Dark Horse Gold Key Release Dates

superggraphics · Post by **superggraphics** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:14 pm

When I was a young boy I collected and read all of the Gold Key Heroes titles (Magnus, Solar, Turok, Samson, Spektor, etc.) on a quarterly basis. If the stories that Shooter is writing along with Vaughn on Samson continue to be as great as they have been to date then I don't mind the wait at all. If you all have been paying close attention to what Jim has been weaving so far as to a future payoff you would not be complaining as much! Lots of Easter Eggs my friends, lots. While you are waiting go back and read the issues released to date. You won't be disappointed with what you will or may discover. Also I know for a fact that Nate Piekos from Blambot who letters all of the comic books lost all of his presets and actions in his Illustrator lettering program and as a pro letterer myself that constitutes a huge setback. That is why I do all of my jobs from scratch even tho it is harder that way you don't miss deadlines! That may account for the now staggered release dates.

George E Warner
superggraphics

Todd Luck · Post by **Todd Luck** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:16 pm

I honestly can't think of any title killed by chronic delays. I mean, missed deadlines, late titles and chronically late titles are something that's been going on in comics for decades and is pretty common now, even among the big publishers. If DH can get the comics back on track I think they stand as good a chance as any other indi titles out there. They were originally solicited to come out every six weeks so Turok, Solar and Magnus are each 1-2 issues behind, which honestly ain't too bad. I've certianly seen a lot worse.

I have no idea what's causing it. I find it curious DH's non-Gold Key titles are also not shipping on the dates they originally solicited. Mass Effect shipped on time this week but the only other comic they shipped, Buffy, was supposed to come out a couple weeks ago. The Conan issue that was listed for this week was pushed back a week and the Fear Agent issue liasted for this week is late.

I don't really have anything to compare this too with Dark Horse. When I used to actually keep up with the weeks stuff shipped back in the 90s I could literally mark my calender by when Dark Horse's Legends and Star Wars stuff came out. Same with Big Jim's stuff at Valiant and Defaint and he's certainly not got a bigger workload here. For goodness sake, he used to write or co-write 4-7 titles a month at Valiant while running the company. So I ain't got a clue and speculation is pointless. Obviously publishing is a long complicated, process with a lot of people doing a lot of work and anything can go wrong at any point in the creative, printing and distribution proccess. I'll wait for an explaination (and some comics) from Dark Horse.

I still look forward to each issue with great anticipation.

dave · Post by **dave** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:36 pm

Todd Luck wrote: I still look forward to each issue with great anticipation.

Me too. Just wanted 1 today is all.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:59 am

Todd Luck wrote:I honestly can't think of any title killed by chronic delays.

You don't read many current Image comics, do you?

I think the delays are a product of lower than expected sales.

This is the pattern I've noticed with Image titles:
- creators get 2 issues in the can, then put the book out.
- sales are less than expected.
- artists need to be paid. sales can't cover that and no one is making money.
- #3 comes out very slowly if at all.
- series ends around #4 or #5 if it's finished at all.

Granted, DH's model is drastically different than Image. I'm sure DH creators get page rates or something, but my point is that if the books were selling like hotcakes, the higher ups at DH would probably be putting efforts into getting the books out on a more regular schedule. They may be overhauling everything.

superggraphics · Post by **superggraphics** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:50 am

Sorry mate, but you obviously don't work in the industry. Most of the jobs I take on a professional or independent level pay a percentage of sales plus comp copies of the book you work on and sometimes you just do the work to build your portfolio for the big two (Marvel and DC). Dark Horse Comics leaves it up to their editors to negotiate the page rates for individual creators on any given title. In other words, don't quit your day job if you work in the industry (the early 1990's this ain't). As for Image, I don't read their titles except for The Walking Dead (which Kirkman is kind enough to let them publish altho it is under his own Skybound imprint now), and additionally I know they've been going through some realignment again recently. Maybe that will help correct the pattern of problems you've described. I read that Top Cow Comics has been absorbed back into the company.

George E Warner
superggraphics

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:29 pm

400yrs wrote: Granted, DH's model is drastically different than Image. I'm sure DH creators get page rates or something, but my point is that if the books were selling like hotcakes, the higher ups at DH would probably be putting efforts into getting the books out on a more regular schedule. They may be overhauling everything.

It seems a little drastic to pull the plug and overhaul everything when most of the books only have 1 or 2 issues out. But who knows, the comics industry is crazy. Since no one in the know will say anything all we can do is speculate.

I'm still really excited for the books though. My least favorite was Solar but now the origin is starting so I'm really looking forward to a fresh start there. Magnus is really good, I'm loving the return to the classic formula and the upcoming origin of 1-A back up story. Turok is probably my favorite so far, and Samson has a very solid beginning.

My hope is that whatever the problems were, they're being fixed and the delays are just to get everything squared away again to do a new 'mini-launch' with all titles resuming a regular schedule.

There was a new artist for Magnus in the latest solicitation, so maybe they are going to revolving artists to solve some of the problems?

dave · Post by **dave** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:54 pm

Any books come out today?

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:58 pm

dave wrote:Any books come out today?

According to the Upcoming section on DH's website:

Magnus 3 Feb. 16
Samson 2 Feb. 16

Solar 5 Feb. 28

Turok 2 Mar. 2

robb77 · Post by **robb77** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:07 pm

Ryan wrote:
dave wrote:Any books come out today?
According to the Upcoming section on DH's website:

Magnus 3 Feb. 16
Samson 2 Feb. 16

Solar 5 Feb. 28

Turok 2 Mar. 2

is the turok release date for real

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:34 pm

robb77 wrote:
Ryan wrote:
dave wrote:Any books come out today?
According to the Upcoming section on DH's website:

Magnus 3 Feb. 16
Samson 2 Feb. 16

Solar 5 Feb. 28

Turok 2 Mar. 2
is the turok release date for real

Sounds about right after seeing the way DH has been releasing them so far.....

iggy101us · Post by **iggy101us** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:36 am

Maybe DH is spending most of their resources on Star Wars and not enough on the Gold Key line. Scott Allie (who wrote The Occultist which may tie into the Gold Key titles) just did a recent interview with MTV about the new Star Wars title.

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/01/27/st ... ott-allie/

MoonChild · Post by **MoonChild** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:17 am

that's just sad and rediculous!

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:01 am

Makes you wonder what's going on over at DH, that's for sure.

StarBrand · Post by **StarBrand** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:31 am

I've lost respect for Dark Horse I didn't even know I had for them over the way they've handled this line.

dave · Post by **dave** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:45 am

"What a week to quit sniffing glue."

StarBrand · Post by **StarBrand** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:50 am

dave wrote:"What a week to quit sniffing glue."

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:58 am

StarBrand wrote:I've lost respect for Dark Horse I didn't even know I had for them over the way they've handled this line.

This is starting to make DH look amateurish or like they don't really care that much about the new line. Either way.....not good.

iggy101us · Post by **iggy101us** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:14 am

I wonder if the whatever is delaying DH's digital launch is also delaying the GK line.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/20 ... -payments/

cbr on 1/31/2011 wrote:Dark Horse has announced it’s delaying the planned January launch of its proprietary platform for distributing digital comics, stating only that “factors beyond our control have impacted our plans and we are working to address these new developments.”

jridd28 · Post by **jridd28** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:14 pm

StarBrand wrote:I've lost respect for Dark Horse I didn't even know I had for them over the way they've handled this line.

Well said Starbrand!!! As much as a lot of us would like to see this line be a success, I just dont see how its possible with DH running the show. This has gone from a little test of my patience to flat out ridiculous! It kills me to say this, as I have wanted Shooter and the Gold-Key 3 to come back for a long time, but I dont know how this line will survive throughout 2011! I really hope I'm wrong though!

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:30 pm

jridd28 wrote:
StarBrand wrote:I've lost respect for Dark Horse I didn't even know I had for them over the way they've handled this line.

Well said Starbrand!!! As much as a lot of us would like to see this line be a success, I just dont see how its possible with DH running the show. This has gone from a little test of my patience to flat out ridiculous! It kills me to say this, as I have wanted Shooter and the Gold-Key 3 to come back for a long time, but I dont know how this line will survive throughout 2011! I really hope I'm wrong though!

DH pulled this same crap with the CGW/DHH line of books, a BRILLIANT universe, and it stopped them dead in their tracks just a few weeks after the launch ended. When a title is given 4 issues BY THE TIME it gets the axe, (yep, half the series only went 4 issues) and it suffers 3 artist changes and gets delayed to the point where it takes 6 or 7 months for those issues to arrive on the stands, you know they just aren't serious.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:39 pm

It's clear that dark horse has somehow botched this launch. From pretty much pure speculation it seems to be a problem with the production/company side than anything the artists or Shooter has done.

I think that a lot of these books are totally finished but for whatever reason DH is holding them back. I HOPE it's just so they can iron out whatever the problems are so they can start releasing the books on a steady schedule again.

There are 2 ways this could go. Either they'll start releasing all the books on a regular schedule (including launching Dr. Spektor and M.a.r.s. Patrol) or we'll never see a new DK book. I'm still holding out hope for the first option.

Since we don't know what's really going on I'm willing to give DH a chance to set things right. Plus I really want to see Solar and 1-A's origins, and more issues of Turok and Samson!

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:15 pm

Nothing listed on the books shipping 2/9.

Ryan wrote:I think that a lot of these books are totally finished but for whatever reason DH is holding them back.

What makes you think that?

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:17 pm

400yrs wrote:Nothing listed on the books shipping 2/9.

Ryan wrote:I think that a lot of these books are totally finished but for whatever reason DH is holding them back.
What makes you think that?

I can't speak for him but DH has a reputation for finishing and then not releasing books. They did it with Nexus: Out of the Vortex, they did it with an Aliens story meant for DHP and they did it with a Ghost special, too.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:25 pm

xodacia81 wrote: I can't speak for him but DH has a reputation for finishing and then not releasing books. They did it with Nexus: Out of the Vortex, they did it with an Aliens story meant for DHP and they did it with a Ghost special, too.

Bummer. That doesn't make much sense. If the work is done, they could recover some of their cost by printing and selling them... unless they really think they'll tank.

There are people here who probably should know what is going on, but understandably probably can't comment on anything < looking in JC Vaughn's direction >.

Is there any insight provided in the dark key forums?

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:34 pm

400yrs wrote:
xodacia81 wrote: I can't speak for him but DH has a reputation for finishing and then not releasing books. They did it with Nexus: Out of the Vortex, they did it with an Aliens story meant for DHP and they did it with a Ghost special, too.
Bummer. That doesn't make much sense. If the work is done, they could recover some of their cost by printing and selling them... unless they really think they'll tank.

There are people here who probably should know what is going on, but understandably probably can't comment on anything < looking in JC Vaughn's direction >.

Is there any insight provided in the dark key forums?

the Dark Key forums are pretty much not gonna have anything. DH just does things differently. Only Mike Richardson can tell you. I think with Nexus, there was a split between DH and Baron.