Category Archives: Dark Horse Comics

October 7, 2015 · 9:37 am

Review: DEAD VENGEANCE #1 (of 4)

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If you’re a fan of gritty and fantastical crime noir, like The Goon, then here is a comic for you. I like nice touches of authenticity in a period comic: the hats, the cars, the buildings. It’s Detroit, 1940, and it feels like it. “Dead Vengeance” is a four-issue story with a grisly, yet whimsical, premise: our hero was killed a decade ago by the villain’s henchmen but he’s somehow managed to come back to life.

Bill Morrison (script and pencils) is having a good time with this material and it shows. Keith Champagne (inks) provides bold and energetic linework. I think this comic will prove to be a fun ride. Our story begins at a ramshackle carnival and we find John Doe, our hero, among the freaks on display. He’s supposed to be the corpse kept preserved in a tank. That is, until some boys walk up to him and recite what they believe is a spell to bring him back to life. And then he does come back to life! The whole look and feel to this comic just screams 1940s pulp magazine.

This one is a breezy little tale that is fun to look at and enjoy on its own terms. As you’ll see, there’s a whole sordid, and entertaining, story behind what led to John Doe becoming a corpse on display in a carnival.

DEAD VENGEANCE #1 is a 32-page comic book, priced at $3.99, available as of October 07, 2015. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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September 22, 2015 · 11:00 pm

Review: THE NEW DEAL by Jonathan Case

New-Deal-Jonathan-Case-2015

We begin Jonathan Case’s new graphic novel, “The New Deal,” in New York City, 1936. It’s the depths of the Great Depression. NYC is pretty darn cold in the winter, especially when money is so scarce. There’s a young guy, Frank O’Malley, and he’s pleading with passersby to consider buying a ticket to an avant-garde production of Macbeth. Tough sale especially when, just next to Frank is his Uncle Pack hawking apples for six cents each. A potential customer tries to haggle the price down by a penny but Uncle Pack won’t budge. Quickly, we move on as Frank races to his regular job as a bellman at the Waldorf Astoria. And with that Case has hooked you in as the plot thickens and we find Frank to be way over his head.

Pages from THE NEW DEAL

Pages from THE NEW DEAL

Case delivers a solid story built upon his character-driven script and his engaging drawing style. His sly sense of humor and intrigue works its way through every page. He has managed to create characters that feel real while inhabiting the hyperreal world of screwball comedies of the 1930s. We cannot help but be curious about the relationship between a Caucasian bellman, Frank O’Malley, and an African-American maid, Theresa Harris. In public, they keep at a distance and address each other by their surnames. In private, they are playful with each other but still hold back. What we do know is that they care about each other very much and the plot that unfolds will test them.

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This is an exceptionally well-paced and substantial story. It has one foot in the ’30s and the other in today’s sensibilities. This allows us to explore the relationship between Frank and Theresa and the inner world of Theresa with great subtlety. You learn to accept Frank who has to struggle with proving his trustworthiness. And you follow Theresa as she must navigate through the obstacles before her. The more complicated our story gets, the more Frank and Theresa are forced to face what it is that keeps attracting them to each other.

Make no mistake, this is a perfect blend of mystery, humor, and offbeat love story. If there’s any mention of FDR’s “New Deal,” it is only in passing. This is not a history lesson, at least not directly. That said, while you’ll learn a thing or two about swells and dolls and fancy hotels, you will also get a good sense of the cold realities of that era.

This is Jonathan Case’s best work yet. You may know him from his artwork for the critically-acclaimed graphic novel, “Green River Killer: A True Detective Story,” which I reviewed here. Or you may have caught his work for the DC Comics title, “Batman ’66.” You will definitely want to read “The New Deal,” a thoroughly entertaining and remarkable work.

THE NEW DEAL is a hardcover, published by Dark Horse Comics, available as of September 23. You can find it at all your favorite booksellers including through Jonathan’s website right here. As always, be sure to visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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July 23, 2015 · 11:21 pm

Advance Review: KING TIGER #1

King-Tiger-Dark-Horse

We all miss the Star Wars comics from Dark Horse. We miss the intriguing detail, the swagger, the sly humor. But the talent that brought you that magic is still around. And there are new tales to tell. Enter King Tiger, written by Randy Stradley (Star Wars, Aliens vs. Predator) and illustrated by Doug Wheatley (Star Wars, Aliens).

There’s just something about this comic, and its confident execution, that will hook you in. Supernatural forces are on the offensive. They will take what they want, sacrifice human lives, wreak havoc. But a sorcerer and martial artist, known as King Tiger, may have the strength and cunning to bring them down.

This first issue sets the bar high and there’s no doubt this story is going to prove itself worthy. First off, King Tiger is very likable and mysterious. His girlfriend, Rikki, has made a man out of him. He appears to have formidalbe magical powers. But we know very little else about Tiger. And he likes it that way. His sidekick, Milo, makes for perfect comic relief. And Tiger is about to embark on the most challenging, and deadly, case of his career.

Stradley masterfully handles the narrative with just the right touches. We get an eerie refrain about how humanity is much better off just giving up hope that strikes a perfect creepy chord. Wheatley has a wonderful way with bringing life to his characters. We instantly gravitate to them. We know Rikki means stability. We know Milo means comedy. And we know Tiger is going to lead the hell out of this adventure.

King Tiger #1 is on sale August 12th. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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June 18, 2015 · 10:45 am

Review: DEATH HEAD #1

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Dark Horse unleashes The Keller Bros’ “Death Head,” a supernatural-horror thriller and it hits all the creepy notes just right! There’s a lot of great titles from Dark Horse and this is one of them. Here’s one for you that exemplifies the Dark Horse sensibility. Here’s something that has the writing and artwork chops to give you a good scare. It taps into the classic bogeyman archetype with a fresh and down-to-basics approach.

In a smooth and seemingly effortless manner, we follow three different stories that are all connected in some way with our bogeyman. We don’t know much at all about him in this first issue. But we get some clues: this bogeyman is legendary and he’s very much alive. Good, so far. Joanna Estep provides first-rate horror comic art with dramatic settings and believable characters. This is all complemented by warm and spooky coloring by Kelly Fitzpatrick.

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The characters in each subplot are all worthy of further study. We have Justine and Niles Burton, a couple on vacation in a national park. We have Lena and Maggie, two misfits in a Catholic girls school. And we have Bee, a little boy who is bullied into a tunnel where he meets Rosie, who appears to be a ghost. Oh, and there is quite a connection here: Justine and Niles are the parents of Maggie and Bee. You can just imagine all the possibilities when you have a family separated and a super scary killer has targeted them.

For this first issue, I really don’t think I could spoil anything. It’s a great setting up of events and anticipation for what’s to come. For something like this to work, well, it needs to jump out and grab somebody like me who has read a lot of stuff and has a pretty solid quality detector. This title passes with flying colors.

And this comic is sure to satisfy a huge Keller Bros. fan base: Zack Keller (cocreator of “Dick Figures,” the Streamy, IAWTV, and Annie Award–nominated web series with 650 million+ YouTube views) and Nick Keller (Turner of the Century). With “Death Head,” Zack and Nick Keller together deliver a supernatural-horror thriller about family and creeping, terrifying murder!

“Death Head #1” is out on July 15, 2015. It’s 32 pages and priced at $3.99. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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May 14, 2015 · 3:30 pm

Review: HARROW COUNTY #1

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You need to check out the video that shows you how a page from this comic is created. Tyler Crook is one of the best in the business. You’ll know him from his work on “B.P.R.D.,” a flagship comic from Dark Horse Comics. Now, he does Dark Horse proud with “Harrow County.” This one is a doozy, written by Cullen Bunn, the creator of the smash hit comics series, “The Sixth Gun.”

“Harrow County” is a southern gothic fairy tale. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Emmy learns that she is somehow connected to the monster-infested woods she has lived nearby all her life. Wow. What more could you ask for, right?

It all began as an uneasy understanding amongst the townspeople to coexist with the witch, Hester Beck. But, once Hester had the town’s children involved in her rites, the tolerance gave way. And, once the rumors piled up about Hester engaged in unnatural acts with hideous creatures in the woods, there was nothing left to do. Kill the witch, that was the solution. And as the fire ate away at her flesh, the witch warned the townspeople that she would return.

Harrow-County-Tyler-Crook

Many years later, cut to Emmy, a young woman haunted by her surroundings. She knows that something’s wrong about Harrow County, just not sure exactly what. The woods. She’ll find the answers in the woods.

This first issue will definitely win you over. Bunn and Crook have mastered the art of the spooky. This thing has taken off. Enjoy. The gap between the inner world and the outer world is paper thin. That sensation of exposing our inner world to the outside, resulting in horror, is what French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan called “glissage.” Harrow County has seen plenty of this. And Emmy is now sure they haven’t seen the last of it. She’s dead sure of it.

“Harrow County #1” is 32 pages, priced at $3.99, available as of May 13. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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April 29, 2015 · 12:55 pm

Review: FIGHT CLUB 2 #1

Cover Artist: David Mack

Cover Artist: David Mack

Chuck Palahniuk writes the sequel to Fight Club as a comic book. There has to be something highly ironic about that. What would Tyler Durden think? In this case, it works. Palahniuk doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. He just needs to show up. We’re picking up where we left off. Project Mayhem is history. After all the outrageous events from the hugely popular novel and movie, we find our main characters trying to live a normal life. Ah, and there’s the rub. Imagine it’s ten years later and Marla Singer has married Tyler Durden. Oh, he goes by “Sebastian” now and is very low-key.

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A quick refresh, if you saw the movie years ago: The characters played by Helena Bonham Carter and Edward Norton got married! And they’ve got a kid now who is very disturbed. And Marla is quite dissatisfied, to say the least, with a docile and settled Tyler, er, Sebastian. If it weren’t for the pills, well, Sebastian might lose control. He might even go back to being the crazed man Marla once knew. And that’s okay with Marla.

This first issue sets the stage with a hot streak of conflict carried down the line by Marla. Artist Cameron Stewart nails the look of a woman on the verge of a breakdown. We see Marla twist and turn as she hungers for excitement only to see a neutered Tyler/Sebastian. Where’s the sex? The violence? The mayhem? Desperately, Marla tries to relive the old days by visiting support groups. One she seems to like is a group for those with Progeria Syndrome, severe aging. Marla tries her best but it’s just not the same.

It would have been very tempting to have gotten Cameron Stewart to go ahead with directly depicting the stars who made these characters such icons. Sure, I wouldn’t have minded seeing Edward Norton back with Helena Bonham Carter as they collide with Brad Pitt. That said, Stewart provides us with the next best thing. Marla may be his best out of the three of his takes on the characters. And the other two hold their own. Nothing like a woman scorned. This first issue belongs to Marla.

Of course, that’s not to say we’re not also seeing some pretty crazy stuff going on once Marla has done her part to light the fuse. No doubt, if you’re a fan of the novel and/or movie, or even if you’re completely new to all this, FIGHT CLUB 2 will appeal to you with its lively and quirky action.

So, like I say, Palahniuk is not reinventing the wheel. He was ahead of his time with the original Fight Club and we’ve all been catching up since then. Crazed consumer culture, a twisted value system, a mass of humanity all insular and selfish, it’s all on a high boil now. Fight Club 2 is on a high boil indeed.

FIGHT CLUB 2 #1 is a 32-page comic book, priced at $3.99, and is available as of May 27, 2015. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here. Also be sure to visit the official FIGHT CLUB 2 website and the official Chuck Palahniuk fansite right here.

Also of interest:

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The FIGHT CLUB 2 experience takes off on May 2 with a special Free Comic Book Day promotion you won’t want to miss. On Saturday May 2nd, Dark Horse Comics will debut one of the most anticipated comic book and literary events of the year with a FIGHT CLUB 2 story written by NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novelist Chuck Palahniuk, illustrated by Eisner Award winning artist Cameron Stewart and colored by award winning Dave Stewart. The Dark Horse Comics Free Comic Book Day Sampler includes a 14-page story that adapts the ending of the FIGHT CLUB novel (which fans will recall is different than the ending of the acclaimed film) and leads into the upcoming Dark Horse Comics FIGHT CLUB 2 comic book series. The first issue of FIGHT CLUB 2 will be available at comics shops, select book stores and digitally via the Dark Horse digital store and app on May 27th.

Dark Horse Comics has encouraged fans to further contribute to the mayhem with a guerilla marketing campaign utilizing the phrases “Tyler Durden Lives” and “Rize or Die” in order to win Easton Press limited, leather-bound editions of Palahniuk’s novels BEAUTIFUL YOU, FIGHT CLUB and SURVIVOR. Fans are encouraged to e-mail their photos and letters using the phrases “Tyler Durden Lives” and “Rize or Die” to: projectmayhem@darkhorse.com.

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April 16, 2015 · 9:30 am

Review: ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR #1

ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR #1 (ERIC POWELL VARIANT COVER)

ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR #1 (ERIC POWELL VARIANT COVER)

Archie and the gang have been in quite a few adventures, including being turned into zombies, and for this latest romp they crossover to Dark Horse Comics and meet up with Predator. Yeah, Predator, as in “Alien vs. Predator.” As farfetched as this team-up might seem, the Archie magic makes it work as this first issue of a four-issue arc, demonstrates. It’s a mashup, folks, and nothing wrong with that.

ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR-01

Overall, it’s good fun. The script, by Alex de Campi (Grindhouse, My Little Pony), is amusing and keeps up a good pace. The artwork is pretty spot on for Archie fare. In general, over the years, I think the characters have been kept away from mothballs to an impressive degree. In fact, there’s no need for mothballs at all.

I sometimes wonder if, for each new event that is created to stir the pot, if the Archie gang loses something. I mean, after all, they are already iconic, and quite elastic, characters in their own right. Adventures right in Riverdale are playing to their strengths. Well, perhaps that’s why all roads eventually lead back to the gang’s hometown. And speaking of elastic characters, the art team here does keep everything Archie fresh: pencils by Fernando Ruiz; inks by Rich Koslowski; and colors by Jason Millet.

As the promotions to this comic state, Predator is “in Riverdale with a few days to kill!” Yes, and the key thing here is that he’s in Riverdale. Perhaps this meeting of Archie and Predator will be like that Brady Bunch episode when the Brady family goes on an exotic tropical vacation and brings home a voodoo doll. Nothing like a home-court advantage.

ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR #1 is available as of April 15. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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April 7, 2015 · 6:36 pm

Review: REBELS #1

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If Brian Wood were a high school teacher, he’d be the one any kid could turn to. Wood is at his best when he’s writing about rebellious youth, and just plain rebels. That’s why it’s brilliant to have him on this unusual comic book project. For those who read comic books, when was the last time you read a compelling comic book series set in the American Revolution. Never? Well, here it is.

Wood loves to get his readers deep into the story. He succeeds here as we can’t help but root for Seth, a boy with a very distant father. And then nothing is ever the same again. It turns out that his old man is keenly interested in killing redcoats. And he means to teach his son all he knows. And, before it’s too late, he might even get to express his love for his son.

In the first issue of “Rebels,” we begin a six-chapter arc, “A Well-Regulated Militia.” It is all about the education of one Seth Abbott. Wood does a fine job of laying out Seth’s journey as he, lucky for everyone around him, finds his voice. In time, Seth becomes a man who matters and who can contribute to the rebel cause.

Art bt Andrea Mutti perfectly compliments Wood’s script with authentic settings and characters. It’s very important to Wood to get you inside the story and he certainly succeeds with that.

Yes, if Brian Wood were a high school teacher, he’d be more concerned with a student understanding a subject than whether he or she got an A. So far, “Rebels” has got an A and it looks like it will maintain it.

“Rebels #1” is available as of April 8. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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April 1, 2015 · 10:30 am

Review: THE WITCHER: FOX CHILDREN #1

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The team of writer Paul Tobin and artist Joe Querio have created some more magic with their reuniting for another Witcher adventure. Does Witcher go on adventures? He’s such a low-key guy. He did end up on a misadventure last time.

That’s what Witcher does: sort of ends up on misadventures. For this one, he has a trusty dwarf. He’s rather tall for a dwarf and quite pudgy but he’s a feisty guy. The two of them stumble upon a bad idea that just keeps getting worse. Let’s say you were a wandering warlock/poet and you just happened upon a mighty ship heading to your favorite port. But it’s teeming with suspicious characters. You wouldn’t just jump on board and take your chances, would you? Well, Witcher does. And thus begins our tale.

You just got to love Tobin’s droll sense of humor and understated style. A Witcher tale can start any time and any place The dude is up for anything. But he can get quite adamant when he sees danger up ahead. Danger is a bad thing one should avoid. As a rule, Witcher doesn’t take foolish risks. Maybe a calculated risk here and there, mind you. But what was Witcher thinking this time? His overly cautious sense of danger was completely out to lunch. He really is on a ship of fools! One by one, we learn just how foolish and stupid these men are. And stupid is a bad thing, just as bad as danger.

It’s gets spookier from here on out. It is definitely a fine example of the Dark Horse danse macabre: gloom and doom, spiked with a touch of whimsy. Lucky for us, Joe Querio draws the hell out of this story, complimented by wicked earthy colors by Carlos Badilla. The opening scenes set the stage for all that is to follow. You’ve got Geralt, aka The Witcher, having to placate, Dwarf, his rotund assistant’s ranting. Out of nowhere, a huge wild boar nearly mauls Dwarf. Witcher instantly kills, and roasts, the boar, to Dwarf’s delight. No sooner has Dwarf set his sights on a boar snack than he confronts a rival for his meal. This creature mirrors the size and shape of the boar and is fives times bigger. It’s all a wonderful mash-up of the Brothers Grimm and Game of Thrones.

And what about the fox children? Oh, you’ll find out soon enough.

“The Witcher: Fox Children #1” is available as of April 1. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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March 25, 2015 · 9:30 am

Emerald City Comicon in Seattle: March 27-29

Lady Killer #1 ECCC exclusive variant cover by Joelle Jones (500 copies)

Lady Killer #1 ECCC exclusive variant cover by Joelle Jones (500 copies)

Emerald City Comicon takes place this weekend in Seattle, March 27-29. For those attending, you are sure to find something special whether it’s a book signing, a panel, or a special ECCC comic book cover like the one above for “Lady Killer #1,” published by Dark Horse Comics. Lady Killer, by Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich, is about a 1950’s housewife-turned-assassin. The story is set in Seattle during the 1960 World’s Fair. It’s great crime noir comics with an extra kick to it.

Visit our friends at Dark Horse for their full schedule at ECCC right here. Below is a complete rundown of Dark Horse exclusive covers for ECCC 2015:

EMERALD CITY COMICON EXCLUSIVES

A set quantity will be available at opening each day of the show. Limit of 5 per person per day while supplies last. Each comic is $5.00.
Frankenstein Underground #1 ECCC exclusive variant cover by Mike Mignola (1,000 copies)
Prometheus: Fire and Stone—Omega ECCC exclusive variant cover by Patric Reynolds (500 copies)

Lady Killer #1 ECCC exclusive variant cover by Joelle Jones (500 copies)

Past Aways #1 ECCC exclusive variant cover by Scott Kolins (500 copies)

Conan Red Sonja #1 limited-edition black-and-white variant cover by Dan Panosian (1,000 copies)
We’ll also have a variety of Dark Horse comics, graphic novels, art books, and collectibles for sale in our booth.

For more details, visit our friends at Emerald City Comicon right here.

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