Dark Horse Comics for October 2009

Dark Horse Comics has sent Major Spoilers the solicitation information and cover images for October 2009.

365 SAMURAI AND A FEW BOWLS OF RICE

J. P. Kalonji (W/A)

On sale Dec 2
b&w, 392 pages
$16.95
TPB, 5″ x 7″

J. P. Kalonji wields a clean, street-informed style to deliver a tale that glistens with blood and drama, yet is ultimately uplifting. Nearly four hundred pages long, this graphic novel employs full-page panels to tell the story of an Edo-era swordsman’s quest for survival and enlightenment. When Ningen leaves his dojo at the request of his master-to travel the world and grow as a swordsman-he embarks on a journey that becomes a metaphor for the cycle of life and every human’s possibility for spiritual growth.
• Collaborating with such international clients as Wyclef Jean, Amnesty International, Thrasher, and Burton snowboards, illustrator J. P. Kalonji has begun to enchant the world with his energetic art style. Now he’s ready to make a splash with his English-language graphic-novel debut!

• This engaging, nearly 400-page tale draws comparisons to both Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal and Jeff Smith’s Bone.

ABE SAPIEN

Mike Mignola (W), John Arcudi (W), Patric Reynolds (A), Dave Stewart (C), and Dave Johnson (Cover)

On sale Oct 28
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
One-Shot

In his earliest days as an agent of the B.P.R.D., Abe Sapien is sent on a simple mission to investigate a haunting following the death of a young boy. What he finds there is far stranger and more deadly.

Mike Mignola and John Arcudi team with newcomer Patric Reynolds, who made his professional debut this summer on MySpace Dark Horse Presents, for this nightmare of corrupted innocence!

Cover by Dave Johnson of 100 Bullets!

BEASTS OF BURDEN #2 (of 4)

Evan Dorkin (W) and Jill Thompson (P)

On sale Oct 21
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

When some pups go missing, it’s up to a ragtag team of dogs and . . . a cat to get at the heart of this mystery that reveals horrors greater than they could have ever anticipated. Turns out these pups aren’t the first good-natured animals to disappear in recent weeks, and it’s going to take some strong will, determination, and straight-up heroics to unravel this peculiar case.

Adventure, mystery, horror, and humor thrive on every page of Beasts of Burden-a comic-book series that will capture readers’ hearts and haunt their dreams.

The Eisner Award-winning story gets its own series!

B.P.R.D.: 1947 #4 (of 5)

Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Joshua Dysart (W), Fábio Moon (A), Gabriel Bá (A), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Oct 14
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

The Bureau’s search for a vengeful vampire reaches its climax! In a strange Austrian village a terrifying party took place hundreds of years ago, and the last of the partygoers remain. Meanwhile, back in America, the young Hellboy dreams of adventure . . .

Joshua Dysart (B.P.R.D.: 1946, Unknown Soldier) and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola join forces with Eisner Award-winning artists Gabriel Bá (The Umbrella Academy) and Fábio Moon (Sugarshock) for a wild romp through the year 1947, when Hellboy was just a boy under the tutelage of Professor Broom, and vampires secretly controlled the fate of Europe.

• Art by Eisner Award-winning rising stars Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá!

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #29: RETREAT part 4 (of 5)

Jane Espenson (W), Georges Jeanty (P/Cover), Andy Owens (I), Michelle Madsen, and Massimo Carnevale (Cover)

On sale Oct 7
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Ongoing

Oz’s temple in the Tibetan mountains is no longer a safe retreat for Buffy and her troops. Discovered by Twilight’s magical agent, Amy, and bereft of their own magic, the army is preparing for a human war with guns, grenades, missiles . . . and MANPADS-it’s not a laughing matter. People are about to die.

But even without her own magic, Buffy is still a Slayer-the Slayer-and she has to lead the way to victory. Or at least . . . live to fight another day.

• Executive produced by Joss Whedon.

• 2009 Eisner Award Nominee for Best Cover Artist-Jo Chen.

CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST 60TH ANNIVERSARY

Various (W/A)

On sale Nov 25
FC, 80 pages
$9.95
HC, 7″ x 10″

Since making his spooktacular cartoon debut in “The Friendly Ghost,” Casper has become one of the most enduring and best-loved characters in the world. Now, in celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of Casper’s comics debut, Dark Horse is proud to announce the publication of a special hardcover facsimile edition of not one, but two full-length, complete Casper comic books in sparklingly restored full color! Beginning with Archer St. John’s 1949 first issue of Casper the Friendly Ghost, this sixtieth-anniversary edition continues with Harvey Comics’ premier edition of Casper from 1952. You’ll thrill as timid Casper-defying his fellow ghosts’ dictum that ghosts must scare people-makes friends with a host of cute kids and furry animals in two tales that will touch your heart and tickle your funny bone!

• Collects two extremely rare Golden Age Casper comics in their entirety!

• Special sixtieth anniversary hardcover makes a fine addition to any comics library.

• Perfect for all ages!

THE CHRONICLES OF KULL VOLUME 1: A KING COMES RIDING AND OTHER STORIES

Roy Thomas (W), Gerry Conway (W), Len Wein (W), Marie and John Severin (A), Bernie Wrightson (A), Ross Andru (A), and Wally Wood (A)

On sale Dec 16
FC, 200 pages
$18.95
TPB, 7″ x 10″

The Chronicles of Kull Volume 1: A King Comes Riding and Other Stories kicks off Dark Horse’s newest addition to its popular Robert E. Howard reprint line. Presenting every color Kull comic from the 1970s and ’80s chronologically for the first time ever, volume 1 features color Kull stories from Creatures on the Loose! #10, Monsters on the Prowl #16, and Kull the Conqueror #1 to #9. The writing talents of legendary creators Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Len Wein and the stunning visuals of Marie Severin, John Severin, and Bernie Wrightson are on display in such thrilling tales as “The Skull of Silence,” “Night of the Red Slayers,” and “The Forbidden Swamp!” See how Robert E. Howard’s Kull stories were interpreted over three decades ago in comics.

THE CHRONICLES OF SOLOMON KANE

Roy Thomas (W), Ralph Macchio (W), Howard Chaykin (A), Steve Carr (A), Bret Blevins (A), Mike Mignola (A), John Bogdanove (A), John Ridgeway (A), and Al Williamson (A)

On sale Dec 16
FC, 208 pages
$18.95
TPB, 7″ x 10″

Continuing in the vein of the successful Chronicles of Conan collection series, Dark Horse is expanding its Robert E. Howard reprint line by presenting all of the original 1970s and 1980s Marvel color comic books featuring Solomon Kane in one awesome volume! This trade paperback features the landmark stories “The Mark of Kane” and “Fangs of the Gorilla God,” by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin, and the entire Sword of Solomon Kane miniseries, by Ralph Macchio and a host of talented artists-including Mike Mignola, Al Williamson, Bret Blevins, John Ridgeway, and others! From the French countryside to the Black Forest in Germany, from England to Africa-follow Robert E. Howard’s solemn, driven Puritan, Solomon Kane, as he cuts a path of vengeance across the globe!
• This beautiful 200-page tome includes meticulously recolored Kane adventures from Marvel Premiere #33 and #34, and the entire six-issue Sword of Solomon Kane series from the mid-1980s.

CITIZEN REX #4 (of 6)

Mario Hernandez (W) and Gilbert Hernandez (W/A)

On sale Oct 14
b&w, 24 pages
$3.50
Miniseries

Mario and Gilbert Hernandez’s peek into a weird and sexy future keeps heating up!

Who are the Truth Takers? What is the Cloud Room? Why has Citizen Rex returned from exile? How much longer before the clashing robot and human rights protests tear our fair city apart? Prepare for these questions to be replaced by a whole set of new ones in “The Truth May Disturb You,” the latest chapter in this Hernandez sci-fi spectacular!

• “Hernandez’s art is as assured and potent as ever; he draws in black-and-white as if color had never been invented.”-ComicMix

CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #15

Timothy Truman (W), Paul Lee (A), and Joseph Michael Linsner (Cover)

On sale Oct 21
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Ongoing

Ten thousand years before Conan disturbed the forbidden Temple of Set, princess Akivasha-daughter to the first great ruler of Stygia-was transformed into a vampire and cursed to haunt its halls forever. Her pampered years of hedonistic pleasure behind her, the beautiful Akivasha spent centuries with desiccated mummies and skittering monsters, as a deep loneliness grew within her.

Now, something has awakened her from tedious ages of boredom. She immediately senses Conan’s power and vitality when he steals into the temple, and she vows to take this Cimmerian warrior as her lover-or at least have a good time killing him! Spinning out of Robert E. Howard’s Hour of the Dragon novel comes the untold tale of Akivasha, the title character to Howard’s “I Am the Woman Who Never Died” chapter.

• Tim Truman adds new dimensions to a Howard classic, and Conan and Buffy the Vampire Slayer artist Paul Lee returns to illustrate this horrific and heartbreaking story, giving us glimpses into Akivasha’s troubled past while the lusty vampire stalks Conan through dark, demon-filled mazes!

CREEPY #2

Various (W/A)

On sale Oct 28
b&w, 48 pages
$4.99
Ongoing

It’s alive! It’s evil! And it’s coming for you.  Horror fans and art fiends, beware-a new issue of new Creepy is lurking right around the corner.  Dark Horse Comics and New Comic Company keep the hellfires burning in October with another evil-engorged 48 pages of short horror stories by established greats and ook-inducing newcomers. This issue, we’re featuring the second mind-bendingly gruesome chapter of “The Curse;” a ghastly shocker from legendary horror writer Joe R. Lansdale; an all-new Loathsome Lore; new work from Jason Shawn Alexander, Dan Braun, and Greg Ruth and much, much gore! Creepy is not only packed with paralyzing tales of fear, it’s a jaw-dropping value, too. With 48 pages packed with content, not advertising, our boo buffet is one hell of a deal!

• The reanimation of a beloved series continues with new, freakishly great stories!

• New frightening tales from masters of illustrated terror!

CRIMINAL MACABRE: CELL BLOCK 666

Steve Niles (W), Nick Stakal (A), and Tim Bradstreet (Cover)

On sale Dec 16
FC, 104 pages
$12.95
TPB, 7″ x 10″

Cal McDonald faces his greatest challenge yet-hard time! Framed in the death of a cop, Cal finds himself at the mercy of a sadistic and corrupt police force. But now, in some of the bleakest moments of his life, the things that make him different from the rest of the world might be the only things capable of keeping his sorry butt out of deeper trouble. Because it turns out that the things that would make most people want to give up and die-the strange, inhuman voices coming from adjacent cells, the mysterious visitors, the unlikely saviors in demonic disguise-are the things that have kept Cal alive long enough to see a way out. And just when Cal begins to unravel the conspiracy behind his own downfall, he uncovers a nightmare world of murder and corruption at the prison that has dozens of former prisoners turning in their graves . . . and clawing their way out!

• Criminal Macabre: Cell Block 666 is the latest horror tale from Steve Niles, the creator of 30 Days of Night!

DOCTOR GRORDBORT PRESENTS: VICTORY

Greg Broadmore (W/A)

On sale Oct 28
FC, 64 pages
$19.95
HC, 8 1/2″ x 12″

Dr Grordbort Presents: Victory-Scientific Adventure Violence for Young Men and Literate Women, the year’s foremost journal of progressive armaments and weaponry! Behold the latest line of defense captured in action! Filled to the brim with firsthand tales of exploration and progress from the great heroes of our time, picture strips of unimaginable escapades on the frontier, never-seen-before portraits of dazzling damsels and monstrous villains, and laudable accounts of man and robot pitted against our greatest enemy (the uncivilized world), Victory is an onslaught of action-packed scientific adventure in full-spectrum color-containing facts that every boy and literate girl should know.
Written and illustrated by Weta Workshop Conceptual Designer Greg Broadmore, this book sumptuously details a science-fiction history that never was. Hearkening back to the classic sci-fi serials of yesteryear, it reveals the backstories and mythos of Weta Limited’s highly limited ray gun collectible line.

• Weta Workshop is the New Zealand effects studio famous for its Oscar-winning work on King Kong and The Lord of the Rings.

DOMO 4″ FLOCKED VINYL FIGURES

On sale Nov 4

4″ Flocked Vinyl Figures
$12.99

Classic Brown
Tangerine
Cornflower Blue
Cherry Blossom Pink
Lemon Yellow
Polar White
Grape Purple
Raging Red

With the smashing success of our 8″ and 5.5″ Domo flocked-vinyl series, it was only natural that we decided it was time for us to advance our mission to spread the Domo love ever further. We are proud to introduce our third series of Domo flocked vinyl figures now in a cozy 4″ edition.

Available in limited quantities, our 4″ Domo flocked vinyl figure comes in a spectrum of eight distinct colors: Classic Brown (limited edition), Tangerine (limited edition of 1,250), Cornflower Blue (limited edition of 1,250), Cherry Blossom Pink (limited edition of 1,250), Lemon Yellow (limited edition of 1,250), Polar White (limited edition of 750), Grape Purple (limited edition of 750), and Raging Red (limited edition of 500). Order your own group of fuzzy friends today before they’re gone!

DRAWING DOWN THE MOON: THE ART OF CHARLES VESS

Charles Vess (W/A)

On sale Dec 16
FC, 200 pages
$39.95
HC, 9″ x 12″

Verdant fairy forests. Whispering mountains. The fallen towers of ancient kings. Spirit-filled lakes. The distant strains of elven bards. For over thirty years, the fantasy art of Charles Vess has been acclaimed worldwide, his rich palette, striking compositions, and lavish detail second to none in the field. Vess has been the illustrator of choice for countless publishers and writers, including Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clark, and George
R. R. Martin. Embodying the timeless approach of the golden age of illustration, Vess’s work is both breathtakingly singular and yet recalls an era when paint and brush were the vessels that carried readers of all ages to distant lands, bygone ages, and realms of the imagination.

• Forward by Susanna Clarke, best-selling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

• Vess’s awards include The Will Eisner Comics Industry Award, World Fantasy Award, and Spectrum Annual Award.

“The reason that Charles Vess draws such astonishing things, such beautiful things, and such strange things so very well is simple. He draws what he sees.”
-Neil Gaiman

EERIE ARCHIVES VOLUME 3

Various (W/A)

On sale Dec 23
b&w, 240 pages
$49.95
HC, 8 3/8″ x 10 7/8″

Cousin Eerie is back with dozens more blood-chilling tales of terror and the macabre! Dark Horse Comics continues its groundbreaking archival reprint series, and this third installment of Eerie Archives is the spookiest yet! Eerie magazine was a newsstand fan favorite for years, but the original issues have long since been expensive and hard to find. Reprinted in its original size, this collection of classic horror storytelling and astonishing artwork from such luminaries as Jeff Jones, Wallace Wood, Tom Sutton, and Gene Colan is a fine addition to any horror fan’s library.

• Featuring stories written by Archie Goodwin, Russ Jones, Johnny Craig, and others!

• Eerie Archives Volume 3 contains the beautiful black-and-white magazine interiors, plus the gorgeous front-cover artwork, reproduced in full color!

ELECTROPOLIS

Dean Motter (W/A)

On sale Dec 2
FC, 152 pages
$14.95
TPB, 6″ x 9″

Menlo Park is a reprogrammed janitor robot working as a private eye on the neon streets of Electra City, a town designed to generate and conduct massive amounts of electricity. Sixteen years after the apparent suicide of his human partner atop the world’s tallest tower, a blond femme fatale gives Menlo some new information about the cause of death. As Menlo and his assistant, Anesta, reopen the case, their journey takes them from Electra’s high society to its dark underbelly.

Clues from zeppelin pilots and shadowy architects alike reveal a connection between Menlo’s partner’s death, a mysterious object called the Astrolabe, and the origins of the city itself.

• A perfect companion to Mister X: Condemned! Visionary artist Dean Motter revisits his unique brand of “antique futurism” in a story full of familiar faces, including a crucial cameo by Mister X himself!

• “The characters are fun, the atmosphere engaging and the artwork gorgeous.”
-The Fourth Rail
THE ESCAPISTS

Brian K. Vaughan (W), Michael Chabon (W), Jason Shawn Alexander (A), Steve Rolston (A), Philip Bond (A), and Eduardo Barreto (A)

On sale Dec 2
FC, 160 pages
$14.95
TPB, 6″ x 9″

Inspired by Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, this is Vaughan’s love letter to his chosen medium, a story about what it takes to start out with nothing in Cleveland, Ohio, and end up with a comic so hot a major corporation wants to steal it from you! Brilliantly interweaving the lives of the creators with the world of their creation, artists Steve Rolston and Philip Bond bring the comic-booking trio Maxwell Roth, Case Weaver, and Denny Jones to life, while the inimitable Jason Shawn Alexander and Eduardo Barreto illustrate the thrilling trials and exciting extrications of the new-and old-Escapist!

• Now back in print in a more affordable softcover edition!

THE GOON VOLUME 6: CHINATOWN AND THE MYSTERY OF MR. WICKER

Eric Powell (W/A)

On sale Dec 30
FC, 112 pages
$15.95
TPB, 7″ x 10″

Collected in softcover for the very first time, the critically acclaimed Chinatown marks Powell’s first self-contained graphic novel, which chronicles the misadventures of Goon and his wisecracking sidekick, Franky. When a mysterious new figure enters the crime scene and begins taking out the Goon’s business operations one by one, the Goon struggles to keep the city’s organized crime under his control as his mind is haunted by the memories of his darkest moment . . . when his mind and body were left scarred . . . and his heart was left black.

• The critically acclaimed graphic novel arrives in softcover!

GRENDEL: BEHOLD THE DEVIL

Matt Wagner (W/A)

On sale Dec 16
b&w&r, 184 pages
$19.95
HC, 7″ x 10″

For years, the life of the original Grendel, Hunter Rose, has been accessible only through his private journal, but there is a secret too terrible for even its pages, and a section of the journal is missing. Behold the Devil follows Rose through this lost period early in his criminal career, as he is under scrutiny not only by the police and media, but also by the prying eyes of an unseen-possibly supernatural-pursuer. Unusually shaken and paranoid, the criminal mastermind is forced to take steps that redefine the evil of the entity known as Grendel!

• Includes additional pages previously only seen on MySpace!

• Collects the first Grendel series written and drawn by Matt Wagner in over ten years!

• Matt Wagner is Eisner-nominated as both Best Writer and Best Cover Artist in this year’s Eisner Awards. Find out why in Grendel: Behold the Devil!

GROO: THE HOGS OF HORDOR #1 (of 4)

Mark Evanier (W) and Sergio Aragonés (A)

On sale Oct 28
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries

You probably think Groo the Wanderer is the most destructive force in his world. Not so! Even at his most inept, Groo cannot destroy a village faster than the Hogs of Horder. Theirs is an evil species that has existed forever, and that spreads death and annihilation to this day. They control your mind, they control your body, and worst of all, they control your money. So what happens when Groo comes nose to nose with them? Find out in this latest Groo miniseries from the same award-winning people who do every Groo miniseries: Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier with the aid of Stan Sakai and Tom Luth!

• The prior Groo miniseries, Hell on Earth, has been nominated for the 2009 Eisner award for Best Limited Series!

Groo the Wanderer returns!

HELLBOY: THE WILD HUNT #7 (of 8)

Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Scott Allie (W), Duncan Fegredo (A), Patric Reynolds (A), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Oct 14
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

In a terrifying fortress decorated with dead soldiers, Hellboy reels from recent revelations about his bloodline and his connection to British history, and to the Queen of Blood herself. But there’s little time for him to consider his destiny when Astaroth arrives, leading to a battle that will tear down the castle walls around the unconscious Alice.

This issue also includes a backup story by Scott Allie (Solomon Kane) and Patric Reynolds, featuring Henry Hood, the zealous witchfinder introduced in Hellboy: Darkness Calls!

HERBIE VINYL FIGURE

On sale Feb 10
7″ limited-edition vinyl
$34.99

Like a colossus, Herbie stands at a bewildering crossroads of pop culture and history.

Whether he is hobnobbing with JFK on matters of national security or melting the hearts of the great beauties of the age (who can blame them for going weak in the knees?), the little fat kid with a lollipop has the bull by the horns, the tiger by the tail, and the elbow by the . . . Well, you get the idea!

Sculpted by Tim Bruckner our 7″ limited-edition vinyl figure is sure to be considered when the roll call of greats is read.

• Limited edition of 1,200.

THE JACKSON 500 VOLUME 4

Tim Biskup (W/A)

On sale Dec 23
FC, 112 pages
$14.95
HC, 5″ x 5″

Celebrating midcentury graphic design with a twist of “baroque modernism” and a dash of punk-rock confidence, Tim Biskup continues to enchant and inspire fans around the globe with the business-card-sized illustrations that fill his Jackson 500 volumes. This fourth book in a series of five presents one hundred entirely new compositions, containing some of Biskup’s recurring characters and themes, documenting evolving emotions and color theories, and bringing fans face to face with the raw energy that fuels some of Biskup’s larger gallery works.

• “Tim Biskup is the most prolific and productive artist I know, a hundredfold. He is a living idea factory.” -Gary Baseman

LITTLE LULU: MISS FEENY’S FOLLY AND OTHER STORIES

John Stanley (W/A) and Irving Tripp (A)

On sale Nov 25
FC, 200 pages
$14.95
TPB, 6″ x 9″

One hundred issues in, the endless imagination of John Stanley and Irving Tripp never lets up. Collecting Marge’s Little Lulu #100-#105 in their original, full-color glory, Miss Feeny’s Folly shows these masters at their most comedically ingenious.

Children will giggle, adults will chuckle, and everyone will get the occasional guffaw from this compendium of never-before-collected stories. Laugh along with neighborhood kids Lulu, Tubby, Alvin, Annie, and the rest as they play practical jokes, solve mysteries, connive for dimes, and have all manner of hilarious adventures!

MYSPACE DARK HORSE PRESENTS VOLUME 4

Joss Whedon (W), Mike Mignola (W), Farel Dalrymple (W), Mick Harrison (W), Jo Chen (A), Doug Wheatley (A), Kristian Donaldson (A/Cover), and more

On sale Dec 23
FC, 165 pages
$19.95
TPB, 7″ x 10″

The fourth volume of the online comics anthology MySpace Dark Horse Presents continues to bring you a wide range of genres and classic characters in the Dark Horse tradition. For the first time, Star Wars debuts comic content online with Dark Times: Blue Harvest. Our commitment to webcomics continues to shine with contributions from online-strip creators Chris Onstad, David Malki, and Kate Beaton. Eric Powell’s backwoods-charm-filled series The Goon is the subject of an “interpretation” from Gossip Whore Ann Romano. Joss Whedon teams with Season Eight cover artist Jo Chen for a special Buffy the Vampire Slayer story.

• Featuring the talents of Joss Whedon, Jo Chen, Farel Dalrymple, David Malki, Chris Onstad, Eric Powell, and more!
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THE SHINJI IKARI RAISING PROJECT VOLUME 3

Osamu Takahashi (W/A)

On sale Dec 30
b&w, 192 pages
$9.95
TPB, 5 1/8″ x 7 1/4″

Now, it’s important for a father to participate when it’s time for a parent-teacher conference, but you’re still going to feel a little nervous as the student-or, if your father’s name is Gendo Ikari, a lot nervous! While Shinji’s girl troubles continue to be a public spectacle, Kaworu and Ritsuko are going behind his back . . . straight to SEELE. Love, comedy, and mystery continue in volume 3.

• Each volume features bonus color pages, your Evangelion fan art and letters, and special reader giveaways!

NEXUS ARCHIVES VOLUME 10

Mike Baron (W), Steve Rude (A), Peter David (A), Greg Guler (A), Phil Hester (A), and others

On sale Dec 30
FC, 232 pages
$49.95
HC, 7″ x 10″

History professor Stanislaus Korivitsky has been chosen by the Merk to inherit the role of Nexus, fusionkasting executioner of mass murderers. Far saner than his predecessors, Stacy and Michana Loomis, Stan immediately kills his first target and then sets off for A.J. Cronin-megalomaniacal CEO of a massively influential (and less than ethical) multiplanetary company, the Scorporation. But when A.J.’s terrifying single-mindedness outlives his own body, Stan, Horatio, and Sundra will face off with an unstoppable hunter/killer in a high-speed subzero chase . . . and if they survive, the antitechnology zealots of the Elvonic Order have a serious bone to pick with the new Nexus.

• Collects Nexus vol. 2 #58-#65, originally published by First Comics.

OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 34

Kosuke Fujishima (W/A)

On sale Dec 30
b&w, 144 pages
$10.95
TPB, 5 1/8″ x 7 1/4″

Ever since a cosmic phone call led five literal young goddesses-Belldandy, Urd, Skuld, and, like occasional vowels, Peorth and Lind-to live in college student Keiichi’s residence, his personal life has been turned upside down, sideways, and sometimes even into strange dimensions!

It’s back to business when Chihiro and crew return from the retreat-only to find Tamiya and Otaki, left to hold down the store, have turned Whirlwind inside out! But Skuld, the Goddess of the Future, has her own fateful reunion with someone out of her past . . . Remember her old boyfriend, Sentaro?

• Winner of the 2009 Kodansha Award for Best General Manga.
• Oh My Goddess! is the longest-running manga series in America!

• Praise for previous volumes of Oh My Goddess!:
“Oh My Goddess! is an eternally charming manga series with magical humor and a big heart.” -Active Anime
“The art is full of action and humor. An essential read.” -School Library Journal

PREDATOR #3 (of 4)

John Arcudi (W), Javier Saltares (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Raymond Swanland (Cover)

On sale Oct 28
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries

While the guns-for-hire of Graham Directive Security knew they were entering a third-world war zone when they signed on, they never bargained for stumbling into the middle of an interplanetary blood feud. After barely surviving a brutal firefight with a squad of Predator soldiers, Thorpe and Briggs hightail it to the GDS compound only to find their base under siege by the offworld marauders. Thorpe and his crew haven’t got a prayer of survival-that is, they wouldn’t if they didn’t have the most unlikely ally in the universe.

Blood is in the air as Predator returns to comics with extreme prejudice in a deadly new series written by John Arcudi (Aliens, B.P.R.D.) and illustrated by Javier Saltares (Ghost Rider).

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first Dark Horse Predator series.

RAPTURE #5 (of 6)

Michael Avon Oeming (W/A/Cover), Taki Soma (W), Val Staples (C), and Matt Wagner (Cover)

On sale Oct 28
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

After the collapse of society, the world is slowly beginning to discover new champions, who bring with them the hope of salvation. One of those champions, Evelyn Town, struggles with her newfound power. To complicate matters, she finds herself in conflict with a vicious and cruel champion who has been twisted by power-except this champion is a small child!

Now, after sacrificing everything to find him, Evelyn stands accused by her lover, Gil, of being just as evil as the child champion she opposes. Gil’s love for Evelyn has transformed into hatred as his newfound powers have begun to corrupt him.

Will these former lovers use their powers to destroy each other, or will their passion bring them together to save the world?

Alternate cover from Grendel creator Matt Wagner!

ROBERT E. HOWARD CHRONICLES SLIPCASE SET

Roy Thomas (W), Len Wein (W), Ralph Macchio (W), Gerry Conway (W), Bernie Wrightson (A), Mike Mignola (A), Howard Chaykin (A), Barry Windsor-Smith (A), and more

On sale Dec 16
FC, 584 pages
$54.85
HC, 7″ x 10″

For the first time, Robert E. Howard’s most-celebrated creations are together in one handsome collection! Experience all of Howard’s most exciting tales as told by the industry’s finest creators-including Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, Howard Chaykin, Mike Mignola, the Severins, and more! Featuring the latest in coloring technology, the remastered comics are a perfect introduction to the Robert E. Howard universe and a refreshing refurbishment of these timeless yarns for the collector who already owns the classic comics from the ’70s and ’80s!

• The Chronicles of Conan Volume 1 reprints issues #1 through #8 of the original Marvel comic-book series and includes the classic “Tower of the Elephant” tale and the work of the incomparable Barry Windsor-Smith!

• The Chronicles of Solomon Kane collects every color appearance of Solomon Kane from his years at Marvel: Marvel Premiere issues #33 and #34 and the six-issue miniseries The Sword of Solomon Kane.

• The Chronicles of Kull Volume 1 features the work of Bernie Wrightson and includes Monsters on the Prowl #16, Creatures on the Loose! #10, and the first nine issues of Kull the Conqueror!

THE SIMPSONS CLASSIC CHARACTER #5: COMIC BOOK GUY

On sale Dec 16

Packaged in a special litho-printed, full-color tin box with a vintage-style pin-back button and booklet
Limited edition of 550 numbered pieces
$49.95

Dark Horse is taking the Simpsons-one of the modern era’s most iconic, if dysfunctional families-and giving them our unique Syroco-style treatment. We are excited to present the fifth release of the group-Comic Book Guy, the owner of The Android’s Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop.

STAR WARS: INVASION #0

Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Dave Dorman (Cover)

On sale Oct 14
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
One-Shot

A Yuuzhan Vong armada has entered that galaxy far, far away, and the target is the defenseless planet Artorias. The planet’s only hope lies with the crew of a tiny ship in the armada’s path . . .

In print for the first time, this comic collects the introductory chapters for Invasion, which appeared exclusively at starwars.com. But this is not simply a collection of the online material! The creative team from the series has woven into the story an additional six pages of all-new action!

• In print for the first time, with new material!

Dave Dorman returns to Star Wars!
STAR WARS: INVASION #4 (of 5)

Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)

On sale Oct 7
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

Twenty-five years after the events in A New Hope, the relentless assault by the alien invaders known as the Yuuzhan Vong has plunged the galaxy into war. But word has come of a possible intelligence coup for the New Republic!

Young Finn Galfridian joins Leia Organa and her children aboard the legendary Millennium Falcon for an undercover mission to a notorious refuge for pirates and smugglers. Meanwhile, Finn’s sister Kaye, held prisoner aboard a Yuuzhan Vong starship, is about to show the invaders that the galaxy is not defenseless!

• A first look at Princess Leia twenty-five years after A New Hope!

• Covers by Eisner Award nominee Jo Chen!

All-new original series!

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #46- DESTROYER part 2 (of 2)

John Jackson Miller (W), Brian Ching (A), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Jim Pavelec (Cover)

On sale Oct 21
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Ongoing

A captive of the slaver organization the Crucible, Zayne Carrick is finding there is much more to his friend Jarael’s past than she revealed. Specifically, a Crucible trainer called Chantique is looking to settle a score, and she believes that Zayne could be key in that objective. Her plan will have him desperately attempting to resolve the psychic attack that she, the Crucible, and fellow slaves have waged in his mind-all while he fights for his life!
STAR WARS: LEGACY #41-ROGUE’S END

John Ostrander (W), TBD (A), Brad Anderson (C), and TBD (Cover)

On sale Oct 28
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Ongoing

The Galactic Alliance’s Rogue Squadron is on a mission to rescue a group of Mon Calamari refugees, but the Rogues may be forced to retreat when both the Sith and a Mandalorian bounty hunter create complications. One of the Rogues, Hondo Karr, takes center stage on this risky job-from which at least one member of the squad will not return . . .

The Legacy-era Rogue Squadron in action!

STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME 7-STORMS

John Ostrander (W), Omar Francia (P/Cover), Jan Duursema (P), Dan Parsons (I), and Brad Anderson (C)

On sale Dec 9
FC, 128 pages
$17.95
TPB, 7″ x 10″

A shake-up in the Sith leadership has made the galaxy a worse place, not a better one. On the planet of Dac, the Mon Calamari are still feeling the wrath of Darth Krayt-their punishment for betraying the Sith Empire. Meanwhile, a victory has turned sour-and possibly deadly-for Cade Skywalker and his companions. And the Galactic Alliance comes closer to forming an alliance with deposed Emperor Roan Fel’s forces against their mutual enemy. Now, if they can just agree on who that enemy is . . .

• Legacy continues to expand into the uncharted future of the Star Wars universe!

• The first four volumes of Star Wars: Legacy have combined to sell over 100,000 copies!

SUGARSHOCK

Joss Whedon (W), Fábio Moon (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Oct 21
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
One-Shot

Originally presented in the first online issues of MySpace Dark Horse Presents, for which it won the Eisner Award for Best Web Comic, Sugarshock tells the story of a rock band led by charismatic but crazy Dandelion Naizen, a hyperactive singer/songwriter possessed of a mean hatred of Vikings (don’t ask) and a mission for a secret government agency that may only exist in her head. But when her band, which includes a robot bass player, is enlisted in an intergalactic battle of the bands-emphasis on battle-Dandelion gets to prove herself as both singer and soldier.

This is Joss Whedon at his funniest and most hyperactive, with writing that bursts off the page in a way seldom seen in comics. Multiple Eisner Award winner Fábio Moon delivers the outrageous story with equal energy, as well as providing a fourteen-page look at his process, with never-before-seen character designs, page layouts, and promotional images.

Joss Whedon’s Eisner award-winning story gets its own comic!

TARZAN ARCHIVES: THE JESSE MARSH YEARS VOLUME 4

Gaylord DuBois (W) and Jesse Marsh (A)

On sale Dec 9
FC, 232 pages
$49.95
HC, 7″ x 10″

In the late 1940s, Dell Publishing assembled a new comics team that would leave an indelible impression on millions of young readers. For the next nineteen years, Jesse Marsh-an “artist’s artist”-and Gaylord DuBois created an absorbing jungle world for Edgar Rice Burroughs’s most famous character. The realism and consistent quality in their collaboration remain influential to countless comics artists today.

• This archive series has been in the works for years, and Dark Horse is pleased to introduce-and reintroduce!-fans and collectors to classic Golden Age adventure stories that have been out of print since their original publication.

TIM BURTON STAIN BOY VINYL FIGURE

On sale Nov 11
5.5″ tall
$24.99

One of Dark Horse Deluxe’s most commercially successful and artistically satisfying endeavors has been our interpretation of artist/director Tim Burton’s original characters as boxed sets of PVC figures.

Due to popular demand, we are creating new versions of the primary characters as deluxe large-size vinyl figures.

Stain Boy, the smudgy lad who just can’t stay clean, leads off the debut trio of releases.

Packaged in full-color window boxes, Stain Boy and his pals are sure to command a prominent place on the shelves of both serious toy collectors and more casual Tim Burton fans.

• The original sculpts for these vinyl figures will be on display at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC in November!

UNCLE SCROOGE CLASSIC CHARACTER #5: GLADSTONE GANDER

On sale Dec 16

Packaged in a special litho-printed, full-color tin box with a vintage-style pin-back button and booklet
Limited edition of 650 numbered pieces
$49.95

We’re giving one of the comic-book medium’s most revered casts of characters the Syroco-style treatment in this series of statuettes based on Disney’s classic Uncle Scrooge comics. Our fifth offering is Gladstone Gander, the luckiest duck ever! This wastrel of a duck never works. He never even worries. He simply knows that he will inevitably come up smelling like a rose-why not? He’s lucky, and as we all know it is better to be lucky than good!

WITCHFINDER: IN THE SERVICE OF ANGELS #4 (of 5)

Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Ben Stenbeck (A), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Oct 7
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

A horrific monster rampages through the streets of Victorian London, but not everyone wants to see the menace dead. The Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra wishes to capture the creature for their own dark purposes, and if Edward Grey is to have any hope of killing the beast before it falls into their hands, he’ll have to seek aid in the most unlikely of places-a lunatic asylum!

Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck (B.P.R.D.: The Ectoplasmic Man) team up for this long-awaited glimpse into one of the Hellboy universe’s greatest enigmas: nineteenth-century occult investigator Edward Grey!

• Cover art by Eisner Award-winning Hellboy creator Mike Mignola!

• Sheds light on the true history of Edward Grey, one of the greatest enigmas of the Hellboy universe.

ZERO KILLER #6 (of 6)

Arvid Nelson (W), Matt Camp (A), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Oct 21
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

Thirty-four years after a massive nuclear war, New York City is submerged in caustic water and dominated by brutal gangs who live in the city’s battered skyscrapers. Zero usually works in this melted metropolis as a “trash man,” hunting down renegade gang members, but he embarks on a strange mission for an overseas ruler. While America is scorched by nuclear fires and far from recovering, Africa is a mythical land of civilization and safety-but in order to get to this faraway paradise, Zero needs to find a mysterious metal briefcase. He’s made himself the target of just about every powerful gangster in town, but Zero is determined and driven by ghosts from his past. With a little help from Stark, his young, unwanted partner, he just might pull it off-and settle some old scores while he’s at it!

Arvid Nelson’s tale of a twisted, alternate future comes to an end!

via Dark Horse Comics