Time to check out a few new fantasy titles coming out in a few months!
You'll see that I'll try to include a little order code with most items (ex:JUL200019). Show some love to your retailer and use those codes when you can, it saves a lot of time on the data entry end of things.
KING-SIZE CONAN #1
(W) Richard Thomas, Kurt Busiek, Chris Claremont, Kevin Eastman, Steven S. DeKnight (A) Steve McNiven, Pete Woods, Roberto de la Torre, Kevin Eastman, Jesus Saiz (CA) Andrew Robinson
BY CROM, YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A CELEBRATION LIKE THIS - MARKING 50 YEARS OF CONAN THE BARBARIAN IN COMICS!
Revelations, surprises and savage action prevail in the all-new KING-SIZE CONAN! In 1970, Roy Thomas brought CONAN THE BARBARIAN, a creation of author Robert E. Howard, to Marvel Comics. With art by the incomparable Barry Windsor-Smith, CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 introduced the Hyborian Age to a whole new audience, paving the way for decades of comics and Conan's conquest of pop culture. Now get ready to celebrate 50 years of CONAN with an oversize special spanning the breadth of Conan's life and times by the most dazzling array of creative talent ever assembled in one book to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth!
Experience Roy Thomas and Steve McNiven's all-new prelude to that original story from 1970!
Thrill to a tale of revenge by Kevin Eastman (co-creator, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), writing and drawing his FIRST Marvel story!
Chris Claremont and Roberto de la Torre team up to unveil a turning point in Conan's career as a mercenary!
Kurt Busiek and Pete Woods recount an early brush with sorcerous forces that will shape Conan's destiny!
Conan and Bêlit sail together again for the first time since the 2019 relaunch, with Jes s Saiz illustrating the Marvel Comics maiden voyage of Steven S. DeKnight (Netflix's DAREDEVIL writer/director/showrunner)!
The perfect introduction for new fans, and an essential adventure for die-hards, this is the can't-miss CONAN comic of the decade! Parental Advisory
OCT200658
Why this caught my eye:
I lost steam on the Marvel Conan stuff, but this special has a few really interesting things going for it. Having Roy Thomas do a little prelude to his original arc is a great touch, and McNiven has already done some stellar tribute work to Barry Windsor Smith so that feels like a good match. I was a fan of the Busiek Dark Horse run of Conan, and it will be fascinating to see a Kevin Eastman story.
JIM HENSON LABYRINTH MASQUERADE #1 CVR B CAGLE
(W) Lara Elena Donnelly (A) French Carlomagno, Samantha Dodge (CA) Evan Cagle
* Discover an all-new one-shot story set during the hit film Jim Henson's Labyrinth from award-winning author Lara Elena Donnelly (Amberlough), along with artists French Carlomagno (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), Samantha Dodge (Catwoman: Soulstealer), and more
* All is not as it seems with the guests of Jareth's famous Masquerade, as one participant slowly awakens to the reality of her topsy-turvy existence in the Goblin Kingdom when Sarah shatters the glass mirrors during her escape.
* But as this mysterious participant puts together the pieces, her discoveries threaten to unravel everything!
OCT200923
Why this caught my eye:
The Cagle cover is what drew me in, but I do like Carlomagno's art and I've heard good things about Donnelly's fantasy spy thriller series Amberlough.
BERSERK WITH DARKNESS INK HC
(W) Quentin "Alt 236" Boeton
Berserk is a manga which stands out for its rich, twisted and dark universe. It is a clever alchemy between the stories of Elric of Melniboné, Hieronymus Bosch's paintings, and Gustave Dore's engravings. This book reviews Berserk's story and all aspects of Kentaro Miura's life, the manga's author. It also deciphers the work's entire dark fantasy world.
OCT201919
Why this caught my eye:
I'm 50/50 on this as it seems to mostly just be an analysis of Berserk, but as I am fairly obsessed with Berserk that may still be just enough reason for me to check it out. I want to find some more sample pages, but haven't had much luck yet. The publisher, Third Editions, does look like they put together some really nice quality books though.
CIMMERIAN FROST GIANTS DAUGHTER #1
(W) Robert E. Howard, Robin Recht (A) Robin Recht (CA) Peach Momoko
Robert E. Howard's Conan is brought to life UNCENSORED! Discover the true Conan, unrestrained, violent, and sexual. Read the story as he intended!
The only survivor of a ferocious battle, Conan sits in the midst of a bloodstained snow field. When the fight is over, the Cimmerian suddenly finds himself overcome with deep weariness and disgust. Until the moment he meets a redheaded woman of supernatural beauty, blinding like the glow of the sun on the snow. Moved by a burning desire, Conan decides to follow her but finds himself caught in a trap, attacked by two titans. In his ardor, he was not suspicious...he did not imagine for a second that his bride was none other than Ymir's own daughter: the frost-giant!
A mythical tale both in both form and substance, The Frost-Giant's Daughter is masterfully adapted by Robin Recht, who manages to capture the essence of this whirlwind tale of violent desire...a true love trap in which the force of will of the Cimmerian is put to the test. As a bonus, also includes Robert E. Howard prose story from Weird Tales!
OCT200976
Why this caught my eye:
I was checking out some of Recht's artwork and I really like his style, so it feels like a good match for this project. Plus it never hurts to spotlight another peach Momoko cover as people are going insane for her these days.
CRITICAL ROLE VOX MACHINA ORIGINS III #1
(W) Matthew Mercer, Jody Houser (A) Olivia Samson
The good life never lasts. After paying off their debt to Drez Vina, Vox Machina enjoy a week in Westruun's lap of luxury. But that costs coin, which has a bad habit of running out. So to keep themselves in the black (and the taverns, and the brothels) they agree to join an underground fighting ring. But before they can bash their way to cash, their attention is snagged by the case of a missing child.
Prepare to jump back into the fray with series III of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, from the New York Times bestselling team of Jody Houser (Orphan Black, Stranger Things), Olivia Samson, MSASSYK (Isola, Gotham Academy), and Ariana Maher (James Bond, Xena)!
OCT200244
Why this caught my eye:
I don't really have a stake when it comes to Critical Role stuff, I just feel like I have a duty to give people a heads up whenever a new project pops up as it was pretty popular at our store. It is seriously a retailer reflex that I will never be free of.
GIRL HAVEN GN
(W) Lilah Sturges (A) Meaghan Carter
Three years ago, Ash's mom, Kristin, left home and never came back. Now, Ash lives in the house where Kristin grew up. All of her things are there. Her old room, her old clothes, and the shed where she spent her childhood creating a fantasy world called Koretris.
Ash knows all about Koretris: how it's a haven for girls, with no men or boys allowed, and filled with fanciful landscapes and creatures. When Ash's friends decide to try going to Koretris using one of Kristin's spell books, Ash doesn't think anything will happen. But the spell works, and Ash discovers that the world Kristin created is actually a real place with real inhabitants and very real danger.
But if Koretris is real, why is Ash there? Everyone has always called Ash a boy. Ash uses he/him pronouns. Shouldn't the spell have kept Ash out? And what does it mean if it let Ash in?
OCT201499
Why this caught my eye:
This just sounds like a great YA fantasy story which deals with subjects of identity and more, plus I really like Carter's artwork. It does not hurt that she seems to be really into Transformers Beast Wars.
That's it for this installment, we'll take a look at some superhero material next!