It’s no surprise that one of the more anticipated games of 2012 for The Flickcast is Prototype 2. Since getting a peek at San Diego Comic-Con and getting hands on at NYCC, we are counting down to Prototype 2′s April 24th release date. Also looking forward to the release are the folks at Dark Horse Comics. Starting February 15th, Dark Horse will be launching an all digital three part web series focusing on filling in the events of what transpired between the first game and Prototype 2.

The first entry, “The Anchor,” illustrated by Paco Díaz, continues the story of Alex Mercer, the protagonist from the first game, while the second story, “The Survivors,” illustrated by Chris Staggs, follows a small group of residents of New York trying to escape the city after it has been transformed into NYZ with the outbreak of the Blacklight virus. The third and final story, illustrated by Victor Drujiniu, is “The Labyrinth” and provides fans a deeper look into the backstory of PROTOTYPE 2′s new protagonist, Sgt. James Heller.

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Fans who like their comics available on the go will be happy to learn that Dark Horse is taking their catalogue of Star Wars titles digital. Finally, when someone glances over your shoulder and spies you leering at Slave Leia on your iPad, you at least have the excuse that you’re reading.

Dark Horse and LucasFilm announced that over 50 comics from the Star Wars universe are now available for purchase from Digital.DarkHorse.com. The announcement was made yesterday from the Dark Horse Star Wars Comics 20th Anniversary Panel.

Among the books listed is:

Star Wars: Crimson Empire series
Marvel’s adaptation of Episode IV: A New Hope
The Clone Wars
Knights of the Old Republic
Legacy: War
Knight Errant
The Old Republic
Jedi: The Dark Side
and the top-selling Darth Vader and the Lost Command.

Most single issues will be priced at the standard $1.99, with KOTOR #1 and Clone Wars #1 available for free download and Crimson Empire #1, Knight Errant #1, and The Old Republic #1 for $.99.

With Comic-Con in San Diego kicking off today the announcements of new and exciting projects are going to start coming fast and furious. Sadly, there won’t be anything about Vin Diesel — at least in this case. See what we did there?

Instead, this particular announcement concerns a different star (well two, actually): Director Guillermo del Toro and Dark Horse Comic. That’s right, del Toro is teaming up with Dark Horse Comics to bring his horror novel The Strain to the pages of a comic series.

Written in conjunction with novelist Chuck Hogan, the novel concerns a mysterious airplane that lands at JFK Airport and then goes dark on the runway. The Center for Disease Control, fearing a terrorist attack, calls in Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team of expert biological-threat first responders.

However, he isn’t the one able to really solve the mystery. Instead, an elderly pawnbroker from Spanish Harlem, who suspects a darker purpose behind the event, realizes an ancient threat intent on covering mankind in darkness is responsible.

Adapted by writer David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Kull), with art by Mike Huddleston (MK Ultra), the first issue arrives in stores on December 14.

With Comic-Con only about a week away expect lots more announcements of events, panels, signings and more over the next several day. This time around its the folks at Dark Horse Comics with the announcement.

They’ve got a whole bunch of events planned for Comic-Con including stuff at their booth, panels in various Con rooms and a green screen full of exciting showings.

To make things easier, we’ve included the full press release so you can make sure to include Dark Horse in your Comic-Con planning. Check out out right here:

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2011 SCHEDULE! SIGNINGS, PANELS, AND GREEN SCREENS, OH MY!

July 13, MILWAUKIE, OR—It’s here! San Diego Comic-Con 2011 is upon us, and Dark Horse Comics is telling you all the goods ahead of time! Plan accordingly!

SIGNINGS
Wednesday, July 20
7:30 p.m.—Preview Night Reveal

Thursday, July 21
11 a.m.— Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá
11 a.m.—Tara McPherson (The Art of Tara McPherson)
12:30 p.m.—Eric Powell (The Goon)
2 p.m.—Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce) *Ticketed by Lottery
3 p.m.—Morgan Spurlock (Supersized)
3:30 p.m.—Jerry Robinson (Jet Scott)
4:30 p.m.—Jill Thompson (Beasts of Burden)

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For years we have been teased with the possibility of the Dark Horse comic R.I.P.D. coming to the big screen. Now it looks like it will finally happen.

Super producer Neal Moritz (The Fast and Furious, Green Hornet, Luke Cage, Every other upcoming movie you can think of) has been successful in his talks with the man who is becoming a comic book movie regular, Ryan Reynolds (X-men Origins: Wolverine, Green Lantern, Deadpool) and has gotten him to star in the film. In addition, it appears Moritz has scored again, as now rumored to be joining the project is none other than McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator Salvation).

McG is currently working on the troubled  This Means War. Unfortunately, This Means War has been a passion project for McG and now that Fox is backing the film it will be his first priority.

With McG’s history of directing big budget blockbuster movies, the expectation is that Universal is looking to take a risk, with them betting that R.I.P.D. will become a summer blockbuster.

R.I.P.D. (Rest in Peace Department) follows the adventures of two dead cops, one recently deceased and the other who died centuries ago, who police the dead. In addition to Reynolds, rumored for the co-starring role opposite is Zach Galifiniakis.

Do you think McG is the right fit to direct? Who do you think would be better? Sound off and let us know!

TNT and Dark Horse Comics will be teaming up to produce a comic book and webcomic prequel to the upcoming Falling Skies television series.

Falling Skies is an upcoming series that will be produced by Dreamworks Television, with Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer.  The TNT series will star Noah Wyle (ER), and involves the aftermath of an alien invasion, with the hopes for  humanity resting  on a few survivors. It will debut in the Summer of 2011.

TNT and Dark Horse are distributing an exclusive, limited edition comic book that tells the back-story of the series during the New York Comic Con in October. Then, starting in November, fans can begin downloading an extending webcomic every two weeks, via iTunes, TNT.tv, or Darkhorse.com.

The comic and webcomic are a novel way to drum up early interest in the series prior to its debut.

In addition to Wyle, the series will star Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation), Drew Roy (Lincoln Heights), Maxim Knight (Brothers and Sisters), Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) and Will Patton (Armageddon.)  Wylie and Bloodgood will be signing autographs at the Dark Horse International booth at the San Diego Comic Con on Friday afternoon.

We were all sad when Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse was canceled by Fox. Sure, the series had some problems and kinda got lost mid season one, but it came back strong and finished in true Whedon fashion.

Obviously, some mysteries still remained after the series ended. One of the biggest was what happened between the episodes “Epitaph One” and “Epitaph Two.” Fortunately, the folks at Dark Horse have us covered and are releasing a brand new comic called Epitaphs that will bridge the gap and tell that previously unknown story.

Here’s the official synopsis from Dark Horse:

Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, joined by longtime Buffy the Vampire Slayer artist Cliff Richards, take us on an intricate trip through the precise moment when the Active technology went global, and how the protagonists from Epitaph One and Two narrowly avoided death, and worse.Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen wrote the Epitaph episodes of Dollhouse Seasons One and Two, and currently write for the Starz series Spartacus. This is their first work in comics. Artist Cliff Richards has drawn more Joss Whedon-related comics than any other artist, including issues of Buffy Season Eight.

The limited edition Dollhouse comic will come with the season 2 DVD and Blu-ray of the show, set for release on October 12th. It was written by Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen who will also be attending this week’s Comic-Con in San Diego for a signing at the Dark Horse booth.

If you’re attending Comic-Con, you can pick up your copy of season two packaged with this limited edition comic starting on Wednesday during Preview Night and running through Sunday. Or, just go out and buy the box set when you can. Check out the full cover for the comic after the break.

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If you’re a Star Wars fan, then this news is for you. Dark Horse has just announced a new way to feed your Star Wars needs. Writer John Jackson Miller (Mass Effect: Redemption, Knights Of The Old Republic) will be writing a new tale of Star Wars called Star Wars: Knight Errant first as an ongoing comic series, and then as a novel to be published by Del Ray Books. The novel will be set in the same era and feature the same characters but following them in an all-new adventure.

Knight Errant will introduce us to Kerra Holt, a young Jedi who’s about to realize that her role in the galaxy is far more important, and vastly different than she could have ever imagined. The series and novel will be set one thousand years before Episode I, in the “Dark Age of the Republic.” According to Dark Horse, this pivotal time in the history of Star Wars has been largely unexplored, until now.

Miller, in particular, is very excited to be taking on this new Star Wars project:

“There’s such wonderful chaos going on in the galaxy in this period,” said writer John Jackson Miller. “More than a generation before Darth Bane introduced the Rule of Two, Sith Lords are colliding not just with the Republic, but with each other. Kerra’s going to find that good intentions just may not be enough in a galaxy gone mad! This is a wide-open area to explore, and I’m thrilled that Dark Horse and Del Rey have given me this opportunity to do so.”

“With John writing both the comics and the novel, Knight Errant will be a Star Wars story on a scale we’ve never undertaken before,” said comic-series editor Dave Marshall. “This will be a first-of-its-kind opportunity to introduce the Expanded Universe of the Dark Horse comics to the fans of the Del Rey novels and vice versa!”

The Star Wars: Knight Errant comic hits stores later this year with the novel coming out early in 2011.

We’ve been fans of BioWare and EA’s Mass Effect game around here since its debut way back in 2008. Now, as things often do, the game has expanded into other areas like a comic book from Dark Horse Comics. Obviously, the game is pretty popular and has sold well and that success seems to have carried over into the comic world as well because according to Dark Horse’s official press release, the first issue of the comic has completely sold out.

The comic, called Mass Effect: Redemption, serves as a prequel for the new Mass Effect 2 game and tells the backstory for event that lead up to all the action in the game. Sound cool? It is. If you want to know more, check out all the following from the press release:

Just in time for the arrival of the hit series’ second issue, in stores today, Mass Effect: Redemption #1 will be reprinted to fill demand after selling out across the country.

Mass Effect: Redemption tells the exciting backstory that leads up to the events of Mass Effect 2, the recently released video game developed by the award-winning creative team at BioWare. The game’s lead writer, Mac Walters, takes up the pen to give fans exclusive insight into the events that unfolded between the conclusion of the original Mass Effect and the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Scripted by John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, The Invincible Iron Man) and drawn by Omar Francia (Star Wars: Legacy), this four-part series explores the exotic and dangerous future Milky Way of Mass Effect, revealing previously unseen locations, aliens, and enemies in this rich science-fiction landscape.

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Buffy’s got a brand new bag, Superman makes his pitch for “World’s Greatest Detective” and the Sentry gets to the heart of the matter in this latest edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #32
Dark Horse Comics – $2.99 US
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Artist: Georges Jeanty
Score: 9/10

While the ongoing war against Twilight hits a lull, Buffy and Xander take the break to examine the Slayer’s new power set, much to Dawn’s chagrin. Meanwhile, Giles – along with Faith and Andrew – find themselves in Twilight’s grip and Willow makes a horrifying discovery.

Best-selling author Brad Meltzer – no stranger to comics – kicks off the “Twilight” story arc with this issue in a round-about way. Twilight himself doesn’t factor into the story much, but Meltzer took the “maximum fun” approach in setting up the pieces via tiny revelations sprinkled throughout the issue while focusing on Buffy’s new powers. The result is an incredibly enjoyable read that’s sure to please virtually any fan of comics or comics-related media.

Artist Georges Jeanty continues to pump out the work that has become the glue that holds everything together for this series, and this latest issue is no different. The scenes involving Buffy and Xander, especially, were a hoot, and how could you not love Buffy hovering in mid-air while asking the General to step outside? If this issue doesn’t symbolize having fun while making a comic, I don’t know what will.

Other issues came close – it was a really good week for comics – but this issue took home the Pull of the Week title thanks to an offering that was part major story arc launch and part open love letter to comics; it’s been quite some time that a comic has made me smile this much.

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Sega and Dark Horse Comics have announced a special “Hunter Edition” of the upcoming Aliens vs Predator video game that’s slated to hit stores February 16th. The full press release is below, along with 5 preview pages from the re-colored hardcover shipping with the set.

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THE ORIGINAL ALIENS VS. PREDATOR IS BACK!

DELUXE “HUNTER EDITION” OF THE UPCOMING AVP VIDEO GAME FROM SEGA TO FEATURE HARD COVER COMIC FROM DARK HORSE!

JANUARY 21ST, MILWAUKIE, OR–In conjunction with last week’s release of the all new Aliens Vs. Predator: Three World War comic, it was announced today that the upcoming video game from SEGA, will be released in a deluxe “Hunter Edition,” featuring the newly recolored zero issue of the original Dark Horse series. Originally released all the way back in 1990, this first six issue series built on the storyline established in the pages of Dark Horse Presents, and remains one of the most popular crossovers in the history of sequential storytelling.

Featuring a dynamic new cover by artist, Raymond Swanland, and all new colors by Wes Dzioba, this all-new “remastered” edition is a fantastic update to the classic story that started it all! In addition, this limited edition hardcover features the eight page “Blood Time” story, originally published in Dark Horse Presents, and featuring the same creative team.

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If you’re a fan of Eric Powell’s awesome comic book series The Goon but often find yourself having trouble getting to the comic store to pick up the recent issues, then you’re in luck because this post is for you. According to Dark Horse Comics, publishers of The Goon, several issues of the comic including the graphic novel Chinatown, the Mystery of Mr. Wicker and The Goon #7 are going digital and will be available on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Intrigued? Thought so. Check out all the sccop from the official Dark Horse press release.

THE GOON ARRIVES ON THE iPHONE THIS WEEK AND IS BACK IN PRINT WITH THE ALL-NEW BUZZARD MINISERIES THIS SUMMER

Fans and critics alike rejoiced in 2008, when creator Eric Powell took his redneck zombie noir, The Goon, monthly for an entire calendar year. Following the release of the landmark graphic novel Chinatown and the Mystery of Mr. Wicker, Powell laid out his most complex story line to date, spanning twelve issues. In 2009, the creator celebrated the tenth anniversary of the title, releasing a special anniversary issue to coincide with a burlesque anniversary party in his honor in Nashville, followed by a special all-silent issue in November. While both were strong standalone issues, the significantly lighter release schedule left fans wondering what’s next for the madcap mercenary.

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