Dark Horse’s February line up is a really good example of all the very different things that the publisher does. There’s home grown original content like “Black Hammer,” video game tie ins, a cool set of pins and some all ages Disney fun. It looks to be a great month for the publisher so let’s jump into this month’s picks.
10. A New Partnership
One of the things Dark Horse does very well is build lore for video games. They’ve been home to many video game tie ins over the years so it makes a ton of sense that Bioware would come to them with this. Alexander Freed is a writer I know for his Star Wars work and he’s very good at that so this might be worth checking out if this game is your jam.
Anthem #1
(W) Alexander Freed, Mac Walters (A) Michael Atiyeh (A/CA) Eduardo Francisco
On sale Feb 27, 2019
When Kismet’s family is ambushed while traveling between settlements, the young boy is rescued by one of the exosuit-clad warriors known as Freelancers. Now an orphan, it’s up to him, and his adoptive sister Jani, to build a future for themselves-and humanity-on a planet filled with danger.
9. The Best Alien Story
James Stokoe is arguably the most talented guy working in comics right now. He’s so fantastic at what he does and now his Alien story is getting a big deluxe hardcover treatment. If you haven’t read this, this is how to do it. This will look great in this format and it’s probably the best Alien story told outside of the first movie.
Aliens: Dead Orbit HC (advance solicit)
(W) James Stokoe (A/CA) James Stokoe
On sale Apr 24, 2019
After a horrific accident strikes a space station, an engineering officer must use all available tools-a timer, utility kit, and his wits-to survive an attack from the deadliest creature known to man. Collects issues #1-#4 of the hit Aliens story: Dead Orbit, penned by Orc Stain creator James Stokoe, and featuring new cover art, bonus process material, and high res scans of original art collected in a deluxe oversized hardcover format!
8. Grand Finale
I have really enjoyed “Death Orb” so far. I expected it to be great because Ryan Ferrier was writing it and I’m glad that I wasn’t wrong. He’s kind of one of comics’s best kept secrets and I really want him to break out even more in 2019. I’ll miss this series but I’m exciting to see how it ends.
Death Orb #5
(W) Ryan Ferrier (A) Chris O’Halloran (A/CA) Alejandro Aragon
On sale Jan 14, 2019
The quest of the ax-swinging wasteland survivor and his crew of rebels careens to an exciting conclusion in a violent final showdown with the mysterious Father and his doomsday cult. Will Rider find his wife? And if he does, what will be left of the American wasteland they live in?
7. All The Rage
Enamel pins are a huge thing right now and I’m totally on board with them. I have jackets full of pins and I want more. I want these. Who doesn’t want cool Hellboy pins???
Hellboy Enamel Pin Set (advance solicit)
On sale Mar 20, 2019
Set of four pins, approximately 1″ each.
6. A Twist On A Classic…Get It?
When I saw the first issue of this series solicited, I was completely ready to try it. I never got around to it but that will change now that I can get the whole series and read it in one sitting.
Continued belowOlivia Twist: Honor Among Thieves HC (advance solicit)
(W) Darin Strauss, Adam Dalva (A/CA) Emma Vieceli
On sale Apr 24, 2019
To save a boy she barely knows, teenage orphan Olivia Twist joins THE ESTHERS, a rag-tag girl gang of thieves running free in a dangerous future. Olivia’s life in this imminent London of internment camps and strange technology gets even more complicated when she discovers that she has more power and wealth than she’s ever dreamed of. But it comes with a great cost. This volume collects issues #1-#4 of Darin Strauss, Adam Dalva, and Emma Vieceli’s Olivia.
5. And We’re Back
“Black Hammer” is just the absolute best and every issue feels like a must read. This one more than ever given what’s been going on in the series so far. 2019 is going to be a huge year for this series and I can’t wait.
Black Hammer: Age of Doom #8
(W) Jeff Lemire (A) Dave Steward (A/CA) Dean Ormston
On sale Feb 27, 2019
The Eisner Award-winning superhero saga returns! Coming off the heels of the world-shattering revelations of the last issue, the Black Hammer team all are out of their element, literally.
4. It’s So Cute!!!!
I’m absolutely not the audience for this comic book but look at it, it’s the cutest thing! I was a big fan of The Little Mermaid as a kid and I’ve always loved reading so this would have been huge for me as a kid. If you’ve got any kids in your life, get them this. They’ll thank you forever.
Disney Princess HC: Ariel And The Sea Wolf (advance solicit)
(W) Liz Marsham (A/CA) Tara Nicole Whitaker
On sale Apr 10, 2019
When Ariel accidentally drops a bracelet into a deep cave where supposedly the occupant is a dangerous carnivorous creature, her curiosity and sense of responsibility implores her to enter the cave . . . But what she finds within turns her quest for a bracelet into a quest for truth and trust-because sometimes what you hear isn’t what you should believe . . . and sometimes, it is.
3. Nearing The End
As long as this is running, I’ll always include it in this list. I love “Umbrella Academy” and I’ve really dug this new series. I really hope this isn’t the last we see of the series but if it is, it’s going out very strong so far.
Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #5
(W) Gerard Way (A) Nick Filardi (A/CA) Gabriel Ba
On sale Feb 06, 2019
At the height of their popularity and adventuring, the Umbrella Academy had no idea their leader, Reginald Hargreeves, had created an off-world prison to house their worst opponents. Now, a few years after his death, Hargreeves’s inhuman plan has gone terribly wrong, and the Umbrella Academy are not ready for Earth’s nastiest villains . . .
2. Cowabunga!
I’m really excited for this art book for a bunch of reasons. I love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turltes (Team Raph for life) and I also loved this show on Nickelodeon. I don’t watch a ton of animated series these days but this one I loved. This kind of book is great because we’ll get to see such cool pieces that maybe never made the show and we’ll get to see how things developed, which I’m a sucker for.
Art of TMNT (advance solicit)
(W) Kevin Eastman, Ciro Nieli
On sale Apr 17, 2019
Step into the sewers with New York’s most bizarre teenage heroes and relive their epic adventures from Nickelodeon’s ground-breaking CG-animated series!Dig through early concept sketches, beautiful background paintings, and glimpses into the innovative CG production that brought the world to life. Learn the secrets behind the creation of the show through exclusive artwork and insider commentary all curated by the show’s executive producer Ciro Nieli. Get to know the Turtles like never before with The Art of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the show, featuring art from all five seasons!
1. Murder Mystery With A Twist
So far the Berger Books line hasn’t been the buzzy imprint I think a lot of people expect but it has been very solid so far. The work that’s being put out has been really strong with some unique and exciting concepts. This will keep that going and I hope that it becomes a hit. The concept here is dark but it’s intriguing, especially to someone like me who likes murder mysteries and darker stories. This has hints of “Rachel Rising” in it too which is totally my jam.
Continued belowThe Girl In The Bay #1
(W) J. M. DeMatteis (A/CA) Corin Howell
On sale Feb 06, 2019
In 1969, seventeen-year-old Kathy Sartori was brutally attacked, her body hurled into Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay. Miraculously, she survives, fights her way back to the surface, only to discover that 50 years have passed, and an eerie doppelganger has lived out an entire life in her place. Kathy soon confronts not just this strange double, but the madman who “murdered” her five decades earlier. Will he, and the dark entity that lives inside him, hold the key to Kathy’s missing years? Or will Kathy become a ghost of herself and be forced to live out what remains of her life on the edge of the world that she desperately wants to be a part of?
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below and check out the full solicitations over at The Outhousers.
