2016 is seriously flying by. I’m somehow already looking at the solicitations from August and that’s really weird to me. This month’s list is highlighted by mostly trades but I think that’s kind of where Dark Horse thrives. Their collected editions are always so well done so I don’t feel too bad about this. Let’s jump into this month’s picks.
10. More Of The Master
Last month I wrote a little about the first Moebius Library book and in August you have the chance to pre-order the next collection. I’ve never read these stories so I’m unsure of the quality of the plotting but visually, this will be a stunner.
Moebius Library: The World of Edena HC (advance solicit)
Moebius (W/A/Cover)
On sale Oct 26
FC, 344 pages
$49.99
HC, 8″ x 10″
Working closely with Moebius Production in France, Dark Horse puts the work of a master storyteller back in print — with some material in English for the first time! Stel and Atan are interstellar repairmen trying to find a lost space station and its crew. What they discover about the universe and themselves on the mythical paradise planet Edena, though, changes their lives forever. Moebius’s long-out-of-print World of Edena story arc gets a deluxe hardcover treatment, with its five main chapters — Upon a Star, Gardens of Edena, The Goddess, Stel, and Sra — collected here!
• Long-out-of-print classics — collected in an affordable hardcover.
“Moebius is a master draftsman, a superb artist, and more — his vision is original and strong.” — George Lucas
9. More Than Entertainment
As I’ve done this column, I’ve noticed that Dark Horse has a tradition of putting out books like this one that blend together comics and prose. This book tackles very serious subject matter with an all star line up. It won’t be the most light hearted read but I’m always fascinated by things like this.
Another Chance to Get It Right Fourth Edition HC (advance solicit)
Andrew Vachss (W), Geof Darrow (A/Cover), Brad Anderson (A), Tim Bradstreet (A), Frank Caruso (A), Paul Chadwick (A), Rick Geary (A), Gary Gianni (A), Dave Gibbons (A), and Warren Pleece (A)
On sale Oct 12
FC, 92 pages
$14.99
HC, 7 1/2″ x 10 1/4″
Dark Horse is proud to offer a the 25th anniversary edition of Another Chance To Get It Right, the acclaimed and ground breaking collection of short stories, poetry, and allegory by Andrew Vachss, one of the most powerful voices in the field of child protection. This work is an illumination of the realities of child abuse, juvenile violence… and tribute to the power of imagination. It features a line-up of award winning artists, including Geof Darrow, Paul Chadwick, Frank Caruso, Dave Gibbons, and Tim Bradstreet, as well as all-new material plus a magnificent (and collectible) new cover by Geof Darrow.
People Magazine says “Another Chance is Dr. Seuss dressed up as a Scorsese movie, another on-target hit by an author who has made children his primary concern.”
Another Chance To Get It Right offers a unique look at the potential of parenting, as much inspirational as it is instructional, both a blessing and a warning for us all.
8. A Trippy Trip
Dave McKean is one of the most interesting artists in comic books. His work is trippy and mind boggling in all the good ways and this book showcases all of that. I’ve never read this but this will be something I personally pick up when it comes out.
Continued belowCages TP (Second Edition) (advance solicit)
Dave McKean (W/A/Cover)
On sale Oct 19
FC, 504 pages
$29.99
TP, 8 1/2″ x 11 3/16″
Filled with complex characters, intriguing flights of fancy, and all the beautiful visuals you’d expect from the director of MirrorMask, Cages is Dave McKean’s magnum opus. It chronicles the intersecting lives of a painter, a writer, and a musician living in the same apartment building, and is a profound rumination on art, God, cats, and the cages we build for ourselves.
• New edition features a brand-new cover and a bonus section of related artwork, old covers, sketches, limited prints, and more.
“The finest comic being created today. Get it and see what heights narrative graphic art can achieve.” — The Fine Print
7. The Most Fun You’ll Have Watching Someone Steal Things
“Bandette” is a weird thing to me. It wins lots of awards and sells a lot of copies but for whatever reason, you don’t see it talked about much. We should change that. The third volume of this delightful series is available for pre-order and it’s perfect for pretty much everyone. Everyone should read “Bandette”.
Bandette Volume 3: The House of the Green Mask HC (advance solicit)
Paul Tobin (W) and Colleen Coover (A/Cover)
On sale Oct 12
FC, 128 pages
$14.99
HC, 6″ x 9″
Bandette, greatest thief in all the lands, uncovers the greatest of all mysteries: a clue to the location of the legendary House of the Green Mask! But the sinister Voice has set his sights on the same treasure and sent a deadly assassin after the same secrets! Worse, he’s stolen the one thing dearest to Bandette’s heart. Now, she’s after revenge! (And also chocolate.)
• Eisner Award–winning Bandette returns to print!
“I want to make something very clear: you have absolutely no excuse not to buy this.” — Darling Dork
6. Time Warp
Like the Moebius book, this is another follow up from last month. Dark Horse is taking “Buffy” back to high school in stand alone graphic novels. This allows for some nostalgia to come into play but it also lets fans to get back to basics with a character that we fell in love with during her high school days.
Buffy: The High School Years — Glutton for Punishment TP (advance solicit)
Kel McDonald (W), Yishan Li (A), and Scott Fischer (Cover)
On sale Oct 19
FC, 80 pages
$10.99
TP, 6″ x 9″
When Buffy and Xander sign up for Home Ec, assuming it will be an extra-credit cakewalk, they aren’t aware that the teacher is a ravenous tiger demon in disguise! When he’s found to be kidnapping his top students and forcing them to cook for him, Buffy must rescue her fellow students — and give the tiger demon his just desserts!
• Set during Season 1 of the television series.
5. Let’s Try This Again
So “Kingsway West” was announced a while back and I was pretty intrigued by it. Now it’s finally solicited so I can be excited about it. Greg Pak is a reliable writer who consistently puts out good work and he’s doing something interesting here with a genre barely touched anymore.
Kingsway West #1 (of 4)
Greg Pak (W), Mirko Colak (A/Cover), and Wil Quintana (C)
On sale Aug 24
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
After spending thirteen years in a war that made him a monster, a Chinese gunslinger named Kingsway Law just wants to live in peace with his wife, Sonia. But even in a fantastical Old West crackling with magic, a man of his skills can never quite disappear. So when a woman with a red-gold sword brings bloody chaos to his doorstep, Kingsway must fight for his life, his wife, and his very soul.
• Greg Pak and Mirko Colak team up for a magical western!
• Once upon a Time in the West meets Princess Mononoke.
4. It All Ends Here
Buffy and the gang appear on this list twice this month but in different ways. This entry marks the end of the tenth season of the series and it’s going to be a doozy. The comic seasons have really taken advantage of being able to do anything and this season has been full of excellent character drama and very high stakes that honestly make you second guess everything you’ve known about “Buffy”.
Continued belowBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #30
Christos Gage (W), Rebekah Isaacs (A/Variant cover), Dan Jackson (C), and Steve Morris (Cover)
On sale Aug 24
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
In the final issue of Season 10, the fight for the world has come down to Buffy, her friends, and their gamble . . .
“Always character driven. Always action packed. Always the best. Buffy the Vampire Slayer should always be on your pull list.” — SciFiPulse
3. Love, Geek Style
Have you ever had trouble finding a date? What about trying to date in the world of geek fandom? It’s not easy and “Secret Loves of Geek Girls” tackles romance from the female perspective, making it pretty much the only book of it’s kind. This was a very, very successful Kickstarter and the book itself is super insightful and extremely relatable. I’m really happy that it’s going to be available to everyone like this.
Side not & shameless plug: If you want to hear editor Hope Nicholson talk about the book, you can listen to my interview with her here.
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls TP (advance solicit)
Margaret Atwood (W/A), Marjorie Liu (W), Mariko Tamaki (W), Marguerite Bennett (W), Jen Vaughn (A), and more
On sale Oct 5
FC, 272 pages
$14.99
TP, 6″ x 9″
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls is a nonfiction anthology mixing prose, comics, and illustrated stories on the lives and loves of an amazing cast of female creators. Featuring work by Margaret Atwood (The Heart Goes Last), Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer), Trina Robbins (Wonder Woman), Marguerite Bennett (Marvel’s A-Force), Noelle Stevenson (Nimona), Marjorie Liu (Monstress), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), and over fifty more creators, it’s a compilation of tales told from both sides of the tables: from the fans who love video games, comics, and sci-fi to those that work behind the scenes as creators and industry insiders.
• Features comics written and drawn by Margaret Atwood.
• Cover by Noelle Stevenson (Lumberjanes).
• Foreword by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Bitch Planet).
2. “How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people”
“The Fifth Beatle” is one of the very best biographical comic books ever created. I adore it and that’s why I own two different versions of it and I might just get a third version with this one. This book tells the story of Brian Epstein, who basically made The Beatles into the pop culture phenomenon they were. They were always extraordinarily talented but Epstein branded them and made them marketable unlike any band before. As great as Tiwary’s scripting is, Robinson’s art is mesmorizing. He does something so extremely special and it brings this story to life in an almost dream like quality that feels perfect. This is also something that non comic book readers can find easy to follow and sort of a gateway to more.
The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story Expanded Edition TP (advance solicit)
Vivek J. Tiwary (W), Andrew C. Robinson (A/Cover), and Kyle Baker (A)
On sale Oct 12
FC, 176 pages
$14.99
TP, 8″ x 12 3/16″
The Fifth Beatle recounts the untold story of visionary Beatles manager Brian Epstein — who created Beatlemania and guided the band from basement gigs to unprecedented international stardom. This multiple-award-winning graphic novel has been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives!
This new softcover edition includes a revised sketchbook and Beatles memorabilia bonus section with behind-the-scenes insights from writer Vivek Tiwary and artists Andrew Robinson and Kyle Baker — expanded to include eight pages unique to this edition!
• #1 New York Times bestseller.
“Heartbreaking, exhilarating and unexpected… A complete triumph.” — The Hollywood Reporter
“Abounds with emotional moments… Filled with vibrant images.” — The New York Times
1. The Lady Kills Again
“Lady Killer” was the best miniseries I read last year. I loved the style, the dark comedy and Joelle Jones’ art was so beautiful from start to finish. “Lady Killer” 2 continues Josie’s story in a new setting and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if this showed up on a lot of “best of” lists again this year.
Lady Killer 2 #1 (of 5)
Joëlle Jones (W/A/Cover), Michelle Madsen (C), and Matteo Scalera and Moreno Dinisio (30th anniversary variant cover)
On sale Aug 3
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
The killer housewife is back! The Schuller family has moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida, where life carries on as usual. Josie continues to juggle Tupperware parties, her kids, and a few human heads. However, when someone from her past tails her on a hit, she may be in for more than she bargained for.
“Lady Killer is worth its weight in gold for the art alone, but the enigmatic Josie Schuller is the real appeal.” — Newsarama
“A level of violence that can only be described as Mad Men’s Betty Draper meets Dexter.” — Comic Book Resources
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below and check out the full solicitations over at CBR.
