Below you’ll find the solicitations information and cover artwork for all of Dark Horse Comics comic book titles released on December 2, 2015. My personal faves this week are Mystery Girl #1 and This Damned Band #5!

Conan The Avenger #8
Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Brian Ching
Colors by Michael Atiyeh
Letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Cover art by John Picacio
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: November 26, 2014
Cover Price: $3.50

Conan The Avenger #8 is the second part in “The Damned Horde” storyline that was started last issue. Conan and a VERY mixed up army set out to rescue the sister of one of their own, who’s being held prisoner by a weirdly SOUTHERN villain. I wasn’t aware that Cimmeria had a Mason-Dixon line.

Writer Fred Van Lente delivers another solid issue of Conan. There’s a lot going on this issue, and if you haven’t read part one of this story, I suggest you do so before picking up this issue. First, because it’s awesome; and second, just so you’re up to speed on Conan and his mission, allies, enemies, and victims. This… is the fun part of the story. Where all the action is, where the plan is set into motion. Also, we get to find out a little bit more about the “bad guy” behind all this, as well as the “damsel in distress” that was introduced last issue. There’s some great classic Conan characterization in this issue. Van Lente proves that Conan is many things besides a barbarian. In fact, he’s a LOT more: strategist, leader, motivator, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Conan the Avenger #2
Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Brian Ching
Colors by Michael Atiyeh
Letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Cover art by Killian Plunkett
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: May 28, 2014
Cover Price: $3.50

WOW!!!! Comics don’t get much better than Conan the Avenger #2!!! It’s got EVERYTHING you could want or hope for in a Conan comic book.

I’ve enjoyed Fred Van Lente’s books in the past a great deal, but I had no idea he had such great ideas and stories for Conan in him. This is a Conan that we don’t get to see that often. Usually he’s fighting off other barbarians, pirates, or monsters, but here we get to see him tackle the spirit world. How can he kill something that’s all ready dead? The answer will surprise you! Beyond all this awesomeness, there’s a really great story, with just enough hopelessness for the character the reader believes that this might be the adventure he doesn’t walk away from, even though we know better. The villains are believable, and that’s what made me actually get nervous for Conan a couple of times. And, Van Lente throws in some pretty great “classic Conan” moments.

Conan The Avenger #1
Based on the work of Robert E. Howard
Script by Fred Van Lente
Art by Brian Ching
Colors by Michael Atiyeh
Letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Cover by Iain McCaig
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 23, 2014
Cover Price: $3.50

By Crom! Now this is how a Conan story should read! Conan The Avenger #1 has everything you would expect from Robert E. Howard himself. Now granted, it is based upon a synopsis Howard wrote but never completed, but the vast majority of this is original…and awesome! It isn’t just that the writing seems appropriate, it’s that it’s paired perfectly with art that reminds me of the Conan comics from decades ago. Read on my friends for more information.

Tomb Raider #2
Script by Gail Simone
Pencils by Nicolás Daniel Selma
Inks by Juan Gedeon
Colors by Michael Atiyeh
Letters by Michael Heisler
Cover by Dan Scott
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 26, 2014
Cover Price: $3.50

Last year, the Tomb Raider universe was given the reboot treatment with Tomb Raider, a new video game which retells the origin story of adventurer Lara Croft and resets the franchise’s continuity. With the new video game comes a comic book series tie-in from Dark Horse Comics that picks up Croft’s story after the harrowing events that took place in the video game.

The comic book series was launched last month with Tomb Raider #1, which shows us the 21-year-old Lara Croft, the young adventurer who is one of the few survivors of the doomed ship Endurance. Croft and the crew had been on a quest to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai when the ship was hit by a storm and its passengers were marooned on an island. Now that she’s home, the young Lara can’t recall all of what happened to her on the island, but each night’s sleep bring nightmares that remind her of the painful experiences. She’s racked with guilt because it seems as though it was her decisions on the expedition that caused the most damage.