Dark Horse Previews Picks: October 2021
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
No One Left to Fight II #1 (of 5):
Writer and co-creator Aubrey Sitterson started writing two new miniseries for Dark Horse, the latest issues of which are also in these solicitations. Artist and co-creator Fico Ossio started illustrating a “Mister Miracle” miniseries for DC. With its creators busy with other projects like this, you can understand why I wasn’t expecting a follow-up to the fun “Dragonball But With The Serial Numbers Filed Off” miniseries “No One Left to Fight.” Yet lo and behold here we have the first issue of the new miniseries in these solicitations.
While more of this series is a good thing, it’s especially true since the first miniseries ended on a cliffhanger. One of the best things about “No One Left to Fight” is that while its inspiration is patently obvious, Sitterson and Ossio take the story in directions that “Dragonball” wouldn’t (and most likely couldn’t) possibly go. Yes, the idea that its main character might be suffering from a version of Alzheimer’s sounds inherently depressing, but the energy and style of the first series does make me interested in seeing where the creators go with this particular setup.
The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects: Did you hear about the time that President Lincoln recruited a man with a Screw-On Head, his manservant Mr. Groin, and Mr. Dog (who is a dog) to save us all from the threat of Emperor Zombie? No? That’s probably because it never happened in real life and only existed as a two-issue miniseries written by Mike Mignola. Believe it or not, this isn’t actually connected to the Mignolaverse and exists as its own thing. Probably because Mignola realized that a man with a Screw-On Head working for President Lincoln was just plain silly. While this has existed in hardcover for a while, it’s now getting a paperback release. Which means that it’s time for me to finally pick this up, see how silly this story gets, and see if the additional Mignola short story and FIFTY pages of “additional material” make for a good value.
The Dark: Dark Horse has developed a habit of publishing comics from the internet in print form. Either through partnership deals with ComiXology or through deals with their creators, which is likely how we’re getting “The Dark” into print. This is a series about a post-cyberwar world where mechanical technology has been destroyed. Stepping in to replace it is biological tech, which has created its own internet and is forcing people to connect to it WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT! Naturally this leads to a former super-soldier and a biopunk teaming up to stop this threat. I’ve not heard of this story before, and writer Mark Sable isn’t ringing any bells right now. However, Kristian Donaldson is illustrating this and I’ve always been partial to his clean, angular style. So “The Dark” will at least have a nice look to it, if nothing else.
Far Cry: Rite of Passage: In which “Far Cry 6” villain Anton Castillo tries to instill a set of values in his son Diego by telling him stories about previous “Far Cry” villains, Vaas Montenegro, Pagan Min, and Joseph Seed. What kind of values is Anton trying to instill? How to spot the Player Character and have him killed before he can end your reign of terror? That’d be a good one. I won’t be finding out, however, because I’m not about to pay $20 for this slim 72-page hardcover.
Grendel: Devil’s Odyssey HC: After Matt Wagner finally finished off his “Mage” trilogy, it was perhaps inevitable that he’d go back to his other major creator-owned series. Whether he’s bringing it to a conclusion here or just adding one more brick in the wall is yet to be seen. “Devil’s Odyssey” brings us back to the furthest point of the “Grendel” timeline and its unstoppable Terminator-esque protagonist Grendel Prime. This time the cyborg has been given what will likely be his final order from the Grendel Khan: Find a new home for mankind. Prime hasn’t failed in any directive he’s been given yet, but you have to figure even he has his limits and may just go, “To hell with this!” Which is where I’m guessing the “Will he save humanity… or destroy it?” business in the solicitation text is coming from. Still, if you’ve been reading “Grendel” for as long as I have, you’re likely waiting for two things: More Hunter Rose stories, or the end of the saga. I’m betting that we’re more likely to get one of those than the other here…
Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club #1 (of 5): Mignola teams with Chris Roberson for what sounds like an anthology series in disguise. Hellboy gets to know the titular society through relative Simon Bruttenholm and is treated to a story about Sir Edward Grey and Sarah Jewel teaming up to fight against the evil forces of… radio? At this point, you probably know if a given Mignolaverse project is going to be for you and there are very few that aren’t for me. However, this first issue features some of the ‘verse’s strongest artistic talents, Ben Stenbeck and Christopher Mitten, providing the art. That’s a plus, even if I’m left wondering if one or both will be sticking around to illustrate additional stories in future issues.
Madman: Library Edition vol. 2: Note to self: Remember to pick up the first Library Edition when you make your next order of comics.