Dark Horse Presents #32 Review


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Eisner and Harvey Award winning anthology, Dark Horse Presents, returns for its 32nd issue.

Read the official description from Dark Horse:

Delve into a twisted video game tale with Brendan McCarthy and Darrin Grimwood’s The Deleted! Rich Johnston’s Miss Cranbourne returns! Mike Mignola and Mick McMahon reveal the surprise twist in the nuptials when . . . Hellboy gets married!

Plus, the long-running DHP serials Alabaster: Boxcar Talesand Nexus: Into the Past reach their thrilling conclusions!

And, of course, new installments of Integer CityCity of Roses,MonstrousKill Me,and Saint George!

Dark Horse Presents 32_CInherent to reading an anthology is you’ll be getting a collection of short stories in which you won’t have time to become fully engrossed. It’s a fun way for a group of creators to get stuff out there. Sometimes they are established artists and or up and comers. This had some of each.

The book opens with the continuation of Mike Mignola‘s Hellboy Gets Married short…and it was a short marriage but the ceremony was beautiful(ly gory). Til Death do us part, ineed. Next up was Jamie S. Rich and Brent Schoonover’s third installment of Integer City. This episode picks up with Detective Jonny Kilmeister in pursuit of an artifact and he’s not the only one after it. Next up The Deleted, form the creative team of  Brendan McCarthy and Darrin Grimwood. In a world that looked like a mash-up of Total Recall and The Matrix, we find a character who doesn’t know who he is or where he is.

Paul Stanford‘s eleventh entry in the City of Roses centered on an intense shootout between the city’s Narcotics Squad and crackheads. Missing the other parts makes it a tough read, but the artwork is nice. Then it’s Mike Baron and Steve Rude’s turn to take us on an acid trip in Stoleaway. Each panel is full of detail and color, there’s no denying the fact that this is some top shelf renditions. Steve Horton and Ryan Cody worked on the short I enjoyed the most: Monstrous. Something’s going on with monsters speaking Latin and a  hybrid with blades that have feels. I feel obligated to read the previous installments and keep my eyes peeled for the next.

Chad Lambert and Christine Larsen combine to show us that time travel is more complicated than we think. A dumpster full of dead bodies is one thing; it’s a whole other ball game when the dumpster is full of dead “yous.” St. George, Dragonslayer Part Three wins for the best artwork. Fred van Lente and Reilly Brown shared duties so I’m not sure who to thank, but the art was certainly well-done. Caitlin R. Kiernan’s Alabaster, drawn by Steve Lieber, comes a close second. They catch your attention and the story, while crazy, is compelling. Finally, The Many Murders of Miss Cranbourne is a can’t miss. Both Rich Johnston and Simon Rohrmuller are on top of their game.

Dark Horse Presents #32 is a great anthology. You should pick it up!

5/5

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