Dark Horse will collect Tom Siddell’s award-winning webcomic ‘Gunnerkrigg Court’

The first collection of the long-running comic arrives in November.

Tom Siddell’s Gunnerkrigg Court webcomic has been running since 2005 and is approaching its 100th chapter — so there’s no better time for Dark Horse to announce plans to collect it into an omnibus series.

The fantasy comic has been published by BOOM!’s Archaia imprint in the past, as well as by Titan in the UK. It has been nominated for numerous awards over the years, and in 2021 took home the award for best long-form webcomic at the NCS Divisional Awards. Dark Horse will collect the first two volumes “Orientation” and “Research,” into the first volume, which amounts to 586 pages of comics. They plan to release it both in softcover and as a limited edition hardcover.  

“Anyone with a taste for mystery, an eye for the fantastic and strange, The Court welcomes you,” Siddell said. “I’m really excited for readers, new and old, to get their hands on the best version of Gunnerkrigg, from a publisher whose work I’ve been enjoying for decades!”

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Slugfest | Spawny returns to kill off … Spawn?

Plus: News and announcements on ‘Uncanny X-Men,’ ‘Gilt Frame,’ Godzilla, Blacksad, ThunderCats and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you that we haven’t otherwise covered. Hit the links for more information.

McFarlane Productions has been on a roll introducing Spawn into various genres, and this summer they’ll return to the world of humor and satire with Spawn Kills Every Spawn. Like the previous Spawn Kills Everyone and Spawn Kills Everyone Too, this comic features the tiniest Spawn, Spawny, deciding to kill another set of comic characters — the Spawn universe.

Written by John Layman and illustrated by Rob “Sketchcraft” Duenas and colorist Robert Nugent, the five-issue miniseries sees Spawny arrive at a Spawn convention filled with Spawns from around the multiverse, all of whom are more popular than him. So he decides to become the most popular by eliminating the competition.

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Daniel Freedman + CROM return for a third volume of ‘Birdking’

The journey to the golden city of Atlas continues this November in the dark fantasy graphic novel.

The Raiders creative team of Daniel Freedman and CROM return to Dark Horse Comics this fall with a third volume of Birdking, their graphic novel series about a teenage girl Bianca and the guardian spirit known only as the “Birdking.”

Together, they spent the previous two volumes trying to reach the city of Atlas, but it looks like only one of them might complete the quest.

“Volume 3 marks a huge turning point for both Bianca and Birdking,” said Freedman, “ and we couldn’t be more excited for readers to experience the next stage of their journey and relish in their self-discoveries and hard-fought triumphs.”

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Mike Mignola + Ben Stenbeck team up for a new shared universe called ‘Lands Unknown’

‘Bowling With Corpses & Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown’ will debut from Mignola’s new imprint at Dark Horse in December.

Dark Horse Comics today announced Bowling With Corpses & Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown, the first publication in a new shared universe, called “Lands Unknown,” created by Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck.

It’ll also be the first publication to carry the name of Mignola’s new imprint at Dark Horse, Curious Objects. In recent years everyone from Stan Sakai to Brian Michael Bendis has launched an imprint with the publisher as a part of moving there — or moving back there, in Sakai’s case. So it seems only fair that the longtime Dark Horse creator, whose Hellboy is celebrating 30 years this year, would have one as well.

The release doesn’t say much more about what to expect from Curious Objects, but Mignola did share more about the Lands Unknown shared universe.

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Mat Johnson + Steve Lieber explore family secrets + time travel in ‘Backflash’

The new graphic novel will debut from Dark Horse’s Berger Books imprint this fall.

Mat Johnson, writer of Incognegro and its sequel, Incognegro: Renaissance, is working with Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen artist Steve Lieber on a new graphic novel that offers “a delightfully strange and fresh take on time travel.” Backflash, which will be published by Dark Horse Comics’ Berger Books imprint, is scheduled to come out this fall.

They’re joined by colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Clem Robins on the project, which is being edited by Karen Berger. She previously worked with Johnson when she was at Vertigo on the first Incognegro book, as well as Dark Rain: A New Orleans Story, Right State and a Hellblazer special. She also edited the five-issue Incognegro: Renaissance since coming to Dark Horse.

According to the news release, Backflash tells the story of Devin whose life is “spiraling out of control, until he discovers the impossible: with a random touch of an article of family memorabilia, he can travel back in time, mentally reliving the best moments of his past while escaping his problems of the present.” But it comes with consequences, as he discovers a family secret he was never supposed to find out.

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James Robinson + Scott Kolins bring the 1980s slasher movie-inspired ‘Patra to Dark Horse

The four-issue horror miniseries kicks off in August.

James Robinson of Starman, Scarlet Witch, Leave It to Chance and Firearm fame returns to comics this year with ‘Patra, one of several new projects he has coming from Dark Horse this year and next year.

(Hell yes I said Firearm. Ultraverse forever!)

Robinson is joined by Scott Kolins (Solomon Grundy, The Flash) on the horror comic, which is inspired by slasher movies.

“I’m so thrilled to begin my many new series at Dark Horse with ‘Patra and to work with the incredible Scott Kolins,” Robinson said. “I love that we’re tipping our hats to the many slasher characters from the 1980s while also focusing on one young girl who must face this horror, growing in strength and confidence all the while, as she also solves the mystery of her own existence. I really wanted to do a horror book with some real heart and emotion to it, and I think with Scott, we’ve done just that.”

Robinson joins a growing list of creators who have made Dark Horse their home for creator-owned series, including Mike Mignola, Stan Sakai, Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Kindt and more.

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Slugfest | X-Men, Terminator, ‘Galaxy of Madness’ + more

Today’s round-up includes news and announcements on ‘Life of Wolverine,’ Gatchaman, the Energon Universe, ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you that we haven’t otherwise covered. Hit the links for more information.

Marvel has revealed the cover and more details on the highly anticipated new X-Men title by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman, which is part of the bigger X-Men: From the Ashes line that follows the end of the current Krakoa era.

The new title will feature Cyclops leading a team that handle “explosive mutant-specific issues without restrain,” with the first threat being “an existential new enemy that rises out of the remains of Orchis.”

Both MacKay and Stegman are happy to be here.

“Taking on the X-Men is always a daunting prospect, but I’m extremely psyched to take this team of mutants back into the world with Ryan,” MacKay said. 

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Slugfest | Black Widow gets ‘Venomous’ in a new one-shot

Plus news and announcements on Hellverine, Misty, Nick Cagnetti, Paul Pope, Blood Hunt, Briar, Joy Operations and more!

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you that we haven’t otherwise covered. Hit the links for more information.

If you’ve been reading Venom of late, you know that the Black Widow — who already has a cool spider name — has gone and gotten herself a symbiote. This summer, writer Erica Schultz and artist Luciano Vecchio will “unleash Natasha Romanoff’s full potential as a symbiote warrior” in a new one-shot.

Black Widow: Venomous will not only show the super-spy figuring out how to work with her new partner, but will also set the stage for the upcoming Venom War event.

“Who doesn’t want to write Natasha Romanoff? And with a badass symbiote, it didn’t take much to convince me,” Schultz said. “Luciano Vecchio’s art is so amazing. It’s been so fun to delve into Nat’s spy craft techniques, and you just may learn something new about her.”

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The ‘Minor Threats’ universe expands again this summer with ‘Barfly’

Kyle Starks and Ryan Browne team up the tale of a humanoid mutant fly.

Kyle Starks and Ryan Browne are two creators who I would have sworn had worked together before doing a quick Google search to discover that no, I’m apparently wrong. I do think they have similar sensibilities, if you look at their previous work, from Browne’s collaborations with Charles Soule on Cursed Words and 8 Billion Genies to Starks’ Assassin Nation or Sexcastle, as both go out with wild ideas and even wilder executions … so maybe you can see why I thought that.

So I am pleased to see that will soon change, as they’ll team up on another Minor Threats spin-off at Dark Horse Comics, titled Barfly — which is about a humanoid mutant fly. Minor Threats is the 2022 miniseries by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum and Scott Hepburn that has produced a previous spinoff and a sequel miniseries that begins in April, and that universe will keep expanding this summer.

“I’m so excited to be invited to add to the tapestry that is the wonderful, super-powered world of Minor Threats that Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt have brought to comics,” Starks said. “To get to do it with incredible, unequaled Ryan Browne is an unbelievable cherry on top of an already delicious great comic ice cream sundae. I truly think people are going to fall in love with the lovable loser Sh*teater – a sweet little fella who’s just trying to find his place in the world after years of being a nameless minion!”

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Gerard Way, Shaun Simon + Chris Weston check into a care center for the bizarre this summer

‘Paranoid Gardens’ combines ‘Kafkaesque nightmares with sweet Silver Age reveries.’

Gerard Way and Shaun Simon return to comics this summer with Paranoid Gardens, a six-issue miniseries coming from Dark Horse Comics. The writing team behind The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem team with Judge Dredd artist Chris Weston on the series, which Weston said “combines Kafkaesque nightmares with sweet Silver Age reveries.”

“I’m excited to be back with my incredibly handsome and talented brother-from-another-basement Shaun Simon penning a story that’s really special to us, and honored the masterful Chris Weston joined us to create a visually powerful and emotionally tangible physical object that is this comic,” said Way. “I’m now more complete getting to share something we’ve wanted to for a very long time, and working with this fantastic group of individuals in the process.”

They’re joined by Hellboy colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Nate Piekos on the new series about a care-home filled with aliens, ghosts and superheroes recovering from psychotic episodes.

“Most people dream of rubbing shoulders with someone who is cool, talented, mega-successful and who enjoys a wild rock’n’roll lifestyle. Luckily for Gerard Way the dream came true when he got to work with me on Paranoid Gardens,” Weston said. “It must have been quite daunting for him at first, but once he could see past my notoriety and discover I’m just an ordinary joe who shares his love for the ’60s TV show The Prisoner, we were able to form a joyous union.” 

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Matt Wagner’s Grendel returns with the ‘Grendel: Devil’s Crucible’ trilogy

The first of three new miniseries follows in the footsteps of ‘Devil’s Odyssey.’

Matt Wagner’s long-running Grendel will return this summer for the first of three new miniseries titled Grendel: Devil’s Crucible–Defiance. Grendel’s creator will be joined again by his son, colorist Brennan Wagner, on the series, along with letterers Steve Dutro and Rob Leigh.

Devil’s Crucible follows the eight-issue Devil’s Odyssey, which advanced the futuristic Grendel: Devil Quest story for the first time since the mid-1990s. Grendel first appeared in the early 1980s at Comico, and has appeared on and off at Dark Horse ever since Comico went bankrupt with stories set at different times and focused on different characters.

Devil’s Odyssey was a dramatic break in the futuristic setting of Grendel. And Devil’s Crucible goes one step further by turning the precepts and setting of that world on its collective ear,” Wagner said. “Gone are the dominant Grendel clans and their military elitism, and yet that fascistic power structure has been replaced…by something far worse! I’ve got some major surprises on deck for this storyline and a word of warning for longtime readers; be careful what you wish for!”

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Clay McLeod Chapman + Andrea Mutti conjure up ‘Seance in the Asylum’ at Dark Horse

The historical horror miniseries begins in July.

Dark Horse Comics has brought two of the scariest words in the English language together to make something even scarier, as they’ve announced the miniseries Seance in the Asylum.

The historical horror series is by Clay McLeod Chapman, writer of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters, and artist Andrea Mutti, whose horror pedigree includes titles like A Legacy of Violence, Maniac of New York, Parasomnia, Bunny Mask and Haunt You to the End.

“Years back, I uncovered an esoteric text — The Homeopathic Principle Applied to Insanity: A Proposal to Treat Lunacy by Spiritualism by Dr. James John Garth Wilkinson — written all the way back in 1857, and I knew within my bones, my blood, that this was destined to be a story,” said Chapman. “As a lifelong acolyte of the Fox Sisters, I’ve always been obsessed with stories about tapping into the hereafter. Now it’s an honor to usher you through the veil and explore the other side… “ 

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