Dark Horse Has Goodies at SDCC!

DARK HORSE UNVEILS THE FIRST WAVE OF 2014 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

EXCLUSIVE BOOKS AND PRODUCTS!

The year’s most anticipated event will host more exclusive Dark Horse merchandise than ever before!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MILWAUKIE, OR – July means the most anticipated event of the year in pop culture is just weeks away! As we rapidly approach the doors opening to the world on July 23, Dark Horse announces the first wave of 2014 SDCC exclusives, available in the expanded Exclusives Store at booth #2615!

Dark Horse has produced more items than EVER for this year’s show, as well as secured a few other extremely limited edition items from our partners!

The list can be found below, available only at the Dark Horse 2014 Exclusives Store at Comic-Con International!

Look for news on the latest items in our line of products based on HBO’s Game of Thrones™ produced exclusively for Comic Con in the coming days!

A set number of exclusives and limited editions will be portioned for each day of the show.

1.         Itty Bitty Hellboy Plush: 2014 San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive 

7.25" tall plush version of the colorful cartoon treatment of Mike Mignola’s characters by Art Baltazar and Franco featuring an San Diego Comic Con International logo t-shirt.

Price:  $15.00

Production Run:  500

Limit:  Two per person

2.         Mass Effect Alliance Cruiser: Convention Exclusive Bronze Edition 

9" long polyresin bronze finished Alliance Cruiser. Dark Horse has utilized digital assets direct from Bioware to faithfully capture all details in transforming this ship from a digital creation into our physical world.  

Price:  $60.00

Production Run:  350

Limit:  One per person

3.         Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10 #5 San Diego Comic-Con International 2014 Variant Cover

When Buffy and crew try to wrest Xander from Dracula’s control, they begin a battle supreme with the terrifying demon that Dracula has become . . .

Christos Gage, Nicholas Brendan (writers)  * Rebekah Isaacs (artist) * Dan Jackson (colorist) * Andy Park (cover artist)

Price:  $5.00

Print Run:  1,000

Limit:  Five per person

4.         Star Wars: Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir #1 San Diego Comic-Con International Variant Cover

Star Wars: Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir is based on unaired episodes of The Clone Wars television series! 

Jeremy Barlow (writer) * Juan Frigeri (penciler) * Mauro Vargas (inker), Wes Dzioba colorist), Chris Scalf (cover artist)

Price:  $5.00

Print Run:  1,000

Limit:  Five per person

5.         Captain Midnight: Stolen Future Convention Exclusive Slipcase Edition

In the forties, Captain Midnight was an American hero, a daredevil fighter pilot, a technological genius . . . a superhero. Since he rifled out of the Bermuda Triangle and into the present day, Captain Midnight has been labeled a threat to homeland security. Can Captain Midnight survive in the modern world, with the US government on his heels and an old enemy out for revenge?

Captain Midnight Volumes 1 and 2 are featured in a deluxe convention exclusive slipcase.

Price:  $20.00

Print run:  400

Limit:   Five per person

 6.  Hellboy in Hell, Volume 1:  The Descent—San Diego Comic-Con International Hardcover Edition 

After saving the world in The Storm and the Fury but sacrificing himself and Great Britain, Hellboy is dead, cast into Hell, where he finds many familiar faces and a throne that awaits him. This deluxe hardcover treatment mirrors the recently released 20 Years of Hellboy hardcover, and fits beautifully next to it and the previous Library Editions.

Price:  $40.00

Print Run: 1,200

Limit: Two per person

7.         EVE: Source Limited Edition

EVE: Source is your comprehensive source book and visual guide to the gargantuan universe experienced in EVE Online and DUST 514. Published by Dark Horse Comics and developed in close collaboration with the EVE and DUST 514 creative teams, this beautiful 200-page, full color hardcover will immerse readers in the history and lore of EVE through stunning artwork and never-before-released material detailing the settings, stories, races, and factions of the EVE Universe.

The Limited Edition contains: A beautiful black clamshell protective box with an embossed silver logo, two lithographs by EVE artists Borkur Eiriksson and Georg Hilmarsson in a protective sleeve, an anodized aluminum commemorative and numbered plaque embedded in the protective box, a unique CCP “source” code redeemable on the EVE Account Management site (https://secure.eveonline.com/).

The limited edition is bound in matte black JVP with embossed silver logo.

Price:  $90.00

Print Run:  1,400

Limit:  One per person

8.         Usagi Yojimbo San Diego Comic-Con International Exclusive Lithograph

An 18" x 20" Usagi Yojimbo lithograph signed by creator Stan Sakai to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Usagi Yojmbo.

Price:  $20.00

Print Run:  300

Limit:  Two per person

9.         Itty Bitty Hellboy Convention Exclusive Hardcover

Witness the awesomeness that is Hellboy! The characters that sprung from Mike Mignola’s imagination, with an Aw Yeah Art Baltazar and Franco twist! This book has all the fun, adventure, and Aw Yeah-ness in one itty bitty package! That’s a true story right there. Collects Itty Bitty Hellboy #1–#5 in a hardcover edition exclusive to conventions.

Price:   $20.00

Print Run: 1,000

Limit:  Five per person 

10.       The Witcher  #1 Convention Variant Cover

Legendary artist Stan Sakai has done a special cover of the tie-in series The Witcher, a canonical entry in the world of the Witcher video games, which have collectively won over 250 awards and sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide! All proceeds from the sale of this limited edition variant will benefit Stan and Sharon Sakai.

Price:  $5.00

Print Run: 1,000

Limit:  Five per person

Fray

Hundreds of years in the future, Manhattan has become a deadly slum, run by mutant crime-lords and disinterested cops.  Stuck in the middle is a young girl who thought she had no future, but learns she has a great destiny.  In a world so poisoned that it doesn't notice the monsters on its streets, how can a street kid like Fray unite a fallen city against a demonic plot to consume mankind?  Joss Whedon, the celebrated creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, brings his vision to the future in this unique tale.  As inventive in the comics medium as in that of television or film, Whedon spins a complex tale of a skilled thief coming of age without the help of friends or family, guided only by a demonic Watcher.

To this day, and likely til the day I’m dust, Buffy is one of my absolute favorites.  The show, the comics, and obviously the character – I just love everything Buffy.  Having such adoration for the series as a whole, I stumbled upon Fray on sale and figured it was worth a shot.  Let me tell you, it’s easily one of the best things I’ve ever bought, comic or otherwise.  I almost feel bad waiting to buy it on sale as it is well worth the full price.  Almost.  Sales are still good.

First off, I have to say that I struggle with the notion of this new Slayer competing for my love of Buffy as favorite.  She is that awesome.  Melaka Fray is one hell of a character, and I have to give Joss Whedon immense props for writing her so well that it could make me ponder who my favorite is.  It should be no surprise that he could do that, but still, it says a lot.

So who is this amazing Slayer of the future?  Well, when it comes down to it, she’s a thief, through and through.  Bonus for her of course, she has the innate strength, speed and agility that come with her “lineage”, yet she just takes that for granted.  Like any of the previous Slayers, the news of what she really is did not blow over well.  This probably was only made worse by who told her, that being her demon Watcher.  Yes, demon Watcher.  Once she gets into the mix though, she gets in seriously deep.  Far deeper than she could have ever expected once the protagonist shows their face.

Coupled with the fantastic story that Whedon has written is the spectacular artwork that penciller Karl Moline and accompanying colorists present.  It is absolutely wonderful to look at throughout the entirety of Fray.  As great as the art is as a whole, I truly have to applaud the character design for Mel.  She is just beautiful, and in my opinion is honestly a perfect appearance for the character.

One thing I specifically have to mention.  If you’re not one to read forwards of TPBs, do so with Fray.  It’s a good read, and also makes mention of something I completely agree with.  You’ll end up loving and hating Joss for one particular character.  I probably lean more toward hate, but I’ll leave it at that for you to experience on your own.

Whether or not you’re a Buffy fan, this is one title I wholeheartedly recommend you pick up.  There are a few things here and there that relate back to previous knowledge, but in no way is necessary to enjoy it.  Every once in a while, I’ll find a title I reread, and I’ve already done so with this book three times.  If that’s not enough to convince you, go out and pick it up to prove it for yourself.

For more information on Fray or other Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics, check out Dark Horse Comics.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Seasons 1-9

For many of us who were teens in the late 90s, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a key piece of pop culture that you came to love.  Some first experienced the character through the Kristy Swanson movie, while others did so through Joss Whedon’s vastly successful TV series.  With the massive popularity on screen, it was only natural that the Buffyverse would expand into comics.  Thanks to Dark Horse, the Slayer and friends continue to fight the good fight and still look great doing so.

For those not familiar with the series, how can one sum up the first seven seasons without spoilers?  I have to admit that is tough, but let’s see what we can do with it.  Enter Buffy Summers, the pretty blonde who finds herself in a new school just trying to be a typical teenage girl.  This as you’ll quickly find out is not really possible, as she is the “Chosen One”.  As the title would denote, vampires are the primary menace on which the series frequently focuses.  But throughout the multitude of seasons, Buffy and her companions lovingly referred to as the “Scooby Gang” face a long list of villains ranging from demons, to robots and any number of other supernatural beings.  When it comes down to it, her continual struggle boils down to saving the world, or at the least her hometown of Sunnydale.

Fast forward to Season 8, brought to us via comics thanks to Dark Horse.  Things have certainly not slowed down at all, as Buffy and her “army” persistently works to fight off all things evil.  As you’d imagine, the usual suspects, including of course vampires, still play their evil role.  This time though, the major threat the gang comes to face is a mysterious figure known as Twilight.  Working with the government and some other baddies who return from the show, he seeks to destroy the Slayers and magic while he’s at it.  Couple this with mystical creatures, time travel and super powers and it’s just another chapter in the life of Buffy and company.

Onwards to Season 9, and the aftermath of what turns out to be an all out war between Team Buffy and Team Twilight (yes, I did that on purpose).  Things have changed quite a bit with how the world works now, more so for some than others.  All the usual dangers are present, but are dealt with differently as Buffy, Willow and a number of newcomers must learn to adjust to.  Along with a vicious new breed of vampire, our top billing for bad guys we see two foes from Season 8 return with renewed energy.  Luckily, the original Scooby trio returns to action just in time to face off and save the world - and something even more important to them.

As fantastic as the stories are to read, they look equally just as good.  It is a challenge to embody the real life actors in pencil and the challenge is met head on.  Although every artist brings their own personal touch to the characters, every one of them has their likeness captured wonderfully.  To compliment the excellent character art, every brutal, dark setting that the Slayer and companions battle in is gorgeously drawn.  All the action and magic that fills these stories is beautifully portrayed as well, fully bringing life to every fast paced scene.

The transition of the series to a print-only format has been done really smoothly in my opinion.  As one of those who grew up watching (and crushing on) Buffy, getting to continue the adventure even just in books is a treat.  Everything fans loved about the series, the quirky, the funny, the heartfelt, all make their way onto the pages of Dark Horse’s comic treatment of the franchise.  Anyone who invested seven seasons of TV content should most certainly keep going with the comics.  Even for those who haven’t though, these books are a wonderful way to break into the series.  With Season 10 now in motion, everyone has plenty more to look forward to.

For more information on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics, check out Dark Horse Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

David Boreanaz, 'Angel,' 'Buffy,' 'Bones' Star To Attend Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, June 1-2 For First-Ever Public Signing

Joins Stan Lee, Summer Glau, William Shatner, WWE® Superstars John Cena® And Daniel Bryan® At Pennsylvania Convention Center

NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA – Best known for starring roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” and the current Fox prime-time series “Bones,” David Boreanaz will make his first-ever public signing at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con on Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2.  Boreanaz, who grew up in the Philadelphia area, played the vampire “Angel” in the Joss Whedon cult series and portrays “Special Agent Seeley Booth” opposite Emily Deschanel in “Bones.”

Boreanaz will meet Wizard World fans, pose for photo ops (solo, dual and with fellow “Buffy” cast alums James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Juliet Landau and others also in attendance), sign autographs and conduct an interactive Q&A at Philadelphia Comic Con.  He will join fellow comics legend Stan Lee, Summer Glau (Serenity, “Firefly”), William Shatner (“Star Trek,” “Boston Legal”), WWE® Superstars John Cena® And Daniel Bryan® and Manu Bennett (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, “Spartacus: Vengeance”) as headliners scheduled at the event, held May 30 – June 2 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

“David Boreanaz and Buffy fans have attended our shows for many years, and we are proud to have his first ever public signing at Philadelphia Comic Con 2013, his hometown crowd,” said John Macaluso, Wizard World president and CEO.  “We are striving to bring our loyal fans the guests they have been asking for, and David is at the top of that list.”

His first notable role was that of Kelly Bundy's boyfriend “Frank” in a 1993 episode of “Married with Children,” and after a few other bit parts was cast in “Buffy” from 1997-1999 and the spin-off “Angel” through 2004.  A year later, Boreanaz landed the “Bones” starring role, a series he has also produced and directed.  In 2006, Boreanaz ventured into the comics world with a voice role in the animated feature Justice League: The New Frontier, to which he gave a nod in an episode of “Bones” in which his character is seen reading the Green Lantern character that he had voiced.

Fans will also be able to purchase “David Boreanaz VIP” tickets, for the full experience including photos, autographs and reserved seating at the Boreanaz programming panel, sure to be an extremely popular event.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.  Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con show hours are Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon - 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more on the 2013 Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, visit http://www.wizardworld.com/home-pa.html.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

Buffy Season 8 Vol. 1

Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers-newly legion-have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and Dawn experiences some serious growing pains. Meanwhile, one of the "Buffy" decoy slayers is going through major pain of her own.

Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to season seven of the smash-hit TV series. The bestselling and critically acclaimed issues 1-5 are collected here for the first time, as are their covers by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty.

The Good

Being such a big Buffy fan, it was going to be very tough to not be pleased with this.  To no surprise, especially with Whedon at the helm, this was just as enjoyable for me as its TV predecessor.  Everything transitioned smoothly into the comics and felt just like it did in on the show.  I was particularly happy with the likeness the characters had to their real life counterparts.

The Bad

Personally, I really couldn’t find anything bad to say about this first volume.  I would only really offer a warning to those without any prior knowledge of the show that you might feel lost.

The Summary

As a long time fan, I thought this was the perfect extension to follow up the hit TV show.  It may not be an easy standalone read for non-fans, but remains a good book nonetheless.  I’m very glad I got the chance to read this, and cannot wait to continue with the following issues.  All Buffy fans should definitely have this in their collection.

For more information on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics or other Dark Horse books, check out Dark Horse Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are 100% those of the individual reviewer.

Dark Horse Holiday Gift Guide

Click on the photo to view other gift options from Dark Horse!

Dark Horse to Publish Buffyverse Sampler in January 2013

DARK HORSE OFFERS BUFFY FANS THE CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH THE CAST OF SEASON 9 IN ONE VALUE-PRICED SAMPLER!

BUFFYVERSE SAMPLER TO FEATURE FULL FIRST ISSUES OF BUFFY SEASON 9, ANGEL & FAITH, SPIKE, AND WILLOW!

OCTOBER 11, NEW YORK, NY—Dark Horse offers fans and retailers alike the perfect jumping-on point for all of the titles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9!

In 2007, Dark Horse made comics history with a revolutionary new concept: Joss Whedon’s best-loved television series continued in comics with Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8. With Joss Whedon himself at the helm, the series launched with much critical acclaim, and sold out of multiple printings.

Following the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Dark Horse launched four separate series for the anticipated Buffy Season 9. Buffy Season 9 and Angel & Faith are direct follow-ups to Season 8, while Spike and Willow are spinoffs from those two ongoing series.

Collected here are all four #1 issues, with all-new cover art by C. L. Bradley!

Coming in at 96 pages, this issue carries the low cover price of only $4.99!

Look for this at your local comic shop on January 23, 2013! 

Angel & Faith

Volume 1 – 1st printing. "Live Through This!" Collects Angel and Faith (2011 Dark Horse) #1-5. Written by Christos N. Gage. Art by Rebekah Isaacs and Phil Noto. Cover Art by Dan Jackson and Steve Morris. 

"Angel has made bad choices in his life. Most recently? While possessed, he killed Giles. However, he believes he's found a way to make amends, by bringing the Watcher back from the grave! Cue Faith-rebel Slayer, and Angel's only ally-who only supports this harebrained scheme in order to keep her friend from catatonia. New threats emerge as this unlikely duo struggles against real and personal demons alike, while hitting the dark streets of London!" Softcover, full color, 136 pages

The Good

            Easily, the 1^st thing that stood out to me was the beautiful piece by Joe Chen in the front of the book. Just breathe taking.

            The humor. From the start, you can see that the book will be filled with pretty great humor. Both blatant and dry. Honestly, that is something I wasn’t expecting. The humor just added so much to the story. It helped just keep the story flowing very smoothly. And within the 2^nd story, the Doctor Who joke made me smirk.

            The “real life” aspect. I am new to the Buffy world, so the idea of a world with demons and magic bound by rules was greatly entertaining.  So many daily ideas are bound within the 1^st story. A class system amongst demons, what happens when violence no longer bothers you, having great skills and talents but not having an outlet for them, sanity. I was surprised to find all these ideas within this book. Even minor characters having “real” problems was very interesting to see.

The Bad.

            Story 1-“Live Through This”. Once the main plot came to a close, the story just seemed to go on a little too long. It went on for four pages longer than I expected. The story was good, just could have ended sooner.

            Back story- I am brand new to these characters. A quick summary of who people are would have been nice for the readers. I didn’t know who everyone was and I didn’t know who was supposed to be alive at the beginning of the story.

Most of story 2. The entire book just seemed so out of place. Where the 1^st story made me want to read, the second just irritated me. In my notes, I wrote the word “fluff”.  Maybe it is just that I do not know the Buffy world, but the story just seemed too silly to follow the “Live through this”. I rolled my eyes at the zombie vampires.

            The art in story 2. The characters did not really resemble Angel and Faith. I know that it is difficult to make to resemble real people but some of the pictures were not even close.

Summary

            On my own, I probably wouldn’t have ever picked up this book, just because it wasn’t my style. However, after reading it, I am wondering if the still open plot lines will come to an epic conclusion. The potential of the villains is pretty great and I’m still not sure if I’m supposed to like Angel or not- and I find that a good thing.

            Overall, it was a good read with great art for the most part. I am a fan of Christos Gage’s work and he continued to keep me as a fan. I’m sure this book fits well with the Whedon vampire universe. I found it interesting and I’m sure the fans would like it even more.

For more information about this book, check out its page on Dark Horse!

---Walter---
Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions belong to the author and not the site or publisher.