This month in Dark Horse Comics sees the “Alien” property miniseries already winding down. I’m not sure “experiment” is the right word, but it will be interesting to see how the first “wave” of the experiment works from both a quality and popularity standpoint. Beyond that, it’s a big month for jumping in to the Mike Mignola books, as a couple of books are gearing up for new storylines and a very major miniseries is seeing its release. “The Massive” also comes to an end, which doesn’t feel like a “momentous” occasion, but definitely deserves honorable mention. With a couple of other fun things to fill out the list, December 2014 looks like another solid month for Dark Horse to end the year on. Read on, comment on what I missed, and we’ll see you in the year 2015 (of solicitations, anyway).
10. Meeting of the manga minds
I’ve already praised Satoshi Kon’s “Perfect Blue” in a prior edition of this very column, and now he’s paired with Mamoru Oshii on a manga that I never knew existed, but absolutely need in my life. Again, that’s the “Ghost in the Shell” guy paired with the “Perfect Blue” guy. Hell, it doesn’t even have to be good. It just has to have equal amounts of their uniquely batshit crazy imaginations at work. I’m so in.
Seraphim: 266613336 Wings TP
Mamoru Oshii (W) and Satoshi Kon (A/Cover)On sale Feb 18
b&w, 248 pages
$19.99
TP, 6″ x 8″
Two of the most acclaimed anime directors of all time, Ghost in the Shell’s Mamoru Oshii and Perfect Blue’s Satoshi Kon, came together to create a manga: Seraphim: 266613336 Wings. Seraphim is the story of a future earth devastated by the “Angel Plague,” a pandemic that induces apocalyptic visions in the afflicted, even as it ossifies their bodies into dead, seraphic forms.
• Seraphim is from Animage, the magazine that originally serialized Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä manga.
9. If I hear an anguished “Oink”, I’m outta here
The horror that Cosmo Kramer once thought he saw has finally been confirmed: “A pig-man, Jerry! Half pig, half man!” I could spend this entire capsule spouting Pig-man quotes from the bris episode of Seinfeld, but I’ll spare you. I’ve never read the original graphic novel, but the painterly description sounds mesmerizing and the concept of pig-men in a dark oppressive future is relevant to my interests as a hipster-doofus.
OINK: Heaven’s Butcher TP
John Mueller (W/A/Cover)On sale Feb 25
FC, 112 pages
$17.99
TP, 7″ x 10″In a dark, oppressive future, pig-men work tirelessly as the slaves of human masters, feeding a society they cannot fathom. When Oink realizes that the dogma being forced on them is all lies, he undertakes a path of revenge and revelation.
• Repainted! Entirely new sequences of story and art!
• An Orwellian fantasy—a dark commentary on our world!
• Marking the 20th anniversary of the original graphic novel!
“ Beautifully illustrated, gloomily painted.” —The Onion, A.V. Club
8. Who is the Third Child?
Steve Niles’ “Criminal Macabre” is a criminally underrated work, and a rather good replacement for “Hellblazer” now that Constantine has been watered down a bit. While the Constantine TV show actually looks to be a decent enough turn for the character, considering he was always going to have to be watered down for TV – “Criminal Macabre” is the best approximation in the world of comics right now.
Continued belowCriminal Macabre: The Third Child #4 (of 4)
Steve Niles (W), Christopher Mitten (A), Michelle Madsen (C), and Justin Erickson (Cover)On sale Dec 17
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
The war rages on as humans tear each other to shreds. Cal is done with it. He is ready for the war to end . . . but as his dark side gets stronger, whose side will he take?
• From the writer of Breath of Bones and 30 Days of Night!
• Who is the Third Child?
“For fans of supernatural detectives and monsters, and especially for Niles fans, this is a must have.”—Adventures in Poor Taste
7. Game over, man! Game over!
The first set of “Alien” and “Predator” comics are coming to an end. At the time of writing this, we’ve only gotten a small taste of these books and it was good, with plenty of room for improvement. I’m interested in seeing how the quality of these shakes out by the time they’re all completed and collected. I’m optimistic. And I hope they’re popular and successful enough to lead to the same kind of quality that Dark Horse put into their “Star Wars” titles.
Aliens: Fire and Stone #4 (of 4)
Chris Roberson (W), Patric Reynolds (A), Dave Stewart (C), and David Palumbo (cover)On sale Dec 24
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Tying in with the Prometheus and Aliens films, this tale of stranded survivors and the tenacious xenomorphs that stalk them comes to a close! Scientist Derrick Russell makes more stunning discoveries about the strange planet the Hadley’s Hope refugees crashed on, while Aliens close in on him!
• Ties directly into two hit motion pictures!
• From critically acclaimed writer Chris Roberson!
6. All-New Dark Horse Thor?
The solicitation for “Dark Horse Presents” #5 has me wishing that Joe Casey would come to Marvel and write “Thor” for a while after Jason Aaron is finished with him (or her). I suppose there’s a snowballs chance in Hades of that happening, but at least I can live out that dream in some small way with this comic right here. That’s just one fraction of the bevy of comic goodness you get every month in Dark Horse’s award-winning anthology title.
Dark Horse Presents #5
Joe Casey (W), Alex de Campi (W), Jimmy Palmiotti (W), Justin Gray (W), Tyler Jenkins (W/A), Keith Champagne (W), Ed Brisson (W), Jim Rugg (A), Jerry Ordway (A), Andy Kuhn (A), Leonard Kirk (A), Declan Shalvey (A), and Alex Ross (Cover)On sale Dec 17
FC, 48 pages
$4.99
Ongoing
Why is Odin wielding Thor’s hammer? Find out in Joe Casey and Jim Rugg’s thunderous Odin’s Mighty Return! Ed Brisson’s gritty crime comic Murder Book comes to DHP, featuring a tale illustrated by Moon Knight artist Declan Shalvey!
Plus, new chapters of Alex de Campi and Jerry Ordway’s Semiautomagic; Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Andy Kuhn’s Wrestling with Demons; Tyler Jenkins’s The Chaining; and Peter Tomasi and Keith Champagne’s The Mighty, written by Champagne with art by Leonard Kirk.
• Multiple Eisner and Harvey Award winner!
• Won the 2014 Best Anthology Eisner award—three years in a row!
• Joe Casey and Jim Rugg put the hammer down!
5. A jumping-on point for Ol’ Fishstick
The “red-headed step child” of the Mignolaverse books. Apologies in advance to any redheads, stepchildren, or both. The truth is, I just don’t ever hear anyone talk about “Abe Sapien”, the way that they do “BPRD” or “Hellboy in Hell.” Even the recent Witchfinder, Lobster Johnson, and Baltimore miniseries have seemed to garner more attention. Abe is the man though, and so is his book. I’m sure everyone knows this already, but I think we should talk about it more.
Abe Sapien #18
Mike Mignola (W), Scott Allie (W), Max Fiumara (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)On sale Dec 10
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Ongoing
Having joined a Santa Muerte cult, Abe settles into a small Gulf town with hidden ties to the zombie massacre he failed to stop in Arizona. With more lives depending on him than ever, will he fail again?
• The first five-part arc starts here!
“You’d be a fool to miss out on Abe Sapien: Fine comics indeed.”—Bloody Disgusting
“Abe Sapien is another strong monthly dose of horror, and now’s a great time to find out for yourself.”—Comic Book Resources
“I read a ton of Dark Horse titles each month and really each week, but for my money Abe Sapien really is one of the best they publish.”—Comic Bastards
4. Mind your Meru
Matt Kindt’s excellent creator-owned mind-bender keeps rolling on. How he’s got time for it while writing a half-dozen other books, I’ll never know. The fact is, it rarely misses a month and that is a herculean feat of comic booking. On top of the terribly impressive release schedule, the book is just so damn good every month. With new twists and surprises, tons of supplemental material, and secrets within secrets that demand multiple readings, you’re getting more than you bargained for every time you pick up an issue. My, oh my – I couldn’t recommend this book more.
Mind Mgmt #29
Matt Kindt (W/A/Cover)On sale Dec 24
FC, 24 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
Meru takes on the Eraser one on one, with deadly results. But will a familiar face in sunglasses show up just in time?
“Kindt outdoes himself on so many levels.” —IGN
“It will blow your mind.”—Unleash the Fanboy
3. Collecting a legendary run
I know I rave about “Usagi Yojimbo” all the time, but these are truly some of the best stories ever told in the medium and these huge collections deserve a look from anyone who is even mildly curious. If you go with the cheaper option, you’re getting over 650 pages of all-time great comics for less than $25. These early stories, in particular, are such shining examples of the deceptively simple storytelling magic of Stan Sakai. There won’t be a better deal in comics this month.
The Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volume 2 TP & Ltd. HC
Stan Sakai (W/A/Cover)The Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volume 2 TP & Ltd. HC
Stan Sakai (W/A/Cover)
On sale Feb 25
FC, 672 pages
$24.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
On sale Feb 25
FC, 672 pages
$79.99
Ltd. HC, 7″ x 10″
The rabbit ronin’s adventures hit an early peak in this deluxe compilation featuring Usagi’s first encounters with the Lord of Owls, Inspector Ishida, and more, and Grasscutter, the grandest Usagi tale to date! Collects Usagi Yojimbo Volume 3 #7–#30 and UY: Green Persimmon!
• Nearly 700 pages of Stan Sakai’s enduring samurai masterpiece!
• Includes the Eisner Award-winning Grasscutter epic!
• Full-color cover gallery.
• Also available in a limited hardcover of 900 signed copies.
2. “The Massive” comes to a low-key conclusion
Our own Mike Romeo has been speculating on this for a while now, but nothing truly official had been revealed until now. “The Massive”, a book that has been seriously underrated since its first issue, is coming to a close. It was a quiet, pensive book at times – fitting for its futuristic seafaring setting. And it sounds like the final issue will be no different, hopefully leaving us with the thoughtful conclusion that the series deserves. All along the way we enjoyed art from Kristian Donaldson, Garry Brown, and a handful of other artists – including some gorgeous covers by J.P. Leon. Catch up with this book somewhere down the road – you might end up being surprised by how little attention it received while it was ongoing.
The Massive #30
Brian Wood (W), Garry Brown (A), Jordie Bellaire (C), and J. P. Leon (Cover)On sale Dec 24
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Ongoing
Dead calm. Quiet seas. Second chances? The Ninth Wave crew enter a brand-new chapter in Earth’s history.
“Garry Brown and Jordie Bellaire simply rock this book’s artwork; every page seems so rugged and calculated it’s scarily good.”—Geeks Unleashed
“Please go out and pick this up. I really can’t urge you enough.”—Comic Bastards
1. No subtitle needed
“Hellboy and the BPRD.” That title says all you need to say. You want the band back together again? Well, that’s what you’re getting with this prequel story. With some typically gorgeous Alex Maleev art, this is about as exciting as announcements in the rock-steady Mignolaverse get. Whatever your relationship with the Hellboy universe, you should be picking this up. It seems like a fine place to start.
Continued belowHellboy and the B.P.R.D. #1 (of 5)
Mike Mignola (W/Sketch variant), John Arcudi (W), Alex Maleev (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)On sale Dec 3
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
A bizarre series of murders and rumors of something worse lead Professor Bruttenholm to send a young Hellboy to a Brazilian village on his first mission. Hellboy and a small group of agents uncover something terrible in the shadows of a sixteenth-century Portuguese fortress . . .
• Twenty years of Hellboy!
• Mike Mignola named one of “12 Vital Creators to Watch” by LA Times!
“Alex and Hellboy are a match made in heaven. Alex is one of the truly great comic book artists of this generation and the Mignola universe is going to show a whole different side to his genius.” —Brian Michael Bendis
Did we miss anything you like? Tell us about it! And check out the full solicitations from our friends at Comic Book Resources to find out more.
