A Study in Emerald
Written by Neil Gaiman, Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone
Art by Rafael Albuquerque, Dave Stewart
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Todd Klein
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 27, 2018
Cover Price: $17.99

Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraftian horrors? Uh, yeah! Let’s do this! What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite possibly everything, to be honest!

A Study in Emerald comes from writers Neil Gaiman, Rafael Albuquerque, and Rafael Scavone, with artwork by Albuquerque and Dave Stewart. Continue reading for more info, a synopsis, and a look at the cover art.

Black Hammer Volume 1: Secret Origins
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Dean Ormston
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Todd Klein
Cover by Dean Ormston and Dave Stewart
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 29, 2017
Cover Price: $14.99

This one was new for me. I’m not sure how it has eluded me for so long, but I must admit that I am smitten. Black Hammer Volume 1: Secret Origins collects the first six issues of the series into one volume that tells a cohesive story all the while exploring what it is to be alone and yet together. This dilemma is the result of a sacrifice gone too far. Not to say that the group wasn’t grateful, just that isolation and protection does not always equal freedom.

Dark Horse Number Ones
Written by Cullen Bunn, Matt Kindt, Gerard Way, Joelle Jones, Jamie S. Rich, Kurtis Wiebe, Mike Mignola, Jeff Lemire, Brian Wood, Sharlene Kindt, Dave Stewart
Art by Gabriel Ba, Joelle Jones, Dean Ormston, Matt Kindt, Mack Chater, Mindy Lee, Tyler Crook,
Colors by Laura Allred, Dave Stewart, Sharlene Kindt, Lee Loughridge, Leonardo Olea, Andy Cotnam, Tyler Crook
Letters by Tyler Crook, Dave Stewart, Crank!, Todd Klein, Marie Enger, Nate Piekos, Clem Robins
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 29, 2017
Cover Price: $6.00

Okay, first off, if I have to try to convince you to buy a comic that contains eight premiere issues for a measly six bucks then I might just have to reassess what I am doing here.

I have reviewed any number of these titles at different times and I cannot even begin to stress to you how great of a deal this is. Dark Horse Comics continues to amaze me with their marketing strategies. I can think of no better way to test out some new comics than with this compilation. Folks, I present to you Dark Horse Number Ones!

Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire
Hardcover
Story by Neil Gaiman
Adaptation and Art by Shane Oakley
Colors Nick Filardi
Lettering by Todd Klein
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Release date: January 25, 2017

Everyone knows of author Neil Gaiman. Okay, maybe not everyone, but they should! In this newest incarnation, Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire finds a new audience in comic readers. Originally published in the anthology Fragile Things, this short story is more than it first seems.

Nemo: The Roses of Berlin
Hardcover | Kindle Edition
Written by Alan Moore
Art by Kevin O’Neill
Letters by Todd Klein
Colors by Ben Dimagmaliw
Top Shelf Productions
Release Date (Print): March 26, 2014
Release Date (Digital): February 26, 2014
Cover Price: $14.95 (Print); $3.99 (digital)

Nemo: The Roses of Berlin is the next story in Alan Moore‘s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen universe. This one is a follow-up to the previous story, Nemo: Heart of Ice, and it follows the story of Janni Dakkar, the daughter of the legendary Captain Nemo. In The Roses of Berlin, it’s 1941 and Janni and her husband Broad Arrow Jack travel into the heart of Berlin to rescue their daughter from the hands of Adenoid Hynkel.

What I’ve enjoyed about The Roses of Berlin and the previous volume is that the series has gone back to the high adventure of the first two volumes of the series. There is fun to be had in this series, and plenty of references to books and movies and what have you, but it doesn’t feel like you have to have a classics degree from Oxford to understand the story. Maybe it just helps that I know what Moore is referencing here, and I feel like I’m on the inside of some kind of special club. I think that has always been part of the appeal of the entire series. You may not catch everything that Moore is referring to, but when you do catch something, you feel like all those high school English classes were worth something.