I think Mother Nature finally turned off winter here in New Jersey, and we can start looking forward to the spring. The summer is going to be full of big mega events and, where May started them, June will see them get even bigger with tie ins that we aren’t calling tie ins. Dark Horse as always has a great line up and my job to pick out the 10 best titles is never easy but here we are and here’s my list. Let’s dig in.
10. Manga is Cool, and Dark Horse is Cool For These Translations
Dark Horse puts out a lot of Manga every month, and I think it has the potential to do a lot for potential American fans. I don’t know much about Manga but this one apparently has a movie in the works and I’m that one person you know who likes to read the book before I see the movie. Plus you get over 600 pages of story for only $20. That’s an amazing deal.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus Edition Book One TP (advance solicit)
Eiji Otsuka (W), Housui Yamazaki (A), and Bunpei Yorifuji (Cover)
On sale Aug 19
b&w, 640 pages
$19.99
TP, 5 1/8″ x 7 1/4″
Five spiritualist students at a Buddhist college in Japan realize the job market is tough these days . . . among the living, that is! But the dead need jobs done too, so the five form the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, carrying out the last wishes of their cadaverous clients, so their souls can move on. But the Kurosagi gang are magnets for weirdness—not just corpses—and every case gets them involved in disturbing personal obsessions, bizarre modern Tokyo fads, and strange rituals of old Japan! Collects The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volumes 1–3.
• The highly acclaimed horror-comedy at a bargain price!
“Dark Horse prove themselves a top-tier publisher with production values.”—Anime News Network
“Nobody does horror-comedy better than Otsuka and Yamazaki.”—Booklist
9. Your Monthly “Mind MGMT” PSA
“Mind MGMT” is almost over. Go read it. I’m not letting any of you off the hook even after it ends.
MIND MGMT #34
Matt Kindt (W/A/Cover)
On sale June 17
FC, 24 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
Meru and the team infiltrate the new Mind Management HQ, only to be drawn into a psychic battlefield combining the talents of multiple enemy agents! Plus, the origin of the Eraser’s right-hand man!
“MIND MGMT is smart, deeply detailed and captivating on so many levels.”—Geeked Out Nation
8. Hellboy is Hip Daddy-O!
The Mignolaverse is a massive beast and that can make it tough to get into. I totally get that, but this is something that’s worth the work. “Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952” is really the “first” story in this long saga so this trade paperback is a great place to jump in.
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952 TP (advance solicit)
Mike Mignola (W/Cover), John Arcudi (W), Alex Maleev (A), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale Aug 12
FC, 144 pages
$19.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
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 . . . Collects the five-issue miniseries.
• Alex Maleev returns to Dark Horse!
“A magnificent introduction into the universe Hellboy occupies.”—Comic Book Resources
“With a solid cast, worthy text and the fact that I’m absorbed by the world of the B.P.R.D. as it existed in 1952 it’s no wonder that this comes highly recommended.” —Unleash the Fanboy
7. Why Are Plants and Zombies Fighting?
I’ve never actually played Plants vs. Zombies; my gaming experience is pretty much Pokemon and Guitar Hero (I’m amazing and you will never touch my mad skills). However, this has a really intriguing creative team and that mixed with the premise seems like we’re in for a fun and silly read. That’s something we all need a little more of.
Continued belowPlants vs. Zombies: Bully For You #1 (of 3)
Paul Tobin (W), Ron Chan (A/Cover), Dustin Nguyen (A), and Matthew J. Rainwater (C)
On sale June 17
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Dr. Zomboss’s crime-filled college years are revealed! Nate, Patrice, and Crazy Dave investigate a strange college campus to keep the streets safe from zombies. Paul Tobin and Ron Chan join forces with the mysterious Anti-Bully Squad to deliver a hilarious romp to your school! Featuring two bonus stories illustrated by Dustin Nguyen (Batman: Li’l Gotham, Descender)!
• Bonus stories by all-star guest artist Dustin Nguyen!
• The hit video game franchise continues its comic book invasion!
6. Because I Don’t Already Have Too Many Toys
I have about 100 Funko Pop Vinyls and maybe another 20 assorted action figures. The last thing I need is to start buying up all the Dark Horse Game of Thrones figures. That’s all about to change since they’ll be putting out a Brienne of Tarth figure this fall. She’s one of my favorite characters and I’ve read many positive reviews of this line so it’s time for my pop vinyls to move over.
Brienne of Tarth Figure (advance solicit)
On sale Sept 16
$24.99
Brienne is a warrior of House Tarth, vassals to House Baratheon. Unusually tall and muscular, she is a skilled fighter. Upon winning a tournament among King Renly’s men, she is made Kingsguard. Brienne becomes the sworn sword of Catelyn Stark, and is tasked with escorting the captured Jaime Lannister back to King’s Landing. She is given a new suit of armor and a Valyrian steel sword reforged from Eddard Stark’s great sword, Ice. This armor is reproduced on our 8″ tall figure, with all the impeccable details accounted for.
5. We’re Not In Disneyland Anymore
I have no idea if this will be good but I’m not going to lie and say I’m not enticed. Mulan is one of the coolest and toughest female Disney characters ever. “Mulan Revelations” sort of sounds like the the Disney movie mashed up with Ghost in the Shell and that honestly sounds awesome.
Mulan: Revelations #1 (of 4)
Marc Andreyko (W) and Micah Kaneshiro (A/Cover)
On sale June 24FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Though the future boasts endless technological wonders, only a very few can afford access to them. As a new virus rages through the rich and poor, threatening all of humanity, a warrior is awakened to stop the evil puppeteers behind it all! Centuries after her ancestor and namesake fought for China, a new Mulan has been chosen by the ancient Chinese immortals in a final battle for the world!
• From visionary writer Marc Andreyko (Batwoman, Manhunter)!
• Stunning artwork by Micah Kaneshiro (Blackout, Broken Pieces).
• Thrilling genre blend of Chinese martial arts and futuristic cyberpunk!
4. A Great Webcomic Gets a Much Needed Print Collection
Webcomics are great but the reality is that they don’t always get the attention they deserve. There are still a lot of readers who aren’t into digital comics so a print collection like this is so important. “Bowery Boys” has hit some delays in the past and I have to admit that I’ve fallen behind a lot. This hardcover is going to without a doubt be the best way to read it and will hopefully spark a bigger interest in the series.
Continued belowBowery Boys: Our Fathers HC (advance solicit)
Cory Levine (W), Ian Bertram (A/Cover), and Brent McKee (A)
On sale Aug 5
FC, 208 pages
$19.99
HC, 6 5/8″ x 10 1/4″
When his father is framed for murder, immigrant Nikolaus McGovern rallies a motley crew of street youths in a rip-roaring coming-of-age adventure based on the period history of antebellum New York City! Against a backdrop of rampant political corruption, vicious street gangs, nascent labor reform, and ardent xenophobia, can Niko and his friends triumph in a life-or-death battle against their oppressors—or will they succumb to the engines of socioeconomic progress?
• An original graphic novel collecting the acclaimed web series!
3. The Prettiest Time Travel Trip You’ll Take
By the time you guys are reading this, I’ve already read the first two issues of “Ei8ht” and is a great time travel story that boasts even better art. Rafael Albuquerque is one of the best artists in comics and is clearly having fun doing this book. I’m excited for the finale and I really think it would be worth your time to track down the first two issues before #3 drops. There’s a lot of sci fi in comics right now and while it’s a good thing, there have been some duds. “Ei8ht” is not one of those.
EI8HT #5 (of 5)
Rafael Albuquerque (W/A/Cover) and Mike Johnson (W)
On sale June 17
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
The fate of the Meld is at stake. It’s time to stop running.
• Stunning sci-fi epic by Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire, Batman: Black and White)!
“Snappy dialogue, eye-catching scenery and a mystery as deep as twenty-two pages can accommodate.”—Comic Book Resources
2. Goodbye To One of the Best Superhero Titles Going
This is a bummer. “Captain Midnight” really is one of the best superhero titles running and definitely proves that Marvel and DC aren’t the only publishers that know how to do them right. This has been everything I want from a superhero comic. It’s had action, drama, comedy and an epic display of superpowers. I hope Dark Horse resurrects the character again with a new creative team because it would be a shame to lose this for good.
Captain Midnight #24
Joshua Williamson (W), Miguel Sepulveda (A), Javier Mena (C), and Michael Broussard (Cover)
On sale June 17
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
The fate of the Meld is at stake. It’s time to stop running.
• Stunning sci-fi epic by Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire, Batman: Black and White)!
“Snappy dialogue, eye-catching scenery and a mystery as deep as twenty-two pages can accommodate.”—Comic Book Resources
1. My Pull List is On Lemire Overload and That’s A Good Thing
Jeff Lemire no longer being DC exclusive is the best thing to happen in comics in a long time. Lemire has been able to branch out into so many different directions. He’s doing books at Valiant, Marvel, Image and now Dark Horse….ALL AT THE SAME TIME. My pull list is definitely filling up quickly with Lemire work and I’m not complaining. He’s great at writing superheroes and “Black Hammer” will let him do some more of that but in a bigger way with less of an editorial influence. I’m excited and you should be too.
Black Hammer #1
Jeff Lemire (W/Variant cover), Dean Ormston (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale June 10
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Ongoing
Once they were heroes, but the age of heroes has long since passed. Banished from existence by a multiversal crisis, the old champions of Spiral City—Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbalien—now lead simple lives in a timeless farming town. Even as they try to find their way home, trouble has a unique way of finding heroes wherever they are!
• From the prodigious brain of Jeff Lemire (Animal MAgan, Sweet Tooth)!
• Amazingly realized by Dean Ormston (Lucifer, 2000 AD) and Dave Stewart (Hellboy)!
• Extra-long first issue—26 story pages!
New from Jeff Lemire!
“With Lemire, readers know they’re always going to get a tight story with spot-on dialogue.”—USA Today
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below and find the full the full June solicitations over at CBR.
