Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Dark Horse Preview Review for September

Jim: Wow it is already time for more solicitation reviews. Of course this is behind the scenes, but we are usually still just pulling together the Indies reviews when Dark Horse solicitations hit the web. So we have stuff in production often a fair amount of time before we publish so I never know what is coming in when anymore.
Lee: I don’t know how we got so behind but it does just seem like we were looking at reviews yesterday. Luckily no one keeps the publishing schedule they announce so it doesn’t matter when we read it, we’re just lucky to get it.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #18
Joss Whedon (W), Karl Moline (P), Andy Owens (I), Michelle Madsen (C), Jo Chen (Cover), and Georges Jeanty (Cover)
A powerful enemy from Buffy’s past confronts the Slayer and Fray in the future, having allied with Fray’s greatest foe. Meanwhile, Dawn’s gone through another bizarre change.Joss Whedon and Karl Moline, co-creators of the hit comics series Fray: Future Slayer, reunite in Buffy Season Eight with the highly anticipated story arc “Time of Your Life.” Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty provide covers.
Lee: DUDE!!! Check it out nudie centaur chick. How cool is that???? I have to say, I never thought that DH would sink to Top Cow levels of cheesy but they have. Easily, the best “Embarrassed to be a Fanboy” cover in awhile.
Jim: Still it is Buffy and Buffy has been risqué on occasion. On the flip side, very un Dark Horsish.

THE COMPLETE GREEN LAMA: FEATURING THE ART OF MAC RABOY VOLUME 2
Written by various, art by Mac Raboy and various.
Dark Horse Archives completes the entire Green Lama series with this second high-quality hardcover of the Golden Age classic! The emerald-clad freedom fighter returns to mete out further justice courtesy of famed artist Mac Raboy and writer/editor Joseph Greene! In fact, the pair even makes an appearance in this volume, join us as millionaire playboy Jethro Dumont once again chants "Om Mani Padme Hum!" And, while this 1940s anthology series is best known for its eponymous Buddhist superhero, it featured an astonishing variety of short comics and prose pieces. Daring do-gooders the Boy Champions, Merlin-powered Lieutenant Hercules, flying ace Rick Masters, and the mischievous sprite Angus McErc together show off the creative experimentation that caught fire in the wake of Action Comics #1! 208 pages, $49.95, in stores on Nov. 19.
Jim: I really need to read at least a little of the first Archive of this material before I say yes to a second one. (No Image for the book was available so I just used a Green Lama collectible figure also by Dark Horse).
Lee: I’m surprised this is coming out as fast as it is. I agree, I need to see the first before I commit to the second. This is obscure material even by my standards.

CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #3
Timothy Truman (W), Tomás Giorello (P), Richard Corben (P), José Villarrubia (C), and Frank Cho (Cover)
A young Cimmerian huntress"a character seen in Conan Vol. 0: Born on the Battlefield"and Horsa"an Aesir leader from The Frost Giant’s Daughter"both cross paths with Conan as he continues his dangerous trek through the snowy mountain passes of Cimmeria. Fighting his way through the natural dangers of his barbaric homeland has been a welcome change from the mind games and treachery Conan found in the cities of the East, but there’s an unfortunate lesson in treachery in store for Conan here, too. In a Richard Corben flashback sequence, Connacht"Conan’s grandfather"seems to have found a role for himself working in a busy city, but as the old saying goes, “Fleas will find a dog . . . and trouble will find a Cimmerian.”
Lee: I don’t care that people try to mimic Frazetta painting but they need to try harder than this. Nat Jones was an excellent Frazetta clone. But this… this leaves me cold. Cho needs to stick to cheesecake.
Jim: I agree, Cho does the cheesecake exceptionally well, and this is better left for other artists.

THE GOON #28
Written and art by Eric Powell, colored by Dave Stewart.
The Zombie Priest becomes an unwilling agent of the Goon when things heat up in the Labrazio gang war. Could he hold the secret to Labrazio's power and Franky's missing sausage links?
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 10.
Jim: Since the Goon has become almost a monthly book, it has also become more of a continuing story. The art is always beautiful to look at, but it is fascinating to see how Eric has allowed this series to morph from what it was to what it is.
Lee: Powell has done a remarkable job with this series. I am excited to see it every month and that says a lot.

REELART STUDIOS: PRINCE VALIANT STATUE
ReelArt Studios continues its line of comic-book and newspaper-strip characters with another classic character, Prince Valiant. Hal Foster's timeless hero from the days of King Arthur, as sculpted by Joy and Tom Studios, depicts Val in full battle gear charging atop his mighty steed through a marshy glade and seems to have been lifted straight from those early Sunday funnies. The prepainted statue comes packaged in a full-color box with a certificate of authenticity.
11 3/4 inches tall by 15 inches deep by 10 3/4 inches wide, limited to 500, $225, in stores on Sept. 24.
Jim: If I had a few extra bucks I would buy this statue. I loved this strip when it was done by Hal Foster.
Lee: Strip? As in the newspaper? By who? You are waaayyyy showing your age on this one. But since we’re on the subject, it’s very odd they haven’t issued a HC of the Hal Foster material. Very odd indeed.

SOLOMON KANE #1
Written by Scott Allie, penciled by Mario Guevara, colored by Dave Stewart, covers by John Cassaday and Joe Kubert.
Robert E. Howard's vengeance-obsessed puritan begins his supernatural adventures in the haunted Black Forest of Germany in this five-issue adaptation of Howard's "The Castle of the Devil." When Solomon Kane stumbles upon the body of a boy hanged from a rickety gallows, he goes after the man responsible--a baron feared by the peasants from miles around. Something far worse than the devilish baron or the terrible, intelligent wolf that prowls the woods lies hidden in the ruined monastery beneath the baron's castle, where a devil-worshipping priest died in chains centuries ago.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Sept. 24.
Jim: I knew Solomon Kane would show up eventually. Everyone who ever gets the Howard license eventually does Solomon Kane and yet it has never enthralled me that much. I will give this book a chance.
Lee: It can’t be any worse than Marvel Solomon Kane in the 80’s. Then again that had early Mignola art.

UMBRELLA ACADEMY UMBRELLA
In conjunction with the second series of The Umbrella Academy, conceived and written by Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance) with interior art byGabriel Bå, we bring you The Umbrella Academy umbrella!
It may be summer now, but in September, when this latest Umbrella Academy product arrives, we'll be unearthing our sweaters and shopping for the latest rain gear. We could not resist creating The Umbrella Academy umbrella. With the Umbrella icon on the four white exterior panels and the logo printed on the interior, this is a striking umbrella: impressive-looking, fun, and useful! Made by top-quality umbrella manufacturer Shed Rain. Shed Rain's umbrellas have a lifetime warranty!
$29.99, in stores on Sept. 24.
Jim: Well this was inevitable.
Lee: No it wasn’t. I wasn’t expecting this. In fact, now that I see it I wish they hadn’t. Not saying it’s the dumbest idea ever but its sure close.

WETA NARNIA PRINCE CASPIAN STATUES
The Warrior Satyr statue10.5" H x 13" W x 6.5" DLimited to 300 pieces$300.00
Lee: OH YEAH. Ninja goat statues! That is superty-duperty cool. I gotta get me one of these. Wait, it’s a satyr you say? Whatever, call it what you want but I know that it’s a ninja goat. Now all they need is a samurai chicken. Or maybe a cow with a big, bad battle ax. And not minotaur cow, I talking b&w Holstein cow with a big, bad, battle ax.
Jim: LOL. Yeah I’m laying out $300 for this thing!

Jim: Now I will say this is a very short list, but I have only picked five items an will then send it on to Lee and who knows how many I will get back.
Lee: I can’t believe you skipped the ninja goat. THAT IS SOOO COOL… this needs more exclamations…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I added a few. You picked the obvious, I picked the obviously silly.

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