Dark Horse Comics Solicitations for March 2008

Here is a look at Dark Horse Comics' assortment of comics related to Futureal Studio for March 2008. This listing is offered to inform our visitors of the current whereabouts of our associates.

ABE SAPIEN: THE DROWNING #2 (of 5)

Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover: Mike Mignola

Supernatural forces converge on the island of Saint Sebastien as Abe finds himself alone against a century-old evil.

Written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and featuring the haunting art of Jason Shawn Alexander (Damn Nation, The Secret, The Escapists), Abe Sapien: The Drowning is the story of Hellboy mainstay Abe Sapien's first solo adventure.

"There is just one word for Alexander's art: amazing."—Silver Bullet Comics

On sale March 5 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

B.P.R.D.: 1946 #3 (of 5)

Writer: Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart
Artist: Paul Azaceta
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Cover: Mike Mignola

Professor Bruttenholm and his team—as well as their Soviet allies—return to the asylum, hoping to find out more about Project Vampir Sturm. But a fatal encounter with one of the project's subjects has done little to prepare the investigators for what lurks in the asylum's halls—or the greater horror still to come.

Written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart (Violent Messiahs; Swamp Thing; Conan and the Midnight God) and drawn by Paul Azaceta (Grounded), B.P.R.D. 1946 chronicles the first investigation of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense in the ruins of post World War II Berlin.

B.P.R.D. year one!

On sale March 12 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

B.P.R.D. VOL. 8: KILLING GROUND TPB

Writers: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Artist: Guy Davis
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover: Mike Mignola

Something deadly is loose in the halls of the B.P.R.D.!

The B.P.R.D. will need all of its new resources—from Johann's new body to Panya, the team's newest (or maybe oldest) member—to handle the deadly forces that have wormed their way into the heart of the headquarters, as the line blurs between the hunters of the supernatural and their prey.

Written by John Arcudi (JLA, Doom Patrol) and Hellboy and B.P.R.D. creator Mike Mignola, and drawn by acclaimed series artist Guy Davis (Sandman Mystery Theatre, Nevermen), Killing Ground returns the B.P.R.D. to its roots in visceral supernatural horror that will leave the Bureau forever altered.

A direct follow-up to the events in B.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls.

Daimio's secret revealed!

On sale May 7 140 pg, FC, $17.95 US

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #12

Writer: Drew Goddard
Artists: Georges Jeanty and Andy Owens
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover: Georges Jeanty
Variant Cover: Jon Foster

Acclaimed television series writer, Drew Goddard (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Alias; Lost), takes the reins on Season Eight with his four-issue arc titled "Wolves at the Gate." The gang (yep, Dawn too) travels to Tokyo where they duel vampires with unusual, yet strangely familiar, powers.

With Joss Whedon serving as executive producer, Georges Jeanty (The American Way) as series artist, and Jon Foster on covers, Buffy Season Eight continues to entertain longtime Buffy fans and newcomers alike.

Drew Goddard wrote J.J. Abrams's highly anticipated top secret film Cloverfield.

Executive-produced by Buffy creator Joss Whedon

Acclaimed Buffy and Lost screenwriter, Drew Goddard writes Season Eight!

On sale March 5 40 pg, FC, $2.99 US

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER OMNIBUS VOL. 4 TPB

Writers: Dan Brereton, Christopher Golden, Doug Petrie and Andi Watson
Artists: Joe Bennett, Hector Gomez, Jason Minor, David Perrin, Eric Powell, Cliff Richards, Ryan Sook, Andi Watson, Jim Amash, Curtis Arnold, Sandu Florea, Tim Goodyear, Rick Ketcham and Joe Pimentel
Colorists: Will Glass, Guy Major and Donovan Yaciuk
Letterers: Pat Brosseau, Ken Bruzenak, Janice Chiang, Amador Cisneros, John Costanza and Clem Robins
Cover: Brian Horton and Paul Lee

Volume Four of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus series concludes Buffy's high school career, wrapping up Season Three of the show's storyline. Collected in this volume are: The complete "Bad Blood," saga written by Andi Watson (Clubbing), the first attempt at making a "season" of the comics, where Buffy battles a sultry vampire who hungers for a lot more than blood; the first comics work by Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series writer Doug Petrie, and critically acclaimed artists Eric Powell (The Goon), Ryan Sook (Star Wars: Rebellion), and Cliff Richards (Buffy Season Eight #10), whose stories follow the Scoobies through their final year at Sunnydale High; and includes the first Angel miniseries, The Hollower, written by acclaimed Buffy novelist, Christopher Golden (Baltimore: or the Steadfast Tin Soldier and The Vampire).

The Buffy Omnibus books collect the earliest Buffy comics and are an excellent precursor to Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series.

This volume collects Buffy issues #9-11, 13-15, 17-20, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Bad Dog, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike and Dru, Who Made Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: The Hollower.

On sale May 7 368 pg, FC, $24.95 US

CONAN #50

Writer: Timothy Truman
Artist: Tomas Giorello
Colorist: Jose Villarubia
Cover: Tony Harris

Death has surrounded Conan the Cimmerian since he was a young boy, but he's never had to face it like this. Victim of a vengeful curse, Conan's steadfast companion must be laid to rest again, despite having already suffered a grisly death, but time is short. The Cimmerian must dispatch his old friend before the curse can claim all he has left... his very soul. Unfortunately, that isn't even Conan's most immediate concern. Surrounded by a demonic legion controlled by a power-hungry sorcerer, the barbarian and his comrades must stop the madman before he can conjure the very god of death itself and cross the fearsome deity into their realm to wreak havoc on all of Hyboria. It will take everything the warriors have to stop the forces of darkness before it's too late!

Be there for the final issue of the adaptation of Robert E. Howard's lost fragment "The Hand of Nergal" and the final issue of the Conan monthly series—a special double-sized issue with over forty pages of story with a very special cover by returning Eisner Award-winning Conan cover artist Tony Harris!

But fear not Conan fans, the mighty Cimmerian returns in June with the inaugural issue of Conan the Cimmerian, the NEW ongoing Conan series from Dark Horse, beginning a new chapter in Conan's life!

On sale March 19 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US

CONAN: BORN ON THE BATTLEFIELD HC

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist and Cover: Greg Ruth

Writer Kurt Busiek and artist Greg Ruth team up to give you the story of Conan's early life, from his birth on a Cimmerian battlefield to his coming-of-age as a warrior in the pivotal Battle of Venarium. Sewing the seeds of the Barbarian's momentous career, this chronicle of Conan's youthful conquests—both martial and carnal—also showcases master storytellers Busiek and Ruth's work at its finest.

"[Ruth's art] is gorgeous to look at, conveying a different but equally lush vision of Cimmeria and the rest of Hyborea."—The Fourth Rail

"Ruth captures both the beauty of the unspoiled land and the ugliness of such a rugged life in perfect measure."—The Fourth Rail

Direct Market exclusive hardcover!

The origin of the barbarian!

On sale May 21 160 pg, FC, $24.95 US

CONAN VOL. 5: ROGUES IN THE HOUSE HC

Writer: Timothy Truman
Artists: Cary Nord and Tomas Giorello
Colorists: Dave Stewart and Richard Isanove
Cover: Cary Nord

The Cimmerian finds himself ensnared in the dark intrigues of a city-state where the powerful will stoop to any depths to keep what they have stolen. When a young, idealistic noble offers Conan a ticket to freedom in exchange for a favor, Conan leaps at the opportunity—and into a labyrinth where he must fight to keep not only his word, but his very life.

A favorite of fans and critics alike, the seminal Conan story "Rogues in the House" first appeared in Weird Tales. Now, writer Timothy Truman and artist Cary Nord bring you the tale of the Red Priest, as you've never seen it before.

This volume collects Conan #37, 38, 41-44.

Direct Market exclusive hardcover!

On sale March 26 160 pg, FC, $24.95 US

FEAR AGENT #21: HATCHET JOB part 5 (of 5)

Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Jeremy Opea
Colorist: Michelle Madsen

Haunting in space! When Heath Huston is forced to pass through a black hole, his rocket ship becomes home to an eerie and vengeful otherworldly presence that conspires to destroy him. Across the universe, the heartless bounty hunter Agent Zero comes to collect from Mara and Charlotte, and one of them will not survive.

On sale March 26 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

HELLBOY: THE COMPANION TPB

Writers: Steve Weiner, Jason Hall, Victoria Blake and Mike Mignola
Artist and Cover: Mike Mignola

Corresponding with the release of the second Hellboy film, Dark Horse presents the definitive guide to the Hellboy universe, including a timeline mapping out the events in over a decade's worth of comics and novels—and several millennia of in-comic continuity!

Written by Steve Weiner (The Will Eisner Companion), Victoria Blake (The Oregonian, NPR) 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 and condensing Mignola's masterful storytelling into an encyclopedic reference guide—including previously unrevealed secrets! From the hidden history of 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.

Including up-to-the-minute coverage of the Hellboy Universe, as well as the definitive Hellboy and B.P.R.D. bibliography!

The definitive guide to the world's greatest paranormal investigator!

On sale May 21 200 pg, FC, $14.95 US

HELLBOY VOL. 8: DARKNESS CALLS TPB

Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Duncan Fegredo
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover: Mike Mignola

Hellboy has finally returned from his adventures at sea, but no sooner has he settled on land than a conclave of witches drags him from his respite and into the heart of Russian folklore, where he becomes the quarry of the powerful and bloodthirsty witch Baba Yaga. Bent on revenge for the eye she had lost to Hellboy, Baba Yaga has enlisted the aid of a deathless warrior who will stop at nothing to destroy Hellboy.

Since his creation in 1993, Mike Mignola's Hellboy has accumulated dozens of industry awards and become a favorite of fans and critics alike. Now, Mignola turns over drawing duties to Duncan Fegredo (Enigma, Ultimate Adventures) for a new chapter in the life of the World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator.

Collects the entire six-issue miniseries, along with two new epilogues—one drawn by Mignola, and one by Fegredo—and an extensive sketchbook section from both artists!

On sale May 28 192 pg, FC, $19.95 US

THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOL. 3 TPB

Writer: Roy Thomas
Artists: Various

Conan's phenomenal popularity in the early comics series Conan the Barbarian would soon reach new heights thanks to a supplementary publication whose very name would come to represent quality in epic-fantasy storytelling—The Savage Sword of Conan! These pulp tomes would become an inspiration to generations of Conan fans, containing some of the best adaptations and pastiches of Robert E. Howard's work ever to be seen in sequential form.

Now for the first time ever, these stories are being collected in a series of omnibus-style books, with over five hundred pages of classic sword and sorcery—for the complete Conan collector!

Included in this volume are tales featuring the stunning art of such comics luminaries as Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Alfredo Alcala, Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom, Pablo Marcos, Walter Simonson, and many more, including a heart-stopping adaptation of the classic Howard tale "The Jewels of Gwahlur."

This collection includes Savage Sword of Conan issues 25-31.

On sale May 21 544 pg, B&W, $17.95 US

SERENITY: BETTER DAYS #1 (of 3)

Writers: Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews
Artist: Will Conrad
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Cover: Adam Hughes

Joss Whedon returns to the world of his blockbuster film Serenity with the three-issue comics series Better Days.

Better Days revisits everyone's favorite space cowboys in this thrilling, action-packed adventure, with Mal and his crew on a heist that promises a big payoff—what's surprising is that this heist just might make good on that promise.

Whedon reunites with Brett Matthews and Will Conrad, his collaborators on the best-selling 2005 series Those Left Behind. Adam Hughes joins the team for covers.

Prequel series to the blockbuster film Serenity by Joss Whedon.

Front covers by critically acclaimed Adam Hughes.

Serenity: Those Left Behind has sold over 85, 000 copies!

Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews return to Serenity!

On sale March 12 40 pg,FC, $2.99 US

TALES OF THE FEAR AGENT TPB

Writers: Rick Remender, Hilary Barta, Nark Ricketts, Chris Burnham and Rick Spears
Artists: Chris Burnham, Kieron Dwyer, Payl Renaud, Shane White and others

Each story is a stiff bolt of one-hundred proof high adventure as we tag along on the drunken exploits of alien exterminator Heath Huston during his first ten years in deep space. Series creator Rick Remender is joined by a select handful of today's finest writers and artists in this compilation, expanding on the legend of the last Fear Agent.

Tales of the Fear Agent is a collection of action-packed, 1950's-style Sci-Fi and Horror told with a modern panache.

On sale May 14 136 pg,FC, $14.95 US

THE TERMINATOR OMNIBUS VOLUME 2 TPB

Writers: Alan Grant, James Robinson, Toren Smith, Chris Warner and Adam Warren
Artists: Guy Davis, Jackson Guice, Bill Jaaska, Trevor McCarthy, David Pugh, Mel Rubi, Jeff Albrecht, John Beatty, Chris Ivy, Andrew Pepoy, Steve Pugh, Howard M. Shum and Bob Wiacek
Colorists: Joe Rosas, Dave Stewart and Gregory Wright
Letterers: Pat Brosseau, Gary Fields and Tomoko Saito
Cover: Simon Bisley

The Terminators never sleep. They don't need food or water. The heat of the desert gives them no pause. The darkness of night does not halt their deadly gaze. Bullets won't stop them. Their humanity cannot be appealed to—because they have none. Sent from the future, their mission is clear and unrelenting: to erase the lives of any who threaten their future dominance, any who would attempt to deny the rise of the Machine. But that which man has created, man can destroy, and so... the war for the future begins today.

Dark Horse Comics is the acknowledged leader of adapting film blockbusters to graphic fiction, and The Terminator is one of the premier examples of what can be done with comics to expand an exciting film mythos.

Featuring work by fan-favorite creators James Robinson, Jackson Guice, Alan Grant, Steve Pugh, Guy Davis and more.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles premieres on January 13 on Fox.

On sale March 26 376 pg, FC, $24.95 US

USAGI YOJIMBO #110

Writer and Artist: Stan Sakai
Cover: Stan Sakai

Rabbit ronin Usagi and the bounty hunter Gen face a dilemma of unexpected dimensions when a shortcut through a forest turns into a dangerous guessing game!

There are some mysteries in the wild that are best left undisturbed, as Gen and Usagi discover while traveling through an area reputed to be the home of a trickster fox. Momentarily separated, when the two meet up again, Gen has the unsettling suspicion that what appears to be Usagi may be someone—or something—else entirely. As Usagi begins to behave more strangely, how will Gen decide if that is really his friend by his side?

On sale March 26 24 pg, B&W, $2.99 US

X OMNIBUS VOL. 1 TPB

Writers: Steven Grant, Eric Luke and Jerry Prosser
Artists: Frenk Fosco, Vince Giarrano, Matt Haley, N. Steven Harris, Nghia Lam, Corky Lehmkuhl, Doug Mahnke, P. Craig Russell, Ron Wagner, Chris Warner, Tim Bradstreet, Dan Davis, Jordi Ensign, Jimmy Palmiotti and Tom Simmons
Colorists: Steve Buccellato, Matt Hollingsworth, Rachelle Menashe, Pamela Rambo, Joe Rosas and James Sinclair
Letterers: L. Lois Buhalis, Steve Dutro, Clem Robins, Willie Schubert and Vickie Williams
Cover: Frank Miller

The city of Arcadia is the dark side of the American Dream. It's the land of opportunity, if you've got the money to buy it or the muscle to take it. The police are the best trained and equipped in the country, if you can afford their protection. Crime is under control, because crime is in control. For the corrupt and the ruthless, Arcadia is paradise on Earth. But a cold storm is blowing through the streets of Arcadia, a plague wind in black leather and torn cloth, a one-eyed, one-man judge, jury, and executioner whom the papers call "The X-Killer." He has set the new rules for Arcadia. Cross the line once, you'll receive a warning. Cross them twice, and X will mark the spot... where they'll find your body.

X Omnibus Volume 1 collects for the first time the audacious, critically acclaimed Dark Horse series that made "grim and gritty" superheroes seem like cuddly plush toys. Violent and morally ambiguous, X walks the thin line between heroism and obsession and shows that sometimes the cure may be worse than the disease. X Omnibus Volume 1 features over three hundred story pages by creators including Steven Grant, Doug Mahnke, Chris Warner, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Tim Bradstreet.

Collects X #1-11; X: One Shot to the Head; "Welcome to the Jungle" from Dark Horse Comics #19, 20; X: Hero Illustrated Special #1, 2

On sale May 28 352 pg, FC, $24.95 US