There’s about 24 inches of snow in front of my house so April just seems impossibly far at this point. It’s awful but Dark Horse’s April lineup isn’t. Here are the books and toys I think are most worth your time and money in April.
10. You Get A Snoopy, You Get A Snoopy, Everyone Gets A Snoopy
Snoopy is adorable. Only monsters don’t like Snoopy. Buy yourself a cute little Snoopy toy and get a cool color. I have my eye on the mint one.
5.5” Snoopy Flocked Vinyl Figures
On sale March 3
Aqua
Cinnamon
Ginger
Mint
Orchid
Strawberry Ice
Classic White
$15.99 Each
Dark Horse is renewing it’s fantastic lineup of Snoopy products with new 5.5” Snoopy flocked vinyl figures in seven modern colors.
Snoopy’s eyes, ears, and other important features are left smooth and black; when combined with the flocked surface, this creates a contemporary, fashion-forward look. For the avid fan, or just those with fond memories of reading Peanuts comics in the papers, these fun and interestingly colored interpretations of Snoopy are sure to be enjoyable for everyone.
9. One of “Dark Horse Presents” Strongest Gets Collected
“Dark Horse Presents” is a breeding ground for excellent stories. I don’t think this anthology gets as much attention as it deserves so it’s nice to see something like “Semiautomagic” get a collected edition. De Campi, Ordway and Louise make for a great creative team so definitely pick this up.
Semiautomagic TP (advance solicit)
Alex de Campi (W), Jerry Ordway (A/Cover), and Marissa Louise (C)
On sale June 29
FC, 104 pages
$12.99
TP, 7” x 10”
Professor Alice Creed doesn’t have tenure. And she never will, as long as she keeps ditching her lectures to kill monsters. But when a dark force from between universes begins seducing young souls through an innocent computer game, she packs her occult relics, holy water, and iPad to kick eldritch ass!
• Collecting two complete arcs from Dark Horse Presents!
• A modern monster slayer from Alex de Campi and Jerry Ordway!
8. Matt Kindt’s Kids Book?
I’m unsure if this a brand new book but since the solicit doesn’t say reprint, I will assume it is new. This is great. Matt Kindt can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned and I’m actually pretty interested in reading this even if it’s not marketed for me. All ages is a fast growing market and rightfully so. Kids should have books for them and it’s always great to see A list talent like this give their perspective.
Poppy! and the Lost Lagoon TP (advance solicit)
Matt Kindt (W/C/Cover) and Brian Hurtt (W/A/Cover)
On sale June 8
FC, 144 pages
$14.99
TP, 6” x 9”
At the age of ten, Poppy Pepperton is the greatest explorer since her grandfather Pappy! When a shrunken mummy head speaks, adventure calls Poppy and her sidekick/guardian Colt Winchester across the globe in search of an exotic fish—along the way discovering clues to what happened to Pappy all those years ago!
• All-ages adventure from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT)!
• Drawn by New York Times best-selling artist Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun)!
7. A New “Alien” Heroine Steps Up
So I was actually at the Dark Horse Panel last NYCC when this was announced and while I’m not the biggest fan of “Alien” comic books, the art in this looks great. This might just be an “Alien” series I stick with.
Continued belowAliens: Defiance #1
Brian Wood (W), Tristan Jones (A), Dan Jackson (C), Massimo Carnevale (Cover), and Mark A. Nelson (Variant cover)
On sale April 27
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
Battling demons from her past while fighting for her life, Colonial Marine Private First Class Zula Hendricks, in the company of Weyland-Yutani synthetics, is forced to question her strength and loyalty when the discovery of an insidious alien species on a derelict hauler sends her on a dangerous journey across the stars.
• Brian Wood brings his sharp storytelling to Aliens.
• Rising star Tristan Jones draws the scariest xenomorph you’ve seen in years . . .
6. This Month’s Required Reading
When Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon have a new release, you buy it, no questions asked.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties HC (advance solicit)
Neil Gaiman (W), Gabriel Bá (A/Cover), and Fábio Moon (A/Cover)
On sale June 15
FC, 64 pages
$17.99
HC, 7” x 10”
Two teenage boys are in for a tremendous shock when they crash a party where the girls are far more than they appear!
From Neil Gaiman—one of the most celebrated authors of our time—and award-winning artists Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, this sumptuous graphic novel is not to be missed!
• Moon and Bá adapt the Gaiman story they were born to draw!
“Gaiman, Moon, and Bá have created a triolet of a book, lyrically powerful and utterly unforgettable.”—Junot Díaz
“How can something so strange and so beautiful also be so sad? Like a poem, a pattern, and a people whose world was swallowed by the sea, How To Talk To Girls at Parties is three things at once.” — Kelly Sue DeConnick
“Had sneak peek at How to Talk to Girls at Parties. What boys fear! That girls are very smart aliens who will do frightful things to you in The Upper Room! Teenage angst. Lovely drawing/painting.” —From a Tweet by Margaret Atwood
“A haunting ode to the lyric of girls, who for our protagonists represent a vast, uncharted universe. An extraordinary comic from three extraordinary creators.”—Marjorie Liu
“Gentle, strange, and full of perfectly good advice (‘You just have to talk to them!’), How to Talk to Girls at Parties is wise and odd. Neil Gaiman’s writing is sweetly complemented by Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá’s art. It’s a quirky delight.”—Audrey Niffenegger
5. Some Stories Won’t Die
We probably didn’t need a sequel but “Fight Club 2” really wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t my favorite thing but it wasn’t awful. Cameron Stewart’s art at the very least is worth the buy because he does some great work here. If you love this property but didn’t get a chance to read this, here’s your chance to preorder it.
Fight Club 2 HC(advance solicit)
Chuck Palahniuk (W), Cameron Stewart (A), Dave Stewart (C), and David Mack (Cover)
On sale June 21
FC, 280 pages
$29.99
HC, 7” x 10”
Some imaginary friends never go away . . .
Ten years after starting Project Mayhem, he lives a mundane life. A kid, a wife. Pills to keep his destiny at bay. But it won’t last long—the wife has seen to that. He’s back where he started, but this go-round he’s got more at stake than his own life. The time has arrived . . . Collects issues #1–#10 of the series.
“Poignant and very funny.”—The Atlantic
“Entertaining.”—Comic Book Resources
“Perfect.”—Forces of Geek
“Jaw dropping.”—Geek Chic Elite
“Excellent.”—The Beat
“Compulsively readable.”—Big Shiny Robot
4. Takin’ It Back
The great thing about Dark Horse’s “Buffy” series is that it has kept the show going. However that means that time has kept going and the wide eye teenagers are no longer that. This new graphic novel takes the Scoobies back to high school, particularly season one, so anyone who misses that tone should love this.
Continued belowBuffy: The High School Years—Freaks & Geeks TP(advance solicit)
Faith Erin Hicks (W), Yishan Li (A), Rod Espinosa (C), and Scott Fischer (Cover)
On sale June 1
FC, 80 pages
$10.99
TP, 6” x 9”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is back in classic action in a tale set during her first year at Sunnydale High School! Burdened with the stress of a new school, making new friends, and sleepless nights spent slaying the undead, Buffy becomes the target of a group of nerdy vampires hoping to climb the vampire social ladder.
• Eisner Award–winning author Faith Erin Hicks (The Adventures of Superhero Girl)!
• Set during Season 1 of the television series.
“They’re bringing the angst, the action, and the cool to Buffy the Vampire Slayer!”—Bleeding Cool
3. Strange Is Cool
When I worked at a comic shop, “Emily The Strange” was always something I wanted to read cause it looked like it was right up my alley. It’s gothy and seems to have a certain dark sense of humor I can get behind. Every time I wanted to order extra copies one of the volumes would be out of stock and I wanted to read it in order. So now I can order this, the full collection. I’m excited.
The Complete Emily the Strange: All Things Strange HC(advance solicit)
Rob Reger (W), Jessica Gruner (W), Buzz Parker (A/Cover), and Ryan Hill (C)
On sale June 29
FC, 416 pages
$19.99
HC, 6” x 9”
Emily the Strange is not your ordinary thirteen-year-old girl—she’s got a razor-sharp wit as dark as her jet-black hair, a posse of moody black cats, and famous friends in very odd places! The Complete Emily the Strange: All Things Strange collects the first three volumes of Emily the Strange in one beautiful hardcover. It’s a perfect time to be strange.
2. Early Contender For Best Miniseries of 2016?
So I’m kind of in love with Ian Bertram’s art and him doing the interiors on a horror series with Dave Stewart coloring is basically perfect in my eyes. I’m completely on board with this miniseries just for that.
House of Penance #1 (of 6)
Peter Tomasi (W), Ian Bertram (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale April 13
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
The Winchester House—famous for its original owner’s bizarre compulsion to incorporate a multitude of architectural curiosities. But as the bereaved Sarah Winchester’s workers toil on stairways to nothing and doors to nowhere, a mysterious stranger arrives . . . and he could make Sarah’s demons all too real.
“Blending horror, history and fiction, House of Penance stands as a singular triumph. Tomasi and Bertram have crafted something truly special with this book.”—Scott Snyder (Wytches)
“House of Penance is Peter Tomasi’s finest work to date, a haunting, macabre experience that will stay with any thoughtful reader long after its conclusion. A fine tale well told, and highly recommended.”—Garth Ennis (Preacher)
1. And An Early Contender For Best New Series of 2016
By now you’ve probably noticed that I’m a fan of Matt Kindt’s work. “Mind MGMT” is heavenly and he’s following that up at Dark Horse with “Dept. H”. This seems to be a crime drama that takes place underwater and mixes in some sci fi for good measure. I’m into it and this has the potential to be as great as “Mind MGMT”.
Dept. H #1
Matt Kindt (W/A/Cover), Sharlene Kindt (C), and Jeff Lemire (variant cover)
On sale April 20
FC, 28 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
From New York Times best-selling MIND MGMT creator Matt Kindt comes an exciting new undersea sci-fi mystery.
Mia is a special investigator hired to uncover possible sabotage taking place at a deep-sea research station. What she finds is a mind-blowing crime scene filled with suspects with terrible secrets, strange deep-sea creatures, and an impending flood!
• Intricate mystery stories perfect for any fan of crime and sci-fi fiction!
“Kindt understands perfectly how to reveal his mystery to the reader.”—Publishers Weekly
“Matt Kindt is the man.”—Junot Díaz (Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)
“Kindt has developed into one of the most exciting and original talents in the business.”—LA Times
What did I leave out? Let me know in the comments below and make sure you check out the full solicits over at CBR.
