like an undead ghoul at a brain buffet” by Entertainment Weekly.
THE INCREDIBLES #3 (of 4)
Adapted from a script by BRAD BIRD, RICARDO CURTIS (P), RAMON PEREZ (I)
On sale January 26, FC, 32pg, $2.99
On the remote island of Nomanisan, Mr. Incredible discovers the villain Syndrome is hatching a diabolical plot, when he is suddenly captured by the evil genius. Now only Mr. Incrdible’s family can save him. But they may be in as much trouble as Mr. Incredible when Syndrome learns that they’re on the way to help! Will Mr. Incredible be able to free himself from the clutches of Syndrome? Will his family be able to evade Syndrome’s island defenses? Find out in issue #3 of The Incredibles!
•Adapted from The Incredibles, a Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film.
JINGLE BELLE #3 (of 4)
PAUL DINI (W) and JOSE GARIBALDI (A)
On sale January 26, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Determined to prove herself worthy of the Claus legacy, Jingle leaves the North Pole to take over a struggling Santaville amusement park. Yet despite Jing’s best efforts, the former family fun park is on its last legs and seems destined for the wrecking ball. But when Jing discovers the park owner is Native American, she gets the bright idea to turn the place into a Santa-themed gambling casino! In no time Jing’s club is raking in big bucks and attracting big attention—from the mob! Santa’s little girl vs. gangsters?! Believe it, baby! Part one of this two-part Jingle Belle epic is written by Paul Dini with art by José Garibaldi.
MARGE’S LITTLE LULU VOLUME 2 TPB
John Stanley (w/a) and Irving Tripp (a)
On sale February 9, SC, 200pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $9.95
Dark Horse is tempted to call Little Lulu the “comeback comic” of the year, but truth be told, Lulu’s been a treasured part of the entertainment canon for years! Dark Horse Books is proudly presenting the complete library of classic Marge’s Little Lulu comics in a reader-friendly series of affordable paperback volumes. A rascally but good-hearted seven year old with an endless supply of sass, oodles of smarts, and a wild imagination, Lulu is truly one of a kind.
• From her first appearances in The Saturday Evening Post in the mid-1930s through her current long-running daily cartoon show on HBO Family, Little Lulu is a beloved cultural icon all over the world.
• Classic comics for children of all ages.
MICHAEL CHABON PRESENTS THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF THE ESCAPIST #5
HOWARD CHAYKIN (W), KEVIN McCARTHY (W), ROY THOMAS (W), JASON HALL (W), ERIC WIGHT (A), PAUL GRIST (W/A), JEFFREY BROWN (W/A), DAVID HAHN (A), SHAWN MARTINBROUGH (A), MATT WAGNER (Cover), and more
On sale January 12, SC, 80pg, FC, 7" x 10", $8.95
The blue-suited Escapist is back in the limelight!
Howard Chaykin (American Flagg) and David Hahn (Bite Club, Private Beach) team up for “Siren Song,” wherein a mesmerizing saxophone player forces her listeners to commit dastardly deeds! Writer Kevin McCarthy and artist Shawn Martinbrough (Detective) present “The Death of the Escapist,” with our favorite hero caught by a totalitarian despot. The dictator will crush his citizens’ aspirations for freedom—starting with the Escapist! Jason Hall, of Creeper and Pistolwhip fame, writes the polemic “The Final Curtain”— featuring the return of artist Eric Wight, winner of the 2004 Russ Manning Award! Also in this issue, the Master of Elusion takes on the Physician of Illusion—Doc Hypnosis!—in a story written and drawn by Paul Grist (Kane, Jack Staff), and veteran comics scribe Roy Thomas returns with more Escapist lore of the 1960s. Last but not least, a very special story written and drawn by alternative comics wunderkind, Jeffrey Brown (Clumsy, Unlikely)!
• Featuring painted cover art by Batman artist and Grendel creator Matt Wagner!
PETE VON SHOLLY’S MORBID VOLUME 2 TPB
PETE VON SHOLLY (W/A)
On sale February 23, SC, 96pg, FC, 7" x 10", $14.95
The confluence of cinema and comic books is a frequently raised subject, but now veteran motion-picture storyboard artist Pete Von Sholly bridges the gap once again! MORBID Volume 2, the sequel to last year’s groundbreaking publication, blurs the line between these two mediums even further. Von Sholly takes the time-honored European “fumetti” method to its next level with custom-sculpted models, costumed actors, and computer-generated special effects! The stories themselves run the gamut from tongue-in-cheek lampoons of classic sci-fi movies to gut-wrenching horror in the Lovecraft tradition. The future of graphic storytelling may well be in Pete Von Sholly’s MORBID!
• Von Sholly’s experience working on countless sci-fi and horror genre films (The Mask, Darkman, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Mars Attacks, etc.), as well as his experience as a Disney animation artist and conceptual designer, come together to unveil an inventive leap in visual storytelling.
RING VOLUME 0
MEIMU (W/A)
On sale February 16, SC, 160pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $12.95
Thirty years before the setting of the American blockbuster adaptation of The Ring, Sadako Yamamura was just a young girl, thrust from society because of her dangerous and fascinating psychic powers. It’s hard to imagine, but the girl who would eventually climb out of your television set and kill you with pure fear was once a very pretty and confused girl. This is the story of Sadako, before she was a dead body in the well, the story of a scary power emerging from a nervous girl.
• Ring Volume 0 is the fifth volume in the Dark Horse Ring series.
• Based on the novel series that spawned an international film sensation.
• All Dark Horse volumes of The Ring are published in the original Japanese format!
• The second American motion-picture adaptation from the Ring saga, Ring 2, is set to open on November 10, 2004!
SAMURAI: HEAVEN AND EARTH #2 (of 5)
RON MARZ (W) and LUKE ROSS (A)
On sale January 5, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Lady Yoshiko, love of the samurai Shiro, has been spirited away, kidnapped by Chinese invaders to be kept as a plaything for a cruel warlord. But Shiro has vowed that nothing will keep him from her side ... not even the warlord’s entire army. Ron Marz and Luke Ross (Green Lantern) continue their epic samurai tale that will span entire continents, from feudal Japan to the mirrored halls of Versailles!
• 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.
SAMURAI EXECUTIONER VOLUME 4 TPB
KAZUO KOIKE (W) and GOSEKI KOJIMA (A)
On sale February 9, SC, 304pg, b&w, 4" x 6", $9.95
A frenetic mix of samurai honor, base violence, and the blood of beheading, Samurai Executioner, is not for the faint of heart. For those who love blood and guts crime drama, historical fiction, and brutal action, this is right up your alley. The men who brought you Lone Wolf & Cub also created Kubikiri Asa, a young ronin samurai who helps keep the peace by putting the fear of beheading into Edo’s criminals. But it doesn’t always work, and so he has to. Full of squirting blood, fast-paced samurai swordwork, and the drama that comes from human corruption, Samurai Executioner is like no other classic manga.
• Never before published in America, Samurai Executioner was the companion to one of the most seminal works of manga, Lone Wolf & Cub!
FOR MATURE READERS
SHADOW STAR VOLUME 6: WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU NOW? TPB
MOHIRO KITOH (W/A)
On sale January 26, SC, 224pg, b&w, 5 3/4" x 8 1/4", $15.95
Shiina and Akira are part of a special group of teenagers who’ve bonded with extraterrestrial creatures with amazing abilities. And while some of these Shadow Dragons are benign and wondrous, others are terrifying and lethally powerful, particularly when controlled by masters with dark, violent thoughts and agendas. Once such group of “dragon bearers” has set their Shadow Dragons against the Japan Self-Defense Force, with destruction and death as the predictable conclusion. But the government isn’t taking this threat Collecting stories from Super Manga Blast! issues #31-#37.
• “Beguiling readers with an initial quotient of cuteness, this innocent introduction hides a darker side. Buckle up for twisted turns.” —Comics Buyer’s Guide
• “Manages to stand out from the usual ‘boy’s manga’ with its strong female characters, serious sci-fi plot, and nervous yet clear linework.” —Comics International
FOR MATURE READERS
SUPER MANGA BLAST! #49
MOHIRO KITOH (W/A), MAKOTO KOBAYASHI (W/A), KENICHI SONODA (W/A), TOSHIYA TAKEDA (W), and HIROYUKI UTATANE (A)
On sale January 26, b&w, 128pg, $5.99
Romance leads to tearful drama in Club 9, as our confused heroine, Harou, finds herself in another very uncomfortable situation with another handsome suitor! An invading alien army plans its next move in Cannon God Exaxxion, and Hoichi finally returns to home base to face the wrath of Akane’s parents. What’s Michael? features the return of a feline mafia leader, Boss Charles, as he prowls across his ever-expanding territories. Kei and Sunao attempt to rescue a wounded hijacker in Seraphic Feather, while the power-mad Apep is distracted by his fetching assistant, Fawn, on their lunar base. This month’s Shadow Star episode finds Shiina delving deeper into a secret society of Dragon Bearers.
FOR MATURE READERS
TRIGUN ANIME MANGA VOLUME 2: WOLFWOOD TPB
Based on the graphic novel by YASUHIRO NIGHTOW and the animation produced by MADHOUSE
On sale February 23, SC, 152pg, FC, 5" x 7", $14.95
Wolfwood, the man of the cloth with the cross, is also a gunman with a past. Like Vash, Wolfwood travels to find redemption in the desert but continually finds that confrontations with one’s past can be far more deadly than a duel with pistols. Will these two kindred souls walk the same path or find each other obstacles to survival?
• The Trigun anime is a cornerstone of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming.
• Dark Horse sold over 100,000 copies of the first two volumes of Trigun, making it one of America’s most popular manga series!
TRIGUN MAXIMUM VOLUME 4: BOTTOM OF THE DARK TPB
YASUHIRO NIGHTOW (W/A)
On sale February 2, SC, 192pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $9.95
Vash the Stampede is back for more intense action, and it looks like it’s only going to get harder as the saga continues! As before, we’ll see some vicious battles with new foes from the Gung Ho Guns, tough and strange fighters with one mission, to kill the nice guy with the God Gun integrated into his body. Vash and Wolfwood go up against Hoppered the Gauntlet, with his strange hockey mask and shield body; and Midvalley the Hornfreak whose saxophone will blow your mind! And what’s worse is these two killers won’t take no for an answer. On top of that they’ve got Zazie the Beast with his weird animal ways waiting in the wings, and Legato looking on as always. It’s a freakfest battle in the city, and it’s going to be tough on our hero and his conflicted protector.
• Trigun Maximum is presented in its authentic Japanese format, with goofy inside covers, unretouched and unflopped art, and design that reflects the original.
USAGI YOJIMBO #81
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale January 26, b&w, 24pg, $2.99
Master storyteller Stan Sakai continues his internationally celebrated samurai adventure, Usagi Yojimbo! In this issue, two short stories catch up with a pair of the series’ most beloved characters. In the first, warrior Tomoe is on a hunting excursion with Lord Noriyuki when she stumbles into a battle—a battle fought fifty years ago!—wherein her clan was decidedly beaten. If she manages to stay alive, how will she return to the present?
The second story features a figure not seen since the adventure of Grasscutter II—Priest Sanshobo! Fans who have long awaited his return and more of Tomoe will be delighted by this latest installment of Usagi Yojimbo.
