Monday, March 15, 2010

ASK MATTY: MATTY ANSWERS 3/15/10



Matty took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions.


1. Can you please address the "modern" Cheetah deco change? The original photos fans were given had a full body cheetah deco, but now fans are seeing a version with black clothing. Can you clarify which is the official deco and the availability of each? Since we're already getting a superpowers and modern variation, I don't expect we'd be lucky enough to get all three unless one was some sort of Mattycollector or convention exclusive.

The version released in Wave 13 will have the black deco added. We do have plans for the more “nude” version in the not too distant future.

2. There have been conflicting reports about whether the double joints on Blue Beetle III will be the new standard for DCUC going forward or whether it will only be used as needed. Can you address this?

This is a feature we will add when a particular figure calls for it. In the case of Blue Beetle, he wears full armor and this made it easier to add in extra articulation. Since the Horsemen do such amazing sculpts we don’t like to break them up with too many articulation points.

3. On the Maters of the Universe/DC Universe classics 2 packs, is this a way for Mattel to test the market to see how Masters of the Universe would sell in retail? Also, any thoughts as to producing more of the 2 packs?

Not as much as test, but rather a cool way to get more MOTUC and DCU figures to market and offer something unique for TRU stores.

4. Last round of questions, we asked about lowering the qty of per item from 10 to something lower. You answered: “Actually, very few customers are buying more than two figures. We want to keep the ten options for those international customers who requested this to help with shipping.” If few customers are buying more than 2, why keep it that high? One would assume, the few customers include international customers. While the logic is there about lowering shipping costs, it still doesn’t answer the question about keeping a single item with a qty of 10.

We are keeping the limit at 10 to help international fans who wish to order in bulk to save on shipping. As we said before, very few customers are ordering more then two or three figures per order. The number of fans who order 10 is extremely small so we’d like to keep this option open for now.

5. You have announced that DCUC Wave 14 that will be another Walmart exclusive. Fans are sick and tired of this nonsense with trying find them at Walmart, especially seeing Walmart is not willing to put the stock out. Why continue offering exclusive waves to Walmart when people obviously have a hard time finding them? (Calling the company/store doesn't work.) Can you give us a promise they will be available on either Walmart’s website or Mattycollector.com?

We won’t be selling Wave 14 on MattyCollector.com as it is a Wal-Mart exclusive item, and it is up to Wal-Mart whether or not they want to offer it online. Mattel cannot control this.
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DARK HORSE JUNE 2010 RELEASES



Dark Horse has released their solicits for June 2010




60TH ANNIVERSARY CLASSIC PEANUTS #2: SNOOPY

On sale July 7
Limited to 950 numbered pieces
Packaged in its own tin box, with a pin-back button and a character booklet
$49.95

Welcome to what promises to be a yearlong celebration of Charles Schulz’s masterpiece, Peanuts! Peanuts premiered on October 2, 1950, in eight newspapers. As we all know, it grew to become probably the most popular comic strip ever.

In an unprecedented move, United Media is letting us go back to the original look of the characters from 1950, which was considerably different than today’s look, and sculpt statues in a special sixtieth anniversary limited-edition series of the five main characters. Sculpted by Yoe! Studio. Snoopy is a rare opportunity to secure a genuine collector’s item.
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ABE SAPIEN: THE ABYSSAL PLAIN #1 (of 2)

Mike Mignola (W), John Arcudi (W), Peter Snejbjerg (A/Cover), Bjarne Hansen (C), and Dave Johnson (Cover)

On sale June 30
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries

On one of his first B.P.R.D. operations, agent Abe Sapien leads a naval crew to a sunken Soviet U-boat to retrieve an ancient relic. What he uncovers is a paranormal crime scene, with a tanker full of dead men and secrets that should’ve remained buried in the deep.

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, and featuring the chilling artwork of Peter Snejbjerg (B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs), The Abyssal Plain explores another early Abe solo adventure, in the spirit of Abe Sapien: The Drowning and Abe Sapien: The Haunted Boy.

• Peter Snejbjerg (Books of Magic, Preacher, Starman) takes on his second B.P.R.D. comic!

• Cover by Dave Johnson (100 Bullets).

Join the B.P.R.D.!
www.darkhorse.com/jointhebprd
““““


ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: THREE WORLD WAR #5 (of 6)

Randy Stradley (W), Rick Leonardi (P), Mark Pennington (I), Wes Dzioba (C), and Raymond Swanland (Cover)

On sale June 30
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries

Whoever said “War is Hell” didn’t know the half of it. The Colonial Marines and their Predator allies look to take the fight to the enemy Predators and the Alien horde they control—but the daunting numbers of the bug swarm may be more than human and hunter can overcome. Their last hope may lie in the synthetic hands of the android David Sereda, who discovers the enemy's bug hatchery and a secret that may stem the deadly Alien tide—if he can survive long enough to tell the tale!

Featuring the creative dream team of original AvP writer Randy Stradley, superstar penciller Rick Leonardi, inker Mark Pennington, colorist Wes Dzioba, and stunning cover artist Raymond Swanland, Aliens vs. Predator: Three World War ties together story threads introduced in the 1989 AvP series and new Aliens and Predator storylines, setting the stage for the most epic AvP brawl ever imagined.

“Highly recommended for all sci-fi fans!” —Hypergeek.com
““


BERSERK VOLUME 34

Kentaro Miura (W/A)

On sale Aug 25
B&w, 240 pages
$14.99
TPB, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4"

Faced with the Kushan emperor’s horrific new form, and the bloody swath of destruction and spawning demons he leaves in his wake with every step, the soldiers in Griffith’s new Band of the Hawk must assume their true unholy forms to battle the emperor, revealing their true faces to the citizens of Midland. How will these tormented refugees react when they discover that their would-be rescuers are as monstrous as their enemies? And could this titanic confrontation threaten to unleash even greater horrors upon the human world?

• Like a sledge striking anvil, Berserk hammers the sensibilities of readers worldwide, pounding out a steady stream of epic action, gruesome horror, and dark humor that places Berserk among the most respected—and feared—manga series ever published.

• Over 500,000 copies of Dark Horse Berserk volumes in print!

• Currently Berserk is one of the biggest selling anime tie-ins.

“Captures the primal fear of the dark with forms that are chilling when masked in darkness and horrifying when revealed.” —Ain’t It Cool News
““


BETTIE PAGE GIRL OF OUR DREAMS BY DAVE STEVENS STATUE

On sale Aug 18
13" tall
Limited, numbered edition
$149.99

It is no secret that Dark Horse has been having a longtime love affair with pinup icon Bettie Page. She’s been a big part of our lives, and we are happy to share her with you.

If there is anyone for whom Bettie Page was an equally important figure, it might be the late comics and glamour-art great Dave Stevens. Dave’s depiction of Bettie spearheaded the revival of interest in Bettie Page.

For this new piece we sculpt one of Dave’s best pieces of Bettie art into a statue.

Sculpted by Kent Melton, a longtime friend and collaborator of Dave Stevens.
““““


BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER MUGS

On sale Aug 18

Buffy Art Mug
$12.99

Buffy, Willow, and Xander Mug
$12.99

Buffy and the gang are back. This time they make an appearance on two sure-to-be-coveted eleven-ounce mugs. Both mugs feature classic Season 8 Buffy-comic cover art. You, too, can be a supernatural sleuth, or just drink coffee like one!
““““
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BUZZARD #1 (of 3)

Eric Powell (W/A/Cover), Kyle Hotz (A), Richard Corben (Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale June 9
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries

The mysterious man known as Buzzard is lost, wondering what manner of creature he is, following his brutal showdown with the loathsome Zombie Priest in Eric Powell’s celebrated Goon Year.

Buzzard leaves home, wandering into the shadowy spirit realm of the forest. A dark path leads to a village living in fear of a bestial race of savages. More animal than man, these creatures hunt the villagers and drag them from their slumber in the depth of night.

As a bonus, readers will delight in the new Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities short stories, which revive 2005 series that paired Eric Powell with artist Kyle Hotz and leads up to the three-issue series launch in September 2010.

• Eric Powell, multiple Eisner Award-winning creator of The Goon, gives one of his most mysterious characters, Buzzard, his own highly anticipated four-issue miniseries.
““““


CAGES

Dave McKean (W/A)

On sale Aug 25
FC & b&w, 496 pages
$29.99
TPB, 8 1/2" x 10 3/16"

Dave McKean’s Cages is finally back in print!

Best known for his collaborations with Neil Gaiman, McKean defied expectations with his stunning debut as writer and artist in Cages, winner of multiple awards for Best Graphic Album.

Filled with complex characters, intriguing flights of fancy, and all the beautiful visuals you’d expect from the director of MirrorMask, Cages is McKean’s magnum opus. It chronicles the intersecting lives of a painter, a writer, and a musician living in the same apartment building, and is a profound rumination on art, God, cats, and the cages we build for ourselves.

Out of print for years, Cages is finally available in an affordable new softcover edition, remastered and newly redesigned, with a brand-new cover by McKean.

• Almost five hundred pages in an affordable softcover!

• Features painstakingly rescanned and remastered art.

• “One of the most important works of comic art in the last decade.”
—The Comics Journal
““


CLASSIC UNCLE SCROOGE SERIES 2 #2: DONALD DUCK “SQUARE EGG”

On sale Aug 18
Limited to 950 numbered pieces
Packaged in a full-color, litho-printed tin box, with a character booklet and a vintage-style pin-back button
$49.95

One of our best-received Syroco-style statuette series ever has been of the characters from Carl Barks’s Uncle Scrooge stories.

We are going forward with a new series, based on specific cover images by Barks, and our second statue is inspired by one of the most famous stories, “Lost in the Andes,” which originally appeared in Four Color Comics #223, published in April 1949. This is one of the best-loved stories in the entire Ducks canon.

The Uncle Scrooge series depicts the characters as they were originally presented in the comics. Sculpted by Yoe! Studio.
““


CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #23

Timothy Truman (W), Tomás Giorello (P), José Villarrubia (C), and Tomás Giorello (Cover)

On sale June 23
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Ongoing

Eluding their torments from Turan, Conan and Olivia seek to hide out on a small island in the Vilayet Sea, but they soon find themselves stalked by an unseen terror in the jungles and threatened by a group of pirates belonging to the Red Brotherhood. A centuries-old curse also haunts the island and threatens the lives of everyone on it! After surviving the massacre at Ilbars Stream and spending the ensuing weeks on the run, Conan still finds himself using his wits and survival knowledge to endure hardship and dangers. Olivia, the lovely former princess of Ophir, was rescued from slavery by Conan last issue—and she may be in a position to return the favor sooner than she’d like!

Tim Truman, Tomás Giorello, and José Villarrubia’s adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s “Iron Shadows in the Moon” continues in this action-filled second chapter.

• Iron Shadows in the Moon adaptation part 2 (of 4)

“…writer Tim Truman is a perfect choice to adapt the oeuvre of Robert E. Howards into comics form.” —Comics Buyer’s Guide
““


CREEPY #4

Various (W/A)

On sale June 23
b&w, 48 pages
$4.99
Ongoing

Fandom’s favorite fright fiend Uncle Creepy is back with another insanity-inducing issue of his hit new Creepy comics!

From the darkest corners of the human heart, and from the most demented pockets of the human mind, here comes another smorgasbord of screams to get you through the night. This issue features the second chapter of the most vile revisionist take on World War II imaginable, as writer Dan Braun and Craig Haffner team up with artist Dennis Calero on the mind-bending conclusion of “X-Change.” Plus, an all-new Loathsome Lore featuring the fantastically freakish art of The Goon’s Eric Powell, as well as brand-new work from Michael Wm. Kaluta, Bill Morrison, the amazing Angelo Torres, and more!

“New Creepy is terrifyingly good!” —Cory Doctorow, boingboing.net
““


DEXTER LIMITED EDITION BUST

On sale Aug 18
7" on base
Numbered, limited edition, certificate of authenticity
$69.99

Dexter Morgan, Miami Metro Police Department blood-spatter analyst, has a double life. When he’s not helping the homicide division solve murders, he spends his time hunting and killing bad guys who slip through the justice system.

In bringing the character, brilliantly portrayed by Michael C. Hall, into a sculpture, we wanted to capture both “sides” of everyone’s favorite serial killer. With Dexter in his signature henley-style shirt, in front he is examining a blood-spatter slide, but danger lurks hidden behind his back.

The likeness is spot on, and we couldn’t be more excited to make what we feel is the ultimate Dexter collectible.

Sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios.

Dark Horse Deluxe captures the world’s most notorious serial killer!
““““


EERIE ARCHIVES VOLUME 5

Various (W/A)

On sale Aug 18
b&w, 248 pages
$49.99
HC, 8 3/8" x 10 7/8"

Eerie Archives Volume 5 collects five issues of the seminal American horror magazine Eerie into one big, beastly hardcover collection. In the 1960s, publisher Jim Warren blew the competition out of the water and blew the minds of his readers with his magazine-sized horror comics Creepy and Eerie. Dark Horse’s lovingly reproduced archives showcase the excellent storytelling and exceptional artwork featured in these magazines by amazing creators like Archie Goodwin, Frank Frazetta, Ken Kelly, and Steve Ditko. Don’t miss this creepy, crawly keystone for any horror or comics aficionado’s library.

• Both the Creepy and Eerie archive series have made numerous appearances on the New York Times Top 10 list of graphic novels.

• Featuring a cover by Frank Frazetta!

• Art by industry favorites Reed Crandall, Steve Ditko, and Ken Kelly!
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FLASH GORDON COMIC BOOK ARCHIVES VOLUME 1

Paul Norris (A), Jack Lehti (A), Frank Thorne (A), and others

On sale Aug 25
FC, 312 pages
$49.99
HC, 6 5/8" x 10 3/16"

Flash Gordon’s classic era in comic books returns in a new archival collection from Dark Horse! Join the handsome and fearless Flash, his clever and capable companion Dale Arden, and eccentric scientist Dr. Zarkov as they face peril and danger in the wild landscapes of the planet Mongo and go head to head with the villainous despot Ming the Merciless! This archival collection, reprinting seven complete comics originally published from 1947 through 1953, makes a fine addition to any comics library. Ray guns, spaceships, and Silver Age storytelling— it’s all here and it’s all action!

• Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives Volume 1 collects the earliest issues of Flash’s adventures in a handsome, hardcover format.

• The debut of a new title in Dark Horse’s acclaimed archival reprint series!
““


GROO: THE HOGS OF HORDER

Mark Evanier (W) and Sergio Aragonés (A)

On sale Aug 4
FC, 120 pages
$17.99
TPB, 6 5/8" x 10"

You probably think Groo the Wanderer is the most destructive force in his world. Not so! Even at his most inept, Groo cannot destroy a village faster than the hogs of Horder. Theirs is an evil species that has existed forever and that spreads death and annihilation to this day. They control your mind, they control your body, and worst of all, they control your money. So what happens when Groo comes nose to nose with them? Find out in this latest Groo adventure!

• Collects the four-issue miniseries.

• The prior Groo miniseries, Hell on Earth, was nominated for the 2009 Best Limited Series Eisner Award!
““


THE HARVEY COMICS TREASURY VOLUME 2

Larz Bourne (W), Izzy Klein (W), Warren Kremer (A), Dave Tendlar (A), Martin Taras (A), and others

On sale Aug 11
FC, 200 pages
$14.99
TPB, 6" x 9"

Look out, it’s Hot Stuff! Following on the heels of the fabulously successful five-volume Harvey Comics Classics, Dark Horse is proud to present this new series of books, each containing two hundred pages of stunning, full-color reprints from the golden years of Harvey Comics! Hot Stuff, the irascible little devil with a heart of gold, joins his friends Stumbo the Giant and Herman and Katnip in some of the best-loved classic kid comics of all time! Harvey Comics, one of the most successful of the children’s comics publishers, created a veritable who’s who of comic stars, such as Hot Stuff, Casper, and Richie Rich, plus many more.

• Two hundred pages of stunning full-color reprints for under fifteen dollars!
““


HELLCYON #3 (of 4)

Lucas Marangon (W/A)

On sale June 9
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries

After a nine-month journey through Hellcyon’s wild and mysterious landscapes, the five teenage fugitives have forged strong bonds of friendship and learned to work as a unit to avoid the wrath of St. John’s death squad. However, as their journey comes to an end, the kids will make a macabre discovery and find themselves caught between the enemy and Hellcyon’s insurgent forces!
““


KING CONAN VOLUME 1

Roy Thomas (W), John Buscema (A), and Ernie Chan (A)

On sale Aug 25
FC, 192 pages
$17.99
TPB, 6 5/8" x 10 3/16"

Conan is king! Join Conan, king of Aquilonia, his queen Zenobia, and their son Conn in this comics adaptation of L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter, and Björn Nyberg’s stories “The Witch of the Mists,” “Black Sphinx of Nebthu,” “Red Moon of Zembabwei,” “Shadows in the Skull,” and “The Ring of Rakhamon”!

• Written by master comics scribe Roy Thomas and illustrated by the unparalleled John Buscema, King Conan collects issues #1 through #5 of the early ’80s series originally published by Marvel Comics.

• King Conan is based on a series of five short stories by Robert E. Howard, originally published in Weird Tales.
““


LITTLE LULU VOLUME 24: THE SPACE DOLLY AND OTHER STORIES

John Stanley (W/A) and Irving Tripp (A)

On sale Aug 25
FC, 200 pages
$14.99
TPB, 6" x 9"

There’s hilarity on every page as Tubby swoons over brand-new character Fifi (a little girl with a French accent and a missing piggybank), Iggy teaches Annie’s doll to fly, Alvin makes a new friend, the fellers misunderstand tea parties, a sandcastle contest determines who gets a kiss from Gloria, and Lulu accidentally makes a farce of Father’s Day. These stories and more prove time and again that Little Lulu is the funniest funny book of all!

• The Space Dolly collects Marge’s Little Lulu #118 through #123 in all their original full-color glory, making Lulu even more fun than ever!
““


MIGHTY SAMSON ARCHIVES VOLUME 1

Otto Binder (W), Frank Thorne (A), and Jack Sparling (A)

On sale Aug 25
FC, 200 pages
$49.99
HC, 7" x 10"

In a radioactive, nuclear-ravaged future, Samson is born into a tribe of peaceful yet desperate people struggling to survive in the desolate city of N’Yark. Surrounded by hungry, wild creatures—creatively mutated and brought to life by Thorne and subsequent artists—and the more savage, selfish remnants of humanity, life is precarious at best for the tribe until Samson displays amazing powers. Discovering that young Samson is a mutant himself, his mother trains Samson to value life, and on her deathbed Samson vows “to protect the weak from the powerful, the good from the evil!”

• This volume reprints the first seven comic books from the original 1960s Mighty Samson series, with playful and imaginative artwork by Frank Thorne seen in the first five issues!
““


MOGWORLD

Yahtzee Croshaw (W)

On sale Aug 18
350 pages
$7.99
Novel, 4" x 7"

In a world full to bursting with would-be heroes, Jim couldn’t be less interested in saving the day. His fireballs fizzle. He’s awfully grumpy. Plus, he’s been dead for about sixty years. When a renegade necromancer wrenches him from eternal slumber and into a world gone terribly, bizarrely wrong, all Jim wants is to find a way to die properly, once and for all.
On his side, he’s got a few shambling corpses, an inept thief, and a powerful death wish. But he’s up against tough odds: angry mobs of adventurers, a body falling apart at the seams—and a team of programmers racing a deadline to hammer out the last few bugs in their AI.
• Mogworld is the debut novel from video-game icon Yahtzee Croshaw (Zero Punctuation)!

• Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw’s video review site, Zero Punctuation, receives over 2,500,000 unique hits a month, and has been licensed by G4 Television.

• Yahtzee’s blog receives about 150,000 hits per day.

“The first legitimate breakout hit from the gaming community in recent memory.”
—Boing Boing
““


NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: CAMPUS APOCALYPSE VOLUME 1

Ming Ming (W/A)

On sale Aug 11
b&w, 192 pages
$10.99
TPB, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4"

Dark Horse is proud to present the second manga series in its Neon Genesis Evangelion line, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse!

Shinji Ikari’s parents are gone, and he lives with his legal guardian, Ryoji Kaji, while attending the private NERV Academy. But no one ever told Shinji about its secrets . . . or that he’d find his fellow students Kaworu, Rei, and Asuka out on the streets late at night—fighting with sword, spear, and whip against an enemy that looks very human, but who Kaworu insists are beings called the Angels . . .

• Campus Apocalypse is straight from the pages of the stylish shojo magazine Monthly Asuka, home of Code Geass and Trinity Blood!

• Features bonus color pages, your Evangelion fan art and letters, and special reader giveaways!

• Neon Genesis Evangelion is another popular anime related tie-in from Dark Horse!
““


OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 36

Kosuke Fujishima (W/A)

On sale Aug 25
b&w, 160 pages
$11.99
TPB, 5" x 7"

Ever since a cosmic phone call led five literal young goddesses—Belldandy, Urd, Skuld, and, like occasional vowels, Peorth and Lind—to live in college student Keiichi’s residence, his personal life has been turned upside down, sideways, and sometimes even into strange dimensions!

Things go spectacularly wrong (as expected) when Urd’s and Skuld’s rival schemes to help Megumi through a bad memory end up not only making her forget who she is, but making Keiichi and the goddesses forget who they are! Plus your fan art and letters, and more commentary by Kosuke Fujishima on the early days of the Oh My Goddess! series!

• Winner of the 2009 Kodansha Award for Best General Manga.

• Oh My Goddess! is the longest-running manga series in America!
““


PREDATORS #1 (of 4)

Marc Andreyko (W), David Lapham (W), Guilherme Balbi (P), Gabriel Guzman (P), José Verissimo (I), Mariano Taibo (I), Garry Henderson (C), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Paul Lee (Cover)

On sale June 9
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

A team of Navy Seals is in the midst of a firefight when it suddenly goes dark. They awake to find themselves in a new and more deadly environment, stalked by a strange enemy. One by one these special-ops officers are killed by an unseen threat, until only one man remains. All alone in a strange world, he must do what he knows best—survive against all odds.

Robert Rodriguez teams with Dark Horse for an action-packed weekly prequel to his forthcoming Predators film!

Just in time for the film release coming July 2010!
““


PREDATORS #2 (of 4)

Marc Andreyko (W), David Lapham (W), Guilherme Balbi (P), Gabriel Guzman (P), José Verissimo (I), Mariano Taibo (I), Garry Henderson (C), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Paul Lee (Cover)

On sale June 16
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

The lone Navy Seal finds himself in an uneasy alliance when he discovers another survivor on the planet—but he also learns that here humans are prey, transplanted from Earth to this alien jungle, to be hunted for sport.

Marc Andreyko (Manhunter) makes his Dark Horse debut!

See it in a Dark Horse comic first!
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PREDATORS #3 (of 4)

Marc Andreyko (W), David Lapham (W), Guilherme Balbi (P), Gabriel Guzman (P), José Verissimo (I), Mariano Taibo (I), Garry Henderson (C), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Paul Lee (Cover)

On sale June 23
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

The human alliance strains under the threat of the vicious Predators, an elaborate system of traps, and the impossibility of escape, until the men are locked in their own game of cat and mouse against each other.

David Lapham writes backups featuring Adrien Brody’s cold-blooded killer from the film!
““


PREDATORS #4 (of 4)

Marc Andreyko (W), David Lapham (W), Guilherme Balbi (P), Gabriel Guzman (P), José Verissimo (I), Mariano Taibo (I), Garry Henderson (C), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Paul Lee (Cover)

On sale June 30
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

Traps are set off and new Predators enter the fray in the blood-drenched conclusion: the set-up for Robert Rodriguez’s reboot of the Predator film series!

Next month the story continues in the official movie adaptation written by Paul Tobin (Spider-Man and the Secret Wars), and the film’s sequel, written by David Lapham!
““


RETRO-A-GO-GO BUCK ROGERS T-SHIRTS

On sale Aug 18

Buck Rogers Ray Gun T-shirt
Men’s M- XL $21.99
Men’s XXL $22.99
Women’s S- XL $24.99

Buck Rogers Vintage T-shirt
Men’s M- XL $21.99
Men’s XXL $22.99
Women’s S- XL $24.99

Buck Rogers Logo T-shirt
Men’s M- XL $21.99
Men’s XXL $22.99
Women’s S- XL $24.99

Buck Rogers Wilma T-shirt
Women’s S- XL $24.99

Dark Horse is proud to introduce a stunning line of officially licensed Buck Rogers accessories, produced by our friends at Retro-a-go-go for the modern space traveler! We bring you four stylish Buck Rogers T-shirts, in both men’s and women’s sizes, to be worn by distinguished and brave fashion explorers!
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SERENITY: FLOAT OUT

Patton Oswalt (W), Patric Reynolds (A), Dave Stewart (C), Frank Stockton (Cover), and Jo Chen (Cover)

On sale June 2
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
One-Shot

Acclaimed writer/actor/comedian Patton Oswalt (The Goon, Batman, JLA, Dollhouse, Ratatouille) brings back one of Firefly’s most beloved characters in this special spotlight issue!

Always ready with a brilliant aerial maneuver and a terrible one-liner, Wash was pilot of the Firefly-class ship Serenity in Joss Whedon’s cult-classic TV series before being killed in the movie. Float Out includes three brand-new stories of Wash in a series of exciting smuggling raids, each providing a hair-raising escape or daring last-minute rescue! Featuring a cameo that will leave Serenity fans reeling, this special one-shot presents new tales of the Serenity universe’s past and tantalizing hints about its future!

Acclaimed writer/actor/comedian Patton Oswalt pens Serenity!
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STAR WARS ADVENTURES: THE WILL OF DARTH VADER

Tom Taylor (W), Brain Koschak (P), Dan Parsons (I), Michael Wiggam (C), and Sean McNally (Cover)

On sale Aug 11
FC, 80 pages
$7.99
TPB, 5 1/4" x 7 1/2"

Darth Vader is on a mission for the Emperor!

When the Rebellion’s hit-and-run attacks on Imperial cargo ships become too audacious to be ignored, Darth Vader is sent in to find the Rebel base and destroy it. But the base, hidden in the center of a constantly shifting asteroid field, cannot be attacked directly.

To reach his target, Vader will have to team up with a recently captured smuggler named Zika—and dealing with an unwilling, wisecracking partner may be more of a trial for the Dark Lord than the actual mission!


STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #2 (of 6)

Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)

On sale June 30
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

New and vital knowledge sends Finn Galfridian with Jacen and Jaina Solo on a mission to the planet of Artorias. Though Finn does not know if his father, Caled, lives, if there is any chance, he must be warned of new dangers. It’s a hot and dangerous ride to Artorias, and the occupying Yuuzhan Vong are ready with a toothsome, ravaging welcome . . .

Meanwhile, Kaye and Nina, board their newly acquired Vong ship, embark on their own mission. It’s one they can’t refuse: rescuing captives held on a dead planet. There is no telling what peril will meet the rescue party . . .
““


STAR WARS: LEGACY #49—EXTREMES part 2 (of 3)

John Ostrander (W), Jan Duursema (P), Dan Parsons (I), Brad Anderson (C), and Chris Warner (Cover)

On sale June 30
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Ongoing

The Sith Empire’s strike against the Hutt temple on Napdu brings a new ally into the war against the Sith, lending strength to Cade Skywalker’s vendetta.

On Korriban, Princess Sia Fel, a prisoner of the Sith, learns a shocking secret about the man she loves.

And, emboldened by their success against the Mon Calamari and the Hutts, the Sith plan an attack against Admiral Gar Stazi and the Galactic Alliance.

There’s no stopping the galaxy’s descent into all-out war. The end is near!
““


TROUBLEMAKER BOOK 1

Janet Evanovich (W), Alex Evanovich (W), Joëlle Jones (A), Benjamin Dewey (A), Andy Owens (I), and Dan Jackson (C)

On sale July 20
FC, 112 pages
$17.99
HC, 6" x 9"

Alex Barnaby and Sam Hooker are back together and fighting crime the only way they know how—by leaving a trail of chaos, panic, and disorder. Alex, an auto mechanic and spotter for racecar driver Sam Hooker, is drawn to trouble like a giant palmetto bug to a day-old taco. Unfortunately, she’s also drawn to Hooker in the same fashion. There’s no steering clear of trouble or Hooker when Felicia calls for help. Rosa has gone missing, and in order to find her Barnaby and Hooker will have to go deep into the underbelly of Miami and southern Florida, surviving petro voodoo, explosions, gift-wrapped body parts, a deadly swamp chase, and Hooker’s mom.

• Janet Evanovich, author of Finger Lickin’ Fifteen, continues her New York Times best-selling Barnaby series with her very first graphic novel!

• Written by Janet and Alex Evanovich, and illustrated by Joëlle Jones (Dr. Horrible)!

• Janet Evanovich has been a #1 New York Times bestseller fourteen times, and her novels have sold over 90 million copies.

• Watch for her signing at the Dark Horse booth at the San Diego Comic-Con.

The first graphic novel from author Janet Evanovich!
““


USAGI YOJIMBO #129

Stan Sakai (W/A)

On sale June 30
b&w, 24 pages
$3.50
Ongoing

Kato, the master swordsman from “A Town Called Hell!” returns!

Cheated out of the two hundred gold coins he was promised for staying out of a gang war, Kato has been hunting for Usagi for weeks, believing the “treacherous, long-eared ronin” to have stolen the money from him. However, a gang of cutthroats is after Kato, thinking he already has the fortune. All three meet high in the mountains at Blood Tree Pass.
““


USAGI YOJIMBO VOLUME 8: SHADES OF DEATH 2ND EDITION

Stan Sakai (W/A)

On sale Aug 25
b&w, 200 pages
$15.99
TPB, 6" x 9"

In this volume, Usagi teams with his friend Gen, a rhino bounty hunter, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to protect an aging sensei from an evil ninja clan. His travels also take him to a remote village under threat from deadly assassins, where only Usagi stands between their merciless blades and a community’s destruction.

• This edition of Usagi Yojimbo: Shades of Death features completely remastered artwork and new story notes, highlighting Stan Sakai’s exhaustive research into the world of feudal Japan! Features an introduction by acclaimed artist William Stout.

Now back in print!
““


USAGI YOJIMBO VOLUME 9: DAISHO 2ND EDITION

Stan Sakai (W/A)

On sale Aug 25
b&w, 216 pages
$15.99
TPB, 6" x 9"

A samurai’s sword is more than his weapon—it is his soul. As such, he must prove himself worthy of possessing a daisho, a matched pair of swords.

In his years as a warrior, fighting injustice and honing his spiritual and martial skills, Miyamoto Usagi has more than earned his swords. After braving many a battle and surviving tremendous bloodshed, Usagi continues his warrior pilgrimage. This volume finds him the reluctant participant in a duel for blood money, and, later, enraged at the theft of his swords, Usagi pledges a new oath—to track the leader of a roving band of brigands and retrieve his daisho.

• Usagi Yojimbo: Daisho 2nd edition is newly rescanned from Stan Sakai’s original art and features new story notes! Includes an introduction by James Robinson.

Now back in print!
““


USAGI YOJIMBO VOLUME 10: THE BRINK OF LIFE AND DEATH 2ND EDITION

Stan Sakai (W/A)

On sale Aug 25
b&w, 216 pages
$15.99
TPB, 6" x 9"

While journeying over mountains, into valleys, through towns and farmlands, and along rugged coasts, searching for harmony, Usagi faces a unique cast of characters: a village of seaweed farmers, an innocent noodle peddler, a demon-possessed woman, a relentless clan of bat ninja, an assassins’ guild, a mysterious medicine peddler, and Inazuma, a secretive female samurai. More than once Usagi finds himself in great danger—but it’s all in a day’s work when you walk the thin line on the brink of life and death.

• Usagi Yojimbo: The Brink of Life and Death 2nd edition features completely remastered art and a look inside Stan Sakai’s research and influences with new story notes! Includes an introduction by writer Kurt Busiek.

Now back in print!
““


VAMPIRE HUNTER D VOLUME 15: DARK ROAD PART THREE

Hideyuki Kikuchi (W) and Yoshitaka Amano (A)

On sale Aug 4
b&w, 256 pages
$9.99
Novel, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4"

Vampire Hunter D takes on his greatest challenge yet! The ruthless vampire Noble General Gaskell commands the loyalty of some of the most infamous and deadly vampires in history, and Gaskell has no patience for D’s interference, heroic or not! With the odds stacked against him, D must prevail—or perish.

• Dark Horse Books and Digital Manga Publishing are proud to continue presenting the classic novels and stories in the Vampire Hunter D series for the first time to English- speaking fans everywhere!

• Features seven gorgeous black-and-white line illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano as well as a color tip-in illustration.
““


ZERO KILLER

Arvid Nelson (W), Matt Camp (A), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Aug 4
FC, 160 pages
$16.99
TPB, 7" x 10"

The creator of Rex Mundi presents his vision of a shattered alternate future, as brutal gangs struggle for supremacy in a New York City ravaged by nuclear war and catastrophic flooding. All that remains of the once-mighty city are skeletal, irradiated skyscrapers, inhabited by thugs who abide by their own twisted rules. While crime lords vie for power and the amoral paramilitary forces of JOCOM torment survivors of the devastation, one skilled outcast—the mysterious Zero—uses his strength and wits to stay a step ahead of everyone. Working for anyone while pledging allegiance to none, Zero is a bounty hunter who hunts the dregs of a ruined society, saving some innocents in the process.

• Collects the six-issue miniseries.
““


Dark Horse Comics® and the Dark Horse logo are trademarks of Dark Horse Comics, Inc., registered in various categories and countries. All rights reserved.. • Abe Sapien™ © 2010 Mike Mignola. • Aliens vs. Predator © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Aliens™ & © 1986, 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Predator™ & © 1987, 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. TM indicates a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. • Buffy the Vampire Slayer™ & © 1998, 2008 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. TM designates a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. • BERSERK © 2010 Kentaro Miura. All rights reserved. First published in Japan in 1990 by HAKUSENSHA, INC., Tokyo. English language translation rights in the United States of America and Canada arranged with HAKUSENSHA, INC., Tokyo through TOHAN CORPORATION, Tokyo. New text copyright Dark Horse Comics, Inc./Digital Manga, Inc. • Buzzard™ © 2010 Eric Powell. • Cages™ © 2010 Dave McKean. • Conan © 2008 Conan Properties International LLC (“CPI”). CONAN, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of CPI. • Creepy © 2010 New Comic Company.
• “Dexter™”: © Showtime Networks Inc. All rights reserved. • Eerie © 2010 New Comic Company. • Flash Gordon © 2010 King Features Syndicate, Inc. ™ Hearst Holdings, Inc. • Groo™ & © 2010 Sergio Aragonés. • Hellcyon™ © 2010 Lucas Marangon. • Little Lulu Copyright © 2010 by Classic Media, Inc. LITTLE LULU is a registered trademark of Classic Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. • NEON GENESIS EVANGELION GAKUEN DATENROKU Vol. 1 © MINMIN 2010.
© GAINAX • khara. First published in Japan in 2008 by KADOKAWA SHOTEN Publishing Co., Ltd., Tokyo. English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA SHOTEN Publishing Co., Ltd., Tokyo, through TOHAN CORPORATION, Tokyo. • Oh My Goddess! © 2010 Kosuke Fujishima. All rights reserved. First published in Japan in [year] by Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo. Publication rights for this English edition arranged through Kodansha Ltd. • Serenity © 2010 Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. “Serenity” is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. • Star Wars© Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. • Troublemaker™ © 2010 Janet and Alex Evanovich. • Usagi Yojimbo™ © 2009 Stan Sakai. • Vampire Hunter D volume 15 © Hideyuki Kikuchi 1983. Originally Published in Japan in 1983 by ASAHI SONORAMA CO., LTD. • Zero Killer™ © 2010 Arvid Nelson.
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