Tag Archives: steve dutro

Dark Horse reveals Four new Manga Releases for Late 2026

Dark Horse Manga has announced a new, expansive lineup of Manga coming to English audiences in Fall 2026 and beyond. 

Suicide Island

In a story evoking both Lord of the Flies and Battle Royale, a young Japanese man, Sei, is transported to the mysterious, remote Suicide Island after a failed suicide attempt—where he must live the rest of his days or figure out how to die! With society turning its back on many suicidal citizens, the island fills up with haunted, driven characters, often in conflict with each other and sometimes barely holding onto sanity! 

This series is created by mangaka Kouji Mori, with translations by Kumar Sivasubramanian and lettering by Eisner Award-nominated Steve Dutro.

Suicide Island Volume 1 (232 pages, 5.125×7.25”) arrives in bookstores and comic shops on December 8, 2026, for $14.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop.

Suicide Island

Babanba Banban Vampire

An unassuming worker in a long-established public bathhouse is really the lustful 450-year-old vampire Ranmaru Mori! The heir to this esteemed Koi No Yu Bathhouse, Rihito Tatsuno, is a fifteen-year-old virgin—who is about to fall in love for the first time with a girl in his class! Ranmaru begins to weave a desperate plan to prevent Rihito from losing his virginity and to make him fall for Ranmaru instead, so the bloodsucker can eventually have pure, eighteen-year-old virgin blood for his own vampiric self!

This hilarious, BL manga series from Hiromasa Okujima has already been adapted into an anime and a live-action film! Translated by Kumar Sivasubramanian and lettered by Eisner Award-nominated Steve Dutro.

Babanba BanBan Vampire Volume 1 (208 pages, 5.125×7.25”) arrives in bookstores and comic shops on November 10, 2026, for $13.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop.

Babanba Banban Vampire

Asobi Asobase

Hanako, Olivia, and Kasumi are three Japanese schoolgirls who love to play games—so they create a special club for themselves to challenge each other to intense, over-the-top games and dares! As they struggle with their own unique personalities, they also struggle to make their group an official club in the eyes of the student council.

From mangaka Rin Suzukawa, this omnibus series collects several original volumes into one trade paperback, with translations by Jongwoo Kim and lettering work by Thiago Péres, Lucas Saguista, and Naaice. Original Japanese volumes 1, 2, and 3, and part of Volume 4, are collected in the first Asobi Asobase Omnibus.

Asobi Asobase Volume 1 (564 pages, 5.75×8.25”) arrives in bookstores and comic shops on November 17, 2026, for $29.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop.

Asobi Asobase

Forget-Me-Not

Stroll along the banks of the canals in beautiful Venice, Italy, and you’ll see the slacker—a young woman noodling on her guitar, pecking a bit at her laptop, and maybe getting a little reading in. But watch your step in this ancient town, because some of the other people you might run into—the ragged derelict, the drunken streetwalker, even that clean-cut gondolier—they’re all her, too! She’s Mariel Imari, of Italian and Japanese descent, whose skill at disguise comes from being part of a famous dynasty of detectives.

But Mariel hasn’t yet cracked the one case that would allow her to inherit her grandfather’s estate—Forget-me-not, the painting stolen from the mansion 22 years ago, which she needs to recover as a condition of his will. You see, Mariel is brilliant, but Mariel is also a bit lazy and slovenly and bored…and about to be a bit embarrassed, too, when her sisters show up from Japan, under the impression that Mariel is rich! Will Mariel ever catch the master thief standing between her and an aristocratic lifestyle? Does she really want to?

Created by mangaka Kenji Tsuruta with translation by Dana Lewis and lettering by Susie Lee.

Forget-Me-Not Volume 1 (256 pages, 5.25×10.25”) arrives in bookstores and comic shops on January 5, 2027, for $29.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop.

Forget-Me-Not Volume 1

Gou Tanabe’s manga adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror gets a Deluxe Edition for English Audiences

No one in the small town of Dunwich knew who young Wilbur Whateley’s father was—or that the hideous outcast boy was the most dangerous sorcerer alive. Now, Dark Horse Manga will bring Gou Tanabe’s adaptation of the cosmic horror tale to English audiences in H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror Deluxe Edition. Adapted into English by Zack Davisson, translator of the two-time Eisner Award-winning Showa: A History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki, and lettered by the Eisner-nominated Steve Dutro

The horror was born before dawn on February 2, 1913—the feast of Candlemas, although the people of Dunwich call that ancient festival by a different name. Of unknown father, Wilbur Whateley was not christened—yet he descended still from a once-proud Puritan family that left Salem in 1692 to found Dunwich, Massachusetts. 

Dr. Henry Armitage, head librarian at Miskatonic University, drives the dusty, rutted roads out to Dunwich to meet the child prodigy with whom he has been corresponding on the most abstruse and disturbing lore. Dr. Armitage can hardly believe the sight of the priceless hoard of occult books rotting away in the Whateley farmhouse—nor that of the dark, goatish Wilbur, for whom those books have been his only education. 

Young Wilbur is not content with his homeschooling—to complete his studies, he needs something Miskatonic possesses, the Latin edition of the Necronomicon. And if they’re too snooty to lend their precious copy out to a country boy like him, Wilbur has other means to get it. Wilbur Whateley was born into this world with a great and horrific purpose—to open a doorway for those not of this world to return to Earth! 

Eldritch chills and psychological thrills await in H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror Deluxe Edition when the 650-page (7×10”) hardcover arrives in bookstores and comic shops on September 29, 2026, for $49.99. Pre-order now from Dark Horse DirectAmazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop.

Preview: Synthetics Volume One #4

Synthetics Volume One #4

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Tony Parker
Colorist: Carrie Strachen
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover artist: Tony Parker

In this riveting sci-fi series, the Earth is dying, and humanity has less than twenty years left! Dr. Hernando Montoya, owner of the labs at Vita Nova, is trying to avoid extinction and save Earth by creating the world’s first synthetic human life. “We are now crossing the Rubicon in the quest to create synthetic humans . . . and officially felons in the eyes of the law,” Montoya admits. Will he be able to save life on this planet?

Synthetics Volume One #4

Preview: Synthetics Volume One #3

Synthetics Volume One #3

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Tony Parker
Colorist: Carrie Strachan
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover artist: Tony Parker

Nick and Denny found the facility that was leaking neural slices to the black market, but with the employee responsible dead on arrival, they may need to dig deeper to find a new lead. Meanwhile, indie journalist Blake Wohl blackmails Dr. Hernando Montoya with an ultimatum: Either give Blake exclusive rights to livestream the birth of the Synthetics or spend what time remains on this Earth in prison.

Synthetics Volume One #3

Preview: Synthetics Volume One #2

Synthetics Volume One #2

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Tony Parker
Colorist: Carrie Strachan
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover artist: Tony Parker

A new apocalyptic sci-fi epic from J. Michael Straczynski and Tony Parker!

Nick and Denny finally have a thin lead in their case, but following this trail of breadcrumbs could lead them somewhere unexpected. Meanwhile, Blake Wohl has their own lead on what could possibly be the story of a lifetime. And as Hernando and Yuri feel danger closing in and the fate of the world at stake, they must accelerate the Synthetics timeline and simply hope that their hard work isn’t undone!

Synthetics Volume One #2

Preview: Synthetics Volume One #1

Synthetics Volume One #1

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Tony Parker
Colorist: Carrie Strachan
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover Artist: Tony Parker

A new apocalyptic sci-fi epic from Joseph Michael Straczynski!

On a dying Earth filled with expanding dead zones, humans form rage gangs to vent their anger at futures lost or escape into the cyber-void to avoid thinking about what’s coming. Our only hope of survival rests with a new kind of human. Will their appearance in a desperate world be met with acceptance—or destruction? Are they angels, devils, or the latest iteration of a Frankenstein’s monster?

Synthetics Volume One #1

Synthetics Volume One #1 delivers a bleak look at the future, commenting on today

Synthetics Volume One #1

On a dying Earth filled with expanding dead zones, humans form rage gangs to vent their anger at futures lost or escape into the cyber-void to avoid thinking about what’s coming. Our only hope of survival rests with a new kind of human. Will their appearance in a desperate world be met with acceptance—or destruction? Are they angels, devils, or the latest iteration of a Frankenstein’s monster? Synthetics Volume One #1 is an intriguing sci-fi series that feels like it’s a reflection on issues technology has today.

Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Synthetics Volume One #1 is a bleak debut. Set far in the future, the world only has a decade left before humanity is gone. The comic teases the calamity but doesn’t dwell on the reality, as the “how” of it all doesn’t really impact the story. Instead, Straczynski focuses on what individuals do, especially the rich and powerful tech oligarchy, when faced with the situation.

Where Synthetics Volume One #1 really shines is the debate it has about the use of technology, especially new technology. The comic’s true center is on the ability to regrow human body parts. Arms, legs, organs, this is an ability that exists in this world. And, with the ability to grow so much, it isn’t a stretch to grow full human bodies. What are the ethical boundaries of that? Where do humans become and synthetic beings begin? How much of your body needs to be replaced? Add in the dealing of memories like it was a drug, and it’s an interesting combination of moral lines and how far those with power will cross it. If you invent it, they will abuse it seems to be the mantra Straczynski is going for.

Tony Parker provides the art with Carrie Strachan on color and Steve Dutro lettering. The art is interesting as it has a sense of being both futuristic but also a little worn down in a way as well. It’s an interesting design choice. What’s nice is it all feels lived in and while futuristic, still realistic and doesn’t distract with the wonders of the future. The look of Synthetics Volume One #1 teases a world with technology far beyond our own but at the same time it hasn’t really improved things. There’s this sadness about the world design, a drab, ominous tone about it all. It works and works really well to set the feel of the comic and the world.

Synthetics Volume One #1 is a solid debut that throws out some ethical debate while also pondering the end of it all. It’s a different apocalyptic disaster with humanity either resigned to what will happen or scrambling in an attempt to survive what’s to come. But, through it’s entertaining premise and concepts, it feels like it has something to say about our state of the world, the present and what we’re denying is our future.

Story: J. Michael Straczynski Art: Tony Parker
Color: Carrie Strachan Letterer: Steve Dutro
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus Comics Kindle

Preview: Synthetics Volume One #1

Synthetics Volume One #1

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Tony Parker
Colorist: Carrie Strachan
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover Artist: Tony Parker

A new apocalyptic sci-fi epic from Joseph Michael Straczynski!

On a dying Earth filled with expanding dead zones, humans form rage gangs to vent their anger at futures lost or escape into the cyber-void to avoid thinking about what’s coming. Our only hope of survival rests with a new kind of human. Will their appearance in a desperate world be met with acceptance—or destruction? Are they angels, devils, or the latest iteration of a Frankenstein’s monster?

Synthetics Volume One #1

Don’t Be Driven Mad By The Shadow Out of Time

Dark Horse Manga continues the English translations of masterful manga artist Gou Tanabe! Winner of the 2025 Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers of America, Tanabe’s adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft have also been nominated for the Eisner, Harvey, and American Manga Awards. His latest work to appear from Dark Horse, H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Out of Time, is adapted into English by Zack Davisson, translator of the two-time Eisner Award-winning Showa: A History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki, and lettered by the Eisner-nominated Steve Dutro. This next terrifying tale will arrive just in time for Halloween 2025. 

Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee was once a respectable professor of political economy. Though he taught at Miskatonic University in Arkham, his temper was of a reasonable sort, not at all interested in the occult. That has changed. In 1908, standing in the lecture hall, Professor Peaslee saw his classroom suddenly twist into an uncanny, alien vista, and he collapsed unconscious.

What awoke was not the Nathaniel Peaslee his colleagues knew—at least, not his mind. Now associating with strange people, and speaking oddly of time, distant lands, and concepts of existence, his travels and research disturbed those who knew him, including his friends, wife and even children. It was not until 1913 that Professor Peaslee came back to his right mind, with no memory of his strange sabbatical. His search for understanding of those five missing years leads him—and readers—on a journey across the globe to a place where a long-vanished race still casts their shadow out of time.

Are you out of your mind? Don’t miss H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Out of Time when the 370-page (5.125” x 7.25”) tankobon-sized paperback arrives in bookstores on October 28, 2025 and comic shops on October 29, 2025, for $21.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop.

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow out of Time

J. Michael Straczynski, Tony Parker, Carrie Strachan, and Steve Dutro bring a dying Earth to life in Synthetics

Dark Horse Comics brings together a stellar group of talent for an original, creator-owned series that bends genres. Creator of Babylon 5 and Marvel and DC modern legend J. Michael Straczynski, artist Tony Parkercolorist Carrie Strachan, and letterer Steve Dutro invite fans to dive into a new dystopian scenario where the meaning of life is only as important as the definition of life. Synthetics Volume 1 arrives in October 2025 as a four-issue comic mini-series.  

On a dying Earth filled with expanding dead zones, humans form rage gangs to vent their anger at futures lost. Others escape into the cyber-void to escape the existential dread of what’s coming. The only hope for civilization’s survival rests with a new kind of human. Will their appearance in a desperate world be met with acceptance—or destruction? Are they angels, devils, or the latest iteration of Frankenstein’s monster?

Focus on the future when Synthetics Volume 1 #1 (of 4) arrives in comic shops on October 29, 2025, for $4.99.

Synthetics Volume 1 #1
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