Another month in the books, another batch of solicitations to look at! As usual we kick things off by looking at what Dark Horse is delivering. October is a very solid month for the publisher with some nicely timed collections coming out and an incredibly funny statue finally getting released. The big deal here though is the first solicitation for the return of “The Umbrella Academy.” Let’s jump into this!
10. The Last New “Buffy” Comics?
Even though a television reboot has been announced, it’s quite possible that this is it for this incarnation of comic book Buffy Summers. There hasn’t been an announcement for a new series yet and the trade for this last miniseries is about to hit. It’s possible that this is it and the next series we see will be of the rebooted series, if that ever gets off the ground.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 12: The Reckoning TP (advance solicit)
Nunzio DeFilippis (W), Christina Weir (W), Fernando Heinz Furukawa (A), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Sachin Teng (Cover)
On sale Dec 12
FC, 112 pages
$19.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
Angel brings news of an amassing evil force—Wolf; Hart, a legion of demons, and Harth, vampire from the future—to Buffy and her crew. Realizing this fight will be more than they can handle alone, the gang travels to the future to recruit the Slayer Fray—Harth’s twin sister—and learn of their dismal fate should they fail in the ultimate battle with Harth and his legion. He is after the power of the Slayers . . . this is the reckoning . . . and it could be the end of Buffy, Fray, and all the Slayers, forever. Collects Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 12: The Reckoning #1–#4.
“This reads like a stake through the heart for emotional punch. This is going to take some time to recover from. Beautifully heartbreaking!”—Sci-Fi Pulse
9. Not Quite For Me
I don’t know anything about this game or this franchise but I know that it’s popular and these comics are in canon with the game franchise so, if this your jam, here you go. I will say though that this cover is excellent.
Dragon Age: Deception #1
Nunzio DeFilippis (W), Christina Weir (W), Fernando Heinz Furukawa (A), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Sachin Teng (Cover)
On sale Oct 17
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
BioWare’s best-selling fantasy franchise lives on in these canonical comics from Dark Horse!
Olivia Pryde hasn’t worked an honest day in years. Once an actress, she now lives by the con, and has come to Tevinter with a new target: Calix Qintara, the heir to a wealthy house. Once she approaches the young man, she quickly realizes that he is not exactly who he says he is—and she may be in too deep.
• The creative team from Dragon Age: Knight Errant returns!
• Covers by Sachin Teng!
“A great example of how Dark Horse has successfully continued the tales within the lavishly crafted world of BioWare’s incredible fantasy epic series of games.” —Bleeding Cool
8. Just In Time For The Movie
There’s a new Predator movie coming out very soon and just in time for that is this collection of what Dark Horse considers to be the essential Predator comic book stories. I like Predator a lot so this might be worth checking out. The price point is a steal too for how many actual comic pages you get in here.
Continued belowPredator: The Essential Comics Volume 1 TP (advance solicit)
Mark Verheiden (W), Chris Warner (P/Cover), Ron Randall (P), Sam de la Rosa (I), Randy Emberlin (I), and Steve Mitchell (I)
On sale Dec 6
FC, 416 pages
$24.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
Brutal, invisible, nearly unstoppable. He is the hunter from the stars . . . the Predator.
Before the film Predator 2, there were these comics—a four-color sequel to one of the greatest action films of all time. Written by Mark Verheiden and illustrated by comics mainstays Chris Warner and Ron Randall. Collects Predator: Concrete Jungle TP, Predator: Cold War TP, and Predator: Dark River TP.
7. A No Brainer
I loved “D4VE” and I loved “Kennel Block Blues” so honestly anything Ryan Ferrier writes is something I have to check out. Even better is this Road Warrior-esque setting. I’m all in on this one.
Death Orb #1
Ryan Ferrier (W), Alejandro Aragon (A/Cover), and Chris O’Halloran (C)
On sale Oct 3
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Rider, an ax-wielding wasteland survivor, carves a bloody path across a war-torn North America ruled over by the Lords, the mysterious Father, and their cult followers as he searches for his abducted wife and child. Information from one of Father’s hired mercenaries could lead Rider to his family—if the Lords don’t take him out first.
• From the creator of D4VE and Marvel’s Secret Wars: Battleworld.
• Fast-paced manga-style action in a Road Warrior setting.
6. Even Stranger-er Things
As much as I go back and forth on the quality of this show, I can’t deny that it’s become a part of pop culture and that makes me excited to dive deeper into this story. After reading interviews with writer Jody Houser that came out of SDCC, I’m definitely here for this series. I think it could be the tv tie in series that works.
Stranger Things #2
Jody Houser (W), Stefano Martino (P), Keith Champagne (I), Lauren Affe (C), Aleksi Briclot (Cover), Greg Ruth (Variant cover), Steve Morris (Variant cover), and Patrick Satterfield (Photo variant)
On sale Oct 31
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Stuck in the mysterious Upside Down, Will Byers is cold, scared and starving. He uses his last bullet to temporarily drive away the Demogorgon. Drawing on lessons learned from D&D, Will hunts for food and supplies to prepare for whatever lies ahead. After discovering he can affect the lights in his family home, brief excitement turns to terror when he realizes he isn’t the only one that wants to break through to the other side.
• Written by award-winning comics veteran Jody Houser (Faith, Orphan Black, Mother Panic).
• Based on Will’s unseen journey during season 1 of hit Netflix show Stranger Things
5. They Did It
I don’t know much about this game series but I know memes. This is a statue of that infamous joke that became a fun meme for a while. I own a “This Is Fine” plush and if this were a little cheaper, I would get it because memes are the purest art form left on the internet.
The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt—Geralt in Bath Statuette (advance solicit)
Witcher III
On sale Nov 21
8″ L x 3.5″ H x 5.5″ W
$79.99
Originally an in-game scene, turned internet meme, turned CD Projekt Red April Fools joke, the demand that this be brought to life from Witcher fans became too great to bear.
Dark Horse is proud to bring you this marvelously detailed, hand-painted polyresin statuette featuring Geralt of Rivia relaxing and healing from his perilous journeys, in a candlelit bath, complete with his rubber ducky!
4. A Dark Mashup With Potential
I don’t know anything about the creative team behind this but over the last couple of years, Dark Horse has put out brand new, original miniseries in between all their licensed material. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t and I’m hoping this is one that works because it sounds like a great concept.
Continued belowThe Whispering Dark #1
Christofer Emgård (W) and Tomás Aira (A/Cover)
On sale Oct 24
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
An Army pilot confronts a supernatural horror in this thriller in the tradition of Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness and Coppola’s Apocalypse Now!
Hannah Vance believes her faith in God can survive anything. But when her helicopter is shot down behind enemy lines, she will fight and kill on an ever-more-savage battlefield, desperate for a way home. On the horizon, an evil waits for her—and freedom, of a sort.
• Emgård was a writer on Battlefield 1 and Star Wars Battlefront II!
• Aira was an artist on War Stories and Night of the Living Dead: Aftermath!
3. Buy This So I Can Read More
I really, really, REALLY, like “Blackwood” and I want it to be something that has potential to move forward with more. Maybe if the trade does well, that’ll happen? I hope so. If you like “Harry Potter” or “The Magicians,” this is absolutely something I think you’ll enjoy, so get to it.
Blackwood Volume 1 TP (advance solicit)
Evan Dorkin (W), Veronica Fish (A/Cover), and Andy Fish (A)
On sale Dec 19
FC, 96 pages
$17.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
When four teenagers with haunted pasts enroll in Blackwood College—a school that trains students in the occult—their desire to enhance their supernatural abilities and bond with others is hampered by an undead dean’s curse, ghosts in their dorm, a mischievous two-headed mummy-chimp, a plague of mutant insects, and the discovery of an ancient evil that forces our heroes to undergo a crash course in the occult for the sake of the world. Collects issues #1–#4 of the series, a bonus sketchbook section, pinups by Becky Cloonan, Tyler Crook, Stacey Lee, and Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire!
“Blackwood is like Harry Potter mixed with Deadly Class. It keeps all the supernatural elements and ups the danger factor considerably.” –Horror Talk
2. Ending Of An Arc But The Beginning of More
Stan Sakai’s “Usagi Yojimbo” got renumbered for each specific arc going forward and I know what you’re thinking: this series has been going for so long, how can I possibly jump in? Trust me, you can do it. This is the end of this arc but use this as a reminder to pick up the whole arc or pre-order that trade that will come out very soon.
Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #7 (of 7)
Stan Sakai (W/A/Cover)
On sale Oct 24
b&w, 28 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
The stunning conclusion to Stan Sakai’s “Hidden” arc! Usagi and Inspector Ishida uncover the truth just as the Shogunate agents attack. Trapped by flames and assassins, not only are the pair’s lives in danger, but the secret they’ve just discovered may vanish with them as a raging fire threatens to annihilate the city—destroying everything and everyone within it.
1. Look Alive Sunshine
As a lady who came of age in the mid to late 2000s, I was completely and entirely an emo kid. My Chemical Romance’s music basically got me through high school and “The Black Parade” is to this day, my favorite album of all time. Gerard Way is maybe not quite my personal idol but he’s someone who’s music, writing and art I hold in incredibly high esteem. “The Umbrella Academy” is one of the first non superhero series I bought with my own money so this is very special to me. I cannot wait to get back into this world. Take me places, Way and Ba. I’m ready.
Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #1
Gerard Way (W), Gabriel Bá (A/Cover/Variant cover), and Nick Filardi (C)
On sale Oct 3
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Faced with an increasing number of lunatics with superpowers eager to face off with his own wunderkind brood, Sir Reginald Hargreeves developed the ultimate solution …
Now, just a few years after Hargreeves’s death, his Umbrella Academy is scattered. Number Five is a hired gun, Kraken is stalking big game, Rumor is dealing with the wreckage of her marriage, a rotund Spaceboy runs around the streets of Tokyo, Vanya continues her physical therapy after being shot in the head—and no one wants to even mention Seance until issue #2.
With a Netflix series soon to debut, the award-winning and best-selling superhero series returns, stranger than ever—
And their past is coming back to hunt them.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments and check out the full solicitations at Comics Continumm.
