Dark Horse Comics solicitations for February 2006

ALIENS/PREDATOR PANEL TO PANEL TPB
VARIOUS (A)
On sale March 22, SC, 192pg, FC, 9" x 12", $19.95

Two extraterrestrial species have haunted—and hunted—mankind throughout
history: one a parasitic killing machine that uses humans as unwilling
hosts for its lethal offspring, the other a relentless stalker that
uses otherworldly stealth technology and weaponry to take men as grisly
trophy kills. For over two decades, Dark Horse Comics has catalogued
these terrifying contacts, harnessing the talents of a virtual who’s who
list of comics, science-fiction, and fantasy illustrators to bring these
tales to life. And now, one deluxe volume gathers all the best of these
visual horrors into one arena.
Aliens/Predator Panel to Panel showcases page after page of some of the
most compelling artworks ever seen in graphic fiction, stunning visions
by John Bolton, Dave Dorman, Mark Schultz, Richard Corben, Mike
Mignola, Doug Wheatley, Arthur Suydam, Mark A. Nelson, Alex Maleev, Den
Beauvais, Glenn Fabry, Jon Foster, David Michael Beck, Sam Keith, Doug
Mahnke, and many, many more.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #109: SHORTCUT part 3 (of 5)
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale February 8, b&w, 32pg, $2.99

Hiroaki Samura takes his readers on a stroll down a dark, disturbing
pathway in the “Shortcut” story arc! Mozen’s recently botched
“exploratory operation” on Manji brings unexpected results. Backstabbing Burando,
Kagimura’s most deranged medical examiner, is about to have his chance
to cut into Manji to explore the secrets of the kessen-chu, the
mystical bloodworms that heal Manji’s wounds and grant him near-immortality.
Enraged and in chains in Kagimura’s prison, Manji befriends his
dim-witted cellmate, Dewanosuke, and begins to formulate an escape plan.

CHRONICLES OF CONAN VOLUME 10: WHEN GIANTS WALK THE EARTH AND OTHER
STORIES TPB

ROY THOMAS (W), JOHN BUSCEMA (A), HOWARD CHAYKIN (A), and others
On sale March 8, SC, 168pg, FC, 7" x 10", $16.95

Treading the long and winding path toward his eventual monarchy, Conan
becomes witness to the corruption and devastation of many a fantastic
kingdom along the way. Not the least of which being the marvelous, and
equally dangerous, lands of Harakht—home to the fearsome Hawk-Riders
and their enormous avian beasts. Despite the overwhelming odds and the
presence of a mysterious, earthbound space rock, it will take more than
a flock of giant and savage birds to strike fear in the Barbarian’s
heart. With his lover Bêlit—the Queen of the Black Coast—at his side, no
threats, terrestrial or otherwise, will prevent Conan from fulfilling
his destiny.

CONAN #25
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (A), DAVE STEWART (C), and TONY HARRIS
(Cover)
On sale February 8, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Conan crossed the wrong people, and now he’s got the entire Zamorian
Army on his tail, led by a rogue who may be even more cunning than Conan.
But Conan’s not running, and he’s not hiding—if they want a fight,
he’ll give it to them. Yet, even if he can take on an entire army and win,
there are worse things in Zamora than swords, and worse sorcerers to
unleash them. Will they succeed in destroying the daring Cimmerian . . .
or will they just make him mad?

CONCRETE VOLUME 4: KILLER SMILE TPB
PAUL CHADWICK (W/A)
On sale March 15, SC, 184pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $12.95

Standing in the shadow of celebrity has its ups and downs, as
Concrete’s personal assistant, Larry Munro, knows all too well. But there are
darker places than any shadow, as Larry learns the hard way when he is
taken hostage by a psychotic gunman who forces Larry to be his chauffeur
on a road trip destined to end in disaster . . . unless Larry can
muster the courage to act.
The return of Paul Chadwick’s award-winning Concrete has ushered in a
resurgence of interest in the acclaimed series, and Killer Smile is
Chadwick’s darkest Concrete work, a harrowing tale Frank Miller called
“edge-of-your-seat suspense, full of unpredictable twists and turns.” This
value-priced volume collects Killer Smile plus bonus short stories.

CRYING FREEMAN VOLUME 1 TPB
KAZUO KOIKE (W) and RYOICHI IKEGAMI (A)
On sale March 8, SC, 408pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $14.95

He is Yo Himomura, deadly assassin for the 108 Dragons, the Chinese
Mafia. But to the criminal underworld who fear him, he is known as Crying
Freeman, the killer who sheds tears at the fate of his victims. Young,
handsome, sensitive, an artist, Yo has been hypnotically programmed by
his Dragon masters to kill on command: he cannot resist his masters’
commands to kill, his masters cannot stop his tears of remorse.
Written by the legendary Kazuo Koike, creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, and
illustrated by the incomparable Ryoichi Ikegami, Crying Freeman is
adult manga at its most challenging: dark, violent, morally complex,
erotically charged, and regarded worldwide as one of the classics of adult
graphic fiction. Dark Horse Manga is proud to present Crying Freeman, yet
another of the jewels in the crown of manga classics, presented in its
original right-to-left reading orientation.

THE GOON #16
ERIC POWELL (W/A)
On sale February 15, FC, 32pg, $2.99

The tide has turned in Goon’s war against the undead hordes of the
Zombie Priest—or has it? With Buzzard now preventing the harvest of any
fresh corpses from the cemetery, the Priest grows desperate. So desperate
that he unleashes incantations of previously unseen power to create a
whole new breed of minion—one that may be beyond even the strength of
the Goon to contain. But one pays a price for conjuring such evil into
the world, and the Zombie Priest quickly discovers that the cost of such
power may be far more than he bargained for.

HARLEQUIN PINK: IDOL DREAMS TPB
CHARLOTTE LAMB (W) and TOKO HANABUSA (A)
On sale March 1, SC, 160pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $9.95

Quincy wouldn’t have seen this coming in her wildest dreams. What
ordinary girl-next-door would? One minute you’re sitting down to tea in your
kitchen, talking with a friend, and the next—the man of your dreams
comes knocking at your door, and he’s looking for YOU.
Quincy never expected to be swept off her feet by a gorgeous,
world-famous pop star, but now that it’s happening, she’s not sure she’s the
right one for him. Swept up in the glamorous thrill of it all, Quincy is
worried that it’s all happening a little too fast, not to mention her
concerns that she’s really not the right girl to call a sexy superstar
her boyfriend. It’s a good thing for Joe that his desire to be with her
is as strong as his star appeal!

HARLEQUIN VIOLET: HOLDING ON TO ALEX TPB
MARGARET WAY (W) and MISAO HOSHIAI (A)
On sale March 1, SC, 120pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $9.95

Alex’s life was moving in a dream direction. A beautiful prima
ballerina with a promising career, she had long ago sacrificed many
things—including her first love—to pursue her dream of dancing on the world’s most
prestigious stages.
When fate strikes Alex a terrible blow, and a devastating injury leaves
her unable to dance. As if the loss of her hard-earned career wasn’t
enough, Alex is shocked when the first visitor to call on her in the
hospital is Scott—the man whose love she denied to pursue her dream to
dance. Will fate strike another devastating blow to the fallen ballerina,
or does Scott have something more to offer her than a regretful look at
a long-lost love?

HELLBOY: MAKOMA, or, A TALE TOLD BY A MUMMY IN THE NEW YORK CITY
EXPLORERS’ CLUB ON AUGUST 16, 1993 #1 (of 2)

MIKE MIGNOLA (W/A), RICHARD CORBEN (A), and DAVE STEWART (C)
On sale February 1, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Award-winning Hellboy creator Mike Mignola teams with comics legend
Richard Corben. Corben has been creating bizarre and beautiful comics
since the 1970s, working on the most notable horror and sci-fi titles of
the original small-press boom. His work was brought to the big screen in
the film Heavy Metal, and he achieved mainstream stardom finally with
recent collaborations with Brian Azzarello and Garth Ennis, bringing a
fresh perspective to such characters as the Hulk and the Punisher, among
others.
Set long before the life-changing events of this year's The Island,
this two-parter reveals Hellboy's earlier encounter with the powerful
mythology of Africa. Mignola writes and provides the cover, as well as
drawing part of the story, with the lion's share drawn by Corben, in the
collaboration which promises to be the horror-comics event of the year.

JU-ON: VIDEO SIDE TPB
MIKI RINNO (W/A)
On sale March 15, SC, 232pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $9.95

Ju-On: Video Side is the manga adaptation of the Japanese horror movie
that spawned an enormous franchise in Japan … and inspired a
blockbuster Hollywood remake!
This chilling tale of murder, secrets, and revenge centers on a home
and the ugly events that transpired there. The place now has new owners,
but there is a vile presence that permeates the building and pollutes
every surface.
What wickedness set off this unstoppable angry spirit? Why has its
bloody grudge infected the home and its inhabitants? In the spirit of The
Ring, Ju-On delivers a dark warning of a cursed spirit and the
corrupting influence it has on the living.

KONG, THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD™ MOVIE ADAPTATION #3 (of 3)
CHRISTIAN GOSSETT (W), DUSTIN WEAVER (A), and DAVE DORMAN (Cover)
On sale February 22, FC, 40pg, $3.99

This is it—the eye-popping conclusion to the comic adapting the most
anticipated motion picture event of the year, Peter Jackson’s King Kong!
The ancient power of the awe-inspiring Kong collides with the modern
age in the ultimate showdown between civilization and Nature—with the
actress Ann Darrow caught in the middle! Man and beast rage in an epic
struggle that extends beyond the feeble reaches of time, as each tries to
prove once and for all its right to live, and more importantly, to
reign.

LADY SNOWBLOOD VOLUME 3: RETRIBUTION PART 1 TPB
KAZUO KOIKE (W) and KAZUO KAMIMURA (A)
On sale March 22, SC, 224pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $14.95

Lady Snowblood is a woman born with a singular purpose, revenge.
Revenge for the death of her father at the hands of greedy criminals. Revenge
for the life of her mother, who birthed her in a prison to continue
this demon’s path of death. Sometimes this path is odd, sometimes sexy,
often painful, and always violent. By means of a world’s worth of skills,
Lady Snowblood will find her revenge. But who knows what lies at the
end of this path.

MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER 4000 A.D. VOLUME 3 HC
RUSS MANNING (W/A), ROBERT SCHAEFER (W), and ERIC FREIWALD (W)
On sale March 15, HC, 176pg, FC, 7" x 10 1/2", $49.95

In the year 4000, when the human race is threatened by robots that
would enslave mankind, one man alone has the power to fight back: Magnus,
Robot Fighter!
Dark Horse delivers another fantastic collection of rare classics from
a comics legend! Russ Manning, famous for his spectacular work on the
Tarzan newspaper strips of the late sixties, brought fans his “Tarzan of
the future” in Magnus, Robot Fighter. While his work on the original
comic series lasted only twenty-one issues, Manning’s creation has
survived generations, influencing countless science fiction artists and
writers to this day. Fans of Alex Raymond, Mac Raboy, or Wally Wood should
not miss this beautifully bound hardcover—the third Magnus archival
collection and the latest addition to Dark Horse’s line of science fiction
classics.

OCTOPUS GIRL VOLUME 1 TPB
TORU YAMAZAKI (W/A)
On sale March 22, SC, 192pg, b&w, 4 1/2" x 7", $12.95

Toru Yamazaki made a big, bloody splash in the mid-1990s when his
outrageous Octopus Girl horror stories debuted. This talented and twisted
manga artist has found recent popularity in different fields, as a major
Japanese television personality and a recording artist. Be prepared to
be mind-boggled with his first insane manga collection, as the
delightfully disturbing Octopus Girl is finally presented in English.
Teenage monsters lose their hearts and heads in a relentlessly gory
collection of dark humor and horror! Carving a comical niche in modern
horror manga, Toru Yamazaki’s Octopus Girl serves up the most disgusting
dishes of heartbreak and revenge found on land or at sea. Have a side
order of nervous laughter with your main course of bloodcurdling fear,
some gore with your teen angst, and some killer instincts with your
kawaii! These shocking vignettes will hypnotize fans of the macabre and the
absurd, as intestines, eyeballs, and fluids of all sorts shoot
enthusiastically across Yamazaki’s pages!

REIKO THE ZOMBIE SHOP VOLUME 2 TPB
REI MIKAMOTO (W/A)
On sale March 8, SC, 200pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $12.95

The last time we saw Reiko, the beautiful, young necromancer, she had
her head sliced off! But you can’t keep a bad girl down. Our Miss Reiko
has got a few friends in dark places who’ll make sure she hasn’t
shuffled off this motal coil just yet, even if she has to borrow a body or
two.
Part Sixth Sense and part Evil Dead—the ultra-violent, comical, and
disturbing manga Reiko the Zombie Shop has been resurrected Stateside and
translated into English in its original format for the first time.

SCARFACE NOVEL
L.A. BANKS (W)
On sale March 8, SC, 300pg, 4" x 6", $6.99

In the politically charged years of the early 1980s many immigrants
escaped a nightmarish existence under Castro’s rule and fled Cuba for
America. One immigrant would cut a bloody path of destruction across the
Florida landscape in a rampage fueled by drugs, rage, and paranoia. In a
dark vision of the American Dream gone wrong, Oliver Stone and Brian De
Palma created a classic character in Tony Montana in their
re-envisioning of the mobster tale Scarface. But Tony Montana’s story didn’t begin
there. In these two new novels from DH Press we will take you inside
the life of Montana, going back to the years before his arrival in
America to see what events shaped him into the man he became and what dire
choices set him on the course of madness that would lead to a
carnage-filled conclusion in the streets of Miami.
But Tony Montana’s story didn’t begin there. In two new novels from DH
Press we will take you inside the life of Montana, going back to the
years before his arrival in America to see what events shaped him into
the man he became and what dire choices set him on the course of madness
that would lead to a carnage-filled conclusion in the streets of Miami.

SCHOOL ZONE VOLUME 1 TPB
KANAKO INUKI (W/A)
On sale March 29, SC, 192pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $12.95

The Queen of Horror Manga, Kanako Inuki, brings you School Zone, a
series about ordinary children who encounter the strange and terrifying at
their very own school, and discover that many ghost stories, urban
legends, and superstitions are truly and horribly real.

SPACE PINCHY: THE PINCH OF THE ILLEGAL BRAIN INTRUSION
TONY TAKEZAKI (W/A)
On sale February 22, FC, 32pg, $3.99

It’s hilarious! It’s sexy! And it’s completely different.
From the crazy mind of Japan’s freakiest manga creator comes Space
Pinchy, a fantastically rendered. 3-D comics odyssey that defies logic,
decency, and...gravity!
In space unfathomable, adventure awaits! Especially when you’re the
last of a lost tribe in search of relics. And super-especially if you’re
Pinchy Pink!
A sexy vixen with a skintight suit and a no-nonsense attitude, Pinchy
cannot be stopped by even the nastiest of alien perverts.
Brought to you in lush full color and carefully adapted to the western
format, Space Pinchy will commandeer your funny bone and probably make
you squirm a little.

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS VOLUME 8—THE LAST SIEGE, THE FINAL TRUTH TPB
JOHN OSTRANDER (W), JAN DUURSEMA (P), DAN PARSONS (I), BRAD ANDERSON
(C), and TOMÁS GIORELLO (Cover)

On sale March 22, SC, 144pg, FC, 7" x 10", $17.95
While both the Republic and the Separatists have suffered staggering
losses during the Clone Wars, nothing could have prepared them for the
battle they face on the desert world of Saleucami. Beneath the surface of
this Outer Rim planet, the Dark Jedi Sora Bulq has begun cloning an
army of Morgukai assassins. Unwilling to leave this grave new threat
unchecked, the Jedi and their armies soon find themselves entrenched in a
five-month siege. Now, time and resources have run out, and it’s up to a
crack team of Jedi, led by Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura, to infiltrate
the Separatist base.

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #2
JOHN JACKSON MILLER (W), BRIAN CHING (P), MICHAEL ATIYEH (C), and
TRAVIS CHAREST (Cover)
On sale February 22, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Life in the Jedi Order isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s a culture of
strict discipline, hard work, and self-control, and only the galaxy’s
brightest and most gifted graduate to the Order’s upper echelon of Knights
and Masters. This is a dilemma padawan Zayne Carrick has faced most of
his life, knowing that he might not possess the smarts or abilities
needed to rise above his station—it’s a problem further compounded by his
being accused of murder and put on the run, his former friends and
allies out to get him, and the alien con man he’s chained to doing
everything he can to shake the young Jedi. But there are greater forces at
work and Zayne’s about to learn that the will of the Force moves in
mysterious ways.

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC/REBELLION 25 CENT FLIP BOOK
JOHN JACKSON MILLER (W), THOMAS ANDREWS (W), BRIAN CHING (P/Cover),
MICHAEL ATIYEH (C), and BRANDON BADEAUX (Cover)
On sale February 1, FC, 24pg, .25 ¢
A primer for the first new series in
Dark Horse’s exciting relaunch of
the Star Wars line, this flip book features two brand new stories (one
on each side) and never-before-seen concept designs for both Rebellion
and Knights of the Old Republic. The Knights of the Old Republic side
presents a world four thousand years before the birth of Anakin
Skywalker, where the Jedi Order flourishes, the Sith are at their most deadly,
and the legendary Mandalorian army are on the verge of a devastating
march across the galaxy. It’s here that Zayne, a young Jedi with a grand
destiny, takes his first steps into a larger and more dangerous world.
Set prior to the event of The Empire Strikes Back, the Rebellion half
gives a glimpse into the lives of Luke Skywalker, Rebel Jorin Sol, and
Imperial Officer Janek Sunber, just before the events of the new series.
All this and more for only twenty-five cents!

THE TERRITORY TPB
JAMIE DELANO (W) and DAVID LLOYD (A)
On sale March 8, SC, 96pg, FC, 7" x 10", $13.95

Mysteriously marooned in an unnamed ocean, a man named Ishmael is
rescued by pirates and sold into slavery. His past is a blank. Equipped only
with courage, a talent for action heroics and the inspiration of a
half-remembered love, he must flirt with the sinister tentacles of
Hydracorp to win his freedom. The Territory is a land of wonder and fear;
hidden in its dark heart, a haunting truth that Ishmael is driven to
discover. But there are no maps to The Territory. Those who would explore it
must draw their own.

USAGI YOJIMBO #91
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale February 22, b&w, 32pg. $2.99

The hauntings continue! Last issue the rabbit ronin, Usagi Yojimbo, was
faced with a mysterious and grisly murder at Geishu Castle, but the
leading suspect was a woman who has been dead for ten years! Now, after
another murder attempt, Usagi himself is believed to be the ruthless
assassin! The long-eared wanderer must team with Tomoe and a distrustful
bodyguard to solve the mystery of the Geishu ghost—before its razor-sharp
claws carve into another victim. Catch the conclusion to the two-part
“The Ghost in the Well,” this month from world-renowned storyteller Stan
Sakai!

YOSHITAKA AMANO: FAIRIES HC
YOSHITAKA AMANO (W/A)
On sale February 8, HC, 80pg, FC, 8 7/16" x 11 15/16", $24.95

Yoshitaka Amano’s lush ethereal paintings of magical creatures,
spirits, goblins, and apparitions have been praised and admired all over the
world. In Fairies he turns his considerable talent to capturing in
breathtaking images characters from such beloved stories as Shakespeare’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, the wizard Merlin and his muse the
intoxicating Nimue, mermaids of the deep as well as his interpretation of fairies
from Celtic and Japanese mythology.

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