Dark Horse Previews Picks: March 2020
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
Steeple
All of the books from Dark Horse that I was considering for this month involved potential. Not so much that I was expecting greatness from them, but that they had the potential for that or just to surprise me. So why does “Steeple” get this spot? Because of all the things I’ve heard about its creator, John Allison, over the years. Whether it was his webcomic “Scary-go-Round” or the soon-to-wrap-up slice-of-college series “Giant Days,” his works have yet to disappoint his critics or fans. So it would appear that it’s been my loss that I haven’t checked out anything he’s done before now. I realize that the expectations of whether or not I’ll like a particular creator are a lot to hang on a series about two women investigating supernatural happenings in a sleepy coastal parish that may also involve the rapture, but I figure I should check out “Giant Days” as well just to make sure I’m getting the full picture of Allison.
Elfen Lied Omnibus vol. 4: LAST STOP ON THE LINE! EVERYBODY OFF THE CRAZY TRAIN!
Empowered Omnibus vol. 1: Here’s one for the “If you haven’t bought it by now…” files. Adam Warren’s series about a superheroine whose suit is always as tattered and easily ripped as her self-confidence has been good ever since its start. However, what started out as a series that wanted to satirize superhero tropes and cheesecake conventions (while being able to have said cheesecake too) has long since come into its own. With plenty of memorable characters and interesting ongoing storylines, “Empowered” is well worth reading just to keep up on those. Even if the satire and cheesecake still hit with each volume. See where it all began with this omnibus (collecting volumes 1-3), but be advised that it only gets better from here.
Ether vol. 3: The Disappearance of Violet Bell: Vol. 1 of “Ether” was a pleasant surprise for me in that it was the first volume of a Matt Kindt series that I genuinely enjoyed rather than consumed in the hope that it would get better (see “Mind MGMT” and “Dept.H”). Vol. 2, however, was a bit of a step down as portal-jumper Boone Dias’ quest to shut down some Copper Golems didn’t have a lot of depth to it, while his Earth-bound family drama was only given a disappointing token consideration. Now he’s back to track down his missing fairy companion, and it’s my hope that Kindt gets things together to make this volume as entertaining as the first. I’ve got no such concerns about artist David Rubin, however, as his fantastic art has been the real highlight of this series of miniseries.
Invisible Kingdom vol. 2: Edge of Everything: The first volume of this series featured memorable characters interacting with an interesting world. That should’ve been enough to get me really excited for this second volume. Unfortunately, they were saddled with a main plot that was trying to say something about how religion, commerce, and government work together in the real world and failed to deliver it in a way that felt fresh or exciting. It came off like the comic book equivalent of trying to effect change by banging your head against a wall. Here’s hoping that vol. 2 has creators G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward sharpening their message and its execution to the point where fighting the power becomes exciting again. The solicitation text says that this volume will feature ruthless privateers and what series hasn’t been improved by the addition of those?
Luther Arkwright: Bryan Talbot’s hugely influential graphic novel and its sequel are collected in one volume. While both volumes are worthy of a spot in any serious comic fan’s library, it does feel a little odd for Dark Horse to announce a two-in-one collection of them when Talbot has already announced that a third volume is forthcoming. A two-in-one collection next to a single volume is just going to look a little odd on a bookshelf, is what I’m saying.
The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask: I don’t think that anyone looking to revive “The Mask” in this day and age is doing it to cash in on the franchise’s name recognition. Whatever commercial appeal “The Mask” had came and went with the relevance of the 1994 Jim Carrey movie. What I’m trying to say here is that “Halt and Catch Fire” co-creator and “She Could Fly” writer Christopher Cantwell is likely bringing back the character because he has something to say while using it. Said something is about politics and I’m sure that’s going to end well for all the characters involved, particularly when the series looks to be getting back to its ultraviolent roots. Mignolaverse veteran Patric Reynolds provides the art with his own take on what are described as “Tex Avery-styled killings.”
The Neil Gaiman Library vol. 1: You really can’t go wrong with any entry in the series of graphic novellas Dark Horse has produced which have adapted Gaiman’s short stories. That being said, some entries are definitely more memorable than others. Most of those are collected in this oversized hardcover, which consists of “A Study in Emerald” by Rafael Albuquerque and Rafael Scavone, “Murder Mysteries” by P. Craig Russel, “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, and “Forbidden Brides…” by Shane Oakley. If you were to ask me which were the best entries in “The Neil Gaiman Library” I’d have a very hard time arguing against these four. Still, the entries from Michael Zulli and Colleen Doran are strong enough to make it worth keeping an eye out for the inevitable vol. 2.
Panorama: Michael Fiffe is best known for his ongoing tribute to Ostrander/Yale-era “Suicide Squad.” It’s not his only comics work as he also has (of all things) a “G.I. Joe” miniseries, two underwhelming volumes of “All-New Ultimates” and this to his name as well. While I have yet to fill out my collection of “Copra,” “Panorama” is described as a body-horror romance of epic proportions. All in a single volume too. I figure I can give this a shot, not just to see if body-horror romance is my thing, but to also see if its creator is ultimately worth following or just not my thing.
Spell on Wheels: Just to Get to You: The bad news: orders for the first few issues of this miniseries were so low that Dark Horse cancelled them. The good news: Rather than let the miniseries languish unpublished, Dark Horse decided to take the direct-to-OGN route with for this title. Which is absolutely good news for anyone who liked the first “Spell on Wheels” miniseries.
X-Ray Robot #1 (of 4): Max was just another family man yearning for a more interesting life when he met his 277 year-old robot self from the future. This robot has the power to X-ray multiple dimensions and is currently fighting a nihilistic being who wants to revert all life to its pre-Big Bang status. Now Max has that more interesting life as he travels through time, space, and dimensions with this X-ray robot to save all of existence. Yes, all of this sounds like a crazed sci-fi fever dream. What makes it important to me is that it’s Mike Allred’s crazed sci-fi fever dream. Which means that the final product is likely going to be a great experience for everyone who finds themselves on his wavelength.