Greetings and Solicitations!
This month’s group of goodies includes some gorgeous collections, the end of Frank Barbiere and Toby Cypress’ “White Suits” (which we loved), and a very important book dedicated to a very important artist.
Let’s do this:
10. I’d Buy That for a Hundred and Twenty-Five Dollars!
If the price tag on this thing made you do a comedy spit-take, rest assured that there’s a very affordable $20 version being released alongside this. Got money to burn though? I can only imagine that this oversized Walt Simonson process-piece is going to be absolutely gorgeous. Not sure I’m going to spring for it, but I am in respectful awe of it.
RoboCop vs. the Terminator Gallery Edition HC
Frank Miller (W) and Walter Simonson (A/Cover)
On sale July 9
FC, 160 pages
$125.00
HC, 15″ x 17″
One of the most beloved comics crossovers of all time is back to usher in Dark Horse’s new gallery edition format—reprinting Walter Simonson’s original art exactly as it appeared on his drawing table twenty years ago! Relive Simonson and writer Frank Miller’s seamless blend of the RoboCop and Terminator worlds while marveling at the sheer virtuosity of Simonson’s draftsmanship in all its original glory. In addition to the full story, this edition provides the greatest insight available into Simonson’s process, with pages of his original pencils and promotional art faithfully reproduced, along with a revealing foreword by the artist himself!
• Reproducing Simonson’s original art at full size!
• Features additional promotional artwork and copies of Simonson’s pencils!
9. I, for one, welcome our Vocaloid overlords
I put this on here, not for myself, but for the millions of Hatsune Miku fans that are out there. Certainly some of them will see this? Hey, 480 pages for 20 bucks seems like a great deal and I have to imagine that this will be fun, if nothing else. It’s a phenomenon and I can certainly see the appeal.
Hatsune Miku: Unofficial Hatsune Mix TP
KEI (W/A/Cover)
On sale July 2
FC/b&w, 480 pages
$19.99
TP, 5 3/4″ x 8 1/4″
Who’s that girl with the long green ponytails you’ve been seeing everywhere? It’s Hatsune Miku, the Vocaloid—the synthesizer superstar who’s singing your song! She’s a global cyber celebrity and a cosplay favorite at conventions. Now Miku’s original illustrator, KEI, brings you Hatsune Miku: Unofficial Hatsune Mix—an omnibus manga of the musical adventures (and misadventures!) of Miku and her fellow Vocaloids Rin, Len, Luka, and more—in both beautiful black-and-white and charming color!
• Hatsune Miku: Unofficial Hatsune Mix contains 44 pages in color.
• Hatsune Miku has over 900,000 friends on Facebook!
• Over 170,000 music videos have been uploaded to YouTube using Miku as the singer.
• Miku has appeared in ads from Toyota USA and Domino’s.
8. Who better to write Spike, than Spike, I guess?
I kind of bristle at the idea of actors writing comic books, but that’s not to say that they absolutely can’t! I would love to be way wrong about this one. On the other hand, James Marsters has a very long-lasting and enthusiastic appreciation for the character that made his career, which is refreshing. A lot of stars – even minor TV stars – would try to distance themselves, which is something I’ve never understood.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike—Into the Light HC
James Marsters (W), Derlis Santacruz (P), Andy Owens (I), Dan Jackson (C), and Steve Morris (Cover)
On sale July 16
FC, 72 pages
$14.99
HC, 7″ x 10″
He played Spike on the show, and now James Marsters writes a poignant but action-packed story of the vampire who chose to have a soul, and now has to deal with his past while being compelled to play the hero.
• Get into Spike’s head as only James Marsters can!
• An original graphic novel set in Buffy Season 7!
7. Last stop for the end of the world
Joe Casey’s “Catalyst Comix” is a magnificent series that I hope we haven’t seen the end of. 9-issues made this a longer than average miniseries, but even each issue felt packed to the gills having had three segments per issue. More than anything, this was an artistic cornucopia, with all three principle artists turning in career work. Terrific apocalyptic weirdness. And just look at that trade dress. So cool!
Catalyst Comix TP
Joe Casey (W), Dan McDaid (A), Paul Maybury (A), Ulises Farinas (A/Cover), and Brad Simpson (C)
On sale July 2
FC, 284 pages
$19.99
TP, 7″ x 10″
Superstar writer Joe Casey—along with the widest array of artistic talent this side of the Renaissance—gives superhero comics a back-alley face-lift, as these very different champions confront cosmic threats, personal demons, superheroes’ role as global activists, an alien love invasion, and the strangest virtual reality you’ve ever experienced—but not before they face the end of the world as we know it! Collects Catalyst Comix #1–#9!
• Joe Casey (The Bounce, Gødland)!
• Contributions from Rafael Grampá, Paul Pope, and Brendan McCarthy!
• Never-before-seen character concepts!
6. You had me at Seeley & Campbell
Ross Campbell impressed the hell out of me on the “Glory” revival, which I am already sorely missing. He’s made a fan for life though, and since Tim Seeley was already on my “thumbs-up” list, there’s no way I’m going to miss this one.
Jack Kraken
Tim Seeley (W/A/Cover), Ross Campbell (A), Jim Terry (A), and Carlos Badilla (Cover)
On sale May 14
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
One-shot
Jack Kraken is the best agent the Humanoid Interaction Agency has. Using his extranormal powers, Jack protects humans and humanoids alike from those who would kill them. Follow Jack’s adventures rescuing kids and stopping the things that go bump in the night.
• Art by Ross Campbell (The Abandoned), Tim Seeley (Ex Sanguine), and Jim Terry (The Crow)!
5. The Mike Mignola Hell Tour Continues
“Hellboy in Hell” is a classic, end-of-an-era type series unfolding before our eyes. I’m not exactly sure when the end will be, but we know that’s where this ongoing series is headed. This is a massively important book and absolutely vital.
Hellboy in Hell #6
Mike Mignola (W/A/Cover) and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale May 14
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Ongoing
Hellboy revisits an old vampire acquaintance in the bowels of Hell.
4. Monthly Kazuo Koike auto-buy
You didn’t think I was going to let this one get my top 10, did you? I can’t stress enough how influential this series was to the comics that we read every week. Pretty much any given week you can find comics that were influenced by the work Koike and Kojima did here.
Lone Wolf and Cub Omnibus vol. 5 TP
Kazuo Koike (W), Goseki Kojima (A), Frank Miller and Lynn Varley (Cover)
On sale July 2
b&w, 712 pages
$19.99
TP, 5” x 7”
Separated from his son while battling Yagyu assassins, Itto Ogami’s mission of retribution heats to a boil as he cuts through any obstacle to find his missing child. But little Daigoro, though a mere toddler, is the son of the most formidable and resourcefull samurai in the land. Though alone in a cruel world, Daigoro has the heart of a warrior! Collects two stories from Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 10 and all of volumes 11 and 12.
• 712 pages, value priced.
• Over one million copies sold of the original Dark Horse series!
• Cover by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley.
• Eisner and Harvey Award winner.
3. Barbiere and Cypress violently blowing minds
“White Suits” #1 blew my mind with an artistic showcase of the likes that are only seen a handful of times a year. Toby Cypress has been around a while, but he’d better be on everyone’s radar after his work on this series. It’s magnificent and almost musical in its mayhem and violence.
Continued belowThe White Suits #4 (of 4)
Frank Barbiere (W) and Toby Cypress (A/Cover)
On sale May 21
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
The final pieces of the bloodstained puzzle fall into place to reveal the awful truth behind the White Suits’ reign of terror. The truth is all former Suit Prizrak and FBI agent Sarah Anderson ever wanted . . . but it may be the last thing they ever get!
• Art by Toby Cypress (Blue Estate, Predator).
• Frank Barbiere is currently writing Blackout for Dark Horse.
2. Gilbert Hernandez is a Mad Man
The cover image and the description has me picturing Don Draper waking up from a particularly nightmarish one-night-stand and then spending an entire season of the show in the atmosphere of that one episode where everyone took drugs up their butts. Ah, anyway, this is a Hernandez Bro comic, so you pretty much know it’s good. If you didn’t check it out in single installments, it’s all collected here for the first time. I’ll be eager to check it out.
Grip: The Strange World of Men HC
Gilbert Hernandez (W/A/Cover)
On sale July 2
b&w, 128 pages
$19.99
HC, 6” x 9”
Comics luminary Gilbert Hernandez delivers a genre mash up unlike any other! When Mike Chang wakes up with nothing but a lipstick smudge, someone else’s suit, and amnesia, he’s thrown into a world of criminal gangs, crime fighters, skin swappers, and a one-eyed girl with bizarre powers! Collects Grip #1–#5.
• Newest entry in the Gilbert Hernandez (Fatima, Love and Rockets) library!
• Expanded with a new cover and story pages!
• Never before collected!
• Hernandez has won PEN Center USA’s Award for Outstanding Body of Work!
1. A gaggle of modern masters honor another modern master
Folks, this is a book made in dedication and service to one of the greatest living creative minds in comics. Mr. Sakai’s wife, Sharon, has been debilitatingly ill and his family is incurring big hospital bills. If you enjoy his work, or the works of these creators listed here, please consider supporting this. It’s a good cause for an important comics figure. Like everything the man himself ever did, I’m sure the work that was done in tribute was a great labor of honor and love.
The Sakai Project: Artists Celebrate Thirty Years of “Usagi Yojimbo” HC
Arthur Adams (A), Michael Allred (A), Sergio Aragonés (A), Howard Chaykin (A), Richard Corben (A), Dave Gibbons (A), Michael Golden (A), Matt Groening (A), Adam Hughes (A), David Mack (A), Alex Maleev (A), Mike Mignola (A), Bill Morrison (A), Paolo Rivera (A), Tim Sale (A), Walter Simonson (A), Jeff Smith (A), Paul Smith (A), William Stout (A), and many others!
On sale July 23
FC, 112 pages
$34.99
HC, 9″x 12″
The most amazing artists in the world have come together to celebrate thirty years of Stan Sakai’s marvelous samurai rabbit saga, Usagi Yojimbo. The participating artists bring their own interpretations and their own styles to the subject, making this book a one-of-a-kind treasure.
Produced in association with the Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS). All proceeds from this book will go to Stan and Sharon Sakai.
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 May 2014 from Dark Horse, CBR’s got everything right here.
