Category Archives: News

Comics, Dark Horse Comics, News

‘Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea’ is Coming

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If you’re a fan of Hellboy, which, I’m pretty sure everyone with a properly functioning brain is, you’re going to want to pay close attention this exciting news break. There’s more magic from Dark Horse and the world of Hellboy on the way, and we’re stoked beyond belief.

Check out all the deets courtesy of the official Dark Horse press release:

Next spring, Dark Horse Comics will publish an original graphic novel, Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea, co-written by legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, co-written and illustrated by Eisner Award-winning artist Gary Gianni and colored by award-winning colorist Dave Stewart. Following the events of the classic story “The Island,” Hellboy sets sail from the wreckage of a deserted island only to cross paths with a ghost ship. Taken captive by the phantom crew that plans to sell him to the circus, Hellboy is dragged along by a captain who will stop at nothing in pursuit of a powerful sea creature.

Gary Gianni has previously collaborated with iconic writers including George R. R. Martin, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury and Michael Chabon and teamed up with Michael Kaluta to work on the classic pulp hero, The Shadow. Gianni is best known the creator of the Monstermen series, which appeared as a back-up feature in Hellboy. He also illustrated Prince Valiant, the syndicated newspaper comic strip, for 8 years. Gianni will illustrate Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea, with colors by Dave Stewart; Mignola will provide a cover, with colors by Stewart.

“I imagine if Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea were a movie, the Hollywood hyperbole would describe it as Hellboy’s greatest adventure,” said Gary Gianni. “Yes… it’s Hellboy as you’ve never seen him before, laughing , loving and battling his way across the stormy seas! You’ll be thrilled as he faces cosmic forces terrorizing a haunted ship manned by a desperate crew! Be sure not to miss Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea, the biggest comic book event of the year!”

Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea is the third Hellboy original graphic novel, following the classics, Hellboy: House of the Living Dead by Mignola, Richard Corben and Stewart (2011) and Hellboy: The Midnight Circus by Mignola, Duncan Fegredo and Stewart.

Pre-order Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea on Amazon and Penguin Random House.

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Comics, News

Andrew MacLean’s ‘Head Lopper’ is Coming in Trade Paperback in Time for Halloween

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If you haven’t looked into Andrew MacLean’s Head Lopper, you’re missing a really impressive piece of work. MacLean is the real deal and Head Lopper is must-read material.

It’s also coming to stands in an amazing new 280-page trade paperback that’s worthy of a purchase, and then some.

The book heads our way in October courtesy of the always awesome Image Comics.

Dig on the full details courtesy of the official press release.

Andrew MacLean (Apocalyptigirl) will release his critically-acclaimed, action-packed indie hit HEAD LOPPER in trade paperback this October, collecting all four double-sized issues.

The Head Lopper, the legendary hero who’d much rather go by Norgal, and the nagging severed head of Agatha Blue Witch arrive on the Isle of Barra to find it overrun with beasts: minions of the Sorcerer of the Black Bog. When Queen Abigail hires Norgal and Agatha to slay the Sorcerer, our heroes trek across the island relieving the horrors of their heads—and playing right into the hands of a master manipulator.

HEADLOPPER, VOL. 1: THE ISLAND OR A PLAGUE OF BEASTS (ISBN: 9781632158864) hits comic book stores Wednesday, October 5th and bookstores Tuesday, October 11th and will be available for $19.99. It can be ordered by retailers with the Diamond code: JUL160804. It can be preordered now via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Indigo.

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Comics, Dark Horse Comics, News

‘Resident Alien: The Man with No Name’ Arrives in September

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Big fan of Dark Horse’s Resident Alien? Well, we’ve got some news that should put a skin splitting smile on your face.

Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse are joining forces to deliver Resident Alien: The Man with No Name.

Look for the launch on September 14, 2016!

From the Press Release:

Dark Horse is proud to announce the newest installment in the Resident Alien universe, Resident Alien: The Man with No Name. Peter Hogan (2000 AD, Tom Strong) and Steve Parkhouse (Milkman Murders, Doctor Who) will revisit Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle and his mysterious adventures in Patience, Washington.

Resident Alien writer Peter Hogan explained the creative premise behind The Man with No Name: “In this series Harry’s not only dealing with a murder mystery; he’s having to deal with dramatic developments in his personal life as well — and readers will finally learn the answers to some of their questions about Harry’s past.”

Dark Horse, Hogan, and Parkhouse published the first Resident Alien series in 2012. The Man with No Nameis the fourth Resident Alien miniseries; it was preceded by Welcome to Earth!, The Suicide Blonde, and The Sam Hain Mystery. The first issue of The Man with No Name goes on sale September 14, 2016, with the next three issues of the miniseries published monthly.

Synopsis: Resident Alien chronicles the life of Harry, an alien who crash-landed on Earth and is forced to hide in plain sight among humans. While awaiting rescue and dodging government agencies intent on capturing him, Harry spends his time solving murders and other mysteries in a small Washington town. In The Man with No Name, Harry investigates a huge, bizarre fire attributed to a possible drug ring, while fending off the investigative prowess of the United States government.

Resident Alien

Comics, Image Comics, News

Scanners meets The Bourne Identity in Image’s ‘Throwaways’

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Author Caitlin Kittredge (Coffin Hill, Hell) and artist Steven Sanders (Wolverine) have teamed up to give us what promises to be a balls-to-the-wall joyride. Throwaways sounds like a certified keeper, and we’re pumped to see the book moving forward.

Look for Throwaways to launch in July.

Here’s some valuable 411 from the official press release:

Abby Palmer and Dean Logan are two broken people. Abby is a veteran with severe PTSD and Dean a burnout trying to escape the shadow of his infamous father—but when they are thrust into a modern-day MK-ULTRA conspiracy… They discover they are both ULTRA’s human experiments.

“Throwaways is the comic I’ve been waiting my whole career to write, and I can’t think of a better publisher than Image or a better collaborator than Steven,” said Kittredge. “This book is a collection of everything I love—spies, superpowers, secret history, conspiracies and action, grounded in a big dose of flawed, realistic characters. It’s just plain fun to write this book and I can’t wait for it to be unleashed on the world.”

Sanders added: “Throwaways has been a blast to work on! Just getting to draw ‘real life’ telekinetic fights has been something of a dream come true. I’ve had an itch to draw that sort of thing since I was a kid. It’s also giving me the chance to try out some illustration techniques I’ve just recently learned about. There’s a lot of detail to play with, a lot of action, but also quiet moments to build up tension. It’s hard for an artist to not be excited about a comic like this.”

THROWAWAYS #1 (Diamond Code MAY160548) will hit comic book stores on Wednesday, July 6th. The final order cutoff deadline for comic book retailers is Monday, June 13th.

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News

We’re Looking for Passionate and Dedicated Writers!

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At this point in time the website is in its obvious infancy, but we really want to grow. We want to be able to give comic fans the reviews they want. We want to give the analytical mind the thought provoking articles they deserve. We want to rank Marvel titles, characters and story lines. The same can be said for DC, Image, Dynamite, IDW and all of the other amazing indie publishers out there. We want to bring more exposure to your books.

That’s where you come in, because we need you to make it happen.

If you like writing about those things mentioned in the first paragraph, and you want all sorts of advance and current comics – in digital form – free of charge, then reach out to me here: contact@best-comic-books.com, let’s get this site growing like it should!

 

DC Comics, Movies, News

What We Want to See from Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice

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I haven’t made it over to see Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice yet, but it’s not for lack of trying. I drove by the theater 20 minutes before the day’s first showing. That crowd was as about as nasty as it gets, the line stretching the length of the theater and then some. It got me thinking, what in the world do I really hope to see from this movie? And, well, that simple thought leads me here, writing about a movie I should be watching right now.

A Prolonged Battle: The one thing I’d hate to see is these two comic icons duke it out for three minutes before they jump on the happy train by making up and joining forces, all a necessity to combat the wrecking ball that is Doomsday. Batman and Superman should be beating the snot out of each other for a solid 12-15 minutes if Snyder hopes to keep blood thirsty fans pleased.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skubcomU0U8

Blood: We’re hoping to see this collision get a little bit bloody. In reality, Batman stands little chance against the physically superior Superman, and that should lead to a brutal beating, assuming Batman shows up to fight. We’re hoping Zack Snyder goes grimy and bloodies things up. In all actuality, there’s basically no way that Bruce Wayne walks away from this fight without looking like raw hamburger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgQrxGV7Brk

Let’s Make Doomsday as Tough as He Truly is: Doomsday is the absolute freak that once beat every last ounce of life from Superman. Literally, he killed our beloved hero. How Superman came to return to the spotlight is irrelevant, what is relevant is the impact that Doomsday has. He’s Batman’s Bane, Spiderman’s Green Goblin, The X-Men’s Magneto. Give him the respect he deserves, even it means we have to see at least one of these heroes revived in the inevitable follow-up film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky4mDwJW_ZA

Batman Deserves to Know: We all know, based on the footage we’ve seen, that Superman knows Batman’s identity (he’s Superman, of course he knows!) in the film. But I haven’t seen anything to suggest that Wayne knows Superman’s alternative identity. But he has to know. He’s basically the world’s toughest detective. And he’s good. Here’s hoping the writing crew responsible for the screenplay respect Bruce’s intelligence.

No Cliffhangers: We all know that DC is gearing up to make a serious run at Marvel. They’ve basically got the same plan in motion, hoping to create a cohesive DC universe. We don’t know if it’s all going to work out yet, but we know it’s happening, and that’s why we deserve a definitive close to this film. It doesn’t really need the sequel we’re all expecting. These two can meet up and handle any lingering difference in one of the Justice League flicks, or one of the many other planned films (tell me it wouldn’t be cool to see Aquaman attempt to break up a fight between Batman and Superman). Let’s avoid any cliffhangers and completely abolish the idea of a sequel. There’s enough room to handle business in future DC films, no doubt about it.

Comics, Dark Horse Comics, News

Unveiling the Cover of Hellboy in Hell Volume 2!

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As a hardcore Hellboy fan, this little sliver of greatness just makes my day.

The cover of Hellboy in Hell Volume 2 has just been unveiled and it’s a certified winner. Appropriate, given how awesome the title is! Check out the image below, as well as some addition 411 from the official press release. You can find the image below!

Legendary comic book writer/artist Mike Mignola will conclude his critically acclaimed series HELLBOY IN HELL in 2016, when Dark Horse Comics publishes the final and tenth issue on June 1 and the trade paperback, HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 2 which collects issues 6 through 10, in October. In advance of the release of the series’ conclusion, Dark Horse Comics has released the cover to HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 2 by Mignola and award-winning colorist Dave Stewart. Following the conclusion of HELLBOY IN HELL, Mignola will take a year off from illustrating interior comic book pages in order to focus on fine art painting.

 

“Doing the cover to this collection was tough and of course I overthought the hell out of it,” said Mignola. “It’s the end of the series and so much happens. How do I get that onto a cover? In the end, after doing two self-rejected covers, I decided to just illustrate the title of the book. THE DEATH CARD. There is also a fairly subtle nod to the climax of the book in there, but mostly it’s illustrating the title while trying to do a composition very similar to the cover of the first collection. Since the two books do make one story, I really wanted to design the book covers so they would work well side by side.”

 

After facing off for a second time against the Vampire of Prague, Hellboy, dead and in Hell, comes down with a fatal illness, and seeks the help of an incompetent team of doctors. As he explores the geography of Hell, learning little from a confused pair of map makers, Hellboy gets a glimpse of the new World Tree that he helped to create, stands accused of murder by his own sister and, in a way, brings about the destruction of Pandemonium itself.

 

While 2016 will see the conclusion of HELLBOY IN HELL, ABE SAPIEN (which concludes in August) and B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH (which concludes in November), Dark Horse Comics will publish new issues of HELLBOY & THE BPRD co-written by Mignola and iZOMBIE co-creator Chris Roberson and illustrated by fan favorite artists, as well as unannounced titles which Mignola will co-write, but not illustrate.

 

HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 2 is available in comic shops October 5 and bookstores October 18. Preorder your copy today at your favorite retailer or local comic book store.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

 

HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 1 is now available from all major retailers.

 

HELLBOY IN HELL #9 and HELLBOY IN HELL #10 will be available in comic stores May 4 and June 1.

Hellboy in Hell 2

Comics, Dark Horse Comics, News

Dark Horse Preparing to Deliver Tree Mail in November

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Looking for a fine family read? Dark Horse will be taking care of you this coming cold season, as Mike Raicht and Brian Smith’s graphic novel, Tree Man will land on stands this coming November. We’re juiced, and you should be, too!

Dig on some more info from the official press release:

From the creative team behind Finding Nemo: Losing Dory comes Tree Mail and the world of Rudy.

 

“This book has been something Brian and I have been wanting to work on together for years,” says Mike Raicht. “If you’ve ever been an underdog, or had an impossible dream that was just too big for the world around you to contain, then Rudy the Tree Frog is the story for you.”

 

Rudy—a determined, optimistic frog—hopes to overcome the odds and land his dream job delivering mail to the other animals on Popomoko Island! Mike Raicht and Brian Smith deliver a full-color, all-ages romp that shows that the hopeful Rudy always hops forward, no matter what obstacle seems to be in the way of his dreams. And there are plenty of speed bumps, challenges, and detours on the way to becoming a full-time member in the island’s Royal Air Delivery Corps!

 

“I think he can inspire people young, old, and in between to chase their dreams and to truly become who they were meant to be, no matter what they’ve been told they’re ‘supposed’ to be,” says Brian Smith. “I think that is what Rudy and his adventures are all about. Becoming more than those around us, and maybe even we ourselves, believe is possible.”

 

The acclaimed creative team delivers a full, standalone adventure for all fans!

 

Tree Mail arrives on November 2.  Preorder your copy today at your local comic book store or favorite retailer.

 

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News

Dig on the X-Men: Apocalypse Trailer Now!

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You know you’re dealing with an amazing franchise when the worst of the bunch (X-Men: The Last Stand; we’re not even considering X-Men Origins: Wolverine, as that really wasn’t an X-Men movie) is an awful lot better than your average superhero flick.

The truth is, X-Men is a blockbuster money making machine because the films are well crafted and thoroughly nurtured, From the looks of this brand new X-Men: Apocalypse trailer, we’re in for another amazing adventure.

X-Men: Apocalypse is directed by Bryan Singer who works from a screenplay written by Simon Kinberg. Expect plenty of familiar faces as James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Evan Peters, and Lucas Till all return to reprise their roles. Olivia Munn, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Oscar Isaac and Lana Condor also join the cast.

Check out the trailer below.

Synopsis: Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto, to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven with the help of Professor X must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.