Dark Horse Comics’ new “Alien”, “Predator”, “Prometheus” line of comics really gets going this month, and definitely makes a couple of appearances here in this month’s “Soliciting Multiversity.” Hopefully a strong showing on these books will be able to spiritually replace their loss of the “Star Wars” license to Marvel Comics. Other appearances this month include the ending of a couple of hotly anticipated (and oft-mentioned by our site) miniseries featuring some of comics’ best properties, as well as a collection that I consider highly essential and influential. Read on, as we explore Dark Horse’s offerings for October 2014.
10. A Song of Ice and Tigers
Simon Roy has been a key piece of Brandon Graham’s “Prophet” artist collective, showing an uncanny ability to design complex spacial landscapes in intricate detail. I’m down for anything he does, but I’m interested in seeing what he does with the more natural, animalistic premise of “Tiger Lung” – a story I missed the first time around when in was in “Dark Horse Presents.”
Tiger Lung HC
Simon Roy (W/A/Cover) and Jason Wordie (W/C)
On sale Dec 3
FC, 88 pages
$15.99
HC, 6” x 9”
Thirty-five thousand years ago, the world was ruled by strange beasts and ancient gods! For some Paleolithic tribes, hope lay in the shaman warriors who stood between them and the unknown. Tiger Lung follows the struggle of one of these shamans to keep his people alive in a vast, hostile universe! Collects the Tiger Lung adventure from Dark Horse Presents #21–#23, along with two bonus stories.
• Cowritten and drawn by acclaimed creator Simon Roy!
• Collects “Beneath the Ice,” bonus stories, and additional material!
9. You May Say I’m a Dreamer
David Mack made a strong impression on me with his Marvel Comics cover work, as well as interiors on Bendis’ terrific run on “Daredevil.” It’s a personal shame of mine that I’ve not read “Kabuki” yet, but “Dream Logic” seems like as nice a place as any to start for getting into his own writer/artist creator-owned work.
Dream Logic HC
David Mack (W/A/Cover)
On sale Dec 10
FC, 240 pages
$34.99
HC, 9” x 12”
Collecting the entire series of Dream Logic by David Mack, this hardcover includes original new stories, as well as a gallery of artwork, a sketchbook, step-by-step art processes with commentary on Mack’s cover work, the Kabuki series, and never-before-seen extras.
Also included are art and making-of features from the Tarot Card set, exhibited in galleries around the world, as well as Mack’s figure drawings that were exhibited with the works of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele in Los Angeles and Chicago.
• Featuring exclusive new material!
• Eisner and Harvey award winner.
8. Support Great Anthology Comics
Dark Horse Comics has really re-calibrated their anthology book in an effort to draw more eyes to it. My hope is that comic readers are more willing to put the book in their buy pile if it’s a little lighter and costs less. Of course, Dark Horse hopes that too. But this is quite literally the first place to see all of the best future Dark Horse series get their beginnings. Don’t miss out.
Continued belowDark Horse Presents #3
Brendan McCarthy (W/A/Cover), Steve Horton (W), Jimmy Palmiotti (W), Justin Gray (W), Peter Hogan (W), Tyler Jenkins (W/A), Ricardo Delgado (W/A), Michael Dialynas (A), Andy Kuhn (A), and Steve Parkhouse (A)
On sale Oct 15
FC, 48 pages
$4.99
Ongoing
War is being waged while you sleep, and it’s a nightmare, in Brendan McCarthy’s Dream Gang! Steve Horton and Michael Dialynas weave a new tale from Naamaron in Amala’s Blade! Tyler Jenkins (Peter Panzerfaust) explores Vikings and sacrifice in The Chaining! And Ricardo Delgado’s Age of Reptiles returns!
Plus, new chapters of Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse’s Resident Alien and Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Andy Kuhn’s Wrestling with Demons!
• The award-winning series returns at 48 pages with a new price—$4.99!
• New 48 page format!
• Eisner and Harvey award winner!
• Ricardo Delgado join DHP!
7. Let’s Try This Again
So neither of the “Alien vs. Predator” films were really any good, but I believe that there’s a compelling sci-fi narrative in there somewhere. I also believe that Chris Sebela and the painterly art of Ariel Olivetti might be the talented men to do just that.
Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone #1 (of 4)
Christopher Sebela (W), Ariel Olivetti (A), E. M. Gist (Cover), and Mike Mignola (Variant cover)
On sale Oct 8
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
As the mercenary crew of the Perses leave the horror of LV-223 behind them, one passenger reveals a terrible new danger, and the crew soon find themselves in a deadly struggle between predator and prey!
• The Prometheus crossover event heats up!
• Written by the acclaimed Christopher Sebela (Dead Letters, Ghost)!
• Art by Ariel Olivetti (Cable, Conan and the People of the Black Circle)!
6. POP! Goes the Anticipation
I’ve got to say, I can’t wait much longer for this one. Everything from the concept to the graphic design to what I’ve seen of the interiors on “Pop” just looks great. It’s looking like it will deliver on its promise to be timely, evocative, satirical stuff.
POP #3 (of 4)
Curt Pires (W), Jason Copland (A), Pete Toms (C), and Dylan Todd (Cover)
On sale Oct 22
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
The walls are closing in. The threads are converging. How long can Elle and Coop run before their luck finally runs out? Before they’re finally captured? Just how far will the cartel go to reclaim Elle? All this and more, inside the spectacular third issue of POP!
Copland—“A creator to watch.” —Comicbook.com
5. Gone Goon
I loved Eric Powell’s solicitation text on this one. For all of its many virtues, probably the best thing about “The Goon”, for me, is the way that it lampoons or homages all of the stuff that we love and hate about comic book storytelling. Is Powell telling the truth when he says “The Goon” will never be the same again? Who cares – it’s gonna be good either way.
The Goon: Occasion of Revenge #4 (of 4)
Eric Powell (W/A/Cover)
On sale Oct 22
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
“THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!” That’s the overly dramatic crap publishers put in solicitation copy to get you to buy their books. The books that tell the same story over and over again. Nothing really changes. There’s no impact. I’m not going to tell you anything that happens in this issue of Occasion of Revenge because to tell you anything would be to tell you too much. Other than that the Goon will never be the same again. Unlike some, I mean it.—Eric Powell
“The Goon retakes his spot back at the top of the list of greatest comics on the shelf in current production.”—Comic Bastards
4. Who Will Survive?
And now we see even more of the metatextual elements come into play. Apparently Serigo Aragones and Mark Evanier are going to be battling just as the titular heroes are. Sounds like buckets of fun, to me.
Groo vs. Conan #4 (of 4)
Mark Evanier (W), Sergio Aragonés (A/Cover), Thomas Yeates (A/Cover), and TBD (C)
On sale Oct 29
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
The final showdown between the world’s greatest warrior and comics’ biggest idiot! Conan fights for his kingdom, Groo fights for his bakery, and Sergio and Mark fight for their comic shop . . . Triple story lines collide in a chaotic climax of barbaric proportions!
• Wanderer vs. Barbarian!
3. These Covers, You Guys.
My word, the “Colder” covers are the stuff of nightmares. Anyway, the original miniseries was pretty creeptastic and visually arrested – I expect the new one to be more of the same good stuff.
Continued belowColder: The Bad Seed #1
Paul Tobin (W) and Juan Ferreyra (A/Cover)
On sale Oct 22
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
Life goes on for Declan Thomas after his deadly encounter with the psychotic Nimble Jack, but Declan’s strange powers continue to develop, offering him a profound connection with the nature of insanity. Little does he know that the malevolent Swivel wishes to pick up where Nimble Jack left off!
• The sequel to the critically acclaimed series!
• Written by Eisner Award winner Paul Tobin (Bandette, The Witcher)!
• Don’t miss Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra on Prometheus: Fire and Stone!
“Juan Ferreyra is a god amongst men who draws our darkest fears and uses his sorcery to haunt the dreams of the sane.”—IGN
2. I Ain’t Got Time To Bleed, But I’ve Got Time for New Predator Comics
Over at Image, Joshua Williamson “ghosts us” regularly, with a book we really like here at Multiversity Comics in “Ghosted.” Fitting that he’s now one of the writers of the Alien/Predator titles at Dark Horse Comics. From where I sit, this looks like the strongest creative team in a property group that has some pretty strong creative teams. Mooneyham is an artist that we can’t get enough of, thanks to his pulpy work on “Five Ghosts.”
Predator: Fire and Stone #1 (of 4)
Joshua Williamson (W), Chris Mooneyham (A), Dan Brown (C), Lucas Graciano (Cover), and Alex Maleev (Variant cover)
On sale Oct 22
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
As the Perses begins her long journey home, a deadly stowaway forces the crew into a savage conflict! While the crew defend themselves against this unseen predator, the hunter itself stalks a much more substantial game!
• Dark Horse’s Prometheus event sharpens its claws!
• Joshua Williamson (Ghosted, Nailbiter) is Multiversity’s breakout writer of 2013!
• Variant cover by Alex Maleev (Batman, Avengers)!
“Mooneyham has a striking approach, combining a Neal Adams-style dynamic with a Klaus Janson kind of roughness.”—Comic Book Resources
1. A Bare Necessity
Oh god, I’m sorry about that caption, folks. Put simply, Harvey Kurtzman is one of the most influential pillars of comics history, bar none. He’s got the Harvey Awards named after him, for crying out loud. But more than that, he’s touched multimedia history in a way that travels far beyond our sphere of comics. He influenced comedians and humorists, as well as underground cartoonists, through his work on “MAD Magazine.” But he could also do war stories and adaptations, like the one solicited this month for his “Jungle Book” comics. I’ve not read them yet, but I’ve seen them and they are absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to pour over them in full, along with whatever comes down the road for the “Essential Kurtzman Library.” He’s one of comics history’s most essential creators.
Harvey Kurtzman’s Jungle Book: Essential Kurtzman Volume 1 HC
Harvey Kurtzman (W/A/Cover), Gilbert Shelton (W), R. Crumb (W), Pete Poplaski (W), and Denis Kitchen (W)
On sale Dec 3
FC, 176 pages
$24.99
HC, 6 1/2″ x 11”
Harvey Kurtzman’s Jungle Book (#26 on The Comics Journal’s Top 100 Comics) is a “lost” classic. Crumb, Spiegelman, and Gilliam, among others, were inspired and influenced by Kurtzman’s masterpiece. In a deluxe hardcover, this collection is back in print after twenty-five years! Includes an introduction by Gilbert Shelton, an essay by Denis Kitchen, and a conversational afterword by Pete Poplaski and Robert Crumb!
• The first volume in the Essential Kurtzman library!
• The definitive version of this influential classic from the creator of MAD!
• Includes Art Spiegelman’s original introduction from the 1986 edition!
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.
