Star Wars: The Force Awakens is still on my brain this week so I don’t have a super witty opening for you. March looks to be a good month for Dark Horse with a bunch of very worthy ongoing series being collected. Let’s jump into our top 10 for March 2016.
10. Dealing With Corpses Has Never Been This Tough
“The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service” has been collected by Dark Horse in these huge omnibus editions over the last year so it’s made it super easy to read. I’ve really enjoyed this manga because while it deals with the dead, it doesn’t do it in a cliched way. It’s a funny but still poignant series that’s also super affordable.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus Edition Book Four TP (advance solicit)
Eiji Otsuka (W), Housui Yamazaki (A), and Bunpei Yorifuji (Cover)
On sale May 18
b&w, 688 pages
$19.99
TP, 5 1/8” x 7 1/4”
The Kurosagi gang encounter more bizarre horror as weird folktales of Japan reemerge with new faces in the modern day! The Corpse Delivery Service find they’re being beaten to their clients by a bike-riding pilgrim with electrical means to reanimate the dead . . . a virtual gaming world may have some players online but no longer alive . . . a child convicted of murdering her family is paroled under a new identity to the very school where the crew have gotten part-time jobs. Plus five other strange stories! Collects The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volumes 10–12.
9. Closing In On The Finale
Licensed comics tend to get a bad rap but “Buffy” has been on of the series I like to turn to that shows how good they can be (“Star Wars” being the other). “Buffy” is closing in on it’s season 10 finale and this issue marks the end of the penultimate story arc. Expect big things to happen.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #25
Christos Gage (W), Megan Levens (A), Dan Jackson (C), Steve Morris (Cover), and Rebekah Isaacs (Variant cover)
On sale Mar 23
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
Defeating the demon lords has been priority one for Buffy and team—to stop the continual opening of portals to dangerous demon dimensions . . . Suddenly there is a new priority one: closing a portal—and one portal in particular. Will the team be lost?
• Guest artist Megan Levens finishes out the penultimate arc of Season 10!
8. The Wild Card Pick
Fantasy comics like “Rat Queens”, “Black Magick” and “Birthright” had a great 2015 and in 2016 that fantasy momentum looks to continue with a series like “The Shadow Glass”. I’m unfamiliar with Aly Fell but the premise here looks great so maybe this will be a breakout hit in 2016.
The Shadow Glass #1 (of 6)
Aly Fell (W/A/Cover)
On sale Mar 23
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
A young student of England’s greatest occultist learns her real father is in league with the devil. When Rose finds out that the man who raised her isn’t her father, she ignores his warnings about the terrible secrets of her own past and seeks answers from her childhood teacher Dr. John Dee, the queen’s occult adviser.
7. Hello Cleveland!
“This Damned Band” is a funny and macabre miniseries focusing on a rock band that pretended to worship Satan. At least they thought they were pretending. This miniseries gets collected in the spring and for fans of Spinal Tap, it’s a must read.
Continued belowThis Damned Band TP (advance solicit)
Paul Cornell (W), Tony Parker (A/Cover), and Lovern Kindzierski (C)
On sale May 4
FC, 144 pages
$17.99
TP, 7” x 10”
The biggest rock band in the world thought they were only pretending to worship Satan. As they record the documentary of what might be their final world tour, they discover the horrifying truth.
From Paul Cornell (Wolverine, Action Comics) and Tony Parker (Mass Effect: Foundation) comes a darkly hilarious adventure of black magic and classic rock! Collects This Damned Band #1–#6.
“This is a refreshing take on the excesses of rock music that continues to be an absolute delight to read.”—Graphic Policy
6. No, Not That Trump (Thank God)
Harvey Kurtzman is one of the great parody cartoonists of all time and in the spring, a rare collection of a very short lived magazine will be available for you to purchase. This is something collectors or comic book scholars will need to get their hands on and it’s the rare chance to get something by Kurtzman that hasn’t been printed before.
Trump: The Complete Collection: Essential Kurtzman Volume Two HC (advance solicit)
Harvey Kurtzman (W/Cover), Will Elder (P), Jack Davis (I), and Al Jaffee (C)
On sale May 25
FC, 168 pages
$29.99
HC, 8” x 11”
Trump (1956-57) was Harvey Kurtzman’s dream magazine for Hugh Hefner and Playboy. Despite top talent (Mel Brooks, Will Elder, Jack Davis, Wally Wood), only two issues saw print. Six decades later the legendary Trump is finally collected, including the aborted issue #3. This overdue collection will blow comic fans’ minds!
• Content that will rivet fans and collectors, including never-before-seen art intended for the unpublished Trump #3.
• The fascinating creation of Trump magazine is detailed, featuring the unusual crossover of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy empire with the core team that created and then abandoned MAD magazine.
5. The Last Collection
And it all ends here with the final “Colder” trade paperback. I’ve talked about this series in length before so if you’re still behind on it, May is your chance to get the last paperback. If we’re lucky, maybe all three miniseries will get collected in one big hardcover.
Colder Volume 3: Toss the Bones TP(advance solicit)
Paul Tobin (W), Juan Ferreyra (A/Cover), and Eduardo Ferreyra (C)
On sale May 4
FC, 136 pages
$17.99
TP, 7” x 10”
When Nimble Jack returns to claim Boston’s sanity, Declan can only fight him by fulfilling a dark prophecy. With every ounce of effort he uses to hold on to his sanity, his body fails, his sanity crumbles, and he grows . . . colder. Collects Colder: Toss the Bones #1–#5.
“This is horror as an absolute art form, and is essential reading for anyone who ever wondered what that weird scratching noise under their bed was.”—Big Comic Page
4. “Aw Yeah” Returns!
“Aw Yeah Comics” is adorable, just absolutely adorable. Franco and Art Baltazar’s work is endearing, exciting and eye candy for children so if you’re looking to get your kids into comic books, this is how you do it. Action Cat is a charming hero that appeals to all ages and every new miniseries is an opportunity to get into this world.
Aw Yeah Comics: Action Cat! #1 (of 4)
Art Baltazar (W/A/Cover) and Franco (W)
On sale Mar 9
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Fresh from the creative minds at Aw Yeah Comics—a brand-new series starring the valiant Action Cat and his trusty sidekick, Adventure Bug! As Evil Cat lurks behind the scenes, our heroes endeavor to bring comics to the good people of Beautiful Downtown Skokie. You better believe high jinks will ensue!
• From Eisner Award winners Art and Franco!
• Great fun for all ages!
3. Even More Cullen Bunn To Break Your Wallet
Cullen Bunn is everywhere right now and I’m not complaining. I tend to like his work more times than I don’t so this collection intrigues me. It’s some early work that hasn’t been printed before and it’s in the horror genre which is doubly exciting because of his work on “Harrow County”.
Continued belowDeath Follows TP (advance solicit)
Cullen Bunn (W), A. C. Zamudio (A), Carlos Nicolas Zamudio (C), and Simon Bisley (Cover)
On sale May 25
FC, 136 pages
$17.99
TP, 7” x 10”
Birdie lives with her family on a struggling farm. When an itinerant farmhand comes to their aid, she should be relieved. Instead, she finds her life spiraling into nightmare, as wherever the hired man goes, the dead grow restless.
• An all-new original graphic novel collecting never-before-printed material from Harrow County’s Cullen Bunn, with illustration by A. C. and Carlos Nicolas Zamudio!
• Cover by Simon Bisley!
2. “The Massive” Gets Massive
I’m not a big fan of Brian Wood for a few reasons but I know some of you are and I’m also aware of how objectively good “The Massive” was. In the spring, Dark Horse will start releasing huge library editions of the series. If the “Buffy” ones are any indication of how beautiful these books will be, then this is will absolutely be a must own for fans of the series.
The Massive Library Edition Volume 1 HC(advance solicit)
Brian Wood (W), Garry Brown (A), Kristian Donaldson (A), Jordie Bellaire (C), and J. P. Leon (Cover)
On sale May 11
FC, 400 pages
$39.99
HC, 8” x 12”
In a post-war, post-crash, post-disaster, post-everything world, the environmental-action trawler Kapital scours the earth’s oceans for its mysteriously missing sister ship, The Massive. This first ever library edition collects The Massive issues #0–#15 in a beautiful hardcover.
“Wood continues to put together one of the best monthly series on the market. One that entertains and makes you think at the same time.”—Graphic Policy
1. Beauty In Even The Darkest Of Places
“Negative Space” hasn’t wrapped up it’s run yet but that doesn’t stop it from being at the top of this list. This series has been a heartfelt, honest examination of depression and suicide and the sci fi twist makes it a truly unique experience. Gieni’s art has been nothing short of stunning thanks to it’s very personal style.
Negative Space TP(advance solicit)
Ryan K Lindsay (W) and Owen Gieni (A/Cover)
On sale May 18
FC, 104 pages
$14.99
TP, 7” x 10”
When one man’s writer’s block gets in the way of his suicide note, he goes for a walk to clear his head and soon uncovers a century-old conspiracy dedicated to creating and mining the worst lows of human desperation. A corporation has manipulated his life purely so they can farm his suicide note as a sadness artifact that will be packed and shipped to ancient underwater creatures who feed off our strongest and most base emotions. Our hero partners with a cult intent on exposing the corporation, and only a suicide mission can solve the whole mess. Collects Negative Space #1–#4.
“Negative Space is the most promising new science fiction series I’ve encountered since Saga.”—AiPT
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments and make sure you check out the full solicitations over at CBR.
