The Sakai Project: Artists Celebrate Thirty Years of “Usagi Yojimbo” HC
The most amazing artists in the world have come together to celebrate thirty years of Stan Sakai’s marvelous samurai rabbit saga, Usagi Yojimbo. The participating artists bring their own interpretations and their own styles to the subject, making this book a one-of-a-kind treasure.
Produced in association with the Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS). All proceeds from this book will go to Stan and Sharon Sakai.”
160 pages; HC, 9”x 12”
$29.99
Yesterday I headed on down to my LCS (the Source Comics & Games) to pick up my copy of The SAKAI Project. I have to say Darkhorse out did themselves on this book. The large 9×12 Hard Cover format is the perfect size and very nicely bound.
I opened the book and went right to the Forward, I wanted to read it before I even looked at the art work inside. Granted I had seen quite a few of the images on the CAPS auctions over the last few weeks, but I felt it might enhance my experience and enjoyment of the book if I read it first.
I have to say it definitely did, the forward was written by Mark Evanier, who works on Sergio Aragone’s Groo the wanderer comic. I wont spoil the forward which is titled SHARED SUFFERING, but I will tell you that it is more than worth your time to read. Mark does a great job detailing the kindness of the Sakais and all of the comic creators that contributed to this book.
Next we have a Preface letter written by Tone Rodriguez, Vice President of the Comic Art Professional Society. This is the man responsible for this project, not just this book but also the ebay auctions of the original pieces. He did all of this just to help out Stan and Sharons medical bills (for those of you that dont know, Sharon was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2004) and submissions flooded in from around the world.
This book has 157 pages of just art work, many of the pages have multiple images. It is by far the most beautiful tribute to a creator I think I have ever seen. I wanted to showcase a few of my favorite pieces but after only getting a quarter of the way through the book, I decided it would take me several hours to write up a list of creators and their submissions.
Rating: 5 out of 5
If you love Usagi Yojimbo you will love this book. If you dont know Usagi this is a great way to find out why so many people, fans and creators, love this character and mainly the man that created it. Stan Sakai
So please, contact your LCS, DCBS, book store, Darkhorse.com and order this book. You wont be disappointed and you will be helping a man and his family that have brought so many great adventures to the pages of comic for years.
Items solicited for a October release date: – Darkhorse Comics
#1 for $1 Star Wars
Brian Wood (W), Carlos D’Anda (A), Gabe Eltaeb (C), and Alex Ross (Cover)
On sale Oct 2
FC, 32 pages
$1.00
One-shot
Relive the blockbuster first issue that launched Brian Wood’s Star Wars—for only $1! We take you back to those heady, adventure-filled days when the Empire ruled, the Rebels were on the run, and the galaxy was a dangerous place where anything might happen!
If you like this issue, pick up the trade paperback collection, currently on sale!
• First issue, value priced at $1.00!
• Look for more #1 for $1 issues in the coming months.
STAR WARS #10
Brian Wood (W), Carlos D’Anda (A), Gabe Eltaeb (C), and Hugh Fleming (Cover)
On sale Oct 9
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Ongoing
Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles have infiltrated an Imperial Destroyer. But now nine thousand stormtroopers are searching for them, and Darth Vader is aware of their presence. Completing their mission and escaping with their lives may be an either/or proposition!
Meanwhile, the Rebel fleet prepares for an Imperial assault!
• Artist Carlos D’Anda returns!
• Legendary Star Wars cover artist Hugh Fleming!
The “Death Star” battle you didn’t see! The Star Wars #2 (of 8)
Jonathan Rinzler (W), Mike Mayhew (A), Rain Beredo (C), Nick Runge (Cover), and Ralph McQuarrie (Variant cover)
On sale Oct 2
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
The Empire is poised for an attack on the peaceful world of Aquilae, and only Jedi General Luke Skywalker seems concerned. When King Kayos is killed, Jedi in training Annikin Starkiller is ordered to find Princess Leia, while Skywalker sends his only squadron against the Empire’s powerful new battle station!
• Official eight-issue adaptation of George Lucas’s original rough-draft screenplay for Star Wars!
what if george lucas had written another version of star wars?
he did!
STAR WARS: DARK TIMES—A SPARK REMAINS #4 (of 5)
Randy Stradley (W), Douglas Wheatley (A), Dan Jackson (C), and Benjamin Carré (Cover)
On sale Oct 16
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Darth Vader is on the trail of one Jedi—little does he know that even more Jedi are aware of his search and his impending arrival on their planet. The Jedi and their friends are waiting with a trap to end Vader for good. But this is a dark lord of the Sith they will be battling—and nothing is certain!
Darth Vader is on the trail of one Jedi—little does he know that even more Jedi are aware of his search and his impending arrival on their planet. The Jedi and their friends are waiting with a trap to end Vader for good. But this is a dark lord of the Sith they will be battling—and nothing is certain!
A few of the last surviving Jedi plant a trap for Darth Vader!
“This Star Wars series puts me through the wringer like no other, and it never disappoints. May the Dark Times never end!”—SciFi Pulse
“Hardman’s artwork is drool worthy. Mix in some stunning color work by Rachelle Rosenberg and you have everything one could possibly want in a Star Wars book.”–IGN STAR WARS: LEGACY #8
Corinna Bechko (W), Gabriel Hardman (W), Brian Thies (A), Rachelle Rosenberg (C), Augustin Alessio (Cover)
On sale Oct 23
FC, 32 pages
$2.99
Ongoing
Ania Solo and Imperial Knight Jao’s search for Sith leads to the poisoned Mon Calamari homeworld of Dac—where their ship is boarded by pirates who have taken over the planet’s orbiting shipyards.
Jao senses the dark side at work—especially when he and Ania are marked for death!
• Sith, pirates, and the planet of the dead!
“Star Wars: Legacy is another excellent extension of this universe, as it does just enough right for both fanboys and fangirls to be worthy of the heritage it now represents. “ —Unleash the Fanboy
Star Wars Omnibus: Knights of the Old Republic Volume 2 TP
John Jackson Miller (W), Brian Ching (P), Bong Dazo (P), Scott Hepburn (P), Alan Robinson (P), Dustin Weaver (P), Dan Parsons (I), Joe Pimentel (I), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Colin Wilson (Cover)
On sale Dec 18
FC, 440 pages
$24.99
TP, 6” x 9”
After Zayne Carrick is framed for the murder of his fellow Jedi in training, his poor luck prevents him from clearing his name and throws him into dangerous situations all over the galaxy, leading to his final confrontation with the Jedi Masters who massacred their own Padawans!
• Expands the story of the smash-hit Knights of the Old Republic video games!
• From the New York Times best-selling novelist John Jackson Miller!
A masked vigilante known only as “X” dispenses justice without mercy to the criminals who rule the decaying city of Arcadia. When muckraking blogger Leigh Ferguson snoops down the wrong alley, she gets swept into X’s bloody war with a politically powerful crime lord. Duane Swierczynski and Eric Nguyen dish out nonstop, visceral action, with Dark Horse’s most brutal and exciting character—X! Collects issues #0-#4 of the ongoing series.
So recently wwayne commented on a previous post about having us review “X” from Dark horse. Well it looks like he will get his wish. Tomorrow the first trade will be available, which collects 0-4 of the current ongoing series and I plan on picking it up this weekend. =) So look for our review coming soon to the podcast! (Soon being a relative term, next couple weeks) In the mean time here is a preview:
“Starwars has a large, expansive universe beyond the films…
From television, games, toys, clothing, books to comics, the galaxy George Lucas created is vast and filled with boundless opportunities. If you love Star Wars and you collect comics, then you know that Dark Horse Comics has had the licensing rights to the Galaxy Far, Far Away for a long, long time. And they’ve done some very interesting, and quite high quality tales over the years.
One of the things that many people wondered after Disney boughtLucasfilm was how long will this relationship continue? Especially since the Mouse owns Marvel, the largest comics publisher in the world. Well, it appears we now have the answer. The Suits in the know have determined that no new contracts will be given to Dark Horse after the current ones expire. So all new projects after 2013 will be handled internally by Marvel.
It’s not known yet if titles will be worked into the regular line up, or will Marvel create a special branch of the company that deals with Star Wars. It’ll take a couple of years for the old deals to work there course, but the stories that Dark Horse have coming down the pipeline will be the last. And you can expect anything new from Marvel dealing with Star Wars to arrive around 2015.
Interesting year for that to happen…”
I have to say that even though I knew the Franchise was going to MARVEL at some point, I am a bit sad. I have been reading the Dark Horse Starwars comics since 1990. Tales of the Jedi was my gateway comic! Like an addict I had to have more and DH delivered. But, lets not look at this as a bad thing. Maybe a move back to Marvel will be a good refresh for the expanded universe. Keeping in mind that they might drop DH from the comic-verse history, but I think that wont happen, mainly because it would be damn hard to make people forget about 20+ years worth of stories. The Marvel relaunch will coincide with episode 7 and all we can do is hope for some really good stories. =) Now back to Dark Horse and their current and upcoming books for 2013! Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi – The Prisoner of Bogan #1 Lost Tribe of the Sith – Spiral #4
This is Star Wars as you remember it . . . and as you have never seen it before! We’re taking you back to those heady, adventure-filled days following the destruction of the Death Star—when the Empire ruled, the Rebels were on the run, and the galaxy was a dangerous place where anything might happen!
* Writer Brian Wood (The Massive, Conan the Barbarian).
* Artist Carlos D’Anda (Batman: Arkham City).
* Cover artist Alex Ross!
* Classic era, classic characters, all-new Star Wars!
Jedi Master K’Kruhk is on the run with a group of young Padawans. In a galaxy suddenly hunting Jedi, they are forced to land on an Imperial-run planet, hiding in the refugee camp, among other beings who were displaced by the Clone Wars. But K’Kruhk senses there is something wrong!
* Is K’Kruhk the last hope for the Jedi Order?
* On the run from Vader!
I love the Dark Times stories, definitely pre-order this book!
Despite her famous heritage, Ania Solo is just a girl trying to make her way in a galaxy gone bad. But it all gets worse when she comes into possession of a lightsaber and an Imperial communications droid—and discovers she has been targeted for death!
* She’s Han and Leia’s great-great granddaughter introduced to the Legacy saga!
* In the aftermath of War, the Solo clan lives on!
* A new ongoing series!
* From the acclaimed creators of Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes!
So as you can see there are a lot of really great Star Wars books continuing into 2013 and launching next year! Also a ton of collected editions to keep you reading star wars books for a long time to come.
The Geeks Menagerie 
