Dark Horse has certainly made itself a hit franchise with Conan. The barbarian has been enjoying a great resurgence of popularity, largely due to Dark Horse's careful quality control. And yet they still manage to do one-off mini-series that maintain the feel of the main book.

Most have been set in vague points of Conan's history, but now they're going where Robert E. Howard always said Conan would go -- to the throne.

From Dark Horse:

Written by fan-favorite scribe Akira Yoshida (X-Men/Fantastic Four; Wolverine, Elektra) with exquisite art by Paul Lee (Detective Comics; Buffy: The Vampire Slayer), Conan and the Demons of Khitai takes place many years in the future from the award-winning ongoing series and marks Conan’s first appearance as King in Dark Horse’s best-selling comics revival of the legendary fantasy hero.

When Conan receives an invitation from the Eastern kingdom of Khitai to open trade in precious jewels and spices, he decides to travel into this long-mysterious land. Unbeknonwst to Conan, those who have requested his company may have far more devious intentions than trade and beasts unseen by Western eyes lurk amidst the shadows. Soon King Conan runs afoul of an evil sorcerer and his demonic retainers in this tale of silent spectral warriors and ghastly monsters in the Far East.

“Over the course of my career, I have walked down many paths, but never did I imagine I would one day travel the road to Khitai with Conan the Cimmerian!” remarked writer Akira Yoshida. “Guiding the King of Aquilonia through these strange Asian lands has been a daunting one. As Robert E. Howard had written of the mystic land of Khitai, but never in any great detail, we were all strangers in a strange land on this journey. But working with editor Scott Allie and artist Paul Lee has been a pleasure and the adventure we’ve taken with Conan is one we hope everyone will be talking about.”

“I am thrilled at the chance to work on such a legendary title,” commented artist Paul Lee. “This series has given me a chance to explore a new approach to painted comics. I am totally excited!”

Conan and the Demons of Khitai is a four-issue miniseries written by Akira Yoshida with art by Paul Lee and covers by Pat Lee (Transformers; Darkminds; Warlands). Issue #1 arrives on sale October 5 with a retail price of $2.99.

But there's more...

Dark Horse has also made plans to bring back one of the best independent series of the 80s and 90s, Mike Baron and Steve Rude's Nexus. This project has me already setting some cash aside, as I missed the early issues of this series. It bopped around from publisher to publisher, which made its first run very hard to find. We're all too late to the party, but thanks to Dark Horse, we can still have the fun.

From Dark Horse:

The multiple Eisner Award-winning series that defined the careers of acclaimed creators Steve Rude and Mike Baron is now presented in a pristine archival collection that is sure to be an essential part of any comics connoisseur’s collection.

On the distant moon of Ylum, an enigmatic man is plagued by nightmares. He is forced to dream of the past. He dreams of real-life butchers and tyrants, and what they have done. The year is 2841, and this man is Nexus, a godlike figure who acts as judge, jury, and executioner for the vile criminals who appear in his dreams. He claims to kill in self-defense, but why? Where do the visions come from, and where did he get his powers? Though a hero to many, does he have any real moral code? These are but some of the questions that reporter Sundra Peale hopes to have answered.

Printed on high-quality paper stock and featuring a newly painted cover by Steve Rude, Nexus Archives Volume 1 features story by Mike Baron with art by Steve Rude. Collecting Nexus #1-3 (Capital Comics) and Nexus #1-4 (First Comics) it arrives on sale November 16 with a retail price of $49.95.

November 16 will also see the trade collection of Bruce Campbell's Man with the Screaming Brain, the "director's cut" version (on paper, anyway) of his burgeoning cult classic film that Sci Fi will air this Fall. The trade will retail for $13.95.

Derek McCaw