Tag Archives: Dark Horse Comics

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 10 #11 Review

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 10 #11 (GEORGES JEANTY AND TARIQ HASSAN BIRTHDAY VARIANT COVER)

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 10 #11 (GEORGES JEANTY AND TARIQ HASSAN BIRTHDAY VARIANT COVER)

It’s as if Christos Gage is working from some master plan with how Buffy’s story continues to unfold. For those of you just arriving, we have a sweet spot to jump in. In this new arc, “Love Dares You,” we find Buffy navigating through the rituals of being single and sort of carefree. She even indulges in a round of speed dating. She can’t help but attract the more edgy sort, or poseur edgy. It’s a funny opening scene that sets the tone for much to follow. I’m loving the artwork by Megan Levens, with colors by Dan Jackson. It’s a uniquely cartoony look with an aggressive punch to it.

Buffy is down there in the trenches trying to figure out life. In the current configuration, you have Xander and Spike sharing an apartment. And you have Buffy, Willow, and Dawn sharing an apartment. And then there’s Giles. Only a season ago, who would have ever thought we’d have Giles back as a walking and talking character. Of course, Giles is not exactly where he’d like to be in human form. But you can’t have everything. And, to top it off, you have Buffy and Spike working together again. You have a lot of room to move around with action and characters, perhaps more than ever before. And bubbling in the background is a world …on the verge of magic. That’s got Willow working overtime figuring out the new rules.

If all of this sounds rather involved for new readers, it’s really a very good place to be. You may want to do some binge reading and pick up one or more trade paperbacks collecting previous issues. But, if you’ve been looking for a nice jump into single issues, this is a very good one.

“Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 10 #11” is available as of January 21. This is Buffy on a very good track. Pick up your copy today. Visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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Filed under Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Comics, Comics Reviews, Dark Horse Comics

Review: THE GHOST FLEET #1

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I love a comic that takes the time to introduce a scene from the Battle of New Orleans, suggest some supernatural thing going on with Andrew Jackson and then quickly keep moving. We learn that General Andrew Jackson struck a deal with a pirate, Jean Lafitte, and that saved him from being captured by the Brits. In the process, he learned everything he needed to know in order to build his own ghost fleet! “The Ghost Fleet” is a fine example of how comics can always surprise you. I am coming away very impressed with this one.

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Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Dark Horse Comics, Horror

Review: FATHER’S DAY #1 (of 4)

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Mike Richardson has hit a home run with “Father’s Day,” which shows no signs of losing momentum with its first issue. As the founder, president, and publisher at Dark Horse Comics, Mr. Richardson also finds time to write and has contributed a variety of work (The Secret, Cut, Atomic Legion). With “Father’s Day,” there’s a palpable sense of purpose to this story of conflict between a daughter and her long estranged father, twenty years of estrangement to be exact. And there’s more to this quirky crime thriller, plenty more.

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Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Dark Horse Comics, Gabriel Guzmán, Mike Richardson

My 24-Hour Comics Day Journal at Hotel Max in Seattle

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As the date fast approaches for my 24-hour comics marathon at Hotel Max, I wanted to update you on my preparations. Basically, this is the time to do warm-up drawings and get a good idea on how the storytelling process will unfold. I am a 24-hour comics veteran and each one is different and unique but some things remain constant. You want a great foundation and a great location. I can’t be more pleased to have been welcomed by Hotel Max.

Keep in mind that I’m bumping things just a bit, so I’ll be doing my 24-hour cycle from Sunday, October 5, to Monday, October 6. I will be actively drawing all the way through. Maybe you can find me at the amazing Hotel Max bar and restaurant, Miller’s Guild. I will find a nice spot to draw. I’ll also find some spots around town. The idea is to incorporate as much as possible. I have my basic blueprint and I will allow for things that I see during the night. I’ll be posting updates and then post the 24-hour draft.

Thanks to the sponsorship of my 24-Hour Comics marathon this year by Hotel Max and Comics Dungeon.

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Filed under 24 Hour Comics, Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Hotel Max, Scott McCloud, Seattle

Review: PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE #1

From PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE by Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra

From PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE by Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra

The expanded fictional universe of Alien and Predator kicks off with the first issue of the Dark Horse Comics massive crossover series, “Prometheus: Fire and Stone,” continuing after the events of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. The combined talent of writer Paul Tobin and artist Juan Ferreyra provide an immersive and cinematic experience throughout this comic. We begin with a perfect plot device: Clara, one of the crew members, is in charge of a video documentary that provides us with various introductions.

This is the new crew sent out to see what happened to the old crew that went out to explore a most lonely and mysterious moon known as LV-223. It is definitely known to be mineral-rich so there’s one motivation to seek it out. But it could very well hold the key to unlocking the secrets of all creation. A relatively esoteric notion and quite possibly a deadly one.

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Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Dark Horse Comics, Juan Ferreyra, Paul Tobin

Review: GRENDEL VS. THE SHADOW #1

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If you are looking for a nice hit of pulp-noir, then you’ll want to try this mashup, “Grendel vs. The Shadow,” which throws in some time travelin’ in the bargain. Written and drawn by legendary Grendel creator Matt Wagner, this ode to gangsters and molls is sure to please. For readers new to Grendel and The Shadow, this is a great starting point. Let Matt Wagner, who refined The Shadow character at Dynamite Entertainment and brings, Grendel, an iconic Dark Horse favorite back in the ring, be your guide.

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Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Dark Horse Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Grendel, Matt Wagner, The Shadow

Comic-Con 2014 Interview: Paul Tobin on THE WITCHER and PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE

Paul Tobin is a comic book writer who is known for his work with Marvel Comics, among a full roster of other works. With Dark Horse Comics, Tobin has worked, with his wife, Colleen Coover, on BANDETTE; with Joe Querio on THE WITCHER; and with Juan Ferreyra on COLDER as welll as PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE. For this interview, we focus on the writing in The Witcher and chat a bit about the Aliens Predator Prometheus crossover event.

From THE WITCHER by Paul Tobin and Joe Querio

From THE WITCHER by Paul Tobin and Joe Querio

Based on the popular book series of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is an action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt RED and published by Atari, Inc. Selling millions of copies, the short stories by Sapkowski feature a fantasy world inspired by Polish folklore with supernatural themes. The next game release is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, set for February 24, 2015, and it will make the perfect companion to the trade paperback release of The Witcher graphic novel.

Look for the trade paperback of The Witcher Volume 1 to come out on September 24, 2014. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

As Tobin explains, he breaks everything down by panel while making sure not to crowd the artist. Panel by panel breakdown is essential in many ways, not to mention continuity. We take a close look at some panels that set up an important plot point: the introduction of the character, Marta, hovering in the distance, who Jakob is inextricably linked to.

From PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE by Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra

From PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE by Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra

And we talk about Tobin’s Prometheus: Fire and Stone. It was Editor-in-Chief Scott Allie’s brilliant idea to bring together all the writers on the crossover event. While each writer had a separate stand-alone book to work on, getting together allowed them to share ideas and actually make each other’s work better.

Tobin acknowledged that he’s a very private writer but he loved this format with ideas flowing back and forth in a supportive environment. It will make reading all the books that much smoother. This blockbuster crossover event begins with Tobin’s Prometheus: Fire and Stone.

Look for the first issue of Prometheus: Fire and Stone out on September 10, 2014. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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Filed under Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2014, Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Paul Tobin

Comic-Con 2014: Randy Stradley and Dark Horse Comics

Randy Stradley talks here a bit about Dark Horse Comics. He partnered with Mike Richardson to create Dark Horse and has led the way in its development. Stradley shares some thoughts on the first time Dark Horse made an appearance at Comic-Con. It was pretty humble way back then.

Looking forward, Stradley pointed to twelve new creator-owned properties that had just been announced. Among new Dark Horse projects to look forward to is Chuck Palahniuk’s “Fight Club 2,” a big step beyond his 1996 novel, full of supernatural spookiness, set for a 10-issue run debuting May, 2015. Brian Truitt, at USA Today, provides an insightful interview with Palahniuk about this new project right here.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can find at Dark Horse. For more information, visit Dark Horse Comics here. Some of the news you can find, like Dark Horse taking home five Eisner Awards this year, follows:

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Filed under Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2014, Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Randy Stradley

Comic-Con 2014 Interview: Becky Cloonan

Becky Cloonan’s artwork is one of the most distinctive, energetic, and pleasing styles in comics. We chat here a bit about process. As a cartoonist myself, I appreciate the “controlled chaos” of laying down lines of ink on paper. For a casual reader, that means an expressive line with the marks hitting where you want them to hit. This fluidity only comes with practice. As a top professional, Cloonan can modulate that line as needed.

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For some comparison, in “The Mire,” a work that Cloonan both wrote and drew, she turns up the volume a bit on her brush work. Another great artist who loves to play with process is Paul Pope. There are so many to name. And they all have tons of fans who appreciate that playful linework. If you’re new to comics, you will instinctively know what I mean. For her art in “The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,” published by Dark Horse Comics, she provides a line that, as we say in comics, is more “clean.” There are flourishes too and an overall boldness. Cloonan goes on to offer that the clean line here serves the narrative as we navigate through various characters.

From the back of the newly released trade paperback to Killjoys:

Written by Gerard Way (The Umbrella Academy) and newcomer Shaun Simon and beautifully rendered by award-winning artist Becky Cloonan (Demo, Conana the Barbarian), The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys foretells a not-too-distant future where fear reigns and freedom fails.

You can find more details by visiting our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.

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Filed under Becky Cloonan, Comic-Con 2014, Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Interviews

Review: Frank Miller’s BIG DAMN SIN CITY

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“Frank Miller’s Big Damn Sin City” is just what the doctor ordered, if he has a decidedly dark side. “Take one volume of Sin City and repeat until you have completed the omnibus.” Big Damn Sin City collects Frank Miller and Lynn Varley‘s seven stories: The Hard Goodbye, A Dame to Kill For, The Big Fat Kill, The Yello Bastard, Family Values, Booze, Broads, & Bullets, and Hell and Back. That totals 1,344 pages. All in time for the much anticipated Sin City sequel, “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” set for August 22, 2014.

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Filed under Comics, Crime Fiction, Dark Horse Comics, Frank Miller, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, Noir, Sex, Sin City