Another month in the books, another batch of solicitations to look at! Today we’re looking at the very best that Dark Horse has to offer in December 2018. Dark Horse has lost a couple of licenses and is going through some changes but December looks good for the publisher with their biggest in house creations putting out new issues. “Black Hammer,” “Hellboy,” and “Umbrella Academy” all make this list along with a manga re-release people have been dying for. Let’s jump into this.
10. It’s Always Halloween In My Heart
It’ll be cold and snowing by the time this comes out and everyone will be miserable because winter is the worst but thanks to something like this, it’ll always be the spooky season. “Bedtime Games” is a really solid miniseries that is something Dark Horse will hopefully be doing more of with big properties like “Buffy” leaving. I think this is super worth buying if you’re a horror fan.
Bedtime Games TP (advance solicit)
Nick Keller (W), Conor Nolan (A/Cover), and Kelly Fitzpatrick (C)
On sale Feb 20
FC, 104 pages
$17.99
TP, 7” x 10”
As summer comes to an end, three friends start senior year with a bang by exploring the mysterious past of their school. But before the night is over, their adventure turns into trouble when the kids set loose an evil that seeks to prey on their worst nightmares.
Brand-new horror from Nick Keller (Death Head), Conor Nolan (Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Giants), and Kelly Fitzpatrick (Shade the Changing Girl). Collects issues #1-#4 of the series.
9. Fun For The Kids
It’s still very weird to me that Disney doesn’t just have Marvel publish things like this but whatever, it’s still a fun read. I like things like this and I think it’s a great way to get kids into comics through the things they already like.
Disney•Pixar’s The Incredibles 2: Crisis in Mid-Life! & Other Stories TP (advance solicit)
Christos Gage (W), Landry Q. Walker (W), Gurihiru (A/Cover), J Bone (A), Andrea Greppi (A), Roberta Zanotta (I), Dan Jackson (C), and Angela Capolupo (C)
On sale Feb 20
FC, 72 pages
$10.99
TP, 6” x 9”
In three original tales, the family of Supers face challenges of life and villainy—growing up, older, and into their special powers, as they fight together against the bad guys who make heroes like Bob, Helen, Dash, Violet, and Jack-Jack, necessary.
When Mr. Incredible struggles to save the day after a villainous attack—and the dastardly Bomb Voyage escapes unscathed—he begins to question his Super powers. But when he discovers that he’s just getting a little older, Bob is inspired to look to the next generation of Supers, Dash and Violet, and begins training with them so that they can become the most incredible ever! Helen has reservations about the training, and when she sees Bob getting a little carried away after Dash and Violet make a couple of rookie mistakes, her fears are realized: intense Super training with their dad is souring Dash and Violet on the idea of becoming Supers. But the family must reunite . . . because Bomb Voyage is still at large!
In another story, Bob tells the kids a bedtime story that has Violet and Dash calling foul: this battle from his glory days seems too amazing to be true. They want to hear the real story—but they never imagined it would begin with their mom and dad’s super secret first date!
8. Soon To Be A TV Show Starring Superman
I genuinely don’t know much about this property other than the Geralt bathtub meme but I know that it’s very popular and very loved by its fans. I think it’s great that something like this is being turned into a show and I think it’s even better that this comic brings back fan favorites and promises to be a great jumping on point. The timing is very good and I like to see comics do that.
Continued belowThe Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame #1
Aleksandra Motyka (W) and Marianna Strychowska (A/Cover)
On sale Dec 19
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Geralt is summoned by an old friend to help solve a mystery involving his daughter. Upon arriving to investigate however, Geralt is surprised by another friend from the past and he soon finds himself transported to regions beyond his original expectations.
• A new series featuring fan-favorite characters, including Geralt and Dandelion!
• The first issue of a new miniseries, the perfect jumping-on point!
7. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
This is kind of a tradition at this point and that’s great. Three separate stories featuring one of the most enduring comics characters. It’s a fun time for longtime and new fans.
Hellboy Winter Special 2018
Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Fábio Moon (W/A/Variant cover), Gabriel Bá (W/A/Variant cover), Tonci Zonjic (W/A/C), Ben Stenbeck (A), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale Dec 12
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
One-shot
Three wintery tales featuring a Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck team-up. A New Year’s Eve séance goes wrong when Hellboy visits a family’s English home, Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá revisit B.P.R.D.: Vampire with a new tie-in story, and Tonci Zonjic returns to write and draw Lobster Johnson.
• Oversize issue with 26 story pages!
6. This Is All I Care About Now
I don’t have much more to add to this that I haven’t said in the last two months but “Umbrella Academy” is back and I’m happy.
Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #3
Gerard Way (W), Gabriel Bá (A/Cover/Variant cover), and Nick Filardi (C)
On sale Dec 5
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
MiniseriesPhilippe C.
The City
wow… I have never been so amazed in my life. the mothers of agony seem like dirtball hoodlum scum, so iI was very sceptical when a friend recommended them for psychic advice. their place of business leaves a lot to be desired, in a terrible neighborhood, but its the results that matter and man did they deliver! their psychic seems like he’s done a lot of drugs, but as soon as we sat down in their private frankly kind of frightning room, it was like my dead father was right there beside me again! he knew things only my father could know, including the dirt I needed on my sister to lock her out of the trust. if I could give the mothers of agony a 10 star review I would.
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5. If You Missed It The First Time
“Mind MGMT” is honestly a masterclass in comics making. It’s damn near perfect and should have been on everyone’s pull list when it was coming out. With the series wrapped up, Dark Horse is now putting out these extra fancy Ominbus editions and even though I have the hardcovers, I’m very tempted to get this too. I bet the extras will be worth it.
Mind MGMT Omnibus: The Manager and the Futurist Part 1 TP (advance solicit)
Matt Kindt (W/A/Cover)
On sale Feb 21
FC, 400 pages
$24.99
TP, 7” x 10”
This globe-spanning tale of espionage explores the adventures of a journalist investigating the mystery of a commercial flight where everyone aboard loses their memories. Meru’s obsession with Flight 815 leads her to a much bigger story of a top-secret government Mind MGMT program. Her ensuing journey involves weaponized psychics, hypnotic advertising, talking dolphins, and seemingly immortal pursuers, as she hunts down the flight’s missing passenger, the man who was Mind MGMT’s greatest success—and its most devastating failure. But in a world where people can rewrite reality itself, can she trust anything she sees?
Collects the first two volumes of the Mind MGMT series from New York Times bestselling and Eisner-nominated creator Matt Kindt—a story that’s optioned for film by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner).
4. Hey, It’s Matt Kindt Again
I’ve talked about this here before but I really do believe that Matt Kindt is very underrated in the industry. He consistently puts out great creator work with a real interesting perspective. I adore “Ether” and I hope that it’s not completely over. The great thing about this volume of “Ether” is that while you should read the first, you can enjoy this on its own.
Continued belowEther II vol. 2: The Copper Golems TP (advance solicit)
Matt Kindt (W) and David Rubin (A/Cover)
On sale Feb 6
FC, 136 pages
$19.99
TP, 7” x 10”
From New York Times bestselling Mind MGMT creator Matt Kindt and Black Hammer’s David Rubín comes this fantasy adventure about a science-minded hero intent on keeping the balance between Earth and a magic world!
Portals between Earth and the Ether begin to crack open unleashing devastating magical fury on our planet and only adventurer Boone Dias can seal the breaches. In order to put an end to this chaos, Boone recruits a powerful team of mystical beings including a grumpy, spell-writing fairy; a bickering, lavender gorilla; and a bull-headed, motorcycling, spell-hacker. These heroes set off on a journey taking the reader through the center of volcanoes, deserts full of living mummies and sphinxes, and a bizarre fairy forest in an effort to save both worlds from complete destruction!
Collecting issues #1-5 of Ether series II and featuring a sketchbook section with bonus art from Paul Pope, Mike Allred, Bill Sienkiewicz, Marcos Martín and Jen Bartel!
3. Yup, There It Is
“Berserk” is decidedly one of those things that’s not for me however, I get why it’s got the legend status it has. It’s run for decades now and as is the case, manga can be hard to get legally in the US when it’s a certain age because of the lack of reprints. Now, Dark Horse is putting out these deluxe editions of the series and for $50, you get a lot. This is a big deal.
Berserk Deluxe Edition Volume 1 HC (advance solicit)
Kentaro Miura (W/A)
On sale Feb 27
b&w, 692 pages
$49.99
HC, 7” x 10”
Kentaro Miura’s Berserk has ouraged, horrified, and delighted readers since 1989, and now the badass champion of adult fantasy manga is presented in a deluxe hardcover edition amassing the first three Berserk volumes in 7” x 10” format, with further volumes to come to present the entire series in handsome bookshelf collections.
Have you got the Guts? Kentaro Miura’s Berserk has ouraged, horrified, and delighted manga and anime fanatics since 1989, creating an international legion of hardcore devotees and inspiring a plethora of TV series, feature films, and video games. And now the badass champion of adult fantasy manga is presented in an oversized 7” x 10” deluxe hardcover edition, nearly 700 pages amassing the first three Berserk volumes, with following volumes to come to serve up the entire series in handsome bookshelf collections. No Guts, no glory! Collects volumes 1-3.
2. Finally
Ever since she debuted I have wanted a Cthu-Louise spinoff and I’m finally getting it. I think this is something “Black Hammer” should do more of. Not everything has to be a miniseries. Give us these one off one shots and keep building this vast and awesome world.
Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise
Jeff Lemire (W), Emi Lenox (A/Cover), Dave Stewart (C), and Jill Thompson (Variant cover)
On sale Dec 12
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
One-shot
From the pages of Sherlock Frankenstein comes this horrific tale of Lovecraftian teenage angst.
Spawned by the emissary of a Cthulhu god, Cthu-Louise struggles and is teased at school due to her monstrous appearance. Finally fed up with the bullying and abuse, she decides she will do anything to make herself “normal.”
• Emi Lenox’s return to the Black Hammer World!
• Ties directly into the Eisner-Award winning Black Hammer comic books series and is written by Jeff Lemire.
1. A Tale For Our Times
Nnedi Okorafor coming to comics is a big deal. She’s a prolific fiction writer with a huge following and now she’s setting her sights on this medium and I could not be more excited. “Laguardia” sounds like an incredibly timely and unique story that will entertain and get us thinking. It’s the perfect idea and I can’t wait to read this.
LaGuardia #1
Nnedi Okorafor (W) and Tana Ford (A/Cover)
On sale Oct 31
FC, 36 pages
$4.99
MiniseriesSet in an alternative world where aliens have come to Earth and integrated with society, LaGuardia revolves around a pregnant Nigerian-American doctor, Future Nwafor Chukwuebuka who has just returned to NYC under mysterious conditions. After smuggling an illegal alien plant named “Letme Live” through LaGuardia International and Interstellar Airport’s customs and security, she arrives at her grandmother’s tenement, the New Hope Apartments in the South Bronx.
There, she and Letme become part of a growing population of mostly African and shape-shifting alien immigrants, battling against interrogation, discrimination and travel bans, as they try to make it in a new land. But, as the birth of her child nears, future begins to change. What dark secret is she hiding?
Written by Nnedi Okorafor, Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Award winner (Who Fears Death, Binti, Akata series) and illustrated by Tana Ford (Silk, Duck!), the team behind Black Panther: Long Live the King #6.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments and read the full solicitations over at Major Spoilers.
