THE AMERICAN TPB
Written by Mark Verheiden, art by Chris Warner, Grant Miehm, Doug
Braithwaite, Frank Miller, Mike Mignola and Jim Lee.
He's the ultimate American hero. Since the fifties, he has been a
symbol of hope and courage for the entire nation, an indestructible
one-man army standing tall for freedom, justice, and the American
way--but what about truth? When reporter Dennis Hough is assigned to
cover a story about his boyhood hero, he begins to see the cracks in
the legend. Does The American have feet of clay? Or is he himself a
victim of a larger conspiracy? Created by screenwriter Mark Verheiden,
The America rises again, now collected in its entirety for the first
time (including hard-to-find American short stories).
Collecting The American #1-8, The American Special, The American: Lost
in America #1-4, short stories from DHP #32, DHP 5th Anniversary
Special, and a story from A1 #3 (Atomeka Press).
360 pages, black and white, $14.95, in stores on Sept. 14.

BABES, BEASTS, AND BRAWN: SCULPTURE OF THE FANTASTIC TPB
Written by Steve Kiwus.
The art of action figures has exploded in recent times, as the
simplistic, inelegant pieces of yesterday's plastic have transformed
into complex, dynamic pieces of articulate sculpture, reaching levels
of artistic expression unthinkable just a few years ago. Steve Kiwus
of Eightball Studios, one of the most in-demand toy sculptors of the
era, has now brought together his considerable body of eye-popping
work into a collection like none other. Babes, Beasts, and Brawn:
Sculpture of the Fantastic is a definitive look into the creation of
these powerhouse playthings, with hundreds of stunning color
photographs and fascinating insights into Kiwus' creative process.
144 pages, $19.95, in stores on Aug. 24.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #104
Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.
The return of Shira! With "Forsaken," another one-shot episode, manga
master Hiroaki Samura gives us a peek at what his most despicable
character has been up to since the "Autumn Frost" storyline. Get ready
to be seriously disturbed. Also in this issue, Rin is reunited with an
old ally, two compelling, new Ittö-ryü warriors are introduced, and
Manji finds himself in the "lion's den" of Habaki Kagamura, leader of
the Mugai-ryü. This Eagle and Eisner Award-winning epic reaches
another major turning point!
32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 10.

B.P.R.D. THE BLACK FLAME #1
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Guy Davis, colors by
Dave Stewart and cover by Mignola.
A bloodbath washes across America as the Bureau for Paranormal
Research and Defense turns its attention back to the plague of frogs.
While the Bureau tries to interpret bizarre new behavior from the frog
men, a madman from the B.P.R.D.'s secret history returns to take
advantage of the mindless monsters. Mignola takes over cover duties
for the sprawling six-issue epic he's crafted with co-writer John
Arcudi and interior art team of Guy Davis and Dave Stewart.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 31.

B.P.R.D.: THE DEAD TPB
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Guy Davis and colors
by Dave Stewart.
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense and their new team
leader, a former corpse himself, moves into their new headquarters
only to unearth a gigantic long-buried secret involving United States
government covert experiments and Nazi scientists. Hellboy creator
Mike Mignola teams with artist Guy Davis and co-writer John Arcudi to
carve out a bold new direction for the B.P.R.D., while Abe Sapien,
still reeling from the revelation of his former life as a Victorian
scientist, meets his long dead wife in their crumbling home by the
sea. This collection includes an extended sketchbook section featuring
the otherworldly designs Guy Davis for the roster of new characters
introduced in The Dead. Collecting the five-issue miniseries. The
strangest team book in comics gets weirder with this tale of the
walking dead, madness, the Spear of Destiny, and a monstrous gateway
to heaven.
152 pages, $17.95, in stores on Sept. 28.

[I'll be getting this. They're really pumping out the Hellboy-related
stuff nowadays, eh? There should be a Hellboy collection soonish now
that The Island will create enough material to fill out another one.
Then the above BPRD mini will be collected. I'm sure I heard that Lee
Bermejo would be drawing a Hellboy mini, which I guess will see
publication after that.]

CANNON GOD EXAXXION: STAGE 4 TPB
Written and art by Kenichi Sonoda.
Hoichi Kano's responsibilities are just a bit heavier than those of
your typical teenager-- taking out the garbage, mowing the lawn, or
washing the car fall just a bit short of single-handedly fighting an
alien colonization! Luckily, Hoichi's got the right tools for the job,
like a state-of-the-art integrated gunsuit and the antimatter-powered
giant robot, Exaxxion. That's some heavy-duty ordnance, but the
invaders didn't make it halfway across the galaxy without some pretty
impressive gear, including a major league mega-robot of their own that
incapacitates Exaxxion, forcing Hoichi to take on the Riofaldian
hordes solo in a last-ditch effort to free Exaxxion, humanity's last
chance to prevail against extraterrestrial tyranny!
208 pages, black and white, $15.95, in stores on Aug. 3.

CONAN #19
Written by Kurt Busiek, art by Cary Nord, colors by Dave Stewart.
Conan unleashes an ancient evil of extraordinary power in this story
that sets the stage for the adaptation of one of Robert E. Howard's
most-praised Conan stories, "The Tower of the Elephant," beginning
next month. Civilization continues to prove unsavory to the Cimmerian
barbarian as he navigates through the teeming villainy of the City of
Thieves. Determined to profit from this den of peril, Conan attempts
to rob a luxuriant temple only to find himself face-to-face with an
unscrupulous power bent upon its own escape. Yet, even that may not be
as troubling as a woman from Conan's past who has returned to the
scene, unexpectedly.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 24.

CONAN: THE GOD IN THE BOWL AND OTHER STORIES HC
Written by Kurt Busiek, art by Cary Nord and Thomas Yeates, colors by
Dave Stewart.
The critically acclaimed and award-winning creative team behind the
runaway-hit revival are back with a brand new adaptation of one of
Conan creator Robert E. Howard's best-known tales.
Award-winning writer Kurt Busiek and artists Cary Nord and Dave
Stewart render the glorious suspense of Howard's beloved "The God in
the Bowl" in all its terrifying detail, as well as introducing not
only Conan's most famed adversary, Thoth-amon, but a new female foil
to Conan's exploits--Janissa the Widowmaker, bound by a pact to a
witch who has sinister plans for Conan. Collecting issues #7, #9-#14
of the Dark Horse series.
184 pages, $24.95, in stores on Sept. 28.

[Waiting on the softcover. Why isn't #8 included?]

CONCRETE VOLUME 2: HEIGHTS TPB
Written and art by Paul Chadwick.
Big as a boulder and strong as an ox, he's Concrete, seven-feet of
stony celebrity. That he's a government-created cyborg is the cover
story, but in truth he's the mind of one Ronald Lithgow trapped inside
a rocky shell of alien origin. Possessing powers allowing him to scale
the highest mountain unaided or peel back the roof of a car like a
pull tab, he is yet denied the simple human pleasures of fragile
flesh.
This volume collects Concrete issues #6-10; Concrete Color Special,
the short stories: "World Beneath the Skin" and "Brighter," and a
gallery of hard-to-find Concrete illustrations.
208 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Sept. 21.

[I'll get this.]

DEVIL CHEF: THE MAN WITH THE SOFT-SERVE BRAIN TPB
Written and art by Jack Pollock. From the fiery abyss of Hell's
kitchen--literally!--comes the return of the culinary arts' diminutive
demon, Devil Chef! In his first feature-length story extravaganza,
"The Man with the Soft-Serve Brain" documents Chef's titanic struggle
with his chief rival, Softy (a.k.a. Citizen Cone) of Softy Soft-Serve
Ice Cream! It's fire vs. ice, winner-take-all, with the sweet nectar
of fast-food immortality to the winner--and the bitter ashes of
drive-thru oblivion for second place! Some say the way to a man's
heart is through his stomach, while others contend that the road to
Hell is paved with good intentions, but Devil Chef proves once and for
all time that a man's stomach is the road to Hell!
96 pages, $6.95, in stores on Sept. 14.

DOCTOR SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM VOLUME 3 HC
Written by Paul S. Newman, art by Frank Bolle and others.
The Man of the Atom is mankind's only hope! In a series of
catastrophic events like nothing ever witnessed Doctor Solar struggles
to save humanity from giant death machines, nuclear annihilation, lava
monsters, and robot scorpions! Back in time, Solar relives the
incredible events that made him The Man of the Atom! Solar smashes
mind-monsters that come to life! A million Solars battle microscopic
aliens from outer space! Don't miss the strangest, most fantastic
adventures of the atomic age.
This archive collection reprints issues fifteen through twenty-two of
Gold Key's original Doctor Solar comic-book series, the revolutionary
science-fiction adventure that gave birth to one of comics' most
distinctive and beloved superheroes, restored and reprinted for the
first time in over forty years.
200 pages, $49.95, in stores on Sept. 28.

DUNGEON SIEGE: THE BATTLE FOR ARANNA TPB
Written by Paul Alden, art by Al Rio, Cliff Richards and Fabiano
Neves. Enter the mystic world of Aranna in Dungeon Siege: The Battle
for Aranna.
Based on the upcoming game Dungeon Siege II from Gas Powered Games,
The Battle for Aranna tells the thrilling story of two of Aranna's
most influential legends, Zaramoth the Unmaker and Azunai. The magical
River of Souls holds the energy used to make magic possible. The evil
giant Zaramoth seeks to claim the River for himself. The brave human
chieftain Azunai knows that the River's magic belongs to all of
Aranna. When Zaramoth and Azunai finally meet on the battlefield,
Aranna will be changed forever!
88 pages, $6.95, in stores on Sept. 7.

HELLSING VOLUME 7 TPB
Written and art by Kohta Hirano.
What do you get when you mix reanimated Nazis, vampires, and freaky
killer Catholics and Protestants breathing down each others' necks? In
the case of Hellsing, you get an all-out bloody war. Or such has
proven to be the case so far. The world is engulfed in the flames of
destruction, and all seems lost. Vernedead's "Geese" are literally
being eaten alive, and it might just take half-vampire, Seras
Victoria, a certain loss of innocence to provide a shred of hope. But
that's not all this story hinges on. The vampire Hellsing himself will
surely show at some point, and the Catholic Iscariot Army, a dreaded
force, is also on the march. This is a situation of boiling blood, and
it's about to burst! Co-published with Digital Manga Publishing.
192 pages, black and white, $13.95, in stores on Sept. 21.

JINGLE BELLE TPB
Written by Paul Dini, art by Jose Garibaldi, Stephanie Gladden and J.
Bone.
Tired of remaining an unsung--so to speak--icon of the holiday season
in spite of her best efforts, Jingle defies her father's "no
publicity" edict and creates an animated TV special with her elfin
friends. But before it hits the airwaves, Jing must overcome new
adversaries Š contemporary TV executives!
Next, determined to prove herself worthy of the Claus legacy, Jingle
leaves the North Pole to take over a struggling Santaland amusement
park. Little does the mild-mannered owner realize, though, that the
"revitalization" will result in an over-the-top, Vegas-style Christmas
casino! And what's an elf-girl to do when the local mob tries to horn
in on the action? Raise the stakes, that's what!
In addition to vignettes from Jing's past boyfriends, this also
includes short stories illustrated by J. Bone and Stephanie Gladden,
featuring other characters Paul Dini has created--such as Sheriff Ida
Red of Mutant Texas! Collecting the four-issue mini-series.
96 pages, $12.95, in stores on Sept. 14.

LADY SNOWBLOOD VOLUME 1 TPB
Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Kazuo Kamimura.
From the pen of Kazuo Koike, of Lone Wolf and Cub fame, comes Lady
Snowblood. A story of pure vengeance, Lady Snowblood tells the tale of
a daughter born of a singular purpose, to avenge the death of her
family at the hands of a gang of thugs, a purpose woven into her soul
from the time of her gestation. Beautifully drafted and full of
bloody, sexy action, Lady Snowblood lives up to its title and
reputation.
288 pages, $14.95, in stores on Sept. 6.

[I'll look at it in the store first. If it's just more Lone Wolf and
Cub and Samurai Executioner ... well I already have those.]

THE LAST TEMPTATION HC
Written by Neil Gaiman, art by Michael Zulli.
Steven is afraid. Afraid of ghost stories, afraid of growing up...just
afraid. That is, until he meets the mysterious Showman and his Theatre
of the Real. Steven takes a ticket and watches the show on a dare, but
getting out of the performance will be harder than he ever imagined.
And then Steven learns what it is to be truly afraid.
Neil Gaiman, internationally acclaimed and bestselling writer of both
prose fiction (Neverwhere, Stardust) and graphic novels (The Sandman,
Signal to Noise) and Eisner nominated artist Michael Zulli (The
Sandman, Creatures of the Night) are the creators of this dark and
brooding morality tale. This new black and white hardcover edition of
The Last Temptation is the latest addition to Dark Horse's proud and
growing library of Neil Gaiman hardcovers. Originally published as
part of the short-lived Marvel Music line of the early Œ90s, Zulli's
lush and beautiful duoshade artwork is now showcased in a new format
for this stunning second edition.
104 pages, black and white, $14.95, in stores on Sept. 7.

[Murder Mysteris is spectacular. Creatures of the Night was ok. I'll
skip this.]

MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN #4
Written by Bruce Campbell and David Goodman, art by Rick Remender and
Hilary Barta, covers by Remender and Mike Mignola.
Hellboy creator Mike Mignola illustrates an eye-popping second cover
to complement the one by the regular team for this final installment
of Bruce Campbell's brilliantly deranged tale of an arrogant American
businessman and the surly cabdriver whose brain has been transplanted
inside his head. It's all out mayhem as the dual-brained Campbell goes
toe-to-toe with a bar full of Russian ruffians at the beck and call of
a Gypsy beauty who's trying her darnedest to plant him in an early
grave. Meanwhile, Campbell's dead wife acts out with uncharacteristic
bravery for someone reanimated inside a robot body. When it all comes
crashing down, one thing's for certain--you'll never look at comics or
organ transplants the same way again.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 17.

NEW RECRUITS TPB
By various.
Dark Horse asked its readers, "Think you've got what it takes to be in
comics?" The response was overwhelming. Now, after receiving hundreds
of submissions from all over the world, Dark Horse is proud to present
five of the coolest, strangest, and funniest stories from a group of
undiscovered and underrated newcomers. There's no comic anthology out
there like this one. Now's your chance to get in on the new wave of
comic contenders who've got what it takes!
128 pages, $12.95, in stores on Sept. 14.

REVELATIONS #1
Written by Paul Jenkins, art and cover by Humberto Ramos, colored by
Leonardo Olea.
From Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos, the best-selling creative team
behind Marvel's Spectacular Spider-Man, comes a sophisticated murder
mystery set in the unlikeliest of places--The Vatican.
Charlie Northern may be one of the best detectives in Scotland Yard
but that doesn't keep him from enjoying a night off curled up with a
good book of conspiracy theories and a full pack of cigarettes. That
is, until an old friend shows up at his door with the news that a
high-ranking Vatican official and probable successor to the Pope has
mysteriously died. Now, Northern must travel to Rome and seek out the
facts in a place legendary for keeping its secrets. There are forces
at work in The Holy See that want Northern to fail--forces darker and
more ancient than any in his favorite dime-store paperbacks.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 31.

SERENITY #2
Written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews, art by Will Conrad, colored
by Laura Martin.
Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews continue the journey of the brigands
and outlaws that call the ship Serenity "home" in this second issue of
the prequel to Whedon's Serenity-- the highly-anticipated feature film
follow-up to his cult-hit TV show Firefly.
On the run and out of cash, the ragtag crew of Serenity take on a
scavenger mission with the hopes of earning enough dough to disappear
for a while. Little do they know an old enemy is scheming to remake
their acquaintance with the help of some covert-operatives known only
as the Blue Gloves.
This issue also features three covers starring a different Serenity
crew member, each drawn by one of the hottest names in comics. This
month--Tim Bradstreet, Jo Chen, and Joe Quesada.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 3.

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS ADVENTURES VOLUME 4 TPB
Written by Haden Blackman, Ryan Kafman and Justin Lambros, art by Rick
Lacy and Fillbach Brothers.
Four more tales of hyperkinetic Clone Wars action! As the Clone Wars
burn across the galaxy and the true intentions of the Sith are
revealed, the true heroes of the conflict emerge. Chewbacca leads the
Wookiees against the Republic invaders on the jungle world of
Kashyyyk, R2-D2 and C-3PO uncover a plot to assassinate Padmé, an
orphaned refugee witnesses the rough life of a Clone Trooper
firsthand, and Anakin Skywalker fights alongside a young Jedi who will
play a part in his descent into the Dark Side.
96 pages, $6.95, in stores on Sept. 28.

STAR WARS: EMPIRE #36
Written by Welles Hartley, penciled by and colored Davide Fabbri,
inked by Christian Dalla Vecchia, cover by David Michael Beck.
"The Wrong Side of the War," part 1 of 5. Devotion to duty has put
Imperial Lieutenant Janek Sunber once more on the front lines. First
as part of an intense ground battle, where the last of a planet's
freedom fighters are desperately holding on, then as a glorified
prison guard at an Imperial base where prisoners are put to work for
the benefit of the Empire. It's not the career Sunber imagined he'd
have in the Imperial Infantry, but a Rebel surprise attack on the base
may give Sunber another chance to distinguish himself--or die trying!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 3.

STAR WARS: REPUBLIC #80
Written by John Ostrander, art and cover by Luke Ross, colored by
Jason Keith.
Palpatine calls a meeting of his bravest, wisest, and most influential
military officers in order to introduce them to his new right-hand
man, Darth Vader!
The new Emperor lays out his plans for his Empire, and those who have
other ideas are dealt a swift lesson by Vader's blade. But one Captain
wants nothing to do with the new government, and plans his defection.
But what do you do when the Dark Lord of the Sith is determined to
stop you?
This issue marks Vader's first appearance in Star Wars continuity
since his "introduction" in Revenge of the Sith! And, long-time
readers of Republic will see a plot come full circle in a most
unexpected manner!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 31.

SUPER MANGA BLAST! #55
By Mohiro Kitoh, Makoto Kobayashi, Kenitch Sonoda, Hiroyuki Utatane
and Toshiya Takeda.
Apples and Ferraris! It's the LAST Club 9 episode! Makoto Kobayashi
brings his romantic comedy to an end with a tearjerker finale, set in
Haruo Hattori's hometown of rural Akita. Celebrating years of Club 9
craziness, this month will also feature a color "Hello" Hattori pin-up
and several bonus images! Kobayashi continues to charm readers with
the feline antics found in What's Michael?. Earth's defenders face
another Riofaldian assault in Cannon God Exaxxion, and three episodes
of the full-tilt Seraphic Feather space epic will have you feverish
for more! In the Shadow Star teen fantasy-drama, Shiina's in grave
danger, as the "Grudges" storyline comes to a brutal conclusion!
128 pages, black and white, $5.99, in stores on Aug. 31.

USAGI YOJIMBO #86
By Stan Sakai.
"The Treasure of the Mother of Mountains," part 4. Usagi Yojimbo has
been captured! The greedy Lord Sanada is operating an illegal gold
mine in the Geishu province and has put Usagi and Tomoe Ame to work as
his slaves. Sanada has been killing those who would get in the way,
and his deadliest enforcer-- Noriko "the blood princess"--is none
other than Tomoe's own cousin! In this issue, master storyteller Stan
Sakai's fourth installment of the six-part "The Treasure of the Mother
of Mountains," the cruel sociopath Noriko reveals a devastating secret
to her enslaved cousin. Meanwhile, the young page Motokazu fears for
Tomoe's safety and rides off without permission to help her ... and
has an unexpected adventure of his own!
32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Aug. 31.

¶ 10:13 PM