Happy New Year! I hope 2018 gives all of you everything you want. Solicitations hit a couple of weeks ago but with the holidays, we took a little break. New year, new month so it’s time for Soliciting Multiversity, our monthly look at the best that each publisher has to offer. As usual, we kick things off with Dark Horse. In March, we get a big ending and an even bigger beginning along with some much anticipated collections. Let’s jump into this month’s picks.
10. Proclaim Your Loyalty
I like buttons. I like pop culture buttons even more. They look great on my jackets and well, lots of people like Game of Thrones so go get some of these and let people know where your loyalties lie.
Game of Thrones Buttons
On sale Mar 7
2.25” buttons
$2.99 each
Arryn, Baratheon, Bolton, Frey, Greyjoy, Lannister, Martell, Stannis-Baratheon, Stark, Targaryen, Tully and Tyrell
Here is an opportunity for you to enable your customers to show allegiance to their favorite Game of Thrones houses, by wearing their chosen house sigil. Dark Horse is proud to showcase a collection of twelve individual sigil buttons, measuring 2.25”. Each produced in full color and bold clarity, packaged individually in poly-bag with backing card.
9. A Wicked Sense Of Humor
I haven’t read much of “Milk and Cheese” but what I have read is wild. It’s brutal and has a wicked sense of dark humor about it. I’m really excited that it’s all being collected and for one penny under $20. It’s a steal and a great way to support one of comics’ smartest cartoonists.
Milk and Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad TP (advance solicit)
Evan Dorkin (W/A) and Sarah Dyer (C)
On sale May 2
FC, 240 pages • $19.99 • TP, 7” x 10”
A carton of hate. A wedge of spite. A comic book of idiotic genius. The Eisner Award-winning dairy duo returns in this trade paperback collecting every single stupid Milk and Cheese comic ever made from 1989 to 2010, along with a ton of supplemental awesomeness. This has everything you need! Don’t judge it—love it! Or else!
The complete Milk and Cheese comics in an affordable trade paperback!
A comprehensive book, featuring the comics, the covers to the issues, pin-ups, even the art for the Milk and Cheese trading card set that came out in 1995, spread across two pages.
“Evan’s calcium-rich creations are guaranteed to spread lactose intolerance everywhere.” – David Mazzucchelli (Asterios Polyp, Batman: Year One)
8. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
I realize the last time I mentioned this book, I didn’t use this reference to one of my favorite songs by The Killers so I had to use it now. I’m reading the revamped “Jenny Finn” in single issues and I’m truly a fan of it. This hardcover is affordable and has lots of extras which is nice.
Jenny Finn HC (advance solicit)
Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Troy Nixey (W/A), Farel Dalrymple (A), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale May 30
FC, 136 pages
$17.99
HC, 7” x 10”
Mike Mignola and Troy Nixey’s acclaimed series is colored for the first time by Eisner Award winner Dave Stewart.
London’s dockside is threatened by the twin terrors of a plague leaving bodies covered in tentacles and a slasher killing women in the night. Desperate for answers after the wrong man is executed for the murders, a group of Londoners holds a séance to contract the supposed killer, and his story of a girl born of the sea who has brought a terrible curse only brings them more questions.
Collects Jenny Finn #1-#4 and bonus sketchbook material.
“Mignola’s fantasy should appeal to lovers of Victoriana, especially nautical-minded goths and steampunks.”–Publishers Weekly
7. A Spectacular Reprint
This is not something really up my alley but I had to include this this month. This sounds like the IDW artist editions but even bigger. It features heavy stock paper, original size art and commentary. It’s as close to sitting in a chair next to Koike and Kojima that we’ll ever get.
Continued belowLone Wolf and Cub Gallery Edition HC (advance solicit)
Kazuo Koike (W) and Goseki Kojima (A)
On sale May 23
FC, 228 pages
$99.99
HC, 11” x 17”
Kazuo Koike’s samurai epic is a tour-de-force of graphic fiction, and the Lone Wolf and Cub Gallery Edition features selections of the late Goseki Kojima’s spectacular illustration reproduced at original size on heavy-stock art paper to preserve the work in detail as it exists today, as close as one can come to owning these rarest of artworks. Including in its entirety the final titanic clash between ?gami Itt? and Yagy? Retsud?. This deluxe volume is a must have for collectors and enthusiasts of the finest comic art ever created.
• Reproduced from high-resolution scans at original size from the original art created over forty years ago!
• Accompanied by corresponding reproductions in English.
6. Comics Are For Everyone
This is a really interesting release because it’s something very different for Dark Horse. Anything they do that could be considered all ages or young adult skewing is typically based on one of the licenses they have. This is a brand new title with characters completely original to this series. This is technically a reprint but the second volume has already secured funding via Kickstarter so I’m sure we’ll see more sooner rather than later. Dark Horse is a publisher that does care about numbers outside of comic book stores so I’m interested to see how this ends up being marketed. It looks like a cute, fun book.
Rocket Robinson and the Pharaoh’s Fortune Volume 1 TP (advance solicit)
Sean O’Neill (W/A/Cover)
On sale May 30
FC, 248 pages
$14.99
TP, 7” x 10”
Cairo, 1933—The Egyptian capital is a buzzing hive of treasure-hunters, thrill-seekers, and adventurers, but to 12-year-old Ronald “Rocket” Robinson, it’s just another sticker on his well worn suitcase. The only son of an American diplomat, Rocket travels from city to city with his monkey Screech, never staying in one place long enough to call it home, but when Rocket finds a strange note written in Egyptian hieroglyphs, he stumbles into an adventure more incredible than anything he’s ever dreamt of.
• Indiana Jones as Tintin set in 1933 Cairo, Egypt!
• Historical fiction for middle grade readers (ages 8-12).
“Young readers just discovering pulpy adventure stories will be appropriately thrilled.”—Booklist
5. A Mighty Tome
The world of Hellboy is huge and kind of confusing if you come into it blind. There are so many miniseries and series that all kind of intertwine into this big, magnificent world. I sure haven’t read everything. In fact, I don’t think I’ve read everything that’s in this omnibus. For the first time ever, all these stories are going to be presented in chronological order and at only $24.99 for almost 400 pages, this is going to be the best way to jump into this.
Continued belowHellboy Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction TP (advance solicit)
Mike Mignola (W/A/Cover), John Byrne (W), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale May 9
FC, 368 pages
$24.99
TP, 7” x 10”
The Hellboy saga begins—with over 300 pages drawn by Mignola! For the first time, Hellboy’s complete story is presented in chronological order for the ultimate reading experience. The story jumps from Hellboy’s mysterious World War II origin to his 1994 confrontation with the man who summoned him to earth, and the earliest signs of the plague of frogs. Avoiding his supposed fate as the herald of the end of the world, Hellboy continues with the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, fighting alongside Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and drafting Roger Homunculus into his own ill-fated service with the B.P.R.D. This 368-page volume covers Hellboy’s adventures from 1994 to 1997, reprinting Seed of Destruction, Wake the Devil, and “Wolves of St August,” “The Chained Coffin,” and “Almost Colossus,” from The Chained Coffin and The Right Hand of Doom.
“Mignola, Byrne, and Chiarello have created a perfect introduction to Mignola’s Hellboy, his mysterious surroundings, and the unanswered questions that surround his origin.”—Comics Authority
4. Monsters Inside and Out
“Giants” was a title that I decided to pick up because it was Dark Horse doing something new that wasn’t a licensed thing. I’m glad I did so because I absolutely adored that first issue. The characters were instantly compelling, as was their situation, and the art was fantastic. This is going to be one of those things that slips under the radar and it’s a shame, because it shows a ton of promise.
Giants #4 (of 5)
Carlos Valderrama (W) and Miguel Valderrama (A/Cover)
On sale Mar
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
A year has passed since Gogi and Zeedo last saw one another, each believing the other was dead. Once friends, they now find themselves rivals—and even the threat of the Giants may not be enough to bring them together! Monsters and egos clash!
3. Starting 2018 Strong
Multiversity loves “Black Hammer.” It’s true. It was our top ongoing series for 2017 and the series shows no signs of slowing down. In March, the second spin off miniseries will get underway and this one focuses more on the heroic side of things. We’re going to learn more about Doctor Star but the story here that’s promised reminds me a lot of the kind of thing “Astro City” does. Lemire is a great writer and he’s getting to tell the superhero stories that he didn’t get a chance to tell at Marvel or DC. I’m excited.
Doctor Star & The Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows: From the World of Black Hammer #1 (of 4)
Jeff Lemire (W), Max Fiumara (A/cover), Dave Stewart (C) Jordie Bellaire (Variant cover), and Declan Shalvey (Variant cover)
On sale Mar 7
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
This dual-narrative story set in the world of the Eisner-Award winning Black Hammer series chronicles the legacy of a Golden-Age superhero.
An aged crime fighter desperately wants to reconnect with his estranged son, who he hoped would one day take the mantle of Doctor Star. Over the course of the story we learn his World War II-era origin, how he got his powers, his exciting astral adventures, the formation of some of Black Hammer’s greatest heroes, and more in this heartbreaking superhero tale about fathers and sons. Praise for Black Hammer:
“Every so often, you read a comic that grabs hold of you and won’t let go. Its world is fascinating, its characters are captivating, and its art is mesmerizing.” — IGN
2. An Ending…
One of my favorite ongoing series has been “Dept. H.” I’ve fallen a few issues behind but now I have a real reason to hurry up and catch up. In March, the series ends and while endings can be rough, they aren’t inherently bad. All good stories have an ending and I’m eager to see how this all wraps up.
Dept. H #24
Matt Kindt (W/A/Cover) and Sharlene Kindt (C)
On sale Mar 21
FC, 28 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
As Mia heads to the surface, she has a vision and realizes that the answer to Hari’s murder isn’t as clear-cut as it first seemed . . . a mystery as complex as the man she called Father.
The final issue!
1…And A Beginning
Sometimes renumberings work. Sometimes reboots work. While “Usagi Yojimbo” is not starting all over again, it is putting a big #1 on the front cover and I really, really hope this gets more readers interested. “Usagi Yojimbo” is a beautiful book that’s damn near perfect and Sakai has always written this as something that can be jumped into pretty easily. However, shelves are crowded and money is tighter than ever so catching up is not always an option. Hopefully anyone holding off will see this brand new miniseries and grab it. I promise, you won’t regret it.
Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #1 (of 7)
Stan Sakai (W/A/Cover)
On sale Mar 21
b&w, 28 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
On his way to see Inspector Ishida, Usagi is confronted by Shogunate guards . . . a sign of the times. While unraveling a pair of murders in town later, Usagi and Ishida become wary as they find the corpses stripped of all identification—except for a talisman that leads to a startling discovery!
• Part one of seven—the perfect place to start!
“Long story short, Usagi Yojimbo continues to be the best adventure comic in the world today.”—Newsarama
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below and check out the full solicits at Newsarama
