COMICS!

Dark Horse Comics proudly presents a new ongoing superhero event sure to have fans of the genre buzzing. For his return to the world of comics, renowned artist Mat Broome teams up with critically acclaimed writer Rick Remender in The End League. A merging of The Lord of the Rings and The Dark Knight Returns, The End League follows a cast of the last remaining supermen and women as they embark on a desperate and perilous journey through a world dominated by evil, in hopes of locating the one remaining artifact that can save their world—the Hammer of Thor.

“I’ve been a big fan of Rick Remender’s work on Fear Agent, and I’ve wanted to work with Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics for years on a creator-owned project. This book will set Rick apart from the pack—a Watchmen-sized epic!” said Broome of the team-up.

The battle between good and evil is long since over; evil has prevailed. The entire world is now splintered into mafia-style territories that are ruthlessly controlled by eternally feuding supervillains. Earth itself has been transformed into a nightmarish prison, little more than a polluted, environmental muddle; the decades of superhuman war have sent the planet into a nuclear winter. The only light in the night sky is the glow of the evil new gods as they struggle for dominance.

Only ten champions have managed to survive the villains’ bid to eradicate them. For these former heroes, there exists no hope of defeating the new, dark lords of Earth. The once courageous and gallant have been reduced to pursuing the same primal goal as the remaining human population—survival. To that end, together, these last remaining heroes comprise the small band known only as The End League.

“Mat’s breathtaking illustrations add a dynamic element to the narrative in a way that pulls the dramatic essence of the characters to the forefront,” said Remender of Broome’s art. “If you're going to do an epic superhero yarn that turns everyone’s heads, you’d better have the best art in the business . . . and we do.”

The subtly philosophical undertone of the story filters through the dialogue and exposes the masterful styling of Remender. The End League merges big, Jack Kirby-influenced action with Rem,ender’s social commentary and elplores what would actually happen if thousands of humans were randomly given superhuman abilities.

The End League is slated for a winter 2007 release.

The world’s most famous barbarian will be going through some changes, starting with a relaunch of the Dark Horse comics series after issue #50. First, though, they’ll be tying up some loose ends: after Tim Truman and Cary Nord wrap up their adaptation of “Rogues in the House” in Conan #44, original Conan writer Kurt Busiek and artist Greg Ruth will be finishing off Born on the Battlefield, their chronicle of Conan’s youth in Cimmeria, with the climactic Battle of Venarium. The last three issues will be devoted to the end of Conan’s career as a thief, as Truman and new series artist Tomás Giorello adapt the Robert E. Howard fragment “The Hand of Nergal.” Issue #50, which will be a special double-size issue, will be the last of the series.

But fans of its eponymous hero needn’t worry: after a month’s break, Dark Horse will be bringing Conan back in a new ongoing series, titled Conan the Cimmerian. The new series will continue where the old one left off, bringing back Conan writer Timothy Truman and penciller Tomàs Giorello. And it wouldn’t be Conan without Cary Nord, who will be providing cover art for Conan the Cimmerian.

So, what’s new? Well, aside from the title, Conan the Cimmerian opens the second major chapter of Conan’s life, as he changes from thief and rogue to mercenary and pirate. Timothy Truman explains, “REH divided Conan's life into distinct 'career' phases: first as a youthful thief and wanderer, then mercenary, to pirate, to border raider, scout, and finally king. During his thief era, he's less experienced—a daring, larcenous, wide-eyed lad from a mountain tribe who goes adventuring in the "civilized" world beyond his own.  Later, he starts showing the scars of experience. He gets wiser, tougher, and more confident. His attire changes, as well.  He dresses more elaborately and he buys and scavanges clothing and gear that reflects different countries that he's traveled to.”
           
The relaunch also promises more cohesive series continuity. Editor Matt Dryer, who will be taking the reins of the new series, has high hopes: “With Conan, there have been a lot of opportunities to work with all sorts of really brilliant artists—folks like Eric Powell, John Severin, Bruce Timm, and Rafael Kayanan. But that got away from us. There just got to be too many stand-alone issues, and they were disrupting the continuity of the main story. That won’t be the case on Cimmerian. We’re refocusing on the main story and committing ourselves to an ongoing cohesive structure.”

Timothy Truman is likewise optimistic about both the relaunch—and ready to get down to the business of writing the barbarian’s new adventures, beginning with his return to his native Cimmeria. Says Truman, “The entire team is really excited.  From here on out, we're going full gallop-- swords drawn, visors down and shields raised. Crom help the bastard that gets in our way.”

Conan the Cimmerian is scheduled for release in May 2008.