Greetings and Solicitations!
The month of March 2014 from Dark Horse Comics sees the end of one of our favorite miniseries from 2013, new projects from Frank J. Barbiere and Greg Rucka, the new season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. and much, much more. Let’s get to it!
10. Another one from this Gaiman guy
Somehow they keep digging up Neil Gaiman material to reprint. I consider myself a pretty big Neil Gaiman fan, but even I haven’t read this one. Gaiman with art by P. Craig Russell? Seems like a no-brainer to me. Two guys who could give collegiate lectures on making comic books.
Murder Mysteries Second Edition HC
Neil Gaiman (W), P. Craig Russell (A/Cover), and Lovern Kindzierski (C)
On sale May 14
FC, 112 pages
$19.99
HC, 7” x 10”
Constructing and maintaining all of heaven and earth is an immense task, which God has divided up among the various ranks and stations of angels. As with any such huge effort, there are bound to be casualties. This unique passion play sheds light on the hands behind creation, as well as one lonely man in LA who gets to hear the whole story of a most unspeakable crime: a murder in paradise!
• Featuring sketches, high-res scans, and more bonus material from master artist P. Craig Russell!
9. Season premiere party
The “season” idea has worked well for the “Buffy” comics as far as drumming up excitement, keeping major stories contained in arcs, and giving readers a new jumping on point. Season 10 promises to go back to the core of the Joss Whedon series. I’m pretty excited for the fresh start.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #1
Christos Gage (W), Rebekah Isaacs (A/Variant cover/Ultravariant cover), Dan Jackson (C), and Steve Morris (Cover)
On sale Mar 19
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Ongoing
New season. New rules. The age-old battle of Slayer vs. vampire is the focus of Buffy’s life once again—it’s downright nostalgic! But with all the toying with magic she’s done lately, this girl should know it’s time for another game change . . . Shouldn’t she?
• Executive produced by Joss Whedon!
“Gage and Isaacs have created a comic that all future Buffy creators should use as a model.”—Comic Book Resources
Next month, Angel & Faith returns!
8. A somewhat unsung, but legendary run
Russ Manning is an undisputed legend for his work with Tarzan, but I actually prefer the uninhibited ’60s sic-fi weirdness of “Magnus, Robot Fighter.” There’s a new Magnus book coming from Dynamite and Fred Van Lente in 2014, but these editions from Dark Horse can give you the introduction you deserve.
Magnus, Robot Fighter Archives Volume 3 TP
Russ Manning (W/A), Robert Schaefer (W), Herb Castle (W), Don Christensen (W), and Mike Royer (A)
On sale May 21
FC, 184 pages
$19.99
TP, 7” x 10”
Comics legend Russ Manning’s artistic flair reaches new heights in this final volume, as he pits the intrepid robot slayer Magnus against a seemingly endless cadre of wildly imaginative metal menaces. The classic sci-fi hero kicks, punches, and trademark chops his way through an army of robots to keep his futuristic world safe! Collects 1960s-era Magnus, Robot Fighter issues #15–#21.
• Foreword by Keith Giffen!
7. Horror and laughs for the pet-loving comic sect
It’s so nice to see this property continue to come out, even as sporadically as it does. Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson have a neat little thing going here. That’s kind of an understatement, since they won an Eisner for “Beasts of Burden”, but I still feel like it never gets talked about. Thompson’s art is ethereal and gorgeous and Dorkin provides a really nice balance of tone to these stories.
Continued belowBeasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers
Evan Dorkin (W) and Jill Thompson (A/Cover)
On sale Mar 12
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
One-shot
This standalone adventure is the perfect entry point for readers new to this award-winning series. The town of Burden Hill is defended from monsters and madmen by a brave crew of dogs and cats—and one werewolf hybrid. This book packs serious scares and occasional gross-outs, and sometimes drives readers to tears.
• Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson return to the characters that won them the 2005 Eisner.
6. Barbiere invades 2014
Frank J. Barbiere is carving out a nice little corner for himself in comics, isn’t he? Besides the terrific Multiversity-favorites “Five Ghosts”, he’s got “The White Suits” and now this coming from “Dark Horse Comics.” Read the description and check out some of the visual pieces that have been released – this looks like it could be his most bonkers comic yet.
Blackout #1 (of 4)
Frank Barbiere (W), Randy Stradley (W), Colin Lorimer (A/C), Doug Wheatley (A), Wes Dzioba (C), Micah Kaneshiro (Cover), and Paolo Rivera (Variant cover)
On sale Mar 26
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Scott Travers’s special suit lets him move through our world unseen and untouchable within a shadowy parallel dimension—but he doesn’t know how the suit works or where it came from. With his benefactor missing and unfriendlies after his Blackout gear, Scott must find answers before the answers find him!
• Story by Frank Barbiere (The White Suits, Five Ghosts).
• Special King Tiger feature by Star Wars stars Randy Stradley and Doug Wheatley!
• Part of Project Black Sky!
• Introduced in the award-winning Dark Horse Presents.
5. The Lone Wolf isn’t alone on your bookshelf anymore
The “Lone Wolf and Cub” omnibi that Dark Horse has been putting out and cheap little wonders. This is one of the most influential stories in the history of comics collected in utterly affordable packages. “Samurai Executioner” is nowhere near as lauded, but if you’re a fan of these creators as auteurs, you’ll want to pick this up.
Samurai Executioner Omnibus Volume 1 TP
Kazuo Koike (W) and Goseki Kojima (A)
On sale May 14
b&w, 768 pages
$19.99
TP, 5” x 7”
From Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, the legendary creators of Lone Wolf and Cub, comes Samurai Executioner. Yamada Asaemon tests swords and performs executions for the shogun. The feared “Decapitator Asaemon” is the last stop for the doomed and often becomes final confessor as well as slayer. Collects all of volume 1 and volume 2, plus “Hellstick” from volume 3.
• Nearly 800 pages for only $19.99!
• Lone Wolf and Cub now available in omnibus format.
• Mature readers.
4. The book that haunts my dreams
Now that I’ve finally had the opportunity to read the first issue, I can tell you that this book delivers on all of it’s promise – especially in the Ryan Sook interior art, which looks incredible. This has the potential to be one of the best series of 2014, if everyone plays their cards right. With a creative team this good, it’s pretty easy money.
Ghost #3
Kelly Sue DeConnick (W), Chris Sebela (W), Ryan Sook (P), Andy Owens (I), Dave McCaig (C), and Terry Dodson (Cover)
Offered again
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Ongoing
While Doctor October sends her demonic enforcers to attack Elisa and her friends, the White City Butcher captures Tommy and Sloane. Ghost will have to choose between uncovering the secrets of her past and protecting everyone’s future! Interdimensional forces turn Chicago into a war zone in the first arc’s clashing conclusion!
• Who is James Barrow, the man who recognized Elisa?
• Stunning art from Ryan Sook (B.P.R.D.)!
3. A catalyst for change?
And so one of Multiversity Comics’ favorite miniseries of 2013 comes to an end. “Catalyst Comix” was kind of a little miracle, in that it gave you an exciting, action-packed “event book” scale story, with none of the snags that Marvel or DC events come with. It also gave you a trio of artists that all could carry a title on their own, much less come together to create such a cohesive and inspiring project. I hope more comics adopt this format in the future – starting with more Joe Casey comics.
Continued belowCatalyst Comix #9 (of 9)
Joe Casey (W), Ulises Farinas (A), Paul Maybury (A), Dan McDaid (A), Brad Simpson (C), and Brendan McCarthy (Cover)
On sale Mar 5
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
It’s all come down to this! The Agents of Change smash their way through a hellish mindscape, Grace dukes it out with an alien invasion force, and Frank Wells stands up to the biggest bully of them all! Make yours Dark Horse with the greatest issue yet of Catalyst Comix!
• Catalyst’s first arc reaches its mind-altering conclusion!
• Joe Casey (Sex, The Bounce)!
• Cover by Brendan McCarthy (The Zaucer of Zilk)!
2. Medicine for your mind
I don’t talk about “Mind MGMT” enough, but it’s one of the most awe-inspiring books on the shelves. It comes out extremely regularly, every issue feels loaded with rewards, and it’s a one man show of sorts. How does Matt Kindt do this, while also writing a dozen books for Marvel and DC? Well, he’s clearly found out how to squeeze a few extra hours out of the day, and I wonder if the secret isn’t coded somewhere in this book.
MIND MGMT #20
Matt Kindt (W/A)
On sale Mar 26
FC, 24 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
If you thought Mind Management was wild today, wait until you meet the agents of the swinging 1970s!
• Matt Kindt (Justice League of America) is taking comics by storm!
• Introducing a new Giant Man from the creator of 3 Story!
1. Another Rucka heroine? Sure, why not
So, we’ll never be royals. At least we can still get great comics written by Greg Rucka. Rucka and Michael Lark’s “Lazarus” is one of our favorite new series and we have to think that “Veil” will be great too. Rucka works at his own pace and toward his own goals, not anyone else’s. We think it makes for stronger comics and are excited to see what he has in store for his next enigmatic heroine.
Veil #1 (of 5)
Greg Rucka (W) and Toni Fejzula (A/Cover)
On sale Mar 5
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
A beautiful girl wakes up in an abandoned subway station with no memory of how she got there. When men try to hurt her . . . they wind up dead. Where did she come from? And what is she capable of?
• An all-new series from Eisner Award–winning writer Greg Rucka!
• Art by Toni Fejzula (Cthulhu).
• A surprising new heroine from the creator of Lazarus and Queen and Country!
So there you have it. If we snubbed anything you like, mention it in the comments! If you want to see everything on tap for March 2014 from Dark Horse, CBR’s got everything right here.
