Atomic Legion offers readers a chance to win $1,000 cash and $1,000 of comics and graphic novels for their local comic shop!

Mike Richardson, Dark Horse founder and writer of the Eisner-nominated 47 Ronin and Star Wars: Crimson Empire, teams with artist Bruce Zick (Mandala, Thor) to take readers on a fun new thrill ride laden with pop culture and science fiction references!

For one savvy reader who can catch the subtle nods contained within this original graphic novel, Mike Richardson is offering a $1,000 cash prize! Not only that, but he’ll also award the local comic shop of your choice $1,000 worth of Dark Horse comics and graphic novels!

The Atomic Legion is on sale today in comic shops everywhere! Read it thoroughly, and send an e-mail to atomiclegion@darkhorse.com with your list of the story’s pop culture and science fiction references, and a picture of yourself with the book, before May 31. The first person to correctly identify the most references will be awarded the cash prize!

More about The Atomic Legion:
In a hidden fortress near the North Pole, the greatest heroes of a past age live secluded from the world that rejected them. But when their benefactor—a mysterious scientist known only as the Professor—is kidnapped, it’s up to a young boy to rally the robots, monsters, and superheroes in the fortress to come to the rescue as the Atomic Legion!

Catch the exclusive interview with Mike Richardson discussing The Atomic Legion on Comic Book Resources!  

TITAN COMICS
48pp
FC
$9.99 US, $11.99 CAN, £8.99 UK
On Sale: September 02

Writer: Herik Hanna Artist: Sean Phillips  Synopsis:  Superstar artist Sean Phillips (Fatale, Criminal, Sleeper, Incognito, Marvel Zombies and Hellblazer) illustrates this gripping science-fiction thriller for fans of Alien!  The crew and inmates of Goliath 01 have been massacred by the twisted Coloner Mercer. Now this prison ship in space drifts, powerless and empty – but for the dead.  John, sole survivor of the massacre, must find a way to escape this floating, oppressive tomb –without falling prey to Mercer’s murderous attentions…!

TITAN COMICS
64pp
FC
$12.99/$14.99/£10.99
On Sale: September 16
Writer:Julien Blondel
Artists: Didier Poli, Robin Recht

Synopsis:  A stunning new comic adaptation of the classic Elric of Melniboné novels by Michael Moorcock! The ancient island of Melniboné has been ruled by Elric, the albino emperor, for millennia. Reliant on magic and herbs for his strength and prolonged life, Elric’s grip on Melniboné is crumbling, as his people slide into decadence. Now his envious cousin Yyrkoon, Prince of Melniboné, plots to overthrow him and claim the Ruby Throne for himself! Lavishly illustrated, this new comic adaptation has been produced with the full and enthusiastic endorsement of Moorcock himself, who has written an original introduction for this edition.

Humble Bundle has teamed up with mega-publisher Image Comics to launch the Humble Image Comics Bundle today, offering up digital editions of nine New York Times bestselling, Eisner award-winning comic books starting at as little as one cent. Customers can pay what they want and choose where their money goes. The promotion runs for two weeks onhttps://www.humblebundle.com.
 
Customers can name their price for Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta's EAST OF WEST, VOL. 1, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark's LAZARUS, VOL. 1, Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma's MORNING GLORIES, VOL. 1, and Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' FATALE, VOL. 1. Those who pay more than the average price will also receive Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' SAGA, VOL. 1, Tim Seeley and Mike Norton's REVIVAL, VOL. 1, and John Layman and Rob Guillory's CHEW, VOL. 1. Paying $15 or more will unlock Robert Kirkman's THE WALKING DEAD, VOL. 1 and VOL. 20, completing the bundle of nine comic books.
 
EAST OF WEST is a New York Times bestseller and was nominated in the "Best Continuing Series" category for the 2014 Eisner Awards. LAZARUS was nominated in the "Best New Series" category in the 2014 Eisner Awards. SAGA is a New York Times bestseller, and has multiple Eisner Awards, a Hugo Award, and nominations in the 2014 Hugo awards and in multiple categories for the 2014 Eisner Awards. CHEW is a New York Times bestseller and Eisner Award winner. THE WALKING DEAD is a New York Times bestseller, multiple Eisner Award winner, and the series for which the hit AMC television show of the same name is based upon. 
 
Customers can choose how their payment is allocated: between the comic book creators and/or the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community. Since Humble Bundle's launch in 2010, $37 million has been raised for more than 20 different charities and non-profit organizations.
 
The Humble Image Comics Bundle ends on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. PDT.

Eisner & Harvey Best Anthology Series: All-new stories, $5, 48 pages!

Coming this August: Geof Darrow and Frank Miller’s Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot return in this new volume of the award-winning, long-running anthology powerhouse Dark Horse Presents, in a stunning new 48-page format, for only $4.99!

Also in the 48-page tome of awesome comics: Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse’s Resident Alien, Brendan McCarthy’s Dream Gang, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Andy Kuhn’s Wrestling with Demons, Damon Gentry and Aaron Conley’s Sabertooth Swordsman, and David Mack’s Kabuki!

Read the exclusive interview with Geof Darrow and Mike Richardson only on Comic Book Resources!

Praise for Dark Horse Presents:

“Dark Horse Presents really does represent everything that’s good about comic books. Editor Mike Richardson has assembled an anthology comic that is unique, diverse, and full of intriguing material from an amazing assemblage of often brilliantly talented creators.”--Comics Bulletin

“Dark Horse’s prestigious anthology series . . . showcases emerging talent alongside some of the greatest writers, artists and cartoonists comics has to offer, as well as promising new and underground talents.”--ComicsAlliance 

“Seriously, this is comics’ best kept secret trove of great comics.”—Robot 6

“Dark Horse Presents was the first comic published by Dark Horse, so seeing it back feels like a return to form of sorts. And happily, it’s a mix of old standbys as well as a new wave of creators.”—Comic Book Resources

Dark Horse Presents Volume 3 #1 is on comic store shelves August 20. Preorder your copy today!

They trucked with the wrong guy!

Hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed miniseries Buzzkill, Donny Cates is set to release a twelve-issue series blending big rigs and conspiracies in Ghost Fleet!

Written by Cates, with art by Daniel Warren Johnson (Space-Mullet) and colors by Lauren Affe, Ghost Fleet is sure to be one hell of a wild ride!

For the world’s most valuable, dangerous, or secretive cargo, you don’t call just any trucking service—you call the Ghost Fleet. When one trucker takes a forbidden peek at his payload, his life changes forever! A new series of badass action on the open road begins here!

Praise for Donny Cates (Buzzkill):

“Cates’s script goes for broke and for the most part succeeds. By the end of the issue Cates should have you hook, line, and sinker.”—Bloody Disgusting

“Cates’s pacing is brisk; it says a lot about Cates’s skill as a writer. He throws in some head scratching plot twists.”—Unleash the Fanboy

“This is a short book with a lot to say, and Cates deserves immense credit for packing so much into only four issues.”—Comicosity

Ghost Fleet #1 is on comic store shelves November 5. Preorder your copy today!

An all-ages series about a half-witch and her very unusual family

Image Comics is pleased to announce the launch of cartoonist Otis Frampton's charming all-ages ongoing fantasy series, ODDLY NORMAL, coming this Fall.
 
Meet Oddly Normal, a ten-year-old girl with pointed ears and green hair—a half-witch who will be the first to tell you that having a mother who hails from a magical land called Fignation and a father native to the mortal realm doesn’t make it easy to make friends at school, to say the least! On her birthday, she blows out her cake’s candles and makes an impulsive and disastrous wish. Now, Oddly must travel into the magical world of Fignation to uncover the mystery of her parents’ disappearance. Join Oddly as she navigates a strange new school, monstrous bullies, and Evil itself on an unforgettable fantasy adventure through the vibrant world of Fignation in ODDLY NORMAL.
 
“I'm absolutely thrilled that Oddly Normal will be published by Image Comics,” said Frampton. “It's a twenty-year dream-come-true to have a creator-owned book at the company that made me want to make comics professionally. When I sent out submissions for this book, Image was my ‘never gonna happen, but I gotta take the shot’ company. I couldn't be happier with how that long-shot pitch turned out!”
 
ODDLY NORMAL is an all-ages fantasy adventure in the tradition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice's Adventures In Wonderland coming to Image Comics in the Fall. 
 
Frampton will attend C2E2 this weekend and will be at Artist Alley table G15, Friday-Sunday, all day.

Science fiction comics series won award in 2013

Image Comics joins the many fans of SAGA in congratulating Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples on their Hugo Award nominations! Announced on April 19 at the British National Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, the nominations include one for SAGA VOLUME TWO in the Best Graphic Story category and for Staples in the Best Professional Artist category. SAGA previously won the Best Graphic Story Hugo Award in 2013.

“I've been an avid reader of Hugo-nominated works since grade school, so this is a ridiculous honor for our book,” said writer Vaughan, “and it's especially cool to see co-creator Fiona Staples recognized as one of the finest artists of a genre we both love.”

SAGA tells the story of two star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of a generations-long interplanetary war. Jetting across the galaxy with their baby daughter Hazel, Marko and Alana flee from their own governments and bounty hunters sent to hunt them down, encountering aliens who are friends and foes alike.

The Hugo Awards have recognized excellence in the science fiction and fantasy genres since 1955. The winners are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Society. The awards will be presented in a ceremony at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), to be held this year in London on August 17.

The world’s most beloved homicidal, cybernetic, Kung-Fu rooster is back

John Layman and Rob Guillory team up to bring back CHEW fans’ most beloved homicidal cybernetic kung-fu rooster in an all-new CHEW spinoff series: WARRIOR CHICKEN POYO.

Where SECRET AGENT POYO was CHEW through a James Bond lens turned up to 11, WARRIOR CHICKEN POYO is Layman’s and Guillory’s mad take on high fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, Conan, and with a dash of The Wizard of Oz thrown in.
 
"Secret Agent Poyo was the most important comic ever published by Image, in addition to being the best comic book ever published in the entire history of humanity,” declared Layman. “And Warrior Chicken Poyo is SO good, it will make Secret Agent Poyo look like rancid, smelly garbage! THAT'S how good it's going to be! Warrior Chicken Poyo will change comics forever, as well as the life of anybody who reads it."
 
Guillory spoke of the pressure to outdo such greatness as Secret Agent Poyo. "After drawingSecret Agent Poyo, I flirted with the idea of retiring from comics,” admitted Guillory. “I mean, how could we ever top the magnum opus that was Secret Agent Poyo? But now, with the arrival of Warrior Chicken Poyo, I worry, have we flown too close to the sun? Can comics—nay, MANKIND—withstand the terrible beauty of such a book as Warrior Chicken Poyo?!!"
 
CHEW: WARRIOR CHICKEN POYO #1 arrives in stores on 7/9, and will be available for $3.50. It can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code MAY140608.

A Best American Comics 2013 selection!

Praise for Concrete Park: “The visuals on Concrete Park are a highly graphic style that is incredibly appealing.”—Comic Book Resources “Puryear’s thick, heavy inks are striking, forming his characters with a great deal of confidence and force. Through his art, you instantly get a feel for this near-future [city]; the swagger of his characters and their surroundings just bursts off of the page.”—Read About Comics “Every time I think I know what is going on in Concrete Park, Puryear throws me for a loop. I have to read more.”—Comics Bulletin Concrete Park Volume 1 is on sale October 1! Preorder your copy today!

With overwhelming fan support and critical success in Dark Horse Presents, Tony Puryear and Erika Alexander’s Concrete Park is slated for a new miniseries this fall! When young Earth outcasts are exiled to “Scare City,” a vast outpost on a distant desert planet, they must find a path to redemption or be destroyed by their own violence. Concrete Park, a dark, sexy sci-fi saga by Tony Puryear (screenwriter of Eraser) and Erika Alexander (Living Single), is filled with unforgettable protagonists, a colorful supporting cast, redemption, romance, and nonstop action presented in an exceptional, vibrant style.   Concrete Park Volume 1: You Send Me collects the critically acclaimed graphic novel from the pages of Dark Horse Presents into a “director’s cut” hardcover featuring new pages and bonus materials! The new miniseries, Concrete Park: R-E-S-P-E-C-T will debut September 3 as the first of five single-issue comics, sure to mix stylish noir with sci-fi twists!

HIT CARTOON SERIES GOES BEHIND THE SCENES!

As rumored at San Diego Comic-Con 2013, Dark Horse Books proudly announces it will publish The Art of The Venture Bros.! This massive coffee table book includes original artwork, character designs, storyboards, painted backgrounds, and props from every episode of The Venture Bros. to date, with accompanying commentary on the development of the series from cocreators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer!  Check out the earliest sketches of all your favorite Venture Bros. characters and the genesis of the ideas that became some of the show’s funniest episodes. To top it off, comedian Patton Oswalt pens a very special foreword! The Art of The Venture Bros. is on sale October 22! Preorder your copy today!

And the nominees are… On sale, 50% off all digital editions for a limited time

Comic-Con International announced the nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2014 this morning, 17 of which were published by Image Comics. An additional three nominations were shared with other publishers, bringing the total nominations for Image Comics to 20.

Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ SAGA, a winner of previous Eisner awards, was nominated in four categories. The hit series was nominated for Best Continuing Series, writer Brian K. Vaughan was nominated for Best Writer, and artist Fiona Staples was nominated in the Best Painter/Multimedia Artist and Best Cover Artist categories.
 
Eric Stephenson and Nate Bellegarde’s NOWHERE MEN held its own with three nominations and an additional shared nomination. The series was nominated in the Best Continuing Series category, writer and Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson was nominated for Best Writer, artist Nate Bellegarde was nominated for Best Penciller/Inker, and Jordie Bellaire was nominated in the Best Coloring category for several projects that included NOWHERE MEN, as well as other Image titles like THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS, PRETTY DEADLY, and ZERO.
 
Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta’s EAST OF WEST also raked in three nominations, including Best Continuing Series. Artist Nick Dragotta was nominated for Best Penciller/Inker and Frank Martin was nominated for Best Coloring for their work on the series.
 
Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s SEX CRIMINALS, which has taken the comics industry by storm and was hailed by TIME Magazine as “comic series of the year,” earned two nominations, one for Best Continuing Series and one for Best New Series. In addition, writer Matt Fraction was nominated for Best Writer for several series, including SEX CRIMINALS.
 
Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Ríos’s PRETTY DEADLY received two nominations, plus another two shared nominations. Emma Ríos was nominated for Best Penciller/Inker and Best Cover Artist. The shared nominations included Kelly Sue DeConnick for Best Writer and Best Coloring for Jordie Bellaire. 
 
Greg Rucka and Michael Lark’s critically acclaimed dystopian action series LAZARUS was nominated in the Best New Series category, as was Shadowline/Image’s fantasy series RAT QUEENS by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch. 
 
OUTLAW TERRITORY, VOL. 3, edited by Michael Woods, was nominated for Best Anthology. 
 
“I couldn’t be more proud of all the insanely awesome men and women currently working with us at Image Comics,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “One of the great joys of my life has been watching all of these incredible comics make the transition from an exciting idea to an amazing series, and I think our strong showing on this year’s Eisner ballot only further underscores the strength and vitality of creator-owned comics.”
 
In celebration of the nominated series, Image Comics will offer 50% off all the digital editions of the following nominated titles—available on the Image Comics Website immediately, and on ComiXology, Google Play, Amazon, and Apple iBooks beginning 4/16—through midnight EST on April 21, 2014: EAST OF WEST, NOWHERE MEN, SAGA, SEX CRIMINALS, LAZARUS, RAT QUEENS, PRETTY DEADLY, MANHATTAN PROJECTS, ZERO, and OUTLAW TERRITORY, VOL. 3. 
 
Voting for the awards will open soon at www.eisnervote.com. All professionals in the comic book industry are eligible to vote. The deadline for voting is June 13. The results of the voting will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 25 at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Twelve nominations in ten categories!

DARK HORSE EISNER AWARD NOMINEES 2014

Comic-Con International has announced the nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2014!  Dark Horse Comics has twelve category nominations and one shared nomination. The nominees, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, reflect the wide range of material being published in comics and graphic novel form today, from children’s stories and World War II battles to high school angst and pulp fiction. Named for acclaimed comics creator Will Eisner, the awards are in their twenty-sixth year of highlighting the best publications and creators in comics and graphic novels.

New Joe’s Comic trade paperback features fun and fright

Allison Carter is the latest in her family’s long line of paranormal investigators specializing in preventing the end of the world. Her grandfather and umpteenth-great-grandfathers probably never anticipated her father having only a daughter, but Al employs the same Carter wit, smarts, and deadly accuracy as her male predecessors—and then some. With an attitude of "shoot first and to Hell with the questions," she leads a life that would drive other investigators mad, filled with monsters, demons, trolls, mad prophets, zombie detectives, techno-wizards, machinegun toting imps, and undead boyfriends.

In THE ADVENTURES OF APOCALYPSE AL by J.M. Straczynski and Sid Kotian, Al gains an unexpected ally in her latest case as she tries to keep a deranged artifact collector from opening a door into Hell itself.

APOCALYPSE AL is the third title in the Joe’s Comics line to be collected into a trade paperback, after TEN GRAND and SIDEKICK. While the prior two titles featured the dark side of Straczynski’s well-established storytelling skills, APOCALYPSE AL offers a fun and irreverent take on the supernatural, matched with Kotian’s lively art and Bill Farmer’s vibrant colors.

THE ADVENTURES OF APOCALYPSE AL collects all four issues of the miniseries. It will be in comic book stores on May 28 and bookstores on June 10.

Sent to the distant past, Sym must thwart her enemies before it’s too late

Ryan Burton teams up with John Bivens for an all-new ongoing series that blends elements of dark fantasy and action with mystery.

With ribsword in hand, with gore in her curling locks, Sym has been sent to the distant past to murder her creators’ enemies. But the twisted alchemists who made Sym do not know that the engine that powers her is sentient, that it is the seed of their destruction. By blood and by fury, Sym will carve out her destiny in this new ongoing series.
 
DARK ENGINE is about the evil things that lurk inside us all. “Some drive us, some are alive and thinking. And Sym will learn just exactly what drives her, and why she was sent back in time to essentially murder anything standing,” explained Burton. “Of course, John [Bivens] does a brilliant job of capturing the enormous scope of the story, whether it's showing the stygian machinations of Sym's creators or the harrowing vistas that are littered with the husks of old Lovecraftian monsters, it's all there."
 
DARK ENGINE #1 arrives in stores on 7/16, and will be available for $3.50. It can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code MAY140574.

Early artwork released of Joe Keatinge and Khary Randolph's new series

After the tremendous sales of the TECH JACKET DIGITAL miniseries that debuted at Image Expo, Joe Keatinge (SHUTTER, GLORY) and Khary Randolph (Deadpool, Justice League Beyond) announced at Emerald City Comicon that they would team up once again to launch Zack Thompson a.k.a. Tech Jacket into an ongoing print series from Skybound Entertainment with a 7/2 release.

TECH JACKET #1 will be available for $2.99, you can pre-order it with Diamond Code: MAY140599.

As the pop culture world gears up for this year’s WonderCon in Anaheim, CA, Dark Horse announces two special variant covers for this year’s show!

First up, Dark Horse brings an all-new variant cover for a critical hit and fan favorite, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with an exclusive Season Ten first-issue cover by Tomb Raider art director Brian Horton! Limited to 1,000 copies, these are sure to be scarce!

Second is a variant for Angel & Faith Season Ten #1, by Buffy cover artist Steve Morris! Again, with only 1,000 copies produced, these will go fast!

These two special WonderCon exclusives will retail for $5 and are limited to five per person.

Dark Horse also has three other convention exclusives, produced in limited editions and available while supplies last!

Legendary artist Stan Sakai has done a special cover for the upcoming The Witcher, a canonical tie-in series 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.

Art Baltazar and Franco bring you the characters that sprung from Mike Mignola’s imagination, with an AW YEAH twist, in Itty Bitty Hellboy! A limited-edition hardcover is available at WonderCon for $20, while supplies last!

The Last of Us: American Dreams, from Faith Erin Hicks (The Adventures of Superhero Girl) and Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann, collects the comics that are the official lead-in to the game. This limited-edition hardcover will first be available at PAX East this weekend, and then in very limited quantities at WonderCon for $24.99.