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Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima’s classic samurai manga Lone Wolf & Cub is officially getting the deluxe treatment. Dark Horse has announced the frequently-requested Lone Wolf & Cub Deluxe Editions , with the first to arrive this December. Lone Wolf & Cub Deluxe Edition Volume 1 will include the first two volumes of the series and some of the third in bookstores on December 9, followed by comic shops on December 10, priced at $54.99. The 720-page hardcover will measure at 7" x 10". Volume 2 will follow on March 24, 2026 with more of volume 3 and volumes 4-5. The volumes feature translation by Dana Lewis with lettering by Studio Cutie. This also marks the first time for Lone Wolf & Cub to be released in its original right-to-left format. Here’s a sample of the non-final cover art for the first two: The original Lone Wolf and Cub manga debuted in 1970 and ran for 28 volumes. The acclaimed series went on...

The samurai archetype is as enduring an image worldwide as that of the Wild West gunslinger, embodying an entire genre and romanticized bygone time period. As long as Japan has been making movies, it's been making films featuring samurai characters and tropes. These range from adaptations of classic literary stories and historical accounts to postmodern tales that subvert the established samurai conventions. What remains consistent are largely stoic sword fighters who use their skills with the blade to cut through their enemies, often on a moral quest.

Some of the absolute best in Japanese cinema are samurai movies, taking full advantage of the country's history and cultural backdrop. Whether it's legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and his extensive work in the samurai genre or 21st century reinventions of the tropes, there are plenty of great samurai movies to check out. Without further ado, here are the 15 best samurai movies of all time ranked.

Horror manga legend Junji Ito has been nominated for the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame this year. He is one of 18 nominees, with voters set to choose the six new inductees. Alongside Ito, Shigeru Mizuki, a late manga creator, has already been pre-selected for induction.

Ito, who won the Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International in 2023, has also had his work nominated for Eisner Awards in the past. His Black Paradox manga was nominated for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia in 2023.

Related: All 24 Junji Ito Books in Order

In addition to his manga success, Junji Ito is making waves in film and TV. Through the Lens Entertainment and Fangoria Studios are working on adaptations of his works ‘The Mystery of the Haunted House’ and ‘Bloodsucking Darkness’ into films.

Ito’s latest anime, Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, which adapts 20 of his stories, launched...

Due to Akira Kurosawa and Masaki Kobayashi's directorial prowess within the samurai genre, crafting a list of the greatest samurai films of all time is essentially just assembling the best works by Kurosawa and Kobayashi. Nine of the 32 films Kurosawa directed were within the samurai genre and each of the nine is iconic enough to qualify as one of the genre's very best. Kobayashi's two seminal samurai movies, Harakiri and Samurai Rebellion, are also undeniable masterworks of the genre that arguably belong among the top five samurai movies ever made.

While Kurosawa and Kobayashi's samurai films are more well-known to Western audiences, the samurai genre has a plethora of other brilliant movies that are formative works of Japanese cinema. Auteurs such as Hiroshi Inagaki, Hideo Gosha, Kihachi Okamoto, and Kenji Misumi played an equally important role in the development of the samurai genre as Kurosawa and Kobayashi. Films such as The Sword of Doom,...

The "Lone Wolf and Cub" formula has really taken over pop culture of late. It makes sense enough: the premise of writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima's original '70s manga -- a wandering loner becomes the caretaker of an extraordinary youngster -- is endlessly malleable. It can just as easily work in a comparatively realistic future where society has collapsed ("The Last of Us") as it can in a fantasy world completely removed from our own ("The Witcher") or even long ago in a galaxy far, far away ("The Mandalorian").

Director Gareth Edward's 2023 sci-fi film "The Creator" transposes that template onto the latter half of the 21st century, where a war between humanity and AI robots rages on 15 years after the nuclear destruction of Los Angeles. Edwards heavily evokes the iconography of Vietnam War cinema for the movie's depiction of New Asia, an amalgamation of several Asian...

Quentin Tarantino has long made it clear that he would direct ten films as a filmmaker and then hang up his pretty impressive director's hat. In March of this year, Tarantino announced that he had completed a script called The Movie Critic, which is rumored to be his final film and will reportedly be based on a movie reviewer who wrote for a pornographic magazine. The details are still very vague, but the film is sure to showcase all of Tarantino's love as a filmmaker.

He has been viewed as a true encyclopedia of movies and a true movie fan who happens to direct pretty fantastic films. Scanning across his filmography, fans are likely to have their own personal favorites, but in 2003, the director released what is arguably his true masterpiece in Kill Bill: Vol.1. The film taps into so many of Tarantino's loves as a filmmaker and is a...

This post contains spoilers for "The Mandalorian" season 3 premiere.

"The Mandalorian" star Pedro Pascal spends the vast majority of his screen time underneath an impenetrable beskar steel helmet, so it's fitting that some of the show's most interesting guest stars are also hidden underneath helmets, prosthetics, or CGI. The season 3 premiere (sort of) brings back Ig-11, the bounty hunter turned nanny droid voiced by Taika Waititi. Mando's ugnaught ally, Kuiil, was voiced by Nick Nolte. And season 2's hidden guest stars included John Leguizamo as the cyclopean gangster Gor Koresh.

"Sweet Tooth" lead Nonso Anozie is a particularly apt addition to the "Mandalorian" season 3 cast, however, for reasons I'll get into in a moment. Also known for playing Xaro Xhoan Daxos in "Game of Thrones," Anozie is present in the premiere as the voice of space pirate king Gorian Shard. As you can see above, Gorian Shard bears...

Over the course of 45 years and counting, "Star Wars" has evolved and branched into various shades of storytelling, from the gritty, grounded feel of "Andor" to the lore-heavy, adventure-of-the-week style narrative of "The Bad Batch." At its core, the franchise has always been heavily influenced by samurai films and space westerns, with George Lucas paying homage to the genres that shaped his artistic sensibilities. Although Lucas might not be directly involved with the acclaimed Disney+ series "The Mandalorian" — created and executive produced by Jon Favreau — the series proudly wears its samurai and spaghetti western influences on its sleeve. Playing out as a modern sci-fi with futuristic fantasy worldbuilding, "The Mandalorian" embraces its genre influences and subverts them to good measure, where bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) plays the dual roles of a lone ranger and doting father figure, which situates him in the crossroads of questioning "the way."

The...

Tales of hardened, violent loners picking up lively, younger traveling companions are certainly having a moment. Whether it's "The Last of Us," "The Mandalorian," "The Witcher," or a movie like "The Gray Man," they seem to be every which way you turn in the world of streaming these days. It's nothing new, of course. Writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima helped shape the mold for these types of stories when they launched "Lone Wolf and Cub" in 1970. Even people who've never read their incredibly influential manga series (nor seen any of its adaptations in other media) know exactly what you mean when you describe something as having "Lone Wolf" vibes.

Speaking on the official podcast for "The Last of Us" season 1, episode 6, "Kin," co-creator Neil Druckmann talked a little about his own inspirations while directing the original Naughty Dog video game franchise that inspired HBO's widely acclaimed (and relentlessly feel-bad) post-apocalyptic prestige series.

While recently talking about the movies which would make up his retrospective, Tom Hanks, the star of Big, Splash, Philadelphia, and Saving Private Ryan, told CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend Podcast: “For one reason or another, no one references Road to Perdition.” It’s a curiosity he can’t really explain, but he makes a strong argument for the 2002 film, emphasizing how it features “two guys who turned out to be two of the biggest motion picture presences in the history of the industry with Jude Law and [Daniel] Craig.”

Hanks is only saying what mob movie aficionados have been whispering because of omerta laws for years. Road to Perdition is a gangster film classic even if it is based on a graphic novel.

Cinema legend Paul Newman was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in his final feature film performance, here as crime family boss John Rooney. It was also director...

What should be a fresh start for a family turns into a living nightmare when they discover their living quarters at an apartment building is already home to centuries-old hauntings in the comic book series Lot 13.

Written by Steve Niles and featuring artwork by Glenn Fabry, Lot 13 was originally published by DC Comics from 2012–2013, and we're thrilled (and chilled) to exclusively announce that Dark Horse Books will be collecting the entire series in trade paperback for the first time!

The Lot 13 trade paperback will be released in comic shops on May 3rd, 2023, followed by a bookstore release on May 16th!

Below, we have the official press release with additional details and a look at the cover art for Lot 13, and to pre-order the Lot 13 trade paperback, visit Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore. — Dark Horse Books presents Lot 13, a terrifying horror story from the minds of Steve...

Exclusive: Dark Horse Comics today unveiled Black Solstice, a new graphic novel written by Oscar winners Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe, which it will publish next December.

The comic illustrated by Aremo Massa picks up following a winter solstice which saw the world transform when every Black person in America gained superpowers—powers that gave an unthinkable amount of hope, but then disappeared the following morning. Now, with only three days before the next winter solstice, the entire nation is holding its breath, waiting to see if the powers will return.

But not everyone’s been just waiting. Kesa, Quentin, and Deja—the Wallace siblings—have been planning the biggest heist in history, something that would change everything for Black people. And they are ready. All they need are those powers to kick in for 24 more hours.

“This journey began on December 21, 2020, when practically every Black person on Twitter started declaring,...

It's not a job he necessarily wants, but the drug-fueled detective Cal McDonald will still do everything he can to keep the world safe from the sinister forces of nefarious magic. In addition to fighting living nightmares on the paneled pages of Steve Niles' Criminal Macabre comic book series, McDonald's eerie adventures are further fleshed out in the short story prose format of Niles' Criminal Macabre: The Complete Cal McDonald Stories, and we're thrilled to exclusively announce that Dark Horse Comics will release a new edition of the acclaimed prose collection, including two new stories and an introduction by the legendary John Carpenter!

Below, we have the exclusive reveal of the cover art for the new edition of Criminal Macabre: The Complete Cal McDonald Stories, which will be released in paperback on March 2nd, 2022.

In the meantime, you can check out the official press release with additional details below, and...

by Jack Ford

“Shogun Assassin” is a somewhat notorious title and one frowned upon by some purists. While Japanese in origin, this film is an amalgamation of the first two films in Toho Studios’ “Lone Wolf and Cub” series, assembled by American filmmaker Robert Houston, who also created new English dialogue and a new title for his version. It is not certain why the decision was made to introduce the Lone Wolf and Cub series – themselves adaptations of the manga series of the same name written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Goseki Kojima – to western markets this way. There existed an in-built audience for chambara films overseas and others in the genre had been released in the same territories untampered with.

Nevertheless, It turns out that these films were in safe hands. Despite not having much of a good reason to exist, “Shogun Assassin” not only...

The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 25th edition as a virtual event accessible to audiences across Canada, with a

dynamic program of scheduled screenings and premieres, panels, and workshops running from August 5 through August 25, 2021, once again using the leading-edge platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72.

As the summer approaches, the festival will be following advice from local health authorities, with the possibility of also adding a range of flagship physical events to the lineup.

Last summer’s virtual edition was a phenomenal success, screening to 85000 spectators and amassing a record amount of media coverage, with 475 accredited journalists from around the world covering Fantasia and its titles. The lineup showcased 104 features, a quarter of which were World Premieres, with the majority securing distribution out of the festival, with highlights including “The Block Island Sound” selling to Netflix, “Come True” to IFC, “The Paper Tigers” to WellGo USA,...

Taking place this August as a virtual event for viewers in Canada, the 25th annual Fantasia International Film Festival will open with the world premiere of the zombie comedy Brain Freeze:

Press Release: Thursday, April 8, 2021 // Montreal, Quebec -- The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 25th edition as a virtual event accessible to audiences across Canada, with a dynamic program of scheduled screenings and premieres, panels, and workshops running from August 5 through August 25, 2021, once again using the leading-edge platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72.

As the summer approaches, the festival will be following advice from local health authorities, with the possibility of also adding a range of flagship physical events to the lineup.

Last summer’s virtual edition was a phenomenal success, screening to 85000 spectators and amassing a record amount of media coverage, with 475 accredited journalists from around the world covering Fantasia and its titles. The lineup showcased 104 features,...

Blending elements of Halloween and Jacob's Ladder within its own creepy and compelling story, writer Magdalene Visaggio and artist Andrea Mutti's new graphic novel Cold Bodies will explore the haunting effects of trauma on the only survivor of the vicious Winter Man massacre, and we're thrilled (and chilled) to exclusively reveal the graphic novel's release details and cover art that's reminiscent of an ’80s horror movie poster.

Dark Horse will release Cold Bodies in comic shops on September 8th and in bookstores on September 21st, just in time for the Halloween season!

Below, we have the cover art and official press release with additional details, and be sure to keep an eye on Dark Horse Comics' website for more information!

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore., — From Eisner and GLAAD Media Award-nominated writer Magdalene Visaggio and creator of SyFy Channel’s Vagrant Queen, and illustrated by Andrea Mutti comes Cold Bodies, a...

Kazuo Koike was one of Japan’s leading seinen (“youth”) manga writers and several of his works, like “Lady Snowblood” and “Lone Wolf and Cub”, have seen big-screen adaptations that’re much loved the world over. However, one of his best adaptations that still remains less discovered and even lesser discussed is “Bohachi Bushido”. The rights to the manga were secured by superstar Tetsuro Tamba, who then brought director Teruo Ishii to make what would end up being one wild ride.

One evening, when fighting a horde of enemies, weathered samurai Shino Ashita just about has enough of life in general and, out of weariness from the constant fighting that he has always seen, decides to end his life. However, it doesn’t go quite as planned, as he is rescued by people of the Bohachi clan. This clan is notorious for having forgone eight important morals...

With the Zatoichi series running out of steam (there would be only two more of those releasing after 1972), actor/producer/director Shintaro Katsu and his newly formed production house Katsu Productions were looking to kickstart a new series of chanbara films as leading vehicles for the star, as well as to keep the company functioning. For this purpose, they turned their eye towards a gekiga (Japanese version of a graphic novel) by writer Kazuo Koike, an outlandish tale of an Edo-era law enforcer. For the first one, Katsu called upon Kenji Misumi, the director with the most directing credits on the Zatoichi features, and regular cinematographer Chikashi Makiura to lend their vision to this new tale. If, however, you go into the Hanzo films expecting anything similar to Zatoichi, you’re in for a very rude surprise!

This is the story of Hanzo Itami, an incorruptible magistrate...

"When there's no more room in Development Hell..." For as many intriguing, thought-provoking, and altogether entertaining horror movies we've seen over the decades, there are many more that never saw the light of the big screen. Thankfully, longtime horror journalist and filmmaker Dave Alexander sheds light on the scary good projects that never quite came to life in his new book Untold Horror, and we're excited to exclusively announce that Dark Horse Books will release Untold Horror in hardcover to comic shops on July 28th and in bookstores on August 10th.

Brimming with interviews, scripts, and artwork for some of the horror genre's most shocking unmade movies, Untold Horror spotlights unfinished films that were in the works from George A. Romero, John Landis, Joe Dante, Larry Cohen, Richard Stanley, Vincenzo Natali, and more filmmakers!

Below, we have the official press release with additional details, as well a look at the...

Following their announcement in January that they're adapting Dan O’Bannon's original Alien screenplay into a five-issue comic book series, Dark Horse Comics has now announced that they're also teaming up with Twentieth Century Fox to give the same ambitious treatment to the original screenplay for 1987's Predator.

Written by Jeremy Barlow and based on James E. Thomas and John C. Thomas’ 1984 script Hunters, Predator: The Original Screenplay will be a five-issue series featuring artist Patrick Blaine and inker Andy Owens. The first issue will be released on June 10th.

We have the official press release with more details below, as well as the cover art for the first issue of Predator: The Original Screenplay, and be sure to visit Dark Horse Comics' website for more information on all of their projects.

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore.,—Before there was Predator, there was Hunters. Now, Dark Horse Comics and Twentieth Century...

In addition to publishing legendary creators Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, and Chuck Palahniuk, Dark Horse Comics also has a long tradition of showcasing exciting new writers and artists whose impressive work could one day propel them to become the next Mignola, Gaiman, or Palahniuk. One such writer and artist is Benjamin Schipper, and as a special treat for Daily Dead readers, we're thrilled to exclusively announce that Schipper's surreal, western-style graphic novel Joe Death and the Graven Image will be released by Dark Horse Comics this September!

You can get a first look at the cover art for Joe Death and the Graven Image below, ahead of its 152-page paperback release on September 30th from Dark Horse Comics.

To learn more about Schipper and his unique artistic style, be sure to visit his website and Dark Horse Comics online. We also have the official press release with additional info on...

Last year, Dark Horse Comics adapted William Gibson's unproduced Alien 3 screenplay as a five-issue comic book series, and now they're teaming up with 20th Century Fox to give the same treatment to Dan O’Bannon's original Alien screenplay, which, as diehard Alien fans know, is different from the version that came to life on the big screen in 1979.

Written by Cristiano Seixas and based on O’Bannon's original screenplay for Alien (which also included story ideas that O’Bannon worked on with Ronald Shusett), Alien: The Original Screenplay will be a five-issue series featuring artist Guilherme Balbi and colorist Candice Han.

Originally known under titles such as Memory and Star Beast, the screenplay for Alien would go on to have many different drafts before filming began, changing and reconfiguring certain storylines from O’Bannon's initial version. Alien: The Original Screenplay seeks to preserve O’Bannon's initial vision for the classic film,...

Originally published between 1997–2008, Kohta Hirano’s manga Hellsing is being collected in hardcover form by Dark Horse Comics, with the Deluxe Edition Volume 1 coming out on July 1st, 2020:

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore. — The international sensation returns in deluxe hardcover editions, collecting Kohta Hirano’s manga masterpiece for the first time in its original 7x10 serialized format. Renowned for its action-packed approach to horror, Hellsing is gruesome fun turned up to eleven!

With supernatural horrors haunting the streets and preying upon humanity, the shadowy Hellsing Organization fights back against hell’s minions. And Hellsing has a secret weapon in their arsenal: the vampire lord Alucard, whose terrifying powers are needed more than ever as an army of the undead marches on London beneath the banner of the swastika!

Hellsing Deluxe Edition Volume 1 goes on sale July 1, 2020, and is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your local comic shop.

Rosie Knight Dec 27, 2019

If you love Star Wars: The Mandalorian, you should be reading the Lone Wolf and Cub manga that inspired its main storyline.

This Star Wars article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian.

A lone man stands against a failing Empire. By his side is a small infant, seemingly harmless and completely vulnerable without the warrior at its side. If you've been watching Disney+'s epic slowburn space western The Mandalorian, you might think that we're talking about episode two of the show, which centers on the titular hero and his new charge, a young alien who appears to be the same species as Master Yoda. But, in fact, we're describing the setup of Lone Wolf and Cub, one of the longest running and most iconic manga series of all time and a huge influence on the unexpectedly sweet story at the heart of the first live-action Star Wars series.

Even though the Halloween season is still right behind us, it's already time to look ahead to the winter holidays, and after releasing their Ho! Ho! Hellboy piece last year, Mantic Games is once again teaming up with Dark Horse Comics and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola for a limited edition Hellboy: The Board Game miniature, this time based on Krampus.

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore. — Mantic Games is pleased to announce it will be releasing a special, limited edition Hellboy: The Board Game miniature, inspired by the fiendish Krampus! Following the success of the fantastic Christmas-themed Ho! Ho! Hellboy last year, Mantic is working with Dark Horse Comics and visionary creator Mike Mignola again to give your holiday season the creeps.

This limited-edition celebratory piece will be available to pre-order from November 1st from participating Mantic stockists and direct from Mantic Games at www.manticgames.com. After being designed by a digital sculptor,...

During the 1960s and 1970s, the changes in the world with all its social and political upheavals as well as the general feeling of renewal (at least culturally) was reflected in the cinema of that time. While in the USA directors such as Arthur Penn, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese made films which were about to change the face of Hollywood, as well as being satirical, sometimes dark comments on their times and Europe saw the rise of such filmmakers as Jean-Luc Godard, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Francois Truffaut, in Japan the studio system was about to realize its state of stasis. With most of the big companies – Nikkatsu, Toei and Toho (just to name a few) – having to go through a time of economic difficulties and the strong competition from Hollywood movies, these studios had to react in order to stay relevant, not to lose the Japanese audience...

At Dark Horse Comics, the Mignolaverse is ever-expanding, and following our exciting news that Mike Mignola, Matt Smith, and Dave Stewart are teaming up for Hellboy and The B.P.R.D.: Long Night at Goloski Station, it's now been revealed that Mignola is also teaming up with writer Chris Roberson, artist Christopher Mitten, and colorist Michelle Madsen for the five-issue miniseries Witchfinder: The Reign of Darkness, which will feature occult expert Sir Edward Grey investigating the gruesome murders of Jack the Ripper.

The first issue of Witchfinder: The Reign of Darkness will be released on November 27th from Dark Horse Comics. Read on for more details on the new miniseries, check out the cover art for the first issue below, keep an eye on Dark Horse Comics' official website for additional details, and visit our Comic-Con online hub to keep up to date on all of our coverage of the upcoming convention!

The 50th annual Comic-Con may be kicking off later this week in San Diego, but Dark Horse Comics is already heating up the news with exciting announcements in the "Mignolaverse," and Daily Dead is thrilled to exclusively report that legendary writer Mike Mignola is teaming up with Barbarian Lord creator Matt Smith and colorist Dave Stewart for the new one-shot Hellboy and The B.P.R.D.: Long Night at Goloski Station, coming this October from Dark Horse Comics.

A Halloween treat, Hellboy and The B.P.R.D.: Long Night at Goloski Station is inspired by Westerns and will be released on October 30th from Dark Horse Comics. To learn more, check out the official press release and cover art below, and keep an eye on Dark Horse Comics' official website for additional details!

Press Release: Timed to Halloween, legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, acclaimed Barbarian Lord...

Before there was Eleven, there was Six... Last year Dark Horse and Netflix teamed up for a new comic book series that followed Will Byers into the Upside Down, and now they're partnering for another comic book series, Stranger Things: Six, that debuts the first of its four issues this May and will focus on a teenager with the power of precognition... a power that Dr. Brenner wants to exploit at Hawkins Laboratory.

Below, we have the full press release with more information on Stranger Things: Six, and Upside Down fans will also want to keep an eye out for the release of Stranger Things Volume 1: The Other Side trade paperback when it hits shelves on April 30th, followed by Dark Horse’s Free Comic Book Day Gold 2019 release on May 4th, which will feature a Stranger Things story.

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore.,—Attention Stranger Things fans! Are you...

This year marks a quarter century since the publication of Mike Mignola and John Byrne's Hellboy: Seed of Destruction (the first comic book miniseries featuring the iconic titular character), and to celebrate, Dark Horse Comics is teaming up with Gigantic Brewing to release six limited edition beers based on characters from the Hellboy comic books, with each beer limited to 666 cases and featuring new artwork illustrated by Mignola and colored by Dave Stewart:

Press Release: To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the publication of Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, Oregon's Gigantic Brewing and Dark Horse Comics are teaming up to create 666 cases of Hellboy beer, based on award-winning cartoonist Mike Mignola’s legendary character. All told, Gigantic Brewing will release six different Hellboy beers, with flavors inspired by fan-favorite characters from the Hellboy comic books. Each new beer will be a limited edition run of 666 cases and will be released approximately every seven weeks.

Before the new Hellboy movie hits theaters on April 12th, you can get an in-depth look at the making of the movie in Hellboy: The Art of the Motion Picture, a new hardcover coming to store shelves on April 9th from Dark Horse Comics.

Read on for the full announcement for Hellboy: The Art of the Motion Picture, and in case you missed it, Dark Horse will also be publishing Hellboy: 25 Years of Covers this summer to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Mike Mignola's iconic character!

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore.,—Dark Horse Comics will publish Hellboy: The Art of the Motion Picture, a gorgeously designed hardcover book that showcases concept art and set photography to offer a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most highly anticipated films of 2019. The book offers an inside look at the creation of the film with nearly one thousand pieces of art and photography in 200 full-color pages.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Mike Mignola's iconic comic book character Hellboy, and in addition to the upcoming release of a new Hellboy film, Dark Horse will help celebrate the year-long anniversary celebration with the July 3rd release of Hellboy: 25 Years of Covers, a new hardcover collection featuring more than 150 covers.

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore.,—To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the publication of Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, Dark Horse Comics is publishing Hellboy: 25 Years of Covers. In Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, creator Mike Mignola first introduced comic book readers to the Right Hand of Doom, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, and one of the most iconic comic book characters—and universes—of all time. And on July 3, 2019, Dark Horse will pay tribute to the characters’ legacy and 25 years of spellbinding covers with Hellboy: 25 Years of Covers, a deluxe, oversized hardcover collection that includes more...

Dark Horse Comics revealed a new comic series geared towards younger horror fans, titled House of Fear: Attack of the Killer Snowmen and Other Spooky Stories. Written by James Powell with illustrations by Jethro Morales, Adrián Bago González, and James Hislope, House of Fear is presented in five parts by a mysterious caretaker named Boyle. The collection promises spooky yarns of an elderly ghost, an evil tooth fairy, a swamp monster, and more.

House of Fear will be available on May 1st, 2019. Read on for the full announcement from Dark Horse:

"Horror isn’t just for grown-ups! With House of Fear: Attack of the Killer Snowmen and Other Spooky Stories, Dark Horse is chilled and thrilled to present these spine-tingling tales of terror for kids in the vein of Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

It’s kids vs. monsters in this collection of scary comics for young readers!

As Andy Williams sings in "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," December is the perfect month of the year to share "scary ghost stories" with the family, and Mike Mignola and friends are once again getting into the spooky spirit of the season with the 2018 Hellboy Winter Special.

With Hellboy Winter Special out today from Dark Horse Comics, we have the gift of preview pages to share with Daily Dead readers, so throw another log on the fire and celebrate the holidays with Hellboy!

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore., — ‘Tis the season, once again, for the Hellboy Winter Special….

“There is a long tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas,” said legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. “I love ghost stories more than just about anything and I love that Christmas time of year so I wanted to do my bit to carry on that tradition.”

Hellboy Winter Special 2018 presents...

Fans can join the B.P.R.D. as Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, or Hellboy himself to face off against some of the most notable enemies from Mike Mignola's comic book universe when Hellboy: The Board Game is released in 2019 from Mantic Games and Dark Horse Comics. To get into the spirit of the holiday season ahead of the game's release, a new handmade "Holiday Hellboy" resin miniature has been announced to accompany the game, so you can look forward to kicking all kinds of supernatural entities in the face while also exuding lots of holiday cheer!

From the Press Release: "Mantic Games is pleased to announce a special, limited edition miniature to accompany its upcoming Hellboy board game. Working once again with Dark Horse Comics and visionary creator Mike Mignola, Holiday Hellboy is a handmade, high-quality resin gaming piece based around an iconic piece of festive artwork drawn by Mike Mignola.

As Corpse Club listeners know, we're big fans of all things Alien here on Daily Dead, and like a lot of fans, we're fascinated by the production behind one of the more divisive entries in the franchise, Alien 3. In the ’80s, author William Gibson was approached to write a screenplay for the third film, and while his story never came to fruition on screen, Gibson's version will soon come to life on the paneled page in a five-issue comic book series from Johnnie Christmas and Dark Horse:

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore.,—An Alien blockbuster is coming to a comic shop near you when Dark Horse Comics brings William Gibson’s original, unproduced Alien 3 script to life with the help of writer and artist Johnnie Christmas. While Gibson was a contributor in the early phase of the writing for Alien 3, ultimately most of his concepts never made it into the final film.

Now in the final hours of its Kickstarter campaign, Hellboy: The Board Game is sweetening its stretch goals with a new expansion pack called Darkness Calls, which comes with additional detailed miniatures and follows Hellboy on his showdown with Koshchei the Deathless and Henry Hood:

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore.,—Mantic Games, in partnership with Dark Horse Comics, is delighted to unveil a brand-new expansion for the Hellboy: The Board Game Kickstarter. This game-changing expansion is inspired by Hellboy Volume 8: Darkness Calls. It tells the tale of Hellboy’s fateful encounter with iconic characters such as Koshchei the Deathless and Henry Hood, the undead witchfinder.

With this expansion, players will be able to recreate the storyline by playing as Hellboy, or they can create their own ‘what if’ scenario to see how other members of the Bprd team would have fared against Koshchei and hideous undead warriors. It comes with...

To celebrate the recent Alien Day, Dark Horse Comics announced the trade paperback edition of Aliens Essential Comics Volume 1, with artwork by Mark Verheiden, Mark A. Nelson, Den Beauvais, and Sam Kieth. Coming out this October, the first volume collects three previously released Aliens story arcs featuring Hicks, Newt, and even a little Ripley action. Continue reading for a look at the cover art:

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore., — Since 1988, Dark Horse Comics has delivered the Aliens scares that audiences have demanded! For those thirty years, these stories have expanded the Aliens mythos and taken it to new heights with terrifying adventures spanning the depths of space and strange alien worlds. Now, Dark Horse is proud to present a value-priced paperback collection Aliens Essential Comics Volume 1.

Aliens Essential Comics Volume 1 collects the first Dark Horse Comics Aliens trilogy – Outbreak, Nightmare Asylum, and Earth War, which follows Hicks and Newt—and eventually...

Raising a child in deep space can be difficult enough on its own, but throw in a horde of lethal Xenomorphs and you really have to be a great parent to keep your family safe. A mother and her 12-year-old son will have to fight to survive against one of the galaxy's most dangerous species in Aliens: Dust to Dust, a new comic book series premiering April 24th from Dark Horse:

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore., (January 17, 2018)—For those who grew up on James Cameron’s 1986 blockbuster Aliens, it’s impossible to forget the intensity and terror as Newt and Ripley fought an infestation of xenomorphs and the emotional rollercoaster of the motherly feelings Ripley develops for the terrified little girl. Now, writer and artist Gabriel Hardman (storyboard artist for Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, Logan, Dawn of Planet of the Apes) weaves an Aliens story harkening back to the...

According to reports, Justin Lin ("Star Trek: Beyond") will produce and direct a feature adaptation of the 'manga' comics series "Lone Wolf and Cub" for Paramount:

Created by writer Kazuo Koike and illustrator Goseki Kojima, "Lone Wolf and Cub" started publishing in Japan (1970), acclaimed for historical accuracy and influential in Japanese pop culture, spawning movies and TV series.

"...'shogun’ executioner 'Itto Ogami', starts on a path of revenge after his family is killed, leaving only his infant son 'Daigoro' alive.

"As he grows up, Daigoro is trained to be a fearsome warrior and joins his father as they travel the country and seek vengeance against the clan that changed their lives..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Lone Wolf and Cub"...

Buy "Lone Wolf And Cub" Comic Books Here...

Ogami Ittō may reignite his quest for vengeance as Paramount has hired 'Seven' writer Andrew Kevin Walker to script 'Lone Wolf and Cub' Hollywood debut. Justin Lin will be producing and hopes to direct the adaptation.

'Lone Wolf and Cub' was created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima and chronicles the story of Ogami Ittō, the Shogun's executioner who uses a dōtanuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accusations from the Yagyū clan, he is forced to take the path of the assassin. Along with his three-year-old son, Daigorō, they seek revenge on the Yagyū clan and are known as "Lone Wolf and Cub".

The manga was already adapted into a series of films starting Tomisaburo Wakayama as Ogami Ittō and Akihiro Tomikawa as his infant son Daigoro, these were reedited to make the awesome cult classic 'Shogun Assassin!'...

Paramount Pictures is producing an adaptation of the classic 1970s manga Lone Wolf and Cub. And they are starting to develop it... again. The project has been in and out of development since 2003. At one point, Darren Aronofsky was attached to direct, but that's no longer the case. According to THR, the studio has hired Seven and Sleepy Hollow screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker to write the script, which is a step in the right direction.

If you're not familiar with Lone Wolf and Cub, it was created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. It's an epic revenge story that was told over the course of 9,000 pages by the time it was done! The manga is "acclaimed for its storytelling and its historical accuracy. It was influential in Japanese pop culture, spawning movies, a television series and even plays."

The story told of a shogun’s executioner named Itto Ogami,...

The Lone Wolf and Cub remake has been percolating for a few years here in the States, but gets another boost forward today with the announcement of a new, veteran writer coming aboard. Andrew Kevin Walker will bring his screenwriting talent to the adaptation of writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima's 1970s manga series for a live-action movie produced by Justin Lin and Steven Paul. Lin still has his eye on the director's chair but no announcements have been made just yet. THR reported that Kevin Walker has joined Paramount's plan to adapt the seminal …...

After languishing in development for the past five years, it seems Paramount is ready to move forward with the manga adaptation Lone Wolf and Cub. The studio has brought on screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en) to tackle the adaptation, with Justin Lin set to direct. The filmmaker has been attached to this project since 2012, and he is also slated to produce with Marisa McMahon and her Kamala Films company.

Paramount has had the rights to this project since 2003, with director Darren Aronofsky attached to direct at one point. When Justin Lin came aboard back in 2012, the husband and wife writing team of David Webb Peoples and Janet Peoples (12 Monkeys) were tasked with adapting the Japanese manga created by Kazuo Koike, although it doesn't seem that they're attached to this adaptation anymore. It hasn't been confirmed if any elements from their script will remain intact, or if Andrew Kevin Walker will...

Paramount has landed the adaptation of the seminal manga Lone Wolf and Cub, and now has Andrew Kevin Walker on board to write the script.

Justin Lin, who directed several of the Fast and Furious movies, and his Perfect Storm banner are producing the project along with Marissa McMahon and Kamala Films. Joshua Long is also among the producers. Lin, who has been associated with Cub since around 2012, is also looking to direct the feature.

Lone Wolf and Cub was created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima, who began publishing the manga series in Japan in 1970. The revenge...

It's been announced that Dark Horse Comics, Guillermo del Toro, and Universal Brand Development have teamed up to create Trollhunters: The Secret History of Trollkind, a continuation of Trollhunters' main protagonist, Jim Lake Jr.'s story in comic form. Continue reading for more details on the comic and a look at the cover artwork.

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore., (July 18, 2017)—From Dark Horse Comics, Guillermo del Toro, and Universal Brand Development, comes a graphic novel with further adventures for DreamWorks Animation Television’s Trollhunters’ teenage hero, Jim Lake, Jr., in Trollhunters: The Secret History of Trollkind. Trollhunters executive producer and writer Marc Guggenheim and How to Train Your Dragon graphic novel writer Richard Hamilton work alongside Trollhunters creator and executive producer Guillermo del Toro to co-write this companion tale to the Emmy-winning Netflix series! Timothy Green II (Avenger’s Academy, Justice League: 3001) provides his artistic skills to...

If you're fond of Mike Mignola's fiery comic book creation and you want to raise a little hell with your next drink, then you might want to add Hellboy Hell Water Cinnamon Whiskey to your liquor cabinet. The new whiskey is now available from Dark Horse Comics, XXX Distillery LLC, and Prestige Imports LLC, and it never hurts to have a bottle on hand in case the B.P.R.D. shows up at your front door.

Press Release: Milwaukie, Ore., (May 22, 2017)—The first ever whiskey based on Mike Mignola’s legendary Hellboy comic book character was announced officially today by Dark Horse Comics, XXX Distillery LLC and Prestige Imports LLC. Hellboy Hell Water Cinnamon Whiskey is a craft distilled, small batch, naturally flavored cinnamon whiskey retailing for $19.99 for a 750ml bottle. The 66.6 proof Hellboy Hell Water Cinnamon Whiskey is available nationally and can be ordered at www.hellboyhellwater.

Craig Lines Apr 5, 2017

Marvel? DC? They have their moments, but how about Shogun Assassin, and in turn, the Lone Wolf & Cub movies?

Like most western viewers, I came to the Lone Wolf & Cub series via Shogun Assassin – a recut/mash-up of the first two movies, trimmed to 90 minutes and dubbed into English by a pair of enterprising Andy Warhol acolytes. It was one of the original 'video nasties' in the UK, banned for years, so highly desirable to a kid like me. And it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was probably the goriest movie on the list.

While it may seem criminal now to butcher a pair of bona fide Japanese classics and completely change their meaning and tone, Shogun Assassin got away with it by being so vibrant and hyperactive. The inappropriate score is a joyful synthesiser meltdown and the spirited dub goes full-pelt, even if what they...

Stars: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Yunosuke Ito, Go Kato | Written by Kazuo Koike, Tsutomu Nakamura | Directed by Kenji Misumi, Buichi Saito, Yoshiyuki Kuroda

Producing six films across two years (1972-1974) is no mean feat, especially when you consider that they mostly retain their quality throughout. Based on the 28-volume manga series by Kazuo Koike (writer, who adapts for screen) and Goseki Kojima (illustrator), Lone Wolf and Cub is a set of brisk, ultraviolent action-adventure movies, packed with clever ideas, beautiful scenery, and weird characters, set in the Edo period (17th to 19th centuries) of Japan.

Martial arts star Tomisaburo Wakayama plays Itto Ogami (meaning “wolf”), an ex-Shogunate Executioner whose wife is murdered by the fearful Yagyu clan, led by the cruel Retsudo (Yunosuke Ito). Framed and shamed into exile, Ogami takes his son, Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa), and hits the road. Not just any road, but the “Demon Way in Hell...