Dark Horse Previews Picks: November 2022
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1957
For a while it looked like the “Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.” series was going to be left unresolved. This series of “early years” adventures with everyone’s favorite big, red, stone-handed son of the Devil Himself was initially rolling along with a series-of-miniseries set in the 50’s and slowly nurturing a storyline about the conflicts between the titular organization and its opposite numbers in England and Russia. Then we got a series of one-shots earlier this year which (I’m hoping) will serve as a wrap-up to all of that. Regular Mignolaverse contributor Chris Roberson is on writing duties here, and my expectation is that the setup he’s been building up through the previous miniseries will lead to a solid finale and one that’s more engaging than the last thing I read from him in this universe, “The House of Lost Horizons.” If nothing else, though, this will be a great-looking volume with the likes of Laurence Campbell, Mike Norton, Shawn Martinbrough, and more contributing to it.
Quick Stops #1 (of 4): Kevin Smith’s comics imprint gets another title with this anthology series that’s much more relevant to my interests. That’s because it sees the writer/director returning to the “Askewniverse” home of his most-loved films. To wit: This first issue features Holden MacNeil, from “Chasing Amy,” regaling a Comic-Con audience about how hanging out with Jay and Silent Bob led to the creation of the smash-hit indie comic “Bluntman and Chronic.” You’ll probably already know if this is for you after having read that sentence, and for me it conjures up warm memories of when I finally saw that movie, and started reading Smith’s comic books. Whether or not the writer still has the ability to write good comics based on his characters remains to be seen, but nostalgia is compelling me to give it a shot once this miniseries is collected (in paperback).
The Ones #1 (of 4): This is Bendis’ second miniseries based on a new concept for the publisher, and I’m not quite sure what to make of it based on the solicitation. It’s about all the people who were ever told that they were “the one” to defeat the big bad of their story being brought together to… defeat the actual big bad of existence. My guess is that this isn’t going to actually be about defeating this big bad, but discussing what makes a chosen one and how you feel when you find out that you’re not the main character in your own story. This could be interesting, or it could be four issues of the writer disappearing up his own ass with artist Jacob Edgard along for the ride. That the solicitation ends with comparisons to Stuff You Like – Good Omens, Ghostbusters, The Adam Project, The Goonies, and Everything Everywhere All at Once – does not exactly inspire confidence.
Resident Alien: Book of Love #1 (of 4): Harry Vanderspiegel was no longer an alien looking to return home after the events of “Your Ride’s Here.” He’s now accepted Earth as his home and that opens up some new long-term possibilities for him. Such as getting romantically involved with his longtime ladyfriend Astra. The previous “Resident Alien” miniseries could’ve doubled as a series finale, but I’m glad to see writer Steve Hogan and artist Steve Parkhouse’s sci-fi series return for another go with all the low-key charms that entails.
Skull & Bones: Savage Storm #1 (of 3): Dark Horse’s partnership with Ubisoft continues with this miniseries based on the long (almost 8 years…) in the works pirate action game. This comes to us from co-writers John Jackson Miller and James Mishler, and artist Christian Rosado and is about a pirate attack on a merchant vessel that’s interrupted by a typhoon that strands both crews on an island in the Indian Ocean. If you’re expecting this miniseries to have any significance to the game itself beyond the pirate theme, then you’re going to be disappointed. The game is an MMO that is described as having narrative elements, but isn’t story-driven. Whatever relevance this story is going to have to the game will likely be in the form of Easter Eggs if you should happen to come across the island this story takes place on in the game itself.
Koshchei in Hell #1 (of 4): The last time we saw the title character, he was chilling in Hell telling his life story to Hellboy. Since then, he’s still been chillin’ in Hell! Until now, however, when word reaches him that an old foe is returning and Koshchei is going to have to pick up the sword once again. This comes to us from writer Mike Mignola and artist Ben Stenbeck who also gave us the previous “Koshchei the Deathless” miniseries, which was fun stuff that was marred only by a rushed ending. Whether or not Mignola intends to wrap up the character’s story in his universe with this story remains to be seen, but I’m expecting this particular creative team to deliver on the entertainingly weird goods they’ve been able to deliver for a good long while now.
Murder Inc. vol. 1: Valentine’s Trust: This was originally published as “The United States of Murder Inc. vol. 1: Trust” and told the story of one Valentine Gallo. He was born into mafia royalty and his first job with badass hitwoman Jagger Rose was supposed to be the definition of a milk run. That it winds up with a dead U.S. senator and a lot of property damage is bad, but what’s worse is the news waiting for him from his mother about his real purpose in life. Like a lot of Bendis’ latter-day work, this is something that started off with a lot of promise only to see it squandered by a lack of follow-up. To date, there’s only been one subsequent volume in this series published and while it wasn’t bad it also promised major story developments that have yet to be followed up on. That said, if you’re looking for some very stylish art from Michael Avon Oeming, this volume (and especially its follow-up) will have you covered.
Matt Wagner’s Grendel Omnibus vol. 3: Orion’s Reign: “Grendel” leaves the present day with this volume and goes into the far future and introduces us to investigator Orion Assante. He’s determined to bring down the corrupt church that’s now ruling over mankind in the 26th Century, but he’s not going to be able to do it alone. Orion is going to need some… devilish help in order to do so. Even if he does succeed, what’s he going to do then? In addition to some “Incubation Years” issues which bridge the gap between stories, this volume collects two major storylines: “God and the Devil,” and “Devil’s Reign.” The latter of which is one of the best (if not the best) “Grendel” stories just for the way its ultra-compressed storytelling conveys an ambitious tale of the accumulation of power by one person without sacrificing depth along the way.
American Gods vol. 1: Shadows: Arriving in paperback for the first time. Which will have been just under five years since the hardcover was originally published. Something to keep in mind if you’re like me and considering waiting for the paperback edition of other hardcovers published by Dark Horse.
The Ward: Welcome to the Madhouse: “The Ward” is St. Lilith’s, a hospital which caters to supernatural beings and is about as well-funded and with a staff as overworked as your average community hospital. It also has the burden of keeping all of its operations hidden from the public. Dr. Nat Reeves was fine with leaving all this behind years ago, up until the point a wounded woman with a tail shows up on her doorstep one day. This comes to us from writer Cavan Scott and artist Andres Ponce. While I’m not familiar with the artist, I know Scott from his work on the “Star Wars: The High Republic” comics which has been resoundingly “fine” so far. I’m not faulting this series for its “Supernatural ER” ambitions, but I’m left wondering if Scott can actually make it interesting based on what I’ve seen him (fail to) deliver in “Star Wars.”