Dark Horse Comics August 2006 Solicitations

BANYA: THE EXPLOSIVE DELIVERY MAN TPB
KIM YOUNG-OH (W/A)
On sale September 20, SC, 184pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $12.95
With a worldwide war raging between humans and monsters, the young delivery men of the Gaya Desert Post Office do not pledge allegiance to any country or king. They are banded together by a pledge to deliver. “Fast. Precise. Secure.” Banya, the craziest and craftiest of the bunch, will stop at nothing to get a job done. Known as the “Explosive Delivery Man” for his risk taking, bold resolve, and impeccable record, Banya agrees to complete a wounded soldier’s mission to transport a parcel of great importance--not knowing what dangers lie in store for him and his friends! As their arduous journey begins, Banya promises, “There isn’t a delivery I can’t make. I always deliver.”
Kim Young-Oh’s fantastical world is filled with unique monsters, vicious swordplay, and a dash of hotfooted humor.

BERSERK VOLUME 13 TPB
KENTARO MIURA (W/A)
On sale September 27, SC, 240pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $13.95
The Band of the Hawk may have been the most formidable band of fighters around, but when matched up against an army of abyssal monstrosities, earthly fighting skills don’t amount to a hill of beans. The Hawks’ tortured and mutilated former leader, Griffith, has used the accursed Crimson Behelit to open the gates to a shadowy realm of unspeakable horrors, the realm of the demon lords of the Godhand, who are willing to transform Griffith into a being of terrible power and majesty as long as Griffith is willing to give up his former command as sacrifices in the Invocation of Doom. But nobody takes down the Hawks without a fight, and their berserker champion, Guts, will take on anything Hell can throw at him in order to save his lover, Casca, from the sordid violations that only Hell can offer.

B.P.R.D.: THE UNIVERSAL MACHINE #5 (of 5)
MIKE MIGNOLA (W/COVER), JOHN ARCUDI (W), GUY DAVIS (A), and DAVE STEWART (C)
On sale August 2, FC, 32pg, $2.99
As Kate’s devilish adventure in a haunted French village concludes, Roger’s fate is resolved in an otherworldly confrontation, and each member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defenses confronts the truth of their own deaths--which each has had to face alone.

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN VOLUME 1: PANDORA’S BRIDE (novel)
ELIZABETH HAND (W)
On sale September 13, SC, 275pg, 4" x 6", $6.99
Attempting to create life through dreadful experiments, Henry Frankenstein and Dr. Pretorius instead created unspeakable horror: two misshapen monsters, a brutish male and his female mate, stitched together from the bodies of cadavers. Crafted to be the monster’s bride--an undead Eve to an equally accursed Adam--the female creature was destroyed mere minutes after taking its first breath--or was it
This new novel by the critically acclaimed Elizabeth Hand reinterprets the memorable characters from Universal Picture’s classic 1935 film for a new generation of horror fans. Detailing the bride of Frankenstein’s secret history, from the shadows of forgotten laboratories to the streets of Weimar Germany, Hand creates a richly atmospheric tale of horror, mystery, and tragedy as chilling as the creature itself.

CHICKENHARE: HOUSE OF KLAUS TPB
CHRIS GRINE (W/A)
On sale September 27, SC, 152pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $9.95
He’s a chicken! He’s a hare! He’s Chickenhare! And he’s your new favorite comic book character, whether you know it or not!
Night is falling on the frozen landscape as Chickenhare and his turtle friend Abe find themselves on their way to be sold to Klaus--an insane taxidermist with a penchant for unique animals and enough emotional baggage to go on a very long vacation.
With the help of two mysterious new companions, our fuzzy, feathered, and amphibious heroes endeavor to escape their dire fate. But they soon discover that might not be so easy when they get caught up in an adventure that could bring Klaus’s villiany to an end for good . . or they all might die.
Whatever happens, Chickenhare is sure to charm, scare, and delight readers young and old alike!

COFFIN: THE ART OF VAMPIRE HUNTER D
YOSHITAKA AMANO (A)
On sale September 13, SC in HC slipcase, 200pg, b&w & FC, 14" x 11", $39.95
For over twenty years, the character Vampire Hunter D has haunted the imaginations of people around the world, its image forever etched in the mind’s eye through the dazzling artwork of Yoshitaka Amano. As the original novels appear in English for the first time, American readers are clamoring for a more extensive look at this singular creation. Coffin obliges. This gorgeous retrospective embraces the full scope of Amano’s work with the character: in the novels, as inspiration for the animators of the two theatrical films, rare paintings, and illustrations created for release as limited edition prints.

CONAN #31
MIKE MIGNOLA (W), CARY NORD (P), DAVE STEWART (C), and TONY HARRIS (Cover)
On sale August 16, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Mike Mignola and Cary Nord conclude their bone-crunching adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s “The Hall of the Dead” with an epic battle that allies Conan with a former enemy against slithering shadows and a veritable onslaught of undead warriors! Retainers to a lord long forgotten awaken to protect a treasure so sizable even the dead bemoan to see it stolen. Can a cunning Cimmerian and a foe-turned-friend withstand the power of such dark sorceries long enough to escape with both the loot and their lives

CONAN AND THE SONGS OF THE DEAD #2 (of 5)
JOE R. LANSDALE (W), TIMOTHY TRUMAN (A), and DAVE STEWART (C)
On sale August 9, FC, 32pg, $2.99
A twisted wizard brews a strange adversary for Conan from blood and the dust of the Stygian wastes. In this forsaken desert, the Cimmerian travels in search of an ancient and glorious prize. Yet its secret must be won from the grip of a conniving spirit and loyal zombie guard. Heat, grit, and evil are relentless in this wretched land, but no more so than Conan, a force of will born from sinew and steel, determined to claim his treasure and see it spent most mirthfully.
Acclaimed horror and western writer Joe R. Lansdale and his long-time artistic collaborator Timothy Truman enlist award-winning colorist Dave Stewart to continue their unflinching take on sword-and-sorcery’s greatest hero!

CRYING FREEMAN VOLUME 3 TPB
KAZUO KOIKE (W) and RYOICHI IKEGAMI (A)
On sale September 13, SC, 408pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $14.95
A failed assassination attempt brings into Freeman’s possession Muramasa, the Devil’s Sword, an ancient samurai blade that brings misfortune and death to any who possess it. Wishing to spare Freeman and tame the sword’s malevolent spirit, Tiger Orchid, Freeman’s wife, takes the blade to Kowloon to train with a legendary swordmaster. But she’ll need to find him in Kowloon Castle, a slum so riddled with crime and destitution that it officially doesn’t exist. But its dangers are all too real, and even a possessed sword may not be enough to stop a gun-toting criminal army bent on selling Tiger Orchid into slavery!
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.

THE ESCAPISTS #2 (of 6)
BRIAN K. VAUGHAN (W), GERARD JONES (W), STEVE ROLSTON (A), JASON ALEXANDER (A), and JAMES JEAN (Cover)
On sale August 9, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Multiple Eisner Award-winning and Wizard Top Ten writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man; Ex Machina; Runaways) teams with acclaimed artists Steve Rolston (Queen & Country, MEK) and Jason Alexander (Damn Nation, Gotham Central) for the second installment of our first Escapist mini-series! Max Roth and Case Weaver have finished the very first issue of their re-launch comic, featuring a revamped Luna Moth, and their promotional plans include a risky publicity stunt that puts Denny in an old Escapist costume . . . and in harm’s way!
Also in this issue is a never-before-seen chapter from Men of Tomorrow, Gerard Jones’s wildly acclaimed book on the history of comics, in which he unearths some scandalous press on the Master of Elusion!
With cover art by the sensational James Jean, two-time winner of the Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist!

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF THE DEPARTURE OF MISS FINCH HC
NEIL GAIMAN (W) and MICHAEL ZULLI (A)
On sale October 25, HC, 56pg, FC, 7" x 10", $13.95
Come, come and hear of the strange and terrible tale of Miss Finch, an exacting woman befallen by mystery and abduction deep under the streets of London! New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman delivers another stunning hardcover graphic novel with longtime collaborator Michael Zulli (Creatures of the Night, The Sandman). This is the first comics adaptation of his popular story “The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch,” which saw print only in the U.K. edition of Gaiman’s award-winning work Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions and was recently interpreted for his Speaking in Tongues CD. The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch is a “mostly true story” that combines the author’s trademark magic realism with Zulli’s sumptuous paintings, and has been newly rewritten for this hardcover. Join a group of friends, with the stern Miss Finch in tow, as they enter musty caverns for a subterranean circus spectacle called “The Theatre of Night’s Dreaming.” Come inside, get out of the pounding rain, and witness this strange world of vampires, ringmasters, illusions, and the Cabinet of Wishes Fulfill’d.

THE HELLBOY COMPANION TPB
STEPHEN WEINER (W), JASON HALL (W), and MIKE MIGNOLA (A)
On sale September 13, SC, 200pg, FC, 6" x 9", $14.95
Written by Stephen Weiner (The Will Eisner Companion) and Jason Hall (Beware the Creeper; Trigger; Detective Comics) and densely illustrated with classic images from the comics as well as a handful of new drawings from Mignola, this volume offers thorough documentation of the Hellboy universe, compiling the many complex pieces that make up the life of the World’s Greatest Paranormal Investigator into an easily understandable format. From Abe Sapien to the secret origin of the world, this complete compendium is every hardcore Hellboy fan’s key to the mind of Mike Mignola, and the ultimate introduction for anyone looking to begin their journey in the weird and wondrous world he has created.

JU-ON (novel)
KEI OHISHI (W)
On sale October 13, SC, 275pg, 5" x 7", $8.95
In Japan, ju-on is a deadly curse that takes on a life of its own. Always seeking new victims, it’s a grudge that doesn’t stop--it can’t be stopped. Anyone unfortunate enough to meet up with a ghost killed by the grudge is then killed--and so it spreads . . . When a senior citizen outreach volunteer goes to work in a house in a quiet residential area, she soon starts to hear odd noises. As the strange events get more and more ominous, she discovers that some acts of violence can attach themselves to a house and that some evils can reach out and touch you--even after death.
Few stories have influenced modern horror as much as Ju-on. The Japanese films set a new standard for horror filmmaking and storytelling with their blend of slow-burning terror and nightmarish imagery. The novel is just as chilling--and just as unforgettable.

KICKBACK HC
DAVID LLOYD (W/A)
On sale August 16, HC, 96pg, FC, 7" x 10", $12.95
Joe Canelli is a crooked cop working in a corrupt police force. Joe is haunted by nightmares of powerlessness. When his partner is brutally murdered and he’s betrayed by his colleagues, it appears that Joe’s nightmares are coming true. With his back against the wall there’s only one thing he can do--turn against the criminal network that he once embraced.

LITTLE LULU VOLUME 12: LEAVE IT TO LULU TPB
JOHN STANLEY (W/A) and IRVING TRIPP (A)
On sale October 11, SC, 208pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $9.95
Dark Horse continues to bring you one of the greatest humor comics of all time with the twelfth volume of Little Lulu.
Containing every story and strip from Dell Comics’ Marge’s Little Lulu #48-52, first published between June and October of 1952, this jam-packed volume captures some of the very best yarns ever to star Lulu, Tubby, Annie, Alvin, and all the rest of the rambunctious gang. Whether it’s the troublesome truant officer Mr. McNabbem or the awful Witch Hazel, there’s no grownup too smart for these clever kids.
Sit down, have a laugh--or fifty--with these classic all-ages stories that both parents and kids are sure to love!

MUSEUM OF TERROR VOLUME 2 TPB
JUNJI ITO (W/A)
On sale September 6, SC, 376pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $13.95
Think you’ve seen about all there is in horror Maybe the same tired concepts of phones ringing and mysterious murders is getting a bit old Well, then we’ve got the horror manga for you!
Junji Ito, the man who brought the world Uzumaki, has one of the most inspired minds in horror today. That’s why Dark Horse manga is proud to bring you more from Ito’s Museum of Terror series.
Continuing with his “Tomie” stories, about an eternally youthful and perfectly beautiful girl who inspires people to commit murder, Volume Two promises to invent new ways to shock you. For instance, who’d have thought of making sake out of the remains of the killed and hammered-to-mush Tomie See It’s crazy! Junji Ito promises to entertain you in the most cracked, yet pretty ways.

MUSEUM OF TERROR VOLUME 3 TPB
JUNJI ITO (W/A)
On sale October 25, SC, 392pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $13.95
Museum of Terror volumes one and two introduced readers to the horrific, beautiful creature Tomie . . . the woman no man could resist. Now Junji Ito, creator and curator of this horrible museum, brings a new type of exhibit to thrill and chill your senses! First, his lovely violinists will escort you to dinner in a vampire den. Next, in a classroom full of grotesquely masked students, which one is a demon in disguise A musician’s possessed arm attacks a schoolgirl by way of his mouth, and another young man listens to the tape recording left behind by a suicide victim. Why did she kill herself, and is he safe from its influence Swordplay, monk-ridden ruins, halls of upright corpses, infectious radio broadcasts, and murderous ceiling hair are among Ito’s beastly offerings in this volume! Find out why Junji Ito is Japan’s foremost creator of horror manga!

NANCY AND SLUGGO VINYL FIGURES
On sale October 25, Nancy, 7" tall, $17.99
On sale October 25, Sluggo, 8" tall, $17.99
The art style of Nancy is graphic communication stripped down to the core. Iconic, minimalist, with a simple storytelling sequence that could be immediately comprehended as easily as a stop sign on the road. Although simply rendered, Nancy was able to communicate a wide range of emotions. She was especially endearing when angry, which was easy to see, since she would eject pen-and-ink droplets in every direction!
Nancy’s ragmuffin pal, Sluggo, was a reliable comic foil in cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller’s multi-decade succession of corny jokes. Wearing raggedy, patched-up clothing and sporting a low-brow cap, the young lad lived in a broken-down house, seemingly without adult supervision. As he lazily meandered through life, young Sluggo met the challenges of a hand-to-mouth existence, as well as the annoyances of authority, with a happy-go-lucky attitude that belied his low estate. No matter what kind of trouble they got in to Nancy was always Sluggo’s “goil” and they continue to appear in newspapers today walking in step in side by side.
Now both of these ndearing characters are available as 8" vinyl figures, packaged in a full-color window box, and has been “approved” by the Bushmiller Society, the shadowy organization of aesthetic avengers dedicated to the philosophical and cultural criteria embodied in Nancy.

OCTOPUS GIRL VOLUME 3 TPB
TORU YAMAZAKI (W/A)
On sale September 20, SC, 192pg, b&w, 4 1/2" x 7", $12.95
In previous volumes, Takako Unabara--the Octopus Girl--has fought zombies, Satanists, school bullies, and the resilient Vampire Granny. Toru Yamazaki’s latest collection of absurdist horror stories pits Octopus Girl and Sakae (her wicked companion who has the body of a moray eel) against alien aggressors, bathroom-invading mutants, jealous teen rivals, and (once again!!) the annoying, tough Vampire Granny. Three bonus, “real world” horror vignettes are also included! These shocking manga tales, available in English for the first time, will hypnotize fans of the macabre and the absurd.
Toru Yamazaki is a talented and twisted manga artist who has found recent cult popularity as a Japanese television personality and a recording artist. Cutting a crass, comical niche into modern horror manga, Yamazaki’s Octopus Girl collections serve up the most disgusting dishes of heartbreak and revenge found on land or at sea!

OHIKKOSHI TPB
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale October 18, SC, 248pg, b&w, 5 1/4" x 7 1/8", $12.95
These stories are told with the same bold, kinetic art style and brilliantly paced storytelling that Samura’s Blade of the Immortal epic is famous for. The main offering, “Ohikkoshi,” follows the turbulent paths of several twenty-something art students as they fall in love, fall in lust, play in rock bands, ride motorbikes, eat, sleep (together), and try to avoid making life decisions while drunk. This romantic comedy is a “Japanese art school confidential” packed with absurd humor, obscure death metal references, and some expertly placed, dramatic revelations. “Luncheon of Tears Diary” is a vibrant, genre-busting tale that also peppers its humor with sharp, dramatic moments. Natsumi Funabashi, a virgin, is an aspiring manga creator on a quest for love and a fulfilling career. Along the way, she has to cope with overzealous men, gang warfare, a mahjong addiction, and a lascivious manga editor. This collection is rounded off by Samura’s hilarious “Kyoto Super Barhopping Journal: Bloodbath at Midorogaike,” a rare, autobiographical travel piece.

OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 4 TPB
KOSUKE FUJISHIMA (W/A)
On sale October 25, SC, 192pg, b&w, 5 1/8" by 7 3/16", $10.95
Ever since a cosmic phone call brought the literal young goddess Belldandy into college student Keiichi’s residence, his personal life has been turned upside down, sideways, and sometimes even into strange dimensions!
Half-goddess, half-demon, Belldandy’s big sister Urd continues her campaign of naughtiness when she brews up a luuuuuv potion that, of course, goes horribly awry, infecting everyone but her poor intended target--Keiichi. But random passion in the streets may be the least of the gang’s worries as a seemingly harmless CD could turn out to be a portal from the underworld, unleashing a most pesky demon, and any other random nasties that happen to be near her!

OLD BOY VOLUME 2 TPB
GARON TSUCHIYA (W) and NOBUAKI MINEGISHI (A)
On sale October 4, SC, 208pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $10.95
Deciding that he must know the truth, the man who calls himself “Yamashita” follows a trail of clues that leads him back to the mysterious building where he was imprisoned and kept incommunicado for ten years. There, with the help of violence and a brutal imagination, he will try to find answers to the questions that haunt him. However, he will discover that his opponent will not yield to him so easily, and that his ordeal is far from finished.

PATH OF THE ASSASSIN VOLUME 3: COMPARISON OF A MAN TPB
KAZUO KOIKE (W) and GOSEKI KOJIMA (A)
On sale October 25, SC, 312pg, b&w, 4" x 6", $9.95
Koike and Kojima’s story of the famed ninja, Hanzo Hattori and his trials and tribulations protecting the shogun-to-be, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Each page builds upon the relationship between the two warrirors and the women they love.
Path of the Assassin, printed in the same size format as Lone Wolf and Cub and Samurai Executioner, this title is a wonderful addition to the Koike and Kojima samurai collection.

PENNY ARCADE VOLUME 3: THE WARSUN PROPHECIES TPB
JERRY HOLKINS (W) and MIKE KRAHULIK (A)
On sale October 25, SC, 136pg, FC, 7" x 9", $12.95
So it was written, so it shall be. The coming foretold, sealed into the hands of fate by the lips of the prophets from another time. The mystery is revealed and the great plan will now come to its fruition! Its number shall be three. From the far horizons, across the deepest reaches of the ethereal gulf, the thunderous echo of its name shall be heard! PENNY ARCADE!

THE PLAYBOY INTERVIEWS: THE DIRECTORS
Edited by STEPHEN RANDALL and the editors of Playboy magazine
On sale September 13, SC, 300pg, 6" x 9", $22.95
Includes interviews with Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick, Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, David Mamet, Spike Lee, and the Coen brothers, among others.
The best movies speak in a universal language, communicating effortlessly on both the emotional and the intellectual levels. While there have been many great films, only a few directors have achieved such facility with the filmmaking medium. In this collection of remarkably candid interviews, seventeen of the screen’s most widely acclaimed and creative filmmakers discuss what drives and inspires them. These revealing, thought-provoking, and highly personal interviews, possible only in Playboy's open forum, range from Roman Polanski’s thoughts on the murder of his wife in the Manson Family massacre to Oliver Stone’s frank discussions about the challenges he faced in creating his memorable films.

REIKO THE ZOMBIE SHOP VOLUME 4 TPB
REI MIKAMOTO (W/A)
On sale September 13, SC, 200pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $12.95
Reiko Himezono may make good money as a Zombie Shop--a person who can raise the dead and summon obedient zombie servants straight from Hell itself--but is all that cash worth all the trouble Reiko has had to deal with crazed serial killers, vicious werewolves, and plenty of monsters, not to mention her wicked twin sister, Riruka!
Unfortunately for Reiko, her next challenge may well be her toughest yet! When she put an end to beautiful psychopath Saki Yurikawa’s reign of terror, she had no idea that Saki’s little sister Midori was waiting in the wings, all set to re-open the floodgates of tragedy and catastrophe all by herself! Reiko may have thought she was finished with the Yurikawa family, but blood is thicker than water, after all, and is it ever going to fly when Reiko and Midori square off!

REX MUNDI #1
ARVID NELSON (W), JUAN FERREYRA (A), and J. H. WILLIAMS III (Cover)
On sale August 16, FC, 32pg, $2.99
A quest for the Holy Grail or a murder mystery This bold, critically acclaimed series joins the Dark Horse horror line!
In a Europe where the Catholic Church dominates and sorcery determines political power, Master Physician Julien Saunière must infiltrate a mysterious cult with a thousand-year-old secret that calls into question the root of all power in Europe, as well as the origins of Christianity itself!
In this issue, the Duke of Lorraine’s plans have come to fruition--he’s pushed Europe into war, and the French monarchy is in tatters. Lorraine will try to seize the crown by force, but will he survive the coup Meanwhile, Julien, locked in the dungeon of the Holy Inquisition, faces death and torture.
Featuring a cover by J. H. Williams III, artist of Desolation Jones, Seven Soldiers of Victory, and Promethea!

REX MUNDI VOLUME 3: THE LOST KINGS TPB
ARVID NELSON (W), ERIC JOHNSON (P), JEROMY COX (C), JIM DI BARTOLO (P/C), and JUAN FERREYRA (C/Cover)
On sale September 13, SC, 176pg, FC, 7" x 10", $16.95
In a Paris where magic is real and the Catholic Church never lost its political power, one man’s quest to solve a murder may lead him to the Holy Grail itself!
Doctor Julien Saunière continues his investigation into the theft of a mysterious medieval scroll, only dimly aware of the forces tugging him to the doorstep of the powerful Duke of Lorraine. Lorraine wants to provoke a massive, globe-spanning war that will soak the world in blood--but why The answer to that question, a deadly confrontation in the ancient catacombs beneath Paris, and a blasphemous revelation about Judas, Christ’s betrayer, all await Julien in this volume of the critically acclaimed series Rex Mundi!

SATSUMA GISHIDEN VOLUME 1 TPB
HIROSHI HIRATA (W/A)
On sale September 20, SC, 264pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $14.95
Controversial, tough, angry, highly skilled, and lost in a time of peace, the characters of Satsuma Gishiden tell a quasi-historical tale of social caste and brutal reprisal.
Readers with a taste for Kazuo Koike’s gritty Lone Wolf and Cub will go nuts for master gekiga artist Hiroshi Hirata’s tome of samurai struggle. Hirata’s art and calligraphy leap off the page during scenes of action, only to unfold upon a full bleed that looks like a fine plate print. It’s art at its most expressive, accentuating the classic stoic samurai characters you’ve come to know, only with a little more true society thrown in to help the reader understand what it was really like to be a warrior without a war.

SCARLET TRACES: THE GREAT GAME #2
IAN EDGINTON (W) and D’ISRAELI (A)
On sale August 23, FC, 32pg, $2.99
It is five decades after the Martians’ failed attempt to invade Earth. Britain has become the world’s undisputed leader of military technology, but the nation is cracking at the seams, and liberties are being revoked to maintain order. Now a face from the past steps forward to help save the future!
The mysterious figure who saved the life of photojournalist Charlotte Hemming was none other than Robert Autumn. The aged gentleman adventurer--and hero of the previous graphic novel, Scarlet Traces--reveals that dastardly deeds are being done on Mars! Someone must go there and bring back the proof they need, and Hemming is the prime candidate. First she must travel incognito from the Earth to the Moon--but even there, all is not what it seems.

SCHOOL ZONE VOLUME 3 TPB
KANAKO INUKI (W/A)
On sale September 27, SC, 192pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $12.95
This building may appear to be a normal elementary school, but look a little closer and you will see that it has a very, very dark side. For this is no ordinary school . . . It is a haunted place wrapped in curses, where monsters and ghosts torment the students and nightmares become reality. Terrible things happen to those who enter this place, but the worst fate, it is said, is reserved for those unlucky enough to learn all thirteen of the school’s horrific ghost stories. But what else would you expect from a school that was built on an old burial ground. If only adults believed what the children who have to attend this terrible school have been trying to tell them . . .
The secret of the mysterious mirrors has been revealed, but with these precious pieces of spirit-binding glass shattering around them, the students of this spooky school have to deal with the ever-increasing number of vicious ghosts who are crossing from the spirit realm into the realm of the living, and bringing all kinds of wickedness with them! Will Yosuke and his friends find a way to banish these horrors for good or, with all this running for their lives, are they just running out of time

STAR WARS: DARK EMPIRE II 2nd Edition TPB
TOM VEITCH (W), CAM KENNEDY (A), and JIM BAIKIE (A)
On sale September 13, SC, 208pg, FC, 7" x 10", $19.95
One of the most influential tales in the history of Star Wars, Dark Empire II gets a brand new edition that includes Empire’s End in the same volume for the first time!
With the Empire in retreat, Luke Skywalker undertakes a quest to rebuild the Jedi. Yet he has spent time as the Emperor’s thrall, and the taint of the Dark Side still lurks in his mind. When Palpatine unveils an insidious plan to conquer the galaxy using Han and Leia’s own children, will Luke be able to stop his one-time master
Luke and Lando, Han and Leia, Threepio and Boba Fett--the gang’s all here in one of the most important stories of their lives!

STAR WARS: EMPIRE VOLUME 6--IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THEIR FATHERS TPB
THOMAS ANDREWS (W), SCOTT ALLIE (W), ADRIANA MELO (P), MICHEL LACOMBE (P), JOE CORRONEY (P), and MICHAEL ATIYEH (C)
On sale October 25, SC, 144pg, FC, 7" x 10", $17.95
Luke Skywalker confronts the legacy of the Jedi father he never knew in an epic story involving Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and the fate of an entire planet!
When Luke and Leia travel to Jabiim recruiting allies for the fledgling Rebellion, they unwittingly set into motion events that will ignite one man’s betrayal of his people, pit rebel hero against rebel hero, and attract the attention of the Empire’s deadliest enforcer--Darth Vader!

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #8
JOHN JACKSON MILLER (W), DUSTIN WEAVER (A), MICHAEL ATIYEH (C), and BRIAN CHING (Cover)
On sale August 30, FC, 32pg, $2.99
The Mandalorians have captured one of fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick’s faithful companions, which means one thing--a rescue mission deep behind enemy lines! Above the mining world of Vanquo, Republic and Mandalorian starfighters battle, while down on the surface, the motley crew of the Last Resort become stowaways on their own ship, piloted by an unknown thief. Even if they regain control of the ship in time to pursue their friend’s abductors, how will they ever make it past the Republic and Mandalorian armadas, both of which want them dead! Forget about the Force, what these four need is some cold, hard luck!

STAR WARS: LEGACY #3
JOHN OSTRANDER (W), JAN DUURSEMA (P), DAN PARSONS (I), BRAD ANDERSON (C), and ADAM HUGHES (Cover)
On sale August 2, FC, 32pg, $2.99
A man struggles with a dilemma: to claim his rightful heritage and save the galaxy, he will have to turn his back on his only kin and abandon them to a dark fate. Elsewhere, a long-kept secret gnaws at a ruthless bounty hunter. Revealing it could mean certain death for him and his companions, but ignoring it just might drive him mad. An unpredictable third installment in the series that reveals the never-before-seen future of the Star Wars universe! A galaxy of intrigue and danger, romance and adventure awaits!

STAR WARS: OMNIBUS--X-WING ROGUE SQUADRON VOLUME 2 TPB
MICHAEL A. STACKPOLE (W), JAN STRNAD (W), RYDER WINDHAM (W), SCOTT TOLSON (W), MIKE W. BARR (W), JOHN NADEAU (A), GARY ERSKINE (A), JORDI ENSIGN (A), MONTY SHELDON (A), DAVE NESTELLE (C), PERRY MCNAMEE (C), and CARY PORTER (C)
On sale October 11, SC, 288pg, FC, 6" x 9", $24.95
As the Empire withers away and the New Republic grows, one team of ace starfighters takes on the most critical missions to ensure freedom in a galaxy long oppressed--Rogue Squadron!
Collecting X-Wing Rogue Squadron #9-20, this mammoth volume includes Battleground Tatooine, The Warrior Princess, and Requiem for a Rogue. Whether it’s keeping a massive weapons cache out of the hands of Jabba the Hutt’s would-be successors, brokering peace on a planet wracked by civil war, or rescuing a downed cruiser from the jaws of an ancient evil, no task is too treacherous for the heroes of Rogue Squadron!

STAR WARS: REBELLION #5
ROB WILLIAMS (W), BRANDON BADEAUX (P), and WIL GLASS (C)
On sale August 9, FC, 32pg, $2.99
The reunion of Luke Skywalker and his boyhood friend Janek “Tank” Sunber comes to its shocking conclusion, as one of these two men is forced to make a decision that will change both of their lives forever! With the entire Rebel fleet under siege by a massive Imperial force, Wedge Antilles and Red Squadron launch a valiant defense, but even they know if the fleet doesn’t figure out an escape plan soon, there won’t be anything left to defend. Meanwhile, chaos reigns on the Rebel command ship as a threat from inside continues to have devastating consequences for the Alliance. White-knuckled action in an era when Darth Vader was unstoppable and Luke Skywalker was little more than a brave farm boy--don’t miss it!

STYLE SCHOOL VOLUME 1 TPB
VARIOUS (W/A)
On sale October 25, SC, 144pg, FC, 8 7/8" x 10 1/8", $14.95
Japan’s leading manga illustration instructional guide (titled SS Magazine in Japan) comes to America! Learn the techniques of Japan’s top manga and anime artists in Style School, showing step-by-step methods to help today’s up-and-coming illustrators master the use of pen, brush, paint, marker, screen tones, computer modeling, and other tricks of the trade. Gain insight into the weapons of choice of today’s top creators, especially those brands and tools that are so hard to find outside Japan. See for the first time the eye-popping art of tomorrow’s manga and anime stars, with page after gorgeous page of spectacular visual imagination. And find out how to submit your work to be considered for publication in upcoming issues of SS Magazine in Japan!

USAGI YOJIMBO #96
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale August 30, b&w, 24pg, $2.99
Dig, dig, dig. Poor, insane Jodo is digging holes all over town. Boss Hamanaka, Jodo’s father, is dead, and his vast fortune is nowhere to be found! Gangs vying for control of the community wage an impending war just as Usagi arrives on the scene! And there’s another samurai, mysteriously observing everything from the sidelines, who may enter into the fray--or maybe he’s waiting for the town to be torn apart! Internationally acclaimed storyteller Stan Sakai presents the first installment of the two-part “Hamanaka’s Treasure” this month in Usagi Yojimbo!

VAMPIRE HUNTER D VOLUME 5: THE STUFF OF DREAMS (novel))
HIDEYUKI KIKUCHI (W) and YOSHITAKA AMANO (A)
On sale August 16, SC, 280pg, w/6 illustrations, 5" x 7", $8.95
In a world where even the smallest and most remote village is being terrorized by the monsters that stalk the night, there is a hamlet, prosperous and peaceful, where mortals and vampires have lived in harmony for years. It is there that seventeen-year-old Sheavil Schmidt has slept, neither waking nor aging, for thirty years since first receiving the vampire’s immortal kiss. The mysterious Vampire Hunter D is lured to the tranquil oasis by recurrent dreams of the beautiful, undying girl bathed in an eerie blue light and dancing in a ghostly chateau.

WHO FIGHTER WITH HEART OF DARKNESS TPB
SEIHO TAKIZAWA (W/A)
On sale October 11, SC, 208pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $11.95
The first story in this anthology, “Who Fighter,” is a play on the legendary “Foo Fighters,” the nickname given to the mysterious, UFO-like fireballs that were sighted by World War II pilots. An ace Japanese pilot manages to shoot one of the fireballs down . . or does he As ominous signs and visions begin to follow in his steps, the bewildered pilot wonders if he’s lost not only his memory of the incident--but also his very mind! The second story, “Heart of Darkness,” is Takizawa’s unique take on the Joseph Conrad novel that inspired the film Apocalypse Now. A Japanese war hero, Colonel Kurutsu, has gone rogue, setting up his own private kingdom deep upriver in the jungles of Burma. A young captain, sent to execute Kurutsu, finds that the true reasons for the Colonel’s “desertion” are very different from what he was told. Finally, a short piece, “Tanks,” closes out the collection with a surreal voyage through one hundred years of armored vehicle battles!

No comments:

Post a Comment