Dark Horse Penguin Picks: February 2026
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus vol. 6
*sigh* Delayed again. Which, I suppose, is better than the release date coming and not having it arrive. I mean, that could still happen, but they’ll actually have to nail down a proper release date first. Which is April 14, 2026, according to this latest re-solicitation. Hope springs eternal!
Like I said last time (and the time before, I’m sure), I’m going to keep putting this omnibus in this spot until it’s released. In case its continually shifting release date wasn’t further proof, this series needs all the promotion it can get. So Dark Horse, if you want this spot to go to something else in a given month, make sure this omnibus actually comes out this April!
Lands Unknown: The Skinless Man #1 (of 2): I guess Mike Mignola and Dark Horse are serious about making this new fictional universe a thing. After one successful graphic novel, and one upcoming one, now we’re getting single issue stories being told in the world of “Lands Unknown.” This one involving an individual who’s said to be desperate to get new skin at any cost. Which seems like a bad omen for the baby on the cover of this issue… but is likely more true for the group of double-crossing warlocks mentioned in the solicitation text. While this will be the first story in this universe that Mignola isn’t illustrating himself, this miniseries is in good hands: Ben Stenbeck’s! It turns out that when he left the Mignolaverse he was just moving into the fancy new place across the street.
Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ‘84 #1 (of 5): Now this was a genuine surprise. Not only is it an “Usagi Yojimbo” spinoff in a brand-new setting, but it’s not written or illustrated by creator Stan Sakai (he’s doing a variant cover, though). Kaito Usagi is a descendant of the Rabbit-Eared Ronin who makes his way as a thief on the mean streets of Osaka, circa 1984. When he gets involved in a heist for a legendary spear, he finds that it might change his destiny forever. This is being written by Zack Rosenberg and illustrated by Jared Cullum, who are not familiar to me at all. Yet, if they’re good enough for Sakai, then I owe it to the man to give this a shot. There’s no denying this setting and setup sound pretty cool, though.
Minor Threats: Last Devil Left Alive #5 (of 5): The latest installment in this series-of-miniseries reaches its end with a very final-sounding solicitation. We’re told that Frankie “Playtime” Follis’ story has been leading to this and to put on your domino mask and pull out your Jack-in-the-Box gun one last time. So it sure sounds like the end of Playtime’s story, but what of the future of “Minor Threats” in general? Well, unless this miniseries can recapture the good times of the first one, it may be a good time for creators Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, and Scott Hepburn to move onto greener pastures.
Creepy Presents: Richard Corben: Collecting the late, great creator’s short stories from the “Creepy” and “Eerie” anthologies. It doesn’t look to be an official part of Dark Horse’s efforts to reprint the man’s library – it’s in softcover and lacks the same trade dress – but it also sounds like a great deal at just over 350 pages for $30. Definitely worth checking out for the converts, and probably worth a look for anyone who’s been curious as to why Corben was considered one of the all-time greats.
Nerd Inferno: The Essential Evan Dorkin: Collecting everything from “Dork!” all of “Milk & Cheese” and the whole “Eltingville Club” saga. It’s too bad his “Attack on Attack on Titan” strips aren’t here as well, as those were pretty funny. They made me laugh more than “Milk & Cheese” at any rate. “Eltingville” is the real treasure here, as it was an unflinching look at unwashed fandom that tried to warn us about how bad nerds could be before we all found out for ourselves. However, if you missed out on Dark Horse’s previous collection of that series, then picking up this 648-page softcover for $35 is apparently a lot easier and cheaper than tracking that down.
Trailer Park Warlock vol. 1: Collecting the first 26 chapters of the Webtoon series in print at 536 pages for $40. What’s this one about? Exactly what you’d think. Sometimes, like “Moonshine Sasquatch,” all it takes is a clever name to get me interested in something.
Cat + Crazy vol. 3: Well, if “Kurosagi” doesn’t come out in April, at least there’s something else to look forward to. Is there anything else?
Gunsmith Cats: Burst Omnibus vol. 2: FORGET I ASKED!!!