#SDCC: GOLDEN AND MIGNOLA PRESENT

BALTIMORE: THE PLAY!

July 5, MILWAUKIE, OR—From celebrated comic artist Mike Mignola and award-winning novelist Christopher Golden come the next installments of the critically acclaimed Baltimore series!

In Baltimore: The Play, a mad playwright puts on a Grand Guignol featuring actors that are real vampires. The evil financier of the play makes a bizarre discovery when he finds out that the playwright is a fraud and the true author is the disembodied head of a famous American author kept in a glass case. Baltimore: The Play is on sale November 21, 2012! 

Following The Play, Lord Baltimore finds himself in a double feature with Baltimore: The Widow and the Tank, on sale February 20, 2013. “The Widow” concerns a woman whose husband and war buddies have returned from the war as vampires and begun preying on their hometown. In “The Tank,” Baltimore learns of a wrecked tank in a field as he is passing through the war-ravaged countryside. People believe there is a vampire living inside that has been eating cattle and attacking locals. When Baltimore checks it out, it turns out to be true…to a point.   

Lord Baltimore’s next adventure, Baltimore: The Inquisitor, features the origin story of one of his main antagonists—Judge Duvic. Look for The Inquisitor on sale June 19, 2013! 

Praise for Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola:

“It still takes something special to impose a unifying vision, and Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden have got it.”

—The Wall Street Journal

 For more information, check out the exclusive interview with Christopher Golden on Newsarama!

About Dark Horse

Founded in1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, including The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton’s Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

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Dark Horse Does Vampires Right Digital Sampler

If you've got a taste for bloodsuckers, then look no further! Dark Horse does vampires right and gives readers who crave creatures of the night a crypt full of creepy comics!

Step into the world of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9, as everyone's favorite Slayer adapts to her new life in San Francisco. Then check out Angel & Faith, where the vampire with a soul and the once-evil Slayer work to atone for past sins.

This preview issue also features Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden's Baltimore, which follows a vampire hunter living in a world beset by a post–World War I vampire infestation; samples from P. C. and Kristin Cast's story of a vampyre boarding school in House of Night; and Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain, in which Manhattan suffers from a vampiric plague!

• Issue features selections from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #1,Angel & Faith #1, Baltimore: The Curse Bells #1, The Strain #1, and House of Night #1. Plus, the entirety of a short story entitled "Magical Mystery Tour Featuring the Beetles," a previously unreleased, digital-only retailer exclusive from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9.

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As a reminder: ALL REVIEWS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Publication Date: December 14, 2011

Format: FC 32 pages
Price: $3.50
UPC: 7 61568 17868 5 00511

Everything comes to a head in this final installment. Last time we saw Baltimore he hadn’t been able to stop the evil warlock, he wasn’t able to kill his vampire enemy Haigus, and poor Simon huddle upon the ground prepared for the worst, hoping his small measure allowed him to keep his mind.

The bell has been rung.  Baltimore was unaffected by them, and he continues his struggle to save the innocents.  The man who desires to be God, who has long tottered on the edge of madness, has fallen prey to his own folly. A seed of doubt undoes everything for him, and revenge is served, just not the revenge that Baltimore strived so hard for.

Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden along with Ben Stenbeck deliver the climatic conclusion to the Curse Bells. Baltimore’s story is far from over, and the consequences of those bells ringing will likely have far more repercussions than we’ve seen so far. Baltimore never fails to showcase the horror with good story telling. If you adore Hack/Slash or 30 Days of Night, Baltimore: The Curse Bells should be at the top of your reading list.

Check out the preview over at Dark Horse

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As a reminder: ALL REVIEWS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Publication Date: December 21, 2011

Format: TPB, 7" x 10", FC, 144 pages

Price: $18.99

Age range: 16

ISBN-13: 978-1-59582-677-0

It’s been a year since the Plague ended the war, and Baltimore continues on his quest. The vampires are running rampant, and Baltimore bathes the streets in their blood as an old gypsy watches. She intervenes for him to prevent his prey from escaping, and he casts his suspicions on her. The Gypsy’s granddaughter wishes to align herself with Baltimore, unbelieving that all who side with him will subject themselves to death, for “his quest will cost the lives and souls of everyone he loves.” Baltimore prefers not to have company on his quest.

Baltimore’s enemy Haigus has already left the town aboard a ship, but before Baltimore can follow him, the villagers take a little vengeance upon him, thinking he brought the evil to their village instead of cleansing it. They plan to detain him until Judge Duvic arrives to pass judgment, and the Inquisition’s judge isn’t likely to find Baltimore innocent, no matter how noble his efforts.

Vanessa comes as a savior, but her gallant effort may lead to disaster for her as they make their getaway. On her father’s old ship she coaxes the story of Baltimore and Haigus’s story out of him. It’s a story of death, war, and ravishment, of hatred, fear, and the start of a plague that would kill far more than just those on the battlefield.

But in the present Baltimore’s luck doesn’t last long, as a storm destroys their ship and leaves them on a haunted island, with a dark ship and a nasty plague ship. Even after Baltimore kills all of the remaining undead, the ship remains deadly, its plague taking a form spreading across the island, harboring more secrets.

Baltimore may have mistakenly struck the first blow in desperation and fear, but Haigus is the one that made it a full on war, for a man with nothing left to lose is truly an unstoppable force. Vanessa learns the lesson her grandmother was trying to teach her, though it may cost her her life. And even if she makes it home, her home may not be the same.

This collection gives a lot of backstory to Baltimore, and the heart of his need for vengeance. The artwork and horror elements are classic Mignola, and will delight old and new fans. I adore the insight found in the sketchbooks, and Ben Stenbeck’s fantastic work. The pacing is just as fast and furious as Baltimore’s need for revenge. Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola do a fantastic job of delivering all the unexpected twists and turns. For lovers of horror comics this is a must have.

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DARK HORSE UNLEASHES MIKE MIGNOLA’S YEAR OF MONSTERS!

PUBLISHING SCHEDULE REVEALED FOR YEARLONG VARIANT-COVER PROGRAM, LAUNCHING IN JANUARY

NOVEMBER 23, MILWAUKIE, OR—Following up on an announcement made at this year’s New York Comic Con, Dark Horse unveils the schedule for Mike Mignola’s 2012 Year of Monsters program.

The program kicks off in January with a highly anticipated Lobster Johnson miniseries, The Burning Hand. Following up on the critically acclaimed 2007 series The Iron Prometheus, this new story pits the 1930s vigilante against one of the more terrible villains of the twentieth century.

These special variant covers will be available to any retailer who orders five or more copies of the standard cover. These are sure to be sought-after items with a broad appeal to fans of Mike Mignola’s work, as well as monster fetishists of all types!

“Mike Mignola got into the comics business with the simple goal of drawing monsters for a living,” said Dark Horse managing editor Scott Allie. “Mike celebrates 2012 by pitting his greatest characters against his favorite monsters on these special covers, unrelated to the stories inside.”

The schedule for the first half of the year can be found below. Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand #1 arrives in stores on January 11, 2012.

January—Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand #1

February—B.P.R.D Hell on Earth: The Long Death #1

March—B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Pickens County Horror #1

April—Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand #4

May—B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Transformation of J. H. O’Donnell

June—Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar’s Remedy #1

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As a reminder: ALL REVIEWS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Publication Date: November 09, 2011
Format: FC, 32 pages
Price: $3.50
UPC: 7 61568 17868 5 00411

Baltimore is plunging deeper into darkness, and whether or not he’ll survive his descent is in question.

The girl miraculously survives the Inquisitor’s cleansing, and she is rewarded. Her homecoming brings him doubts about her entire village

Baltimore is blind with revenge. With his prey so close at hand, he’ll let nothing stop him from getting it, not even the fate of all the good left in the world.

And even Haigus sees the danger of the bells. He has no fear of death, because even in death his kind will win, which doesn’t sit well with Baltimore. But what are thousands of innocents, when revenge is so close at hand?

The ending draws closer, and as tensions mounts, even the easy decisions become hard for our hero. Baltimore has been consistent in keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Just one final chapter to this story, and I cannot possibly wait.

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Publication Date: October 12, 2011

Format: FC, 32 pages

Price: $3.50

UPC: 7 61568 17868 5 00311

What happens when the hero fails, when the bad guy actually wins? If that man is Baltimore he looks ahead and worries about winning the war instead of focusing on the innocent battle he lost. At the heart of his cause is revenge pure and simple. Always was, at least he’s unwavering in that.

The baby is born, and its spells far more trouble than Baltimore was anticipating.

The crazy magician's back story is finally told, and his obsession drives him in the most deadly of ways.

The nun’s still pray to God though it pains them begging for salvation, and the inquisitor may be scarier than the vampires in his unwavering zealot actions.

Horror in comics has always been hard, but Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden are masters at spinning tales, and this latest chapter of the Baltimore saga is a good example of that. With just two issues left, and Baltimore so perilously close to both having and losing everything, I’m on the edge of my seat with anticipation.

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Publication Date: September 14, 2011

Format: FC, 32 pages

Price: $3.50

UPC: 7 61568 17868 5 00211

Baltimore contunues his hunt for the vampire Haigus in the second installment of Baltimore: The Curse Bells. What he finds is nothing comforting: blood, robed figures and a pregnant woman in the middle of a ritual.

Baltmore just can't seem to stay out of trouble, and well that's what we like about him. So while he hunts and tries to rid the world of vampires and other things that go bump in the night, one other hunts him because of the impure company he keeps.

 The man can't even detangle himself from one situation before he gets ensnared in another, as the story progresses. The pace is excellent.

The fantastical writing of Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden paired with the artwork of Ben Stenbeck and you have an enthralling and wonderful read. If you're not reading this series, you're missing out!

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