APOCALYPSE NERD #2 (of 6)
PETER BAGGE (W/A)
On sale April 6, b&w, 32pg, $2.99
In this issue, our two hapless heroes, the high strung Perry and the gruff Gordo, are still stuck way out in the woods trying to fend for themselves. Eventually, Perry decides he can't take it anymore and heads back towards civilization (or what's left of it) and takes his chances there instead. Will he go? Should he go? Is he doomed either way?
Also in this issue: more amusing warts-and-all anecdotes about our beloved Founding Fathers!
BILLY THE KID’S OLD-TIMEY ODDITIES #1 (of 4)
ERIC POWELL (W/C) and KYLE HOTZ (A)
On sale April 20, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Billy the Kid having faked his own death is now free to roam America, and start a new life, unhindered by his past crimes and criminal record. Free, that is, until someone discovers his true identity. Fineas Spoule and his band of traveling sideshow performers blackmail the Kid into joining their troupe. These performers are the rarest breed of human oddities and deforms: an alligator man, a dog-face boy, a wild man, a miniature boy, a psychic, a tatooed woman, and Sproule, himself, also known as “The Human Spider.” Billy begrudgingly agrees. Spoule, on top of everything else, is something of a treasure hunter. He and his band are set to travel to Europe to steal a priceless artifact from a mysterious scientist, a Dr. Victor Frankensteain; with Billy as their hired gun.
Billy the Kid’s Old-Timey Oddities is written by Eric Powell (writer/artist of the International Horror Guild award-winner and 2003 Eisner Award-winner, The Goon) and illustrated by Kyle Hotz (fan favorite artist of The Agency and The Hood). This series combines Hotz's quirky macabre visuals and Powell's humorous fast-paced storytelling into an off-beat epic adventure full of interesting characters combining the unlikely genres of spaghetti western and Hammer horror.
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #100: TRICKSTER part 2 (of 4)
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale April 13, b&w, 64pg, $5.99
A double-sized dose of Samurai suspense and violence, as Blade of the Immortal reaches its one-hundredth issue! Armed with kessen-satsu, the only poison known to damage Manji’s immortal blood, three Itto-ryü warriors target Manji and Giichi. Crippled and sightless, will Manji be able to fend off a vicious, new Itto-ryü foe? Giichi, still reeling from the events in the “Twilight” storyline, finds himself trading swings with Magatsu, another fan favorite! This issue also features pinups by Francisco Paronzini and Andy Tong, along with a Blade of the Immortal parody strip, “Rumble to Kaga,” by Jhomar Soriano.
• Francisco Paronzini’s previous works include Dark Horse's Dead To Rights and Star Wars Tales and DC Comics' Cinnamon: El Ciclo.
Andie Tong’s previous works include Noble Causes and Masters Of The Universe. He is also a fantasy illustrator for White Wolf RPG books.
FOR MATURE READERS
CONAN #15>
KURT BUSIEK (W) and GREG RUTH (A)
On sale April 20, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Busiek reunites with artist Greg Ruth, whose art “is gorgeous to look at, conveying a different but equally lush vision of Cimmeria” according to The Fourth Rail. This story looks deeper into Conan’s earliest adventures. Having crippled a bullying playmate, young Conan’s become a solitary figure. Born on the battlefield and destined for greatness, the boy’s shown a fierce independence and bravery. The adults don’t know what to do with such a formidable child and the other boys are afraid of him. When he discovers an Aquilonian wizard and daughter living in the woods outside his village, Conan is torn between his respect for their rogue existence and his chance to become a real Cimmerian warrior by exposing the foreign spies.
The award-winning, critically acclaimed, bestselling series continues, returning Conan to his place of prominence on the heap of comic-book icons.
CONAN AND THE JEWELS OF GWAHLUR #1 (of 3)
P. CRAIG RUSSELL (W/A) and LOVERN KINDZIERSKI (C)
On sale April 6, FC, 32pg, $2.99
She's made a string of bad choices, and now a young woman has let herself become the pawn of mercenaries—and one of those mercenaries is Conan of Cimmeria. As the former dancing girl poses as the dead oracle of a primitive cult, Conan puts his military and thieving experience together in one of his last adventures before becoming King.
P. Craig Russell, the award-winning artist who's made his reputation adapting literature to comics, takes the greatest hero to ever make the leap from books to comics in this dazzling adaptation. With stories like The Jewels of Gwahlur, Robert E. Howard invented the genre of sword and sorcery fiction, and no matter how many times the master has been imitated, stories like this one have not been surpassed.
• P. Craig Russell, Eisner Award-winner, is known for tales like Elric: Stormbringer and Ring of the Nibelung and his collaboration with Neil Gaiman on Murder Mysteries.
• Jewels of Gwahlur is a direct adaptation of a Howard Conan story.
CONCRETE: THE HUMAN DILEMMA #5 (of 6)
PAUL CHADWICK (W/A)
On sale April 27, b&w w/grey tones, 32pg, $3.50
Life as Concrete, the title character in one of the most critically acclaimed creator-owned stories in comics history, changes for good in these pages. Recently, former speechwriter Ron Lithgow has been using his high profile as Concrete to promote the population-control agenda of a wealthy CEO. While subjecting himself to a gauntlet of public criticism for Walter Sageman’s controversial program, Concrete’s back has gone from causing severe itching to causing nausea and painful swelling. What on earth is happening to his body now? And what is this delusional stalker planning to do with a gun?! Meanwhile, aide Larry Munro meets with Astra, his fiancée … who knows he cheated on her. Following the shock ending of issue #4, this installment changes everything.
FOR MATURE READERS
DAMN NATION #3 (of 3)
ANDREW COSBY (W) and J. ALEXANDER (A)
On sale April 20, FC, 32pg, $2.99
The vampire epic, which began with the entire country in the hands of mindless blood-starved undead, climaxes with revelations about the cure for vampirism—which in this case is definitely worse than the disease. The plot to suppress the cure and keep America on its knees comes to light, and the biggest threat—that of human betrayal—is amplified with a terrible vampire transformation.
Andrew Cosby of UPN’s Haunted fame, and comics’ rising star J. Alexander (Queen and Country, Tales of the Vampires) conclude the great American bloodbath.
DARE DETECTIVES VOLUME 2: THE ROYALE TREATMENT TPB
BEN CALDWELL (W/A)
On sale May 25, SC, 96pg, FC, 5" x 7", $6.95
Luck’s no lady for the Dare Detectives! They’ve tracked femme fatale criminal mastermind Madame Bleu and her snowpea-swiping gang of pandas and abominable snowmen to the ruins of the infamous Royale casino, but a traitor threatens to close the case on Dare— permanently! Will old friends and new enemies save the day? Can Toby go a whole issue without breaking something? And what’s with the snowpeas???
Created by cartoonist extraordinaire Ben Caldwell, Dare Detectives is a runaway freight train of hyperkinetic action and laughs that will rattle your cage and shake your tree—if you dare!
• Ben Caldwell has created action figures based on characters from The Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, and the X-Men movies.
DARK HORSE BOOK OF THE DEAD HC
MIKE MIGNOLA (W/A), JILL THOMPSON (W/A), KELLEY JONES (W/A), ERIC POWELL (W/A), GARY GIANNI (W/A), and others
On sale May 25, HC, 96pg, FC, 6" x 9", $14.95
Mike Mignola presents a Hellboy yarn combining Shakespeare and graverobbing in this followup to Dark Horse's Eisner-nominated Books of Hauntings and Witchcraft. Also returning this volume are Jill Thompson, who won a 2004 Eisner for her painted work in Hauntings, and her collaborator Evan Dorkin, with another occult canine adventure. New additions for this volume include Goon creator Eric Powell, celebrated B.P.R.D. artist Guy Davis, and the artist who spent the last twenty years making superhero comics more scary—Kelley Jones. Cover artist Gary Gianni also returns, mixing prose with comics, with a rare tale by the man ultimately responsible for Dark Horse's biggest hit in years—Conan creator Robert E. Howard.
• Anthology of original material featuring the award-winning talents of Mike Mignola, Evan Dorkin, Jill Thompson, Eric Powell, and more!
• Features an original Mike Mignola Hellboy story.
FREAKS OF THE HEARTLAND TPB
STEVE NILES (W) and GREG RUTH (A)
On sale May 25, SC, 144pg, FC, $17.95
Under the weathered skies of America’s heartland, and in the wounded hearts of every family in one tiny rural town, a terrible secret has been kept for too many years. Now, a young boy named Trevor must try to keep his younger brother Will from falling victim to the worst fears of a troubled town that can’t begin to understand the tragic secret that binds its families together. Some folks would call Trevor’s brother a monster. But to Trevor, Will is just another kid trapped in a dark reality he can’t comprehend. When the situation moves from bad to worse, and their father threatens to do away with Will, Trevor learns that they’re not alone—that “freak” children were born to other families in Gristlewood Valley. And just as they were all born at the same time, it seems their sad, frustrated, and emotionally spent parents seem to be hatching a plan to see that they disappear at the same time. Against all odds, and with nothing but love for his brother in his heart, Trevor is going to do whatever he can to get Will—and the other freak children—out of harm’s way, if it’s not already too late. Collecting the six-issue miniseries.
GO GIRL! VOLUME 2: DOUBLE TROUBLE TPB
TRINA ROBBINS (W) and ANNE TIMMONS (A)
On sale May 4, SC, 96pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $5.95
Oh nooooo! It looks like Lindsay Goldman—AKA GoGirl!—has robbed a bank! But that's impossible! The plucky teen superhero and her mom have been sitting at home all evening, watching television and minding their own business. But try telling that to the police, who show up at Lindsay’s door with a warrant for her arrest! Now she has to stay out of jail and find out who’s behind the nefarious scheme to destroy her good reputation. Hiding from the cops, and at the mercy of an unbeateble adversary, Lindsay finds herself in “Double Trouble!”
• The award-winning GoGirl! is an all-ages delight, a charming nod to Golden-Age storytelling with subtle modernist undercurrents, created and written by Trina Robbins and illustrated by Anne Timmons.
• “...departs from contemporary comicdom’s redundant repertoire of male power fantasises.”
—Carol Cooper, The Village Voice
• Go Girl! is a fun superhero adventure that will appeal to readers of all ages!
KING OF WOLVES TPB
BURONSON (W) and KENTARO MIURA (A)
On sale May 11, SC, 200pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $12.95
A bright-spirited young historical scholar, Iba, disappears while on a lone expedition to study the ancient Silk Road. A year later his girlfriend, Kyoko, sets out for the Silk Road in order to find clues that will help to unravel the mystery of Iba’s disappearance. When she arrives, she finds the charm she gave Iba for protection and moments later she is sucked into a black vortex and loses consciousness. Koyoko awakes to find herself in a very different place and discovers that that Iba is not only alive but is a warrior-slave under the reign of Genghis Khan in 13th century Mongolia! At last, when Iba and Kyoko reunite, they find that there are a series of fates, crueler than the ones they have already endured, awaiting them...
• King of Wolves is an action/adventure masterpiece crafted by the superstar manga creative team of Buronson (Fist of the North Star) and Kentaro Miura (Berserk).
FOR MATURE READERS
MARK BEYER STATIONERY SET
On sale May 11, stationery set includes 8 letter sheets, 6 envelopes, and measures
5 3/4" x 8 3/4", $4.99
Mark Beyer’s unique and acclaimed artwork has graced covers of Art Spiegelman’s legendary Raw Magazine. Beyer has created comics (Pantheon’s “Amy & Jordan” hardcover), books, paintings, and dolls.
A self-taught artist, Beyer’s primitive yet detailed style has captured a faithful following. Intriguing settings, quirky characters, and a bleak but humorous atmosphere. Beyer’s work stands out in our world of bright, happy stationery. His style is attractive because it appeals to one’s dark sense of humor while emitting a charm and reassurance that at once contradicts and pleases.
MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER 4000 A.D. VOLUME 3 HC
RUSS MANNING (W/A), ROBERT SCHAEFER (W), and ERIC FREIWALD (W)
On sale May 25, HC, 176pg, FC, 7" x 10 1/2", $49.95
In the year 4000, when the human race is threatened by robots that would enslave mankind, one man alone has the power to fight back: Magnus, Robot Fighter!
Dark Horse delivers another fantastic collection of rare classics from a comics legend! Russ Manning, famous for his spectacular work on the Tarzan newspaper strips of the late sixties, brought fans his “Tarzan of the future” in Magnus, Robot Fighter. While his work on the original comic series lasted only twenty-one issues, Manning’s creation has survived generations, influencing countless science fiction artists and writers to this day. Fans of Alex Raymond, Mac Raboy, or Wally Wood should not miss this beautifully bound hardcover—the third Magnus archival collection and the latest addition to Dark Horse’s line of science fiction classics.
• Legendary artist and writer Russ Manning inspired innumerable science fiction fans and creators throughout his career. Magnus, Robot Fighter was his very own creation, and in it his talent blossomed—cementing his place as one of the most revered figures in comics history.
• This handsome hardcover edition is printed on high-quality paper stock.
MICHAEL CHABON PRESENTS THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF THE ESCAPIST #6
WILL EISNER (W/A), THOMAS YEATES (A), CHRIS OFFUTT (W), STEVEN GRANT (W), HOWARD CHAYKIN (W/A), JASON (W/A), DAN BEST (W), EDDIE CAMPBELL (W/A), and NORM BREYFOGLE (A)
On sale April 13, FC, 80pg, $8.95
In these pages, the Spirit meets the Escapist! That’s right—legendary comics godfather Will Eisner returns to his world-famous creation for a meeting that neither WWII-era hero will soon forget. This is the first new Spirit story both written and drawn by Eisner to see print in decades!
Also in this issue is the comics writing debut of Lannan and Whiting award winner Chris Offutt! Thomas Yeates (Conan) lushly illustrates this celebrated author’s tale of the Escapist in Vietnam. Dan Best and Eddie Campbell (From Hell) present a fully-painted story of the Empire City 1939 World’s Fair, and Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!) returns to concoct “Liberators,” a fact-based tale of art looted by the Nazis, set in 1945 Paris! Norwegian indy cartoonist JASON contributes an Escapist spoof, and Steven Grant and Norm Breyfogle proffer the first Weird Date story of the anthology! One of the myriad classic titles created by Kavalier & Clay, Weird Date featured mixes of classic Alex Toth romance comics and outrageous Jack Cole crime comics of the sort that put Dr. Freddie Wertham’s undies in a twist!
• Cover art by comics legend Will Eisner features two of his most famous characters: the Spirit and Ellen Dolan!
SAMURAI: HEAVEN & EARTH #5 (of 5)
RON MARZ (W), LUKE ROSS (A), and JASON KEITH (C)
On sale April 6, FC, 32pg, $2.99
The epic miniseries roars to its climactic issue! After thousands of miles and countless battles, the samurai Shiro has found his love, Yoshiko, amidst the fabulous wealth of Louis XIV's palace at Versailles. Even if the mirrored halls must run red with blood, Shiro will make good on his vow that he and Yoshiko will be together... “If not life, then in death.” Nothing can stand in his way—not the King's Musketeers, not even a plot to assassinate Louis himself!
The all-star team of Ron Marz, Luke Ross and Jason Keith brings the tale to its unforgettable conclusion!
“The art Luke Ross has produced for this series is incredible. The detail he's putting into every page really brings the story to life.”
—Greg Land
STEVE RUDE’S THE MOTH TPB
GARY MARTIN (W/A), STEVE RUDE (A), and GLENN WHITMORE (A)
On sale May 25, SC, 168pg, FC, 7" x 10", $17.95
Jack Mahoney is an acrobatic circus member by day, masked vigilante by night! In this collection, the charismatic Moth battles a savage lionman, a bounty-hunting thug, bloodthirsty mob hit men, and a trio of mischievous cat burglars! Toss in celebrity heroine American Liberty, an outlaw biker gang, circus hijinks, African witch doctors, and a bearded lady, the virtuosic Steve Rude action spills effortlessly from the pages.
• Ten-time comic industry award winner Steve Rude (Nexus, Thor, Captain America) and writer/inker Gary Martin (The Art of Comic Book Inking) deliver an action-packed adventure that reminds us of what comics are all about!
SUPER MANGA BLAST #51
MOHIRO KITOH (W/A), MAKOTO KOBAYASHI(W/A), KENICHI SONODA(W/A), and HIROYUKI UTATANE(A) with TOSHIYA TAKEDA (W)
On sale April 27, b&w, 128pg, $5.99
The final CLUB 9 story arc rolls through a heartbreaking homestretch as Haruo Hattori begins to respond to the three dear friends and suitors who yearn to marry her. Will she remain true to her humble, apple-farming boyfriend or fall for a wealthy bachelor in Tokyo? At the CANNON GOD EXAXXION home base, Hoichi takes some punches from Akane’s angry father, and a group of his former schoolmates is freed from Riofaldian captivity. The latest SHADOW STAR story arc comes to an end, as battle lines are drawn between two groups of teen Dragon Bearers. In SERAPHIC FEATHER, Stray captures Kei, and the Crimson Angel is trapped between two armed terrorists!
•Tied to Dark Horse Manga’s graphic novel program, with Cannon God Exaxxion, Club 9, Seraphic Feather, Shadow Star, and What’s Michael? trades in print.
FOR MATURE READERS
TRIGUN MAXIMUM VOLUME 5: BREAK OUT TPB
YASUHIRO NIGHTOW (W/A)
On sale May 4, SC, 208pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $9.95
Vash the Stampede and his cohorts remain locked in a frenetic and terribly destructive battle with the remaining members of the Gung-Ho Guns, who are terribly resistant to defeat. The bitter fued promises to reveal secrets about both Vash and his mortal enemies. Just when you thought this series had reached its most feverish pitch, Yasuhiro Nightow turns up the heat in his wildly popular manga series, Trigun Maximum!
• As always, Trigun Maximum is presented in the authentic format, with goofy inside covers, unretouched and unflopped art, and design that reflects the Japanese original.
VAMPIRE HUNTER D VOLUME 1 NOVEL
HIDEYUKI KIKUCHI (W) and YOSHITAKA AMANO painted cover and eight black and white interior illustrations
On sale May 4, b&w novel, 300pg, 5" x 7", $8.95
12,090 A.D. It is a dark time for the world. Humanity is just crawling out from under three hundred years of domination by the race of vampires known as the Nobility. The war against the vampires has taken its toll; cities lie in ruin, the countryside is fragmented into small villages and fiefdoms that still struggle against nightly raids by the fallen vampires—and the remnants of their genetically manufactured demons and werewolves.
Every village wants a Hunter—one of the warriors who have pledged their laser guns and their swords to the eradication of the Nobility. But some Hunters are better than others, and some bring their own kind of danger with them…
From creator Hideyuki Kikuchi, one of Japan’s leading horror authors with illustrations by renowned Japanese artist, Yoshitaka Amano, best known for his illustrations in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: The Dream Hunters and the Final Fantasy games. Co-published with Digital Manga.
• The series is comprised of 13 novels. Written in 1983, this is the first English language edition ever published.
FOR MATURE READERS
