harrow county volume 1 Columns 

Soliciting Multiversity: Dark Horse’s Top 10 In October 2015

By | July 20th, 2015
Posted in Columns | % Comments

October is my favorite month of the year for a bunch of reasons. The NFL is in full swing, the weather isn’t terrible yet, New York Comic Con takes place and event comics are basically over by this point. Dark Horse has a really nice offering in October so here are the titles you want to pre-order.

10. Being An Airbender Never Stops

Avatar: The Last Airbender was a great show, as was Legend of Korra. While the animated shows are missed, they story never ended for these characters. Series co-creator Michael Dante DiMartino and recent best writer Eisner winner Gene Luen Yang have led the charge in continuing this series. This volume continues a storyline featuring the Fire Nation in a big way and it’s a great way to get ready for the upcoming Korra starring series.

Avatar: The Last Airbender—Smoke and Shadow Part Two TP (advance solicit)
Gene Luen Yang (W), Michael Dante DiMartino (W), Bryan Konietzko (W), and Gurihiru (A/Cover)
On sale Dec 16
FC, 80 pages
$10.99
TP, 6” x 9”
With the disappearances of children in the Fire Nation capital, Avatar Aang and his friends are doing everything they can to find out who—or what—is responsible.
Aang and Zuko must work together to keep the peace, but the emergence of the New Ozai Society, and the appearance of the mysterious Kemurikage of legend, may prove to be too much even for the Avatar when the true culprit of the kidnappings is revealed!
• The official continuation of Airbender from its creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko!
• The perfect companion to The Legend of Korra!

9. Everyone Has To Pay Their Debts

Last month I included the first issue on this list and at the risk of repeating myself, I’m including the second issue here. I am very excited about this series. From the creative team to the character names, “The Paybacks” is going to be a trip and a half. If you didn’t get in on pre-ordering the first issue, get your order in for this issue because I’m convinced this will be a ton of fun.

The Paybacks #2
Donny Cates (W), Eliot Rahal (W), Geoff Shaw (A/Cover), and Lauren Affe (C)
On sale Oct 21
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
When the world’s greatest superhero team, the Command, defaults on their loans, their secret underwater base becomes the property of the Paybacks! It’s Night Knight’s first mission with the superhero repo squad, and the foreclosure goes smoothly . . . until it really, really doesn’t. I mean, High Guard can see through walls, you know? How do you sneak past that?
• A superhero comedy for the debt-ridden generation!
“I think my favorite thing about the book is that Night Knight doesn’t ride the unicorn. Like, I think that is genius.”—Gerard Way

8. Another Opportunity to Get Into Manga

Manga is great and very different from American or European comics but in good ways. Dark Horse is not totally all about manga but they have a great track record at putting out big collected editions at a very consumer friendly price point. I’ve been getting more into the world of anime and manga in the last year and from what I’ve learned about “Planetes”, it’s high science fiction that has gained critical and fan acclaim. For only $20, you’ll get almost 600 pages of story and that seems more than worth taking a shot on.

Planetes Omnibus Volume 1 TP (advance solicit)
Makoto Yukimura (W/A/Cover)
On sale Dec 9
b&w, 568 pages
$19.99
TP, 5 3/4” x 8 1/4”
In the 2070s, increased interplanetary travel has led to crisis-level amounts of dangerous space debris, and someone has to clean it up. Planetes follows the space-garbage crew of aspiring explorer Hachimaki, mourning Yuri, and secretive Fee, collected in two omnibus editions, printed from the original files and complete with bonus color pages!
• Winner of two Seiun Awards, Japan’s highest honor for science fiction.
• For fans of Warren Ellis and Jonathan Hickman!
“My favorite sci-fi comic of all time.” —Alex de Campi

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7. If It’s Wrong To Like This Art, I Don’t Want To Be Right

Andrew MacLean is one of the best artists in comics today and someone not nearly enough people have heard of. I’m really digging what “The Tomorrows” is doing and I especially like that each issue is by a different artist. It’s a great showcase and MacLean working in this dystopic world is bound to be beautiful.

The Tomorrows #4 (of 6)
Curt Pires (W), Andrew MacLean (A/Cover), and Pete Toms (C)
On sale Oct 28
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Aldous Ellis is dying. The past and the future are colliding. The truth is revealing itself.
See how it all began in a mind-altering look into the yesterday of the Tomorrows, from Curt Pires (The Fiction, POP, Mayday) and Andrew MacLean (Head Lopper)!
• For fans of sci-fi and cyberpunk!

6. The Revolution Can’t Get Any Prettier

“Rebels” has been a pretty enjoyable historical fiction comic. Brian Wood and Andrea Mutti are putting a fresh, new spin on the American Revolution and their framing from a more personal standpoint has proven to be a compelling narrative. “Rebels” #7 acts as a brand new jumping on point for the series because it’s a one shot. “Rebels” is Wood’s newest “Northlanders”-esque series where any of the new arcs presents the beginning of a brand new story. All of it takes place in the same time frame but features new characters doing something different from the characters in the previous arc. If you waited to get involved in “Rebels”, now is a good place to get into the series.

Rebels #7
Brian Wood (W), Matthew Woodson (A), Jordie Bellaire (C), and Tula Lotay (Cover)
On sale Oct 14
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Ongoing
A standalone one-shot story featuring the lush artwork of Matthew Woodson (Northlanders, Meathaus), this issue takes the American folktale of Molly Pitcher and brings to it fresh relevance as a poignant commentary on the subjects of veterans’ rights and women in combat. Not to be missed.
“I think this series is going to be talked about and be winning awards in the years to come, you should get on board at the ground floor.”—Comic Spectrum
“Gutsy, well-written and with solid artwork.”—Word of the Nerd

5. Anthologies Are Making A Mark On Comics

Vertigo’s been doing it, Kickstarter is full of them and “Island” has been met with acclaim. Anthologies are a part of modern comics right now but Dark Horse has been doing it for years. “Dark Horse Presents” has won multiple awards and been a great showcase for new creators and veteran creators alike. “Dark Horse Presents” #15 is on this list this month because of the creators involved. Alex de Campi, Shawn Aldridge, Carla Speed McNeil and Jerry Ordway all have work featured in this issue and at the price point of $4.99, it’s a reasonable buy.

Dark Horse Presents #15
Carla Speed McNeil (W/A/Cover), Alex de Campi (W), Brendan McCarthy (W/A), Shawn Aldridge (W), Steve Horton (W), David Chelsea (W/A), Jerry Ordway (A), Julius Gopez (A), and Chris Marrinan (A)
On sale Oct 21
FC, 48 pages
$4.99
Ongoing
Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder returns to Dark Horse Presents with a new serial entitled “Torch.” Shawn Aldridge and Julius Gopez weave a terminal tale of superheroism in Last Act. Steve Horton and Chris Marrinan’s Mike Fortune delivers adventure, and David Chelsea brings us a Snow Angel Halloween!
Plus, new chapters of Alex de Campi and Jerry Ordway’s Semiautomagic and Brendan McCarthy’s Dream Gang!
“By providing creators with a forum for creative expression for almost 30 years, Dark Horse Presents ensures that while the comics anthology may never be as prevalent as it once was, it will always have a place in the medium.”—Kabooooom

4. Get Into the Spirit of Halloween

This is the only book on the solicitations list that offers a direct tie to Halloween, a.k.a. my favorite holiday. The Goon ends up at a real life Halloween event that’s held in Detroit so it’ll feature some good, old fashioned “Goon” craziness juxtaposed to something not fictional. This should be a ton of fun.

Continued below

The Goon in Theatre Bizarre
Eric Powell (W/A/Cover) and John Dunivant (A/Variant cover)
On sale Oct 14
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
One-shot
In this special Halloween one-shot, Goon finds himself trapped in the Theatre Bizarre at the mercy of Zombo the Clown and burlesque queen Roxi Dlite! Theatre Bizarre is a real-life Halloween event held annually in Detroit, the brainchild of artist John Dunivant!
“Smartly written and terrifically drawn.”—Fangoria
“With its beautiful art and stories that blend genuine tragedy, disturbing horror and the physical comedy that comes from having a main character who makes a habit of punching out street-walking mules, Eric Powell’s The Goon is hands down one of my favorite comics on the stands.”—ComicsAlliance

3. A Trippy and Imaginative Miniseries Gets Collected

“Neverboy” is a story about imaginary friends but it’s like nothing you’ve ever read before dealing with that concept. Shaun Simon, Tyler Jenkins and Kelly Fitzpatrick have created a really out there and trippy story that is easily one of the best miniseries of the year. If you didn’t read it in singles, this is your chance to check it out.

Neverboy TP (advance solicit)
Shaun Simon (W), Tyler Jenkins (A), Kelly Fitzpatrick (C), and Conor Nolan (Cover)
On sale Dec 9
FC, 144 pages
$19.99
TP, 7” x 10”
Neverboy, a former imaginary friend, wants the real world. Julian Drag, a struggling artist, wants the imaginary. When these two meet, the real and the imaginary worlds collide in chaos. Julian and Neverboy, the dreamer and the dream, will have to face who they are in order to put things right again. Collects Neverboy #1–#6.
“This totally bonkers comic book is definitely one of the best new properties I’ve picked up in a while.”—Multiversity Comics

2.Insanity Is Only The Beginning

“Colder” might be one of my favorite comics in the last 5 years. Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra tap into some deeply horrifying aspects of insanity but offer a great character driven story. “Toss the Bones” is the last miniseries of the entire story and while it’s tough to say goodbye, I’m excited to see where this last fight with Nimble Jack takes Declan and Reese. Ferreyra’s art is astonishing and you may just question his sanity given some of the images he creates. It’s no shock that he nabbed the job on “Gotham By Midnight”. He knows horror and this is worth the read for his art alone.

Colder: Toss the Bones #2 (of 5)
Paul Tobin (W) and Juan Ferreyra (A/Cover)
On sale Oct 28
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Ever feel that someone is watching, staring at you as you go about your day, murdering people all around you, feasting on the madness of the unfortunate insane? Ever feel that someone is sitting in your home, unseen, grinning a gap-toothed smile, waiting to feast? You should—you’re not alone.
• Written by Eisner winner Paul Tobin!
• Art by Juan Ferreyra (Constantine: Futures End, Batman Eternal)!
“Visually, this book is leaps and bounds above 99% of the other books on the stands.” —IGN

1. Growing Up Is Tough

Like “Colder”, “Harrow County” is the stuff of nightmares. Emmy is a young woman who turns 18 and discovers that she has a connection to monsters and all things darks. Growing up is already tough but add in all this and it becomes almost impossible to get through. Tyler Crook is creating such nightmarish imagery in this series and Cullen Bunn is writing a very likable and relatable lead female protagonist. It’s quietly one of the best series Dark Horse is publishing and you can’t afford to miss the first collected edition.

Harrow County Volume 1: Countless Haints TP (advance solicit)
Cullen Bunn (W) and Tyler Crook (A/Cover)
On sale Dec 2
FC, 144 pages
$14.99
TP, 7” x 10”
Emmy always knew that the woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts and monsters. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures—and to the land itself—in a way she never imagined. Collecting the first four issues of the southern gothic fairy tale from the creator of smash hit The Sixth Gun, beautifully and hauntingly realized by B.P.R.D.’s Tyler Crook!
• For fans of The Sixth Gun, Rachel Rising, and Locke & Key.
“A masterful creation that lingers in the small moments of terror from our daily lives.”— Bloody Disgusting
“A beautifully illustrated page-turner of a story.”—Bleeding Cool

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below and check out all of Dark Horse’s October lineup over at CBR.


//TAGS | Soliciting Multiversity

Jess Camacho

Jess is from New Jersey. She loves comic books, pizza, wrestling and the Mets. She can be seen talking comics here and at Geeked Out Nation. Follow her on Twitter @JessCamNJ for the hottest pro wrestling takes.

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