Jim: Dark Horse is not only a publisher lately, but they are also a merchandiser. These guys are pretty darn smart as they seem to be doing most of it themselves.
THE GOON: FANCY PANTS EDITION VOLUME 3Eric Powell (W/A) and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale July 7, FC, 272 pgs, HC, 7" x 10", $34.99
This volume contains all of Eric Powell’s stories from “Goon Year: The Return of Labrazio” in a signed limited-edition hardcover.The town on the edge of Horse-Eater’s Wood is permeated by all manner of dark things—hatred, fear, unhappiness, demons, and the undead (to name a few)—brought on by a curse that has festered within the forest for many years. The death of one of the Goon’s closest allies is revealed as the work of the dead mobster Labrazio, returned to wreak havoc and destruction upon the Goon and those who stand by him. The Goon and Franky must fight back against Labrazio’s undead hordes in this touching story of demonic kitties, zombie burlesque, and animal love (there’s a sentence you never thought you’d read).• Copies of The Goon: Fancy Pants Vol. 3 hardcover will be printed to initial orders and are exclusive to the direct market.• This edition also includes an exclusive Eric Powell illustration, individually signed by Powell!• Collects The Goon #20–#31.• Look for an all-new spinoff series coming soon!
Lee: I love these Goon hc’s! They are soooo very, very nice. I’m pretty sure everyone is getting these by now but it’s still fun to talk about.
Jim: Yeah, yeah, very nice, now sell your volume one.
Lee: hummmm, just noticed the fine print…a new spin off series? Does the Good really need a spin off? Well, BPRD is great and that’s spun off Hellboy so maybe this is good news.
Jim: Not sure what the spin-off is all about, but I will give Eric plenty of rope and try it out.
HELLBOY IN MEXICO (OR, A DRUNKEN BLUR)Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Richard Corben (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale May 5, FC, 32 pgs, $3.50, One-Shot
During the 1950s, Hellboy caravans across Mexico with a trio of vampire-killing luchadores, finding the undead; evil turkeys; a terrible bat god; and a little too much tequila.Reuniting Mike Mignola and Richard Corben, the creative team behind the Eisner Award-winning miniseries Hellboy: The Crooked Man!• Arriving just in time for Cinco de Mayo this issue features a variant cover, in Spanish, by Mike Mignola.
Lee: Corben does Hellboy! What’s not to love? If anything, Corben’s art has gotten better over the years and Hellboy is the perfect vehicle for him to show it off.
Jim: I have enjoyed the other Hellboy issues with Corben and between this and his Marvel stuff Corben has enjoyed a true renaissance.
NEXUS ARCHIVES VOLUME 11Mike Baron (W), Mark Heike (P), Hugh Haynes (P), John K. Snyder III (P), Luke McDonnell (P), and Les Dorscheid (C)
On sale July 14, FC, 232 pgs, HC, 7" x 10", $49.99
Saved from certain death by Sundra’s shrewd business dealings, current Nexus Stan Korivitsky attempts to pick up where he left off: creating the University of Ylum and pursuing a relationship with Sonia, a former mole within the Elvonic Order. However, when the latter attachment is violently severed, Stan throws himself into his Nexus work with such brutal and indiscriminate fervor that even Ylum is forced to cut ties! Enter the Bad Brains, twisted Head-like beings who are all too willing to provide Stan fusionkasting powers in exchange for him enacting their vengeance. Meanwhile, a well-kept secret of the long-absent Merk is uncovered, the antitechnology god Elvon imperils Ylum, and Horatio’s extended soul-searching travels come to a surprising conclusion.
Lee: I’m pretty impressed that DH is still reprinting these because this material is only ok. By this point, Rude had left and Baron’s stories were starting to flounder. I looked at the original issues the other night (yes, I have all these too) and even I think I’ll pass.
Jim: Too deep into the series to be worth the archive treatment in my view. I'm sure the Nexus completists are happy.
THUN’DA, KING OF THE CONGO ARCHIVEFrank Frazetta (W/A), Gardner Fox (W), and Bob Powell (A)
On sale July 7, FC, 224 pages, HC, 6 5/8" x 10 3/16", $49.99
Frank Frazetta is widely renowned as one of the greatest fantasy illustrators of all time. But he didn’t hone his skills in study at the fabled galleries of Paris or Milan; his legendary talents flourished as he worked for hire during the Golden Age of comics! In the early 1950s, Frazetta set up shop at bustling comics publisher Magazine Enterprises, contributing beautiful cover illustrations and comics pages. There, he also created his first mighty adventurer: the lost-world-jungle hero Thun’da! Though Frazetta left Magazine Enterprises shortly after the first issue of Thun’da was released, and the series was ultimately short lived despite the talented care of collaborators Gardner Fox and Bob Powell, to this day the Thun’da, King of the Congo comics series is held in high regard both as an exciting adventure title and as the only comics series ever to include a cover-to-cover, all-Frazetta issue!• Collecting all six issues of Thun’da, King of the Congo, as well as the Thun’da backup stories that appeared in Cave Girl and Africa: Thrilling Land of Mystery.Featuring art by golden age greats Frank Frazetta, Gardner Fox, and Bob Powell!
Lee: How did DH ever get the rights to this???? I wonder if this fell into public domain? Oh well, doesn’t matter to me because I’m getting this. There isn’t much Frazetta comic work to be collected so this is somewhat of a rarity. I’m excited.
Jim: Also the vast majority of the art is Bob Powell, but I'm getting it too. Frazetta is always a draw for me.
Lee: How do you know the vast majority of the art is Powell???? I know his art so that's still very good to me but I bet many people don't.
Jim: Because I'm all wise and knowing. -- I read it somewhere. Frazetta only did the first issue if I'm correct. I could look it up, but I'm being lazy.
TRIAD: GHOST 12" FIGUREOn sale July 14, $99.99
One of the most popular Dark Horse characters is surely Ghost. Introduced in Comics’ Greatest World in 1993, Ghost won her own title and continued for many issues, drawn by some of the industry’s best artists. The tale of Elisa Cameron and her search for the truth surrounding her apparent death struck a chord with readers, and we are happy to see her returning from her natural state of unbeing into our physical plane with this lovingly detailed 12" articulated figure produced by Triad Toys. Triad has paid attention to every detail: from her fatal .45s, her fitted gloves, her flowing white cape and cowl, and her luxurious, realistic hair. This is the ultimate Ghost collector’s item.
Lee: Going right on the shelf next to my Barb Wire inflatable dooollllll…. Um, right next to all my other action figures. Yes indeedy, this will look nice. Right in the middle of the shelf, waaayyyy in the middle-back of the shelf where my wife and kids can’t see it. Nice indeed.
Jim: That figure will be riding in the car next to you and you will try to tell the cop why she qualifies you to use an HOV lane. $100 for an action figure - who is buying these????
TROUBLEMAKER BOOK 1Janet Evanovich (W), Alex Evanovich (W), and Joëlle Jones (A)
On sale July 20, FC, 112 pages, HC, 6" x 9", $17.99
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 friends Rosa and Felicia call for help. A man has gone missing, and in order to find him 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!
Lee: Janet who? Good for DH to diversify. But, I really need to read more than just comic books. Jim: Yeah I'm with Lee Janet who, although I really like Joelle Jones artwork and the premise sounds good. I'm a little afraid of jumping into the middle of a series though.
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY POCKET WATCH AND STATUE SETOn sale July 14, Limited to 500, numbered with a certificate of authenticity, $129.99
For the discerning Umbrella Academy fan and collector, we are proud to introduce a distinguished pocket watch, featuring artwork from the wildly popular The Umbrella Academy, paired with a 5.5" statuette of 00.05, also known as The Boy, whose character is often seen glancing at a similar timepiece in the saga of his reluctant superhero family. Encapsulating the designs and stylistic ideas of Umbrella Academy writer Gerard Way and artist Gabriel Bá, Dark Horse has created a high-end watch. Measuring 2.18" in diameter, this state-of-the-art timepiece combines with a sturdy 12" chain so you can carry your watch in style. The watch comes in a deluxe faux-leather, velveteen-lined box with a numbered metal certificate of authenticity. A sleek outer sleeve, designed by Gabriel Bá, holds it all together in one classy, modern package.The statuette is a limited edition in its own right, and the two items together make an unusual but oddly fitting and well-executed package— which, come to think of it, is just like The Umbrella Academy itself.
Lee: OOOOHHHH, pretty! I have to admit that I am a pocket watch nerd and this is sharp looking. Now, add the fact that I could wear this at work and ‘silently’ display my comic book geekiness and I just might have to get this.
Jim: Get this and watch (pun intended) you wife clock (pun intended) you for getting this. Again some nice collectibles of market branding, but who gets this stuff???
Lee: I'm really considering the watch. That's pretty cool. I may have to wait until Christmas when 'Santa' leaves it under the tree for me... but it's worth the wait.
Jim: Always fun to review Dark Horse and I can't wait to see Lee carry around his Umbrella Academy pocket watch.
I don't know if the comic will be any good, but Janet Evanovich has a very good series of books featuring a character named Stephanie Plum. Jim ought to like it, as they're set in south Jersey, Trenton to be precise. It's detective fiction with a hapless lead character who's a bounty hunter for her cousin, who's a bailbondsman. Funny stuff that's more about the characters, especially the lead's family (put upon parents, kinda crazy grandmother, apparently ideal married sister, etc.) The titles all have catchy phrases that match up with the number in the series (ie One for the Money). I have the first nine (I think), if you want to check them out.
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