Since the late 1980s,Dark Horse Comicshas become one of the leading publishers of independent comics and licensed stories, with franchises likeIndiana Jones,AlienandPredatorunder its belt. The company has earned a reputation for delivering both satisfying sequels and conclusions to film and TV shows alongside brilliant original series. From Joss Whedon and Mike Mignola to Jeff Lemire and Stan Sakai, the company has hosted some of the most talented creators in comics.
Dark Horse may not be the powerhouse it once was, due to an increasingly competitive market when it comes to licenses and creator-owned books, but it continues to be one of the most consistent when it comes to quality. It’s hard to find a comic book reader who doesn’t have fond memories of at least one story by the company, and its logo remains a sure sign of quality, more so than even Image Comics.
Dark Horse’s New ARKHAM HORROR Series is a Love Letter for Fans of Lovecraftian Terror (Review)
Dark Horse’s new Arkham Horror comic series is the newest addition to the tabletop franchise inspired by the Cthulhu mythos and Lovecraftian horror.
10Berserker Unbound(2019)
Jeff Lemire and Mike Deodato
Berserker Unboundfollows aConan-inspired barbarian, the Mongrel King, as he is transported from his fantasy realm to modern-day New York City by a villainous sorcerer. There, he meets a homeless man, Joe Cobb, who guides him through the perils and tribulations of modern urban life, though he’s pursued by his enemy’s minions.
Berserker Unboundbasically answers the question of what would happen if Conan the Barbarian entered the modern world, with the Mongrel King serving as a love letter tothe works of Robert E. Howard.The series has a brilliant, Cimmerian-style revenge plot as the protagonist seeks to avenge his family against the sorcerer.
9Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone(2014)
Christopher Sebela and Ariel Olivetti
The crossovers between theAlienandPredatorfranchises have formed a central part of Dark Horse’s success since the 1990s, with their original story inspiring the 2004Alien vs. Predatorfilm. InFire and Stone, readers were given a follow-up to Ridley Scott’sPrometheus, continuing to explore the significance of the Engineers and the evolution of the Xenomorphs.
Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stonefollows a group of survivors from a shipwreck on LV-223, the same planet where the Prometheus crew found the Engineer.With a killer android on the loose, a Predator on the hunt and Xenomorphs thrown into the mix, readers are shown the efforts of the human survivors to escape the monsters – with a healthy dose of ethical commentary added in.
Predator vs Black Panther Debuts T’Challa’s New Yautja-Killing Armor
In a new miniseries debuting this summer, Black Panther must fight in upgraded armor as Predators descend upon Wakanda in search of vibranium.
8Usagi Yojimbo(1996 - 2019)
Stan Sakai
Created as work of homage to the films of Akira Kurosawa,Usagi Yojimbofollows Miyamoto Usagi, a masterless samurai who, through his honor code of Bushido, protects the vulnerable and delivers justice to those he encounters. Through Dark Horse, the series was given its third volume, which follows the hero as he takes on political conspiracies, prejudice and even an alien invasion styled after HG Wells’War of the Worlds.
Usagi Yojimboblends the whimsy and excitement of Saturday-morning cartoons with the depth and honor code of the samurai as the hero proves himself the finest warrior around.Based in part on the legends and life of Miyamoto Misashi, the series delivers plenty of action for fans of martial arts, the samurai and Japanese culture.
7Star Wars: Republic(1998 - 2006)
John Ostrander, Jan Duursema, Dan Parsons, Haden Blackman, Tomas Giorello and more
In the 1990s, Dark Horse found its footing through its treatment of iconic film franchises, andStar Warsbecame the centerpiece of that strategy. While the company’s treatment of the Original Trilogy era gave readers some great stories, the centerpiece of the franchise was the Republic run. Beginning in issue #46 of the 1998 series, the Republic era explored the Clone Wars before the 2008 TV series, highlighting characters like Aayla Secura, Quinlan Vos and Alpha-17.
Dark Horse’sStar Warscomics (which now fall into the non-canon continuity dubbed “Legends”) contain some of the best stories in the franchise, with the Battle of Kamino quickly standing out as the best part of the series.For people who want to read the material that helped inspire Dave Filoni’s vision for the prequel era, this is the place to go.
10 Best Star Wars Legends Comics (That Should Still Be Canon)
Star Wars has no shortage of fantastic comics, but most aren’t a part of its main continuity. Here’s the 10 best Legends comics that need to be canon!
6Sin City(1991 - 2000)
Frank Miller
After his success writingBatmanandDaredevil,Frank Miller moved to Dark Horseshortly after the company formed, where he unleashed hisSin Cityuniverse. Centered around a group of morally-ambiguous but ultimately heroic protagonists, the series delivered iconic tales likeThe Big Fat KillandA Dame To Kill For. Arguably the best of the stories isThat Yellow Bastard, which focuses on a detective named Hartigan as he protects Nancy from the man who almost murdered her.
Frank Miller’sSin Citycomics stand out as some of the best stories to come out of the ’90s comic book industry, ditching superheroes for gritty, street-level antiheroes the writer/artist knows so well.The series remains some of the creator’s best work sinceThe Dark Knight Returns, and is the ideal entry point for readers to old-school crime comics.
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5Lobster Johnson(2007 - 2017)
Mike Mignola
Mike Mignola’sHellboyuniverse includes a variety of heroes, particularly those modeled after the protagonists of pulp fiction. After Hellboy, the best of these is Lobster Johnson, a World War II-era spy who fights the forces of darkness. One of his best adventures isThe Metal Monsters of Midtown, a tale that embraces the hero’s pulpy roots as he fends off attacks from giant robots, who wreak havoc on New York.
Lobster Johnson is the closest thing theHellboyuniverse has to its own Batman, giving readers a gritty, street-level vigilante and spy, one who plays a critical role in World War II and the Cold War. Where Hellboy’s adventures focus on horror, the Lobster is more a blend of classic adventure serials, playing more into action, science fiction and war.
4Kill Whitey Donovan(2019 - 2020)
Sydney Duncan and Natalie Barahona
Kill Whitey Donovanis a Western revenge story that follows two women who come together over their shared hatred of a ruthless, abusive plantation owner, Jim “Whitey” Donovan. On one hand is the Southern belle Anna Hoyt, who is driven to vengeance against the man who abused her sister into taking her own life. On the other hand is Hattie Virgil, one of the enslaved women of Donovan’s plantation who joins Anna. With stark differences between the pair, they set aside their different backgrounds to achieve their goal.
Kill Whitey Donovanreads like a love letter to Quentin Tarantino movies and Spaghetti Westerns, blending elements of movies likeDjango Unchained,Kill BillandOnce Upon a Time In the West.The series pulls no punches in its depiction of its setting and characters, and stands out as one of the best Dark Horse originals of the last decade.
3Black Hammer(2016 - Present)
Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston
Created as a love letter to classic superhero comics,Jeff Lemire’sBlack Hammerseriesfollows a team of Golden Age heroes trapped in the small town of Rockwood. Made up of a series of pastiches of classic characters like Captain America, Martian Manhunter and Adam Strange, the series focuses on the personalities of the heroes as they adjust to their new lives.
Black Hammeroffers readersa masterful blend of comic book history, character study, nostalgia and mysteryas the series explores the heroes' past and the disappearance of their leader. Throughout the title, readers are teased with chapters of their history, something that leads into their sequel stories. InBlack Hammer/Justice League, fans of the series were even treated to seeing the JLA and BH teams switch places.
Dark Horse’s Black Hammer Returns For Game-Changing New Event Series
Dark Horse is releasing Black Hammer: The End, a six-issue event that doubles as a dramatic finale for the saga and a new chapter for the franchise.
2The Goon(1999 - Present)
Eric Powell
The Goonfocuses on a nameless mob enforcer and his friend Frankie as they defend their town from a never-ending assault of undead and supernatural threats. Known for its use of dark comedy and great action, the series became a true cult classic following its release in 1999.A throwback to classic gangster movies with a blend of pulp-style comics, the title boasts a combination of brilliant art, well-designed monsters and laughs.
The Goonhas an interesting backstory, with creator Eric Powell facing a series of rejections from publishers before finally finding a home at Dark Horse. The company’s publishing of the series shows how it had an eye for quality better than most competitors, and has consistently been rewarded for prioritizing good stories above all else.
1Hellboy(1993 - Present)
Since his creation by Mike Mignola in 1993,Hellboy has become the face of Dark Horse Comics, thanks to the character’s consistently well-written stories and mainstream popularity. Set in the so-called MignolaVerse, the character is a demonic occult detective who, alongside his Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense colleagues, investigates supernatural cases. Ranging from undead Nazis to child-eating monsters, his cases delve into the realm of mythology, cosmic horror, dark fantasy and occult conspiracies.
Hellboyis one of the most consistent, entertaining and imaginative series under Dark Horse, with the character’s arcs broken down as self-contained miniseries and one-shots. For readers who enjoy horror, action, fantasy and the supernatural, the ongoing adventures of Hellboy and his friends provide some of the best detective stories in comics.Dark Horse Comicsseries likeThe Crooked Man, Almost ColossusandSeed of Destructionstand out as required reading for newcomers.
